At the official meeting May 2000 of the Emily Chesley Reading Circle, the membership took the historic step of creating the first official chapter of the Circle, based in London, England.

They made their momentous decision after they received the following correspondence from the Circle's most wayward founding member, Dr. Maximilian Tundra.

May 25, 2000
Gentlemen,

I trust this missive finds you all well, and (by now) steeped in "learning".

As you all know, my health has not been as good as it might be for some time, but recently, I have recovered enough to join the world at large. Though my time at Heilanstalt Ruuschgiftundpeyotesucht Und Badenhause Bayerische, was restful, and even with its pleasures (I refer, of course to the dearly departed Nurse Ballbeuster), it was good to get out.

Now I find myself thrust back into the hind-quarters of society at the forward thinking University of Bums on Seats (formerly Peckham Polytechnique) as their founding Chair of Psychodynamic Masturbation. From this exalted position, I have had the fortune to run into many fans of Emily Chesley, and several supporters of the Circle, envious that there is not a chapter in their region.

It is for the latter reason that I propose we create the first official chapter, in London, England. (You must admit that there is a certain fearful symmetry to the suggestion.)

I have appended a short list of potential candidates for Visiting Scholar status, biographical sketches, and pictures of them wearing silly hats.

Sincerely,

Dr. Maximilian Tundra

	Chauncey Migswith-Piggerton Chauncey is a professor of Arse-Elbow Differentiation here at UBS, and a real card.   Just last week he left a "festering piece of research" in the right-hand desk drawer of our Vice-Chancellor, Alan Dubious, proving that indeed, there is a difference between arses and elbows. He's pictured here telling his favorite joke: "What's this long and never gets into my wife?" Sorry, I meant to write: cad. He's a real cad.
	Haupten Beerstein Hepless (as we call him) is an exchange student here, and a long-time fan of the 1939 German translations of Chesley by Badolf Bitler.  He's pictured here in his usual togs at high table. (I didn't have the heart to tell him he need not wear a silly hat, as the one he's got would do.) Hepless is keen to translate more Chesley works in to his execrable language.
	Thag Thag is the reporter here for the administrative newspaper, The Bums on Seats Examiner. Some of you may have actually met Thag when he was a copy grunt for the Western Snews back in the Cro-magnon period. Thag is a gas. He wore the beanie at our first gathering. (I'm not sure if he likes it because of the propeller, or because it incites violence in the skinhead population near our local pub. As Thag says: "Like beat skinheads!")
	Dennis M. Travesty Dennis is a real sweet post-doc student in Hairdressing and Ecology, but I think he may be a little confused. He's pictured here right before the last all-out "Bugger Fest" when senior dons at the dorms show their students what life in academia is all about. (Dennis is a don at Prancing Fairy College.) He's most interested in Chesley's poetical works.
	Hannibal Woncaweik A Polish exchange student, Hannibal is a real fan of the Flanniganalia site. In particular, he was extremely keen on the Vibratory Earwax Remover and the Systematic Anti-autointoxication Device, the latter of which he has recreated, complete with the yogurt attachment. I don't let him near me, but Dennis and Chauncey seem to like him.  When I gave him a fez to wear he ate it.
	Thunder This is the dean of Psychodynamic Masturbation's dog, and I thought just for a kick it might be fun to have a "pretend" ECRC member. Obviously, he couldn't actually vote or write or anything, though he can "read" Guinness quite well. (Hence his name.)
	Bilby Cretin, PhD. I couldn't get this wanker to put on a hat either, but I feel obligated to propose him for membership. He supplies me with my uh . . . let's call it my uh . . . peyote substitute.
	Bob Bob is the guy who watches our cars while we go into the pub off of Trafalgar Square.  As Chauncey says: "he smells a bit, but a heart of gold." To be honest, we're not even sure if Bob is his real name, but you have to admit, that is a pretty silly hat.

--"Scholarship" by the Squire