Heren Istarion

Tolkien's Eleventy First Birthday
Hosted by Heren Istarion January 3rd 2003

The local members of Heren Istarion all turned out for our viewing of The Two Towers, afterward we all journeyed over next door to Chevy's joined by Catherine our Staff Artist, and Anne, the organizer of The Two Towers Line Party this past December. Thanks to her and her friend for attending, also thanks to Michelle for joining us and recording all of our thoughts on Tolkien for her station.(WSHU)

We all dined and toasted the professor as well as held a raffle for some great books graciously provided by Houghton Mifflin. In Vestal, NY our friend and fellow staffer Jan held his toast before the 8:30pm show, it's written out below.

To end this toast I had the pleasure of reading a wonderful piece of poetry written by our WebMaster Dennis the Ol' Took who could not join us last evening due to the fact that he was snowed in on top of Caradhras (aka Bearfort Mountain, the 2nd tallest peak in New Jersey). Dennis wrote the following and read it with his family at the 9pm toasting time.

A Toast to J.R.R. Tolkien
by Dennis J. Reulbach
On the Occasion of His Eleventy-First Birthday
January 3rd, 2003

All hail the great Professor,
and the stories he has told.
We raise our glass to this fine man,
whose works we have extolled.

All hail the great Professor,
and the lands which he created.
Rolling hills and deep cool vales,
and places ne'er outdated.

All hail the great Professor,
and the races he envisioned.
The orcs and elves, hobbits and dwarves,
and proud men though divisioned.

All hail the great Professor,
creator of such depth.
Of languages and history,
all detailed in great breadth.

All hail the great Professor,
so loved by many strong.
His tales live on inside our hearts,
in art and film and song.

In Vestal, NY our friend and fellow staffer Jan held his toast before the 8:30pm show of The Two Towers:

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention for a moment. The "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" is about to start. My name is Jan Galkowski, and I'm a member of the Tolkien Society, UK, and of its New York Smial, Heren Istarion. Loew's Cineplex is proud to bring you "The Two Towers" on this special day. For, were Professor J R R Tolkien alive, today would have been his eleventy-first birthday. Those who recall Tolkien's book, "Lord of the Rings", or Peter Jackson's first film, "Fellowship of the Ring", may remember that it was Bilbo Baggins eleventy-first birthday bash in The Shire which revealed the One Ring again to the elders of Middle-earth and set Frodo's quest in motion. Eleventy-first birthdays are thus of special significance. On this occasion, the Tolkien Society would like to toast J R R Tolkien, as is our custom on his birthday every year, in thanks for his magnificent imagination, his beloved books, and for providing the inspiration for these wonderful films. So, if any of you who have sodas and drinks would care to join me in raising them, on behalf of his fans everywhere, I give you, on this 3rd of January 2003, "The Professor".