Happy New Year of the Sonnets 2009!

Plus: Don't delay, Renew today!
January 2009

Dear SOS Members and Friends:

First things first. It's January 2009. It's time to renew your annual SOS membership. Don't delay, renew today!

As you know, our memberships operate on a calendar-year basis. That means your 2008 membership has ended. Renewing now will help us save money because we won't have to send out reminders to you later in the year. So please renew early and donate often!

Please see below for the membership form and additional information about membership renewal options. If you have any questions about how to go about renewing your membership for 2009, please contact the SOS office for assistance. We're here to help! You can renew online by visiting our website--www.shakespeare-oxford.com, by fax (914-245-9713), or by calling 914-962-1717 and our office manager can take your membership and credit card information over the phone.

Remember Our Recruit-A-Member Program:
Current SOS members in good standing can help us build our membership base by using our recruit-a-member program. If every current member recruits just one new person, our membership would double. But why stop there? If every member recruits several new members, our membership base would expand exponentially, thereby helping us to spread our message.

With the recruit-a-member program, you can offer friends and relatives a special, half-price membership for the first year. These recruited members can either pay themselves or you could start off 2009 with several half-price gift memberships to your friends and relatives. Simply forward this Constant Contact message to friends and relatives and tell them about the half-price recruit-a-member opportunity. You can also make multiple copies of this page with the below form and start recruiting new members!

We need your help! See renewal payment options below too.

Year of the Sonnets Resolution

I also wanted you to know that the Board of Trustees passed the following resolution on December 7, 2008.



In recognition of the 400th anniversary of the publication of "SHAKE-SPEARS SONNETS," the Shakespeare Oxford Society hereby designates 2009 'The Year of the Sonnets' and declares its intention to highlight the proposition that the Sonnets were published posthumously in 1609.



I'm asking all Oxfordians to give this issue some serious thought and submit information and ideas on the posthumous publication issue. I'd like to publish a research paper and perhaps several short articles in the course of this anniversary year specifically focused on the posthumous publication topic. Clearly, "ever-living poet" is a central plank in the posthumous publication theory. But there are many other facts and circumstances surrounding the 1609 publication that could be assembled as part of a compelling case for posthumous publication.

We should make a concerted effort in 2009 to ensure that we have developed the strongest possible case we can for posthumous publication. If we do that, there is a good chance we'll be able to attract the attention of the media and other key audiences.  The 400th anniversary presents an excellent PR angle but we need to have a solid research paper that makes a compelling case for posthumous publication.   Please contact me directly if you have conducted any pertinent research or if you'd like to work be part of the Year of the Sonnets task force. The more people who volunteer to help, the better.

SOS Recruit-A-Member Form

(Special Half-Price Membership Fee for First Year: $25.00 US/Canada; $30.00 Overseas)

Name of SOS Sponsor: _________

New Member Information:

Name:

Street: _

City: _ State: ZIP:_

Country: ________________

Email Address:

Membership Renewal Options:

You may renew your SOS membership by mail or fax or online. Please fill out the information on the form below and send, with your payment, to our office. Please call or email the office if you have any questions or need any help with the renewal process.

Shakespeare Oxford Society
P.O. Box 808

Yorktown Heights, NY 10598

Tel: 914-962-1717

Fax: 914-245-9713
Email: sosoffice@optonline.net

Member Name(s):_

Street:________

City:_ State:_ ZIP:_

Country:_

Email Address:_________________________________

Membership Category (Check one):

_Regular ($50.00 US/Canada; $60.00 overseas)
_Family ($75.00 US/Canada; $85.00 overseas)
_Student (Regular) ($30.00 US/Canada; $40.00 overseas) School:_______________________________________
_Sponsor ($100.00 US/Canada; overseas)
_Contributor ($250 US/Canada; overseas)
_Patron ($500 US/Canada; overseas)
_Benefactor ($1000 US/Canada; overseas)

_ Special Recruit-A-Member Program - Half-price ($25.00) for first year

Special Student Rate:
_Student (Newsletter only) ($15.00 US/Canada;$25.00 overseas) | School:_ ________________________

Payment enclosed - US Dollars only please (Check one):
Check:_ Money Order:_
Credit Card: Am. Express:_ MasterCard:_ Visa:
Name (as on card):______________
Card number:_ Exp. date:_
Signature:__________________________________________

Renew Online:

You may also renew at our Online Store. Visit
www.shakespeare-oxford.com and click on Membership at the top,
then click on the Online link. This takes you to our secure online Shopping Cart. Once there, click on the Membership button on the left. All Membership information can be entered there, and your credit card information will be processed immediately online. You will be emailed an invoice confirming your membership renewal.

Many thanks for your continued support.

Onward and upward for Edward!

Matthew Cossolotto

President

                                     Thank You!

If you can afford to donate over and above your annual membership dues, please do so now.

Thank you for giving generously!

Happy New Year of the Sonnets 2009! Plus: Don't delay, Renew today!