Presenting (ta-daah!) ... THE MUSGRAVE FOUNDATION
It's a madhouse!
No, really, it's a fan club, or a fun club. We talk about Roddy, his films, his photography, his innumerable television appearances, his passion for film preservation. In fact, there's so much to talk about him that we exchange from as little as 10 to as much as 25 emails a day, with the discussions ranging from the respectful to the irreverent. Once in a while, someone gives a pop quiz.
Let's see, what else do we do? Swap videos and trade photos. One time we got lucky with memorabilia from a charity event held in his honor. We've commemorated his birthday by arranging for flowers to be placed on his Walk of Fame star.
We are also very proud to have been asked by Van Ness Films in early 1998 to assist them in preparing the A&E Biography episode Roddy McDowall: Hollywood's Best Friend. If you look at the end credits, you will find Roxanne Smith-Graham, the website and mailing list's founder.
In October 2004, a few of us held a gathering at the Roddy Memorial Rose Garden, where we have our very own bench, and met with Roddy's sister, Virginia.
MAY I JOIN YOU?
That depends. How many cashmere sweaters do you have?
Just kidding. That's a reference to the film Lord Love A Duck -- the lead female character needed cashmere sweaters in order to join a club. To join this club, click here.
The rmgroup list is a private list, so your request for subscription will be forwarded to the mailing list administrator for approval. When your subscription is okayed, you should receive an introductory message, containing list policies and features.
I'M IN, NOW WHAT?
Congratulations! You're now a member of The Musgrave Foundation. You start receiving emails from the mailing list. And if you want to reply, or to introduce a new Roddy-related topic, just send an email to rmgroup@xmoppet.org. Don't forget to put in a subject heading or to sign your emails.
We strongly encourage you to send a brief letter of introduction to the list after your subscription is approved. You don't have to, but we'd all love to know who you are, and what makes you a Roddy fan.
Here are some of the things you might include in the intro message:
- Your name (because it wouldn't be polite to address you as "hey you").
- Your gender (because first names can be deceiving).
- Your birthdate. The members' ages range from late teens to early 50s and it'd be interesting to know where you fall in the curve. Besides, wouldn't you be curious to find out if a fellow Musgraver share your birthday?
- Your geographical location. If you specify the city, we can add your location to the map that shows where in the world the members are (and you might discover that another member lives nearby).
- Your occupation. We'd like to hear what you do for a living, or if you're a student, etc.
- The whys, wherefores and whatnots of your Roddy fandomness, including:
- What was the first film or TV show or play that you noticed Roddy in? Was it the same show that turned you into a fan? What are your favorites now?
- Are you one of the lucky people who met Roddy in person? Perhaps a book or photo he signed for you, or a fan mail answered? Did you have a close encounter with him that you'd like to share with us?
- Do you have any collection of Roddy memorabilia? Or a website that's a homage to him?
Oh, the website administrators would also be interested in knowing how you found out about The Musgrave Foundation. Was it through xmoppet.org? Did a search engine point the way?
The intro message is purely optional, but it'd give us a chance to welcome you to the group properly and get to know you. So please, send one!
And now, a few words of advice (also known as The Email Guidelines):
- Assume that email is not secure, so never put in an email anything you would not put on a postcard.
- Use a Subject heading that reflects the content of the email. Change the Subject heading if needed, using something like "New Subject Heading (Was: Old Subject Heading)" initially then dropping the "Was" portion subsequently. Adding "OT" for off-topic or non-Roddy related posts is optional but would be greatly appreciated.
- Use mixed case. UPPERCASE LOOKS AS IF YOU'RE SHOUTING.
- Be brief without being overly terse. When replying to a message, include enough original material to be understood but no more. Do not simply reply to a message by including all the previous message: edit out all the irrelevant material. Try to keep the original text distinct from the reply.
- Read all of a discussion in progress (we call this a thread) before posting replies. Avoid posting "Me Too" messages, where content is limited to agreement with previous posts.
- Remember that the recipient is a human being whose culture, language, and humor may have different points of reference from your own.
- Try to use correct grammar and spelling. On the other hand, avoid posting messages solely to point out other people's errors in typing or spelling.
- No flaming (take the discussion outside of the list). No spamming. No chain letters. Violators may be banned from the list.
- Virus alerts - please check first in the Symantec Anti-Virus Research Center that the alert is not a hoax.
- Sign your emails! (but try to keep your signature short and in plain text).
Have fun!
I HAVE TO *sniff* RESIGN
If you ever need to unsubscribe or remove yourself from this mailing list, just click here.
CHANGE OF EMAIL ADDRESS
What if you had to get a new email address or want to have list mail directed to another account instead? Just unsubscribe the old email address then re-subscribe using the new email address.
TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER
Remember, the rmgroup list is a private list for Roddy McDowall fans. All subscriptions to this list must be approved by the list owner. If you have trouble subscribing (or unsubscribing), or have questions about the list itself, please send an email to admin@xmoppet.org.