WWTBAM Bored

Tonight is the annual charity spelling bee for the adult education center, in connection with the local winter celebration with an Egyptian theme this year.

I've studied the spelling of every goddess/god I could find -- Horus, Nephthys, and on and on. They couldn't all be as easy as Set. I'm gonna see what I can find about the cenotaph shrine at Abydos . . .

I'll try to remember to let y'all know how we do. We were both lucky and good last year, hoping for the same this year.

Goud luk...

lb13

Spell Ben Rothlisburger and Troy Palmolive

Wanna scritch me for good luck?

Hopefully "sports" won't be one of the words...you just KNOW you're gonna start out "s-p-r-o-"

I wanted to wish you GUD LUK! That actually sounds like a great fundraiser, sportsfan! I am currently running one to jump into the Hudson River (on purpose, not from a plane) for a sick child in Nyack. But also, there is a G/T committee that has now put me in charge of a fund raiser and I would love to know how a spelling bee fundraiser works, if you know and have the time to tell me.
Again, good luck and let us know how it goes.....

Thanks, y'all!

You're a BIG help . . .

Not only sprots, I'll probably spell Roethlishamberger if it does come up . . .

They're allowing proper nouns this year, mostly because of the deities.

Good luck.

I hope there aren't any transliteration issues, ie, Tutankhamun, Tutenkhamen, Tutenkhamon or Nefertiti, Nefrertiti. Even Ra versus Re.

Best of luck!

I can't think of anyone better than you to have on a team.

Good luck!

southnyack42 wrote:I wanted to wish you GUD LUK! That actually sounds like a great fundraiser, sportsfan! I am currently running one to jump into the Hudson River (on purpose, not from a plane) for a sick child in Nyack. But also, there is a G/T committee that has now put me in charge of a fund raiser and I would love to know how a spelling bee fundraiser works, if you know and have the time to tell me.
Again, good luck and let us know how it goes.....

The event is about 15 years old, and I've participated in at least half of them, so i can give you a flyover version now.

Entry fee is $200, and they usually draw between 15 and 20 teams, so that's a range of $3,000 to $4,000 right there. Also, you can pay a fee to pass a word, I think it's $20, and $50 to buy back in on your first missed word, which most teams do, so that's another $700 at least. It probably nets more than $1,000. Challenges are worth a little more. We've won a couple of $100 challenges, where the loser (whoever goes out first) has to pay the challenge amount to the fundraiser. Spectators pay $3, which SteelersFan Grumbles R trademark thingie about but still pays.

I highly recommend an event sponsor if you can get one. I'm guessing that the local newspaper chips in around $1,000 for the room fee, probably around $500, and the refreshments, probably around $200 or $300. Plus they print the programs for free.

Additional benefit, the event attracts people who are interested in the cause -- they often pick up volunteer tutors for various programs right there amongst participants and spectators.

Scritches will not bring me good luck.

There will be no scritches for Evil Squirrels.

Not for the spelling bee.

Not ever.

NEVER!!!!!!!

andrewjackson wrote:Good luck.

I hope there aren't any transliteration issues, ie, Tutankhamun, Tutenkhamen, Tutenkhamon or Nefertiti, Nefrertiti. Even Ra versus Re.

I'm worried about that too. The first place I found King Tut, it was spelled Tutankhamen, next Tutankhamun, and now AJ has three more spellings. As for Ra and Re, sometimes an article will use both of them interchangeably.

Some do seem to be consistent, and I've studied those the most.

Or we might go out on some stoopid South American animal we'd never heard of, like we did a couple years ago. That's where the luck comes in.

How bout hieroglyphics?

My spelling has deteriorated since sixth grade but bees are always fun.
Good Luck!!!!

southnyack42 wrote:I wanted to wish you GUD LUK!

One year we were the Stellar Spellerz.

clem21 wrote:How bout hieroglyphics?

My spelling has deteriorated since sixth grade but bees are always fun.
Good Luck!!!!

There's a study list of 26 words -- hieroglyph is on it.

. . . The nerve! I'm glad this came up! They added six more words! Harumph!

Here's the updated list.

schism

Cheops

demimonde

keister

graminaceous

hieroglyph

mummy

ignominy

cartouche

xylidine

ostentatious

fubsy

Galantine

Grievance

Hadal

Kaph

pentimento

pharaoh

equipollent

keek

sarcophagus

diaspora

assemblage

obelisk

yatra

desacralize

scarab

prurient

kainite

Fusain

Gourmand

Haulm

SportsFan68 wrote: There's a study list of 26 words. . .
prurient

That's on my study list....

SportsFan68 wrote:

southnyack42 wrote:I wanted to wish you GUD LUK! That actually sounds like a great fundraiser, sportsfan! I am currently running one to jump into the Hudson River (on purpose, not from a plane) for a sick child in Nyack. But also, there is a G/T committee that has now put me in charge of a fund raiser and I would love to know how a spelling bee fundraiser works, if you know and have the time to tell me.
Again, good luck and let us know how it goes.....

The event is about 15 years old, and I've participated in at least half of them, so i can give you a flyover version now.

Entry fee is $200, and they usually draw between 15 and 20 teams, so that's a range of $3,000 to $4,000 right there. Also, you can pay a fee to pass a word, I think it's $20, and $50 to buy back in on your first missed word, which most teams do, so that's another $700 at least. It probably nets more than $1,000. Challenges are worth a little more. We've won a couple of $100 challenges, where the loser (whoever goes out first) has to pay the challenge amount to the fundraiser. Spectators pay $3, which SteelersFan Grumbles R trademark thingie about but still pays.

I highly recommend an event sponsor if you can get one. I'm guessing that the local newspaper chips in around $1,000 for the room fee, probably around $500, and the refreshments, probably around $200 or $300. Plus they print the programs for free.

Additional benefit, the event attracts people who are interested in the cause -- they often pick up volunteer tutors for various programs right there amongst participants and spectators.

Thank you for the information, it sounds like a lot of fun and perfect for what we have in mind. Not to sound dumb, but then the winning team has bragging rights and is there a prize?

southnyack42 wrote: Thank you for the information, it sounds like a lot of fun and perfect for what we have in mind. Not to sound dumb, but then the winning team has bragging rights and is there a prize?

Your sponsor name/team name is engraved on a metal tab which is affixed to a traveling trophy.

Prizes can be VERY nice, as in dinner at Chez FancySchmancy for six, gift certificates at local bookstores, or not so great, as in lunch for three at Chez GreasySpoon. It seems to depend on the industriousness of the organizer and the mood of the times. I expect this year's prizes to be in the not so great category. For example, hours have been cut for all staff at the best burger establishment in the universe, and I'm sure it's similar all over town. In other words, there may not be any nice dinners for prizes this year.

The bragging rights are superlative. Those and $2 will get you a cup of coffee at just about anyplace except Starbuck's.

Kick ass!

SportsFan68 wrote:

southnyack42 wrote: Thank you for the information, it sounds like a lot of fun and perfect for what we have in mind. Not to sound dumb, but then the winning team has bragging rights and is there a prize?

Your sponsor name/team name is engraved on a metal tab which is affixed to a traveling trophy.

Prizes can be VERY nice, as in dinner at Chez FancySchmancy for six, gift certificates at local bookstores, or not so great, as in lunch for three at Chez GreasySpoon. It seems to depend on the industriousness of the organizer and the mood of the times. I expect this year's prizes to be in the not so great category. For example, hours have been cut for all staff at the best burger establishment in the universe, and I'm sure it's similar all over town. In other words, there may not be any nice dinners for prizes this year.

The bragging rights are superlative. Those and $2 will get you a cup of coffee at just about anyplace except Starbuck's.

Starbucks was having a promotion where a 5 community service hours earned you a free drink! I think studying for a charity spelling bee might count!

Spell goodly, Sprots.



I am judging two bees in the next two weeks, but I see it as a role of advocate for the spellers rather than antagonist (the pronouncer is the bad guy against whom we are united).

One is the Observer regional bee, which the winner gets to go to Washington for the big one. I am the second judge on that one, and just need to be there is case the long-time real judge has a health problem.

The other is a church school for Mom.

They are both way too early in the day. But the bad cat will be happy I am up.

Ritterskoop wrote:Spell goodly, Sprots.



I am judging two bees in the next two weeks, but I see it as a role of advocate for the spellers rather than antagonist (the pronouncer is the bad guy against whom we are united).

One is the Observer regional bee, which the winner gets to go to Washington for the big one. I am the second judge on that one, and just need to be there is case the long-time real judge has a health problem.

The other is a church school for Mom.

They are both way too early in the day. But the bad cat will be happy I am up.

Good for you! Go Observer spellers!

We don't go anywhere, except maybe a couple dozen feet away from the stage and up to the bar . . .

Just remember not to take any spelling tips from any Chat deniznens.

Denizens. Whatever.

Beebs52 wrote:Kick ass!

What Beebs said!