Hold a Bee
Starting Bees at the Local Level
This year we are contacting Senior Centers, newspapers, and public radio
stations all over the United States. We are proud of our National Bee and have
set up this Web page for your information. You can also contact us by phone,
mail, or e-mail for more information. We want to hear from you
and will gladly answer all inquiries.
We would like to help you set up local Bees
in your area. This is happening in some places around the U.S. and we offer
this information for your consideration.
Oregon has had a Bee for
several years and each year the winner is provided with some funding
to come to Cheyenne for the National Bee. They are great spellers
as you can see by the winners’ list.
Fort Collins, Co. began having practice Bees at their Senior
Center. They invited Cheyenne spellers (40 mile trip for us)
to participate and they concentrated on oral spelling as that
seems to be the most difficult. Since the distance is close,
many seniors from Colorado have participated in the past. They
do very well and I do believe that practice does help!
A Reno, Nevada Senior Center set up a Bee and paid for the winner
to come to Cheyenne as part of their annual budget. The participant
loved the experience and praised the friendliness of
our people and the cleanliness of our city.
Another way to help
finance the trip of a group winner is for each participant to
donate a set amount. That amount then goes to the winner to help
pay for expenses.
We would like to offer some suggestions for getting
a group started in your area.
First of all you would have to
make some posters for display in churches, libraries, and senior
centers designating a local site for the meetings. Someone would
have to volunteer to take phone calls and organize the meetings.
Perhaps the recreation director at your local senior center would
do so. That is how Fort Collins, CO now handles their local Bee
in preparation for the National Bee in Cheyenne.
Secondly, word
lists would have to be compiled. Often we are asked about our word
lists. As stated in the rules all words are used in the Bee are
found in Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate
Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, 2003. No one, and I repeat NO ONE, knows
which words will be used in the Bee. Words are compiled by the
Word Wizard and Pronouncer and are kept under lock and key until
the day of the Bee. However, there are lists available to use for
studying whether as an individual or group. Please read the information
under Sample Word List from this web page index for information
on securing these word lists.
We urge you to use the same format
that we use in our National Bee. That is 100 written words each
time followed by orals. Since these are practice sessions, all
should be allowed to take part regardless of the number of words
missed in the written words.
One Senior Center in Cheyenne gives
the participants a list of the words to be used in the next practice
session, and I believe that is the way to go until you are ready
to select your final spellers. Remember any individual age 50
or over is eligible to participate so perhaps several of your group
would want to participate in the National Bee in Cheyenne regardless
of who wins your local Bee. How about a car pool?
Third and most
importantly of all, please register and come to the Bee. The
experience is worth the effort and cost. On Friday before the Saturday
Bee we have a Get Acquainted Time with coffee and dessert (See
agenda) and games. We hope to see you there in June 2006!
You can also contact our Board Chairman for advice. Call Rev. Robert Miskimen (307) 638-3880, E-Mail, or mail at Senior Spelling Bee, c/o AARP, 2020 Carey Avenue, Mezzanine, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001.
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