Bee Stats

Initial word list: 1200 words
Published list: 843 words (3 removed due to typos)
Words prepared for the Bee (with pronunciations, definitions and sentences): 164 (~19%)
Words used: 94 (~57% of prepared words, and ~11% of published list)

THANKS TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED, IN WHATEVER WAY. YOU MADE THIS EVENT A SUCCESS!!

Wrap-up, Part 2

We had an update today that suggests that we broke last year's fundraising record...THANKS TO ALL!!

More on the stars of the show:
BeeCon Hill (Mary Jo Keaney, Nan Leonard, Senator James Timilty): this team got their words (and name) very late in the game, and their team members changed quite a lot...circumstances which did nothing to showcase their very real abilities. I hope they come back: they're a group to watch!

Non-Fiction Book Club (Barbara Roth-Schecter, Chip Spalding, Gerry Wise): this is one SMART team. They read everything! They're three-year supporters of the Bee and we are so grateful for their ongoing enthusiasm.

Spell Sesquipedalian (Julia Madden, Anna Gaissert, Jackie Carroll): last year's defending champs came skidding in from a late-afternoon athletic event, and gave another terrific performance. We hope they will come back next year--another team to watch; anything could happen!

The Warrant Committee (Robyn Hunter, Nate Van Duzer, and Selectman David Heinlein): well, you already know how I feel about these hard-working folks. They got the words at the last minute, and participated to show their support for our fundraising efforts. Kudos and sincere thanks to these good sports, and a Special Mention for Mr. Heinlein's authentic high-school jacket--very cool!

Taylor Estates (Joe Desalvo, Tom Dixon, Nancy Simms): Bee veterans Simms and Dixon combined forces with new player Joe Desalvo (can I call him a New-Bee?) to win Round 3, on the word "moliminous" --a word that means "massive" or "enormous" and which describes the efforts of all the players in Round 3.

First-time winners Dover Mothers' Association (Gina Doyle, Marisa Fisch and Kristen Sampson) made an excellent showing in Round 4. We especially liked their t-shirts, which boasted the nickname "The Spell-Checkers" on the front and the question "Got Kids?" on the back.

We are always happy to see teen participation in the Bee, and were especially happy to have the Library's own Teen Advisory Board spell again this year. Danielle Hall, Nicole Huang and Lauren Springett, active members of the TAB, gave yet another evening to the service of the Library--thanks!

The Town House Honey Bees had a spirited showing in bright blue shirts and brighter smiles. We were pleased to see Bee Veteran Sue Sheridan playing again, with Sue Hall and Julie Brantley. Their coach was all smiles in the audience, as well. In addition to spelling practice, I think they learned the definition and origin of every word on the list. They probably do crossword puzzles in pen now.

The Spellunkers (Tod Dimmick, Pamela Mok and Wendy Parker) continued to dazzle us with their blinking hats and their spelling skills. They won Round 4 on the word "mogigraphia", which means writer's cramp. (I think all the players had mogigraphia by that point...)

The finalists: Carpe Spellum, the Dover Foundation, Taylor Estates and the Spellunkers, burned through the Championship round and about three pages of extra-hard "Killer Bee" words before the Dover Foundation emerged victorious with the word "kishke".

Wrap Up

I can't believe it's over...but it was so much fun!

The Bee seems larger than life, even in retrospect. Random observations:

Jane Bleakley is the Artist of the YEAR: her set design, with the anthropomorphic putti-style bees flying in and out of the vegitation, astonished and pleased spectators and participants throughout the evening. Her Bee Tree in the foyer was a very fitting display for the generosity of dozens of donors.

Lorie Linnell masterminded the "outside" of the Bee, overseeing treats and Bee Tree Words ALL EVENING LONG. Michelle Donatelli marshalled dozens of bakers to furnish tray after tray of goodies for the spectators.

Marlayne Brace designed the layout and flow of the "inside" of the Bee. Her floor plans and detailed lists of materials and responsible helpers made the evening flow smoothly.

Dover Cable moved mountains of scaffolding to set up in the gym. We trust that their improved vantage points and serious advance planning will yield a TV event that will rival the live event for energy and accessibility.

Now, for the real stars of the show: the Spellers:
Check Paul Keleher's flickr account for photos of teams. Of particular note are:
Bee-lieve It to See It (Connie Dawson, Cathy Chiavarini and Stephen Harte) in their Bee suits and Bee glasses--always a fabulous team, but this year they outdid themselves.
Carpe Spellum (Christine DiMartino, Ellie Herd, and Karen McKoy), our first runners-up, dressed eclectically (although not in tiaras this year; oh, well)--hope to see them again next year, they came SO CLOSE!
Coldwell Banker, Wellesley (Jennifer Blake, Jean McDonnell and Laura Talmud): this loyal team put in another fine performance; they have supported us for 3 years now--THANK YOU!!
The Home Team (Kirk Downing, Deb Reinemann and Louise Snyder): The audience loved these players, particularly their "invented spelling" of various words...lots of fun.
Precious BEEginnings Preschool (Lara Clark, Michael Gilio and Regan Royston): these folks did well and seemed to be pleasantly surprised by how much they enjoyed the experience--come back again next year as an alumni team!
Bee Spellbound (Nancy Jefferson, Ginny Keniry and James Keohane): this team seemed to have as much fun off-stage as they did on--and the children had a wonderful time rooting for them.
The Capital Bees (Peter Mitchell, Carol Lisbon and Dave Melville): the HATS!! I hope you wear them to Town Meeting!! Please???
Dover Foundation (Rebecca Delgado, Marguerite Eckles, Brent Johnstone): what more can we say? Congratulations!
The Gentilli Geniuses (Sara Muckstadt, Lisa Sussman, Phuong Tang-Tso) were the Lime Green girls with the 18 really good reasons to be in the Bee, including the best cheering section in the event. They win the Spirit Award. What an excellent example for all of our children.
Spellerz from the 'Hood (Kim Chase, Leslie Moore and Andy Thompson) win the Best Costume prize. I think they should be on the cover of the next Town Report.

Will cover the rest later...off to the gym!

The winning word in 2008: KISHKE

which is a type of onion sausage.

It was a wonderful, amazing, successful night and I will write all about it tomorrow and over the weekend. Until then, congratulations to champions The Dover Foundation (Rebecca Delgado, Marguerite Eckles and Brent Johnstone), who edged out Carpe Spellum on the third page of the Especially Difficult Extra Words Just in Case (aka the Killer Bee words). Well done, all, and thank you!

Now, it is time to sleep.

Last-minute musings

The words have been selected, the pronunciations proofed, the sentences written. The programmes have been printed, the tables ordered, the nametags printed. The Bee Tree is organized, the decorations are ready to go. I'm baking cupcakes and brownies with little candy bees on them for the Bee Café. Tomorrow evening our months of planning will come to fruition, and the Bee will take on a life of its own.

I don't know who is more nervous at this moment--the contestants or the Bee committee.

As the compiler of the word list, I have to say it has been a challenge to balance the needs of the more competetive spellers with those who are just in it for fun. We don't want anyone going "out" on the first word, but we do need to establish a clear winner of each round--and, of course, of the Bee itself. Each of the 4 preliminary rounds has 18 words: easier words in the beginning, and harder words towards the end. The Championship Round has 17 words. Because we know we have some extremely good spellers coming, I have crafted a separate list of "Killer Bees": the most difficult words, designed to bring a protracted round to a (hopefully) swift conclusion. I have 75 "Killer Bee" words, and I'm bringing the entire 800+ word list just in case we need it. Remember, the folks who are spelling are really competing against the list, not one another.

Now is the time to remind everyone that all participants in this Bee are winners. They are supporting their town Library, one of Dover's finest treasures. I would like to thank all the participants, most sincerely, for their community spirit and willingness to come out and have fun to benefit the Library. I hope we have a large and appreciative audience to support the players (and to buy all the goodies out in the hall). Because we have had so many private donors to the Bee, all of our expenses have been covered. Everything we make tomorrow night goes directly to the Library via the Friends. It doesn't get much better than that!

Last but NOT LEAST: The Warrant Committee

You have no idea what an honor it is to have the support of the Warrant Committee. I don't care if they can't spell a single word--the fact is they've committed to the Bee because they believe in our grass-roots efforts to raise money for the Library (outside of municipal appropriations, which they control). I am fond of calling my own Board of Trustees the BBIT (acronym created by Holly Collins, of the Best Board in Town), but the Warrant Committee could easily be called HWBIT (somewhat less pronounceable: the Hardest Working Board in Town). These people meet ALL THE TIME and at crazy hours--early morning, after dinner--anything to make sure they have a quorum to address the financial needs of the town. You ought to read their minutes. And if you know any of them, you ought to thank them for their service to your town. And you REALLY ought to go to Town Meeting, where you will see all their hard work on display: they go, member by member, item by item, through every single warrant on the Town Meeting docket. It is an amazing process. (GO: it's 7 p.m. at the High School on May 5th--always the first Monday in May. Dover's governing body is Town Meeting, and that means you. If you don't vote, you cannot complain.)
As if they did not already have enough to do a month before Town Meeting, the Warrant Committee signed up for the Bee--just the other day. This evening I delivered a hard copy of the word list to Chair Robyn Hunter, who will spell along with Nate Van Duzer and former WC member (and Current Selectman--how's that for going from the frying pan into the fire?) David Heinlein. All I can say is, you had better applaud when they get up for their round. They deserve a standing ovation, for so much more than the Bee.

Pollinating the Bee Tree

The Bee Tree is a new venture for us, and we are excited to report that we have nearly 50 donors' gifts to sell. For prices ranging from $10 on up, buyers will select a word and receive a gift certificate for a donated item whose word is somehow linked to its identity. (Here's an example: purchasing the word "starched" might land you a gift certificate to a local dry-cleaner's.) The Greater Dover community has been extremely generous to the Bee Tree, and we have a huge variety of fabulous gifts and gift cards. We hope that you will shop for words (don't worry--the Tree words are much easier than the ones used in the Bee!) and show your appreciation to the many "pollinators" whose business support makes our Bee a success.

Team Spotlight: Bee-con Hill

The Dover Town Library is delighted to announce that our own Senator James Timilty will spell at the Bee. Word is that Senator Timilty enjoyed spelling bees as a youngster, and it is logical to imagine that one who is so adept at remembering names and faces would also be a good speller. Senator Timilty will be joined by Mary Jo Keaney and homegrown talent Nan Leonard. We are honored to have their support, and wish them an enjoyable evening at the Bee.

Team Spotlight: Spellerz from the Hood

How's that for a name? This is a new team from the Oakley Road/Park Avenue neighborhood. Anyone who has walked a dog or a stroller through this charming neighborhood cannot help but envy the beautifully-executed balance of intimacy and privacy...not to mention the quiet, child-friendly roads. One of my all-time favorite yards is part of this neighborhood--every year I look forward to seeing what wonderful new things are blooming there.
We are delighted to welcome Leslie Moore, Kim Chase and Andy Thompson to the Bee, and we wish them luck. Friends and neighbors can leave them good-luck messages here in the blog, by clicking the "comments" link at the end of this entry.

Team Spotlight: Spell Sesquipedalian

...whew, typing that long, long word gave me mogigraphia!
Spell Sesquipedalian--Julia Madden, Anna Gaissert and Jackie Carroll, are coming back to defend their title. Last year these bright young women won the Bee in sudden death overtime, and they confessed that they hadn't really studied at all--they were busy with MCAS and extracurricular activities. We are delighted to welcome them back this year, and wish them all the best.

Team Spotlight: Bee Spellbound

This is a new Chickering team, formed by '07 veteran Nancy Jefferson, Jim Keohane and Vice-Principal Ginny Keniry. Ms. Jefferson once assured me earnestly that intelligence and the ability to spell are not linked...information that has comforted me as I misspell my way through the Bee preparations. We can look forward to great spelling and good fun from this terrific group.

Team Spotlight: Dover Mothers' Association

Here's another team to watch. The Dover Mothers' Association won the first Bee, and did extremely well in 2007. Three-year veteran Marisa Fisch is joined by Kristen Sampson and new speller Gina Doyle. These are the folks who brought us the expression "The Moms are Da Bomb" and you'd better believe it's true. They always put forward an excellent team.
The Dover Mothers' Association is a volunteer and social group for mothers with young children in Dover. They sponsor many local programs and events. Their e-mail address is dovermoms@gmail.com.

Another typo: KLABERJASS is the word, not KLABBERJASS

...and again, I apologize for the typo. The word will be removed from the Bee list. Many thanks to Brent Johnstone for pointing this out, along with accipitral. These are two words I'll never forget how to spell!

removing a word from the word list: ACCIPITAL should be ACCIPITRAL

and I apologize for the typo. The word ACCIPITRAL means hawklike, and I typed it incorrectly in the word list. The word will not be used on the night of the Bee.

Team Spotlight: The TAB

The Bee is open to 9th-graders on up, and we are delighted to welcome back the Library's own Teen Advisory Board team. Lauren Springett, Danielle Hall and Nicole Huang did a beautiful job last year in TAB-designed tee-shirts. The TAB meets periodically at the Library for a wide-ranging set of activities; check our website, http://dovertownlibrary.org/teens/teens.htm for details on their plans.

Team Spotlight: the Spellunkers

They're back again! I heard last year that the Spellunkers were formed when some of the team watched DCTV's rerun of the 06 Bee and thought it looked like fun. They showed up with crazy hats (check the photos--link to the right) and did very, very well. This is a team to watch, folks!

An encore from the Dover Foundation

Each year we have enjoyed the participation of the Dover Foundation, not simply because they are our friends and neighbors, and not merely for their fabulous costumes and proven spelling acumen. We also like their raison d'etre: they generate scholarship money through fantastic community theatre productions. Here is a link to their website: http://doverfoundation.home.comcast.net/~doverfoundation/about.htm Talent and generosity: what could be better?
Check them out, and try to make time to see their spring show, Carousel, May 8th--10th (right after Town Meeting). And while you're visiting their website, explore their most recent synergy with your favorite Library: http://www.flickr.com/photos/47748142@N00/sets/72157604067299679/show/
Bravo!

slipsy-breakey-fingers-ism

The only bad words in a Bee are the ones the list publisher misspells. I am very sorry to report having done just that, with the word hypsibrachycephalism. The last three letters are "ism" not "sim" as I had written.

This word will NOT be used during the Bee, and I apologize profusely for having mistyped it in the list. As I cull the final list for the Bee Night, I am double-checking the spelling, pronunciation and definition of each word being used. I will not use any words that were published with incorrect spellings.

Mulligan Improvement

Based on feedback from seasoned players, we have made an important and beneficial change to the way Bee Mulligans work. In the past, we let you use the Mulligan to OPT OUT of spelling a word. This year, we are letting you use it like a golf Mulligan: if you misspell a word, you can hand in your Mulligan afterwards and stay in the round.

Mulligans cannot be used in the Championship Round. Only one Mulligan per team, and only one use per Mulligan. Mulligans cannot be transferred to other teams.

You can buy a Mulligan at the Library for only $100. Sign up for your Mulligan at the Library, and we'll hand them out on the Bee night (we'll probably put it in the Team Captain's goody bag).

Team Spotlight: the Gentilli Geniuses

OK, I have to confess: I have a soft spot in my heart for this team. Mrs. Gentilli, the team's eponym (potential spelling word!), is my son's first grade teacher. Her motto is: "Every Child a Speller". The lucky parents in this class have rallied around this motto, and have decided to set a good example for the children by forming a team in Mrs. Gentilli's honor. The parents in the class are all chipping in for the entrance fee, and word is that Mrs. Gentilli will make an appearance at the Bee (surrounded, no doubt, by her Student Fan Club). The actual spellers are Sara Muckstadt, Phuong Tang-Tso, and Lisa Sussman. When the collection e-mail was going around, I was struck by how many parents chimed in with "Oh, we LOVE the Library!" and happily offered help with the entry fee. Whether or not they win the Bee remains to be seen, but they certainly deserve a Spirit Award!