Kevin Spradlin
PeeDeePost.com
Bring it on.
The war of words has already started with still five full days before the start of the inaugural adult spelling bee, hosted by Communities in Schools.
The fundraiser, intended for adults age 21 and older, is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22 at Cole Auditorium on the campus of Richmond Community College in Hamlet. Jim Butler, principal of Hamlet Middle School, is scheduled to perform the duties of Master of Ceremonies.
Katie Rohleder, director of Discovery Place KIDS children’s museum and through Monday morning one of five teams committed to the event, started talking up the event before lunch Monday on the CIS Facebook page. As with any trash talking, the first comment often can be interpreted as somewhere between innocent and less than.
Rohleder said she and her teammates, including Danny Lampley, Jessica Erin Tullar, Joy Kennedy and Rary Herndon have been practicing “and can’t wait to take down the other teams!”
Alright, so something “less than” it is.
Chris Turner, of Modern Woodmen of America, fired right back.
“Hold on now,” Turner posted. “Modern Woodmen will have a team.”
To which Rohleder responded, “Bring it on!”
Fallon Brewington, of Communities in Schools, is happy to see “a good ol’ fashion competition.”
Brewington told The Pee Dee Post that up to 12 teams will be accepted. There will be two rounds. The first round will used the traditional spelling bee method of judging — get it right and advance, or get it wrong and get off the stage. A second round will include the unorthodox requirement of having team members act out their word in additional to spelling it correctly.
Team registration was originally set to be finalized today, but “we want to make sure everybody who wants to can participate,” she said.
Other teams include one from Maness Tire and two others, one headed by David Knight, of Hamlet, and another led by CIS board member Mary Kate Lambeth.
Team entry is $250. Each team has up to five members. General admission to watch the event is $5 per person and people of any age can be part of the audience, which will help judge the improv portion of the championship round.
For more information, visit www.cisncrichmond.org.
About Communities in Schools
Communities in Schools of Richmond County takes a holistic approach to increasing graduation rates in our school district by addressing the physical, emotional, and academic needs of children and their families through a comprehensive range of services deliver to Kindergarten through Grade 12 students.
By determining students’ needs and surrounding them with a community of support through relationships established with local businesses, social services agencies, health care providers, faith communities, and civic and other volunteer organizations, CIS makes it possible for many of Richmond County’s most vulnerable students to focus on their education; chart their course through elementary, middle, and high school; and ultimately make plans for college, a vocation, and/or a career.
Discussion