Tongue twisters for the adults

EVER SINCE Jodi-Ann Maxwell made spelling a source of national pride when she topped the Scripps Howard competition in the United States, the 'bees' have really buzzed around the hive of the annual Spelling Bee contest, staged by the Gleaner Company Ltd. through its Children's Own publication.

It has almost always been the junior bees who have hummed merrily away at the words tossed out to them by the spelling master, with the adults hacking away at the tongue and brain twisters from the sidelines, as well as marvelling at the spelling ability of the young ones.

PHOTO BY JANET SILVERA Western Bureau Manager, Shernett Robinson (right) registers students for the children's spelling bee competition.

GROWN-UPS' SPELLING FEST

On Saturday, October 8, it will be the turn of the young ones to snicker at and applaud for their elders, if not spelling betters, as The Gleaner will be taking the spelling fest to the grown-ups in the form of an adult Spelling Bee.

"Over the years we deliberately planned the event for the children. This time around the adults won't be left out, as they will partake in an excellent form of entertainment," said the Gleaner's Western Bureau manager, Shernett Robinson.

She said she was convinced this will add so much flavour and colour to Expo 2005."

It is all, of course, in the way of good fun, with a dose of real rewards to go with it. Education, it is said, is what one remembers when they have left school and it will be seen who remembers what and from how long ago.

It will certainly be interesting to see the young at heart line up, take the words that are tossed at them, unravel them in their minds and then produce what they hope is the right spelling. And, of course, they can always ask for the meaning, or say that now famous phrase: 'Repeat, please.'

At the end of the competition, the winner takes home two airline tickets to any Air Jamaica U.S. destination, except Los Angeles, second-place winner a weekend for two at the Five Diamond Ritz Carlton Rose Hall, while third place recipient pockets $10,000 courtesy of Discount Lumber and Hardware.