Have You Heard the Latest Buzz?
Plans are buzzing for the annual “To Bee or Not to Bee” Spelling Bee & Silent Auction fundraiser sponsored by the Rogers County Literacy Council (RCLC).
By: Carol Beck-Round | Category: Other | Issue: March 2011
Girl Scout Troop 641 members competed in last year’s Bee. Although they didn’t win the spelling portion, they did receive the award for the Most Spirited team with their “stinger” costumes.
Plans are buzzing for the annual “To Bee or Not to Bee” Spelling Bee & Silent Auction fundraiser sponsored by the Rogers County Literacy Council (RCLC). Slated for Saturday, April 2, the competitive team event is all about having fun, raising funds for literacy and seeing whose team can spell words like “guillotine” and “magnanimous.” (And those are some of the easier words on the list.)
The event will begin with registration at 8:30 a.m. and the first round of spelling slated for 9 a.m. at the Northeast Oklahoma Technology Center on Highway 88 in Claremore. The final Stinger Round should wrap up with the winning team announced by noon.
“Even if you aren’t a great speller, the event is fun and competitive and will help fund literacy efforts in Rogers County,” says RCLC executive director Carol Round. “And you are not alone, as each three-person team can confer before submitting their written answer.”
Businesses, civic and church groups, organizations and even family teams are encouraged to enter a three-person team in the “Bee.” There are no age restrictions. Multiple teams from the same company or organization are allowed. Once a team is registered, the word list will be sent to the team captain so members can begin studying for the competitive event. The entry fee is $100 with a March 28 deadline.
Claremore Regional Hospital’s team entry, “Three Ring Circus,” also got into the spirit of the day with their costumes, which are not mandatory to participate in the Bee. Their team did make it to the final Stinger Round of the Bee.
“We are still hearing positive feedback from people who entered a team last year,” says Ms. Round. “We hope more individuals and organizations will enter this year. Last year we had 12 teams.”
In conjunction with the Bee, the council is planning another silent auction. Participants and spectators can preview and start bidding when the doors open at 8:30 with coffee and doughnuts.
“Last year’s auction was successful,” says Ms. Round. “Rogers County businesses and individuals donated more than $4,500 worth of merchandise, including restaurant meals, hand-crafted jewelry, tools, artwork and gift certificates for free skiing and canoeing lessons.”
Funds from this event will help the RCLC purchase a testing program called PowerPath, which will help identify learning and information processing challenges impacting participant outcomes. Through this advanced screening, personalized learning and workplace accommodations can be made.
“The education attainment statistics in our country are alarming,” says Ms. Round. “Through the use of PowerPath, we can help more learners by tailoring learning styles to meet individual needs. It is also crucial for the council to count on community support to continue to offer free reading instruction to adults countywide.”
The Rogers County Literacy Council is a private non-profit organization offering literacy services to individuals, 16 and over, who wish to learn to read. For more information about the RCLC or the spelling bee, email eat1@eau1eav1eaw1 or call the office, located at 1515 N. Florence in the Will Rogers Library in Claremore, at (918) 277-4331. Office hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For more information, contact
Rogers County Literacy Council
1515 N. FlorenceClaremore, OK 74017 (918) 277-4331
eat1@eau1eav1eaw1
About Author Carol Beck-Round
After 30 years in public school education, Carol Round retired and moved from Grand Lake to Claremore, Oklahoma in 2005, where she writes a weekly faith-based column which runs in 14 Oklahoma newspapers as well as several national and international publications. Three volumes of her columns have been compiled into collections: A Matter of Faith, Faith Matters and by FAITH alone. She has also written Journaling with Jesus: How to Draw Closer to God and a companion workbook, The 40-Day Challenge. This past year she has written three children’s books, a series called Nana’s 3 Jars, to teach children about the value of giving, saving and spending money. All of Carol’s books are available through Amazon. In addition to writing her weekly column, authoring books and speaking to women’s groups, she writes for Value News. She also blogs regularly at www.carolaround.com. When she is not writing or speaking, she loves spending time with her three grandchildren, working in her flowerbeds, shooting photos, volunteering at her church or going on mission trips overseas, and hiking. She is also an avid reader and loves working crosswords and trying to solve Sudoku puzzles.
Rogers County Literacy Council
For more information, contact:
Rogers County Literacy Council
eat0@eau0eav0eaw0
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