Club News

by Keith Hagel, Editor

For most competitive SCRABBLE players, a weekly, biweekly, or monthly session at the local club is a highlight of their schedule. Players who live in larger cities and/or are willing to travel a few miles may enjoy spending a couple of nights and/or days a week sharpening their skills while enjoying the camaraderie of old friends and making new ones.

But the clubs are more than a local phenomenon; they're alive and well across North America, and they've always got the welcome mat out for visitors from near and far. So Club News will be a regular Newsletter feature to give readers a better idea of the diversity of the clubs. For those who travel frequently, the articles can serve as an addendum to the list of clubs on the NASPA web site. Just as important, however, we hope the features will be entertaining and informative for everyone, while giving club leaders a resource for good ideas that others have implemented.

To make this feature work, we'll need your help. If you'd like your club to be considered for an article, please send us some information on it. Obviously, we'll need the who, what, why, where and when of the club activities: meeting times (day of the week and hours), address, with directions if appropriate, club leaders, contact information (phone and email), fees, and web site, if any.

But that's just the basics. We'd also like one or more paragraphs on what makes your club special. For instance, focus of club (whether geared to casual or strong players, or both), history, club tournaments and other special events, average number of attendees, and regular prizes. Use your imagination, and think of the kinds of information that you would find valuable and/or interesting.

Also, if a newsworthy event has taken place at your club in the last several months, please let us know. While we will feature one club a month, we will include highlights from other clubs as well.

All clubs—big and small, urban and rural—that submit information will be considered for publication, and all material is subject to editing. The major criteria for selections will be appeal and variety. Please submit material to Keith Hagel, 39 Morrill Ave., Waterville, ME 04901 or (preferred) wordguy1@gmail.com.

SIX-BINGO GAME AT THE LEXINGTON (MA) CLUB

On March 19, 2009, at the Lexington MA SCRABBLE Club #108 in Lexington, Massachusetts, Leigh Bernstein played six bingos in one game: POINTEd, CAULKED, FOUNTAIN, MOLDIER, DISTEnD, and LIFTERS. This was (at least) the fourth time this has been achieved at the club since it was founded in 1980. Others who have played six bingos in one game at the Lexington Club are Adam Logan (’96), Chris Guilbert, and Joel Horn (’07). In Joel’s game, he played all six bingos in his first seven plays, after starting the game with a trade. Details of these and other club records can be seen at http://www.wolfberg.net/scrabble/lexington/stats/.

The Lexington Club meets on Thursday nights at 7 p.m. at the First Parish Unitarian Church at 9 Harrington Rd. in Lexington, Massachusetts. For additional information go to http://www.wolfberg.net.

644-POINT, FIVE-BINGO GAME AT THE HOUSTON CLUB

On June 2, 2009, at the Houston TX SCRABBLE Club #359, Robin Lewis scored five bingos in a game to score 644 points. Robin opened with MILIEUS for 74 points, then proceeded to play NATRONS (75), EXPLORER (101), and COENZYME (114), before bingoing out with REALISTS (77).

The Houston Club meets on Sundays at 1:30 at Sandy’s Market at 12171 Katy Freeway. For additional information, visit their web site at www.debbiewebbie.com.