Adult Spelling Bee

Friday, May 9, 2025 * 7pm

Free

Moose Lodge of Bellows Falls

59 Westminster St, Bellows Falls, VT 05101

Have you always wanted to be the Bee's Knees in Bellows Falls?
Now is your chance!

Get ready for an evening of wit, words, and friendly competition as eight spirited teams go head-to-head in the Adult Spelling Bee. A community showdown that promises laughter, learning, and lively spelling battles.

OFFICIAL

Pre-Game:

1. All spellers are asked to arrive no later than 6:45pm. The bee will begin promptly at 7:00pm.

2. All teams must have a designated speller who will write the team response on the white board. Please write in large, legible print. If the judges can’t read your response, it will be considered misspelled.

3. There will be three rounds: Beginner, Intermediate, and Difficult

Round 1 will last 20 minutes
Round 2 will last 20 minutes
Round 3 will last until there is only one team left

4. Time does not stop for anything!

5. All cell phones, Bluetooth devices, and any other communication electronics of any kind must be placed at the edge of the table farthest from the team.

The Play:

1. The emcee will pronounce the word, define it, use it in a sentence, and then repeat it. You will then have 15 seconds to confer with your teammates and write the word on your white board. (One team may ask the pronouncer to repeat the word one more time, but no more.)

2. Each team has 30 seconds to decide on their spelling, write the word on the white board, and present it to the judges. When the timekeeper calls time, all markers must be put down, and the whiteboards must be held up and shown to the audience and judges. Any team continuing to write after time is called or attempting to change the word as written on the board will be treated as misspelled. If the judges decide that a word as written is illegible or the letters are ambiguous, the word will be treated as misspelled.

3. Do not erase your board until you have been told whether your spelling is correct.

4. If you have spelled the word correctly, please prepare for the next word.

RULES

The “Bribe”:

1. If a team misspells a word in Round 1 or 2

The Team Captain may notify the judges that they would like to “bribe” the judges with Rotary Bucks or cash
Rotary Bucks may be purchased before the start of the event for $10 each or $25 for 3
There is no limit to how many bribes a team may use during Round 1 or 2
If a team has remaining bribes after Round 2, they may exchange the bribes in equal value for Rotary Solstice Raffle Tickets

2. If a team misspells a word in Round 3, the Killer Bee will come around and pop that team’s balloon indicating that the team is out of the bee.

3. If – or when - your team has been eliminated, please remain seated and do not leave your table. You may write/draw humorous or otherwise entertaining messages/illustrations on your board to share with the audience. Please hold up your boards when the still-competing teams hold up their boards – not before. You might go home with the “Most Humorous” prize.

These procedures and rules will govern the Bee. The judges shall resolve any disputes. There will be no appeals. In other words, what the judges say goes.

http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/ is the official dictionary and source. Merriam-Webster Unabridged is the largest, most comprehensive American dictionary currently available in print or online, built on the foundation of Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged.

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Prizes will be awarded for:
Winning Team

Most Humorous Team
Best Costumes

Funniest Name
Most Sponsorships