Spelling bee for seniors cUd revive d 404 art of sp
Spelling, as my computer constantly reminds me, has become one of those things like blacksmithing or newspaper columning. There are a few people who still work at the craft, but the ability to do it seems more quaint or quirky than essential to modern life.
If a word can't be translated into an easy text abbreviation, how important can it be? Throngs of Americans couldn't spell "see you later" unless you spot them the 8, as in C U L8R. You don't need to spell to know that the headline above says, "Senior spelling bee could revive the lost art of spelling."
On those rare occasions when you actually are forced to write entire words, you type "mispelled" and the computer informs you it's misspelled. Sometime it just makes the change without even asking.
Spelling mistakes pop up in signs, menus, even newspapers.
Oh, there are those anxiety overload kids who win competitive spelling bees by correctly reiterating the spelling of words such as appoggiatura, succedaneum, chiaroscurist, xanthosis, vivisepulture or boring old autochthonous, but it's not like the ability to spell those words will come in handy after puberty.
Spelling hasn't really been important since the 20th Century. So who better to compete in a spelling bee than senior citizens who learned how to spell back in the 1900s?
"This gives some senior citizens a chance to show off their inner smarty pants," says state Sen. Dan Duffy, a Lake Barrington Republican who is sponsoring the 2009 Illinois State Senior Spelling Bee.
The qualifying round begins at 1 p.m. June 5 at the Wauconda Township office, 505 W. Bonner Road in Wauconda. A state champion will be declared after the finals on Aug. 17 at the Illinois State Fair. Anyone 50 or older is eligible. For information about the event, which is co-sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, the Illinois Department on Aging, and the Association of Illinois Senior Centers, phone (847) 277-7100.
Not only is a senior spelling bee a fun competition, aging experts say it improves brain function. AARP, the advocacy group for people 50 and older, has been staging national senior citizen spelling bees (www.seniorspellingbee.com) since 1996.
"From the spellers who have competed over the years, they've told us it's just a fun way to test their memories and keep their minds sharp," says Joanne Bowlby, a spokeswoman for AARP.
This year's finals will be on June 20 in Cheyenne, Wyo.
Last year's winning word was debouch, which isn't at all related to debauchery.
"We thought it was great that the winner emerged on a word that means emerge," Bowlby says.
Some of the national senior spellers were competitive spellers as kids.
"So many can tell you what word they missed in what year, and in some case what they were wearing on the day of their bee," Bowlby says.
Contestants have ranged from Baby Boomers who just got their AARP cards to one 99-year-old. Many come just for the challenge and camaraderie.
"We do get some spellers who just come for fun and don't do a lick of studying before they come," Bowlby says.
Illinois doesn't send a champ to the AARP bee, but maybe that will change if senior spelling bees become more popular.
Part of Duffy's motivation for the senior bee comes from a desire to connect with older residents in his district.
"I want to do things outside the norm to get people involved," Duffy says. "If they go there for something fun, they'll share other issues."
As the youngest of 11 kids, Duffy grew up with a speller. His mom.
"If I asked how to spell a word, she always told me to look it up. She's a great speller," Duffy says, adding that Kathleen Duffy, 82, of Barrington plans to compete in the local bee.
Did Kathleen Duffy's influence turn the senator into a good speller?
"My mother would say, 'No,' but I'm OK," Duffy says, before adding, "Thank God there is spell check."