AARP National Senior Spelling Bee

by Word Buff

I've always found it odd that although 'senior' word buffs get to solve crosswords and play Scrabble to their heart's content, there doesn't seem to be much around for them in the way of spelling bees.

Why on earth are spelling bees restricted to children, in a world overflowing with fiercely competitive, silver-lined orthographers?

Well, it turns out they're not. You just have to know where to look...

The National Senior Spelling Bee was brought into being by a group of volunteers from an organization called the AARP, in 1996. It has been generously hosted by this organization every year since that date in Cheyenne, the largest city in Wyoming.

The event is open to all senior American citizens. What is a senior? For the purposes of this competition, a senior is anybody aged 50 or over.

Here's an interview I really enjoyed watching with a regular attendee of the Senior Spelling Bee. His name is Bill Long, and check out the nasty word that got him...

Each year, contestants travel from all over America to compete in this wonderful, social event. If you'd like to join them, you can get registration details, as well as the rules and regulations, at the National Senior Spelling Bee page of the AARP website.

And if you're wondering where they get all those impossible spelling words, the official tome for the competition is Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.

Speaking of that dictionary, I'm tweeting my way through it right now on Twitter! To get your daily word fix, just follow Word Buff on Twitter.