Friends & Family Spelling Bee Fundraiser

Our 3rd annual fundraiser sponsored by the Friends and Foundation is now an all ages event. Make a team with whomever you choose and compete for the title of Best Spellers!

The Rolling Hills Library Friends and Foundation groups are happy to once again sponsor our annual fundraiser.  This year, we are opening it up to all ages and encouraging families to sign up as teams for our Friends and Family Fundraiser Spelling Bee.

FRIENDS & FAMILY SPELLING BEE Official Rules

• Teams must consist of 4-8 people.  Each team member must spell at least one word in the competition.  A maximum of 10 teams will be allowed to enter.
• Entry fee is $15.00 per team member and must be paid in advance.  Spectator tickets are $5.00 each and may be purchased in advance or at the door.  Teams are encouraged to bring friends and family along to cheer them to victory.
• This is a no-elimination contest. Teams will earn points for correct words spelled.  The winner will be the team with the most points, with tie-breaker rounds for the top 2 teams if needed.
• No electronic devices, including tablets and smartphones, can be out on the team tables during the competition unless using a technology mulligan.
• The announcer will say the word, read a brief definition, and then pronounce the word again.  Words are drawn from common spelling bee lists and confirmed in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary https://www.merriam-webster.com/.
• Contestants (also called spellers) will have 30 seconds to spell the word correctly or claim a mulligan.  Once the mulligan is claimed, there will be an additional 30 seconds to take action, with no more than 1 minute to complete the turn.
• Spellers are not allowed to stop and restart their spelling, unless using a mulligan.
• Competition is 8 rounds.  Each round has a theme. Only one team member can be designated to be the speller for each round.  Spellers must be present and entered on the team roster sheet before the competition begins.
• Each correctly spelled word is worth 4 points.  Words spelled correctly using a mulligan are worth 3 points, except the 50/50 which will be worth 2.  Incorrect words will still earn 1 point.

Mulligans

Teams or team supporters (the audience) may purchase MULLIGAN MONEY to help their team earn and retain points.  Each team can have a maximum of $40.00 in mulligans, which can be spent in the following ways. All are $5.00 each and can only be used once, to be paid with “Mulligan Money.”  Mulligans are non-refundable. We do ask for Mulligan Money to be returned at the end of the evening for use at future events.

• Team Huddle - Speller can ask team members before answering.
• Phone a Friend - Speller can call someone on their own mobile device to ask for help.
• Write It Down - Speller can use a dry erase board to spell it out in writing before answering.
• First 2 / Last 2 Letters - Host will give either the first 2 or last 2 letters in the word before speller must answer.
• 15 Seconds With a Dictionary - Speller can look up a word in a host-provided dictionary but only gets 15 seconds to look and then must close the dictionary to spell the word.
• Start Over - If speller stops before the last letter is spoken, they may use this mulligan to begin again.
• Pass It On - Speller may choose to pass the (hard) word on to another team and get a new word. 
• 50/50 Insurance - Before beginning to spell, speller can choose to use the 50/50 so half points will be earned even if the spelling is wrong.

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