Who will walk away with the coveted Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library (BHML) spelling bee trophy this year? Mark your calendar for Friday, March 22, and be in the gym at the Boothbay Region High School (BRHS) at 7 p.m. to witness the drama of the Library’s second annual Adult Spelling Bee. 

You might even win a prize or two for your own spelling abilities. This year three new teams have entered the competition. One of those is a team of high school students from BRHS. Can this youthful team out spell the older, more seasoned teams? Will the Word Hawks, ace spellers from the BRHS faculty, be able to hold onto their trophy or be forced give it up?

Also new to the competition this year will be teams from Southport Marine and Bath Savings. Other generous team sponsors include the Boothbay Region Boatyard, Washburn & Doughty, J. Edward Knight, Maine Coast Chimney, and Boothbay Region Elementary School.

Be in the gym, ready to cheer your favorite team on, when the timer starts next week! Team cheerleaders are encouraged to bring signs or mascots, or even dress to show their allegiance to their favorite team. 

During the competition’s three rounds, teams will gather at the podium and try to spell words pronounced by Lincoln Academy’s Nick Azzaretti, who majored in classical languages. 

Veteran judges Bob Paskal, and David Parkhurst, both sports referees who are undaunted by menacing crowds, will be back this year to rule on whether teams stay or go. They’ll be joined by BHML’s former director and word lover, Betty Hughes. Tom Dewey will serve as host for the evening, introducing participants and keeping the event rolling. 

This year’s teams will be vying for a $100 gift certificate to McSeagull’s for being the best wordsmiths in town. The trio wearing the most impressive costumes will win a pool party at the YMCA.

Even audience members will have a chance to take home some loot. Spectators will have two chances to do their own competitive spelling between the three rounds of team spelling. 

One mini-event will feature 10 commonly misspelled words, and the other will ask contestants to spell a word from a book and cite the book’s title and author. At stake are gift certificates, locally harvested honey from Meadow Cove Orchard, a tote bag, note cards, or other yet-to-be announced goodies. Bring your literary/linguistic know-how and go home with a prize, proof of your spelling prowess.

Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students at the door. Drinks and food will be available for purchase that night. All proceeds go directly to support the wide variety of programs and materials, or other operating costs of the BHML. Come and enjoy an entertaining evening for a great cause.