Journal of the New Zealand Association of Scrabble® Players No. 121 Summer 2015 In this issue Scrabble saturation Does practice make perfect? On Nigel (part 2) Happy holidays IFY could learn ‘em all Little Scrabbler boy Toilet Talk The ABC of rocks New Year’s resolutions for Scrabblers Two days of Scrabble in Myanmar Page 2 NZASP Executive Table of contents President Val Mills Editorial ·············································· 3 President’s Report ······························· 4 11 Lanark Place Glen Innes Word Famous in New Zealand: Auckland 1072 Nick Ascroft ··································· 6 Phone 027-248-1701 Email Scrabble Saturation: Perth ················· 10 [email protected] I did it my WAy ···························· 11 Vice Ruth Groffman Accentuating the positive ·············· 14 President One WAy or another ···················· 18 4 Wycolla Ave On Nigel (part 2) ······························ 22 St. Clair New Year’s resolutions ······················ 25 Dunedin 9012 Phone 03 455 1777 —IFY could only learn ’em all ··········· 26 Email A bit of nonsense ······························ 27 [email protected] Holiday time: Secretary Frances Higham We’re all going on a 9 Holden Place summer… what? ························· 28 Papatoetoe Hall of fame ····································· 30 Auckland 2025 Phone 09 278 4595 An introduction to Slack ···················· 33 Email [email protected] Does practice make perfect? ············· 35 Treasurer Dianne Cole-Baker Twenty years ago in Forwords ··········· 36 9/435 Parnell Rd The little Scrabbler boy ······················ 38 Parnell Toilet talk ········································· 39 Auckland 1052 Geology for dummies: Phone 09 309 5865 Email [email protected] The ABC of rocks ························· 42 Two days of Scrabble in Myanmar ····· 44 Web Master Glenda Foster Mailbox ············································ 46 1 Walters Street Tournament results ··························· 52 Avalon Tournament calendar 2016 ·············· 53 Lower Hutt 5011 Phone 04 567 1590 Rankings list as at 31 Dec 2015 ········ 54 Email Club contacts ................................... 56 [email protected] Scrabble is a registered trademark of JW Spear & Sons, England, under licence in New Zealand to Mattel (NZ) Ltd. Forwords Summer 2015 Page 3 Editorial In order to prepare for a Scrabble My husband is a dance teacher, and competition, an individual might do over Labour Weekend he attended a some of the following: look over some function in Wellington. Over the words; dispatch an entry form and course of the weekend, there were associated funds; research one's competitions, workshops, and a ranking, expectancy, and opposition; Grand Ball, in addition to social discuss these points with another events such as the bye-bye breakfast. Scrabbler, perhaps over a friendly game or two. If playing away from There were many different competitive home, the would-be competitor might events, and Andrew danced them with go so far as to Google possibilities a number of different partners. near the competition venue for the Despite this, actual time spent dancing purchase of lunch or coffee. would have been under 35% of the time spent at the venue, as the dance During the competition, we all get to floor was in use for other heats or do the thing that we love for hours at performances the rest of the time. a time, breaking only for refreshments Each event had different rules at suitable intervals. While the format regarding allowable moves and of the draw may differ between configurations, and each required a tournaments, the game we play is different costume. During each three- always one-on-one, 25 minutes a minute heat, there would be up to side, with the goal of accumulating a seven other couples on the floor. But higher score than our opponent. for me, the most off-putting difference Plenty of luck and plenty of skill come between my husband’s kind of into play in every game, but the only competition and mine, is that for each real variable is the tiles each player event he wouldn’t know what music he draws from the bag. would be dancing to until the song started to play. That’s a hugely Our game is regulated, but for the significant variable to have to adjust to most part the rules and regulations do come ‘crunch’ time! not negatively restrict our gameplay. Besides the rules stipulated by Mr Butts Yet all this pales in comparison with upon the game’s invention, many of what I have learned from my the NZASP’s rules apply either in coworker, who has recently begun to exceptional circumstances (e.g. when compete in figure skating. True, in a a player has accidentally transgressed solo event she can pick her own from a common rule, say by over- music, and choreography is a drawing) or outside of the game itself collaborative process between herself (e.g. the procedures associated with and her coach. But her necessary accepting the final turn and finishing preparations and associated protocols the game). I’ve been thinking about are mind-boggling! There is a all these things recently, in the context convoluted system of “tests” which of people who compete in other fields. must be passed (and let’s not forget, Forwords Summer 2015 Page 4 paid for) in order to determine at what people who compete in beard level she is entitled to compete. The championships, horse dancing, and official regulations stipulate that “The sports journalism. I thought about clothing of the competitors must be gumboot tossing. I bet there’s plenty of modest, dignified and appropriate for regulation to be found there. Do the athletic competition, not garish or minutiae of our favourite weekend theatrical in design... Clothing must pastime, plus the fact that we compete not give the effect of excessive nudity”, at all, and enjoy it, seem as gaga an which last, she tells me, means that a idea to the regular beard growers, lady wearing a backless leotard to horse dancers, and gumboot tossers as dance in a freezing environment must the idea of engaging in those pastimes nevertheless find a way to ensure that repetitively seems to me? her nipples are not evident to the judges. Is Scrabble really the best, that so little is required of us for so much playing All this has got me thinking. What else time? do people compete in, and what are the necessary preparations and And most importantly: does anybody regulations they endure in pursuit of else think a Scrabble competition their passion and the prize? I asked would be much more fun if we were all Facebook for some examples. adorned in spandex and sequins with Apparently, people I know know blades on the soles of our shoes? President’s report Recently, I and many other Kiwis went its to the World Scrabble Champs in organisation. Perth. This adventure has whetted my It put the appetite for overseas play. Even running of more, it has opened my eyes to our ‘world’ Scrabble. Association back here in Any travel makes us aware that there New Zealand is a big world out there, and this was into Val Mills no different. The world Scrabble scene perspective has become real to me. It was so for me. The interesting to meet players of all matters the world organisation have to nationalities and ages, to put faces to consider, such as word lists, rules of the names of people I have emailed play, and ratings are all things that for years, and faces to people I had we, too, make decisions about, but only read about. these were being made on a whole As president of the NZASP, I was very bigger level, and these decisions affect interested in observing the WESPA players all around the world. meeting and to see how WESPA runs Forwords Summer 2015 Page 5 It was also an eye-opener to observe others have retired, and to those who the running of what were two major continue to put in years of hard work tournaments at the same time. Hats off for the Association. We have a great to Perth Scrabblers for their efforts. It exec! Frances, Dianne, Glenda, Ruth: was certainly a well-run tournament, thanks to each one of you for your though not without the odd hiccough. individual contributions to the running Their ability to be flexible and cope with of the Association. last minute changes was great. They often did not know who was playing till I would also like to look forward to the the morning of the tournament, but this year ahead — the Masters in Dunedin, did not seem to cause any problems. the nationals in Rotorua for the first time, the trans-Tasman being held in As Christmas and the end of year Adelaide, and the World Seniors approaches, I would like to look back Champs that we will be hosting for the over the year that has been, the first time. These are all things for us to tournaments that have taken place, the get stuck into in the new year. fabulous magazine being produced, the work put in behind the scenes with So, Happy Christmas, enjoy the break the ratings and our website. I'd like to and do whatever you need to do to thank each one of you for the work you refresh yourselves for 2016. Maybe put in to making Scrabble in New even learn some words! Zealand happen. Thanks to those who Val Mills have stepped up to fill positions when Apology Lifetime awards The editors thank you for your by John Foster, Independent patience with the delayed Any additions to the list of lifetime awards recipients are made at the publication of this issue. Olivia, end of each calendar year. The Anderina, and Glenda have NZASP heartily congratulates the each been dealing with following players: personal circumstances more Grand Master: John McNaughton extenuating than December’s (John creates a new record by usual craziness.