By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 26, 2024 — Is The Bahamas participating in this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee, which takes place at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, near Washington, D.C. from May 28 to May 30?
As the person responsible for introducing the Scripps National Spelling Bee to The Bahamas in 1998 when I was editor of The Nassau Guardian, I think it would be a national disgrace if The Bahamas does not enter a speller in this year’s competition. However, we are nearing the end of January, and the Ministry of Education, Technical and Vocational Training has not yet indicated whether it will sponsor the annual Bahamas National Spelling Bee (BNSB) to select spelling champion to participate in the Scripps Bee.
In 2023, The Bahamas was well represented Wes Underwood, a 13-year-old Grade 8 student at Samuel Guy Pinder All-Age School in Spanish Wells, who performed very well among the 231 spellers who earned their spots as national competitors by advancing through regional spelling bees, competing against students representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Department of Defense Schools in Europe.
HISTORY OF SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE
The National Spelling Bee started in 1925 to promote literacy across the country. Nine newspapers hosted the first spelling bee. 90 years later, the literacy efforts have reached an estimated 11 million students every year now. The first National Spelling Bee was won by Frank Neuhauser; his successful spelling of the word “gladiolus” earned him the title.
The spelling bee has taken place every year except during World War II in the years 1943 to 1945, and in 2020 due to the global pandemic. In 1941, the rights to the national program were acquired by the E.W. Scripps Company. The bee is hosted on a non-profit basis by the company at a convention center or hotel in Washington, D.C. The dates for the spelling bee change every year, but it is always in the week following Memorial Day Weekend.
The spelling bee competition is open to all students who have not passed the eighth grade and turned 15 years old. Ineligible candidates also include students who have won the National Spelling Bee previously. The goal of the event is educational; to develop vocabulary in children, encourage correct usage, and promote the English language.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee is the longest-running educational program in the country, organized by the E.W. Scripps Company and sponsored by 291 partners in the United States, Canada, Guam, Jamaica, Ghana, and Puerto Rico, New Zealand, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.
