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2009 National SCRABBLE Championship

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The 2009 National SCRABBLE® Championship will take place on August 1–5, 2009 at the Dayton Convention Center at 22 East Fifth Street, Dayton, OH, 45402.

Message from Chris Cree

March 21, 2009

Welcome to the 2009 National SCRABBLE Championship! The Dayton Convention Center will once again house the event. Those who were there in 2007 know just how much space we had. There is all sorts of room for play, after hours play, posting of pairings and results, vending and other after hours activities.

This year’s event is unique. The event was originally signed and contracted to be the second Players Championship. Then, as many of you know, things started happening last December as far as organized tournament SCRABBLE, Hasbro and the NSA were concerned. At that time, 17 players and 4 members of the NSA staff, including John and Jane Williams, were asked by Hasbro to attend a meeting at Hasbro –Games headquarters in Massachusetts. At that meeting, we received the not unexpected, though still shocking news that Hasbro was no longer going to fund the tournament scene and instead focus their support to the NSA on School SCRABBLE and casual player outreach beginning January 1, 2010.

To Hasbro’s considerable credit, they could have merely told the NSA to tell us they were finished and that would have been that. They offered a full 13 months of transition time. We felt it wise to not have over a full year of transition issues and get NASPA going as quickly as possible. July 1, 2009 will be the turnover date.

In between now and June 30, membership in either the NSA or NASPA will suffice to participate in a sanctioned tournament. Beginning July 1, one must be a NASPA member to participate in a sanctioned tournament.

Among the issues addressed at this meeting was the issue of the National SCRABBLE Championship. It had for many years been a biannual event. With an ESPN television contract in the early ‘00’s, the event went annual. In 2006, Hasbro announced the reversion to a biannual event. This brought forth the idea of the Players Championship to complement the Nationals every other year to still give us our annual convention-type event.

With the announcement of separation, we were told that we would be organizing our own National Championship. May we go back to an annual event? Yes. May we call the Players Championship already scheduled for 2009 the National SCRABBLE Championship? Yes. So, here we are.

This event is different from any NSC in the past. It will not have official NSA support, though Hasbro has promised a reduced sponsorship. This year’s NSC will be similar to the PC in 2007 - player organized and funded.

In 2007, we received approximately $8,500 in cash plus various articles for awards in player donations and $10,000 in Hasbro sponsorship. We are hopeful of similar or greater sponsorship from Hasbro and still very much need your donations to help make this a grand event befitting of the NSC moniker. In addition, we need volunteers for staff and equipment provision. Please contact the 2009 NSC’s Director, Mary Rhoades, at mrhoadestx@gmail.com with your offer of financial assistance, gift or personal service. Onward and upward,

Chris Cree NASPA Copresident

About Dayton

Dayton has a metropolitan population of almost one million and is located in southwestern Ohio. It is a center for industrial, aerospace and engineering research, and home to major multinational corporations.

The last major SCRABBLE tournament to be held in Dayton was the 2007 Players Championship, contested by 450 players from around the world.

The nearest international airports to the Convention Center are:

  • Dayton (DAY): 13 miles
  • Cincinnati (CVG): 67 miles
  • Columbus (CMH): 78 miles

For local information about what businesses and entertainment are within walking distance of the Convention Center, please visit our Google Map or the Dayton Most Metro web sites for the Central Business District and Oregon District.

Things to do in Dayton

Willie Pitzer, as she did in Dayton two years ago, has relentlessly researched activities and attractions in Dayton for our players and visitors. Her updates are very informative. If you have more questions about any of her postings, please contact her at [emailto:wswankpitzer@woh.rr.com wswankpitzer@woh.rr.com]

Fraze Pavilion

We have a wonderful outdoor venue in a suburb of Dayton in Kettering, Ohio called The Fraze Pavilion, about 15-20 minutes from the Convention Center. Tuesday Aug. 4th Joan Baez is playing at 8PM. If you aren't doing Frank Tangredi's play or reading you might want to get tickets. They are still available. For those too young to remember, or those of us too old to retrieve the memories from back then, Joan Baez marched on the front lines of the civil rights movement with Martin Luther King Jr. and at another point stood with Nelson Mandela. I just recently saw her at Pete Seeger's 90th birthday party. She's still going strong you old hippies and peace activators. You can pull up the info at [Fraze]. Tickets available through [Ticketmaster] 1-800-745-3000. $20 lawn and terrace seats and $25 for Plaza and Orchestra.

You will also note that the Heroes of Woodstock are there on Sunday Aug. 2nd. However it starts at 6:30 so players might miss some of it getting there. This features Jefferson Starship, John Sebastian from the Lovin' Spoonful, Big Brother & the Holding Company minus Janis Joplin of course, Country Joe McDonald, and Tom Constanten from the Grateful Dead. A few sides.

This venue has a large fountain/ waterpool outside and is a park as well. Many people if they can't afford or the concert is sold out just sit outside and listen. This is permissible. Umbrellas are not allowed. You are not allowed to bring in your own drinks and they DO check purses and bags. No cameras. You can order box suppers ahead of time and beer, wine, water and coffee are served as well as hot dogs, ice cream, pizza and pretzels without prior orders.

If you plan to order tickets for the Fraze be sure and ask for the free parking pass. We have discovered that for some reason Ticketmaster doesn't automatically offer them and they are available!

Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum

Dayton has the fifth oldest Cemetery and Arboretum in the US., [Woodland], founded in 1841.

On this site there there are many pictures of the ponds, its beauty, section on how to do gravestone rubbings etc. Those bringing children to Dayton will find this to be quite an historical, learning experience for them. The gateway and chapel office are on the National Registry for Historical Places. There are 200 acres of over 3,000 magnificent trees, flowers, birds and grave sites of many famous people.

The Wright Brothers were buried here along with Erma Bombeck, previous syndicated writer and columnist of humor, Paul Lawrence Dubar, Afro-American poet, many founders of industry in the Dayton area such as Mead, NCR and Huffy from Huffy bicycles.etc.

You can enter and tour on your own or stop at the office and pick up headphones for a self guided tour between the hours of 8 AM- 3 PM. Unfortunately their formal guided tour is the Wed after our tournament. They also have a contact person for a car driven tour for the handicapped, inclement weather tours and groups tours. Contact Debra Mescher 937-228-3221. Some trees were damaged last fall when the landlocked state of Ohio, most unusually got hit with the tail end of Hurricane Ike and lost electricity for up to 5 weeks for some. I have not been back since storm damage but you can Google it and look at how some of the big trees split.

Willie spent time doing grave rubbings with her son's Montessori class one year. It really is a lovely area. There is a civil war area with a cannon etc. It is a rather large area so downloading the map and lot numbers and where you might be most interested in visiting will help.

There is now a Mausoleum you can walk into and many ponds with ducks and wildlife. It sits abutted to The University of Dayton, which ironically is where the son Willie took to the cemetery, now works. Those arriving early for registration could grab a cab or drive to Woodlawn, a short 10 minute drive. Family members who are not playing and enjoy beauty might want to attend.

Hawthorne Hill Home

This is another National Historic Landmark, built in 1914, that players or family can visit. During the 2007 Player's Championship, negotiations were still underway with the posh suburb of Oakwood, as to how to open the home but satisfy the community so there would be no additional traffic, parking near the home etc. The historical organization agreed to sell the tickets and take tourists by van from Carillon Park across from the Marriott where many of you are staying. The van will drive by many lovely large homes in the Oakwood area on the way to Hawthorne Hill. They will give you the history of the NCR park which is also reopening this summer and the NCR's Sugar Camp that originally was a tent camp in 1884 that the founder of NCR (National Cash Registry) John Patterson used to cover up some work that the women of war times were doing that was actually part of the code breaking that NCR is known for. These developed into 60 cabins that NCR used for training housing.

You now have the opportunity for just $12 to see the home where Orville, Katherine and their father lived and what was supposed to be Wilbur's home but he was deceased before the completion of the home. He died in 1912 of Typhoid Fever at age 45. The Dayton flood of 1913 delayed the finishing of this home.

Willie took this tour recently. NCR bought and used it for many years and the kitchen is the only area you don't get to tour for it was totally modernized for the convenience of NCR to house guests.

In the rest of the house they have large photos of the original rooms to compare to today and one room, the den, is set up with Wilbur's original chair that he created like a lazy boy to offset an injury he had incurred. Many pieces of furniture, are the original and overall it is gorgeous! If you get a guide as dedicated and full of knowledge as she did, you will feel the life style and dynamics of the Wright family, including the number of weddings held there, the famous people such as Howard Hughes who have stayed there and more. The Wright brothers, as you may know, had many inventions and the central vacuuming was one. The tour guide had a funny story to share about the maid and the vacuum.

Ordinarily this tour only occurs on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Reservations are required. 937-293-2841. This fits if you are a family member not playing SCRABBLE. Go ahead and make your own reservations. Soon! The van only holds 10. Also for $15 your tour can include Carillon Park as well, a museum in itself.

However, the timing doesn't work for the SCRABBLE players. With prior notice and reservations they will make exceptions. I am willing to make arrangements for a group to go if there is enough interest. Please contact Willie privately at [wswankpitzer@woh.rr.com] and she will see if we can pretty much fill a van. While waiting for the van, the inside of the admissions office has 2 different films going about the flood of Dayton, history of aviation etc.

Please contact Willie as soon as possible if you want to tour after playing hours, the day of registration or after play on Wednesday or if your flight leaves on Thursday or you are just staying in the Dayton area. It is well worth the money.

It's worth just sitting and watching those. Also the cafe that anyone can go to by just entering the park (no fee) is called "CULPS" has the original recipes of a restaurant that used to be in downtown Dayton in the 1930's and 40's. They have a long mural on the wall showing a scene of the original restaurant from back in WWII and is modeled with a counter and stools etc. besides tables. You can also eat on a patio. Food is reasonably priced. They have soups, sandwiches and salads, hamburgers etc. The desserts are the original recipes. The menu itself is another historical lesson. Open 7 days a week 11-3 PM.

Schedule

Friday, July 31 10:00 A.M.–10:00 P.M. Check in at registration desks in Convention Center Lobby
4:00 P.M.–5:00 P.M. Committee Meeting for Division Leaders, Assistants and Auxiliary Staff, location TBA
7:00 P.M.–9:00 P.M. Staff Dinner, hosted by Chris Cree, location TBA
10:00 A.M.–11:00 P.M. After Hours Play, Room 106, Convention Center
Saturday, August 1 8:30 A.M.–9:00 A.M. Set up for play
9:00 A.M.–1:15 P.M. Rounds 1–4
2:45 P.M.–3:00 P.M. Set up for play
3:00 A.M.–6:15 P.M. Rounds 5–7
6:00 P.M.–11:00 P.M. After Hours Play, Room 106, Convention Center
Sunday, August 2 8:30 A.M.–9:00 A.M. Set up for play
9:00 A.M.–1:15 P.M. Rounds 8–11
2:45 P.M.–3:00 P.M. Set up for play
3:00 A.M.–6:15 P.M. Rounds 12–14
8:00 P.M.–9:15 P.M. Director Meeting
9:30 P.M.–11:00 P.M. Advisory Board Meeting
6:00 P.M.–11:00 P.M. After Hours Play, Room 106, Convention Center
Monday, August 3 8:30 A.M.–9:00 A.M. Set up for play
9:00 A.M.–1:15 P.M. Rounds 15–18
2:45 P.M.–3:00 P.M. Set up for play
3:00 A.M.–6:15 P.M. Rounds 19–21
8:00 P.M.–10:00 P.M. Town Hall Meeting
6:00 P.M.–11:00 P.M. After Hours Play, Room 106, Convention Center
Tuesday, August 4 8:30 A.M.–9:00 A.M. Set up for play
9:00 A.M.–1:15 P.M. Rounds 22–25
2:45 P.M.–3:00 P.M. Set up for play
3:00 A.M.–6:15 P.M. Rounds 26–28
8:00 P.M.–10:00 P.M. Steering Committee Meeting
6:00 P.M.–11:00 P.M. After Hours Play, Room 106, Convention Center
TBA Play Reading with Frank Tangredi, location TBA
Wednesday, August 5 8:30 A.M.–9:00 A.M. Set up for play
9:00 A.M.–1:30 P.M. Rounds 29–31
2:30 P.M.–3:30 P.M. Prize Ceremony
3:30 P.M.–11:00 P.M. After Hours Play, Room 106, Convention Center

Accommodation and Dining

We have room blocks reserved at three nearby hotels. If you stay at one, you will be helping to support the NSC by contributing to our guest night quotas. If you do not, you will have to pay a facility fee instead, since our convention center playing room fee is based on our guest night quotas at all three hotels.

Crowne Plaza

Located at 33 East Fifth Street, Dayton OH 45402, across the street from the Dayton Convention Center, the Crowne Plaza also has a covered elevated walkway to the Center.

Hotel block dates will be available December 19–July 13, 2009 NSC09 room nights: July 31–August 4

NSC Group Code and Room Rate: The group code is CMC. $99+tax for 1 or 2 people, king bed or 2 queen beds.

Click here for online reservations and be sure to click on "Corporate, Group & IATA Identification" to enter our group code, CMC, under Group Booking Code.

To make your reservations by phone for the July 31 & August 1–4 nights, please call 1-800-381-9553 and ask for the special rate for the 2009 NSC (group code: CMC).

For those who wish to arrive early and/or stay late, please call the hotel direct at 937-227-6963 and mention our code: CMC.

Free parking in the Crowne Plaza/convention center parking garage for tournament players/committee staying at that hotel. Free Crowne Plaza airport shuttle for hotel guests from 7 A.M. to 10:30 P.M. Call the hotel to schedule your shuttle. Greyhound bus station only a few steps away from convention center & hotel.

Doubletree

Located at 11 South Ludlow St., Dayton, OH 45402, the Doubletree is just four blocks from the Dayton Convention Center.

NSA Group Code and Room Rate: The group code is SPC. The room rate is $94+tax. Indoor valet parking is $5. There is a complimentary airport shuttle for hotel guests.

For reservations, phone 800-222-TREE (800-222-8733) or book online; use the group code “SPC”.

Marriott

Located at 1414 S. Patterson Boulevard, Dayton, Ohio 45409, the Marriott is about a mile from the Dayton Convention Center but offers a shuttle service for the event days for $20/person if you buy a pass.

The room rate is $112+tax for 1–4 people. Complimentary on-site parking. There is no airport shuttle.

For reservations, call 800-450-8625 or book online; use the group code “scbscba”.

Roommate Wanted?

If you need a roommate and would like a listing here, please contact Mary Rhoades and specify your requirements: male, female or either, smoking or nonsmoking, etc. She will put a listing in this section. If you already have a room, please tell what nights your room is reserved. You can list your email address or phone number. Several people successfully found roommates for the PC this way.

  • Ben Witz is looking for a male, non-smoking roommate who has a hotel reservation. Please contact him at benwitz@fastmail.us or call him at 715 379 5349.
  • Jeff Cook is looking for a male, non-smoking, non-snoring roommate. He has a room with two beds at the Crowne Plaza. He will be out of touch between June 2 and June 17. Please contact him at jets@atlanticbb.net

or call him at 304 726 4860.

  • Mike Early is looking for a male, non-smoking roommate. Please contact him at mrearly99@yahoo.com.

Restaurants near the Dayton Convention Center

  • 5th Street Wine & Deli, 416 East 5th Street
  • Arby’s 160 South Patterson Blvd.
  • Cafe Boulevard, 329 East 5th Street
  • Citilites Restaurant, 109 North Main Street
  • Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers, 22 South Jefferson Street
  • Gallery Grille, 110 North Main Street
  • Greek Deli, 12 East 3rd Street
  • Jay’s Seafood Restaurant, 225 East 6th Street
  • McDonald’s, 410 South Main Street
  • Oregon Express, 336 East 5th Street
  • Pacchia, 410 East 5th Street
  • Quizno’s Subs, 38 North Main Street
  • Smokin BBQ, 200 East 5th Street
  • Spaghetti Warehouse, 36 West 5th Street
  • Stars Restaurant & Lounge (Crowne Plaza)
  • Super Subby, 1 South Main Street
  • Swishers Too Cafe, 110 North Main Street
  • Take a Break, 26 South Main Street
  • Thai 9, 11 Brown Street

Registration

Who can register? If you live in the United States or Canada, you must have an NSA tournament rating as of when you register. You can get a rating by playing in any sanctioned tournament listed in the calendar. If you live outside of the United States and Canada, you must have at least one of the following as of when you register: an NSA tournament rating, the equivalent rating in your country, or an international WESPA rating.

When is the deadline for registering? Registration ends July 15. Registrations will only be accepted after that date in order to make division even and will incur a $75 surcharge. There will be no refunds after July 15.

A Minor Release and Consent form can be downloaded for players who have not reached the legal age of majority. It can be mailed with your registration or alone if you have paid online to Chris Cree, 3708 Bryn Mawr, Dallas, TX 75225. Alternatively, it can be signed by the accompanying parent or guardian at the NSC in Dayton.

By registering for the 2009 NSC, you agree to abide by the NASPA Tournament Rules and Code of Conduct. In particular, some games at this tournament, probably the highest Division 1 board without a Gibsonized player, will be annotated live. If you refuse to play a designated game with annotation, you will forfeit it, and may at the director’s discretion be assigned a spread penalty of -200 points.

Before you register, please read our player bulletin, and check it again for last-minute updates before you travel to the event.

This year's Championship has five divisions, split at ratings of 1700, 1500, 1300 and 1000. Entry fees are $150 for all divisions. For the first time, unlimited play up will be permitted: anyone can play in Division 1, but for example only players rated below 1000 can play in Division 5. As in past years, a peak rating system will be used to calculate the qualifying rating (QR) that determines the lowest division in which you can play. If however your current rating at time of registration would place you in a lower division than your QR, then you may register in either your QR division or the next lower division. Ratings earned at any segment of a split-rated tournament count toward the QR. The qualification period runs from the beginning of August 2008 (immediately after the 2008 NSC) and ends on July 7th, 2009 (after the results from the past weekend are tabulated). A link to a list of each player’s QR will be posted here shortly. You may change your division after you register, as long as you do so before July 15th; to do so, contact John Chew. If your QR rises above the limit for your division, you will automatically be moved to the lowest division for which you qualify.

If you are ready to register now, you can do so in one of two ways:

  1. online registration with subsequent offline payment (if you do not wish to pay online). Mail your fee, payable to Chris Cree, to Chris Cree, 3708 Bryn Mawr, Dallas, TX 75225
  2. Print the paper registration form, follow its instructions, and mail your payment, payable to Chris Cree to Chris Cree, 3708 Bryn Mawr, Dallas, TX 75225

No manual processing fee will be charged. Please include any surcharges in your payment.

INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS: send USD based on your current exchange rate.

Check-In

To play in the first round on Saturday morning, you must check in between 10:00 A.M. and 10:00 P.M. on Friday at the NSC check-in desks in the convention center lobby. You may ask a friend to check in for you by proxy, if you cannot check in in person. If you check in by proxy but do not show up to play, then neither you nor your proxy will be permitted to check in by proxy at future events. If you do not check in before the desks close at 10:00 P.M., you may join the championship in progress as soon as it is convenient for the pairings staff to add you back in; this may not take place before Sunday morning. No refunds will be issued to latecomers.

When you check in, you will be given an announcement sheet. This is to reduce the number of announcements that have to be made on Saturday morning, so that the event can get underway quickly. You are responsible for reading the announcements and schedule!

In an emergency, if you are delayed en route to check in or for any session, call Mary Rhoades at 817-718-3115.

Player Helpers

We need three kinds of volunteer help from the player community: division assistants to work with the division leaders, “runners” to perform general errands, and the loan of laptops to run word judge software. Please contact Mary Rhoades if you can help in any capacity.

Division Assistants

The division assistants will work closely with division leaders collecting result slips and delivering them to the data operators, keeping the division tidy, and any helping with any other needs the division leaders have.

The following committed so far to work as division assistants:

  • Amy Krafchick
  • Lynn Sneed
  • Helyne Igra
  • Chris Wiegand
  • Steve Pellinen
  • Whitney Gould
  • Sue Grogan-Johnson

Runners

The other volunteer/interns we call “runners” do the following sorts of things:

  • Greeting visitors
  • Getting supplies
  • Running errands
  • Tidying after play

If you live in the Dayton area, or will be travelling with a friend or family member to the NSC, please consider donating one or more days of your time to working behind the scenes to make the event a success.

The following committed so far to work as runners:

Division 1 Tidy-person
Lois Greene
Division 2 Tidy-person
Connie Creed
Division 3 Tidy-person
Linda Bianca
Division 4 Tidy-people
Rebecca Owen
Nancy McCarroll
Division 5 Tidy-person
Ruth Hamilton

Laptops

We need 12 people to volunteer to bring laptops for word judging. The laptops should be set up and left running in the playing room from 8:15 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. each day. They should run the latest version of Zyzzyva using the OWL2+LL word list, and the screen saver should be disabled during playing sessions.

The following people have volunteered to provide their laptops to the NSC:

  • Brad Mills (4)
  • Dan Stock (1)
  • Vincent Castellano (Div 1 desk)
  • Wendell Smith (Div 2 desk)
  • Dallas Johnson (Div 3 desk)
  • Shelley Stevens Ubeika (Div 4 desk)

Staff

Organizer Chris Cree
Director Mary Rhoades
Master of Ceremonies Alan Stern
Friday Registration Volunteers
10:00 A.M.–2:00 P.M. Barbara Major, Willie Pitzer, Ruth Hamilton, Lois Greene, Keith Cejmer
2:00 P.M.–6:00 P.M. Travis Green, Ginger White, Colleen Shea, Lisa Slankard, Linda Bianca
1:00–4:00 P.M. Sue Hoehn
5:00 P.M.–10:00 P.M. Judy Cole
6:00 P.M.–10:00 P.M. Tapani Lindgren
Friday All-Purpose Volunteers
Ross Brown
Brian Miller
Mike Early
Division Leader Assistant
Division 1 Bryan Pepper Steve Pellinen
Division 2 John Robertson Chris Wiegand (Sat, Sun, Mon, Wed)/ Sue Grogan-Johnson (Tues)
Division 3 Wendell Smith Whitney Gould (AM) / Helyne Meshar Igra (PM)
Division 4 Matt Hopkins Lynn Sneed
Division 5 Allen Pengelly Amy Krafchick
Computer Staff
Webmaster John Chew
Internet Reporter Sherrie Saint John
Data Entry Larry Rosen, Andy Saunders
Annotators Kate Watson, Dee Segrest

Sponsorship

Please contact Chris Cree if you are interested in sponsoring the NSC, with donations of merchandise or cash.

Sponsor list:

Gene Tyszka, manufacturer of digital timers, boards and tile racks
Limited edition Zircote deluxe SCRABBLE board (signed and numbered-only 4 ever made), including board cover, two matching stained racks with pouch, and a tile bag, to be given in raffle with raffle proceeds donated to the NASPA organization as seed money.
National SCRABBLE Association
Printing of NSC09 paperwork
Kathy Johnson
$100
Anonymous
$100
Luise Shafritz
Quilted board cover
Mary Krizan
Tile bags for players who come in last in each division
Scott Petersen
Nine DVDs of the Scrabylon movie

Vendors

If you have a product to sell to SCRABBLE players, this is the place to do it. The 500+ most avid fans of the game will be in one place with money ready to spend at your table. To find out more about becoming an NSC vendor, please contact Mary Rhoades.

The following vendors have signed and returned the vendor agreement with any monies owed, if applicable, listed in the order the vendor agreements were received.

  • Gene Tyszka, manufacturer of digital timers, boards and tile racks
  • Mary Krizan, tilebags

More Information

For more information, please check our player bulletin and the 2009 NSC FAQ first before emailing the Championship Committee.