Monday, November 30, 2015

Appreciation

I know I'm a bit late with this, but I want to pass along my thanks to everyone who made our second Bluegrass Scrabble Fall Classic the resounding success that it was.  Every bit of feedback that I got over the entire weekend was positive, and I feel like we're laying the groundwork for turning this into one of the premier regular Scrabble events in the region.

Will Scott, in addition to his recruitment efforts and coordination with the Knoxville and Asheville clubs on the Triple Crown series, did a fantastic job directing the Early and Late Bird events, as well as assisting and keeping things running smoothly in the Main Event.  Cheryl Coovert was indispensable in helping with data entry, results posting, and other tasks, especially IT crisis management as we dealt with printer issues for much of the weekend.  Plus she's done a great job year-round with managing the club's website and blog.  Betty and Victoria did a terrific job coordinating the food/refreshments.  We had a very nice spread over the entire event...thanks to everyone who contributed!

Finally, I really want to give it up for Matthew Ridout.  Not just for what he and Wendy have done for the tournament both years (opening up their home and hosting/entertaining out-of-towners), but especially for all that he does for the club, week-in, week-out, compiling and managing the stats.  Beyond that, in spite of his considerable skill as a player, he goes out of his way to make newcomers feel welcome and break down barriers that could otherwise scare novices away from the way we play the game.

Beyond the folks I mentioned, I really appreciate the positive vibe that everyone brings to our club, and hope that we continue to grow and prosper, both individually and collectively in the coming year.  Happy tiling!

3 comments:

Matthew Ridout said...

Steve and now Will directing are the envy of MANY a club. The tournaments are made to look so effortless, yet they are anything but I am sure. Thank you for everything you both do.
So many club scenes elsewhere are shrinking, yet we maintain and grow. I was lucky to be here once and am doubly blessed to come back and play with you all.

Will Scott said...

I agree wholeheartedly with most of what Steve wrote, but I'm afraid I've been given too much credit. Steve and Cheryl's technical expertise made my role a cinch. Aside from my apprentice director role, Matthew and Wendy have put me to shame in that regard. It all makes me optimistic not just about the success of our annual tournament, but about the growth of our club.

Matthew Ridout said...

I didn't do anything, Will, and you can't prove it! *flees*