94 players gathered for what is likely to be the most memorable tournament of the year. The theme was Valentine's day and the organisers encouraged people to come dressed in suitable garb and to be prepared to behave in a flirtatious fashion. With some notable exceptions, this proved to be somewhat challenging for normally sensible and reserved scrabblers. However, with the venue decor, stationery, ambrosia and novelty prizes being devoted to the theme, everyone soon got into the act. Novelty prize-winners were rewarded with a public lambasting. The finalists for the most appropriate costume were paraded in front of their cheering peers and Jeff Chelton took out the "honours" with a heart-patterned satin pyjama set. Gasps of horror and derision filled the hall when Jeff flashed open his jacket to reveal a flashing heart located in the appropriate place. Unless he is able to come up with adequate hush-money, photographs will be distributed at the following tournaments. A John Gray "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" desk calendar was awarded for the best one-liner for the day. Our esteemed president, Bob Jackman, submitted the best pick up line - "How about coming back to my place for breakfast ?" (for his own sake he'd better have used that one on Liz) - but the popular vote went to a scrabble line "Your words mean so much to me" submitted by Judy Hall whose teenage daughter also submitted an entry (a case of like mother like daughter).
On the more sombre side of things, 8 games were played in four divisions under the NSW variations of ASPA tournament rules. Eileen Seaborn was welcomed as our interstate (SA) guest. Ages ranged from 13 (Katherine Hall) to 83 (Esther Rolfe) and 4 novices (Katherine Hall, Frank Menne, Phil Moore and Bev Purkiss) made their debut, all receiving a Valentine's day scratch-it gift. Prizes were awarded down to fifth place, but each division turned up a "rare" winner. Some of you might recall the face of Trevor Halsall from tournaments such as the City of Sydney Masters and Lassiter's Challenge. However, in one of his rare regular-tournament appearances, he managed first place in A division thanks primarily to a couple of very tight wins against the recently-invincible Paul Cleary. B division was taken out by the rapidly-improving Derek McKenzie, formerly from Queensland. His recent opponents will be glad to see him heading out of their way to the Masters division. Margaret Berliner dominated C division despite a good effort from the ever-enthusiastic Gary Pollard. D division saw the rare occurrence of a novice winning his first tournament (8 wins out of 8 at that !). Phil Moore plays with the strong Canberra club who were present en masse, and his initial ranking could take him as high as B division in his next tournament. Congratulations Phil and Canberra. Bev Purkiss also did very well on debut to place third, as did Katherine Hall to place eighth.
Results after game 8
WORDS VALENTINE 1998 -- A DIVISION
Rank Player Wins Mar
--------------------------------
1 Trevor Halsall 7 258
2 Paul Cleary 6 571
3 Bob Jackman 6 527
4 Jean McGiffen 6 244
5 Joan Rosenthal 5 434
6 John Barker 5 121
7 Peter Shaw 5 119
8 Sam Greenberg 5 56
9 Betty Foreman 4 280
10 Gloria Gallagher 4 89
11 Rod Talbot 4 35
12 Keith Bioletti 4 14
13 Peter Sheehan 4 -26
14 Moana Nepia 4 -172
15 Robyn Flynn 4 -539
16 Jean Noonan 3 -100
17 Joanne Craig 3 -151
18 Pat Warren 3 -219
19 Robin Duncan 3 -226
20 Sue Gergelifi 3 -233
21 Graeme Lock Lee 2 -75
22 Ian Close 2 -106
23 Rene Chelton 2 -264
24 Audrey Newman 2 -637
HIGH GAME: Joan Rosenthal 561
HIGH WORD: Trevor Halsall 131
"BERATING"
Results after game 8
WORDS VALENTINE 1998 -- B DIVISION
Rank Player Wins Mar
--------------------------------
1 Derek McKenzie 6 604
2 Jeff Chelton 6 591
3 Ruby Kotwall 6 196
4 Alison Rae 6 114
5 Christine Small 5 173
6 Pam Morris 5 148
7 Christine Foot 5 108
8 Richard Birch 5 34
9 Dawn Spring 5 -385
10 Cheryl Michler 4 372
11 Betty Coleman 4 261
12 Eileen Seaborn 4 97
13 Duncan Smith 4 -37
14 Jenny Templeton 4 -197
15 Kerry Constable 4 -228
16 Ros Gibbons 3 42
17 Hanne Marks 3 -87
18 Jeff Spring 3 -174
19 Judy Hay 3 -217
20 Val Ryan 3 -264
21 Liz Jackman 3 -308
22 Jan Serisier 2 -21
23 Nanette Reynolds 2 -313
24 Norma Tracey 1 -509
HIGH GAME: Jeff Chelton 516
HIGH WORD: Dawn Spring 131
"MAGENTAS"
Results after game 8
WORDS VALENTINE 1998 -- C DIVISION
Rank Player Wins Mar
--------------------------------
1 Margaret Berliner 7 559
2 Gary Pollard 6 427
3 Carol Nomarhas 6 -36
4 Jean Balmer 5 381
5 Susan Macgillivray 5 360
6 Joan Buchanan 5 348
7 Esther Rolfe 5 246
8 Edith Lowbeer 5 76
9 Raya Wilkinson 5 -45
10 Alan Gauci 4« -144
11 Isabel Humphreys 4 72
12 Margaret Ackman 4 -3
13 June Stephenson 4 -103
14 Mireille Crabb 4 -125
15 Judy Hall 4 -248
16 Pat Schuberg 3« -240
17 Judy McGuinness 3 174
18 Maureen Wilkins 3 -30
19 Bev Sell 3 -108
20 Margaret Andrews 3 -184
21 John McMahon 3 -359
22 Fay Van Oyen 2 -113
23 Merle Young 2 -201
24 Athena Sheehan 0 -704
HIGH GAME: Joan Buchanan 503
HIGH WORD: Esther Rolfe 108
"STALKED"
Results after game 8
WORDS VALENTINE 1998 -- D DIVISION
Rank Player Wins Mar
--------------------------------
1 Phil Moore: act 8 1094
2 Maria Kaye 6 175
3 Bev Purkis 5 330
4 Margaret Gauci 5 235
5 Mary Craven 5 139
6 Dea Matthews 5 133
7 Ann Fiddler 5 34
8 Katherine Hall 4 71
9 Yvonne Pollard 4 58
10 Daphne Bezuidenhout 4 48
11 Pearl Gillott 4 -8
12 Bunny Knot 4 -65
13 Heather Sorensen 4 -107
14 John Smith 4 -143
15 Cassie Menne 4 -213
16 Diana Field 3 -89
17 Kath Davidson 3 -163
18 Mary Lyneham 3 -209
19 Joy Morris 3 -346
20 Elwyn Smith 2 -75
21 Frank Menne 2 -264
22 Beryl Christensen 1 -635
HIGH GAME: Yvonne Pollard 460
HIGH WORD: Diana Field 97
"SEQUINS"
Stats for Tournament : WORDS VALENTINE 1998
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| state Name | National | State | Wins | Rating Points |
| | Old New | Old New | Exp Act | Old Change New|
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
+Section: *A DIVISION + + + +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Trevor Halsall | 50 25 | 14 9 | 3.2 7.0 | 1668 +100
1768 |
| NSW Bob Jackman | 4 4 | 3 3 | 6.1 6.0 | 1918 +1 1919 |
| NSW Paul Cleary | 3 3 | 2 2 | 6.0 6.0 | 1927 +5 1932 |
| NSW Jean McGiffen | 43 28 | 12 10 | 3.7 6.0 | 1703 +52 1755 |
| NSW Joan Rosenthal | 7 7 | 5 5 | 6.1 5.0 | 1899 -16 1883 |
| NSW John Barker | 51 43 | 15 12 | 3.2 5.0 | 1667 +37 1704 |
| NSW Peter Shaw | 23 24 | 8 8 | 5.5 5.0 | 1785 -6 1779 |
| NSW Sam Greenberg | 116 100 | 32 28 | 2.8 5.0 | 1526 +45 1571 |
| NSW Rod Talbot | 40 40 | 11 11 | 3.9 4.0 | 1709 +4 1713 |
| NSW Betty Foreman | 83 81 | 22 20 | 3.9 4.0 | 1610 +3 1613 |
| NSW Moana Nepia | 52 51 | 16 15 | 3.9 4.0 | 1660 +2 1662 |
| NSW Keith Bioletti | 47 48 | 13 14 | 4.1 4.0 | 1687 -2 1685 |
| NSW Gloria Gallagher | 99 83 | 27 22 | 2.1 4.0 | 1569 +38 1607 |
| NSW Peter Sheehan | 81 79 | 21 19 | 4.1 4.0 | 1622 -1 1621 |
| NSW Robyn Flynn | 67 69 | 18 18 | 4.3 4.0 | 1644 -6 1638 |
| NSW Jean Noonan | 118 116 | 33 31 | 3.1 3.0 | 1522 -2 1520 |
| NSW Robin Duncan | 32 46 | 9 13 | 4.7 3.0 | 1727 -33 1694 |
| NSW Pat Warren | 93 97 | 25 27 | 3.6 3.0 | 1588 -12 1576 |
| NSW Joanne Craig | 79 84 | 20 23 | 4.0 3.0 | 1623 -18 1605 |
| NSW Sue Gergelifi | 73 82 | 19 21 | 4.1 3.0 | 1634 -22 1612 |
| NSW Graeme Lock Lee | 39 52 | 10 16 | 4.5 2.0 | 1712 -50 1662 |
| NSW Rene Chelton | 107 122 | 29 35 | 3.4 2.0 | 1541 -28 1513 |
| NSW Ian Close | 129 141 | 36 39 | 2.7 2.0 | 1490 -15 1475 |
| NSW Audrey Newman | 111 118 | 30 33 | 3.0 2.0 | 1538 -20 1518 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+
+Section: *B DIVISION + + + +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Jeff Chelton | 164 155 | 45 41 | 4.8 6.0 | 1431 +25 1456 |
| NSW Derek McKenzie | 172 162 | 48 44 | 5.1 6.0 | 1415 +22 1437 |
| NSW Ruby Kotwall | 134 127 | 37 36 | 5.5 6.0 | 1485 +11 1496 |
| NSW Alison Rae :act | 149 139 | 40 37 | 5.4 6.0 | 1463 +14 1477 |
| NSW Christine Small | 293 249 | 68 61 | 2.1 5.0 | 1185 +71 1256 |
| NSW Pam Morris | 243 231 | 58 55 | 3.4 5.0 | 1261 +33 1294 |
| NSW Richard Birch | 311 261 | 76 63 | 1.6 5.0 | 1152 +86 1238 |
| NSW Christine Foot :act | 199 207 | 51 51 | 5.6 5.0 | 1377 -17 1360 |
| NSW Dawn Spring | 300 245 | 71 60 | 1.6 5.0 | 1171 +88 1259 |
| NSW Duncan Smith | 224 220 | 54 53 | 3.2 4.0 | 1312 +17 1329 |
| NSW Betty Coleman | 282 270 | 65 66 | 2.8 4.0 | 1201 +25 1226 |
| NSW Cheryl Michler | 201 200 | 52 49 | 4.5 4.0 | 1376 -9 1367 |
| SA Eileen Seaborn | 231 230 | 14 14 | 3.7 4.0 | 1289 +6 1295 |
| NSW Kerry Constable :act | 184 201 | 49 50 | 5.5 4.0 | 1395 -28 1367 |
| NSW Jenny Templeton | 247 236 | 59 57 | 2.7 4.0 | 1255 +25 1280 |
| NSW Ros Gibbons | 187 215 | 50 52 | 5.6 3.0 | 1390 -50 1340 |
| NSW Hanne Marks | 168 194 | 47 47 | 5.4 3.0 | 1425 -48 1377 |
| NSW Jeff Spring | 166 197 | 46 48 | 5.6 3.0 | 1428 -52 1376 |
| NSW Liz Jackman | 289 286 | 67 68 | 2.5 3.0 | 1190 +10 1200 |
| NSW Judy Hay | 158 179 | 41 46 | 5.5 3.0 | 1444 -47 1397 |
| NSW Val Ryan | 242 244 | 57 59 | 3.0 3.0 | 1261 1261 |
| NSW Jan Serisier | 203 227 | 53 54 | 5.4 2.0 | 1372 -68 1304 |
| NSW Nanette Reynolds | 297 306 | 70 73 | 2.5 2.0 | 1175 -10 1165 |
| NSW Norma Tracey | 275 297 | 64 71 | 2.8 1.0 | 1213 -36 1177 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+
+Section: *C DIVISION + + + +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Margaret Berliner | 408 364 | 100 90 | 4.0 7.0 | 1002 +75 1077 |
| NSW Gary Pollard | 318 307 | 77 74 | 5.3 6.0 | 1145 +15 1160 |
| NSW Carol Nomarhas :act | 504 446 | 127 111 | 3.2 6.0 | 886 +66 952 |
| NSW Joan Buchanan | 362 356 | 90 87 | 4.6 5.0 | 1081 +9 1090 |
| NSW Jean Balmer | 403 392 | 98 98 | 3.9 5.0 | 1007 +23 1030 |
| NSW Esther Rolfe | 414 401 | 102 99 | 4.2 5.0 | 997 +19 1016 |
| NSW Susan MacGillivr:act | 371 374 | 92 93 | 5.3 5.0 | 1062 -3 1059 |
| NSW Edith Lowbeer | 321 331 | 78 81 | 5.6 5.0 | 1138 -12 1126 |
| NSW Raya Wilkinson | 363 368 | 91 91 | 5.6 5.0 | 1080 -9 1071 |
| NSW Alan Gauci | 486 459 | 123 115 | 3.4 4.5 | 920 +24 944 |
| NSW Isabel Humphreys | 490 471 | 125 121 | 2.8 4.0 | 910 +23 933 |
| NSW Mireille Crabb | 398 403 | 97 100 | 4.2 4.0 | 1020 -6 1014 |
| NSW Judy Hall | 452 437 | 111 108 | 3.0 4.0 | 947 +19 966 |
| NSW June Stephenson | 376 389 | 94 97 | 4.9 4.0 | 1051 -17 1034 |
| NSW Margaret Ackman | 615 566 | 153 143 | 1.5 4.0 | 782 +56 838 |
| NSW Pat Schuberg | 431 434 | 106 107 | 3.6 3.5 | 970 -1 969 |
| NSW Judy McGuinness | 394 421 | 96 104 | 4.9 3.0 | 1026 -36 990 |
| NSW Bev Sell :act | 351 387 | 87 96 | 6.1 3.0 | 1101 -62 1039 |
| NSW Margaret Andrews | 546 520 | 136 132 | 1.9 3.0 | 854 +21 875 |
| NSW John McMahon | 466 466 | 117 118 | 2.9 3.0 | 937 +3 940 |
| NSW Maureen Wilkins | 325 369 | 79 92 | 6.6 3.0 | 1134 -70 1064 |
| NSW Fay Van Oyen | 508 535 | 129 134 | 3.0 2.0 | 885 -21 864 |
| NSW Merle Young | 556 568 | 140 144 | 2.4 2.0 | 845 -8 837 |
| NSW Athena Sheehan | 512 583 | 130 147 | 3.1 0.0 | 881 -62 819 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+
+Section: *D DIVISION + + + +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
|*NSW Phil Moore: act | 0 319 | 0 78 | 7.4 7.6 | 1147 1147 |
| NSW Maria Kaye | 797 769 | 201 196 | 4.0 6.0 | 596 +39 635 |
| NSW Margaret Gauci | 645 636 | 158 157 | 4.5 5.0 | 745 +11 756 |
| NSW Mary Craven :act | 626 617 | 154 155 | 4.3 5.0 | 768 +15 783 |
|*NSW Bev Purkis | 0 696 | 0 173 | 5.0 5.0 | 703 703 |
| NSW Dea Matthews :act | 853 800 | 220 204 | 2.7 5.0 | 546 +51 597 |
| NSW Ann Fiddler | 794 787 | 200 201 | 4.5 5.0 | 601 +10 611 |
| NSW Pearl Gillott | 749 744 | 188 187 | 3.6 4.0 | 650 +8 658 |
| NSW Yvonne Pollard | 662 691 | 164 171 | 5.3 4.0 | 732 -26 706 |
| NSW Daphne Bezuidenhout | 732 733 | 182 183 | 4.1 4.0 | 665 +1 666 |
| NSW Heather Sorensen :ac | 672 700 | 167 174 | 5.1 4.0 | 721 -22 699 |
|*NSW Katherine Hall | 0 822 | 0 212 | 4.0 4.0 | 578 578 |
| NSW Bunny Knott | 868 855 | 226 224 | 3.2 4.0 | 533 +15 548 |
| NSW John Smith :act | 847 849 | 218 221 | 3.8 4.0 | 551 +4 555 |
| NSW Cassie Menne | 709 711 | 175 177 | 4.1 4.0 | 689 -4 685 |
| NSW Diana Field | 856 871 | 222 229 | 3.5 3.0 | 544 -10 534 |
| NSW Kath Davidson | 921 923 | 243 244 | 3.2 3.0 | 489 -4 485 |
| NSW Joy Morris | 925 926 | 244 245 | 3.0 3.0 | 483 -1 482 |
| NSW Mary Lyneham | 981 976 | 257 261 | 2.1 3.0 | 368 +27 395 |
| NSW Elwyn Smith :act | 915 936 | 239 248 | 3.4 2.0 | 494 -28 466 |
|*NSW Frank Menne | 0 972 | 0 259 | 3.5 2.0 | 500 -94 406 |
| NSW Beryl Christensen | 916 967 | 240 258 | 3.5 1.0 | 494 -76 418 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+