Quiz @ Wausau - September 17

Posted 11 Sep, 2011 09:58 PM by Stephen

The first quiz is almost here!  Here are some important things to do/keep in mind:

  • New teams: review this information so you know what you can expect for how the day will run.
  • Sign up as a user on this site if you haven't already (you need to do this in order to register your team).
    • If you previously signed up and forgot your password, there is a link on the Login page to reset it, or let me know and I can reset it.
  • Register your team(s) here.
    • Please register by Thursday (9/15).
    • If you have too many people for one team, you can register the teams the way you want them split up, or just register all of them as one team and send me an e-mail to let me know how you want to split.  It is common for us to combine small teams/individuals as necessary.  I may find that I would like to rearrange your teams, but I will always try to confirm with you first.
  • Have parents/guardians sign the new photo release form for every quizzer.  Bring all of them with you.  We like to take pictures and put them on our Facebook group, so we hope everyone will be able to be included!
  • Register anyone who completed all memory verses for Hebrews 1-3.
  • Do you have a laptop with QuizMachine, interface box, and/or the jump seats for it?  If so, please bring them as we may not have quite enough since Todd and Cindy's equipment went with them to Kentucky.  Please register your equipment so I know it's coming.
  • The quiz is at Wausau on September 17.  You will need to park on the street.
  • Arrive by 9:30am to allow time to collect registration fees and make any last-minute changes.
  • The material being covered is Hebrews 1-3.
  • Lunch will be provided by the church for $5.
  • Because we will have several new quizzers, we will try to be flexible with some of the rules, but we'll make sure we also point things out so the teens (and coaches) can learn how they are supposed to be handled.
  • Start thinking about QuizFest.
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A Normal Wisconsin Quiz Day

Posted 11 Sep, 2011 09:08 PM by Stephen

Some general information about how our quiz days typically run:

  • We try to start by 10:00am, so please plan to arrive before then to allow time to verify that everyone came who was registered.  If anyone didn't come or extra people came, it may require some reshuffling, and possibly a change to the schedule, which slows us down.
  • There is a registration cost of $5 per quizzer each quiz, but see this separate blog post for an option that provides a discount.
  • We begin with a brief opening where I give any announcements for the day, go over the schedule, and answer any final questions.  I have also started sharing some of what I have learned in my studying.
  • We then quiz a few rounds, break for lunch, and come back to quiz several more rounds.
  • After statistics are compiled (a matter of minutes because of QuizMachine!), awards are presented, I give any final announcements, and we head home.  Everything is usually completed by 3:00 or 4:00pm, depending on how many rounds we do.
  • Lunch is often provided by the host church for a small fee ($3-$5).  This allows us to keep things moving faster since we don't have to go out somewhere, and it tends to be more affordable.
  • In the morning rounds, we usually quiz as teams; in the afternoon, we sometimes continue quizzing as teams, but other times we will split everyone up based on how well they did in the morning.  This gives the top quizzers a chance to push each other a little more, and the lower quizzers have more of an opportunity to get questions.  Other larger districts have Varsity/JV divisions like this that the quizzers quiz in all day.
  • We award the top individual a trophy, and 2nd through 5th places get medals.  The top 3 rookies (first-year quizzers, regardless of age/grade) also get medals.  Anyone who completed a section of memory work gets a certificate (see details).  And the top team has traditionally taken home a traveling plaque, but this year we'll be doing something a little...different...stay tuned!
    • At District Finals, we also award scholarships to the top 3 individuals from that day (scholarships actually presented at District Assembly):
      • $500 for first place
      • $250 for second place
      • $125 for third place
    • We also have up to 5 $125 scholarships available for seniors who have quizzed at least 2 full years.  These are also awarded at District Assembly.  For applications and full details, contact Stephen.
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Registration Fee Options

Posted 11 Sep, 2011 08:52 PM by Stephen

This is the same process as last year...

For each quiz, we require a $5 registration fee.  This helps to cover the cost of the awards, registration and housing for the St. Louis trip in December, and with anything left over we would like to help district/regional team members from Wisconsin get to the national tournament (Q2012 at ONU this year) and/or invest in equipment for QuizMachine.

In the past, I have collected this at each quiz.  However, sometimes I or others would forget, not to mention it takes up some of our time at the quiz, so last year I decided to improve this process for everyone.  The option you now have is to pay for the entire year up front.  Since district finals is covered in the registration for District Celebrate Life, that leaves 5 quizzes to pay for, or a total of $25.  Of course, I would like to encourage this as much as possible, so if you pay for all 5 quizzes up front, I will give one quiz free.  This means you only need to pay $20 per quizzer if you do it at the September quiz.

Two caveats:

  • The $20 would be non-refundable.  If a quizzer comes to fewer than 4 quizzes, then he/she will have overpaid.  This is to encourage all the quizzers to stick with it through the entire year.
  • If you do not pay the $20 at the September quiz, the one-quiz-free offer will no longer apply.

Questions?  E-mail, call, or we'll talk on 9/17.

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Memory Verses

Posted 11 Sep, 2011 08:41 PM by Stephen

This is the same process as last year...

At each quiz this year, I would like to award a certificate to any quizzers who complete any section of memory verses.  By "section" I mean all the memory verses for the new chapters covered in each quiz.  So for the September quiz, anyone who completes all the memory verses for Hebrews 1-3 will receive a certificate.  For October, the new chapters are Hebrews 4-6, so there would be a certificate for that.  However, if someone didn't do the first section by the September quiz but they memorize Hebrews 1-3 by October, we would still give them a certificate for that section at that quiz.  Sections do not have to be completed in order.  So, basically, a quizzer would get a certificate at any quiz for any section they complete.

Coaches will be responsible for verifying that the quizzer has completed the memory work.  The expectation is that each quizzer who would like to be recognized will say all the memory work to his/her coach, and then the coach will let me know what sections have been completed and by whom.

In order to tell me about quizzers who have completed the memory work, we will use the registration functionality on this site.  There is an "event" on the Schedule page for each section of memory verses.  When a quizzer has completed a given section, the coach should go to that event, select "Register," and register the quizzer.  I will then review these registrations prior to each quiz and prepare the new awards.  The quizzers will also be recognized on the page for the current year statistics in the "Memory Verses" section.

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