Lalla Searle Memorial Scrabble Tournament

The Lalla Searle Memorial Scrabble Tournament

Longtime FNCA member Cecilia "Lalla" Searle passed into the spiritual world about 6 weeks before the 2012 camp session. Lalla was an articulate, well-dressed, perpetually cheerful person who was loved and adored by her husband Colgate and well-loved by her family, friends, peers, co-workers, and all the many circles she moved in.

As a professional landscape architect, Lalla put lots of time and energy over the years into beautifying the Assembly grounds with flowers and bushes that bloom in August and can, in her words, "suffer benign neglect" the rest of the year. She also served the Assembly at various times as assistant treasurer, registrar, and Work Weekend head chef. And, she was an absolutely formidable Scrabble player.

NEW photos on this page in recent months:

Title or Theme Year Posted
"2023 Final Board" 2023 8/5

2022 2023
2012 2013 2014 2016 2017 2018 2019

Past LALLA Tournament Winners

2023

"2023 Final Board"

The 2023 LALLA Scrabble Tournament winner is the amazing Miriam Lexie! This is her second win for this tournament, her previous win being 10 years ago in 2013

2022

"And the Winner Is..."

...Jason Greenwood!

"The Final Board"

2019

"The Finalists"

Martin Vojtko, Deane Currie, Trevor, Dawn Crowe

"Kudos (and a Kiss!)"

The 2019 Lalla Searle Memorial Scrabble Tournament winner: Trevor!

"The Final Board: LALLA 2019"

2018

"This Year's Finalists"

This year's winner holding the L tile: Jason Greenwood!

"The Final Board"

2017

"Studying the Board
(well, at least some of them are)"

"The Contestants"

left to rigt: Trevor, winner and champion Martin Vojtko, Beki Greenwood, Merrilee Phinney.

"The Final Board 2017"

"FUNNIEST finish ever!" is what one observer called this. After trailing the front runner the entire game, Martin Vojtko won by 2 points with the bingo FUNNIEST... on a triple word score... using only 1-point tiles and both blanks... in a place that was only made possible by the immediately preceding play of the front runner... and on top of all that, Martin didn't know until he reached into the bag to replenish his rack and found that there were no tiles left that he'd actually gone out with that amazing play and ended the game! Congratulations on a stunning victory, Martin Vojtko!

2016

"Very Serious Scrabble Players"

clockwise from foreground: Beki Greenwood, Trevor, Jon Crowe, and this year's winner successfully defending his championship from last year: Ken Woofenden!

"The Final Board 2016"

2014

"The Contestants"

Two couples competed against each other this year!

"Gangsta Greenwood Studies the Board"

"The Final Board 2014"

Notice the horizontal "LALLA" just left of center! That's the second time in three years.

"The Winner and New Champeen: Trevor!"

2013

"The Opening Play"

"The Final Board 2013"

"Kudos to the Winner!"

The contestants Jason Greenwood, Dawn Crowe, and Trevor give kudos to the 2013 Lalla Searle Memorial Scrabble Tournament winner: Miriam Lexie!

2012

"3 Rounds In"

"The Final Board 2012"

"The Competitors Cheer the Winner"

Miriam Lexie, Trevor, and Jane Perry give kudos to the 2012 Lalla Searle Memorial Scrabble Tournament winner and champion: Rev. Susannah Currie! Both her initial and her final play were bingos (i.e., using all 7 tiles) and received the standard 50 point bonus. Her resounding win won thunderous applause from everyone present.

"Scrabble Champ with the New Winners Tile"

This big Scrabble tile now hangs on the wall in the Dole Wing. On the back is space for the name of each year's winner to be written.

"LALLA"

On his final turn, Trevor played the tourney bonus word LALLA to lots of smiles and good cheer. It is very fitting that someone got a "LALLA" in the inaugural year of this tournament.

Past LALLA Tournament Winners

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