Batchelder School Goes The Distance with Teamwork Trivia. Nets $7600.00!!

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The first-ever Batchelder’s Parent Organization Teamwork Trivia Night was led by Tracy Zimmerman, Stephanie Chinchillo, Lynn Doucette, Jane Donovan and Michelle Gwozdz and it exceeded everyone’s expectations. 240 Parents and Teachers attended, it was SOLD OUT in the first week.

A one of two live auction items was “Principal For A Day”
( Thanks, Principal Sean Killeen)
Gellar Family’s top bid of $800.00 had everyone cheering. The live auction second prize was a rare chance at Red Sox/Yankees game with a pair of seats at “Canvas Alley”, this went to thrilled McKinney family.
There were 2 big tables of silent auction items. There were 3 tables filled with unique raffle prizes.
The exciting 50/50 Raffle split $800.

A Tie-Breaker question was needed to decide the winning table. They called themselves: “Table Next To Us Is Cheating”.

Name Camp Henderson’s most famous marine.
You are having a cooking “throw-down” with a celebrity chef, name him.
Name the rent-a-car company who says, “We’re #2 We Try Harder”.

Batchelder School, Batchelder’s Parent Organization (BPO) North Reading @ Moose, North Reading. 3-10-12

CLICK HERE FOR FACEBOOK PAGE: PIX and FUN

Tewksbury Mem HS PAC: 5-Time Teamwork Trivia: Sold Out…again.

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Tewksbury Mem HS PAC. SOLD OUT … Again. 330 players ( x $20 per) filled up the elegant wood-beamed hall and went table vs. table in trivia battle. The 33 teams gathered to try and knock off the champions “Genetically Predisposed” – they will have to try again next year because … they won again! More gold medals and the PAC trophy!

BTW … That is $6600.00 in admission alone!
Add in The Big Raffle Table.

Who is the only 4-time Best Actress Oscar winner?
Who’s motto was “The Best To You Each Morning” ?
How many numbered pockets are there in a American casino’s roulette wheel?
Who sang “ Hold Me Now”, “Red Solo Cup” or “ I’m Sexy And I Know It”?

For the Fifth time: Teamwork Trivia 2008, 09, 10, 11 & 12.
See you in 2013 for #6 !
Tewksbury Country Club. 3-11-12

See the Tewksbury site: HERE

See the Teamwork Trivia Facebook page of PIX and Fun: HERE

Lincoln School, Brookline: 4th Annual Teamwork Trivia Night 3-3-12

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Sold Out at Lincoln School, again.
The Fourth Annual Teamwork Trivia Night.
This group of 200 {that’s 200 times $25 per player} parents, teachers and wing/men + wing/women came up an instant cash game within a game: a MULLIGAN. It is an automatic right answer, that costs $20, no strings attached. The competition was so hot, that the mulligan’s alone raised over $1200.00. What? Yes, it’s true $20 dollar bills were flying.
In the 50/50 Raffle someone spent $5 for five tickets and won $280.00.

DRESS CODE was in effect: That means its either prizes or points for dressing you and your table up. Click on Facebook.
What is the common name for ‘epistaxis’? Name two nicknames for the NY Knicks, Jeremy Lin.

How much money did Lincoln make with only this paragraph of information?
Lincoln School. Brookline 3-3-12
See the fun pix : Facebook.

Triton Regional HS’s parents support their seniors at 2012 graduation. GRADVENTURE is no trivial matter. 3-2-12

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When parents at Triton Regional HS need to get something done, they get something done! This active parents group, led by Wendy Worcester Antonucci, held a fundraiser for the supervised HS senior graduation party, “Gradventure”. Trying out a Teamwork Trivia Night was a perfect fit. Big tables of raffle prizes from local vendors. The trivia first-timers at Triton had each round sponsored by local vendors.
Newburyport Elks. 3-2-12
175 people were asked…
What is the common word for “syncope”.
Name the NBA teams that do not end in “s”.
What duo sings “Warm It Up”, who sings “Rhinestone Cowboy” or
what duo teamed up for “DJ’s Got Us Fallin In Love”.

Next year Teamwork Trivia Night is already booked.
See the fun: http://www.facebook.com/teamworktrivia

Davy Jones, The Monkees, dead at 66.

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Davy Jones of the Monkees dies at 66. Music Notes.
The Monkees rivaled and mimiced the Beatles from 1966 to 1970. In 1964, Davy Jones (pre-Monkee) appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show on the same night that the Beatles first appeared. Jones was the only British citizen in the Monkees. (American-born: Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork)

Note: Rock superstar David Bowie’s real name was also David Jones and changed it to Bowie with the release of his first single “Space Oddity” in 1969, well after Davy Jones and the Monkees were stars. They rivaled the Beatles’ chart success, although not their creativity. Their Saturday morning show was a Marx Brothers/Three Stooges style. A kind of “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” for kids that featured soon-to-be hits. Great opening TV theme, too. They were a little too old to be considered a “boy band”. Marketing rock bands was new in 1966 and the Monkees enbraced it… here had millions of devoted record-buying fans, lunch boxes etc…

Their sold-out reunion tours confirmed their post-Billboard chart popularity.

The Monkees were created by Don Kirshner, a producer with songwriting and chart connections. Neil Diamond (wrote ” I’m A Believer” ) and connections with the Brill Building team kept fresh hit singles coming for the “pre-fab four”. After the Monkees broke up, he developed “The Archies” (“Sugar Sugar”, #1, 1969) for the same teen audience. An animated gang who got into hi-jinks and sang songs, just like the Monkees. Then in 1972, he produced a late night classic, Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert. This lip sync show in the pre-MTV era was the only was that fans got to see these singers/bands without going to a concert.

Michael Nesmith : wrote “Different Drum” for Linda Ronstadt, he also had a solo hit (#21) “Joanne”(1970).

Pop music kings in great era of pop music. The heart-throb (like McCartney) of the group, Jones appeared many shows including The Brady Bunch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm39e0w8fzw&feature=player_embedded#!

Whitney Houston : MusicNotes by Ed Mullen

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Written by Ed Mullen (Feb14, 2011) www.DJMrEdHQ.com
– Whitney Houston MusicNotes –

Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012, age 48)
Born in Newark, New Jersey. Third of three children.
Attended the New Hope Baptist Church in East Orange, New Jersey.

1977: Whitney Houston, age 14, sang back-up on Michael Zager Band’s single “Life’s a Party”. The Michael Zager Band’s big hit was “Let’s All Chant”, a 1978 disco classic. Zager was a profific producer.

Magazine model: 1981, November issue. Cover of Seventeen magazine was an 18-year old Whitney Houston. One of the first African-American models to appear on a major magazine’s cover.

Family: Cissy Houston and Luther Vandross sing on J.Geils
1977 album “ Monkey Island” featuring the song, “Surrender”.
Note: Versitile R&B session singer Luther Vandross sings back-up on
J.Geils’ “Flamethrower”, David Bowie’s “Young American”,
Change “The Glow Of Love”, Bionic Boogie’s “Hot Butterfly”

Family: Cissy Houston toured with Elvis Presley
as a member of the Sweet Inspirations.

Family: Cissy Houston, Whitney’s mother. “Think It Over” 1978.
Disco classic. Great non-stop beat, nimble string section.
Soulful lyrics delivered by her powerful voice.
Video title:
Cissy Houston – “Think It Over” 1978 .
Note: Groovy disco dancing and fashions.
Note: Roller-skating disco couple at :28

Family: Whitney’s self-proclaimed “god-mother” is family friend,
Aretha Franklin.
Aretha moved to Arista records for her comeback albums:
1982 :Jump To It, 1983: Get It Right, 1985 :Freeway of Love.
Her first chart hits since 1974. Collaborating with Luther Vandross,
Marcus Miller (Luther’s producer/bassist), Cissy Houston.

Family: Whitney’s teenage nickname was “ Nippy”

Family: Cousin to Dionne Warwick, her career rebounded since signing with Arista ( Clive Davis, Arista Records label head)

TV: The Merv Griffen Show, 1983 June 23.
Clive Davis introduces Houston in her first TV performance. (More than a year before 1st album is released in 1985!) Davis boasts that “for the next generation, here was a singer who combined the soul and guts of Aretha Franklin with both the sultry elegance of lyrical phrasing and the beauty of Lena Horne.” Her selections were “ Home” from “The Wiz”, “Since You’ve Been Gone”, “Aint No Way” and “You Send Me” with her mother, Cissy.

Billboard charts: Seven #1 Hit Records In A Row!
Whitney is the only artist to chart seven consecutive #1 Billboard Hot 100 hits.
They are
“Saving All My Love For You,” “
How Will I Know,” “
Greatest Love Of All,”
“I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me),”
“Didn’t We Almost Have It All,”
“So Emotional,” and
“Where Do Broken Hearts Go”

Whitney Houston has seven, but should have 8 consecutive Number One records because,the streak begins with her second single ever released, but her first single, ” You Give Good Love” hit #3 (Pop), stayed 21 weeks on the (Pop) Billboard chart, while recently topping the Billboard R+B charts.

TV: 1985. Whitney performs “ You Give Good Love” on
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on April 5th, in her 1985 nationally-televised debut album release.

WHITNEY
(1985 debut) 25 million sold. In the top 30 of the best-selling cd/albums worldwide. The album cover basically had three columns, left and right were a light orange with the middle column a picture of the beautiful singer. (the color made it easy for a DJ to find, while reaching into a record crate of albums)

Billboard: Top 50 R&B / Hip Hop Artists (1985-2010) Whitney Houston #3. Career achievements include five #1 albums and eight #1 singles on the Billboard R&B chart.

So many accolades, so much chart success and classic songs but only 7 solo albums released in her career (and one of them was a holiday album. First album released in 1985.
………………………………………………………………………
(DVD) THE 1987 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS with “That’s what Friends Are For”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xNKW6Vk5Xg
Video title:
Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross, Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder
“That’s What Friends Are For “
………………………………………………………………………..
(DVD) THE 1987 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS (first year)
Luther and Dionne, hosts.
Dionne Warwick introducing Whitney.
YouTube: Whitney Houston ” You Give Good Love”
………………………………………………………………………..

Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time:
Whitney Houston (debut) #253

Rolling Stone: Best Album of the 1986:
Whitney Houston (debut)

1986 Grammy Controversy. Whitney should have been nominated for “Best New Artist” on her debut album, but her duets with veteran singers like Teddy Pendergrass and Jermaine Jackson disqualified her. Even the powerful Clive Davis, Arista Records boss, complained, but it did not sway the committee from their decision. The 1986 Best New Artist Award went to Sade.

TV: 1986. Sacre Blu! The popular French talk show host, (admitted he was drunk) Serve Gainsbourg embarrasses himself by making an “indecent proposal” to Houston, on the air, after she performed “Saving All My Love For You”.

Award: 1986. At her first Grammy Award ceremony in 1986 (Feb 25), Whitney received three nominations. Presenting her first Grammy win was Dionne Warwick and Julian Lennon. (Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female)

Family: After meeting Bobby Brown (New Edition) at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards, they dated for three years and marrying in July 18, 1992. They have one daughter Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown, born on March 4, 1993. After a year of separation, they divorced in 2007.

Doctor Houston! : Whitney recieves a Honorary Docorate in Humanities
from Louisiana’s Grambling State University in 1988.

Family: In 1996, Cissy received a Grammy for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album “Face To Face”. Look for her version of “How Sweet It Is”. In 1998, she won that award again “He Leadth Me”.

“I Will Always Love You” written by Dolly Parton. Released on her “Jolene” album in 1974. The song reaches “Number One” on the Billboard Hot Country Charts. With Whitney’s version, Dolly Parton becomes the first artist to earn a ‘Number One’ record twice, with the same song …. as a singer and then the composer.

“I Will Always Love You” by Whitney became the hit single that remained Billboard’s Number One for the longest duration, 14 weeks.

Billboards Greatest Songs of All-Time: # 68 .“I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston

“The Bodyguard” (1992) soundtrack has sold over 44 million copies worldwide. The biggest selling soundtrack in history.

Dolly Parton – I will always love you
Dolly’s version appears in the movie, “The Best Little Whore House in Texas (1982) starring Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton. Its Broadway run was from 1978-79.

Grammy Awards 1994: Whitney Houston opens the
1994 Grammy Awards with a stunning version of “ I Will Always Love You”

1991, Super Bowl 25, Whitney Houston sings the National Anthem
2009, Super Bowl 43, Jennifer Hudson sings the National Anthem

“The Bodyguard” (1992) soundtrack. 44 million sold. It is the 4th of best selling cd/albums worldwide.

David Foster: Many albums and singles by mega-producer David Foster (Celine Dion, Andrea Bocelli, Chicago, Streisand, Michael Buble… etc.)
Some Whitney Houston / David Foster projects:
1992 The Bodyguard sntrk,
1996 The Preacher’s Wife,
1998 My Love Is You Love,
2009 I Look To You.

Awards 1993: Whitney set a record as a 11-time Billboard Music Award winner in 1993 .
30 career Billboard Music Awards

Awards: 22 American Music Awards. Tops in career American Music Awards, female, solo.
In 1994, tied Michael Jackson for most AMA’s in one year, eight.

Awards 1994: World Music Awards, Whitney becomes a 5-time winner,
the most WMA’s in one year (1994).

1995 “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” debuted at Number One
(third time in history a song debuted on top).
After just one week at Number One that song remained at
Number Two for 11 weeks, which is the longest duration
at Number Two in history.

Awards 2001: Whitney is honored with the inaugual BET Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001.

1996. Houston records the Four Tops classic, “ I Believe In You And Me”
(“The Preacher’s Wife” soundtrack) Grammy-nominated.

Awards: 1996. The Guinness Book Of World Records
lists Whitney as music’s “most awarded female artist of all time”
with an amazing tally of 411 awards (as of 2006).
“A tally that is certainly topped by her two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 16 Billboard Music Awards, and 23 American Music Awards, as well as MTV VMAs in the U.S. and Europe, NAACP Image Awards, BET Awards, “Soul Train” Music Awards, and so on. She received the Nickelodeon “Kids Choice” award (she was inducted into the “Kids Choice” Hall Of Fame in 1996), the Dove (Gospel Music Association) Award, and Blockbuster Entertainment Award. Whitney was inducted into the BET (Black Entertainment Television) Walk Of Fame in 1996; and received “Soul Train”‘s prestigious Quincy Jones Career Achievement Award in 1998.” (from www.whitneyhouston.com)

DJ: Disc Jockeys around the world enjoyed her remixes of her hits. Some of mine are “ So Emotional”, “It’s Not Right, But It’s OK” and “I’m You’re Baby Tonight”. .. www.DJMrEdHQ.com

1997. School named for Houston. June 12, 1997.
Whitney Houston and Clive Davis attend the ceremony re-naming the
Franklin School in East Orange New Jersey which is now
the Whitney Houston Academy Of Creative and Performing Arts.

1999. VH-1 Divas Live ’99 featuring Headliners:
Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, Cher, Brandy & Faith Hill.
Houston sings 5 songs including “ I’m Every Woman” with Chaka Khan.

Movies featuring…. Whitney Houston, the actress.
1992 – The Bodyguard
1995 – Waiting To Exhale
1996 – The Preacher’s Wife
1997 – Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella.
2012 – Sparkle (?) -soon to be released-

Note: originally “The Bodyguard” was pitched to Diana Ross and Steve McQueen in 1976.

2002, Interview with Diane Sawyer. (“crack is wack”)

Awards 2003: In 2003, VH-1’s produces a list of
The 50 Greatest Women of the Video Era.
Their rankings were:
Madonna #1, Janet Jackson #2 and Whitney Houston #3.

2004, “Being Bobby Brown” reality show. One season only. [ OMG !]

In 2007, USA Today ranked the 25 Most Memorable Music Moments list and Whitney Houston was #11.
Among the list was #1 Napster, #2 Live Aid, #3 Michael Jackson, #9 iPods and iTunes and #13 the creation of the CD .

2008 Billboard: Top 100 Artists of All-Time (1958-2008)
Whitney Houston, #9.

2009, Interview with Oprah Winphrey .

Awards: Whitney Houston is the only artist with AT LEAST ONE:
Grammy, American Music Award, Emmy, Mtv Video Music Award, Mtv Movie Award,
People’s Choice Award and a Billboard Music Award.

Awards: On WhitneyHouston.com (section: biography),
there are paragraphs of her charitable endeavors and foundations,
like the Whitney Houston Foundation For Children Inc.

Whitney Houston is 14th best selling artist of all time. All cd/sales worldwide.

2011, February. Whitney Houston was in Roxbury, Massachusetts at the Twelfth Bapist Church. She was attending Bobby Brown’s mother’s funeral (Carole Brown). She, spontaneously, performed “Precious Lord Take My Hand”. (WBZ TV report)

2012. Grammy Awards. LL Cool J, host calls for an opening prayer.
Near midnight, Jennifer Hudson (“Dreamgirls”, 2008 Grammy award winner, 2004 American Idol-seventh place) mesmerizes audiences around the world with her mentor’s hit record, “ I Will Always Love You” Jennifer Hudson (Feb12 2012) Grammy Awards.

2012. The night before the 2012 Grammy Awards broadcast, expected to attend the event, greeted by Clive Davis, enjoying festivities with friends and her 18-year old daughter… Whitney Houston is found dead in her hotel room, age 48.

2012. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie orders all flags in his state to be flown at half-staff on the day of Houston’s funeral in honor of the New Jersey native’s career.

Feb2011 NY Times obituary. Summary.

Ed Mullen sources below.
– www.NYTimes.com, www.whitneyhouston.com , www.whitney-fan.com , wiki-pedia=whitney houston, WBZ-TV news clip, liner notes from her CDs.

Northside PAC, Wilmington: Two schools come together. Fun, funds…and a fire alarm? They play Teamwork Trivia. 2-4-12

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Twelve months ago, Caryl Nansel saw me conduct a Teamwork Trivia Night at the Black Swan Country Club (220 people) where she is the function manager. Caryl brought her friends to another Teamwork Trivia night at the Tewksbury Country Club (330 people), since then she has been one of my most enthusiastic supporters.
The event SOLD OUT (22 tables of ten), that includes half in the the first week alone!
The Feb.4th 2012 event at the Wilmington K of C, was an instant success. 3 out of 4 table dressed up themselves or the table in a theme (this gave them 5 extra points, due to Caryl’s promotional skill). The 50/50 raffle generated $560.00 for a lucky winner. The rounds were sponsored by 8 local businesses.. add $800.00
Name the Patriot who made a ‘snow angel’ after the 2001 Oakland playoff game? Name the only South American country with both a Caribbean and Pacific coast line. The music rounds were basically sing-a-longs and fired up all the tables. Speaking of fire…… the fire alarm late in the game did empty the building. No one hurt. It did give Caryl an opportunity to hug one of the fire-fighters.. her husband. Upon returning… “Fire”-Ohio Players, “Smoke on the Water”-Deep Purple, “Smokin”-Boston. Then back to the game.
Several Facebook posts on Caryl’s page confirmed the sentiment to book a 2013 Teamwork Trivia Night. Great support for the North Intermediate and Woburn St. Schools in Wilmington. 2-4-12

See the fun: http://www.facebook.com/teamworktrivia

Corporate Sales Meeting – then, Teamwork Trivia helps with team-building for SoundBite Communications Inc.

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The 2012 SOUNDBITE sales meeting ended with a blast! Right after dinner, a few lightning rounds of Teamwork Trivia sparked some fun competition among the SoundBite salespersons and staff members. The music round was a treat for all ages. Who sings “Hold me Now”? … “Moves Like Jagger”? Who was the leader of E.L.O.? … the leader of Dire Straits?
Teamwork Trivia was selected because it is a fun alternative to a sports bar or movie. The tables were scrambled so employees could work together with new friends. Team-Building.
This Tuesday night’s trivia game was a surprise feature for this 2-day sales meeting. SoundBite Communications Inc. Soundbite. 1-31-12.

See the fun:: http://www.facebook.com/teamworktrivia

Celtics Greats: Paul Pierce vs Larry Bird

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Pierce vs Bird: Pierce in his 14th year. (includes rookie yr and ’07 playing 46, 47 games. Durable 985 games. Bird career 13 yrs. 897 games. (’89,’91 and ’92 playing 6, 60 and 45 games) [note: 82 in a season]
Bird scored 21,791 and Pierce passed him yesterday. Bird 24.3 ppg, Pierce 22.1 ppg.
This is only the on-paper ‘total points” timeline comparison. Paul Pierce will get his jersey (#34) retired by the Celts, Celtics’ Hall of Fame and NBA Hall of Fame. However, even non-Boston basketball fans would rank Larry Bird (#33) in the NBA’s Top 10 players of all-time.

Abington Tri-Centennial Committee , 300th again. 1-28-12

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Another big success for the Abington Tri-Centennial Committee. 180 people back again for ‘bing-town’ bragging rights. The Million Dollar Scratch Ticket poster was an awesome “winner take all” prize. Two sides of the wall were filled with items to bid on. Food and drinks everywhere. Great 300th items on sale, too.
How many cups in a gallon? Who did the Patriots “snow angel” in 2001, after the Oakland playoff game? Thanks to Mike Franey and his committee. Abington VFW 1-28-12

See the fun: http://www.facebook.com/teamworktrivia