Ice cream
The Military Order of the Purple Heart and Lyon County Chapter 36 Disabled American Veterans invite all members and guests to attend an ice cream social, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the National Guard Armory, 1809 Merchant St. For more information, call 3342-7073 or 342-4381.
Scout recruitment
A “Sign Up for Scouting Night” will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in schools and community centers in Lyon, Osage, Greenwood, Coffey, Morris and Chase counties. To register for the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts in Emporia, the location will be at the Emporia elementary schools. For information about other locations, call 342-4532 or (800) 342-4532 or see www.kansasgirlscouts.org or www.jayhawkcouncil.org.
Tailgate party
The North Lyon County school district will sponsor the 22nd annual NHHS Tailgate Party from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 5 at Northern Heights High School at Allen. Free hot dogs, chips, beans and beverages will be served. Participants are invited to stay and help cheer for the Wildcat football team in their home opener game against Olpe at 7 p.m.
Senior spelling bee
The Kansas Senior Spelling Bee will be held at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 3 in the Bicentennial Center at Salina. The contest is open to any Kansas resident who is 50 or older on Oct. 1. Spectators are welcome. The grand prize is a trip for two to the AARP Magazine National Spelling Bee, which will be held in June 2009 in Cheyenne, Wyo. The entry fee is $5. Entry forms are available by calling the Senior Center at (785) 827-9818 or see www.salhelp.org/aging/spellingbee. Completed entry forms are to be submitted to the Senior Center by Sept. 10.
Wanted: Scrabble opponents
Adrian Keefe is flying from his home in Scotland to Seattle on Sept. 15 and then cycling some 4,000 miles to Charleston, S.C. Every day he plans to play game of Scrabble against a different person along a route through Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. During his trip, he will take notes for a possible book about America, cycling, Scrabble, the people he meets and the forthcoming election. He also has started a blog, http://scrabbletravel.blogspot.com/, which he plans to update before and during his trip. He is requesting players. His e-mail address is zoz261@yahoo.com.