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 Maine's very first Division IV team finds creative ways to move balls into an egg carton without touching them to solve their spontaneous problem at the Maine Association Finals. Clockwise from left: Lottie Fortune, Louise Hackette, Ed Scott, Harold Cebulla, Elsie Cebulla, Josephine Kezar, and Margaret Kent.
They are all senior citizens. And, they make up Maine's first-ever Division IV team. The 62- to 83-year-olds have been refining their solution to Laugh-a-Thon as students at York County Senior College. These “pioneers” (or “pie on ears,” as they call themselves), presented their solution at Maine's Association Finals on April 2 and received a standing ovation. Many well-established teams were impressed by their creativity and risk-taking. The team of seniors is an outgrowth of YCSC's “Mind Games” class, which brings Odyssey-type challenges to those over age 55. The class's instructors, Maine Association Director Fern Brown and her husband, long-time Odyssey volunteer Elmer Brown, coached the team. They wondered if seniors would be able to demonstrate the teamwork, risk-taking and divergent think-ing necessary for Odyssey, but their concerns were unfounded. The senior students quickly showed that creativity has no age limit. Most of us dread visits to the doctor — especially seniors. But these seniors now look forward to visiting the doctor, because their next visit will be with their favorite doctor, Dr. Sam! |