There are a lot of questions asked at the annual Cassville Education Fund Trivia Night, 60 to be precise, but one aspect of the evening is never questioned — you will have a blast.

I have covered Trivia Night almost every year in the past decade, and it seems to get better and better every year.

This year was a bit later than normal, and only five teams signed up, less than the usual 8-10 on any given year. Nonetheless, I was excited to spend Friday tackling some tough trivia and playing games with fellow community members. As expected, Trivia Night did not disappoint.

Those who have attended should know, but I’ll break it down for those who have not. For a donation, you can enter an 8-person team and face four round of 15 questions, with bonus-point games after rounds 1-3. Correct answers are worth 1 point each, and in the bonus-point games, first place is 5 points, second is 3 and third is 1.

Questions vary in difficulty and subject, though this year seemed to rely heavily on questions revolving around science, which some pointed out may have favored Clint Dillow, physical science and Earth science teacher playing on the Cassville schools team.

The very first question certainly favored Superintendent Merlyn Johnson on the Willis Insurance team: On what type of court was the first game of pickleball played? Many tables groaned when the answer, badminton, was given, but not Merlyn’s.

Some questions are relatively easy, like when did Hitler commit suicide? In 1945. But others would stump even the most seasoned trivia buffs. How many people watched the season finale of Friends? How many floors does the Eiffel Tower have? Or, how many bones are in a giraffe’s neck?

The answers are there were 52.5 million viewers of the Friends finale (we guessed around 300 million), President Abraham Lincoln was a licensed bartender (we guessed Sam Adams…I mean, John Adams), and there are 7 bones in a giraffe’s neck (Isaac-Estes Jones actually knew this one and we got it right!).

It always feels good to get a tough one right, but half the fun is in the banter, as well. During answer periods, teams either keep extra quiet, or at times loudly suggest incorrect answers to throw other teams off. In the middle of getting about 7 questions in a row, Jake Forste had a good one.

Emcee Robert George posed the question, what is the capital of Spain? After we quickly jotted Madrid, Forste exclaimed, “I hear Stockholm is nice this time of year.”

Yet, the winner for best quip of the night went to Dillow. When going over answers in between rounds, the question came up, into which body of water did Americans dump East India tea?

Before anyone could get out, “Boston Harbor,” Dillow jested, “And the great lakes were never the same again!”

Or team, or some form of it, has competed in multiple Trivia Nights, and even won a couple. But, we really pride ourselves on winning the “Smarty Pants” award for getting the most questions correct.

We did so again this year with 35 correct responses, just 2 ahead of the Willis crew.

The award comes with a vase full of smarties candy, and usually, little pairs of pants printed on paper and taped to popsicle sticks. I have two such trinkets I still keep in my office. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to explain their meaning to my 8-year-old when she is bored.

The Wesley Wizards were this year’s overall champions, taking great advantage of bonus point games by winning two and taking second in the other. No matter how many questions you answer correctly, it’s tough to keep up with that kind of performance.

While we did not place in the first bonus game (scooping cotton balls from one container to another with a spoon while blindfolded) we got third place in the second game (picking five grains of blue-colored rice out of a cup willed with white rice) and second in the third game (six simple math questions about 15 numbers long and only plus or minus).

The Wesley Wizards, representing the Cassville United Methodist Church, took the trophy by 2 points, and they deserve all the congratulations and a year of housing the traveling trophy, another aspect of Trivia Night I love.

Also, I have to shout out the middle school quiz bowl team, who had their best-ever performance at a Trivia Night. The group received the jokingly named Dum-Dum Award (a vase filled with Dum-Dum candies) for least amount of questions correct, but the prize was a welcome award after two hours of trivia — they didn’t walk away empty-handed!

The real overall winner on Trivia Night is Cassville schools, as the Education Fund raised more than $1,500 on Friday. Grants from the interest on the fund will be awarded this spring for student-centered academic programs. Since the fund was established in 2011, nearly $33,000 has been awarded to Cassville schools.

We support this type of community minded activity wholeheartedly and can’t wait to play again at next year’s Trivia Night.

It’s just too bad questions are never repeated. I’ll remember forever now that Fanta was invented during WWII, knowledge I will only ever get to use at an event like Trivia Night!

Kyle Troutman has served as the editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and became Publisher in 2023. He was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers in 2017, and he won a Golden Dozen Award from ISWINE in 2022. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@cassville- democrat.com.