Get out your pom poms and your copy of the U.S. Constitution: The League of Women Voters is about to hold the inaugural Civics Bee for Sudbury, Wayland, and Weston. On March 1st, Sudbury, Wayland, and Weston teams will answer civics questions in a friendly competition. The Bee will be broadcast live by WayCam.

The questions will relate to the Constitution and its creation, the Federal Government, and U.S. history related to the Constitution. Each town will have a team of nine people: three middle school students, three high school students, and three adults. Teams will also be given an official “coach” provided by the League of Women Voters.

The idea of a Civics Bee is original and was inspired by The Tonight Show. Jay Leno occasionally has a segment called Jay-Walking, where Leno asks the public questions. On one episode he asked, “Whose face is on the dollar bill?” One young man answered, “a president,” and couldn’t even get the answer when he was told the face was the first president.

If young people, the future of our planet, don’t know the most basic of facts, what do they know about other aspects of civics, such as the Bill of Rights? Summed up by League member Sandy Coy, “How can you stand up for rights you don’t know you have?” The League invites everyone to come and cheer on their favorite teams. The winning team will take home a trophy for their town.

The goal of the Civics Bee is to get the word into the community that “Civics Matters!” Members of the community who are not participating in the Bee are encouraged to attend and cheer on their town team. The Bee will not only bring communities together, it will also be fun and educational for all ages.

There are many people involved in making this event a success. Senator Ted Kennedy’s office has donated copies of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Both Ann Knight, Library Director of Wayland, and Bill Talentino, Library Director of Sudbury, have offered the libraries as sites and resources for coaching sessions. Teachers and retired teachers from all three towns will be writing the questions.

The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization that educates citizens about government and citizenship at all levels, focusing on educating citizens and voters about their rights. It was founded by Carrie Chapman Catt in 1920 during a convention held by the National American Women’s Suffrage Association. Six months after the convention, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, officially giving women the right to vote after a 72-year struggle for enfranchisement. Today, there are Leagues in all fifty states.

The Bee will be held on March 1, 2009 at the Wayland Town Building Hearing Room, from 2:00-4:30 PM. Come cheer them on!