eJournal

Photo Credit: Eric Haynes

Top: MBA Civics Bee Emcee Scott Wahle.

Second from top (from left): MBA President Christopher A. Kenney and MBA Past President Robert W. Holloway.

Third from top: Civics Bee First Place Team: The Legal Eagles Led By A Segal

Fourth from top: Civics Bee Second Place Team: BooLaw

Third from bottom: Civics Bee Third Place Team: What's the Buzz

Second from bottom: Winners of the Best Team Name: The Truth Bader Winsburgs (sponsored by O'Brien & Levine Court Reporting)

Bottom: The sold-out 2019 MBA Civics Bee featured 16 teams.

The Massachusetts Bar Association raised more than $15,000 for iCivics at the sold-out MBA Civics Bee on Feb. 13. The event featured 16 teams of four people competing against each other in a civics-themed trivia contest. Participants also took part in a silent auction, which included donated items, such as a signed Boston Bruins jersey; tickets to Bruins, Red Sox and Boston College basketball games; restaurant gift certificates; and more. The money raised by the event will go toward iCivics’ mission of helping young people learn how government works by experiencing it.

MBA President Christopher A. Kenney, who has made civics education a central theme of his presidency, kicked off the event by highlighting the MBA’s partnership with iCivics this year, and he thanked the teams and sponsors gathered at the MBA’s newly refurbished first floor. He then passed the microphone to the evening’s emcee, Boston TV personality Scott Wahle, who introduced the teams before starting the contest with the first question: “Who is the Secretary of State in Massachusetts?” 

For about 90 minutes over the course of several rounds, Wahle posed additional questions of varying difficulty about state, local and federal government, and the teams wrote down their answers. Prizes were awarded to the top three teams. First place received four Red Sox suite tickets, donated by Keurig, Dr. Pepper, and dinner for four at Eastern Standard. Second place won eight Okemo day ski passes donated by iHeart Media. Third place won a case of wine donated by the Great Oregon Wine Co. An award was also given to the team with the best name.

When the final results were tallied, “The Legal Eagles Led By a Segal” came out on top, followed by “BooLaw” in second place and “What’s the Buzz” in third. The “Best Name” category was a toss-up with several creative team names, such as “Forget the Civics Bee Team, We’re the Civics A Team,” “iCivics Therefore I Am,” "We “Bee” Jammin'" and “NESL-ssary and Improper,” among others. At the end of the night, the team sponsored by O’Brien & Levine Court Reporting Solutions came out on top with its name, “The Truth Bader Winsburgs.” (See below for a list of all teams and participants.)

The MBA is grateful for the support from our sponsors, who made the Civics Bee possible. Thank you to our Premier Sponsor, Kenney & Sams PC, and Event Sponsors Citizens Bank, Eckert Seamens, Eden Rafferty, JAMS, the Kaplan/Bond Group, O’Brien & Levine Court Reporting, Robins Kaplan LLP and TCF Law Group PLLC. 

Thank you also to the following individuals and companies who generously donated items for the silent auction: Keurig, Dr. Pepper, Shayla Mombeleur, Phil Privitera, Kathy and Jeff Jurgens, Martha Rush O’Mara, W.T. Kenney Co. Inc., Ruth's Chris, Artisan Bistro in the Ritz-Carlton Boston, Tomasso Trattoria and Legal Sea Foods.

The MBA also wishes to express its sincere appreciation to Scott Wahle for a fabulous job of hosting, to Gorham Productions for setting up a great trivia event, and to former MBA President Robert L. Holloway for providing musical entertainment on keyboard.

Click here for event photos, by Eric Haynes.

2019 MBA Civics Bee Team Names (primary team sponsor/organizer):