1969 CHAMPIONS chapter 119

I loved Bible quizzing. I got hooked in my senior year in high school after a few days at the Youth For Christ International Convention in Winona Lake. I had a great senior year and was the top quizzer in the state. Wished I had done more than sit on the bench the previous year.

I was excited when the opportunity came along to coach and help develop the C&MA quizzing program. I met Floyd Meyer from Pennsylvania at the first International quizzing competition at Estes Park, CO in 1967. We hit it off and talked quizzing and what it’s future might be in our denomination. We ended up giving leadership to the program by default. No one else knew much about quizzing. I had thought a great deal about what I wanted it to become from my first knowledge that there would be a quiz program.

From high school days I had a love-hate relationship with the program. I knew it was a competition, but I did not want to see it become angry grudge matches over the Scriptures ending in bitterness and resentment. I believed in the Word of God getting into the heart and mind and transforming a person. But I had also seen it be knockdown drag out verbal fights. If I could help it, that was not going to happen and Floyd and I were on the same page.

He and I began to shape the future by reworking the rules and making prayer a significant part. We could not put that in the rules, but we could model it. At the very first international competition we pulled the three finals teams together in a circle right on the platform and prayed together. It was a statement to all teams and spectators. God would be here.

There is a rule allowing answers to be challenged. It was a good rule, but could destroy the spirit of the meet. I worked with my captains to use the challenge wisely, Do not go after every answer. Be sure the answer was clearly wrong, not just worded strangely. Some teams want every answer to be Biblically word for word. That was not the spirit of the rule. Enjoy the competition.

In practices we talked about the meaning. Memorization was good, but memorization alone was not good enough. We shared how the Word impacted our lives. To be of any value, it needed to touch the heart. By the time I left Saskatoon, I was convinced my goals were being met. After the heart thing, the competition was just a bonus. It was great fun and competition for the mind. It was exactly what some kids needed. There was plenty going on for the others and if I knew what might grab their heart, I created a program to help. SEE: AYF Valley News

I first met Bill and Faith Rouse at Internationals in 1969. They had brought the team from the South Pacific District and were somewhat in shock about the speed of jumping and the memory skills of the top teams. Our friendship continued to grow from year to year as we talked shop and their team got better each year. As it turned out, these people were to become significant in the lives of my family in the summer of 1972 when we moved to southern California.

The first quizzing championship competition was at LIFE in Estes Park, CO in 1967. In 1968 the championship was held at St, Paul Bible College near Minneapolis. The original plans were to skip a  championship in 1968. Both Floyd and I objected to the decision to have the championships every other year. We felt it would kill the program. We knew it would hurt. The program was too new for an every other year championship as momentum could not be built.

The Canadian Midwest District decided to send the winning church team to Internationals rather than the top five district quizzers. Distance for practice and money were the main issue. It would be very difficult to bring the top five together for any significant amount of practice. Our church went in 1968 where we came in third. We won the next three years in a row.

We gave an all-star team a try in 1969. In an attempt to get more districts involved, regional tournaments were created and the top two teams from each district were permitted to move on to internationals. That was a financial pressure on us as St. Paul Bible College near Minneapolis, MN was the site of both meets. Fun trips, but long drives. Bless our church, they footed the bill for both trips. 

We decided that the winning church would go as well as an all-star team. The University Drive team was Holden Bowker-captain, Rick Hindmarsh-co-captain, Larry Clark, Jan Abramoff, and Dave Hanchurk. Holden, Rick and Larry had dominated the quiz team from its inception. When Jan broke into the ranks it was a victory for the women. Bob Peters from University Drive captained the all-stars, Tom Vincent from Outlook was co-captain, and I believe Shirley and Keith Martin from Regina were both on the team. Yes, there was a fifth. Don't remember who.

At Internationals both teams made it to finals and I found myself in quite a quandary. I had coached them both. No one expected any district to place both teams in the top three. I know I didn’t. I was thrilled, but now what do I do?

The quizzers thought I should coach the church team at the finals, but I felt they were the stronger team and didn’t need me as much as the district team. Also, Holden was more than capable of running the team and holding them together. He had been captain all three years of the program. Being captain was a new experience for Bob. So, I made a decision that didn’t set well with either team. I didn’t coach either one. I stood in the hall where they could not see me but I could hear everything. I was so tense I could hardly stand it. I doubted my decision at every questions. I was on pins and needles when Holden challenged a question. I wanted both him and Bob to quiz out (get four right and leave the stage) so the subs could come in and have a shot. I know Holden quizzed out and that let Dave into the game. At every time out I wanted to run in and encourage them both. I don’t know who missed whom the most?

Larry, Rick, Jan, Holden, Dave with me in the back. I believe one trophy is the Top Quizzer, Team Trophy and I don't know about the third trophy. Too far back to dig.

The teams were Canadian Midwest District 1 (U-Drive), Canadian Pacific District (Vancouver, Tenth Avenue), and CMD-2 (all-stars). They finished just the way they were seated: CMD-1 first, CPD second and CMD-2 third.

This finish ended the rule allowing two teams from the same district coming to Internationals. They did not want a dominating district. I agreed. It was not good for the program, but I was thrilled for my teams.

To my knowledge, Bob was my only quizzer who continued to memorize the Bible long after his quizzing days were over. He became a pastor and then the District Superintendent of the Canadian Midwest District. He passed away a few years back and had more than three quarters of the Bible committed to memory at his passing.

To promote quizzing to our church Holden and Bob took a midweek prayer meeting to quote the Book of Acts. They could have done the whole book, but it just got too long. That impressed the adults and got them 100% behind the program. That was done in our first year of the program.

PS: If anyone has any Saskatoon quizzing photos, I would greatly appreciate copies. I am especially looking for team photos for 1968 (blue tartan vests) and 1971 (lime green polo shirts). But any competition photos would also be appreciated. send to cswalker42@yahoo.com.