New Year's Quiz Resolutions

Admit it, you thought I’d forgotten to post my New Year’s Quiz Resolutions didn’t you ? How could I ? We’ve little more than 4 hours to go before it’s too late, so I shan’t waste any more time.

Let’s start with a carryover. Last year I wrote : - “*I resolve to stop automatically saying that any team who beat us in a straight pub quiz must automatically be cheating on their phones, and to hold my tongue unless I, or a reliable witness, has actually seen them doing it. “ -
Every year I have begun my quiz resolutions with something like this, and ever year I have failed to keep it. So let me try something even more realistic : -

* I resolve to try to take defeat in pub quizzes a little more philosophically, to accept that there will always be a level of cheating in some quizzes, and to not moan about it endlessly when it happens.

I think that this still allows me to be indignant about cheating at my own ‘home’ quiz in the rugby club, especially if I add this next one to the list :-

* I resolve to carry on the fight against phone cheating in the quiz in Aberavon Rugby Club, and to maintain my firm opposition to it whenever it is my turn to be question master.

Since Alwyn joined the good fight in September it has been a winning battle, and Brian even told me that he will be warning teams against using phones to cheat in the New Year quiz of the year in a couple of days’ time. I think we have an really good chance of maintaining this in 2013.

Last year I resolved to listen to my team mates more sympathetically , and I tried hard to be true to this. I was delighted that a chance meeting in a Charity Shop with a former member of my team in the rugby club resulted in him coming down and being part of the team for the first time for several years. So this leads me to make this resolution : -

I resolve to be more careful and sympathetic in my comments about the quizzes produced by semi-regular and guest question masters in the rugby club, to keep my negative comments to myself, and to try to make my criticisms constructive rather than destructive.

Getting away from the rugby club, then, let’s move on to a few other resolutions I need to make.

* I resolve to apply to another TV quiz show if I see one I like the look or the sound of

I did this last year, and had a lot of fun in my audition for “Breakaway” even though I didn’t get on the show.

* I resolve to continue my support of the GetConnected Charity, participation in whose events has brought me a lot of pleasure in the last three years.

Each year the GetConnected Charity Quiz has gone from strength to strength, and I am always honoured to be invited to play my small part in the proceedings.

For several years now I have resolved to try to attend a Grand Prix event. I really, really should do this , but I’m not going to make a resolution about it this time, working on the principle that when it’s been a resolution I haven’t done it, so if I don’t make it a resolution then maybe it will actually happen this year. Still, I will make this resolution

* I resolve to try to become a little more actively involved in the Mastermind Club

I (re) joined the club this year following a lovely email. I don’t think I’m going to be in a position to attend the annual get-together in Llandudno in 2013, but I hope to become a contributor to the club magazine Pass in the New Year.

Just a couple of ‘keep it ups’ to finish then. Firstly :-

* I resolve to keep working at my quizzing when time permits

I say ‘when time permits’ because at the end of the day quizzing is my pleasure, and not something I ever want to feel is a chore. After all, that would render my last resolution impossible. I’m sure that you’ve guessed that my last resolution is what it always is : -

* I resolve above all else to enjoy my quizzing throughout the next year as much as I have enjoyed it this year.

I wish you all the same.

Happy New Year to one and all.