BostonBlog

Next up on my pre-conference reading list is Fred Reichheld’s The Ultimate Question. I like Reichheld’s work, and I’m particularly a fan of his earlier book, The Loyalty Effect. He’s done a lot of research showing just how powerful the difference is between a loyal customer and a fickle one. In association terms, we fight hard to boost membership, but sometimes we end up with too many of the “wrong” members who don’t produce long-term value. A truly loyal member gives much more than just the current-year dues payment, so anything we can do to figure out how to attract more loyal members will benefit us.

One thing loyal members do is refer us to their friends, and that is the focus of his current book. According to Reichheld’s research, if you want a metric that is going to predict the growth of your company, you simply have to measure the answer to one question: would you recommend us to a friend? Put this on a ten-point scale and your 8-10s are your strong promoters, in the middle are some “passives,” and then at the bottom are your detractors (and let’s be honest: we all have people/customers/members who, when asked, would actually say a few negative things about their experience with us).

Reichheld suggests that if you subtract the percentage of your members who are detractors from the percentage who are your promoters, you get your “net promoter score” (he’s a consultant, so he converted it to an acronym: NPS). Notice that the passives don’t really play a part in the score. If half of your membership is passive, 30% are active promoters and 20% are active detractors, your NPS is only 10%. USAA Life Insurance company is a “star,” according to Reichheld, at 82%. But don’t feel bad: Southwest Airlines is a “star” at only 51%. Remember, your NPS can easily be negative (like many of the other airlines!). He has some impressive statistics that show correlation between net promoter scores and company growth in a variety of industries.

I’ll post more as I get through more of the book, but I like the notion that dissatisfied members are just as powerful as satisfied ones. More specifically, dissatisfied customers are actually more powerful than neutral ones. We may look at revenue targets and membership numbers, but do we know what parts of our experience are creating “detractors?” I’m very curious to hear how Reichheld applies his work to associations.

Posted by Jamie Notter at 06:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Last week I was in the Boston area visiting family, and like most of the nation it was bogged down in a nasty heat wave. And in just about three weeks I’ll be heading back with all of you as we converge on Boston during the hottest month of the year…a region that can also be very humid in the summertime.

I grew up in and around Sacramento, CA where dry, 100-degree-plus summer days weren’t unusual – and walking outside felt like stepping into a pre-heated oven. I also lived in South Florida for eight years; summer temperatures there were typically hot and really humid. Friends in Florida used to laugh when I said I could more easily handle Sacramento’s high temperatures because it was a dry heat, but it’s true. In Florida, on a hot day with high humidity, it feels like you’re in a perpetual steam bath because you’re sweating and the humidity keeps the sweat from evaporating.

Before you pack for the annual meeting, remember Boston too will likely be muggy. Here are a few tips to help you cope with steam-bath air, especially if you’re from an area where humidity levels are lower!

• Leave the polyester at home. Trust me on this. Particularly for any outdoor events or activities, bring lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothes made of natural fabrics like silk, cotton, or linen. In humid climes, polyester acts like those old rubber exercise suits – you will be miserable.

• Drink lots of cool – not cold – fluids, regardless of your activity level, and drink more than your thirst might indicate. According to a CDC article on heat-related illness and its prevention, our bodies lose more fluids when it’s humid. CDC recommends avoiding liquids containing caffeine, alcohol, and large amounts of sugar as they intensify that effect. Although if you're like most everyone else, caffeine sure does help get you through those long convention days!

• Keep any physical exercise confined to your air-conditioned hotel room or gym. If you must run or walk outside, stick to morning or evening hours and shady areas; take plenty of water with you.

• Stay indoors during the heat of the day…between noon and 5:00 p.m. You can stroll the annual meeting’s exhibit hall, make business connections, and participate in great learning opportunities – all in air conditioned comfort!

Posted by Kathi Edwards at 02:45 PM | Permalink

I'm going out of town tomorrow morning, so I wanted to put this up as early in the day as possible. It's the quiz you've been waiting for...Red Sox trivia! As I write this, the Sawx are leading the Evil Empire (that's the Yankees just in case you've been napping in recent years) by 2.5 games, and we can only hope they will hold it going into the last two months of the season.

As for the BBQ, the standings are as follows after last week's quiz:

+Steve Smyth--41 points (Perfect score Steve!)
+Sue Pelletier--27 points (You missed one of the questions and didn't get the bonus as a result. Sorry!)
+Kimberly Mosely-10 points (You didn't participate this week and I'm disappointed!)

Remember that responses to this week's quiz are due on Thursday, July 27 at 2 pm EDT. Please send them to bigbostonquiz@gmail.com as well as any questions you may have. The basic information you need to know about The Big Boston Quiz plus last week's questions and answers can be found by clicking the Continue link below this week's questions.

The subject of this week's quiz is the Boston Red Sox. We have 15 trivia questions, each worth one point. The bonus question will be scored on merit by yours truly and partial points may be allocated.

BIG BOSTON QUIZ #5 (quiz worth 15 points, plus a 10 point bonus question)

1. By what name are the partitioned-off bullpens in right field at Fenway known?

2. Which Red Sox player hit an 8th-inning pinch hit homerun in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series to tie the game against Cinncinnati?

3. In what year did the team change to the nickname Red Sox and from what nickname was it changed?

4. What is the message inscribed in Morse Code on the manual scoreboard in left field at Fenway?

5. How many times have the Red Sox won more than 100 games and lost more than 100 games?

6. On July 14, 1956, Mel Parnell accomplished something that no Red sox player had achieved in nearly 33 years. What was it?

7. How many different Red Sox players have won the American League Most Valuable Player award?

8. By what unusual margin did the Red Sox lose the American League East Division title in 1972 and to which team?

9. What important Fenway Park record is marked by a red seat in the stadium's right field bleachers?

10. Who wrote "Why Red Sox Fans Make for the Best Poets?"

11. What did Manny Ramirez accomplish in 2004 that no Red Sox player had ever done before?

12. In which season did the Red Sox first break the 2 million fan mark at home?

13. On September 2, 2001, the Red Sox narrowly avoided being on the losing end of a perfect game for the first time in team history. Who was the opposing pitcher and team, and which then-Red Sox player broke it up?

14. Who was the first person to hit a ball over the Green Monster?

15. Who is the only player in Major League history to pinch hit for Ted Williams, Carl Yastrezmski and Roger Maris?

BONUS QUESTION: In 50 words or less, provide your explanation of why the Red Sox couldn't win a World Series in the 86 years between 1918 and 2004? Please don't copy your response from Wikipedia or other Web resources. Please share your own thoughts. I will allocate points on the basis of brevity, content and style.

BIG BOSTON QUIZ INFORMATION

1. Every Monday through Monday, August 14, we will be posting Boston-related trivia questions here on the blog.

2. Submit your responses to bigbostonquiz@gmail.com by Thursday at 2 pm EDT each week. (Exceptions may be made depending on scheduling issues.) Correct answers to the previous week's quiz will be posted with each new quiz.

3. We will track your progress over the next 8 weeks and announce our Supreme Boston Trivia Guru on Tuesday, August 15. The winner, plus two runners-up, will receive lovely prizes.

4. ASAE & The Center staff and Boston Bloggers are not eligible to win prizes, although you're more than welcome to play for your own edification. More relevant details in the weeks ahead.

ANSWERS TO THE BIG BOSTON QUIZ #4 (worth ten points, plus a five point bonus question)

1. Radio stations were advised not to play one of this group's 1976 songs in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks.

ANSWER: Who is Boston?

2. This group had a song famously used in the 1982 movie classic, Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

ANSWER: Who are The Cars?

3. This Boston band had to wait for milk to sit perfectly still in a snare drum for a key shot in one of its music videos.

ANSWER: Who is J. Geils Band?

4. Popular ska band that made its recorded debut in 1985 with a contribution to the Mash It Up compilation album.

ANSWER: Who are the Mighty Mighty Bosstones?

5. This band is a four-time Grammy Award winner, but none of its members are actually from Boston.

ANSWER: Who is Aerosmith?

BONUS QUESTION: Name all of the songs referenced in one way or another in this quiz. (HINT: 8 songs in total and remember it is all or nothing!)

“Smokin” (Boston)

“Pink”, “Crazy”, “Livin on the Edge” and “Janie’s Got a Gun” (Aerosmith)

Posted by Jeff De Cagna at 10:50 AM | Permalink

We are now one month to the date before the beginning of the Annual Meeting in Boston and the excitement is building! We hope your energy and enthusiasm are on the rise, and the Boston Bloggers are going to do whatever we can to build them further by picking up our blogging in the next few weeks. You'll see more frequent posting as we get closer to the meeting as well as our first podcasts!

If you're enjoying the Boston Blog, please tell your association colleagues about it and encourage them to check it out and subscribe! Of course, we welcome your comments on the blog and if you'd like to help us blog the meeting, please send me an e-mail!

The Boston fun has just begun! Don't miss it any of it on the Boston Blog!

Posted by Jeff De Cagna at 09:10 AM | Permalink

Yes, I know, the Big Boston Quiz is significantly delayed this week. I'm sorry about that. You know how it goes sometimes. So, because of my lateness, this week's entries will be accepted until this Friday, July 21 at 5 pm EDT. This week's quiz is about Boston musical groups. Instructions are below.

Last week's quiz was much harder, at least according to those who played. It didn't stop them from doing very well, however. Here are the up-to-the-moment standings:

+Steve Smyth--26 points (Steve, I gave you only one point for your sentence because you actually wrote two.)
+Sue Pelletier--19 points (Sue, great job! You're closing the gap.)
+Kimberly Mosely-10 points (I gave you an additional point because I made a mistake that penalized you!)

There is still time to join in the quiz...bonus points have magical qualities! You never know when they will show up. Remember that responses to this week's quiz are due on Friday, July 21 at 5 pm EDT. Please send them to bigbostonquiz@gmail.com as well as any questions you may have. The basic information you need to know about The Big Boston Quiz plus last week's questions and answers can be found by clicking the Continue link below this week's questions.

Okay, as I wrote above, Boston musical groups are the subject of this week's quiz. Each of the groups in question has a connection to the city. These items are phrased in Jeopardy format, so please put your responses into the form of a question. Each response is worth two points. The "final Jeopardy" item, which is worth five all-or-nothing bonus points, is below:

BIG BOSTON QUIZ #4 (worth ten points, plus a five point bonus question)

1. Radio stations were advised not to play one of this group's 1976 songs in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks.
2. This group had a song famously used in the 1982 movie classic, Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
3. This Boston band had to wait for milk to sit perfectly still in a snare drum for a key shot in one of its music videos.
4. Popular ska band that made its recorded debut in 1985 with a contribution to the Mash It Up compilation album.
5. This band is a four-time Grammy Award winner, but none of its members are actually from Boston.

BONUS QUESTION: Name all of the songs referenced in one way or another in this quiz. (HINT: 8 songs in total and remember it is all or nothing!)

BIG BOSTON QUIZ INFORMATION

1. Every Monday through Monday, August 14, we will be posting Boston-related trivia questions here on the blog.

2. Submit your responses to bigbostonquiz@gmail.com by Thursday at 2 pm EDT each week. (Exceptions may be made depending on scheduling issues.) Correct answers to the previous week's quiz will be posted with each new quiz.

3. We will track your progress over the next 8 weeks and announce our Supreme Boston Trivia Guru on Tuesday, August 15. The winner, plus two runners-up, will receive lovely prizes.

4. ASAE & The Center staff and Boston Bloggers are not eligible to win prizes, although you're more than welcome to play for your own edification. More relevant details in the weeks ahead.

Here are the answers to Big Boston Quiz #3: Boston Accent (a maximum of 12 points available, including a total of two bonus points)

1. lsla--alls (all that)
2. iusohte--Southie (South Boston or someone from there)
3. aisps--pissa (cool or good)
4. wdhcaho--chowdah (Clam Chowder)
5. itnoc--tonic (soft drink)
6. ttiesa--Statie (a state trooper or policeman)
7. wxsa--Saxw (The Red Sox)
8. krchi hvacu--Chuck Rivah (The Charles River)
9. dlol nwehas--down sellah (basement)
10. sb dnaoro--Da Broons (The Bruins)

BONUS: For one bonus point, put at least SIX of these terms into one really long and funny sentence. Include ALL OF THEM in a single, reasonably intelligible (and long) sentence and receive both bonus points.

Here are the fantastic sentences we received:

Alls I’m sayin’, I was down sellah in my house in Southie, lookin’ for a case of tonic to go with the chowdah we were havin’ for suppah before headin’ to da Broons game, when I tripped over a paira Sawx tickets I thought I’d dropped in the Chuck Rivah afta that statie pulled me ovah last summah and made me get outta the cah—ain’t that a pissa?

Alls I know, the last time I crossed Chuck Rivah to meet a southie for some pissa chowdah and tonics, a statie sent us down sellah to watch da Broons when he wanted to see the Sox on the bah’s TV. Wicked pissa chowdah though.

After watching da broons take a pissa of a beating, I stopped at a spa in southie. I sat by the chuck rivah to have a grinder with chowdah and a tonic. Thats Alls I know.

Posted by Jeff De Cagna at 05:01 PM | Permalink

I’m excited to see that one of my favorite speakers – to listen to and to work with – is doing a Thought Leader Super Session in Boston. Don Blohowiak, executive director and founder of the Lead Well Institute, is speaking on Monday afternoon, 3:00-4:00p, in a session titled The Choices We Make: Doing Business Ethically with Integrity. Don focuses on a systems approach to leadership performance and productivity in organizations, and has written six great management books.

The premise of his Boston session is that ethics and integrity aren’t reserved only for the big issues of the day…they also apply to every-day decisions, no matter how small. With the myriad decisions we all make, personal and professional, sooner or later we come across matters for which there is no clear path. Of course, we all hope to act with integrity, and I’m betting Don will be able to give us some tips for ensuring that we do even in the greyest of situations.

It’s been a few years since I last worked with Don, however I remember him as being a pleasure to work with, and very well received by the trade association audience to which I hired him to speak. I’m very much looking forward to hearing him in Boston, and hopefully will get the chance to say hello.

Posted by Kathi Edwards at 02:43 PM | Permalink

What are the implications for association learning when students now in college are getting class lectures via podcast? In a July 11th story in the Boston Globe, it’s reported that Boston-area colleges are “pushing” their professors to create podcasts of their class lectures. One University of Massachusetts campus is going so far as to outfit ten classrooms, for a pilot project beginning this fall, to automatically record lectures and upload them to podcasts! There’s controversy, of course, as to whether this is a good idea; some fear students will stop coming to class while others see value in being able to review confusing lecture content.

Down the road, when these college students (and no doubt others from across the country) are members of your association, does this mean you’ll need to podcast all your educational programming? It could. Their expectations for learning opportunities will be quite different from what we’ve been used to. Sure, we’ve sold session recordings for years, however the idea of podcasting association learning on a regular basis could open up a whole new realm of possibilities. It could be pretty cool. Or could it be a boondoggle waiting to happen?

Many of the questions that come to mind are identical to those raised when computer-based and online learning options first entered the association world - options that are now commonplace. Would association learning-focused podcasts merely repeat the full content of live sessions the way audio recordings now do? Or could they supplement the learning, providing more content? Would members stop coming to face-to-face events or signing up for live virtual learning if they could download a podcast? Or could associations use podcasts as just another learning distribution system to provide members the content they need on their own terms?

You may be thinking about creating podcasts in your association…you may even be doing them already. But are you using them for member learning? The power in adult learning, of course, is the opportunity to engage with peers around content you're learning together. Will listening to a podcast supplant that engagement? I doubt it. That doesn't preclude, however, considering podcasting a part of our learning arsenals. We just need to find ways to use it that support, rather than supplant, peer-to-peer learning.

Posted by Kathi Edwards at 04:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Here's yet another installment of The Big Boston Quiz dear friends! This week we're going to explore the wicked cool world of the Boston accent and its slang. What we have below is a very special quiz. I have selected 10 common Boston slang terms (some in their "how they sound" spelling) and scrambled the letters. You need to unscramble the letters for each of the terms and provide its meaning. Each one is worth one point, and the bonus question is worth a maximum of two points.

In the meantime, the tally after two quiz weeks is as follows:

+Steve Smyth--15 points
+Sue Pelletier--9 points

There is still time to join in the quiz...bonus points are a wonderful equalizer! (Sorry Steve! I know you want to win, but we've got to get a little bit of competition going here!) Responses to this week's quiz are due this Thursday, July 13 at 2 pm EDT. Please send them to bigbostonquiz@gmail.com as well as any questions you may have. The basic information you need to know about The Big Boston Quiz plus last week's questions and answers can be found by clicking the Continue link below this week's questions.

Big Boston Quiz #3: Boston Accent (a maximum of 12 points available, including a total of two bonus points)

1. lsla
2. iusohte
3. aisps
4. wdhcaho
5. itnoc
6. ttiesa
7. wxsa
8. krchi hvacu
9. dlol nwehas
10. sb dnaoro

BONUS: For one bonus point, put at least SIX of these terms into one really long and funny sentence. Include ALL OF THEM in a single, reasonably intelligible (and long) sentence and receive both bonus points.

BIG BOSTON QUIZ INFORMATION

1. Every Monday through Monday, August 14, we will be posting five Boston-related trivia questions here on the blog.

2. Submit your responses to bigbostonquiz@gmail.com by Thursday at 2 pm EDT each week. (Exceptions may be made depending on scheduling issues.) Correct answers to the previous week's quiz will be posted with each new quiz.

3. We will track your progress over the next 8 weeks and announce our Supreme Boston Trivia Guru on Tuesday, August 15. The winner, plus two runners-up, will receive lovely prizes.

4. ASAE & The Center staff and Boston Bloggers are not eligible to win prizes, although you're more than welcome to play for your own edification. More relevant details in the weeks ahead.

WEEK TWO ANSWERS (Bonus point answers in parentheses)

1. What famous Boston landmark burned down in 1761? (ONE BONUS POINT for the method used to finance the rebuilding project.)

ANSWER: Faneuil Hall (Lottery)

2. Two U.S. presidents died on the same day 180 years ago this week. Which one was president first and which one died first? (ONE BONUS POINT for the name of a third president who died on the same day, but not the same year, as the other two.)

ANSWER: John Adams was president first and Thomas Jefferson died before Adams on July 4, 1826. (President James Monroe died on July 4, 1831.)

3. What famous writer made an appearance at Tremont Temple in 1867? (ONE BONUS POINT for the reason why.)

ANSWER: Charles Dickens (Reading of A Christmas Carol)

4. In what year was the Boston Marathon first held? (ONE BONUS POINT EACH for the name of the winner and the winning time.)

ANSWER: 1897 (John McDermott with a time of 2:55:10)

5. What happened in Boston on January 15, 1919?

ANSWER: Great Molasses Flood

Posted by Jeff De Cagna at 06:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I’ve read the next book from the speakers that Mickie posted. Good news: it was the shortest book out there—took me maybe an hour to read. It’s called Rules of the Red Rubber Ball: Find and Sustain Your Life’s Work, by Kevin Carroll.

It’s an inspirational book about following your passion. We hear this message all the time, and people generally react to it with a nice warm, fuzzy, feeling, but how many of us really go there? When I read the book, I wasn’t really in the mood to be inspired, but it still managed to get me going a bit.

And although Kevin’s session (according to the title) is about play and bringing fun into your work and life, I particularly liked that in the book he acknowledges how much hard work it is to follow your passion:

Pursuing your life’s work requires work. The hard work, the lonely work, is not always enjoyable, but as long as you do it in the name of your red rubber ball [his symbol for your life’s work, or your passion], you will shine.

Posted by Jamie Notter at 02:33 PM | Permalink

Happy Independence Day everyone! One of Boston's greatest July 4th traditions is the Boston Pops playing at the Hatch Shell along the Charles River, a show that you can watch tonite at CBS at 10 pm EDT.

If you tune in, you'll be getting a sneak preview of what's in store for us when we hit The Hub next month. Don't forget that Keith Lockhart and the Pops will play the Grand Finale Concert for the Boston meeting on the evening of Tuesday, August 22 at the Bank of America Pavilion. Personally, I'm very excited because I did not have the opportunity to see the Pops during my year in Boston, so this will be a thrilling new experience for me!

Posted by Jeff De Cagna at 09:39 AM | Permalink

Earlier in this blog, I wrote about being ready for anything, in life and in Boston. Imagine my surprise not long after that at coming across a small gem of a book titled Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Work & Life. It’s by David Allen, a guy Fast Company magazine in 2000 called “one of the world’s most influential thinkers on personal productivity.” He’s also #49 on Business 2.0’s July 2006 "50 Who Matter Now” list. Serendipity, I thought! Sure, there are lots of books on productivity…and this one isn’t even new…but how could I ignore one titled so appropriately for me right now?

Turns out Allen takes a different approach to productivity, one that better suits my more right-brained way of looking at the world than do most of the “getting organized” tomes that focus on categorizing priorities or having the perfect filing system. He offers ideas to “clear your head for creativity, focus your attention, create structures that work, and take action to get things moving.” What’s not to like? And after each principle he offers “By the way…” – two or three questions that create opportunity for personal reflection, a cornerstone of effective adult learning.

A couple of his principles relate directly to being ready for anything in Boston.

Some of Allen’s principles relate directly to helping ensure you have the best possible learning and networking experiences in Boston. I’m a big advocate of setting learning goals and figuring out ahead of time what you want to gain by participating in any learning opportunity! Here are a couple of Allen’s principles and some related suggestions that might help you do a little pre-Boston planning.

Principle #1: Cleaning up creates new directions.
Allen’s premise with this one is that to have the energy for an unexpected creative opportunity, you need to get everything out of your head and into a “capture tool,” whatever that is for you. How many of us carry around our biggest “to do” list in our heads? His idea makes perfect sense to me; a story I often tell in workshops I lead makes the point that when your mind is full, there’s no room for new ideas. You certainly want to have space for new ideas at the annual meeting!

Actions you can take:
* Spend some time just before you head to Boston and write down everything you need to do, personally or professionally. Clean the closet of your mind, and air out the space so new ideas will feel welcome.
* Carry a small notebook throughout the convention (even – and especially – during social events!) in which you can jot whatever idea or action or thought comes to you during the convention. Then you can let go of those things until you get back to the office, leaving your mind open and unfettered by details.

Principle #18: The clearer your purpose, the more ways to fulfill it.
Boy, do I love this one! In this short essay, Allen focuses on considering why we do things. The more we know about why we do a given thing, he says, the more we’re free to explore new and different ways to accomplish the objective. How many times do we keep a program or project going simply because we always have? How many times do we sign up for a convention, and then don’t give it a second thought until we pick up our onsite program? Imagine how alert we’d be to possibilities if we knew exactly what we wanted to accomplish at each convention we attend!

Action you can take:
Spend some time reflecting on why you’re going to Boston, followed by a little planning...
…Is it to get new ideas? Why? What’s your purpose in wanting new ideas? New ideas about what?
…Is it to meet new people? Why? Which people do you want to meet? Where, during the meeting, might you find those other CEOs or fellow membership marketers or professional development colleagues or whomever it is?
…Is it to learn something new? What do you need or want to learn? Why? During which sessions might you learn it?
…Maybe you’re going to Boston in part because you’d like to see where some of America’s pivotal history took place. Which historical sites might you want to be sure to visit?

David Allen has 50 other great principles in this book, and I'm looking forward to exploring all of them for use in my world. Meanwhile, I encourage you to think about these two. By focusing your thinking on what you want to accomplish at the annual meeting – before you get there – you’ll have a much greater chance of heading back to your office with exactly what you need to be more effective.

Posted by Kathi Edwards at 04:37 PM | Permalink

Alrighty inquiring minds, here is the second installment of The Big Boston Quiz. We're sticking with city history again this week, so break out those history books! By the way, you can begin participating in the quiz at anytime since there will always be bonus point opportunities that will give you a chance to catch up to others who started before you. (Of course, you have to get them right and they have to get them wrong...)

Anyway, last week, we had only one entry. Many thanks to the intrepid Steve Smyth of Tristar Marketing for playing along. Steve, you are in the lead right now with 5 of 6 possible points. (You received the bonus point for the exact date on Boston's founding but missed one of the other questions, as you will see when you click the Continue link below.) It's a pretty comfortable margin in a one-man competition, but others will join you soon, and you can just ask the 1978 Red Sox about big leads!

This week is July 4th, so we will accept entries through Friday, July 7 at 2 pm EDT. Please send them to bigbostonquiz@gmail.com as well as any questions you may have.

Here is this week's quiz. The basic information you need to know about The Big Boston Quiz plus last week's questions and answers can be found by clicking the Continue link below this week's questions. Everyone have a safe and happy holiday!

Big Boston Quiz #2: More Boston City History (a maximum of ten points available, including bonuses)

1. What famous Boston landmark burned down in 1761? (ONE BONUS POINT for the method used to finance the rebuilding project.)

2. Two U.S. presidents died on the same day 180 years ago this week. Which one was president first and which one died first? (ONE BONUS POINT for the name of a third president who died on the same day, but not the same year, as the other two.)

3. What famous writer made an appearance at Tremont Temple in 1867? (ONE BONUS POINT for the reason why.)

4. In what year was the Boston Marathon first held? (ONE BONUS POINT EACH for the name of the winner and the winning time.)

5. What happened in Boston on January 15, 1919?

BIG BOSTON QUIZ INFORMATION

1. Every Monday through Monday, August 14, we will be posting five Boston-related trivia questions here on the blog.

2. Submit your responses to bigbostonquiz@gmail.com by Thursday at 2 pm EDT each week. (Exceptions may be made depending on scheduling issues.) Correct answers to the previous week's quiz will be posted with each new quiz.

3. We will track your progress over the next 8 weeks and announce our Supreme Boston Trivia Guru on Tuesday, August 15. The winner, plus two runners-up, will receive lovely prizes.

4. ASAE & The Center staff and Boston Bloggers are not eligible to win prizes, although you're more than welcome to play for your own edification. More relevant details in the weeks ahead. For now, here are your first five questions:

Big Boston Quiz #1: The City's History

1. In what year (plus or minus five) was Boston founded? (EXACT ANSWER RECEIVES ONE BONUS POINT.)

ANSWER: Answers in the range of 1625-1635 would have been accepted. September 17, 1630 is the exact date.

2. What famous phrase did John Winthrop use to describe Boston in a sermon?

ANSWER: City on a hill

3. What highly-regarded place of learning was founded in Boston in 1635?

ANSWER: Boston Latin High School (It's a bit of a trick question...Harvard College's official founding year is 1636!)

4. Who was the first governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts?

ANSWER: John Hancock

5. In what year was Boston chartered as a city?

ANSWER: 1822

Send your questions to bigbostonquiz@gmail.com!

Posted by Jeff De Cagna at 07:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)