Welcome to the Club: Whanganui Scrabble Club

Scrabble has taken Lynne Butler all around the world, competing in six World Championships over the last three decades. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui has a huge number of clubs, covering all sorts of interests. Our reporters have been finding out more about some of them for our Welcome to the Club series. Today Logan Tutty catches up with Lynne Butler, secretary of the Whanganui Scrabble Club.

Since a young age, Butler has always been fascinated with words and how they could be used.

"I've always been interested in words. When I was a kid I would read the dictionary and when I discovered Scrabble, I was hooked immediately."

A work colleague who happened to be an organiser of Melbourne Scrabble clubs invited Butler over for a few games one afternoon in 1983.

"I got there at one in the afternoon and I left around five in the morning. I went home, slept for a bit and then went back that afternoon.

"She opened my eyes on how you really play competition Scrabble. The rest is history."

Butler plays Scrabble every day, usually online. She said the online scene has grown substantially over the last year, as people in other countries can't meet up and play in person due to Covid-19.

"During lockdown I was part of a New Zealand team that played an online test match against South Africa which was fun. It was really exciting to do that. There were 12 Kiwis and 12 South Africans and we all played each other once."

Around 15 locals gather every week at the Gonville Library for a catch-up and a series of games between each other.

The Whanganui club is under the nationwide banner of the NZ Association of Scrabble, with 18 other clubs scattered around the country.

The club was created in the mid 1980s, a time when Scrabble clubs around the world began to pop up. Photo / Bevan Conley

Butler said there are two main ways of playing Scrabble. There is the more social, family-style game with numerous people playing, or competition style Scrabble where two people go head to head.

"It's good for the brain, it keeps it ticking over. I love words."

Scrabble has taken Butler to six world championships all over the world, from London to New York and Mumbai.

"This was part of the New Zealand team where you have to qualify by dint of your performance of the previous two years.

"It's amazing, it's really fantastic. You make friends from all around the world so any time you travel, you tend to get in touch with someone from a local Scrabble club from wherever."

Her favourite word is "adequate" which helped her score 302, the highest single turn in a tournament and remains a New Zealand Scrabble record some nine years later.

Those interested in joining the club are encouraged to turn up at the Gonville Library on a Monday at 1pm for the weekly meet up.

"It's all very casual. We match people with similar abilities. We accommodate people as much as we can."

Whether you're looking for a competitive match or just a bit of fun, the club has something for players of all levels and abilities.

Also in this series:

Welcome to the Club: Wanganui Radio Control Boat Club

Welcome to the Club: Theosophy Whanganui welcomes diversity and deeper understanding

Welcome to the Club: Friends of the Whanganui River

Welcome to the Club: Whanganui Scrabble Club

Welcome to the Club: Wanganui Model Railway and Engineering Society

"I like to be able to teach people and help them learn. Most of our players are casual players who turn up to see people every week and have a chat. It's all very informal and casual. We love new players."