ROME TOWNSHIP — A senior spelling bee is scheduled for Sept. 4 at the Lawrence County Fairgrounds, as part of the celebration of Lawrence County’s bicentennial.

The event, sponsored by the Rome Guys and Gals 4-H Club, is set for 2 p.m. at the shelter across the midway from the Payne building.

Sandy Joseph, who is an advisor for the club, said the bee is open to those age 60 and over and that participants may sign-up at the fairgrounds on Sept 3 and until the start of the bee on Sept. 4.

Joseph will serve as pronouncer for the event, reading the words, taken from the 2015-2016 Scripps National Bee list.

She said, as is the case in school spelling bees, the words will available for participants to study in advance.

Copies will be available at branches of the Briggs Lawrence County Public Library, the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce and the 4-H extension office at the Lawrence County Courthouse.

The bee will omit the more difficult “challenge words” from the lists.

Judging for the bee will include two student spelling champions from the 4-H club.

Emma Barnette, of the fifth grade, won the bee at Fairland West Elementary earlier this year and competed in the county bee and a bee at the Ohio State Fair.

Joining her will be Kaitlynn Johnson, of Fairland High’s 10th grade, who was a bee winner in the fifth grade.

“We thought it would be great to have the students serve as judges for the adults,” Joseph said of the role reversal.

Rounding out the panel of judges will be one adult, Ray Barnette, Emma’s father, who served as her study coach.

Contestants who spell a word correctly will hear the ring of a bell, which has special origin for the occasion.

“It’s a bicentennial bell,” Joseph said of the piece, which was issued in 2003 to mark the state’s 200th birthday.

Once the bee is concluded, a presentation on Lawrence County history will be given by Jean Fuller Butler, who will portray her ancestor, Lawrence pioneer Mary Swain Butler, and recount her life story.

“It’s like what a typical school day would be 200 years ago,” Joseph said of the bee and history lesson.

The bee will be part of two days of bicentennial events at the fairground over the Labor Day weekend.

Highlights include a visit from the Columbus Zoo and the Newport Aquarium, who will bring animals and a mobile shark tank, a cornhole tournament and 5K run.