Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

You have 30 seconds to spell the word "camaraderie."

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

People are staring at you - waiting expectantly for your answer. Fifteen seconds. You take a deep breath, step up to the white board with your dry-erase pen and ... suddenly you hear a thunderous round of applause.

Yes. This is your lucky day.

If you're the type who yearns for public acclaim - and you haven't signed up yet - there's still time to enter the second Kootenai County Adult Spelling Bee, a fundraiser for local college scholarships sponsored by the Coeur d'Alene branch of AAUW (American Association of University Women). The bee will be held May 30 at North Idaho College between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Registration is $100 per team of two or three entrants and includes lunch and a T-shirt. Non-spelling guests may attend for $35. Or, if you just want to sit in the gallery and watch, there's no charge at all.

Who'll choose the words?

According to AAUW event organizer Maxine Sullivan, "We're looking at eighth-grade words for this - the hard eighth-grade words, that is. And, after we select them, we'll have two teachers look over our choices before the final words are decided upon. We're searching for words that will challenge people. We're not trying to trick anyone."

Adult spelling bees have been increasing in popularity in recent years. They're seen as a way of keeping the brain alert and sharpening word memory. Many participants train for bees by developing a list of at least 1,200 words they have picked up online from previous bees. In no way is this a last-minute cramming event.

Last year the AAUW bee had seven teams. One of this year's entrants will be a team from the Coeur d'Alene Public Library. The previous year's champion will not, alas, be available to compete this year to defend its title.

"Oh, there are definitely plenty of spelling nerds out there," Sullivan said. "And even though many of us haven't been in school for years, we still take pride in the fact that we are good spellers - if we can get a chance to show off, we're happy."

Last year's bee raised $2,300, which provided North Idaho College students with two $1,000 scholarships.

What's in it for the best speller? Why, honor, of course. Not to mention bragging rights for an entire year.

You have 30 seconds to spell the word "ukulele."

For further information, contact Maxine Sullivan at 818-4331.