[THC] BJCP exam (here?), in the early spring, study course starting after Thanksgiving....

[L. A. Swihart]

We've been discussing this for the last 6 days in the bulletin board 
(<http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~jyakimic/phpBB2/index.php>), and we have 
five people, including myself, sounding pretty ready to commit to a BJCP 
study course -- starting soon -- culminating in taking the BJCP exam in 
the spring.  Five people is the minimum required by BJCP in order for 
them to schedule a course here our area.  (As opposed to Indy which is 
where last March's test was).  Having it here would be pretty cool.  
Hmm. Wonder where.  Maybe Purdue?  In Indy they did it at a State 
Fairground building.  (Four beer samples, some tainted with typical flaw 
characteristics, are served at half hour intervals and judged as the 
tasting part of the test, very quietly, and with more anxiety than beers 
are judged any other place or time)

I have to keep this notice short to get it done during my lunch hour 
(since my boss and her boss are on this list!) but here is what would 
probably happen:

I would request that the BJCP schedule an exam here on .... oh, say a 
Saturday -- March 24 or March 31 (the March 10 - March 17 Saturdays are 
what Purdue Spring break is between, in case anybody wondered that), and 
then if there are people who are interested, they give me $25 as a 
deposit which will pay for half of the exam fee (NOT refunded if they 
drop out of the study class) plus $25 for the supplies that will be 
necessary for the study group.  (Mostly beer, other supply costs are 
somewhat trivial, but I will add them all up and account for them.)

BJCP website is http://www.bjcp.org/index.php

Send me some comments if you think you might have a serious interest in 
doing this under some circumstances.  Study group would be at my home in 
West Lafayette, not far from campus, probably every or most every 
Thursday starting on Nov 30, 6:00 - 8:30 pm.  But there is no rule that 
it has to be Thursday or 6:00.  Of the four people who have expressed 
serious interest so far, one of them has said he likes Thursday best.  
Another has said he likes Thursday least but would be able to swing it.  
I can only do week nights M-Th.  And 6 - 8:30 could be 7 - 9:30 if 
that's what most people needed, I could do that easily.  It will, as 
always, be difficult or impossible to fit everybody's schedule and 
preferences.

It's a big commitment but it's also a fantastic experience.  Let me know 
if this tempts you and under what conditions you could/would do it.  I 
can probably only take up to 8 people maximum but I could be talked into 
9.  I will be happy with 6 besides myself.  It's not at all unusual for 
someone to have to drop out of the study group due to unforeseen 
circumstances.  And we have to have five taking the test when the date 
rolls around.

NOTE that my qualifications for doing this are minimal, sub-optimal, and 
you are not paying me anything.  I'm doing it for Bill, still.  I also 
intend to re-take the exam and get a much better score.  (Re-takes are 
$30 instead of $50.)  And Ron Smith is starting a group, probably also 
on Thursdays, in Indy, for an exam that he has requested on Feb 24th 
(not firmly scheduled yet.)

(BTW I didn't start my lunch hour until 12:30, BTW!  Now back to work.)

:-)