QUESTION: What do you get when a Molong family goes to trivia in Ballarat, has a great time and comes home with ideas?
Answer: A new trivia night at the Molong RSL.
Born and bred Molong local Tieke White is the face behind the microphone at the Molong RSL’s new trivia night, but she isn’t working alone.
Behind the scenes is a second quizmaster, her dad, who handwrites every question and hands them over in a sealed envelope.
The concept was born after Tieke and her parents attended a trivia night while on holiday in Ballarat during the last school break.
“We had great fun there and when we got home, that following Monday, my dad organised a trivia night just for our family,” White said.
“He had handwritten some questions, got us all to submit a round each and we went over to their house to do trivia together.
“So that kind of is what really prompted us to get trivia started at the RSL.”
What began as a trial run at the Molong RSL quickly revealed a strong appetite for midweek entertainment.
“We actually had people ringing up the following week to see if trivia was on again that week,” Tieke said.
Given the response, trivia has now secured a regular spot on the RSL schedule, taking place on the first Wednesday of every month.
The trivia night offers an appealing mix for players of all backgrounds. The evening features four question rounds, combining general trivia, thematic subjects, and novel challenges.
Events also feature an ongoing table game throughout the night. In a recent session, teams competed by estimating current grocery prices and ordering the items from lowest to highest cost.
The bistro is open, drinks flow, and groups of up to eight can settle in for a night of spirited competition.
However, as White discovered, an official invitation isn’t always required to join in.
During the inaugural trivia night, a group seated nearby had zero plans to participate. That quickly changed once the questioning began.
“I started reading and I think maybe two or three questions in, we had two new teams joining because they couldn’t help themselves but answer the questions,” White said.
Though they hadn’t intended to participate at all, the accidental entrants boasted an impressive well of knowledge, ultimately walking away with the win at the first-ever trivia night.
Local knowledge has also proven to be a dangerous category.
“We do try to include a good amount of local questions,” White said.
“They also seem to be the ones where there’s some controversy because people get very passionate about the town.”
Every good quizmaster understands that nothing sparks debate like an answer a team is convinced they got right. Fortunately, White gets the final say, with her dad on standby as the resident authority whenever an official call is required.
When it comes to her own subject strengths, White said maths and science top the list.
“I’m a bit of a nerd, so that is right up my alley,” she said.
According to White, seeing participants enjoy themselves has been the true reward for White.
“I love trivia and I love playing trivia, but I love seeing how much fun people have when they play,” she said.
“I am quite good at waffling, so give me a microphone and I’m pretty happy.”
White serves as both the board’s sole female member and its youngest representative, making the trivia sessions just one facet of her broader role at the RSL.
Following strong encouragement from local residents when the venue emerged from administration, she accepted an invitation to take up a position on the board.
“I think that works to my advantage as I can bring a different perspective,” she said.
“I’m always keen to jump in and get involved with the Molong community.”
Deeply connected to the Molong RSL, White’s family spends time at the club multiple times each week, participates in the snooker club, and maintains a Friday tradition of bringing her 91-year-old grandmother for the weekly raffles and badge draw.
“We joke we’ve gotta ‘break her out’ of the hospital,” she said.
Now, White said she hopes trivia will give locals another reason to drop by the RSL.
“Trivia is fun for people of all ages. We welcome anyone from one to 100 to come and have a crack,” she said.
“It gives people something to do during the week. You know, in a small community like Molong, there’s often not a lot of things to do.”
With teams competing for a $100 prize pool beginning 7 October, the RSL is preparing to expand the schedule to twice a month from November to March.
Molong RSL trivia nights include 7 October, 4 and 18 November, 2 and 16 December, 6 and 20 January, 3 and 17 February and 3 and 17 March
Trivia runs from 6pm to 7.45pm, with teams of up to eight people.