What is Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia? - March 8, 2026

Welcome back Gaveliers!

This week’s meeting was held by Nora and Lynn on March 8, and the topic was Fears and Phobias. Our Word of the Day was “scared.” We kicked off the session with member introductions, and our Jokemaster started us off with some clever jokes and creative riddles that got everyone engaged right away.

Our Small Talkers shared interesting ideas about the meaning and origins of fears and phobias. One Small Talker explained the origin of the word “phobia” and introduced some of the most common phobias people experience, including the fear of public speaking. Another Small Talker introduced a few more unusual and niche phobias, which led to an informal and fun discussion about how some fears develop and why they exist. One example mentioned was “arsenalphobia” (fear of major trophies), a social media-driven term used by rival football fans to joke about Arsenal FC and their history of falling short in major title races.

Our Speaker then gave a thoughtful speech about their own fears and how they have worked to overcome some of them. They explained where these fears came from and how they have affected daily life. One fear they spoke about was the fear of needles, and they shared how getting blood drawn can be a stressful experience. They also offered practical advice, saying that sometimes it can feel easier when it happens on the same day rather than waiting weeks and building up worry in advance.

During Table Topics, our Table Topics Master asked engaging questions such as: What are you scared of? What phobias do you have? How did you discover this fear? How has it affected the way you see everyday things? How do you overcome your fears? These questions sparked a meaningful and reflective discussion among our Gaveliers.

Since we had a few extra minutes at the end of the session, we continued talking about some of the fears many of us had in common and why certain things can feel so unsettling. We also had time to do the Wordle for the day and were excited to solve it in just 3 tries.

The meeting ended on a positive note, and thankfully, none of our Gaveliers have a fear of public speaking! Our topic for next week is Fashion and Brands, and I am excited to see everyone bring their creativity and walk the runway at our next Sunday meeting from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST.

Stay tuned for updates about our U+ Gavel Club, and we will see Gaveliers after March Break!