The History of Lynnfield Mao
– On November 19th, 2015, during the Lynnfield High School’s opening night of the musical Into the Woods, three students, at the time sophomores, who were partially obsessed with the life and had differing opinions on the life of the Chairman Mao Zedong, were searching on Google about Mao.
– They found themselves on the Wikipedia page of a playing card game named Mao, which intrigued them. They began to memorize the rules and play the game of Mao. One student, on their Media Center Helpdesk account, created a document of rules, and using the power of the Internet and various websites which had rules for the Game of Mao, added a list of rules for the game. Other players suggested some rules. Some suggestions were implemented and others were thrown out.
– When a version of the document, Version 1.0, was completed, another student edited the document to make it look more professional and creative. The document was subsequently shared to many of the new players who wanted to learn the game.
– During the 4 days of the Into the Woods production, the Krew members, along with many cast members, played the game constantly, and this very document was edited to fit new suggestions and rules.
– New, Lynnfield-only rules were created during and after the Into the Woods production, such as “James Ofori”, “Dominic Spinella Confirmed”, and “Shoe in a Microwave Confirmed”.
– The Lynnfield Game of Mao has been played hundreds of times after the original game on November 19th, 2015.
– During the San Francisco Band Trip, from March 16th to March 20th of 2016, many band players learned and played the game, and on March 20th, 2016, at the gate of the San Francisco Airport, a band-wide Mao Tournament was held, with a semifinal and final round. The winner, although disputed because of confusion if the phrase “Chauncey” was said by the supposed winner, was the band’s tenor sax player, and he received Mao Zedong playing cards in early April.
– Other significant events where Lynnfield Mao has been played include:
- 2016 LHS Production of Oklahoma
- 2017 Boy Scout Summer Camp
- 2017 LHS Production of Footloose (Numerous Clarifications Added)
- 2018 LHS New Orleans Band Trip (11 New Rules Added)
- 2020 Coronavirus Outbreak – the 1st Game of Digital Mao
Current Known List of Ofori Confirmations
– April 29th, 2016 – Evening: West Point Boy Scout Camporee, West Point, NY
– Late September 2016 – Field Day: Lynnfield High School Band Room, Lynnfield, MA
– November 16th, 2016 at 17:45- Evening: Lynnfield High School Cafeteria, Lynnfield, MA
– November 17th, 2016 – Evening: Lynnfield High School Cafeteria, Lynnfield, MA
– November 18th, 2016 – Evening: Lynnfield High School Hallway, Lynnfield, MA
Other Records
– Most number of “Have a Nice Day” rules in a row: 7
November 17th, 2016 – Evening: Lynnfield High School Art Room
– Most number of 666 rules in a game: 3
1. New Orleans Band Trip, 2018 – New Orleans International Airport
March 12th, 2018 – 12:39 PM: Quarterfinals for the Mao Tournament
2. New Orleans Band Trip, 2018 – New Orleans International Airport
March 12th, 2018 – 1:10 PM: Quarterfinals for the Mao Tournament
Learning How to Play Mao
- Traditionally, new players learn the rules of Mao through observation of the game.
- New players may also ask experienced players for about certain rules about the game.
- The most common times to learn Mao is during the Lynnfield High School fall musical productions and the Lynnfield High School Band trips.
- The Formal List of Rules of Mao is a document created to organize and display the Lynnfield version of Mao. If needed, it can be used as a reference to learn the game.
Lynnfield Mao 