Parish Council Quiz Puzzle


The local Parish Council is quite a rustic body of people, and they are happy to be bound be traditions that are handed down from generation to generation. Some of these traditions are heart warming and designed to help the parishioners, but some of them are, well to tell the truth, a little strange.

The strangest of them all is the method that they use to select councillors into particular roles. Apparently this method has been in use since the reign of King Henry VIII, but there is no way of verifying this claim.

Whenever a selection takes place (for roles as diverse as Chair of the Council or someone to organise a litter pick) all eight councillors sit around a table in numbered seats. The current Chair of the Council then rolls two dice. Whatever number is the total on the two dice is used to count around the table, eliminating councillors until only one is left - who gets the role in question.

A sort of roll for a role!

For example if the dice totalled three, then the person in seat three would be eliminated, followed by the person in seat six, then in seat one, the in seat five and so on.

One of our colleagues is on the council and never seems to be selected for anything, and we remarked on this one day. She replied quite cryptically, saying she must have an unlucky seat, but her broad grin gave her away.

What seat has she chosen to avoid getting picked for anything?

As usual you can post your suggested answers as a comment on this website, reply to the post on Facebook, or retweet or reply on Twitter @quizmastershop.

Answer at 9.00 on Monday

2 comments

  • philip smith

    This is my second attempt!!
    roll2 select 2,4,6,8,3,7,5,1
    roll3 select 3,6,1,5,2,8,4,7
    roll4 select 4,8,5,2,1,3,7,6
    roll5 select 5,2,8 7,1,4,6,3
    roll6 select 6,4,3,5,8,7,2,1
    roll7 select 7,6,8,2,5,1,3,4
    roll8 select 8 1,3,6,5,2,7,4
    roll9 select 1,3,6,4,5,2,7,8
    roll10 select 2 5, 1,8 ,4,6,3,7
    roll11 select 3,7,5 6,2 8,1,4
    roll12select 4,1,8,3,2,7,6,5
    The last number on each is the person selected for the job.
    All numbers 1 to 8 may be picked except number 2.
    I think she has picked seat 2 to avoid being selected.

  • philip smith

    roll2 eliminate 2,4,6,8
    roll3 eliminate 3,6,1,4,7,2,5,8
    roll 4 eliminate 4,8
    roll5 eliminate 5,2,7,4 1,6,3,8
    roll6 eliminate 6,4,2,8
    roll7 eliminate 7,6,5,4,3,2 1,8
    roll8 eliminate 8
    roll9 eliminate 1,2,3,4,5 6,7,8
    roll10 eliminate 2,4 6 8
    roll 11 eliminate 3,6,1,4,7,2,5,8
    roll12 eliminate 4,8
    As you can see it doesnt matter what number you roll (except 8 where you would need to roll again) the person in seat 4 would always be eliminated.
    She must be in seat 4.

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