2008 NFSPS Convention Report

The 49th Annual Convention of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies, Inc., was hosted by the Utah State Poetry Society in Layton, Utah (in the Salt Lake City area), at the Hilton Garden Inn – Davis Conference Center, June 19-22, 2008. The theme was Constellation Utah – Where the Stars Shine.

Appointed PST Delegates to the NFSPS Plenary Sessions were Head Delegate Valerie Martin Bailey, Mildred Vorpahl Baass, Michaud L. Lamrouex, Sharon Martin Turner, and Loretta Diane Walker. NFSPS 1st Vice President Nancy Baass held PST Delegate status because of her presence on the NFSPS Executive Board.

At the 2nd Plenary Session on Sunday afternoon, elections were held for the NFSPS Executive Board for the two-year term, 2008-2010, and Nancy Baass of Victoria, Texas, was elected NFSPS President, this honor coming after 12 years of service on the Executive Board. She is the sixth PST member to serve as NFSPS President, and she showed her Texas pride at her installation at Sunday’s Dinner, where she gave the Invocation, by wearing the colors of the Lone Star flag – white satin formal, pearl-studded blue jacket and wrrist corsage of red roses from her mother – along with her white cowgirl boots! Her PST member apppointments to the NFSPS Appointive Board include her mother, Mildred Vorpahl Baass (Contest Sponsors/Brochure Chairman), Valerie Martin Bailey (ENCORE Editor) and Peggy Zuleika Lynch (Librarian); Budd Powell Mahan will serve on the President’s Advisory Board, composed of past presidents of NFSPS.

Convention attendees were welcomed Thursday evening with an original theatrical production, Moods and Mania, arranged and acted in by Convention Chairman Clarence P. Socwell, involving soliloquies delivered by himself, another actor and an actress/singer, all accompanied by two jazz musicians and enhanced with slide projections. Optional tours included visiting sites throughout Salt Lake City, a visit to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and a four day trip from Layton, UT, to Las Vegas, NV, touring Utah’s many natural wonders along the way, the latter offered post-Convention as was a party at the Chairman’s home in nearby Ogden, Utah.

Speakers presenting varied programs/workshops throughout the Convention were Alex Caldiero, Katherine Coles, Brad Roghaar, Sue Ranglack, PST member Beverly Monestier, Kimberly Johnson, Deborah Bogen, Matt Kennington, Natasha Saje, and David Lee, the keynote speaker at Sunday’s Dinner. An Autograph Party was held in the Book Room on Sunday afternoon for the speaker authors.

Following that event, prior to Sunday’s Dinner, a Reception was held for all attendees to mingle, with entertainment provided by a trio of musicians playing favorite tunes, with many folks dancing to the easy listening music.

During the Convention, PST received an NFSPS Youth Award Certificate for its youth participation activities, as well as an NFSPS National Poetry Day/Poetry Month Award Certificate for its activities in that regard. NFSPS Special Award Certificates were given to individuals whose names had been submitted by their state societies, who were considered Guiding Lights for their state societies, after at least 20 years of membership and being at least 65 years of age. Honored as serving as a Guiding Light for the Poetry Society of Texas were Evelyn Corry Appelbee, Mildred Vorpahl Baass, Linda Banks, Roberta Pipes Bowman, Irene Carmichael, J. Paul Holcomb, Marianne McNeil Logan, Peggy Zuleika Lynch, Freeda Murphy, Violette Newton, Naomi Stroud Simmons, Don Stodghill, Pat Stodghill, and Marjorie Yelton. PST member Leona Welch had won the Cover Art Competition for the 2007 ENCORE, and the prize poems anthology was seen for the first time at the Convention.

Winners of the Manningham Poetry Trust Competition were announced and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place winning poems were read by PST Head Delegate Valerie Martin Bailey. Texas winners were students Avery Hall who received 1st Place and Chelsea Ables who received 2nd Place in the Junior Division; PST member Hilda F. Wales had served as Judge. PST member Linda Banks had served as Judge of the Senior Division.

Winners of the 2008 NFSPS Annual Contests, including Honorable Mentions, as well as Cited poets, were announced after each of the six meals, with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Prize winning poems being read by the poets if present or by Readers. PST members who had served as Judges were Nancy Baass, Valerie Martin Bailey, Linda Banks, Alan Birkelbach, Lee Carroll, Jerri Hardesty, J. Paul Holcomb, Helen S. Jones, and Budd Powell Mahan.

TEXAS/PST WINNERS OF 2008 NFSPS ANNUAL CONTESTS
(Information from STROPHES, 2008)

WINNERS OF CONTESTS #1-49:
1ST PLACE (Total: 5) – Linda Banks, Helen S. Jones, Catherine L’Herisson, Beverly Monestier (2)

2ND PLACE (Total: 6) – Susan Maxwell Campbell, Geneva Fulgham, Shirley Handley, Catherine L’Herisson, Beverly Monestier, Jeannette L. Strother

3RD PLACE (Total: 7) – Evelyn Corry Appelbee, Shirley Elliott Cosby, Beth Honeycutt, Helen S. Jones, Budd Powell Mahan (2), Marilyn Stacy.

HONORABLE MENTION (Total: 60) – Kaye Voigt Abikhaleed, Margaret Anderegg, Evelyn Corry Appelbee (4), Linda Banks (2), Von S. Bourland (2), Roberta Pipes Bowman, Susan Maxwell Campbell (2), Lee Carroll (4), Shirley Elliott Cosby (7), Virginia Frey, Geneva Fulgham (2), Lou Gatlin (2), Alice King Greenwood, Jerri Hardesty, J. Paul Holcomb, Beth Honeycutt, Anne Jones, Helen S. Jones (4), Thomas M. Levy, Catherine L’Herisson (5), Budd Powell Mahan (7), Beverly Monestier (3), Yvonne Nunn, Naomi Stroud Simmons, Marilyn Stacy (3), Loretta Diane Walker

(TOTAL WINS: 78)

CITED (Total: 23) – Linda Banks, Donna Maria Barry,, Barbara Blanks (2), Von S. Bourland (2), Susan Maxwell Campbell (2), Lee Carroll, June Short Chalon, Shirley Elliott Cosby, Alice King Greenwood, J. Paul Holcomb (2), Helen S. Jones, Thomas M. Levy, Budd Powell Mahan, Betty Mol, Beverly Monestier, Sheila Tingley Moore, Peggy Silha Ritzer, Lisa Salinas, Loretta Diane Walker

WINNERS OF CONTEST #50, Student Award:
1ST PLACE Lindsey Maxon
HONORABLE MENTION – Courtney Graves, Maura Hall, Jacqueline Howell, Brandon Taing, Hannah Waugh, Lisa Winston
CITED – John Tucker, Abbey Vogt, Keegan Waters

In 2009, the 50th NFSPS Annual Convention will be hosted by the League of Minnesota Poets in Duluth, Minnesota at the Inn on Lake Superior, June 11-14.