Winter 2001 Museletter

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Christine Falk
9556 Upper 205th Street West, Lakeville, MN 55044
(952) 985-5375

thefalks@frontiernet.net

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Welcome
to the following new members of the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets who have joined since the Fall Museletter issue:

Diana Anderson	Eagle River
Kevin Dahle	Appleton
Kathryn Gahl	Two Rivers
Tori Grant-Wellhouse	Green Bay
Kenneth Groehler	Madison
Kathy Jo Hill	Oregon
Nathan Hoks	Madison
Deborah Johnson	Madison
Mary Beth Mathe	Oshkosh
Kris Mathes	Port Washington
Elizabeth Pannier	Reedsburg
Tobin Rockey	Green Bay
Carol Lee Saffioti-Hughes	Racine
Jessica Siobhan Frank	Madison
Eleanor White	Oregon
Jodi Wolff	Appleton
David Zep Dix	Waukesha

Welcome to all!

What's Happening in Your Region?
Central-Fox Valley Region
On October 13th, as part of Art Walk, the following poets read at Between the Pages at Conkey's bookstore: Ellen Kort, Rusty McKenzie, Helen Fahrbach, Mary Downs, Karla Huston, Linda Nett-Deusterhoeft, Kay Saunders, Mary Ann Mitchell, Elmer Otte, and Barbara Germiat.
      Laurel Mills, with her new novel, Undercurrents, was honored at University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley, has done a reading at Barnes and Noble and will have a book signing at Passtimes bookstore in Sister Bay, Door County. Her reading and signing in Provincetown, Massachusetts, went very well.
      For the last four years, Helen Fahrbach and Kay Saunders have been scheduling the featured poets for readings at Between the Pages coffee shop in Conkey's Bookstore. The readings take place on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month, year-round. Poets of all ages and from various locations come to read: Milwaukee, Green Bay, Door County, Westfield and Madison, and two visiting male poets from New York and Seattle.
      Another opportunity to read has opened at the coffeehouse associated with Basic Bookstore in Oshkosh. On every third Thursday at 7 PM, the public is invited to Inspirational Readings Night hosted by The Word and Pen Christian Writers Club. After a featured reader, an open mic period is offered. All genres are welcome. Basic Bookstore is just off Highway 41 on the south frontage road. Chris Stratton was the featured reader on September 20th's opening night.
      Ellen Kort was the keynote speaker at the following events: Kiwanis Club of Appleton; Aestival Festival Writing Conference, Green Bay; Fox Valley Community Foundation/Women's Fund Luncheon, Appleton; American Association University Women, Elm Grove; Body, Mind and Spirit Retreat for Women, sponsored by Theda Care, with guest speaker, Dr. Nancy Snyderman of ABC Television's Good Morning America; Women in Communication Luncheon, Madison; Spring Green Literary Festival; Wisconsin Library Association State Conference, Appleton; Wisconsin Regional Writers' Association Fall Conference, Eau Claire; Leadership Fox Cities: "Community: The Heart of a Leader" retreat, Green Lake; and Fox Valley Writers Association. Ellen served as poetry judge for: Portland, Oregon Literary Fellowship Competition; Oshkosh Grand Opera's middle and high school-aged youth poetry/performance competition; Peninsula Pulse Poetry Contest, Door County; and Tempo Women's Organization youth poetry competition, Madison (She attended Tempo's "Harvesting the Future" dinner, featuring Maya Angelou and the winning poets). Ellen participated in poetry readings: at Academy of Science, Arts and Letters/Academy Review reception at Edith Nash's home in Wisconsin Rapids; was a featured reader with Helen Fahrbach, Karla Huston, and Mary Jo Stich at the WFOP-sponsored poetry reading at Green Bay Botanical Gardens; at Harmony Café Grand Opening, a venue for young poets, Appleton; at Black Box Theater, UW-Marshfield/Wood County. Ellen's poems were also featured on their Arboretum Poetry Trail. Ellen participated in a poetry/story telling at the "Read to Children" night at Jefferson Elementary School, Appleton; she read "Blessing Poem" for Wisconsin Lake Schooner Education Association's dinner honoring The Menominee Nation/ Menominee Tribal Enterprise gift of giant trees for the three-masted Wisconsin Flag Ship, the S/V Denis Sullivan; she read two poems at the "Voices in Remembrance" memorial service at the Madison Civic Center, where more than 300 singers and musicians paid tribute in song and words to the September 11th victims of the terrorist tragedy. Ellen facilitated several writing workshops, including a Green Bay Diocese poetry workshop for teachers, held at St. Norbert College and a "Living Life – Living Poetry" workshop at UW-Fox Valley; she served as a narrator for "Earth Day Portrait" performed by the Fox Valley Symphony in celebration of the orchestra's 35th anniversary; she was invited to present her book, The Fox Heritage: A History of Wisconsin's Fox Cities to a delegation of 20 Japanese educators visiting the Appleton Area School District; she created and presented a piece of art/poetry for "Taste of the Valley", an auction/fundraiser for Harbor House, a domestic abuse center in Appleton; and she created 270 servings of an original recipe, "Chocolate Raspberry Ecstasy" for the Educational Assistance Through Scholarships fundraiser at UW-Fox Valley.

Submitted by Kay Saunders, Central-Fox Valley Regional VP

Patricia Kohls was the October Featured Reader at Pilgrims' Café & Coffee House in Oshkosh. She also read her poetry at Matt Welter's Workshop held at a Fall Writers' Conference in Eau Claire. At four September Writers' Workshops held at the Oshkosh Senior Center she was the facilitator. Pat recently has been published in Miles Ahead by Judson Press. The book was edited by Carol Pierskalla. Patti Clark read her Haiku poems at Pilgrims' Café at the third Thursday open mic night in September and October. She is scheduled to be the December Featured Reader there. Karla Huston has had poems published in The Wisconsin Academy Review, Fox Cry Review, The Wisconsin Review, and The Cimarron Review. She has poems forthcoming in Pearl, Kalliope, One Trick Pony, North American Review, Rattle, Nightsun, and 5AM. She participated in a poetry reading at the Green Bay Botanical Gardens in September and the Art Walk reading at Conkey's bookstore in Appleton. She will present a graduate paper on the function of story and student writing at the National Council of Teachers of English, Baltimore in November.

East-Milwaukee Region
     The Bay Café, where the Wisconsin Poets' Calendar: 2002 was incubated, was the scene on Saturday, October13th, of a reading by Milwaukee area poets appearing in the calendar. Reading their work were: Liz Hammond, Sprague Vonier, Stephen Anderson, Margaret Rozga, CJ Muchhala, Shirley Sullivan, Mara Ptacek, Jane E. Kocmoud, Dale Ritterbusch, Phyllis Wax, and Harvey Taylor.
      Paula Anderson and Betty Priebe hosted an afternoon poetry discussion and tea at Paula's home in Wales. Poet Koon Woon, editor of the magazine Chrysanthemum, and author of the book of poems The Truth in Rented Rooms was the guest speaker. Koon Woon lives in Seattle, Washington.
      "Poetry People", a group of word lovers, have organized themselves into a performance troupe. They performed at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on October 17th as part of the Visions & Expressions series sponsored by the University Convocations Committee. Among those that participated were: Paula Anderson, Barbara Bache-Wiig, E. Clark Bowerman, Ramon Klitzke, Katy Phillips, and Betty Irene Priebe.
      The work of Barbara Bache-Wiig has been selected for publication in Kaleidoscope: Exploring the Experience of Disability through Literature and the Fine Arts published by United Disability Services in Akron, OH.
      Elaine Cavanaugh, along with others, read at the McKay Center, UW Arboretum in Madison on Sunday, September 16, 2001. Kathy Miner of Madison planned the event. Elaine Cavanaugh has had poems accepted for upcoming issues in the following publications: TMP Irregular, Issue #9 on the worldwide web, Free Verse, Museletter Poetry Page and Hummingbird.
      On May 26th, the Sparks (Phyllis Wax, Peg Rozga, Helen Padway, Mara Ptacek, and CJ Muchhala) performed their interactive poetry on Jonathan Overby's "Higher Ground" which airs on WPR. CJ Muchhala recently has had poems published in Worcester Review, Montserrat Review, and Visions International. She also has had poems accepted by Porcupine Literary Arts Magazine and for Proposing on the Brooklyn Bridge: Poems About Marriage, an anthology slated for publication in 2003.
      Paula Anderson (Wales), Judy Kolosso (Slinger) and Kathryn Gahl (Two Rivers) attended the Bread Loaf Conference at Middlebury, Vermont in August. Paula Anderson's new book Electrified Hair, published by Durnford's Landing is out. She will be giving a reading at Books and Co. January 19th, 2002.

Mid-Central Region
Edith Nash's new book, Practice: The Here and Now, published by Cross+Roads Press is now out. A book celebration with Edith and her new book was held on November 15th at the Agnes Jones Gallery, College of Professional Studies, at the UW-Stevens Point. To order a copy of the book, send ten dollars plus one dollar and fifty cents for shipping to Cross+Roads Press, P.O. Box 33, Ellison Bay, WI 54210.
A new Christmas carol, Come to the Cradle, lyrics and melody by Cathy Conger, arranged by Dr. Robert Scholz, will have its premiere performance by the choirs and orchestra of St. Olaf College for combined audiences of over 15,000 people at the annual St. Olaf Christmas Festival Concert in early December. The concert will be live for NPR radio and taped for PBS broadcast. It will be broadcast on PBS channel 20 in Wisconsin Rapids on December 19th at 9 p.m. and December 25th at 2 p.m. (broadcast schedules in other states vary). Cathy has also had two of her poems included in a new book just out called In the Wee Hours: Up-in-the-Nighttime Stories for Mom, published by Zondervan.
      Jeffrey Johannes, Port Edwards, had two haikus published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Over 800 haikus were sent to the paper by 200 readers responding to a call for the poetry.The paper published 10 of them. Milwaukee poet Antler served as one of the two judges.
      Edith Nash, Bruce Dethlefsen, and Linda Aschbrenner read at the opening of the Central Wisconsin Cultural Center in Wisconsin Rapids on October 15th.
      Barb Cranford, Gloria Federwitz, Phil Hansotia, Isadore Larmon, and Linda Aschbrenner read at the McMillan Coffeehouse in Wisconsin Rapids.
      Linda Aschbrenner gave a reading at the Adams County Public Library on November 13th. Linda has launched a new press, Marsh River Editions, with the publication of the chapbook Loose Change by Louis McKee, a poet from Philadelphia, and editor of One Trick Pony. Interviews with poet Angela Rydell and other poets have appeared in recent issues of Free Verse, a monthly poetry journal edited and published by Linda.
      Sallie Bachar received a 2nd Honorable Mention in the 9th Annual Senior Poet Laureate Contest in the best short poem category for her poem entitled, "Eternal." The contest was sponsored by Goodin Communications & Penny Peephole Publications.

Northeast Region
     Congratulations to Peter Sherrill who won the Jade Ring and Bard's chair in Wisconsin Regional Writers Association's annual Jade Ring contest. Peter's Jade ring poem is entitled "At the Airport Holiday Inn."
      Sue DeKelver won an honorable mention in the same contest for "The Corner of Dousman and Locust." Sue has had poems published in the Door Voice and in Free Verse.
      Second place in the Triad contest's Humorous Poem division was won by Barbara Larsen for her "Sitting At the Art Fair Watching All the Shoes Pass By."
      Another area poet, Annette Grunseth, won 3rd place in the same competition for her poem, "Cast Out the Line As Though Ya Been To Church."
      A third Round Robin Critiquing group has been started in our area. It includes: Judy Roy, Annette Grunseth, Mary Jo Wojtusik, Christian Meier, M.T. Remmel Gehm, June Nirschl, and Barbara Larsen. A fourth group is forming. Anyone else in the NE area interested in being included?
      Judy Roy recently reported upon a new biography of Edna St. Vincent Millay and read a selection of her poems for a Door County women's group. It was well received and to quote Judy: "At least it got them thinking a bit about poetry." An important part of WFOP's mission!
      A planning committee has been formed for the spring WFOP conference next April 26th-28th. It will be held at the Land Mark Resort at Egg Harbor. Details will appear in the Spring Museletter but it is not too early to mark your calendars now!

submitted by Barbara Larsen, Northeast Regional VP

     On September 23rd, Green Bay Botanical Gardens was the setting for an afternoon of poetry featuring Ellen Kort along with Helen Fahrbach, Karla Huston and Mary Jo Stich.
      Poetry Night at the Neville Public Museum featured Mary Ann Napoleone on September 26th and Bruce Dethlefsen on October 24th. Mary Ann read at Conkey's Bookstore on October l6th.
      Ellen Kort and Mary Ann Napoleone appeared on Channel 2's Action News on September 19th. Newscaster Kevin Rompa interviewed Ellen on her role as first Poet Laureate for Wisconsin. Mary Ann explained briefly about WFOP and plugged the Botanical Gardens reading for the following Sunday.

South-Central Region
      On July 31st, the Madison "do-it-yourself" TV station WYOU hosted a poetry slam. Participants were to dress up as their favorite Wisconsinite and recite Wisconsin-related poetry. The host impersonated Tammy Baldwin; the judge, Russ Feingold; and interestingly enough, the two contestants (one of whom is also known as Jeannie Bergmann) both dressed up as Ed Gein. We hear that beer and sausage were consumed.
      Several WFOP members spotted each other at the Spring Green LitFest on September 15th. Ellen Kort, Wisconsin’s poet laureate, was a featured reader and speaker, along with the Wisconsin writer and potato farmer Justin Isherwood. Lou Roach, Yvonne Yahnke, Jeannie Bergmann, Susan Kileen, Kathy Miner and Peg Sherry were among the audience at the festival, which was held at Hilltop on the Taliesin Estate.
      Nine WFOP poets participated in a reading at the University of Wisconsin Arboretum on Sunday, September 16th. Dubbed "Poetic by Nature", the program was held in the reception hall of the newly remodeled McKay Visitor Center, with a beautiful view of the Curtis Prairie. Readers were Jeannie Bergmann, Elaine Cavanaugh, C.X. Dillhunt, Kathy Miner, Richard Roe, Peg Sherry and Shoshauna Shy.
     WFOP continues to sponsor readings at the west-side Barnes and Noble bookstore in Madison on the fourth Sunday of each month. Readers since the last Museletter have been Angela Rydell, Richard Roe, Robin Chapman, Charles Cantrell, and Susan Elbe. Programs begin at 7 PM and feature two "scheduled" readers, followed by an open mic. We've been picking up some excellent readers at the open mics over the last several months!
      Shoshauna Shy has had the following publications: a new chapbook, Slide into Light: Poems of the Brighter Moments, published by Moon Journal Press; "Through the Windshield" in Lynx Eye; "William Carlos Williams", "The Drano Test" and "Reservations" in Mentress Moon; "What the Postcard Didn't Say" in White Fish Press, and "Lickety-Split in 40 Seconds" in the Melic Review.
      Jeri McCormick was awarded second prize (2,000 Irish pounds!) in the Davoren Hanna International Poetry Competition, based in Dublin, Ireland. Her poem, which draws on the historical theme of the Great Irish Famine and narrates an incident that occurred there in 1847, was chosen from among some 3,000 entries. Jeri will be publishing a collection of poems based on the famine theme.
      The Village Booksmith in Baraboo continues to be a great venue for poetry. There are slams on the last Monday of each month (signup at 7 PM, reading begins at 8) and traditional readings on the second Friday. WFOP members who have been featured recently include Robin Chapman, CX Dillhunt, Bruce Dethlefsen, Angela Rydell and David Scheler. The Village Booksmith is located on Oak Street in downtown Baraboo, "right across the street from the cannon." Madison-area poets are reminded to check www.madpoetry.org for the very latest in literary events.

Submitted by Kathy Dodd Miner, South-Central Regional VP

South Region
No new news?

West-Central Region
     This region has been busy with many exciting cultural events this fall. On September 14th, Sandra Lindow read her poetry as part of the Eau Claire Regional Arts Council After Five Series that matches poets, writers and musicians.
      On October 4th, Nadine St. Louis read her poetry for NOTA, the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire's student arts magazine. She also read for a UWEC literature class. December 6th she will read as part of the After Five Series.
      September 29th and 30th the WRWA Fall Conference was in Eau Claire. Ellen Kort was one of the speakers.
      November 5-10 we celebrated our Second Literary Arts Festival of the Turning Leaves. Nadine St. Louis was actively involved in its planning. On November 5th, Naomi Shihab Nye read at the Eau Claire Regional Arts Center. November 6th, local writers read on Community Access TV. November 7th, there was a special showing of Shakespeare's Love's Labour Lost. November 8th there was a Poetry Grand Slam at the Acoustic Café. November 9th, Carrie Beth Becker read with other local writers at the Eau Claire Regional Arts Center. November 10th there were writing workshops featuring Jack Bushnell, children’s author, Marianne Leslie Nora, publisher and Ron Wallace, author.
      Sandra Lindow has published poems on-line in the following online zines: www.strangehorizons.com, www.ravenelectrick.com and www.cleansheets.com. Look in Kalliope, the women's arts journal for Sandra's review of Nadine St. Louis's chapbook Weird Sisters and Nadine's review of Mary Sue Koppel's In the Library of Silence, edited by Peg Lauber.

Submitted by Sandra Lindow, West-Central Regional VP

WFOP Student Poetry Contest
On Friday, November 2, 2001, one thousand one hundred and two brochures were sent to all middle schools, high schools, K-8 schools, both public and private, inviting students to enter the WFOP Poetry contest. The list of schools was purchased from the Department of Public Instruction on a diskette and from the diskette, the labels were printed out. In order to be positive each school is included in the invitation, please contact the English Department/Creative Writing Department of small schools in your area. If you find a school is not receiving the brochure, please contact either Paula Anderson, 262/968-4042 or Judy Kolosso, 262/644-8363. There are extra brochures available to send.

Wisconsin Poets' Calendar: 2003

Wisconsin adult residents may submit.
Submit up to three, original, unpublished poems, limit 20 lines each.
Each poem must appear on a separate page. Include your name, address and phone number on each page.
Include a three sentence biography on a separate page.
Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Calendar theme: A words-eye view expressing your sentiments about people, places, things and seasons in Wisconsin.
Deadline: February 1, 2002.

Co-Editors: Dorothy Schwenkner and Julie Cousin

Mail submissions to:
Dorothy Schwenkner
Wisconsin Poets' Calendar
543 South Fremont Street
Janesville, WI 53545-4213

Poetry Workshop to be Held in Late May
Robin Chapman and Judith Strasser will be leading a workshop at The Clearing in Door County the week of May 26-June 1, 2002. The workshop, titled "Whose Woods These Are: The Poetry of Place" will take participants on an exploration of the ways that natural history and landscape feed the poetic process. Workshop members will read and discuss examples of place-oriented poetry by a wide variety of contemporary writers, and will write and discuss their own poems, focused on the landscapes of The Clearing and northern Door County. Judith and Robin will also meet individually with poets who would like comments on previously completed work.
This workshop is designed for beginning and intermediate poets. Participants are encouraged to bring copies of up to three poems they would like to discuss with Judith or Robin, as well as writing materials – pens and notebooks, and a portable typewriter or laptop, if possible. If you’re interested in the workshop, send your name and address to Robin, 205 N. Blackhawk, Madison, WI 53705, or Judith, 511 Sheldon Street, Madison, WI 53711. They will be sure you get registration materials when they are available.

Poetry Publications
This section is for the listing of recent publications by WFOP MEMBERS EXCLUSIVELY. Recent publication: Copyright 2000-01. For more information, please send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the author or publisher.

TITLE	PUBLICATION	AUTHOR
Slide Into Light: Poems of the Brighter Moments	Chapbook	Shoshauna Shy for more info, contact Shoshauna at sschey@facstaff.wisc.edu or at 222 S. Bedford Street, Suite F Madison, WI 53703

Meet Your Officers:
Peter Sherrill, President

The Fellowship has grown quite a bit in the past several years. I haven't had a chance to meet – well, most of you. In this and coming Museletters, the Fellowship's officers will introduce themselves and talk a bit about our vision for the Fellowship. I've been a member since the early nineties. I served as vice president before accepting this office. I've also served on the Literary Fund Committee, which raised the funds and established the Muse and Triad poetry contests. My wife Carrie (also a Fellowship member) and I live just north of Green Bay in the village of Kolberg, which is so small that for several years the number of dogs exceeded the number of human residents. We list "Forestville" on our address because that's the nearest town big enough to have its own post office. As you may have noticed, poetry doesn't provide much in the way of a living wage. I earn my living as a physician. Carrie retired from nursing eight years ago and runs a catering business. When we're not writing or catering, we spend time with our kids, their friends and our friends. I've seen the Fellowship grow rapidly and well. We have a fine group of poets, and I want the Fellowship to nurture them and the writing art. We have a project underway to make our conferences meet a broader range of interests and needs. I want to see the Fellowship attract poets from a broader base, especially younger poets. I think we can make both the creation and appreciation of poetry a lifetime joy. We need to begin in grade and middle school. I also want to see the Fellowship become more standardized in its functons. We have already established a conference rotation schedule. I want to see some of our other workings move out of the "oral tradition" (i.e., "well, we've always done it this way" or "who wants to do it this time?") and into a more structured, consistent, written protocol. Most of all, though, I want to continue to enjoy the fellowship and collegiality we all enjoy at our gatherings. We truly do have a fellowship here, and that's something to be valued and preserved.

Nominations open for Poets' Calendar Editor
Nominations are open for editorship of the 2005 Wisconsin Poets' Calendar. The Calendar editor will solicit and receive/screen/select poems for the calendar, choose cover art, design, lay out, and manage printing/distribution of the Calendar in cooperation with the Calendar's Business Manager. The editor enjoys considerable discretion in the choice of poems, layout and design. Editorship is a time-consuming but rewarding honor for Fellowship members who have a history of successful publication. Experience with editing and publication are preferred but not necessary. Actual expenses are compensated, but there is no salary. Previous editors have been longstanding members of the Fellowship. Many have served on committees or been officers. This honor is reserved for members who have shown a commitment to the Fellowship, and have the time and interest to give to the Calendar's production. Self-nominations are allowed. If you wish to nominate yourself, or a member you think worthy of this honor – and duty, please contact Peter Sherrill, whose address is listed on the Home page.

WFOP Needs a Treasurer
The Fellowship's Treasurer, MT Remmel-Gehm, has found that she is no longer able to continue in that office. She has kindly agreed to continue in those duties until we can find a qualified replacement. The Treasurer is responsible for the general financial management of the Fellowship. He or she will receive dues and conference/calendar income, keep the organization's books, write checks and maintain the membership list. As a member of the Board, the Treasurer is also responsible for assisting in the general management of the Fellowship, and works in concert with other Board members to keep the organization working smoothly. The Treasurer should have a general knowledge of basic bookkeeping. Although established members would be preferred, a new member is welcome to apply if he or she is willing to become involved in the workings of the Fellowship for the two years remaining in this three-year term. Please contact our president, Peter Sherrill, if you are interested. Home phone (920) 825 7651; address on the Home page.

Joint Conference with WRWA—Fall, 2003
Plans are underway for a joint conference with the Wisconsin Regional Writers' Association for the fall of 2003. Both organizations meet twice a year, and share many of the same objectives (and members). The boards of both organizations agreed that pooling resources would allow a broader range of interests to be served. This is a one-time event, but perhaps it will let us see if more joint conferences will serve our respective members well. The joint conference is tentatively scheduled for November 7-8, 2003 at the Pioneer Inn at Oshkosh. Both dates and location are subject to change, as the planning committee has just begun its work. These plans required that the WFOP conference rotation schedule be rearranged. An updated schedule is on the Events page.

Dues Payment Form
You are past due on your 2001 dues if your mailing label says (00) after your name. If your mailing label says (01) after your name, please send in your dues for 2002. Just remit the proper amount to renew your membership and mail to:

MT Remmel Gehm
3252 Squaw Island Road
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235.

Mead Inn Welcomes Poet Laureate
The Mead Inn and Conference Center, 451 E. Grand Avenue, Wisconsin Rapids, is the first Wisconsin hotel to offer complimentary accommodations for our state Poet Laureate when she is in the area (on a space-available basis). We at the Fellowship gratefully acknowledge the Mead Inn's generosity. If our members have business in the Wisconsin Rapids area, perhaps a stay at the Mead would be appropriate – as well as a thank-you for the Inn's generous offer. Thanks, too, to regional VP Joan Johannes, whose initiative made this possible.

Minutes of the WFOP General Meeting
in Glendale, Wisconsin, November 3, 2001
8:45 am opens with welcome address by Helen Padway who then introduced Peter Sherrill to the membership as a whole. Last meeting minutes approved with changes and recorded.

Treasurer report – M.T. Remmel-Gehm
     9/30/01 Literary Fund $21,555.09
     9/30/01 General Account $ 4,556.43
     9/30/01 Calendar Balance $4,639.96

Calendar Report – Lou Roach, Business Manager
This year more retailers have been added to the contact list. The calendar is doing very well. Speak to her or contact her if more calendars are needed.

Literary Fund – Sue DeKelver reports the interest on account is posted in January and the committee will meet after conference.

Credentials – Karla reports thirty-one application have been approved and accepted. The membership whole, warmly clapped greetings to the new members in attendance.

Web Page – Jeannie reports www.wfop.org up and running. All passwords must be sent to her for processing and to disregard the censorship pop-up notice. The forum discussion section of the site is up for questions and input.

Student Contest – Paula Anderson, Judy Kolosso, Jackie Langetieg will chair. This year's contest announcements have been mailed to schools and extra forms are available at conference back table for the membership to pass along.

Museletter – current deadline expired. Please remember to forward news and member information include events to regional vice presidents.

Eyes of Wisconsin – The poems collected from the general membership have been bound mailed and received by ex-governor Tommy Thompson. The letter from Thompson and the collection copy were on display at the conference. One collection sent to archives as well.

New Business – "Poetry on the Peaks 2002": Kathy Miner announces the reading on the mountain nationwide poetry series. Readings at individual states' tallest mountains, no date needed but sometime in 2002. www. poetry on the peaks. Jan Chronister will chair committee and forward information to membership. Peter announced the website poetry policy of a separate written permission needs to be recorded before Museletter poems can be posted on the online site. Publication on the site is the same as publication inprint media.

Dodge Poetry Festival – Peter announced details of the costs. $425.00 (with minimum 25 members). Includes trip, departing from Appleton, and daily shuttle to and from the festival program. Room occupancy options are also available. A Milwaukee pick-up site will be investigated at the request of several members. Information and updates will continue in Museletter.

WRWA – Peter welcomed and introduced the president, Patricia Dunson Boverhuis, and vice-president, Donna L. Potrykus, of this writing organization. A fall 2003 joint conference is in the works for the Fox Valley Region.

Board and organization positions – Peter opened the floor with discussion regarding the need for a possible participation/ performance policy need for duties and responsibilities for board and regional positions. 50% performance including reports is a baseline possible. The Board will continue discussion and welcome membership input.

Teachers' Credit – Jan Chronister reported that the WFOP has established available hours with the DPI for current teachers to log in time for their continued education credits requirements by attending the conferences. The forms and information may possibly be available in time for next conference. Jan will forward details to Museletter.

Membership/Education – Roberta reported the new development of a committee to investigate membership services and the educational component to the conference overall design plan. Interested members are to contact her.

Seed Funds - Peter announced the available grant of $100.00 per region to encourage and promote poetry activities. All regions are welcome to submit a request in writing to the board for the funds following the established criteria:

Mailing lists – Peter announced the no release policy of any information of membership to outside sources. To a round of applause, Peter stated no list of members is for sale or for general distribution. If an interested party wants to forward information to the WFOP, WFOP itself will pass the information along. And the renewal forms for members will have a place for phone numbers.

NFSPS – Peter announced the dues increase for the state of Wisconsin membership in this historical national organization from the $1.00 to $2.00 per actual member. It was brought to point the untimely manner of the publication of Strophes. Roberta will investigate the matter and report to the board. The membership approved to continue WFOP membership and payment to the NFSPS.

Membership Dues – Peter opened the discussion on the member dues increase. The last increase of dues was 1988. The need to have ongoing capitol for the organization is vital… the cost of the web page and upkeep, NFSPS dues increases, scholarships. The general dues changes voted and approved: $25.00 active, $15.00 associate. The provision for waiving of the fee's increase due to financial difficulty submitted to the board will be reviewed and considered on an individual basis. Dues increase to begin January 1, 2002.

Calendar editor – The discussion continues on the rôle and duties of the calendar editor. Peter opened further discussion regarding the nomination practice: solicit nominations vs. a more formal basis. Elaine Cavanaugh brought to question the need for a written and available by request job/duty description of the editors, perhaps published in Museletter as well. The business manager remains a separate entity. Twenty complimentary calendar copies or lifetime membership is to also be considered as honorarium for this service.

Treasurer – Nominations and interested individuals for the now open treasurer position; please contact any board member.

Conference line-up – Spring 2002, April 26 and 27, Door County; Fall 2002 to be rescheduled for last week of October.

Meeting adjourned at 10 AM.
Present: Peter Sherrill, Cathryn Cofell, Karla Huston, M.T. Remmel-Gehm, Helen Padway, Jeannie Bergmann, Kathy Miner, Roberta Fabiani.
Respectfully submitted,
Roberta Fabiani, WFOP Secretary