Vancouver Poetry Slam Elections

Dear Van Slam Family,

On behalf of Vancouver Poetry House, the umbrella organization that facilitates The Vancouver Poetry Slam, The Vancouver Youth Poetry Slam, Hullabaloo, Wordplay, Word Camp and Verses, please consider this the formal announcement for the next Van Slam Family meeting on Sunday May 27th 2018 at 2PM at the Lore Krill Co-op (65 Cordova Street West, near Abbott, on the unceded land of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh nations).

For those of you who may not be familiar with the Van Slam Family as a working group, understand that it is a community group that historically, has met once a year, elected slammasters when necessary, addressed possible changes to the show and helped navigate the space between the Van Slam shows and the Vancouver Poetry House board.

During this meeting we will be electing a Van Slam Slammaster who will be replacing the wonderful and talented Jillian Christmas and a Youth Slammaster who will be replacing the wonderful and talented RC Weslowski. Initially, it was our intention to amalgamate the two positions but the board is currently under the impression that both shows need a separate person to champion each show to new and bigger heights.

Anyone may attend the family meeting but only individuals who have been to (as audience, volunteer or poet) 4 Vancouver poetry slams (including youth slams) in the previous 12 months are eligible to vote on the two positions.

Three individuals have given verbal and written interest in these positions and have put their names forward for consideration. Each of these individuals will have an oppourtunity to speak to why they feel you should vote for them on May 27th at the beginning of the meeting but in the interest of expediency and because it harkens back to how many of us in this community came to this community, they will be given 3 minutes (and 10 seconds grace period) to speak their truth as to why they should be elected into their position.

Those individuals are (in alphabetical order based on last name):

Mariah Dear
Hal Lackie
Matt Miller (aka Lip Balm)

I would encourage anyone wishing to attend the Van Slam Family meeting to communicate with all three individuals (if possible) before the meeting so that an informed decision can be made. The person(s) we elect on May 27th will be responsible for cultivating each show financially, poetically and as a community. They will have the most direct hand in growing our audience base, mediating interpersonal conflicts and ensuring that the show(s) are fiscally secure.

The items on the agenda for the meeting thus far (following a land acknowledgement) are:

1) Financial synopsis of the previous year for both shows
2) Update on this year’s Van Slam Team and Van Slam Youth Team
3) Vancouver Poetry House Update
4) Election of the Vancouver Youth Slammaster
5) Election of the Vancouver (non youth specific) Slammaster

If there is something pressing that you wish added to the agenda and you will be attending the meeting, please put it forward and we will do our best to accommodate your request. Please keep in mind that most of us don’t like meetings and shorter meetings mean more time for poems, fun, and enjoying the sunshine. If you have further questions about the meeting, position(s), election(s), VPH, etc. please feel free to message or email myself or any other of the board members.

Here’s hoping you’re all well,

Sean McGarragle,
(on behalf of)
Fernando Raguero, E.V. Mary Stephens, Leslie Stark, Lindsay Alley, Terry McDermott
The Vancouver Poetry House Board of Directors