Ten members must belong to the Poetry Society of Texas in order for a poetry organization to remain a chapter of PST. If you pay the $25 dues to join the Poetry Society of Texas, you will receive the following: automatic membership in the National Federation of State Poetry Societies. PST pays your dues for NFSPS. You will receive a monthly newsletter: The Bulletin, and a free copy of the annual anthology titled A Book of the Year, plus you are entitled to enter all 100 of PST's annual contests for a total fee of only $5 (the exception is contest number 1, which requires a $5 entry fee for every poem submitted— more than one poem may be submitted). Also the cash award for this contest is large —$500. Contest #2 also awards $500. Members receive a copy of the contest brochure along with their Bulletin each year. Annual Contests deadline is August 15 each year, and cash awards range from $25 to $400. The benefits are worth the dues. You also receive the NFSPS newsletter Strophes and may enter all their contests as well. Their contest deadline is March 15. All members of SAPA are urged to join PST.
•An annual summer conference is held in July in a different Texas city. The conferences feature great speakers and workshops that are helpful in developing your poetry skills.
•An annual PST Awards Banquet is held in a Dallas hotel where cash awards are presented to the winners of the annual contests, and the winner of the Hilton Ross Greer Award is announced. The banquet date will be announced in the Bulletin and on the Website at www.poetrysocietyoftexas.org. Registration forms are on the Website.
•In addition to the annual contests, PST offers monthly contests. Entries must be received by the Monthly Contest Chairman by the 15th of the previous month. See list of contests in the monthly Bulletin. Send entries to Contest Chairman: Irene Robertson at 3107 Marquise Court, McKinney, TX 75070. E-mail address is: Rinii@tx.rr.com.
•General Contest: 28 line limit, any subject, any form. The General Contest is judged by a Critic Judge, selected by the Monthly Contest Chairman. The Critic Judge selects the winners of the Critic's Award. 1st place ($25), 2nd place ($9), 3rd place ($5), and ten additional poems are read for audience vote in the regular meeting.
•Laugh Lines Award (Special Contest): For the best humorous poem, 16 line limit —$7 award. Judged by the previous winner.
•Eligibility of Entries:
1. Monthly Contests are open only to active dues-paid members, Life Members, and Officers of PST.
2. Only one poem, not to exceed 28 lines, the original work of the contestant, may be entered in the General Contest, and only one in each Special Contest. Check Special Contest line length rules.
3. No line in a poem may contain more than 60 characters, including punctuation marks and spaces.
4. A poem is not eligible which, in whole or part, has been published in print, presented over radio, TV or on the Internet, accepted for publication, is in the hands of an editor for consideration, or entered in any contest running concurrently.
5. An eligible poem may not be withdrawn after its submission. The winner of the Critic's Award is ineligible to enter the following month's General Contest, only a Special Contest. (The July winner may not enter the September General Contest, only a Special Contest).
6. Monthly Contest Chairman will eliminate entries that fail to conform to the rules.
7. Submit two typed copies for each contest entered. On both copies, type General or Special Contest in upper left-hand corner, designating which Special Contest, should there be more than one. On the second copy type only the author's name, address, phone number, and e-mail address in the upper right-hand corner.
Mail entries to Monthly Contest Chairman:
Richard Weatherly
7617 Palomar Drive
N. Richland Hills, TX 76108
E-mail: weatherlyr@sbcglobal.net