Poets’ Haven Door Host
The door host role is only required at our Upper Crust readings on Monday nights. This job involves meeting people as they arrive for the reading beginning at 6:30 p.m. It also includes the collection of the $5 door charge, administration of memberships, distribution of anthologies and counting of the audience. Perhaps the best part is having the opportunity to work with our exceptional Haven Host Anne Gerard Marshall. The commitment is one Monday evening during the Haven Reading Series.
To sign up, visit the Haven Sign Up page and choose “Door Host” on the sign-up.
Poets’ Haven Mic Host
Whether at Audreys or the Upper Crust, the Mic Host plays an important role at every Haven Reading to make sure the evening or afternoon runs smoothly. They liaise with the Haven host; greet and go over the guidelines with readers; ensure the event begins and ends on time; and emcee the event by welcoming all guests, introducing each reader, making announcements, and thanking our sponsors.
Mic Hosts are provided with guidelines for their role and on-site support from the Haven Committee. We ask that all Mic Hosts begin the evening with a Land Acknowledgement or Reconciliation Statement in the spirit of our Poets Reimagine Canada Anthology.
To sign up, visit the Haven Sign Up page and choose “Mic Host” on the sign-up.
Anthology Proofreading
As with many other tasks, volunteers do the proofreading for the Stroll of Poets Anthology. Each year, we solicit volunteers to help at proofreading sessions, usually in late February or early March. This session deals with two tasks: proofreading the poems and choosing the anthology cover. Proofreaders look for basic typos, spelling and grammar errors, unclear or questionable punctuation, spacing errors, and anything that, in general, “raises a question.” They do not have to proofread for “meaning.” On that same evening, the anthology cover is chosen by the tried-and-true “majority wins” method.
To attend the proofreading bee, join the Stroll and subscribe to the newsletter. The date and location of the proofreading bee is usually announced in February.
Annual General Meeting
Our Annual General Meeting takes place in March. If you would like to help as a Returning Officer, financial auditor, or general volunteer for the AGM, please reach out to the Board.
Board of Directors & Committees
The Board and its associated Committees lead and organize the activities of the Stroll. We are always looking for more leadership volunteers to serve either on our Board or on one of our Standing or Ad Hoc Committees. Our Standing Committees include the Haven Committee (responsible for running the Haven Reading Series), the Communications Committee (responsible for coordinating communications-related tasks), and the Reaching Out Committee (responsible for supporting member-initiated events and connecting to the wider poetry community). Ad Hoc Committees are formed for one-off events or projects, such as the Poets Reimagine Canada Anthology.
If you have previous experience, special expertise or an interest in an opportunity to gain non-profit leadership skills, please reach out to the Board.
Events and Project Volunteers
But that’s not all! The Stroll of Poets also offers workshops, writing groups, chapbook projects, poetry prompt challenges, and thrilling annual events such as The Blinks at the Edmonton Poetry Festival. We are always looking for support to organize, coordinate, lead, and support with these events and projects. If you have an idea for a project or event that you believe would be a perfect fit for the Stroll, please reach out! All of our initiatives began as ideas from members who thought… “I wonder if…” and then were supported by the Stroll to bring their idea to life!