2012 contest

Information about the 2013 Sue C. Boynton Poetry Contest will be posted here as it becomes available.

Here are additional details on the now-complete 2012 Sue C. Boynton Poetry Contest:
Submissions open: Thursday, March 1, 2012
Submission deadline: 5:00pm, Saturday, March 31, 2012
Winners notified by phone: by Friday, April 20, 2012
Awards ceremony: Thursday, May 10, 2012

GUIDELINES & HELPFUL INFO FOR THE 2012 CONTEST (click links to open printable PDF in separate window; Adobe Reader required — click on icon to download Adobe Reader):

Sue C. Boynton Poetry Contest – 2012 Guidelines

Sue C. Boynton Poetry Contest ~ 2012 Teacher Guidelines

Sample submission

Submission checklist ~ one more way to make sure your poem meets the contest guidelines.

The FAQs page may answer additional questions.

Can’t download a pdf? Here are the 2012 guidelines:

• Contestant must be a resident of Whatcom County, Washington.
• Contestant may submit no more than one poem, which must be previously unpublished.
• Poems are limited to 27 lines with no more than 55 characters (letters, spaces, punctuation) per line. Title, blank line below title and blank lines between stanzas are included in the line count.
• No artwork please. Let the poem’s words stand on their own merit: no artwork (including clip art), no special fonts and no unusual paper or colors, please.
• Poems may be on any topic, in any form. Judges change each year and are published poets.
• Submit three (3) copies of your poem. Place your name, postal address, phone number and e-mail address in the upper right-hand corner of one copy only. Students in K-12 should provide their own name, plus their parent’s name, postal address, phone number and e-mail and also note the name of their school, grade level and teacher’s name. The second and third copy of your poem (for judging & display) must have no identifying information other than the poem’s title. Please DO NOT STAPLE the copies together.
• Please keep a copy of your poem; poems cannot be returned.
• Mail entries to Poetry Contest, PO Box 1192, Bellingham, WA 98227, OR deliver to Mindport Exhibits, 210 W. Holly Street, Bellingham (Mindport hours: Noon to 6pm Wednesday thru Friday; 10am to 5pm Saturday; Noon to 4pm Sunday). We are unable to accept e-mail submissions.
• Entries will be accepted beginning Thursday, March 1, 2012 and must be delivered or dropped off by the deadline, 5 p.m. Saturday, March 31, 2012. Late submissions are disqualified.
• Winning poets will be notified by phone by Friday, April 20, 2012. All participating poets who have included e-mail addresses will receive notification when the judging is complete.
• Winning poets will be invited to read their poem at a free public awards ceremony on Thursday, May 10, 2012, at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 355 Harris Avenue in Fairhaven.
• The ten Walk Award poems will be displayed for one year on the Sue C. Boynton Poetry Walk outside the Bellingham Public Library. All poems winning Walk Awards and Merit Awards will be displayed for one year inside Whatcom Transportation Authority buses.
• By submitting a poem to the Sue C. Boynton Poetry Contest, the poet (or parent/ guardian if poet is under age 18) agrees and grants permission for the poem, the poet’s name as author and/or the poet’s photograph to be displayed and/or reproduced for publication or fundraising purposes related to the Sue C. Boynton Poetry Contest.
• To receive important notices from the Contest, please add BoyntonPoetryContest@hotmail.com to your e-mail contacts.

Here are the 2012 Guidelines for Teachers:

• Contestant must be a resident of Whatcom County, Washington.
• Contestant may submit no more than one poem, which must be previously unpublished. Teachers may submit student poems together in a single envelope; all guidelines must be met.
• Poems are limited to 27 lines with no more than 55 characters (letters, spaces, punctuation) per line. Title, blank line below title and blank lines between stanzas are included in the line count. Please count lines and characters of each student poem before submitting it.
• No artwork please. Let the poem’s words stand on their own merit: no artwork (including clip art), no special fonts and no unusual paper or colors, please.
• Poems may be on any topic, in any form. Judges change each year and are published poets.
• Submit three (3) copies of the poem. Place the student’s name, and the parent’s name, postal address, phone number and e-mail address in the upper right-hand corner of one copy only. Students in K-12 should also note the name of their school, grade level and teacher’s name. The second and third copy of the poem (used for judging & display) must have no identifying information other than the poem’s title. Please keep a copy; poems cannot be returned.
• Mail entries to Poetry Contest, PO Box 1192, Bellingham, WA 98227, OR deliver to Mindport Exhibits, 210 W. Holly Street, Bellingham (Mindport hours: Noon to 6pm Wednesday thru Friday; 10am to 5pm Saturday; Noon to 4pm Sunday). We are unable to accept e-mail submissions.
• Entries will be accepted beginning Thursday, March 1, 2012 and must be delivered or dropped off by the deadline, 5 p.m. Saturday, March 31, 2012. Late submissions are disqualified, so please allow extra time if submission is mailed.
• Winning poets will be notified by phone by Friday, April 20, 2012. All participating poets who have included e-mail addresses will receive notification when the judging is complete.
• Winning poets will be invited to read their poem at a free public awards ceremony on Thursday, May 10, 2011, at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 355 Harris Avenue in Fairhaven.
• The ten Walk Award poems will be displayed for one year on the Sue C. Boynton Poetry Walk outside the Bellingham Public Library. All poems winning Walk Awards and Merit Awards will be displayed for one year inside Whatcom Transportation Authority buses.
• By submitting a poem to the Sue C. Boynton Poetry Contest, the poet (or parent/ guardian if poet is under age 18) agrees and grants permission for the poem, the poet’s name as author and/or the poet’s photograph to be displayed and/or reproduced for publication or fundraising purposes related to the Sue C. Boynton Poetry Contest. NOTE: the Contest will honor teacher/parental requests to exclude a child’s last name and/or photograph; please attach a note to the entry detailing the request.
• To receive important notices from the Contest, please add BoyntonPoetryContest@hotmail.com to your e-mail contacts.