We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Pol Haldeman, a rancher from south of Chinook, will be one of the local poets performing on Saturday evening. Haldemen, who moved to Montana as a youngster, said he was inspired by the Bear Paw Mountains to begin writing poetry.
By Steve Edwards
BCJ News
The 22nd annual gathering of the Montana Country Poets and Pickers will begin Friday night, this coming weekend, and run through Sunday noon. According to Dale Mailand, long-time organizer and secretary of the group, "We'll pretty much follow our regular schedule with invited musicians and poets for the Friday and Saturday evening performances and 'open mic' on Saturday." The Saturday sessions are open to performers wishing to try out their poetry and receive feedback from audiences. Daytime events will be at the Chinook Motor Inn and evening performances at the Chinook High School auditorium.
The poets organized in 1994
Mailand said, "The group organized in 1994 when a group of neighbors, interested in poetry, began to meet at the Havre library. We moved to Chinook, after a few years, where a less cosmopolitan audience would appreciate what we were doing and we could draw more local poets and musicians." He added, "Ours is not the largest gathering of poets, but Chinook attracts audiences and participants who understand what it means to be self-sufficient. The poets and the audiences get what we are about."
Last year, Mailand noted, "We've finally come of age (their 21st annual gathering). We draw an audience and performers from all over Montana, Canada and surrounding western states." Last year was a major scheduling change when the group pushed their meeting time later into the spring. Mailand said, "We always had people who couldn't make it because of bad weather and impassable roads when we met in the winter." From the turnout last year, the change to a spring gathering seemed to encourage more people to travel to the event.
Schedule of events
The eveniing performances, at the high school auditorium, begin on Friday and Saturday nights at 6:30 p.m., with a few musical selections early in the show and then invited poets will perform. Mailand explained, "We have musical interludes to break up the poetry sessions. It also allows the audience to hear some local musicians as well as the poets." Musicians typically move to the Motor Inn, after the evening performances, for more music and jam sessions.
Mailand said this year there were 21 poets already scheduled for the two evening performances. He added, "Sometimes we work others in...the scheduling is flexible in case someone cancels or doesn't show up." There is a charge for the evening performances and most of the proceeds from the weekend go to support Chinook High's local FFA chapter. FFA members help with the logistics of the event throughout the weekend. The two-day event typically raises about $600 for the local FFA chapter.
Saturday morning, at the Chinook Motor Inn at 10 a.m., there will be live music and then poets get a chance to try out their material. Poets show up and organizers work them in to the lineup. There's no charge for the Saturday session and all are welcome to read poetry or listen. The session typically stretches into the afternoon.
Sunday, at 10 a.m., there will be cowboy church at the Motor Inn. Asked earlier what defined cowboy church, Mailand explained, "Well, like the rest of what we do, it's very causal." All the events are open to the public and everyone is welcome.
Summing up, Mailand lamented about modern poetry, saying, "It's no longer rhyming verse. It's more about short 'sound bites' of words. We tell our poets, if you don't have the rhyme, just fill in. We're casual about poetry as well."
Tickets to the evening performances are sold at the door, prices are $10 for adults and kids under 12 are free. There'll also be a 50/50 drawing, with proceeds going to the local FFA chapter. For more details, call Dale Mailand at 353-2383.
