Another Year Draws to a close.....
December 2016

 As this year began, our first meeting was held February 13th at the Gekkeikan Sake Factory in Folsom, our meeting spot of choice now that the Eastern Empire Restaurant has closed.  After we caught up on everyone's news, the primary topic of conversation was this year's haibun contest, setting its theme (media), as we made plans to get that information out to the larger haiku community.

The rest of the spring, and well into summer, our little group tended to be consumed by life events, so that the next time we met wasn't until August, when, on the 13th, we finally came together at the Sake factory, to share food and catch up with each others lives.  By that time our judges for the contest had been selected and Bob Lucky had agreed to publish the contest winners on the CHO website in the new year.

In October, on the 8th, we met again. This year we decided to take a hiatus from our annual Haiku Reading event.  So at this meeting we participated in a tan renga workshop, something we haven't done in a long time.  The happy results will be submitted to various publications over the next few months. 

Our last meeting of the year was held during a rainy Saturday, December 10th,  in Lodi at the Pietro's Restaurant.  We spent several hours dining and laughing,  gifting each other with personal updates and small presents.  Yvonne announced that this year's contest reached its deadline on December 1st, and the submissions are on their way to the judges.  By our next meeting, which will be on Saturday, February 11, 2017 at 12:00 at the Sake Factory, the awards and congratulations will have been sent out.
We wish everyone happy holidays, and a prosperous new year.
                                                       *****************************

The 14th Annual Jerry Kilbride Memorial 2016

English-Language Haibun Contest

Sponsor:  Central Valley Haiku Club

Deadline:  In hand by December 1, 2016

Submissions:  All entries must be in English, unpublished, and not currently under consideration by any online or printed publication.  Haibun that have appeared on social network sites are not considered published for the purposes of this contest.  There is no limit to the number or length of any submissions.  Submit three copies of each haibun, two (2) copies without author information attached for anonymous judging, one (1) copy with author’s name, address, phone number and e-mail address for notification purposes.  A first prize of $100 and a second prize of $50 will be awarded.  Honorable mention certificates also will be given.  The entry fee  of $5 (US) per haibun should be paid by check and made out to:  Mark Hollingsworth (CVHC Treasurer).

Eligibility:  Open to the public; CVHC officers are not eligible.

Correspondence:  No entries will be returned.  Please note that entries that fail to adhere to contest rules will be disqualified.  Contestants will be notified by email

Judges:  Will not be disclosed until the contest winner has been decided.

Send entries to:    Yvonne Cabalona, 

                                709 Auburn Street,

                                Modesto, CA  95350-6079. 

If you have further questions, please contact Yvonne Cabalona, YCabalona@gmail.com

CVHC From Year's End to Year's beginning....

     As Fall of 2015 deepened into Winter, and the holidays consumed the last of the year, the Central Valley Haiku Club was kept busy. 

     On Saturday, October 24th, with the sparkle of sun rays glinting off the waters that surround the Gekkeikan Sake Factory's meeting rooms, members Yvonne Cabalona, Mark Hollingsworth, Bill Owen, and Leslie Rose shared haiku, senryu, and haibun before a gracious audience of members,  friends and family members.  It was, as always, a lovely culmination to our months of writing.
    
     Then, as December arrived, we wrote "closed" to another Jerry Kilbride Memorial English-Language Haibun Contest.  The submissions were sent to the judges for their consideration.

     A funny thing happened on our way to our favorite "feeding trough" and the site of several years' worth of meetings...We arrived to celebrate our usual December holiday meeting, that marks the end of our year, to find that our restaurant had closed its doors.  In search of a place to gather, a nearby restaurant was chosen, but the din of diners and workers made visiting difficult.  We will definitely miss the Eastern Empire and are currently still searching for a meeting spot replacement.

     By January, the winners of our Haibun Contest had been chosen.  There were many commendable submissions, but, in the end, three entries caught and held our attention.  Two of the entries were given Second Place prizes each:  Sidney Bending for his comical "Soft Shoe" and Renee Owen for her poignant piece "Under the Sea".  First Place was awarded to Margaret Chula for her colorful and sensuous "Dusky Rose".  As Yvonne, our president, commented:  "There are stories and poems in each of us and every year we look forward to, and are appreciative of your submissions."  So we hope that this next year's contest will see more folks writing and submitting entries.

     As we enter February, we will be meeting for the first time in this New Year at the Gekkeikan Sake Factory in Folsom at 12:00 on Saturday, February 13th.  Should you be in our neighborhood, you are cordially invited to join us to share writings and laughter.

Respectfully submitted,
Leslie Rose
CVHC Secretary

The CVHC Annual Haiku Reading is fast approaching!

Join us on Saturday, October 24th

At the Gekkeikan Sake Factory

1136 Sibley St.

Folsom, CA 95630

For "Dragonfly Dance"

The reading will begin at 1:00 p.m. and end at 3:00 p.m.

Open mic will follow the reading for anyone who would like to share their poetry.

Sake tasting will be available in the tasting room after the reading

for all those 21 years and older.

*****

Mid-Summer Meeting

     It was a tumultuous spring for the members of our group, with all of us pulled in directions that prevented us from meeting as we would have liked.  So when we finally were able to gather again, on Saturday, July 11, 2015, at the Gekkeikan Sake Factory in Folsom, we had much to share.  All the members of our little group, Yvonne Cabalona, Ricardo de Bernardi, Mark Hollingsworth and his wife Nancy, Bill Owen (wf owen), Lynne Sperry, and Leslie Rose, shared food and caught up on everything that had gone on since our December gathering.

     Even with all that had gone on in the months since we'd last seen each other, most of us had taken the time to write a haibun on a common theme, "a piece of clothing".  So we shared what had been written then shared some haiku, transitioning to the business of the day. 

     With the year half gone,  we needed to discuss our annual Jerry Kilbride Haibun contest, which has a deadline of December 1st.  It was then we decided that it might be productive and fun to have a theme for this year's entries.  And so we elected to ask entrants to submit writings on the "piece of clothing" theme.  We're hoping this stimulates some wonderful writing.

     The other big decision of the day, with October fast approaching, was to choose a date when we might have our annual Haiku Reading.  Yvonne contacted Folsom Park & Recreation and set a date, the next to the last Saturday of October (the 24th), for that Reading. 

     With these decisions made we had run out of time and needed to adjourn, but we all look forward to October and the chance to share with others.

- Submitted by Leslie Rose

    

The 13^th Annual Jerry Kilbride Memorial 2015

English-Language Haibun Contest

Sponsor:  Central Valley Haiku Club

Deadline:  In hand by December 1, 2015

Submissions:

          This year’s contest has a theme of a piece of clothing……old clothing, new clothing, discarded clothing, found clothing, favorite clothing,  perhaps a piece of clothing with special significance.

          All entries must be in English, unpublished, and not currently under consideration by any online or printed publication.  Haibun that have appeared on social network sites are not considered published for the purposes of this contest.  There is no limit to the number or length of any submissions. 

          Submit three copies of each haibun, two (2) copies without author information attached for anonymous judging, one (1) copy with author’s name, address, phone number and e-mail address for notification purposes.

          A first prize of $100 and a second prize of $50 will be awarded.  Honorable mention certificates also will be given.  The entry fee of $5 (US) per haibun should be paid by check and made out to:  Mark Hollingsworth (CVHC Treasurer).

Eligibility:  Open to the public; CVHC officers are not eligible.

Correspondence:  No entries will be returned.  Please note that entries that fail to adhere to contest rules will be disqualified.  Contestants will be notified by email.

Judges: Will not be disclosed until the contest winners have been decided.

Send entries to:  Yvonne Cabalona

                         709 Auburn Street

                         Modesto, CA 95350-6079

If you have further questions:  Please contact Yvonne Cabalona, YCabalona@gmail.com

”DRAGONFLY DANCE”

                          HAIKU READING……

      Join the Central Valley Haiku Club on Saturday, October 24^th, 2015, at the Gekkeikan Sake Factory, 1136 Sibley St., Folsom, CA 95630, for their annual haiku reading.  The reading will begin at 1:00 p.m. and end at 3:00 p.m.  Open mic will follow the reading for anyone who would like to share their poetry with the audience.

Sake tasting will be available in the tasting room after the reading for all those 21 years and older.

February Meeting Canceled

     We regret that our meeting for February 28, 2015, has been canceled.  The meeting will be rescheduled for some time in March or April.  Please watch this blog for the posting of time and place.

The 13th Annual Jerry Kilbride Memorial 2015

English-Language Haibun Contest

Sponsor:  Central Valley Haiku Club

Deadline:  In hand by December 1, 2015

Submissions:  This year's contest has, as its theme, clothing.....new clothing, old clothing, discarded clothing, found clothing, favorite clothing, or perhaps a piece of clothing with particular significance.  All entries must be in English, unpublished, and not currently under consideration by any online or printed publication.  Haibun that have appeared on social network sites are not considered published for the purposes of this contest.  There is no limit to the number or length of any submissions.  Submit three copies of each haibun, two (2) copies without author information attached for anonymous judging, one (1) copy with author’s name, address, phone number and e-mail address for notification purposes.  A first prize of $100 and a second prize of $50 will be awarded.  Honorable mention certificates also will be given.  The entry fee  of $5 (US) per haibun should be paid by check and made out to:  Mark Hollingsworth (CVHC Treasurer).

Eligibility:  Open to the public; CVHC officers are not eligible.

Correspondence:  No entries will be returned.  Please note that entries that fail to adhere to contest rules will be disqualified.  Contestants will be notified by email

Judges:  Will not be disclosed until the contest winner has been decided.

Send entries to:    Yvonne Cabalona, 

                                709 Auburn Street,

                                Modesto, CA  95350-6079. 

If you have further questions, please contact Yvonne Cabalona, YCabalona@gmail.com