Fort Scott Writers Club reviews cowboy poetry

Thirteen members and guests of the Fort Scott Writers Club met on July 21, 2007, in the Community Room at Presbyterian Village,

Attending members were Treasurer/Reporter Joy Melendy, Rosemary Carruthers, Ruth Bahr, Marie Marshall, Caroline Lowery, Judy Howser, Velma Reavis, Evelyn Nelson, Grace Myars, and Mary Shepherd. Guests were Kathy Crozier of Mapleton, Both Warford of Presbyterian Village, and Nicole McNutt, who is Beth's caregiver.

Members discussed plans for the September Annual Workshop Meeting. A vote was carried to drop the workshop and have the regular meeting from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and then meet at the Kress Tea Room for lunch.

Marshall gave the presentation for July. The lesson covered the origin of cowboy poetry and some of the early cowboy poets.

Reavis will give the August presentation and Carruthers will give the presentation for September.

Melendy passed out copies of the words to "Brave and the Free", a song written by Barry Ward. Barry was one of the featured performers at the recent Echoes of the Trail Cowboy Poets Gathering in Fort Scott,

Members read some of their recent poems and/or short stories. Carruthers read "conscious CHOICE;"

Lowery - "ode to My Friend Joy," "Itsy-Bitsy Bugs," and "Sky Pictures:" Marshall read "abandoned bunkhouse" and "Texas Drought," (which I am sure that some Texans would almost welcome right now), Marshall also read "Tribute to a Friend," written by Kyle Cummings of Prescott, Kan.Howser read "Do We Know What We Celebrate"; Bahr - "Another Unplanned Vacation;" Myers - "A Vacation Trip / Will Always Remember," Reavis - "Elephants" and "My Little Pot Holder" and Melendy read "The fight For Freedom."

July Birthdays: Marie Marshall - 7/9; and Mary Shepherd-7/12.

There were no anniversaries reported for July. For information about the Fort Scott Writers

Club, contact Joy Melendy at (620)743-4861.

-- Submitted by Joy Melendy