IWVPA Club: Home Page

The IWVPA Club

Information and Rules

The IWVPA Club was created in January 2001 as a forum to promote and build friendship and inspiration between War Poets and friends of the concept. Joining the Club is NOT a prerequisite to having War and War-related writings included on the main IWVPA website.

Before you make the decision to join, it behooves me to advise that this is a VERY active club and it’s not unusual that 50-60 club posts are made each day and, indeed 100 or more per day is not uncommon. So, if you decide to join merely to post your non-war/veteran related writings in order for them to be added to the IWVPA Club Website (as described below), please reconsider because that privilege is designed for ACTIVE and SHARING members of the club and not for those who would use the club merely as a means of having their non-war/veteran writings displayed.

If you decide to join the club, it is expected that you provide a few details about yourself (even just your name) so as to make things a lot easier for all of the members to get to know you. Things are very relaxed in the club – writings are shared and commented upon but rarely in a real critical light because to us, the fact that IWVPA was formed to provide a voice to the voiceless is more important than the technical and scholarly merits of any work that is posted to this club or to the IWVPA website.

Now to the point mentioned above regarding the addition of poems to the IWVPA websites. Unless otherwise indicated or requested by you, all war/veteran related writings that you post to this forum will be added to your main IWVPA index. Non war/veteran related writings may, subject to the conditions mentioned in the second paragraph above, be added to an index created for you on the IWVPA Club Website. I will, as webmaster of both sites, advise the URL of that index when created.

Rules in this club are very simple and are included hereunder and are displayed on IWVPA Club Home Page at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IWVPA/.

The exercise of common sense, courtesy and respect for the beliefs, concerns and opinions of all members, by all members, is expected at all times. Personal attacks on any member will NOT be tolerated but, except in what the moderator considers to be an extremely overt situation, the moderators will not make any decision as to what is deemed a personal attack. The matter will be addressed by the moderators only if specifically requested by a member. Such requests are to be made by private email and the matter shall be handled privately (i.e. – outside the Club forum)

Disagreement and even arguments do occur in the club but they are almost invariably a cause for growth and understanding rather than ill-will. We have all accepted the fact that politics and religion are most often the seed for such debates and so we have adopted the unspoken and unwritten rule that while comments on these subjects may be made, more robust discussions are to be undertaken outside the club by private email. Poems about political events and religion as pertaining to war, the consequences of war, veterans and their familles and supporters, are valid submissions, but writings about theses topics for their own sake are strongly discouraged and are very unlikely to be accepted to be included on any IWVPA index.

I guess the bottom line is respect and acceptance.

Sincere Regards,
Anthony W. Pahl
Webmaster

WELCOME TO IWVPA

In this place if you’ve a problem,
That the treatment is unfair,
From any unkind member,
That from it you may despair.
Then make it known to everyone,
That it can be sorted out,
Because here we don’t discriminate,
That’s what we’re all about.
No one in here is perfect,
But no one we reject,
Lest they cause harm to others,
And cause them to defect.
‘Cause we’re sisters and we’re brothers
Who love you with respect.

Hold back no accusation,
Opinion nor belief,
For in this place we share our thoughts,
And words of joy and grief.
We are here for one another,
Our differences to share,
Our likenesses discover,
Our emotions and our care.
We will suffer all your anger,
In our search for every truth
And welcome any stranger.
And accept them without proof.

So welcome to our family,
For ‘tis a family indeed,
That grew from testing moments,
Into a loving need.
You can talk on any subject,
Agree to disagree,
Challenge all opinion,
‘Cause in this forum you are free,
To write the kind of verses,
That you like to write,
Be they sad with sorrow,
Or filled with your delight.
Yes welcome to our forum,
To this International site.

©Copyright April 1, 2003 by Colin F. Jones