6Who are we and what do we do?
The Manitoba Writers’ Guild provides professional and personal support to Manitoba writers throughout their writing lives.
The Manitoba Writers’ Guild was founded in August 1981 in Aubigny, Manitoba by a group of writers who were interested in forming an organization that could provide programs and services to emerging and established Manitoba writers.
Our founding members are: Alexandre Aprimoz, David Arnason, Sandra Birdsell, Kate Bitney, Elizabeth Carriere, Dennis Cooley, Victor Enns, Patrick Friesen, Smaro Kamboureli, Shirley Kitchen, Robert Kroetsch, Mhari Mackintosh, Valerie Reed, Al Reimer, Michael Rennie, Jacqui Smyth, Andris Taskans, and Dave Williamson.
MWG Board Business
The Manitoba Writers Guild Board of Directors has between six and fifteen members, elected for a two-year term. All members of the Manitoba Writers’ Guild are eligible to stand for election to the board at the annual general meeting.
All members of the board of directors are asked to sit on a minimum of one standing committee. The Guild membership is actively encouraged to join the Guild’s various committees and assist in directing the future of the organization. Committees act in an advisory capacity, but often committee members volunteer in support of various committee activities.
The Standing Committees are…
Executive: The Executive Committee consists of the President, Past President, two Vice-Presidents, Treasurer, and Secretary. This group carries on the work of the Board between meetings, and provides leadership in policy, planning, finance and personnel matters.
Finance and Audit: Finance and Audit oversees the Guild’s financial planning and management. The committee develops annual budgets for the Board’s consideration; monitors performance against the budget; ensures the annual audit is conducted in a thorough and efficient manner; and develops and reviews financial policies.
Resource Development: Resource Development is the Guild’s fundraising committee. This group develops long-term strategies for securing operating, capital and endowment funds for the Guild, develops annual fundraising plans and monitors their progress, and recommends resource development policies to the Board.
Membership and Programming: Membership and Programming recommends policies for membership recruitment and renewal, ensures the membership list is kept up-to-date, oversees the delivery of programs and services and, in the absence of staff, recruits volunteers to carry out programs and services.
Nominating and Governance: The Nominating and Governance committee recruits candidates for the Board and ensures all new Board members receive an orientation. It oversees the development and revision of governance documents and Board/Committee structures, and oversees an evaluation process for Board members and committees.
Please contact the Guild office to volunteer for a committee or to learn more about becoming a board member.
