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About SYRCA

Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice - The Willow Awards, Inc.

• Organization
• Policies and Membership
• SYRCA Board of Directors
• Annual Report and Planning Document
• Submission Guidelines
• Submission Procedures

The Organization

Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice - The Willow Awards, Inc. (SYRCA) is a volunteer-run non-profit, registered charity begun in 2001. (charity number: 87530 3919 RR0001)

The mission of The Willow Awards is to promote reading by granting a "Willow Award" to the Canadian and/or Saskatchewan book(s) voted by Saskatchewan students to be the best of those nominated in designated categories for a specific year.

In an effort to encourage participation by all children, regardless of the level at which they are reading, three awards have been established:

• The Shining Willow Award for books written for young readers.
• The Diamond Willow Award for titles written for upper elementary readers (grades 4-6) .
• The Snow Willow Award for books for young people in grades 7 - 9.

Students may vote in any category in which they have read the minimum number of books required. Individual ballots or class tallies of individual votes may be submitted.

In the first year of voting (2002), more than 5,000 students participated. The number of participants has increased to more than 10,000 in 2007-2008. Ballots and how to vote for the current Willow Awards may be found on the nominees page.

Participation in the Willow Awards is free to Saskatchewan students. Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice - The Willow Awards Inc. depends on membership donations and sponsorships to operate. Please consider a membership/donation. Our charity business number is: 87530 3919 RR0001. (Membership/donation form -pdf - 157KB)

Policies and Membership Form

• SYRCA's Policy and Procedure manual. Policy and Procedures -pdf - 1,023 KB)
• Membership is open to any person, organization, institution or business, society or organization that is interested in the mission and objectives of the Corporation. Membership Fees are due and payable on application, then annually at the beginning of each fiscal year (April 1). Memberships support the work of the Willow Awards, Inc. and are a tax-deductible donation. Download a copy of the SYRCA membership form (pdf - 157KB).

SYRCA 2008-09 Board of Directors

President:	Florence Barton, Saskatoon
Vice President:	Ann Atchison, Saskatoon
Vice President:	Ruth Garnett, Saskatoon
Treasurer:	Margaret Steger, Regina
Secretary:	Donna Koch, Regina
Past President:	Claire Isaac, Regina
Directors at Large:	Wilfred Burton, Regina Fernando Ferrer, Saskatoon Val Gerrard, Regina Deborah Jackson, North Battleford Naomi Kral, Regina
SLA Representative:	Jocelyn Mark Provost, La Ronge
SSLA Representative:	Carlene  Walter, Saskatoon

Annual Report and Planning Document

The 2008-2009 Annual Report is available in 4 parts because it is too large to post as a single document - only 20 pages including covers, but it was created using a publishing program that creates and retains space consuming codes for printing.

Annual Report, Part 1(Mission, Board, President's & Vice Presidents' Reports -pdf - 704 KB)

Annual Report, Part 2 (Financial Statement - pdf - 316 KB)

Annual Report, Part 3 (Fundraising, Voting & Website Reports -pdf - 800 KB)

Annual Report, Part 4 (SaskEnergy Galas 2008 & 2009, Launch 2008, Selection Committee Reports, Volunteer Award - pdf - 864 KB)

In 2008-2009, the SYRCA Board created a planning document to guide the organization in the next few years.

SYRCA - Planning Doc.pdf 74.7 KB

Submission Guidelines for Publishers

1. Books must be written by a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada.
2. Books may be fiction or non-fiction. Textbooks will not be considered.
3. Books must be copyrighted in the past 2 years. (Books for the 2011 lists must be copyright 2009 or 2010.)
4. Books must be published in Canada.
5. Reprints or re-issues are not eligible.
6. New editions are eligible only if there is evidence of significant change in text.
7. All books must be in English. Books which have been translated into English are eligible if the original author and the translator are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada.
8. Anthologies are eligible if all contributors are Canadian or permanent residents of Canada.
9. Anyone may submit a book for consideration by the selection committees.
10. Selection committees are not restricted to consideration of submitted titles.

Submission Procedures

Three (3) copies of books for consideration should be shipped to the appropriate Selection Committee Chair as indicated below:

Deadline for receiving books is October 31, 2010.

Publishers whose books are selected as Willow Awards' nominees will be notified in February.