2015-03-Calliope_may_june lo

For Members of Clowns of America International 

May / June 2015 

Volume 32 • Number 3 

Keith 

“Toby” 

Stokes 

Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 1

Your COAI Officers 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 

DIRECTORS 

President 

Glenn Kohlberger 

4155 Torres Circle 

West Palm Beach, FL 33409 

646.210.2238 (C) 

561.687.1126 (H) 

soundsfunny2me@aol.com 

Exec. Vice President 

Michael B. Cox 

9415 Alameda Ave. 

Richmond, VA 23294 

804.270.1165 (H) 

804.337.6143 (C) 

coaiexecvp@aol.com 

Secretary 

Dan Langwell 

54990 Ehman Lane 

Mishawaka, IN 46545 

574-904-9643 

laughingstockpro@yahoo.com 

Treasurer 

Paddee Embrey 

PO Box 632 

Stayton, OR 97383 

503.767.2503 (H) 

503.949.3077(C) 

molasses.clown@gmail.com 

Sergeant-at-Arms 

Sandra Winstead 

11801 Riverpark Way 

Chesterfield, VA 23838 

804-350-3687 

strawberry.red1@yahoo.com 

Membership 

Teresa Gretton 

3411 Lisa Circle 

Waldorf, MD 20601 

301.843.8212 

gretton@verizon.net 

Education 

Jim Dixon 

5323 East Murdock 

Wichita, KS 67208 

316-871-6705 

jdixon2482@gmail.com 

Conventions 

Jim Caffrey 

PO Box 833 

Colona, IL 61241 

309.314.6026 

jclownus@yahoo.com 

Alley, Region Support 

Julie Varholdt 

4601 S Kachina Drive 

Tempa, AZ 85282 

480-838-7781 

lovelybuttons@cox.net 

REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS 

Northeast 

Bill Le Blanc 

2 Dee Jay Road 

East Bridgewater, MA 02333 

508.378.1545 

bildabbles@aol.com 

North Central 

Judy Quest 

715 North 36th Street 

Omaha, NE 68131-1906 

402.551.4185 

dearheart@cox.net 

Northwest 

Pennie Smith 

6613 S. Prospect St. 

Tacoma, WA 98409 

253.241.1176 

253.475.9170 

penzfrmhvn@comcast.net 

Mideast 

Jessica King 

6522 MacCorkle Avenue 

Saint Albans, WV 25177 

304.542.6046 

gabbygayle2005@yahoo.com 

Midwest 

Georgia Morris 

4234 Woodworth 

Holt, MI 48842 

517.694.7100 

clownshananigans@comcast.net 

Southeast 

Dianna Hale 

1013 Way Thru The Woods 

Decatur, AL 35603 

256-309-1153 

dhale5@att.net 

South Central 

Lulu Mire 

946 Napoli Ct 

League city, TX 77573 

832-444-9959 

lucia555@gmail.com 

Southwest 

Julie Varholdt 

4601 S Kachina Drive 

Tempa, AZ 85282 

480-838-7781 

lovelybuttons@cox.net 

Canada 

Dale McKenzie 

867 Raynard Crescent SE 

Calgary, AB T2A 1X6 

403.273.9047 H 

403.606.7750 C 

funehappenings@shaw.ca 

Latin Countries 

Angel Morales 

24 RR5 Jardines de 

Caparra, Bayamon, 

PR 00959 

787.565.3205 

jobolin2008@aol.com 

International 

Ted White 

209 Obi Obi Road 

Mapleton, Qld. 4560 

Australia 

+61 7 5445 7980 

twaddles2014@hotmail.com 

STANDING COMMITTEES 

Audio Visual: Merilyn Barrett 407.844.2862 • klownkop@prodigy.net 

Budget Committee: Mike Cox, 804.337.6143 • coaiexecvp@aol.com 

Sandra Winstead 804.350.3687 • strawberry.red1@yahoo.com 

Paddee Embrey, Dan Langwell, Willy McGinnis, 

Dale McKenzie, Pennie Smith 

Bylaws and Rules: Mike Cox, 804.337.6143 • coaiexecvp@aol.com 

Cleon Babcock, Ted White, Jeanne Wosaka 

Clown Week: Bob Gretton, 301.843.8212 bunkytclown@comcast.net 

Competition: Cathy Mackey, (518) 784-2127 • ctots@aol.com, 

Pam Bacher, Bob Gretton, Cynthia Kella, John Kral, Bill Le Blanc, 

Walt Lee, Tim Laynor, Ann Sanders 

Ethics & Grievance: Paul Kleinberger 518.489.2680 

• fuddiduddy@aol.com Kent Sheets, Jeanne Woska 

Finance: Sandra Winstead, Chair, Paddee Embry, 

Dan Langwell, Mike Cox, Judy Quest 

Good Cheer: Fred Schlosshauer, 973.887.2617 • oscarboj@aol.com 

Historians: Walt Lee 410.551.7830 • wally788@verizon.net 

Teresa Gretton, Jeanne Woska 

International Ambassador Program: Bob Gretton, 301.843.8212 • 

bunkytclown@comcast.net 

Junior Joeys: Regina Wollrabe 503.807.2584 • 

coaijrjoeys@gmail.com, Kynisha Ducre, Paddee Embrey, 

Bob & Teresa Gretton, Willy McGinnis, Dale McKenzie, Cheri Venturi 

Membership: Teresa Gretton 301.843.8212 • gretton@verizon.net 

Willy McGinnis, Doug Munsell, Judy Quest 

Merchandise: Sandra Winstead 804.350.3687 • strawberry.red1@yahoo.com 

Parliamentary Procedure Advisor: Cleon Babcock 515.266.6530 • 

ccbabcock@aol.com 

Public Relations: Bonnie Love, 619.282.9668 • 

bonbonsandiego@yahoo.com 

Scholarship: Jim Dixon, 316.871.6705 • 

jdixon2482@gmail.com, Paddee Embrey, Judy Quest 

2 The New Calliope • May/June 2015

May / June 2015 

Volume 32 • Number 3 

Published by 

Clowns of America International 

The mission of Clowns of America 

International is to organize all members 

desiring to pursue the honorable 

profession or art of clowning and the 

dedication toward its advancement and 

the education of its members. 

COAI Business Office 

Post Office Box 122 

Eustis, Florida 32727 

Telephone: 

1-877-816-6941(toll-free) 

1-352-357-1676 

Hours: Monday-Friday 

9:30 a.m.—4:00 p.m. (EST) 

E-mail: coaioffice@aol.com 

Website: www.coai.org 

Magazine Production 

SPS Publications, Inc. 

Copy Editors 

Sarah Haines 

Erika Higgins 

Graphic Design 

Jessica Friend 

Creative Consultant 

Regina “Cha Cha” Wollrabe 

Publication Deadlines 

July/August 2015 – June 1 

September/October 2015 – August 1 

November/December 2015 – October 1 

January/February 2016 – December 1 

March/April 2016 – February 1 

Send ads and articles to 

thenewcalliope@gmail.com. 

The New Calliope (ISSN 1072-1045) 

is published bi-monthly (January/ 

February, March/April, May/June, 

July/August, September/October, 

November/December) by COAI, Post 

Office Box 122, Eustis, Florida 32727. 

Periodicals Postage Paid at Eustis, 

Florida, and additional mailing offices. 

POSTMASTER: Send address changes 

to: The New Calliope, COAI Business 

Office Manager • Post Office Box 122, 

Eustis, Florida 32727. 

The New Calliope articles are protected 

by U.S. copyright and international 

treaties and may not be copied without 

the express permission of Clowns of 

America International, which reserves 

all rights. Re-use of any of The New 

Calliope editorial content and graphics 

online, in print or any other medium for 

any purpose is strictly prohibited. 

© 2015 COAI 

OUR COVER 

4 Keith “Toby” Stokes: President’s Award Sarah Haines 

HOW-TO 

13 Birthday Party Primer Brian “Topper” Lees 

46 The Paper Bag and Invisible Ball Trick Jim “Soapy” Dixon 

47 High Five! Ann “Tuttles” Sanders 

INSPIRATION AND HUMOR 

51 New Stuff, Well Stored Aurora “Bebop” Krause 

54 Surviving Summer Heat Dan “Fitzwilly” Langwell 

OFFICIAL BUSINESS 

6 From the President Glenn “Clyde D. Scope” Kohlberger 

8 Alley of the Future Julie “Lovely Buttons” Varholdt 

10 From the Membership Director Teresa “Blondi” Gretton 

48 Treasurer’s Report Paddee “Molasses” Embrey 

NEWS 

14 COAI Competition Awards 

44 The Last Walk-Around 

47 Support Our Advertisers 

48 Clown Calendar 

54 Membership Gifters 

MISCELLANEOUS 

2 Directory of Officers, Directors, and Committees 

12 Good Cheer 

43 COAI Annual Convention, 2016 

49 COAI Registration and Renewal Form 

50 Formulario de Applicacion y Renovacion 

Clowns of America International, Inc. 

COVER PHOTO BY MERILYN BARRETT 

52 Welcome, New Members 

January/February cover photo by Rick Marranconi 

14 

43 

51 

Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 3 

4 

8

OUR COVER 

Keith “Toby” Stokes 

President’s Award Recipient 

By Sarah Haines 

couple years ago Reader’s Digest named Lake Placid, Florida, 

A “The Most Interesting Town in America.” One reason was Toby’s 

Clown School, founded by the man who is surely the city’s most interesting 

resident—Keith “Toby” Stokes. 

During the past four decades as a clown, Keith Stokes has taught 

clowning to many others. He has clowned in hospitals, nursing homes, 

schools, and libraries. Of the four characters he developed, Toby the 

Clown is the best known. “Good clowns just take parts of themselves 

and extend those traits,” he says. 

Toby has been heavily involved with Clowns of America International 

for many years and has personally recruited hundreds of members. In 

his nineties, he is still involved in the clowning community and recently 

competed at the COAI Annual Convention in Erie, Pennsylvania. 

His clowning career began when he started as a Shrine clown with 

the Ansar Walking Clowns Group in Springfield, Illinois. He was not 

given much instruction and had no prior training as a clown, so he 

learned as he went, developing skills through observation and practice. 

He watched older clowns and followed their examples. This strategy 

allowed him to develop strong, practical clowning skills, he says. 

Now he is one of the older, more experienced clowns providing an 

example to the younger generations. He sees Junior Joeys as the future 

of clowning. He mentors young clowns in his alley and also reaches 

them through his clown school at the Toby the Clown Foundation, 

where they began teaching Junior Joeys in 2004. 

COAI President Glenn Kohlberger says, “Keith ‘Toby’ Stokes is a 

very special person to me. As a clown he is an advisor, a role model, a 

former COAI Board member, and my clown dad, but as a friend he is 

so much more than all of that. As I took over as COAI President in 

2012, he was always a phone call away supporting my ideas and offering 

his advice. Finding support for change in a ninety-four-year-old 

clown was truly rare indeed.” 

When Toby moved to Lake Placid after his retirement, he discovered 

there was no clown community in the area. He founded the local 

alley, chartered in 1995, which is now named after him: Toby’s Clown 

Alley #296. The alley’s website describes their wide range of activities: 

“Toby’s Clowns participate in many community events—the Caladium 

Festival and Country Fair in Lake Placid, Winterfest in Sebring, and 

Christmas parades, as well as many others. Clowns also ‘clown around’ 

during visits to hospitals and nursing homes, at the Clown House, on 

the street, and at birthday parties.” 

Toby encourages clowns to get involved in the community. One 

way he does this is by working with local hospitals to arrange for 

In his nineties, Toby still competes. He has won many awards during 

the past forty years. PHOTO BY MERILYN BARRETT 

clowns to visit and entertain patients. When he began 

working with clowns, they were so well received by patients, 

hospitals allowed him to use their meeting rooms 

for training. In 1994, he approached several hospitals in 

Highland County, Florida, and helped set up a program 

where parents of children born in 1994 received a ticket 

for free admission to any Ringling Bros. and Barnum & 

Bailey Circus any year of the child’s life. 

The Toby the Clown Foundation, based in Lake 

Placid, started in 1990. The clown school is a major aspect 

of the foundation. Since 1993, over 2,500 clowns of 

all ages have graduated. The school was founded to teach 

beginning clowns more about the art of clowning and 

help them develop their skills. They learn how to develop 

their clown character, including costuming and make-up, 

and work on acting and other skills that will help them as 

they begin clowning. 

The foundation also houses Toby’s American Clown 

Museum, which opened in 2010 after an addition to the 

building was constructed. As the name would suggest, 

the museum’s emphasis is on American clowns. It boasts 

over seven hundred pieces of clown memorabilia. Visitors 

can see paintings and photographs of famous clowns, in 

addition to costumes, classic circus posters, a life-sized 

carousel horse, and more. The location also serves as the 

meeting place for Toby’s Clown Alley #296. 


Founded in 1993, 

Toby’s American 

Clown Museum 

and School is located 

in Lake Placid, 

Florida—“The City 

of Murals.” 

Junior Joeys gather around Toby at the 2015 COAI Convention. 

PHOTO BY REGINA WOLLRABE 

Always encouraging, Toby thanks Regina “Cha Cha” Wollrabe for 

her work with the COAI Junior Joey program. PHOTO BY SAMMY 

SMITH 

Convention headliner Angel Ocasio confers with Keith “Toby” 

Stokes. PHOTO BY REGINA WOLLRABE 

Toby served as the COAI Southwest Regional Vice President for ten 

years, after being elected in 1996. During his term, he helped establish 

the Regional and International Ambassador programs. He is also a certified 

COAI judge. 

Recently, Toby helped President Kohlberger set up the clown insurance 

program for COAI. “When I began the search for COAI insurance, 

Toby was my first phone call,” he says. “Keith owned an insurance 

firm for many years. He knew the insurance ‘language’ (and believe me 

there is a unique lingo that needs to be understood). He knew the pitfalls 

and failures that past attempts to get insurance for COAI fell into, 

going back to when he was on the board. Although I had the role of 

negotiator, without knowing the subject inside and out, what to ask 

for and what not to, this could not have worked. Toby gave me that 

tutelage, history, and more, which helped to make COAI Insurance a 

reality.” 

Toby’s love of clowning and of COAI are contagious, and he works 

hard to help people become successful clowns. “Toby is one of those 

rare individuals who gives you everything he possibly can, and more,” 

says President Kohlberger, “but never asks for recognition, reward, or 

even a simple pat on the back in return.” However, his accomplishments 

are worthy of recognition. In 1997 he was the first recipient of the Red 

Nose Award, given to a clown who displays outstanding accomplishments 

for COAI. He now presents the award. In 2011, he received 

the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his achievements 

during his clowning career and his contributions to COAI. 

Perhaps the highest honor came this year at the COAI Convention 

in Erie, Pennsylvania. Keith “Toby” Stokes became the first-ever recipient 

of the President’s Award, presented by Glenn Kohlberger in recognition 

of his many contributions to Clowns of America International. 

In true Toby style, he accepted the award with humility and gratitude. 

He plans to continue spreading the joy of clowning to others. A kind 

person and dedicated clown, Toby enjoys passing his knowledge on to 

others, young and old, and wants to see them become great. All of his 

work is just a way to spread the joy of clowning. “Clowns must have 

love in their hearts to create the smiles, love, and laughter,” he says. That 

may be his secret to becoming the most interesting person in “The Most 

Interesting Town in America”—and one of the most caring clowns in 

COAI. TNC 



Glenn “Clyde D. Scope” Kohlberger 

From the President 

Thank you to all who attended, competed, lectured, judged, coordinated, and 

worked behind the scenes or just plain enjoyed the education at the COAI 30 th 

Annual Convention in Erie, Pennsylvania. There were so many firsts at this convention, 

you might have to take off your big clown shoes to count them all. Let me begin 

with tipping my pirate hat to the ERIEsistible clowns. This was their first time hosting 

a COAI Convention, but one would never have known. From start to finish they 

had so much fun packed into their pirate adventures that Blackbeard himself would 

have had a smile on his face all week long. The hardest part was deciding just when to 

get some rest. From headliners to lecturers to pirate games to theme parties and more, 

we had the best of the best in entertainment. Sharing their craft family style made us 

all feel like we were part of that big ole family right up through the goodbyes. 

This leads to another first! Over ninety first-time COAI Convention-goers attended 

the convention! This was the most people I have ever seen in our first-time mentor 

program. Teresa Gretton, our COAI Membership Director, made our first-timers feel 

at home and guided them through their first COAI Convention. The best part wasn’t 

just their dedication to participate in almost every facet of the convention; many also 

won top ten awards, top three, and even first place honors. 

We designed a COAI 30-Year patch that was sold for the first time at the convention 

in Erie. They are now available from the COAI Business Office for $3.00 each— 

but once they are gone, they are gone. If you would like to purchase one or more, act 

fast as there is only a limited number left. 

Another first came from the Junior Joeys of COAI. Regina “Cha Cha” Wollrabe, 

our Junior Joey Chair, designed and established the very first COAI Junior Joey 

Outreach program. She contacted the superintendent of schools and was approved 

to distribute flyers to nine schools in the district. Regina set up stations for eight 

different skills—juggling, puppetry, face painting, magic, hat manipulation, balloon 

modeling, balancing (place spinning and rolla bolla), and walk-around with props. 

This was also the first convention that we presented the COAI President’s Award 

to two outstanding members: Keith “Toby” Stokes and Regina “Cha Cha” Wollrabe. 

Toby was my right hand in understanding our insurance program and helped me 

make this incredible member benefit a reality for COAI. Regina took our Junior Joey 

program to new levels no one ever dreamed of. The President’s Award is worded: “In 

appreciation of going far beyond what anyone could have ever expected, working 

within and beyond the parameters established in the past, and finding new ways to 

accomplish new and different expectations, COAI is proud to award you with the 

President’s Award. May your heart, passion and dreams help guide your way in life.” 

Both Keith and Regina, without question, exemplify the true meaning behind this 

award. 

I stated to our members at the banquet Saturday night: “Although these two have 

stood out as non-board members, the entire COAI Board has stood out 

all year as the most outstanding COAI board I have ever had the pleasure 

of working with.” This is yet another first for me, as this board (along with 

our business manager and The New Calliope editor) has worked together 

as a cohesive unit from day one. They have given up their perks, extended 

themselves far above the norm, and have reached into their own pocket 

multiple times for the sake of COAI. They did not attempt to make these 

changes after they left the board, which is why I hold each and every one 

of them in the highest regard. It takes a selfless group to accomplish all 

that this board has done in such a short 

time—but stand back, folks, because we 

are just getting started! 

Yet another first this year occurred 

with the Convention Best in Clown 

Award. For the past five years it has 

been won by some pretty impressive female 

clowns. But this year was different. 

Not only was this the first time a male 

clown has won the Convention Best in 

Clown Award, it was also the first time 

it has ever been won by someone outside 

the United States. Ching Shan Kong 

(Sound Sound the Clown), a.k.a.—on 

Facebook—Kenneth Kong, was absolutely 

awesome. You can read more about 

Sound Sound on page 14. 

Our 2016 convention, which will 

be held at Circus Circus in Las Vegas, 

Nevada, April 4-8, 2016, brings yet another 

first. This will be the very first convention 

that COAI will truly be running 

100% from start to finish. This convention 

is planned with you, our members, 

in mind. When have you ever paid less 

than $300 for your entire five-night convention 

hotel fee? (There are additional 

packages to stay longer or come in earlier 

to check out as well. After all, how often 

do you get to see Las Vegas?) 

This will also be the first COAI 

Convention that will run from Monday 

through Friday to get our members 

better rates. So register today by calling 

Dianna Hale at 1-256-309-1153. The 

registration rate right now is just $170! 

We had forty-two people sign up in Erie 

for Las Vegas (another first), so do not 

wait! Call Dianna today! 

We also announced one more first— 

the pilot program for COAI Online 

Alleys. Many members live in areas that 

have no alley to join, or have an alley that 

may not be the right fit for you. Maybe 

you just physically cannot get to your 

meeting place because of distance, personal 

ailments, or other reasons. Many 

members have said they love their alley, 

but no one wants to step up 

to do the administrative part 

of an alley. We have thought 

long and hard about this 

dilemma and have come up 

with a pilot program that we 

believe will fit all your needs. 

For just $15 for alley dues, 

you will be able to join the 


first-ever COAI Online Alley. Our plan 

is to have a meeting once a month right 

in your living room, or wherever you 

keep your computer. The meeting will 

actually occur on your computer. We will 

have a lecturer each month on different 

topics. Right from your own home you 

will be able to ask questions and participate 

in discussions. The lecturer will 

follow each meeting with an opportunity 

to purchase that lecturer’s goods. Many 

members never get the opportunity to 

come to a convention and walk into the 

dealer room; now we are bringing that 

dealer room right into your home. There 

will be no travel, no late-night driving, 

and the only down side is you will have 

to supply your own coffee and cake. You 

could also possibly be in an alley with 

members from all over the world. Even 

if you are happy with your present alley, 

you can still join a COAI Online alley. 

All members can join more than one 

alley just by paying the dues. 

One more first I am proud to announce 

is that any changes to our bylaws 

will no longer be decided just by 

those who attend our convention. All 

current COAI members will have the 

opportunity to exercise their votes either 

for or against any change to our bylaws 

going forward. I feel this is how it should 

have been from the start. We are a membership-driven 

organization; you are the 

one reason we exist. Every member’s 

voice needs to be heard, and now that is 

law. The COAI members also approved a 

new E-membership, but we will explain 

that in the next issue of The New Calliope. 

And the firsts keep on coming! By now 

you have heard that this was the first 

year we have ever offered COAI Clown 

Insurance to our members. This has been 

directly involved in helping increase 

our membership. But I am more than 

ecstatic to report yet another first. This 

past month of April has been our largest 

increase over the last eight months of 

membership increases. We have added 

105 new members in this month alone. 

This has been a total group effort. Laurel 

and Sammy Smith, all of those at Brown 

and Brown Insurance, Keith “Toby” 

Stokes, along with our entire board, have 

all been a part of the next generation of 

COAI. I am very happy to say we are 

well, we are growing, and we cannot wait 

to unveil the next chapter in this exciting 

ongoing series called Clowns of America 

International. 

As always, I thank you all for the opportunity 

of serving as your President, 

and I can’t wait to share what’s next! 

P.S. Late-breaking news! Our COAI 

Clown Insurance now gives you a oneyear 

policy from the date you sign up. 

And it’s still just $150 for the year. See 

the ad on this page for details! TNC 


“A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your 

current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.” 

–Denis Waitley 

The future is here! Allow me to introduce you to something new, different, and 

exciting: 

COAI Virtual Online Alleys! 

No matter where you live—even if there isn’t a physical Alley nearby—you’ll be able 

to make friends, attend alley meetings, and enjoy fantastic educational opportunities. 

COAI Virtual Online Alleys can help keep our beautiful art of clowning alive and 

thriving. It’s time to knock down the walls of uncertainty and jump into the future! 

With a COAI Virtual Online Alley (V-Alley), growth is inevitable! You won’t have 

to get in your car and drive in the dark, or hire a babysitter for the night, or figure out 

what to wear. Attend your monthly meetings in the relaxing comfort of your home, 

without fear of snow, rain storms, or unbelievable heat. When you’re not feeling well, 

you can still snuggle up in bed and watch the lectures. With V-Alleys, you can even 

wear your jammies to a meeting! This will save you time, gas, and remembering whose 

turn it is to bring the coffee and donuts. You will have to make your own coffee though. 

So what exactly is a V-Alley? It will be a group of entertainers who have a lot in 

common. Maybe they don’t have an alley of their own to go to, or they don’t live 

near an existing alley. Maybe their alley is closing, or perhaps they just want to join 

another alley. So COAI has taken a step into the future. If you have a computer with 

a microphone, a webcam (most laptops made in the last five years have these), and a 

reliable Internet connection, COAI’s V-Alley will be the ideal place for you to share 

ideas, promote education, and meet clowns you might never have met any other way. 

Oh yeah, it’s also a great way just to have a little fun once a month right from your 

home. If any of these goals sound appealing, COAI has just the pilot program for you. 

8 The New Calliope • May/June 2015 

the Alley 

of theFuture 

By Julie “Lovely Buttons” Varholdt 

Imagine having alley members from all 

over the world! (We will be sure to set 

up the alleys according to the language 

spoken.) 

We have listened to you, our members, 

and realize that physical alleys 

cannot exist everywhere—but virtual 

alleys can! Some concerned clowns have 

mentioned that sometimes alley spirits 

are destroyed by internal power struggles. 

Aside from the person in charge 

of setting up the meeting, V-Alleys will 

require no administrative personnel. So 

again, V-Alleys become the ideal solution. 

In a V-Alley, everyone is equal. To 

choose lecture topics, each member will 

be given one vote, and the majority rule 

decides. 

Just like the alley meeting you already 

drive to once a month, COAI Virtual 

Online Alleys will schedule a meeting 

on the same night each month, and will 

bring in lecturers for clown education. 

You will be able to interact with these 

lecturers through your computer. You 

can print out charts, pictures, and any 

other “freebies” usually handed out by a 

lecturer, including anything written on 

the white board, on your own printer. In 

the webcam conference, you will still be 

able to raise your hand to speak; everyone 

in the meeting will see and hear you 

as you speak. And by simply sliding your 

mouse across the bottom of your screen, 

you will be able to see everyone else who 

is “attending” the meeting, even when 

they are not speaking. At the end of the 

lecture, the presenter will also be able 

to share his or her wares. So for many 

who do not get the opportunity to go 

to a convention and see the dealers in 

the dealer room, this is your chance to 

finally do so. Furthermore, you can send 

messages via your computer to others 

who are attending without interrupting 

the meeting. It’s like passing notes in 

school, but you never get caught! 

Every COAI member will have the 

opportunity to join a V-Alley, and you 

may be in as many V-Alleys as you 

please. Your dues will be paid to COAI, 

and will go toward the master programs’ 

costs and other general online hosting 

expenses. The cost to join is only fifteen 

dollars per year; you must be an active 

COAI member to do so. Once the first 

V-Alley has been established, members 

will have the opportunity to make 

Continued on page 47



Wow, the adrenaline is pumpin’! So 

excited! Membership is up and 

growing! New members grew in April 

alone with 105 new members; 14 were 

through the membership scholarship 

program. Quite a few signed up as firsttime 

attendees at the COAI Convention 

in Erie, Pennsylvania. COAI’s new insurance 

program has brought in more 

members. COAI’s liability insurance 

program with Brown and Brown of 

Pennsylvania has kicked into high gear. 

It’s affordable and has great coverage. 

The pirates of Lake Erie came out in 

masses as the ERIEsistible Clown Alley 

hosted this year’s COAI Convention. 

The Erie Jolly Jesters Alley brought in a 

beautiful calliope that graced the registration 

area. Outside was a large replica 

of a pirate ship, provided by a local company. 

You could buy a chance to unlock 

a treasure chest. Nope—none of my four 

keys had the right number! 

This year the first-time attendees registered 

and then met with members of 

the Mentor Program. Each was given a 

coupon and told to report to the mentor 

meeting for orientation and redeem their 

coupon for an “ARRRGH-tograph” 

book. The attendance was phenomenal 

with close to one hundred attendees. 

Mentors—including board members, 

Clowns of the Year, veteran conventioneers, 

and competition directors— 

introduced themselves. It was a great 

opportunity for first-time attendees to 

meet and recognize mentors. The book 

was created to receive stickers whenever 

a first-time attendee asked a mentor a 

question throughout the convention. We 

hope this added to the education they 

received during the week. In addition to 

education, the aim of the program was 

From the 

Membership Director 

Teresa “Blondi” Gretton 

to make the first-timer feel welcome and 

more at ease. The Mentor Committee 

deserves much appreciation for working 

on an easier-flowing program; it appeared 

to not only work but allowed for 

fun, too. 

The banquet included outstanding 

awards honoring Bob Gretton as Lifetime 

Achievement recipient; Sue Marranconi 

as Clown of the Year; Connie Morrow as 

Individual CHARLIE awardee; Classic 

Clown Club (Alley 181) of Johnstown, 

Pennsylvania, as Alley CHARLIE 

awardee; Rose City Clowns for Best of 

Press Award for their alley newsletter 

(Red Nose Newz); and Merilyn Barrett, 

recipient of the Editor’s Choice Award 

for her photographic contributions to 

The New Calliope. The late Cal Olson 

(1924–2009), who edited The New 

Calliope for seventeen years, was inducted 

into the Ring of Honor. 

President Glenn Kohlberger presented 

Presidential Awards to Keith “Toby” 

Stokes for his superb assistance with the 

new insurance program, and to Regina 

Wollrabe for her awesome contributions 

to the Junior Joey program. 

While at the convention, the newly 

created Awards Advisory Council met to 

discuss criteria for their future work on 

selections for the various awards, including 

Lifetime Achievement, Clown of the 

Year, Excellence In Clowning, and Ring 

of Honor. The President selected the current 

council members from among those 

who have received the two highest honors 

in COAI—Lifetime Achievement 

Award and Clown of the Year. They are 

Walt Lee, Keith Stokes, Angel Ocasio, 

and Bob Gretton. The Membership 

Director will oversee the council. 

Speaking of Lifetime Achievement 

(LTA) recipients and Clowns of the 

Year (COTY), they were well represented 

at the convention. LTAs included 

Walt Lee, Keith “Toby” Stokes, Merilyn 

Barrett, Ann Sanders, Pat Roeser, and 

Bob Gretton. COTYs were Richard 

“Design-O” Smith, Nancy “Rowdy” 

Rosekrans, Angel “Willy” Ocasio, Cathy 

“TOTS” Mackey, Ann “Tuttles” Sanders, 

Judy “Dear Heart” Quest, Bob “Bunky” 

Gretton, Jeanne “Freckles” Woska, 

Barbara “Sparky” Bird, Tim “Sawdust” 

Laynor, and Sue “Squeeze” Marranconi. 

Another great highlight of the convention 

was clearly the Junior Joeys. They 

were spectacular! With Regina Wollrabe 

as their leader, they were ever-present 

throughout the convention. While they 

learned from some of the best mentors 

and instructors, they also were given opportunity 

to separately judge skit competition 

to get a flavor of how competitors 

are judged by the score sheets. They competed 

in the Paradeability competition 

under a Junior Joey category and then 

delighted an appreciative audience with 

their own skits in a showcase. Regina 

also arranged an outreach program for 

local children to join the Junior Joeys in 

an afterschool workshop at the convention, 

which proved very successful. 

The ERIEsistible Clowns are to be 

congratulated for a huge job well done. 

Take a look at all the fabulous competitors 

in this issue and enjoy. 

One side note, I set up a Skype visit between 

one of our longest COAI members 

(Frank Kelly) and two hospitality 

rooms at the convention. It was his desire 

to see and hear the members, as it had 

been since 2003 in St. Louis when he 

last attended. He was so very moved by 

the opportunity and was overjoyed to see 

and hear the fun everyone was having. 

By the way, Frank holds COAI Member 

Number 16, and he is very proud of that! 

And we are too! TNC 

Contact Membership Chairman Teresa 

“Blondi” Gretton by e-mail at tgretton@ 

comcast.net. 



Our Good Cheer List 

Please take a minute and spread a 

few words of cheer with a card or note 

to one of our less fortunate members. 

Dr. Dave “Sneezer” Hoffner 

13728 Greenwood Ave. N, #012 

Seattle, WA 98133 

Miriam “Senorita Soto” Kleinberger 

2 Maple Lane North 

Loudonville, NY 12211 

Charlie “Charlie Chuckles” Meranda 

369 Herron Road 

North Ft Myers, FL 33903-2748 

Barbara “Patches” Nichols 

504 College Place 

Kingsville, TX 78363-4901 

Frank “Famus Fumbles” Recor 

C/O Crystal River Health & Rehab 

136 N.E. 12th Ave., Room 19N 

Crystal River, FL 34429 

Roland “Rolo the Clown” Wood 

60 River Road 

Edwards, NY 13635 

Good Cheer Chairman: 

Fred Schlosshauer 

8 Alanon Street 

Whippany, NJ 07981 

973-887-2617 

oscarboj@aol.com 


Birthday Party Primer 

By Brian “Topper” Lees 

At some point, we all get involved with birthday party performances. In my area 

these parties seem to be the launching pad for more shows. Whether you end up 

expanding to higher paying markets such as festivals and county fairs or doing only 

parties, it pays to master the birthday business. 

Many clowns get tense or scared at the thought of doing a “show.” Perhaps they 

envision a large stage with huge crowds. The fear takes root when they wonder what 

will happen if they make a mistake. I classify a show as any performance in which you 

are the center of the action for a sustained amount of time. So a birthday party is a 

show that takes place in a small environment. 

Approach your performance in three phases. The first is what I refer to as the opening. 

An opening can be as short or as long as you need it to be. Mine begins the minute 

I step up to perform. Remember, I am already in my clown character. When it’s show 

time, I make enough noise to get the audience’s attention. It’s clear that I am leading 

the birthday celebration. 

The audience knows they are welcome to shout, laugh, and get excited. This is a 

celebration! I encourage everyone to get involved. My birthday party shows are packed 

with audience participation. I call up many volunteers to help with magic. I allow the 

audience to shout at me when I cannot find something that is stuck on my back. They 

call out, “Turn it around! Turn it over!” as I perform with props. The audience should 

be making noise! 

From the opening you move on to Phase 2, which is entertainment. This might 

involve a short magic show or guiding them through a craft or game. Be sure to emphasize 

the birthday child while you are performing. Phase 2 can be a little tricky, as 

you have to hold their attention. Do not expect the kids to sit for an hour while you 

do magic. Their span of interest and attention only lasts so long. 

Phase 2 is flexible. As you perform magic, be prepared to change activities if the kids’ 

reactions start to decrease. You could move to a game, start working with a puppet, or 

do some magic that includes a lot of volunteers. Exercising the audience also works 

fantastically. Get them moving. Have them stand and play a game of Simon Says 

(substitute your clown name for Simon). When someone is eliminated, have him or 

her sit down. As you get close to the end, with fewer standing, let those who are sitting 

help pick some of the actions. 

The last phase is wrap-up. Gather the audience one last time and perform some 

closing magic with the birthday child as the final volunteer. Having the star in front 

of his or her friends for rounds of applause helps end your performance on a high 

note. I like to hand out kazoos and lead 

the guests in squawking out the birthday 

song. 

As you prepare to tackle birthday parties, 

here are some things to keep in mind. 

Success with Phase 1 will come with experience. 

Introduce yourself and set the 

audience at ease. For more ideas, speak 

with other clowns who do birthday parties. 

A wealth of support and information 

is available through them. Attend clown 

conventions. Many of the birthday party 

lectures are the best resources. Successful 

clowns are always eager to learn more. 

The second phase is the hardest to prepare 

for. You need to once again capture 

the audience’s attention. Your first trick or 

routine should be bright and colorful. As 

you continue, use volunteers or encourage 

the audience to participate by having 

them call out answers to your questions. 

Keep a watchful eye on their attention 

span. Some clowns intermix games while 

they do magic. Be prepared to close the 

formal show and move on to other activities 

such as games or crafts to balance out 

your time. 

From the parents’ perspective, you are 

the diversion. Your show gives them time 

to set up the cake and ice cream. They have 

a chance to pick up wrapping paper left 

on the floor, or pick up a camera and capture 

some memories. The bottom line to 

being a successful birthday party clown is 

presenting a show that entertains the kids 

and gives the parents a breather. TNC 


COMPETITION PHOTOS BY MERILYN BARRETT • LAYOUT AND DESIGN BY REGINA WOLLRABE 

Awards were presented in fifteen categories during the 30th Annual COAI Convention in Erie, Pennsylvania. 

Recipients were recognized at the banquet on Saturday, April 25, held at the Hilton Garden Inn. The official presentation 

of awards was accompanied by enthusiastic applause and lots of flash photography! 

Five qualified judges scored each entry as competitions were held over three days. Awards were made for the 

top ten contestants in each category; however, the scoring did not always result in awards for all ten positions. In 

categories with five or fewer competitors, placement is based on percentile achievements. Contestants may also tie 

for placement. 

Ching Shan Kong (Kenneth Kong) 

“Sound Sound the Clown” 

By Sarah Haines 

For the first time in the history of the “Best in Clown” award 

at the COAI Convention, the honor went to a member who 

resides outside of the United States—proving that Clowns 

of America International is truly a global community. Ching 

Shan Kong—also known as Sound Sound the Clown and 

Kenneth Kong—received the award from President Glenn 

Kohlberger at the Annual Banquet on Saturday, April 25, 

for achieving the highest combined score in competitions. 

Sound Sound, who makes his home in Hong Kong, 

competed in Character/Make-up, Single Skit, 

Paradeability, Single Balloon, Multiple Balloon, 

Balloon Arrangement, Cheek Art, and Full Face 

Painting. 

During his competition performances, as 

well as in receiving the award, Sound Sound 

energetically demonstrated his passion for the 

art of clowning. 

Although Sound Sound 

has many qualities that make 

him a great clown, he didn’t start out 

as a Joey; he originally was a magician. 

When working at a boring job as an office 

clerk, he did what any bored office clerk would 

do—began looking up magic videos on 

YouTube. He became infatuated with 

magic and decided to become a magician. 

He realized that magic has the potential 

to help relationships and to build 

connections. 

After studying magic for three years 

at the Hong Kong Federation of Trade 

Unions, he realized that being a magician 

was not his dream and began 

looking for alternatives. At that time he 

discovered balloon twisting and juggling. 

During a balloon twisting class he met 

Ben Leung, who became his mentor. 

When Ben invited him to perform with 

him, he agreed immediately, thinking 

that it would be good money and an 

opportunity to practice his balloon skills. 

However, he was surprised when he was 

told that the show would be in clown. 

During the time that he worked with 

the show, he only made a halfhearted 

effort at clowning. However, after about 

a year of clowning without passion, his 

friend came to visit him while he was 

working, and they took a picture together. 

“Everything was perfect,” Sound 

Sound said. “However, I saw an awful 


looking clown in the photo—that was 

me.” He realized then that he needed to 

be a better clown and spent time developing 

his skills. 

There are two moments in his clown 

life that stand out to him, moments that 

he has never forgotten. The first was 

when he was on his way to a show and 

met a blind man. He had recently attended 

a clown course on assisting blind 

people and had been wondering why he 

needed to know this. He was able to use 

all the skills he had learned in the class 

to help the man home. 

The second moment was when his 

parents asked if they could join him in 

some volunteer work he was involved 

with. When he was younger, he had a 

rocky relationship with his parents. As 

they were working together, he noticed 

that his parents kept looking at him. At 

first he thought that there was something 

wrong with his make-up, but then 

he realized that they were glad that he 

had finally grown up and matured. 

After spending five years doing everything 

that he could to be the best clown 

that he could be, he decided that it was 

time to test his skills. He decided to 

enter the competition at the 2015 COAI 

Convention. His goal was to relax and 

enjoy the experience. He treated it as a 

chance to meet other clowns and learn 

from them. Because the most important 

thing for him was to learn, participate, 

and enjoy, he didn’t put a lot of thought 

into whether he would win. However, he 

was excited to earn the title of “Best in 

Clown” for the 2015 convention. 

He enjoys clowning. For Sound 

Sound, clowning is all about happiness 

and about making other people happy. 

Even after clowning for several years, 

he still enjoys looking at himself in the 

mirror after putting on make-up and 

appreciates the reactions of other people 

when they see him in clown. “Clown 

culture for me is not juggling,” he says. 

“It is not magic. It is also not about 

“If you are not 

passionate to improve 

every day, you can 

be a clown, but not a 

successful clown.” 

balloon twisting. The clowning culture is 

all about pure, simple happiness.” 

His advice to new clowns or anyone 

who wants to be a clown is to enjoy the 

process. A clown who is happy and excited 

will make others happy as well, which 

will increase the clown’s satisfaction. 

“The most important factor is passion 

and patience,” he says. “If you are not 

passionate to improve every day, you can 

be a clown, but not a successful clown.” 

He is excited to share his knowledge 

about clowning with others and to pass 

on his clowning skills to anyone who 

wants to learn. He’s currently working 

to organize clowning classes in Taiwan 

and Hong Kong. He wants to teach his 

students how to gain happiness from 

making other people happy. 

His passion for clowning is clear to 

everyone who meets him, and that quality, 

along with his clowning skills, helped 

him stand out as Best in Clown 2015. “I 

would like to be a funny man,” he says. “I 

can make people happy. That is the role 

of the clown, I believe.” TNC 



























OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT 

AWARDS 

AT ANNUAL BANQUET 

In addition to recognition for winners of the 

2015 COAI Competitions, other special awards 

were presented during the Annual Banquet. 

Keith Stokes, Glenn Kohlberger, and Regina Wollrabe. 

President Glenn Kohlberger presented Keith “Toby” Stokes 

and Regina “Cha Cha” Wollrabe with Presidential Awards for 

their contributions to COAI. 

Bob “Bunky” Gretton received a plaque for Lifetime 

Achievement Award. 

Sue “Squeeze” Marranconi was honored as the 2015 Clown 

of the Year. 

The convention’s Best in Clown Award went to Ching Shan 

Kong from Hong Kong. 

Connie Morrow of West Seneca, New York, accepted the individual CHARLIE Award 

Bob Gretton. 

for 2013 Clown Week. 

Classic Clown Club, Alley 181, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, won the alley CHARLIE Award for Clown Week 2014. 

Merilyn “M.T. Pockettes” Barrett received the Editor’s Choice Award for her contributions on The New Calliope, 

including photographing convention and supplying other photos throughout the year. 

Rose City Clowns, COAI Alley 196, won the 2015 Best of Press Award for their outstanding 

alley publication, Red Nose Newz, edited by Susie “Sparkles” 

Dorland. 

The Ring of Honor—COAI’s posthumous award for those who 

have contributed to the advancement of the organization and to 

clowning—was awarded to Cal Olsen, who was nominated by 

Teresa “Blondi” Gretton. An article about Cal will appear in the 

next issue of The New Calliope. TNC 

Merilyn Barrett. 

Sue Marranconi. 

Ching Shan Kong. 

Connie Morrow. 


WOW! WHAT AN AWESOME 

CONVENTION WE HAD IN ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA! 

By Jim “Jay J.” Caffrey, COAI Director of Conventions 

I 

’m writing to you with great excitement about the 30th Annual COAI Convention. We had everything you could want in a convention, 

starting with the awesome ERIEsistible Clown Alley as our wonderful hosts! Superb classes, outstanding competitions, 

sensational dealers area, the super-cool headliner (Angel Ocasio), lots and lots of evening fun, and even our very own COAI 30th 

birthday party. We also had two representatives of our COAI insurance program answer questions and sign people up for this fantastic 

member benefit. And how can any theme party of pirates go awry? 

The really neat part for me is we had the biggest number of first-timers attend the Mentor Meeting. Laurel Smith from our COAI 

Business Office set up a table and was busy signing up new members every day. Whenever she signed someone up—which was 

often—we heard the “Honk! Honk!” of a clown horn sounding out from her table! 

One of my most appreciated things about our organization is that my wife, a “non-clowning” person, is allowed to come to COAI 

Conventions and is not mandated to be a member. 

The hotel staff was a delight to work with, from my end of the spectrum. It was fantastic to see the Jam sessions happening in the 

lobby of evenings. 

I feel badly for those of you who were not with us for this convention, because you missed out on so much! At the same time I am 

ecstatic for those who were able to make this convention. Again allow me to extend my appreciation to the ERIEsistible Clowns of 

Erie, Pennsylvania, for a job well done! 

Keep your eyes open for the 31 st Annual COAI Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 4–8, 2016. These dates are Monday 

through Friday. You’re going to love the room rates of less than $268, including resort fees and taxes for five nights at Circus Circus! 

Be sure and use the hotel code of “CL04COA” when you call 1-256-309-1153 to make your reservations. Your booking at Circus 

Circus is so very important to our ability to keep prices low at this convention, we are requiring that you give us your Circus Circus 

Hotel confirmation number with your convention registration. Thank you for your support! TNC 

INTERNATIONAL CLOWN WEEK 2014 CHARLIE AWARDS 

By Bob Gretton, Clown Week Chair 

Planning to celebrate Clown Week? I suggest you visit www.nationalclownweek.org for all the information you need. You 

will find the Proclamation of National Clown Week signed by President Richard Nixon, the history of Clown Week, 

sample of a press release and proclamation, and much more. Plan with your alley or individually to make Clown Week one 

to remember. Also, read the criteria for the CHARLIE Award to better understand what would be a perfect Clown Week 

awareness. 

International Clown Week, 2014: International Clown Week was celebrated in fine fashion during the week of August 

1–7, 2014. Several entries in the form of scrapbooks, CDs, and e-mails were received for the CHARLIE from alleys and 

individuals. Thank you goes out to Alley 313, The Idaho Gem Jesters and Alley 185, The Sioux City Sillies for submitting 

documentation which included proclamations, news stories, thank you notes, and pictures of activities during Clown Week. 

The 2014 alley winner is…drum roll please…Alley 181, Classic Clown Club from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. They did a spot 

on their local NBC-TV station promoting their Clown Week events. Appearing at several locations during each day of Clown 

Week, they submitted a ton of pictures showing their activities. It was a job well done by many members of the alley. 

Drum roll again, please…The Individual winner: Connie Morrow from West Seneca, New York. Connie collected fourteen 

proclamations (not an easy job). She also appeared in four news articles during the week and put in long hours each day, 

which included lots of fun events, and pictures, pictures, pictures. Congratulations to both winners! 

Honorable mention goes to Sara Kreutz from Holstein, Iowa, for her efforts. Sara did a wonderful job with social media 

getting the word out about Clown Week. 

Clown Week is a time to get out in your community to promote and educate people about the art of clowning. Remember 

to visit the COAI website (www.coai.org) under “Awards” for all the details about the CHARLIE Award and celebrating 

International Clown Week. Now, don’t delay! Get ready, get set, and prepare to go full steam ahead! TNC 


Now for something completely different! 

Clowns of America International Convention at 

Circus Circus • Las Vegas, Nevada 

Monday, April 4 – Friday April 8, 2016 

We have a Hotel Room Package from Monday night through Friday night (5 nights) for 2 people in a room for ONLY $184* 

If you would like to come in for extra days, see below for details. Room rate packages for the week are based on two (2) persons per room in the Skyrise 

Tower. In order to receive these rooms at this AMAZING rate you must book through the COAI room block with Circus Circus Hotel & Casino (booking 

code: CT04COA). 

Basic Hotel Packages 

Package C. 6 nights @ $252.00* – Monday through Saturday 

Package A. 5 nights (M–F) @ $184* 

Package D. 7 nights @ $281.00* – Sunday through Saturday 

Package B. 6 nights @ $213.00* – Sunday through Friday Package E. 8 nights @ $349.00* – Saturday though Saturday 

*Plus daily resort fee of $15 plus, the current Clark County room tax of 12% (subject to change). 

Additional occupants are $15 per additional person per room per night plus taxes for ages 18 and older with a maximum of 4 persons in a room. At least 

one adult (21 years or older) is required for each room. Packages for the West Tower are approximately $3 more per day plus tax. Same rules apply. 

You must book your own room through the COAI Room Block using booking code CT04COA at Circus Circus Hotel & Casino in order to get the 

convention registration fees below. Without the Circus Circus room block code, an additional fee of $100 will be added to your registration fee. This 

will be strictly enforced in order to keep everyone in our COAI room block. These hotel prices are good until March 14, 2016. Hotel Information: 

Circus Circus Hotel & Casino • 2880 Las Vegas Blvd S. • Las Vegas, NV 89109 • 1-800-634-3450 or 702-691-5950. 

COAI Registration Form 

Name ______________________________________________________ 

Clown name _________________________________________________ 

Address ____________________________________________________ 

City _____________________________________ 

State _____________ Zip code ___________ Country _______________ 

Phone ______________________________________________________ 

E-mail ______________________________________________________ 

Credit Card Number __________________________________________ 

Exp. Date _________________ CCV/CVV2 Code __________________ 

COAI Membership Number ____________________________________ 

**Without the Circus Circus room block code, an additional fee of $100 will be added to your registration. 

By Oct. 30, 2015 – $170** _______ 

By Mar 17, 2016 – $190** _______ 

Jr. Joey – $150 with no increase ______ 

Parent/Guardian of Jr. Joey $150** _______ 

At the door – $230** ______ 

Daily Rate – $55 _________ (No meals included) 

Extra Banquet Ticket _________ $60 each 

First Time COAI Conv. _______ yes? 

Circus Circus Confirmation # ___________________ 

Total Amount Enclosed $_________________ 

$25 processing fee for cancellations before 3/25/16. No 

refunds after that date. 

For more information visit www.coai.org • Apply for COAI Scholarships at www.coai.org/?page=Scholarship. Mail completed form to 

Dianna Hale • 1013 Way Thru The Woods • Decatur, AL 35603-1283. Phone: 256-309-1153 

Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 43 

Run Away with us to the Circus…Circus Circus in Las Vegas, Nevada, 2016!

NEWS 

z LAST 

WALK-AROUND 

l 

Maria “Maggie” DeWilde 

Maria “Maggie” DeWilde, 75, of Altus, Oklahoma, 

died Tuesday, January 6, 2015, after a sudden and brief 

illness. A mass and memorial service was held for her 

at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Altus on January 

9. Maria was born in Brownsville, Texas on January 23, 

1939. She met her future husband, Jim, while both were 

stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. They were married at 

the Old Post Chapel on Fort Sill on June 17, 1961. Jim, 

who later clowned as “Jimminee,” talked her into going to 

Pricilla Mooseburger’s Clown Camp with him in 2002. 

They joined COAI shortly thereafter, and finally attended 

their first COAI Convention in 2009, in Clarksville, 

Indiana. She only got into make-up occasionally to join Jimminee for a show, but was 

always at his side to help at other times. She is survived by her husband, Jim, and their 

sons James Jr. and wife, Sylvia, of Port St. John, Florida, and Richard of San Francisco, 

California. 

Ruth Ann Maschhoff 

Ruth A. Maschhoff, 64, of Centralia, Illinois, passed away in her 

home on Saturday, January 24, 2015. Known as “Anna Belle Le,” she 

became a member of COAI and started clowning in 2006. She excitedly 

joined any church, school, or community activity that needed 

a clown. Ruth wrote many clever skits that she performed with her 

clown buddies. Photo credit: Lois Holthaus. 

CLOWNS OF AMERICA 

INTERNATIONAL 

Annual Membership 

Individual Members—$40 

Seniors (65+)—$30 

Junior Joey—$30 

Family Membership—$20 

Lifetime Membership—$1,000 

$20 of the COAI membership includes 

a one-year subscription to The New Calliope 

magazine. Subscriptions are not a benefit 

of the family memberships. (Only the 

Individual Membership in the household 

receives The New Calliope.) 

Send membership dues to: 


Post Office Box 122 • Eustis, FL 32727 

Make all checks payable to 


Join or renew by calling toll-free 

877 816-6941 or visit www.coai.org 

OUR NEWEST EDITION! 

IT’S LIKE HOLDING A CLOWN 

SCHOOL IN YOUR HANDS! 

Noah “Melvin” VanDenburgh 

Noah E. VanDenburgh, a.k.a. “Melvin,” was 

called to perform in Heaven’s Center Ring 

on March 4, 2015. He was 67 years old. Born 

and raised in Troy, New York, Noah attended 

Troy schools with his brothers and sister. As 

a youngster, Noah developed an enduring interest 

in comedy magic and balloon twisting. 

In 1967, Noah graduated from Hudson Valley 

Community College with a degree in accounting, 

and began a thirty-five-year career in service 

to the people of the State of New York, 

via the State Comptroller’s office. A man of many interests, he freely volunteered his 

personal time with many community and church groups around the Capital Region. 

He often included magic and balloons in his volunteer work. 

Just $25 plus $3 postage. 

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CLOWN SCHOOLS 

For each book you buy for $25, you will 

receive a new membership for your student 

for just $25, which includes the digital 

edition of The New Calliope. 

ORDER TODAY 

Call the COAI Business Office 

1-352-357-1676 


In 1990, he introduced “Hard Luck 

Harry” to his family and friends, while 

earning a Bachelor of Smiles from a local 

clown arts training program. His activities 

included memberships in the Town 

Clowns and the Happy Valley Clown 

Alley 110, as well as participation in 

the Capital Region Clown Arts Festival 

and Clowns of America International. 

Noah participated in local, regional, and 

national clown events, often receiving 

accolades and taking home awards. His 

pursuit of clowning led him to the art 

of balloon sculpting. He made many 

friends along his way and was noted 

for his abilities not only to craft many 

unique pieces—such as his parody of the 

Pink Panther—but also to make people 

smile. As “Melvin the Old Balloon 

Dude,” Noah became the proprietor of 

Theatrical Balloon Guy, an enterprise 

that combined the color, fun, and excitement 

of balloon sculpting with the art 

of decorating. With smiles and balloons, 

Noah’s family and friends gathered to remember 

and celebrate his life on March 

7, 2015. The smiles and laughter he created 

will be missed. 

Submitted by Paul “Fuddi-Duddy” 

Kleinberger, Loudonville, New York. 

Al “Prof. Owl” Yates 

The beloved Prof. Owl took his last 

walk-around on January 26. He was 

96 years young and actively clowned 

until this past September. During his 

last three years of clowning, he used a 

walker. While on weekly hospital visits, 

he carried give-aways and a gun for 

bubble-blowing in his walker basket. The 

sign on the front of his walker stated “De 

Ole Coot.” When comparing ages with 

elderly patients, he nearly always won! 

As he left their rooms, he would say, 

“And that’s as funny as it gets!” 

For several years, Al won the Cowtown 

Clown Alley’s Participation Award for 

the person who does the most alley gigs 

in a year. All of his twenty-four years of 

clowning was on a volunteer basis. The 

clowning event dearest to Prof. Owl’s 

heart was Challenge Air, a national organization 

that provides a once-in-alifetime 

opportunity for Special Needs 

children through the gift of flight. It 

combined his two greatest passions— 

flying and clowning. TNC 

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OPEN $375 $220 $150 $85 

3X Contract $350 $205 $135 $75 

6X Contract $330 $195 $125 $70 

4 COLOR 

OPEN $470 $275 $190 $110 

3X Contract $440 $260 $170 $95 

6X Contract $420 $245 $160 $90 

ADVERTISING RATES 

SPECIAL PAGES (4 Color ONLY) 

Outside Back Cover: $550 

Inside Front & Inside Back: $500 (full) - $300 (1/2) 

All Alleys who have 100% COAI Membership may purchase 

ads at the lowest rate available less 10%. Deadlines are the first 

of the month prior to the starting cover date. For example, the 

deadline for the January/February issue is December 1. Send 

ads, space reservations, and questions to thenewcalliope@gmail. 

com or contact the COAI Business Office at 1-877-816-6941 or 

352-357-1676. 


HOW-TO 

A Variation of 

the Paper Bag 

and Invisible Ball Trick 

By Jim “Soapy” Dixon 

One of the most-taught magic 

tricks that clowns use is the invisible 

ball caught in the paper sack. 

Here’s a run-down, for those 

of you who aren’t familiar with 

it. Simply hold a small paper 

sack with your middle finger and 

thumb (Figure 1) and first act 

as though you pull a small “invisible” 

ball from it. After giving 

1 

the invisible ball to the child, you 

then tell him or her to toss it into the bag. When they do, you 

follow the invisible ball with your eyes. When the ball reaches 

the bag, snap with the two fingers holding the bag. It creates the 

illusion that something has hit and fallen into the paper sack. I 

like to hold a deflated balloon in my palm while holding the bag 

(Figures 2 and 3). On the final throw, I toss the sack into the air. 

When I bend to pick it up, I secretly drop the balloon in, then 

turn it over to let the balloon fall out. From there, I jump into the 

“Bigger, Bigger, Bigger” game. 

But there is even an easier variation. 

If you find snapping the bag to be a bit difficult, you can try 

this: find a wooden box (a cigar box would be great), a small tin 

planter container, a chick pan, or anything else that will make 

some noise as it is thumped. And you simply palm the balloon 

against the bottom of the item. Open the bag, hold it at an angle, 

and when the kid throws the invisible ball at the bag, use your 

free hand to “thump” the bottom of the box. The kids will go nuts! 

Jim Dixon is the COAI Director of Education. Contact him by 

e-mail at soapy@sillysoapy.com. 

2 

3 

Time to renew your membership? Do it today and save your 

organization the cost of mailing a renewal form. Renew online 

at www.coai.org or by phone in less than five minutes! Call 

1-352-357-1676. 


HIGH FIVE! 

HOW-TO 

Text and Photos by Ann “Tuttles” Sanders 

Secretary, Kolonial Klowns – Alley 357 

What you need: 

• Pen or pencil • Paper • Calculator (optional) 

Instructions: 

1. Tell your audience you are looking for a mathematical wizard—someone who is 

talented in the art of addition, subtraction, and division. If no one comes forward, 

you can comically offer the use of a calculator. 

2. Ask the volunteer to write a number on the paper provided, but to not show or tell 

you what it is. Note: they do not have to select a single-digit number. This works 

equally well with multi-digit numbers. For our example, we’ll use the number 23. 

3. Next, ask the volunteer to add their number and the next higher number. To ensure they 

perform the correct calculation, you can offer an example. “Erika, let’s say you selected 

the number 23. The next higher number is 24, so you’ll add 23 and 24 to arrive at 47.” 

The volunteer’s calculations will look like this: 23 + 24 = 47. 

4. Here is where it may get tricky! Have the volunteer add 9 to their number, then 

divide the sum by 2. After all this, have them subtract their original number. Don’t 

forget to have them write their final answer on the paper. 

47 + 9 = 56 

56 / 2 = 28 

28 – 23 = 5 

5. Finally, ask your volunteer to fold their original paper and place it on the table. 

Take the paper and hold it to your ear. Pretend to hold a conversation with the final 

number. Tell your audience that, to reveal his identity, the final number has shared 

a story. 

6. With the pen or pencil, demonstrate this story on a new piece of paper. 

1. Mr. One went out to eat. 

2. He ate so much, his stomach popped out! 

3. He put on his hat and went home. 

7. Ask the volunteer if their number is 5. If the calculations were done correctly, it will 

be! As a thank you for volunteering, offer them a high five! TNC 

Alley continued from page 8 

suggestions and decide on an alley name 

(all votes will be majority rule). This 

alley will feature one more thing you can 

never get in a live alley setting—a mute 

button! Try doing that in a regular alley 

meeting. 

V-Alley lectures will also be recorded. 

So if you miss your meeting, all you 

have to do is sign in and watch what you 

missed as it unfolds before your eyes! 

The program V-Alleys will use WebEx, 

which the Board of Directors and 

Junior Joeys have been using successfully. 

WebEx even has an app, so you can 

watch from your iPad or iPhone. I love 

the future! 

“Education is the passport to the future, 

for tomorrow belongs to those who 

prepare for it today.” –Malcolm X 

If you are interested in becoming a 

member of a COAI Virtual Online 

Alley, send an email to coaionlinealley@ 

gmail.com. For any interested dealers or 

lecturers, feel free to send your information 

to this e-mail as well. The list is 

filling up fast, so don’t delay. Remember: 

I am here for you if you have questions 

about alleys. Until next time! TNC 

SUPPORT OUR 

ADVERTISERS IN 

THIS ISSUE! 

Balloons to You–12 

Bebop’s Alley Workshops–45 

Clownfest–9 

Clowning Basics—44 

Circus Circus Las Vegas–43 

La Rock’s –Back Cover 

Mooseburger Clown Arts Camp–11 

SPS Magic–Inside Back Cover 

W.R.C.A. Clown Convention–46 

Buy from the advertisers who support COAI. 

Tell them, “I saw you in The New Calliope!” 

Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 3 


CLOWN 

CALENDAR 

July 14–18, 2015 

World Wide Circus Summit 

Springfield, Massachusetts 

www.worldcircussummit.com 

July 15-18, 2015 

International Brotherhood of Magicians 

Convention 

Jacksonville, Florida 

www.magician.org 

July 28–August 2, 2015 

Mooseburger Clown Arts Camp 

Buffalo, Minnesota 

www.mooseburger.com/moosecamp 

August 1–7, 2015 

International Clown Week 

August 3-7, 2015 

KIDabra 

Williamsburg, Virginia 

www.kidabra.org 

August 27-29, 2015 

Central States Shrine Clown Association 

Convention 

Denver, Colorado 

www.shrineclowns.com 

September 9–13, 2015 

Southeast Clown Association Convention 

Altamonte Springs, Florida 

www.southeastclownassoc.org 

September 16–19, 2015 

Clownfest 

Lancaster, Pennsylvania 

www.clownfest.com 

September 30–October 4, 2015 

Midwest Clown Round-up 

Merrillville, Indiana 

www.midwestclownassociation.org 

November 8-12, 2015 

Western Region Clown Association Convention 

Denver, Colorado 

www.wrcaclowns.com 

November 11–15, 2015 

Mid-Atlantic Clown 

Association Convention 

New Cumberland, Pennsylvania 

www.midatlanticclownassociation.com 

April 4–8, 2016 

COAI Convention 

Las Vegas, Nevada 

www.coai.org 

TREASURER’S REPORT 

Clowns of America International Income, 

Expense, and Balance Statement 

Paddee “Molasses” Embrey 

Jan/Feb 2015 % Jul to Feb 2015 % 

Income 

Membership 7,124 87.4% 58,302 80.0% 

Magazine Ads 1,000 12.3% 9,110 12.5% 

Merchandise 18 0.2% 503 0.7% 

Calendar Income 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

Convention 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

Interest 0 0.0% 77 0.1% 

Auctions/Education 0 0.0% 2,961 4.1% 

Other Misc 10 0.1% 1,896 2.6% 

Total Income 8,152 100% 72,849 100% 

Expenses 

Calliope Production - Newton Studios 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

Calliope Production - SPS Pub 3,297 40.4% 17,884 24.6% 

Calliope Postage - Newton Studios 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

Calliope Postage - SPS Pub 1,404 17.2% 6,677 9.2% 

Design/Editorial Fee - SPS 4,166 51.1% 16,664 22.9% 

Business Manager - Newton Studios 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

Business Manager - SPS Pub 3,050 37.4% 12,200 16.7% 

Other Calliope Expenses 0 0.0% 92 0.1% 

Calendar Expenses 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

COAI Fall Board Meeting Exp 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

COAI Spring Board Meeting Exp 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

Other Board Expenses 294 3.6% 850 1.2% 

Officer Phone/Postage 46 0.6% 46 0.1% 

Professional Services 0 0.0% 3,050 4.2% 

Web Expense 0 0.0% 6,294 8.6% 

Directory 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

National Office Commission 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

National Office Phone 101 1.2% 886 1.2% 

National Office Postage 862 10.6% 4,135 5.7% 

Convention 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

Merchandise 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

Printed Materials 98 1.2% 944 1.3% 

Credit Card Fees 160 2.0% 1,190 1.6% 

Insurance 0 0.0% 2,121 2.9% 

Scholarships/Grants 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 

Education 0 0.0% 500 0.7% 

Trophies 0 0.0% 92 0.1% 

Lowe Collection 196 2.4% 196 0.3% 

Other Misc Expenses 1 0.0% 178 0.2% 

Total Expenses 13,674 168% 73,998 102% 

Net Income/(Loss) (5,522) -67.7% (1,149) -1.6% 

Stonegate Bank General Fund 0 

United Southern Bank 14,108 

Florida Shores Bank 0 

Stonegate Money Market 6100040788 61,305 

Stonegate Money Market 6100040507 17,212 

Total funds $92,625 

$37,169 is contigency, $28,244 is scholarship and $1,804 is education. $25,408 is unrestricted. 


Clowns of America International 

Application and Renewal form 

Name: First Middle Initial Last 

Street: 

City: 

State: Zip: Country: 

Phone (required): 

E-mail: 

Date of Birth (required): Age: Male/Female 

Clown Name: 

Alley Affiliation: 

Your COAI Number(if renewing): 

Referring Sponsor (if any): Sponsor’s COAI Number: 

Gift A Membership 

Please gift a membership to the person on this form. 

I wish to remain anonymous. 

I wish for you to identify me to the recipient. 

I wish to write a note: ___________________________ 

________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________ 

Please give us your name and phone number so that we can 

contact you if necessary. If you wish to remain anonymous 

check the box above and we will not reveal your identity. 

___________________________________________________ 

Name Phone # 

Annual Membership Dues 

Active Membership: . . . . . . . . . . . . $40 

Senior Membership (65 +): . . . . . . . . $30 

Junior Joey Membership (age 8-15): . . . $30 

Family Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20 

LIFETIME Membership: . . . . . . . . $1,000 

• Seniors must be age 65 or older within the enrollment or renewal year. Junior Joeys must be age 8 to 15 in the 

enrollment year. 

• Children ages 8 to 15 can choose to join as Family Member or Junior Joey. Family members can be any age. 

• Full Memberships receive The New Calliope magazine. Family Memberships do not receive The New Calliope. 

Check No. __________ 

Visa 

MasterCard 

Discover 

Payment Method 

Credit Card # __________________________________________________________________ 

Expiration Date: _______________________ CC Verification Code (3 digits) ______________ 

Signature 

Send Form To: 

Clowns of America Intl. Inc. • P.O. Box 122 • Eustis, Florida 32727 USA 

Phone: 877.816.6941 • 352.357.1676 • Fax: 352.357.7166 • www.coai.org 

All COAI memberships are on an annual basis. 

September/October 2013 


CLOWNS OF AMERICA INTERNATIONAL 

FORMULARIO DE APPLICACION Y RENOVACION 

Nombre: Primero Iniciales: Apellidos 

Calle: 

Ciudad: Urbanización / Barriada: Pueblo: Zona Postal: 

Regale Una Membresía 

Por favor regale la membresia a la persona indicado en esta forma. 

Deseo permanecer anónimo. 

Deseo que usted me identifique al recipiente. 

Deseo escribir una nota.________________________________ 

Número de Teléfono: 

E-mail: 

_______________________________________________________ 

_______________________________________________________ 

_______________________________________________________ 

Fecha de Nacimiento: Edad: Masculino/Femenino: 

Nombre de Payaso/a: Afiliado: Nombre del alley 

Número de COAI (renovación): 

Referido por: 

Numero de COAI del Referido: 

_______________________________________________________ 

_______________________________________________________ 

Por favor dénos su nombre y número de teléfono de modo que 

nosotros podamos ponernos en contacto con usted si fuera necesario. 

Si usted desea quedarse anónimo, haga una señal in la caja indicada 

arriba y no revelaremos su identidad. 

__________________________________________________________ 

Nombre 

#Teléfono 

Cuotas de Socios Anuales 

Membrecía Individual: . . . . . . . . . . . $40 

Membrecía Mayores (65 +): . . . . . . . . $30 

Membrecia Junior Joeys (jóvenes 8-15): . . $30 

Membrecía Familia: . . . . . . . . . . . . $20 

Membrecia De por vida: . . . . . . . . . $1,000 

• Los seniors deben tener la edad 65 o más viejo dentro del año de renovación o la inscripción. Los Junior Joeys deben tener la edad de 8 a 15 

en el año de inscripción. 

• Los ninos de la edad 8 a 15 pueden decidir unirse como el Miembro de Familia o Junior Joey. Los miembros de familia pueden ser cualquier edad. 

• Socios DE LA VIDA reciben la revista The New Calliope. Socios de Familia no reciben la revista The New Calliope. 

Método de Pago 

Cheque a nombre de: __________ 

Visa 

MasterCard 

Discover 

Firma y Teléfono: (Se requiere para las tarjetas de crédito) Número de Teléfono:___________________________ 

Número de Tarjeta de Crédito __________________________________________________________________ 

Fecha de Expiración : _______________________ Código de Verificación (3 dígitos) ______________ 

Firma 

Clasificación de Membresía 

1. Todas las membresías a COAI se hacen en bases anuales. 

Enviar formulario a: 

Clowns Of America, International, Inc. (COAI), P.O. Box 122, Eustis, FL 32727 USA 

Teléfono 1-877-816-6941 • Fax 352-357-7166 • Página Web: www.coai.org 



New Stuff, 

Well Stored 

By Aurora “Bebop” Krause 

This comfort level 

we have with our 

old, over-used 

props eventually 

decreases their 

entertainment 

value. 

The Lite Auguste make-up 

category first was created in 

2005. 

We all have a drawer or closet somewhere in our house packed with new and 

never used magic tricks and props. We keep them well stored. At some point 

we must have thought these clown items were going to be perfect for us—so what 

happened? When we put these items out of sight, we tend to forget about them. When 

we don’t take the time to practice and learn how to use them, we end up forgetting why 

we even liked them in the first place. So I propose an idea: go into that drawer or closet 

and bring out one of those items. Place it somewhere visible. As time allows, try to read 

up on this one item. Check YouTube to see if anyone out there is using this prop or 

magic trick. Find out if it has enough potential for you to spend time learning how it 

works and taking the time to add it to your show, hospital cart, or walk-around routine. 

I’ve been clowning for over twenty years, and I’ve collected a good number of these 

magic tricks and props that I’ve kept well stored. This year I began trying to add something 

new from this stash to my routine. Things don’t always work out as I imagined 

them. However, I don’t give up on a prop until I’ve tried it several times. I will tell you 

that I’ve added some of these new props to a show and Bebop has surprised me by 

meeting me half-way and knowing exactly what to do to make this new prop entertaining. 

I’m convinced this happens because I’m running full-clown—in character and 

with a little adrenaline flowing. So you see we have everything this prop or magic trick 

needs to help it come alive. Have confidence and start working with your treasure chest 

of new clown toys. 

Start by taking one item out of that well-maintained stash and see how your clown 

character can incorporate this item into your clowning. You might also consider taking 

it to your next alley meeting and asking a friend if they’re familiar with the item. If not, 

then maybe the two of you can brainstorm some performance possibilities using this 

item together. The goal is to begin coaxing your treasures out of their hiding place and 

allowing them to make their debut. Initiating this process is up to you! We all know 

we need to start making use of all of these investments. However, we get so used to 

clowning with the same old comfortable stuff. This comfort level we have with our old, 

over-used props eventually decreases their entertainment value. So go ahead, dig deep 

into that closet full of clown magic, gags, and props, and start using your treasure trove 

to freshen up your act. 

You may discover that you’ve had a wonderful prop this whole time. However, it’s 

also possible that after trying several times to incorporate one of these items, you’ll 

discover that it’s not going to work out for you. That’s perfectly okay; either way, you’ve 

made the right move. At this point, you can consider giving this prop or magic trick to 

someone who doesn’t have a drawer full of new clown stuff, even if you have to mail it 

off to a clown buddy. This gesture will make both of you happy! TNC 

I enjoy hearing from you! Feel free to e-mail me at bebopclown@hotmail.com or visit 

my website: www.bebopsworld.com. 


Ruth Aitken PA 

Ronald Aitken PA 

Michael Jo Jo Alayon FL 

Darlene Butchie Allen PA 

Bill Happy Allen PA 

Sharlyne Mery Cherry Alvarez-Vargas Mexico 

Cindy Alviso CA 

Cynthia Green Bean Anderson PA 

Jose Landin Apolonio Vidal Mexico 

Gustavo L Pollo Bollo Balleza Orta Mexico 

Alexander Flip Banish OH 

Denise Tweedle Dee Bennett Australia 

Mara Mara Berman Berman MD 

Alexa Tu TU Bisbee PA 

Karen Blacher NY 

Marc Boytoe Boiteux MI 

Debra Joy Bolen VA 

Joanne QT Pie Bowman OH 

William Kaboom Brasgalla MI 

Tina Agatha the Fairy Godmother Burgett- 

Krause OH 

Paula Daisy Bussey VA 

Penny Popo Byrd CA 

Mary Spunky Caldwell MI 

Pam Q T Ï€ Cammack AZ 

Kenny Kencan Cantor United Kingdom 

Cappy Cappy Carrig SC 

Marian Caruso NY 

Ross Rosco Champion MI 

Alicia Chatman MI 

Wanda Payasa Rosiv Cintron Sepulveda PR 

Glenda Coco Clare NY 

Kris Skiddles Cocaro IL 

Debra Cook MI 

Judy Lady Bug Cox FL 

Carol CLaroL Crooks Canada 

Mariana Cruz-zaporta AL 

Allen Allen The Balloon Man Davis NE 

Peg Little Bit Davis MA 

52 The New Calliope • May/June 2015 

Welcome, NEW MEMBERS! 

Andrew Andy The Clown Davis United 

Kingdom 

Jon Jonny Davison United Kingdom 

Shawna Del Real CA 

Georgia Pinky Dixon Australia 

Hayley Hayseed Dunham PA 

Elizabeth Tie Dye Dunham PA 

Isabelle Zelda Eagleson CT 

Enrique Arlequin Elegante Esperaza-leon 

Mexico 

Nicole Nikki Noodles Ethier MA 

Rick Sticks Ethier MA 

Vicki Noodle Daisy Ethier MA 

Jaquan Fields US 

Emma Fleming OR 

Oscar Alejandro Payaso Floopy Flores-Peres 

Mexico 

Michele Sew-Qute Foffi PA 

Jana Twinkle Fogle OR 

Don Fortier FL 

Christopher JuggleBoy Fowler NC 

Denise Vixie Fox PA 

Hayden Coach Fox PA 

Carter Skittles Fox PA 

Rick Shifty Gaines MI 

Eden Payaso Garritas Garcia-Gomez Mexico 

Arturo Payaso Coronitas Garcia-Gomez 

Mexico 

Marco Antonio Payaso Turron Pluf Garcia- 

Gomez Mexico 

Diana Bernice Payasa Dianys Pluf Garcia- 

Leon Mexico 

Marco Antonio Payaso Varitas Pluf Garcia- 

Leon Mexico 

Isis Gauzens AZ 

Portia Cotton Candy Gillespie FL 

Star Blossom Sparkles Goddess NY 

David Coastie Groh CA 

Juan Alberto Ventanita Guerra-Miranda 

Mexico 

Marco Antonio Aberto Tonny Guerrero 

Guerrero-Nambo Mexico 

Donna Spring-a-doodle Gutowski NY 

Karlee Pickie Hansen NH 

Joycelyn Joy the Clown Hanson OH 

Sara Scribbles Hargis CA 

Jill Bubblegum Harrington PA 

Cesar Paleton Hernandez Perez Mexico 

Mary Heroux AR 

Griselda Fiestina Herrera-Berber Mexico 

Brenda Hildebrand TX 

Megan Huddleston VA 

Matthew MaddMatt Jensen SC 

Logan Jimenez WI 

Evelyn Keesler VA 

Jennifer Hiccups the Clown Kessler NY 

Rachel King TX 

Lydia Zoeee Kowalczyk PA 

Sandra Cora Bell Krause MI 

Kathryn Sunshine Kuhr NC 

Angel Jumby Lamboy Cruz PR 

Tracy Mr. Gigglez Ledford FL 

Carmen Leticia Payasa Morusita Leon- 

Rivera Mexico 

Yao Feng Balloon Cha Cha Liu Taiwan 

Rene Felix Payaso Tachuelon Lopes Flores 

Mexico 

Lewis Loopy Lopez NY 

Rebeca Janette Chuleta Lopez-Parez Mexico 

Dina Love NY 

Ricky Sunshine Lynch Australia 

Jose Farolito Martnez-Corona Mexico 

Heather D Super Cute McFall FL 

Armandina Many Mendoza-Chavez Mexico 

Patti Tweedles Meyer NJ 

Monika Schpatzi Migliazzo NY 

Ed Millis AZ 

Terri L Sparkle Mitchell MD 

Emmanuel Payaso Pinguinin Montes De 

Oca Carbuccia Dominican Republic 

Ricardo E Payaso Llantim Morales Sanchez 

Mexico

Tomas Payaso LLantom Morales-Lozada 

Mexico 

Alejandro Panchiclon Morales-Torres Mexico 

Maureen Morgan NY 

Jeanie Twinkletoes Nannarone NY 

Mary Jo Iris Noble PA 

Tara Treasure Ousley AZ 

Jon Pahoski PA 

Jennifer Kip, Clown Ollie Anne Parker OR 

Cora Beth Dotz Parker MN 

Jose Payaso Rafael Pastrana-Rivera PR 

Arthur Vercoe Pedlar United Kingdom 

Susie Powder Puff Phillips Australia 

Veronica Tootsie Roll Pottinger-Collard KY 

Toby Miss Toby the Clown Prager CA 

Alberto Payaso Chirrido Ramos-Jarillo Mexico 

Miguel A Payamago Tatin Resto-Solis PR 

Cecelia Ciel Riveras MA 

Bobby Bobbo Roberts Scotland 

Reginald JuneBug Robins VA 

Delaney Roche PA 

Cherlyn Huggems the Clown Rosales AZ 

Martha Binky Rosettsky PA 

James Roy MO 

Debora Haff Pint Roy MO 

Joel Straws the Clown Rubert TX 

Roger Rust MN 

Linda Butterfly Satriale NJ 

Warren Motor Sceiford NM 

Lyle Papa Chilly Schilling AZ 

William Shobo Da Clown Schober NJ 

Linda Ling Ling Schrenk FL 

Melinda Matilda Schroeder TX 

Kathy Sweet Petunia Scott AZ 

Patricia Shugart TX 

Tami Sklenar IA 

Cookie Cookie Slack-Smith Australia 

Rachel Choo-Choo Smith PA 

Jacob 201504-049 Smith PA 

Jose enrique Payaso Humhpo Soriano Garcia 

Mexico 

Rhiannon Sutherlin FL 

Thomas Tiny T. Clown Sword PA 

Whirlie Whirlie the Clown TClown CA 

Octavio Enrique Figurita Telles-Rodriquez 

Mexico 

Alejandra Redonda Texidor PR 

Lori Luna Tunes Theodoras AL 

Ian Gingernutt Thom United Kingdom 

Simon Clown Noir Thompson Ireland 

Cathy Truden PA 

Anitra Holly Daze Tsakiris FL 

Sondra BeBop Tuggle AZ 

Joyce Granny Apple Vallimont PA 

Amy Bubble Gum Vallimont PA 

Mario Alberto Cookis Clown Varagas-Nava 

Mexico 

Julio Rockerito Velez-Acosta PR 

Fran Dolly the Clown Wagner NY 

Meredith Wallace PA 

Kay Pozee Weatherholtz PA 

Hazel Hazy Dazy Wilkin United Kingdom 

Neil Jester Jim Wilkin United Kingdom 

Anita Schnitzle Wilton NY 

Susan Woods TX 

W.J. Rainbow T. Clown Woods TX 

Sharon Shyann Young WI 

Julie Zippy Zauzmer DC 

Eugene EZ Zega VA 

Erna Zucco FL 



Surviving Summer Heat 

By Dan “Fitzwilly” Langwell 

Summer is my busiest time for clowning. I keep busy throughout the year with a 

couple of restaurants, the gigs they generate, and a number of recurring annual 

events, but summertime is crazy time. Many clowns squeeze in two or even three 

events a day for as many weekends as possible during the summer rush. 

There are a few things to think about and plan for if you intend to safely make it 

through the season. One of the most important factors is heat. The forecast may predict 

comfortable weather, but Mother Nature has a way of making the local weather 

people look like clowns. A cooler in the car with lots of refreshing water to drink, a wet 

washcloth for the back of your neck, and perhaps some blue ice to slip into a couple of 

pockets all go a long way toward reviving a lagging enthusiasm. There is nothing I like 

better when my performances are over for the day than to stop and pick up a large Dr. 

Pepper; but during the day, my rule of thumb is water, water, and more water. 

It is easy when we are performing to forget to stay hydrated. People are in line waiting, 

sometimes complaining, and we are doing our best to keep the line moving. But 

forgetting about ourselves can lead to trouble. I’m no medical expert, and it is always a 

good idea for each of us to consult with a knowledgeable professional. However, here 

is a bit of information to keep in mind as the weather heats up. 

Toward the end of a long, hot parade, many clowns experience heat cramps. Heat 

cramps are characterized by painful spasms, usually in the leg muscles or abdomen, 

accompanied by heavy sweating. To relieve heat cramps, apply firm pressure to the 

cramping muscle, then gently massage to relieve the tension. Drink at least a cup of 

water every fifteen minutes for an hour. 

Even when we think we are paying attention and drinking enough water, many 

times we are not consuming nearly enough for our activity levels. If we were stretched 

out in the shade wearing shorts and a t-shirt, then a bottle of water or a large glass 

of iced tea might last all day. However, in full make-up and costume, moving around 

and entertaining, we need three, four, or even five times that amount to stay properly, 

healthily hydrated. 

If we overexert ourselves without taking precautions, we might become a candidate 

for heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion symptoms include heavy sweating, headaches, 

weakness, chills, pale, clammy skin, and often, rapid, shallow breathing. Fainting and 

vomiting may also occur. Someone suffering from heat exhaustion should be moved to 

a cool area out of direct sunlight, fanned, and sponged with cool water. The goal is to 

bring the body temperature back down. 

The most serious heat-related illness 

is heat stroke. Don’t let this happen 

to you! Heat stroke is an emergency 

situation in which the body loses its 

ability to cool itself. Symptoms include 

hot, dry, red skin, difficulty breathing, 

a rapid, weak pulse, and confusion. A 

person suffering from heat stroke has 

stopped sweating. Heat stroke occurs 

when a person’s body temperature exceeds 

105̊ F and can render the victim 

unconscious. Call for emergency 

medical treatment. If possible, relocate 

the person to an air-conditioned room 

while awaiting an ambulance. 

Heat exhaustion and especially heat 

stroke can be very dangerous. A bit of 

preparation and a dash of knowledge 

can make a big difference in your life or 

for someone around you. Remember to 

take care of yourself! TNC 

Dan “Fitzwilly” Langwell serves as secretary 

of COAI. Contact him by e-mail at 

laughingstockpro@yahoo.com. 

A big thank you to those 

who have recently gifted 

memberships to COAI! 

Membership Gifters 

Jim Caffrey 

Camille Federoff 

Carole Halstead 

Caitrina Monaco 

SUBMITTING PHOTOS TO ‘THE NEW CALLIOPE’? 

When submitting photos for publication, 

please include people’s names and other 

details about when and where the picture 

was taken. Include clown names, too. For 

example: Glenn “Clyde D. Scope” Kohlberger. 

Thank you! 


SHOW A FOLDER WITH A COLORFUL 

PICTURE of a farm house and barnyard. 

Open it up, and YIKES! The farmer is still 

asleep, the alarm clock is broken, and the cranky old 

rooster is nowhere to be found! All of the other farm 

animals are waiting to be fed, but the farmer is 

snoozing away, and the rooster will have to come 

back to wake him up. 

What happened to the rooster? Show the animal 

cards—cow, lamb, duck, pig, dog, and the rooster—all 

in bright colors on heavy-duty, glossy cards. 

The rooster decides to take a day off and vanishes 

completely! Will he come back? Yes! When the 

Samuel Patrick Smith 

On Stage! 

rooster pops out from behind the farmhouse folder, 

unknown to you, it’s the famous look-don’t-see 

formula in living color! The kids will be wild with 

delight as the rooster peeks over the top, hides 

again, and peeps out from side to side. 

We guarantee it’s everything it’s quacked up to be. 

There’ll be no beef about it, and the kids will howl 

with glee. You never sausage a trick because we 

made it just for ewe! It’s something to crow about! 

• Hilarious kidshow 

comedy! 

• Beautiful artwork 

by Selina 

Frederick! 

• Full color, highly 

visible cards 

measure 

• 8 x 10½ inches! $45 

Bringing Out the Better Performer in You 

Learn formulas for becoming an outstanding performer, based on the advice 

and techniques of some of the finest entertainers in magic. This book helps you 

profit from their experience. This book will help you capitalize on your strengths 

and develop your latent talents. 

Only $45 

A terrific educational effect which promotes 

reading and creates hysteria among 

children! 

The performer shows a folder with a picture 

of a library on the front. Inside the “library” 

are books, a table and lamp for reading, and... 

and... and...oops—no Bob the Book Worm! 

Maybe he’s hiding behind some books. 

Meantime, the folder is laid aside, and the 

performer shows five giant cards depicting 

different kinds of books and stories you 

can find at the library—fairy tales, history, 

adventure, geography, how-to books, and— 

wait!—here he is!—Bob the Book Worm! 

But Bob is a tricky fellow, and before you 

know it, he has disappeared and his card 

is completely blank! Where is he? The kids 

guess, you guess, but nobody can find him 

until he makes his surprise reappearance 

which leaves children hoarse and gasping 

as you and Bob the Book Worm take a bow.

2015-03-Calliope_may_june lo

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