JulyAug_2012

President’s Comments
by Glenn “Clyde D Scope” Kohlberger
My fellow joeys, I would like to
begin by thanking each and every
COAI member who took the time to
get involved in the election process. It
doesn’t matter how you cast your ballot,
your voice is essential and it is powerful.
I was impressed with the energy and
excitement flowing from the membership
during this election. It is this same
energy that I would love to instill and
cultivate across the entire organization.
We need to excite our base, energize our
membership and revive the enthusiasm
that brought us all to COAI in the first
place. You are the foundation upon
which COAI is built, the sole reason we
exist and the crucial organ in the body of
the organization. YOU are COAI. And to
paraphrase Uncle Sam, “I want you … to
be involved.”
I would like to give a special thanks
to Alley 6, Kolonial Klowns, for their
assistance in our election process.
Coming from Florida I can appreciate
the importance of being able to count
votes in an accurate manner. There were
no ‘hanging chads.’ Ann Sanders, Tim
Laynor and the gang once again did a
fantastic job. COAI is lucky to have
their continuing service. I would also
like to thank Pam Bacher for her years
of dedicated service to COAI, and look
forward to continuing to work with her
in her new role as Director at Large.
To those leaving the board; Cheri,
Albert, John, Pat, Vivian, Kent, Dale,
and Candy, you will be missed and
hard to replace, but each of you will
continue to be COAI members and I
hope you will be very active in that role.
Our membership is our most important
asset and vital to our future. To the new
members of the board; thank you in
advance for stepping forward and giving
of your time and talents to help move
this organization forward in a time when
‘volunteering’ may not be the first word
on our lips. We welcome you with open
arms and hope that you will quickly feel
at home with your fellow board members
and systems. To the board members
who will be staying; Thank you for
your continuing efforts to serve our
members and I do hope many will step
into leading roles as committee chairs,
because you are our most experienced
officers on the board. If we all work
together, with unity as our final goal, we
will do more than just succeed, we will
grow.
I want everyone to feel that this
board will be a safe haven for ideas,
thoughts and suggestions. I want us to
feel comfortable enough to say whatever
is on our minds without fear of ridicule.
I plan to reach out to members who are
not on the board to share their ideas,
listen to their thoughts and concerns
and be open to creative and opposing
viewpoints because the only way to
succeed in these times is to include all of
our members. Together we build our path
to the future.
I will be revising all appointed
committees, chairs, and positions
including all standing committees to
insure that we are best utilizing the
talents of our new board. I want to
thank everyone who has served or
chaired a committee; COAI appreciates
your dedication and efforts. If anyone
has an interest in being appointed to
a committee or chair, please send me
an email with your area of interest to
soundsfunny2me@aol.com. I will be
announcing all the new appointments
in the near future. Thank you again for
being a vital part of the future of COAI.
Change is never easy, but very
necessary for growth. How many
changes have you made to your own
clown character to improve it over
the years? As the new board members
acclimate to the changes on the board,
we will be addressing changes within
the organization as well. The internet
has changed our world forever. We now
live in the information age. For years
we have been operating as a “club”
which may have worked in the past,
but in this economy and at this time
we must either embrace technology or
simply watch everyone pass us by. We
are an international corporation, with
responsibilities to all our members across
the globe, responsibilities to
keep things fresh, interesting
and ahead of the times.
The members have put their faith
in us to run this organization. Now we
must be forward thinking but realistic
in our actions. Understand that we are
not trying to make sweeping changes
but instead thoughtful and well planned
adjustments that can give us the best
chance to succeed in this economy and
in our world today.
I hope you are finalizing your plans
for this year’s Clown Week, August
1-7. Make sure you take lots of pictures
and don’t forget those proclamations
which are so important for those who are
competing for the Charlie Award.
Are you putting those pennies,
nickels and dimes together so you can
be “Catching the Spirit of Richmond” at
the COAI Convention April 16-21, 2013
in Richmond, VA? It will be hosted by
our oldest active alley, Virginia Alley #3.
It looks like it is going to be a Spooktacular
event and one you won’t want to
miss. So look for updates at www.coai.
org as we go along.
Don’t forget to check out the
information on the membership drive
which runs from now until New Years
Eve. Please read Teresa Gretton’s article
on page 11. Alleys - it’s a great time to
run a clown school.
And finally I would like to recognize
all clowns no matter what organizations
they belong to and the independent
clowns who have yet to find a place that
fits their needs. We are one big clown
family, some distant cousins, some ‘in
step’ sisters and some brothers from
another mother. But the one thing we
all share is the heart of a clown and
a love and understanding of people
through clowning. Let’s put that first and
foremost in our minds and in our actions.
Let’s build a Community of Clowning
and all work together for the future. Now
let’s go out and have a happy and safe
International Clown Week.
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July/August 2012 Page 9