MayJune_2012

Don't Forget To 

Renew Your COAI 

Membership Today! 

Page 2 

The New Calliope

The Amazing Clown Adventure 

COAI members, included among the fans of the 

popular CBS reality show The Amazing Race, 

were delighted when Dave and Cherie Gregg 

were selected as cast members. Now that their 

involvement with the race has ended, the Greggs 

are home and have returned to their jobs 

with the Greatest Show on Earth. 

The Greggs graciously accepted my request for 

an interview for The New Calliope. 

First of all I would like to thank you for 

taking the time out of your busy schedule 

to speak with us today. 

Do you have a clown name or do you go by 

Dave and Cherie when you are in makeup? 

Dave: We go by Dave and Cherie. 

Cherie: We go by Cherie and Dave. 

You currently list your address as New Port Richey, 

Florida. Where did you grow up? 

We grew up in Massachusetts, Dave in Newton 

and Cherie in Brockton. Before we joined Ringling 

Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, we lived in 

Foxboro (Massachusetts) for seven years. 

We switched our address to New Port 

Richey, Florida, because, when the 

circus has time off, it’s usually in the 

winter. Now we think of the United 

States as our hometown. 

Would you please share how you 

became interested in clowning and 

what training you received 

(i.e. Clown College, etc.)? 

Dave: I originally wanted to be 

an aerospace engineer but my 

dad said, “For the safety of the 

flying public, why don’t you check 

out Clown College?” This was 

not unusual, as my dad was a clown. 

I like entertaining. At the age of four, 

I was hospitalized with meningitis and 

my grandfather gave me a magic coin 

slider, which I performed for every 

nurse and doctor who 

came by my room. 

I auditioned for 

Ringling Bros. Clown 

College in 1989 and 1990. 

continued on page 5 

May/June 2012 Page 3

Your COAI Officers 

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 

President: 

Pamela Bacher 

3019 Smiley Rd. 

Bridgeton, MO 63044 

(314) 291-2048 

p.bacher@sbcglobal.net 

DIRECTORS 

Page 4 

Exec. Vice President: 

Michael B. Cox 

9415 Alameda Ave. 

Richmond, VA 23294 

(804) 270-1165 

(804)337-6143 C 

bonkerstc@aol.com 

Secretary: 

Catherine Hardebeck 

6027 Deerwood Dr. 

St. Louis, MO 63123 

(314) 481-6808 

catheoh@aol.com 

Treasurer: 

Candyce Will 

32302 Alipaz St. #193 

San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 

(949) 489-9971 

clownbutterscotch@yahoo.com 

Sergeant-at-arms: 

Glenn Kohlberger 

4155 Torres Circle 

West Palm Beach, FL 33409 

(646) 210-2238 (C) 

(561) 687-1126 (H) 

soundsfunny2me@aol.com 

Membership: 

Teresa Gretton 

3411 Lisa Circle 

Waldorf, MD 20601 

(301) 843-8212 

gretton@verizon.net 

Education: 

Cheri Venturi 

P.O. Box 4382 

Chesterfield, MO 63006 

(877) 569-9447 

cherioats@aol.com 

Conventions: 

Patricia Roeser 

2840 Jordan Dr. 

Woodbury, MN 55125 

(651) 578-1573 

coaidrconv@aol.com 

Alley, Region Support: 

Toni Dufrene 

1500 W. Esplanade Ave. 6B 

Kenner, LA 70065 

(504) 812-9003 (C) 

(504) 469-4740 (O) 

toni_dufrene@yahoo.com 

Director At Large 

Tom King 

405 24th Steet West 

Huntington, WV 25704 

(304) 542-6408 (C) 

thehumorman@yahoo.com 

REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS 

Northeast: 

Bill Le Blanc 

2 Dee Jay Road 

East Bridgewater, MA 02333 

(508) 378-1545 

bildabbles@aol.com 

North Central: 

Vivian McArthur 

155 Mikel Road 

Kirbyville, MO 65679 

(417) 546-2391 

mcarthurvm@centurytel.net 

Northwest: 

Albert Alter 

5848 S.E. 18th Ave. 

Portland, OR 97202 

(503) 231-8576 

altered @europa.com 

Mideast: 

John Kral 

42 Constitution Blvd. 

New Castle, DE 19720-4404 

(302) 322-3773 

K1Lown@aol.com 

Midwest: 

Georgia Morris 

4234 Woodworth 

Holt, MI 48842 

(517) 694-7100 

clownshananigans@ 

comcast.net 

Southeast: 

Kent Sheets 

4375 St. Clair Ave. W 

N. Ft. Myers, FL 33903 

(239) 995-8881 

SheetsKent@aol.com 

South Central: 

Dale Flashberg 

452 English Oaks Circle 

Boerne, TX 78006 

(830) 331-8941 

patches@gvtc.com 

Southwest: 

Bonita Love 

4916 W. Mountain View Dr. 

San Diego, CA 92116 

(619) 282-9668 

bonbonsandiego 

@yahoo.com 

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 

jobolin@onelinkpr.net 

International 

Lee James 

Meisenweg 26,49191 

Belm, Germany 

004916096744317 

leejames1a@msn.com 

STAFF 

Business Office 

Newton Studios, Inc. 

Tom Newton 

HOURS: Mon-Fri, 9AM-5PM EST 

P.O. Box 1171, Englewood FL 34295-1171 

(941) 474-4351 • 1-877-816-6941 

Fax (941) 474-8317 

Business@COAI.org 

The New Calliope: 


Tom Newton 

HOURS: Mon-Fri, 9AM-5PM EST 

370 W. Dearborn St., Englewood FL 34223 

(941) 474-4351 • Fax (941) 474-8317 

NewCalliopeEditor@comcast.net 

NewCalliopeAds@comcast.net 

COAI Website: www.coai.org 

STANDING COMMITTEES 

Bylaws and Rules: Mike Cox, 

Cheri Venturi and Cleon Babcock. 

Clown Week: Barbara Waters-Riddle, 

2800 Kiskadee Dr, Englewood, FL 

34224 (941) 468-6762 BTnuzzles@ 

aol.com. 

Competition: Cathy Mackey, 

151 Route 28B, Valatie, NY 12184 

(518) 784-2127 - ctots@aol.com, 

Pat Roeser, Bill LeBlan & Walt Lee. 

Ethics and Grievance: Albert Alter 

5848 S.E. 18th Ave.Portland, OR 97202 

(503) 231-8576 - altered @europa.com 

Junior Joeys: Cheri Venturi, Ricky Burns, 

Alex Zabrusky, James Cunningham, 

and Chrissy Will. 

Public Relations: Merilyn Berrett 

P.O. Box 574781, Orlando, FL 32857 

klownkop@prodigy.net 

Historian: Walt Lee, Jeannie Woska, Pat 

Cashin and Teresa Gretton. 

Good Cheer: Fred Scholsshauer, 

8 Alanon St., Whippany NJ 07981 

(973) 887-2617 oscarboj@aol.com 

Merchandise: Glenn Kohlberger 

Parliamentary Procedure Advisor: 

Cleon Babcock 

Regional Ambassador Appointments: 

Toni Dufrene and Angel Morales 

International Ambassador Program: 

Paul Kleinberger • 518-489-2680 

FuddiDuddy@aol.com 

Audio Visual Chairperson: Merilyn 

Barrett, P.O. Box 574781, Orlando FL 

32857, klownkop@prodigy.net 

Clowns of America International, Inc., 

Annual Membership Fees 

US New Members: $40 • US Renewals: $35 

Seniors (65+): $30 • Senior Renewal: $25 

Junior Joey: $30 • Junior Joey Renewal: $25 

Internat’l New: $45 (US funds) • Internat’l Renewal: $40 

Internat’l Senior: $35 • Internat’l Senior Renewal: $30 

Family membership, US and Internat’l: $17 

Lifetime membership: $500 

$20 of the COAI membership includes one-year subscription to 

The New Calliope. Subscriptions are available only to full members of 

Clowns of America International, Inc. 

Send all membership fees to 

Clowns of America International, Inc. 

P.O. Box 1171 • Englewood, FL 34295-1171 USA. 

Make all checks payable to Clowns of America International, Inc. 

Questions regarding COAI membership concerns, including status of 

membership, change of address, failure to receive The New Calliope, 

should be referred to the COAI's business office. 

Mon thru Fri: 9 am to 5 pm (EST) 

877.816.6941 

941.474.4351 

The New Calliope

The New 

C u A u L u L u I u O u P u E 

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 towards its advancement 

and the education of its members. 

May/June 2012 

l 

ARTICLES 

The Amazing Clown Adventure.3 

What Would The 

Clown World Be?..................8 

FEATURES 

Last Walk-Around...................47 

Good Cheer.............................47 

Welcome New Members.........51 

Members On The Move..........61 

Foto Funnies...........................62 

SKILLS/IDEAS/TIPS 

Award Winning Frog...............18 

Floating Spoon.......................20 

Ideas and Remedies For 

Summer Gigs....................21 

Quick Tips...............................57 

COAI NEWS 

President’s Comments..............9 

Membership...........................10 

Open Appointment 

Officers Call........................11 

COAI Disclaimer.....................11 

l l 

COAI NEWS continued 

Alley Report............................12 

2012 General Membership 

Meeting Minutes.................13 

Convention Report..................14 

How To Secure Your 

Info. On The Website..........17 

2012 Best In Clown 

Kynisha Ducre-Jarreau.......22 

2012 Competition 

Winners........................ 24-42 

Junior Joey Update.................45 

COAI Application.....................49 

COAI Application (Spanish)....50 

2012-2013 Budget..................52 

Financial Report......................52 

Calendar.................................53 

Southeast RVP.......................53 

Sergeant-At-Arms...................55 

Competition Report................56 

Celebrate Clown Week............59 

Scholarships & Grants............60 

Editor’s Comments.................63 

Ad Directory...........................63 

Ad Rates.................................63 

Deadline Dates........................63 

The New CALLIOPE (ISSN 1072-1045) is published bimonthly: 

Jan/Feb, March/April, May/June, July/Aug, Sept/Oct, Nov/Dec, 

by COAI, P.O. Box 1171, Englewood, FL 34295-1711 

Periodicals Postage Paid at Richeyville, PA 

and additional mailing offices. 

l l l 

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: 

COAI, Bus. Mgr. • P.O. Box 1171 • Englewood FL 34295-1171. 

l l l 

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. 

For further information on copyright and use policies, 

contact Clowns of America International 

Business Office, P.O. Box 1171, Englewood FL 34295-1171. 


continued from page 3 

I was one of the 39, out of 

over 2300 applicants, to 

get accepted in 1990. After 

graduating from the eightweek 

intensive program, 

I was not one of the 13 

offered contracts to tour 

with the circus. So, I went 

back to Massachusetts and 

joined the South Shore 

Joey’s COAI Alley 159A and 

started clowning locally in 

Massachusetts. 

Cherie: I also loved 

performing; I was a dance 

and gymnastics teacher 

and grew up performing. 

I would go to the circus 

and wish I could have a 

job like that. At the age of 

15, I came home from seeing Ringling Bros. and asked 

my family “Why wasn’t I born into the circus? Why was 

I born into a normal family?” Years later I saw an ad for 

auditions for Ringling Bros. Clown College and auditioned 

in 1989 and 1990 but did not get a contract. When I 

didn’t get in the second year, I joined the COAI Alley 

159A South Shore Joey’s and started to learn clowning. 

Dave and I went to clown conventions and also took a 

two-week intensive circus program with the Pickle Family 

Circus in San Francisco. 

When and how did you get your contracts 

with Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus? 

We got married, got into debt, got out of debt and then 

in 1999 Dave was let go from his job. Around that time, 

we were wondering how Ringling was getting their clowns 

because Clown College closed in 1997. We called Ringling 

and told them we were interested. They sent us out 

to work on a few promotional events for the show. They 

must have liked what we did because we were each offered 

a contract for the 130th edition of Ringling Bros. 

and Barnum & Bailey. In November of 1999 we moved 

the contents of our two bedroom apartment into a 10 x10 

storage unit in Massachusetts and moved ourselves to 

Florida to live in an 8 x 8 room on the Blue Unit Train. 

Most people associate circus clowns with a traveling 

show. Your current performance venue for Ringling 


ON OUR COVER 

Select images from the 2012 COAI 

Convention in Kanasa City. 




Bros. and Barnum and Bailey is somewhat different. I 

understand that you perform as part of a charitable 

program for children. Would you please share what 

you do as circus performers? 

We toured with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s 

Blue Unit for three years and the Red Unit for two years. 

This is our sixth year as the “Ambassadors of Laughter” 

representing “The Greatest Show on Earth.” We 

travel about a month ahead of the show, mostly with 

the Gold Unit, and bring free programs to the 

community. We go to schools, libraries, hospitals, Boys 

and Girls Clubs, YMCAs and also television and radio 

stations. As clowns, we do programs like Reading with 

Ringling, Science of the Circus and Circus Fit. A lot of 

times we perform for children who may not get the 

chance to see the Big Show when it gets to town. While 

touring around the country, we also get to bring lots of 

silliness and laughter to children in hospitals, helping 

create new fun memories and letting them forget reality 

for a while. It’s one way that Ringling Bros. and Barnum 

& Bailey gives back to the communities where the circus 

plays. We are honored to be the ones who get to do this 

full-time. 

I read you celebrated your 20 th wedding anniversary 

while on The Amazing Race. Were you clowns before 

you met and married? 

Cherie: We met at the 1990 Clown College auditions in 

Boston. To let the other know if we got a contract, we 

exchanged telephone numbers. Dave kept calling and 

calling and calling. After Dave came back from Clown 

College, we started clowning around together and got 

married in February of 1992. 

What process did you follow to gain a slot as cast 

members on The Amazing Race? What was your 

motivation for being on the show? 

At the end of season two, we saw an episode of The 

Amazing Race and both said “WOW! How can we do 

that?” We watched season three and sent in an audition 

video for season four. We didn’t realize our friend and 

co-worker, Jon Weiss, and his friend and former Ringling 

clown, Al Rios, had also submitted an audition tape. 

They were selected for season four. 

We sent in a tape for season five but never got a 

response. We figured it was probably too soon for 

another clown couple to be on the show. Fast forward 

10 years and 15 seasons (for The Amazing Race); we got 

Page 6 

The New Calliope

a call from our publicist telling us a casting producer, for 

The Amazing Race, had seen a performance from a library 

event we did and thought we should submit an audition 

video. They liked our video and we got to go to Los 

Angeles for final auditions. A few months later our dream 

came true! 

How receptive to having clowns as contestants 

were the other cast members? 

They were very excited to hear we were clowns. 

As a viewer of the program, it appears you are only 

permitted to carry one piece of luggage. Were you able 

to carry any clowning supplies or makeup? 

We had some juggling balls and little makeup with us. 

We saw, in past seasons, they like to do things with local 

children’s charities and were hoping to be able to perform 

for kids at an orphanage. 

You listed your occupation as “Ambassadors of Laughter.” 

While you were on the race, did your clowning skills prove 

to be an asset? If so, would you tell us how? 

We used our sense of humor when things got tough to 

help keep us going, especially Dave during the cattle 

task! He was the same way when going through cancer 

treatments - twice! 

Also, when we were at the local airport in Buenos Aires 

we were very low on money and, rather than begging, 

we decided to entertain for donations. You can see some 

unaired footage of us juggling and balancing on the CBS 

website: (http://www.cbs.com/shows/amazing_race/ 

video/) It was very late and this was not our best 

performance of the night. Other racers saw us performing 

(for money) and were jealous! 

We know that clowning is a universal language. We were 

planning on using it to bridge the gap between culture 

and language barriers. 

How would you describe your experience? What 

memories will you take away from the adventure? 

We love roller coasters. With all of the ups and downs, 

twists and turns of a good coaster, The Amazing Race is 

the biggest, fastest, and windiest of rides but you can’t 

buy a ticket for it. 

Argentina is gorgeous; we had a lot of fun building the 

solar kitchen together, Dave getting to skydive, passing 

three teams after being in last place all day, and making 

empanadas. 

Really, the whole process from auditioning, training, 

running it (the Race) and even being eliminated was 

an AMAZING gift. The BEST part was we got to do it 

together, creating memories that will last a lifetime. 

Is there anything else you would like to share with the 

readers of The New Calliope? 

Yes! Don’t ever give up on your dreams. I didn’t get into 

Clown College and Dave didn’t get a contract to tour 

(with the circus), right out of Clown College, but we didn’t 

give up! Now we’re in our 11 th year clowning for Ringing 

Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. It also took ten years for our 

dream, of being a part of The Amazing Race, to come 

true as well! 

Sadly, you did not win The Amazing Race. On behalf of 

the members of COAI, thank you for putting on your 

clown noses and making a joyful exit. It meant a lot to 

me, as a clown, to see you find humor in what could have 

been a downbeat situation. 

You’re very welcome! 

We were extremely grateful for the opportunity to be a 

part of The Amazing Race, even if it was only for a short 

amount of time. We got to go to places we’ve never been 

before and try things we’ve never done before. We knew 

if we were about to be eliminated and wanted to go out 

in style! 

We offer our congratulations to the Greggs and applaud 

their efforts. We can only imagine, having the opportunity 

to race around the world, to be simply amazing! 

l l l 


What would 

the clown 

world be ? 

by Jackie LeClaire 

What would the clown 

world be today if it weren't 

for you, the new American 

clowns? 

Do you realize what you 

have done to preserve the 

history of the clown here in 

America? 

At one time you only 

thought of a clown with the 

word circus. There were 

hundreds of circuses traveling 

SECA 

Page 8 

throughout the United States. 

Each and every one of them 

had a group of clowns, 

their own clown alley, but 

few clowns were paid large 

salaries. 

Because of the 

market, theatrical makeup 

manufacturers started to 

produce makeup, that would 

work on a clowns face. Most 

clowns had to make their own 

costumes because of the cost. 

2012 

Clowns of the Tropics 

September 5-9 

PLUS SECA’S ALL STAR STAFF 

www.southeastclownassoc.org 

HYATT REGENCY RIVERFRONT ... JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA 

Wigs were very hard to 

come by, and clown noses 

were nonexistent. Even if 

you could find a wig maker 

to make you a wig, the price 

was exorbitant. Clowns had 

to be very self-sufficient. 

This all worked very well for 

many years. Supplies began 

to exceed the demand, when 

the Golden age of the circus 

started to decline. 

Fortunately, a new kind of 

clown, a non-circus clown, 

began to show up on the 

American scene. As their 

numbers grew and grew, 

suddenly there became a 

larger and larger demand 

for clown accessories. To 

supply the demand for all 

these wonderful new clowns, 

clown wigs started to be 

manufactured again. Not only 

that, but clown wigs started 

to be manufactured again in 

many wonderful, different 

colors. Clowns no longer had 

to use putty or balls for their 

clown noses. They could 

purchase noses in all sizes 

and different shapes ready to 

be applied with just a little 

glue. Businesses started that 

made only clown costumes, 

in all different shapes and 

sizes. And guess what? They 

were no longer just made for 

men but for women too. 

Women always, since 

clowning began, had a small 

part in the clown world. Even 

in my childhood days I can 

remember visiting Ringling 

Bros. Circus and seeing 

the Hartzell's, a man and 

wife clown team. They had 

performed together for years 

and this is in the late 1930s. 

The unfortunate thing about 

it was that she, in order to 

perform with her husband, 

had to dress like a man. This 

all changed. Women really 

came into their own, both in 

circuses and in the expanded 

world of clowns today. 

I love the circus and I love 

my circus clown friends, but 

I also love all the wonderful 

clown friends that I have met 

in my life after the circus. 

You are very important 

pegs in the history wheel 

of the American clown and 

the world of entertainment. 

With your ingenuity you 

have expanded the reach of 

the clown into even greater 

diversity. You came along just 

at the right time. 

Be proud of your 

accomplishments and in 

answer to “What would the 

clown world be today if it 

weren't for you, the new 

American clowns? 

Answer: ”Nowhere near 

as great as it is today”. 

l l l 

The New Calliope

President’s Comments 

by Pam Bacher 

Where does the time go? The 

convention is over and hopefully all of 

you are home safe and sound. If you 

missed this convention you missed a 

wonderful time. We had outstanding 

nightly entertainment which included 

radio, murder mysteries, dealers’ shows, 

a show during our banquet dinner, and 

Alley and COAI Board shows. Each 

night there was something new to see. 

The Northland Clown Guild Alley 

217 worked hard to put on a great 

convention. Talent from the alley oozed 

forth. Many of the members played so 

many characters throughout the week I 

would not be surprised if they forgot their 

real identities. The ladies and gentlemen 

of the alley showed off their many talents 

from singing to performing in skits. 

They were helpful in every way and they 

did it with a smile. Living in the “Show 

Me State” of Missouri, they made us all 

proud. Thank you Alley 217 and Happy 

20th Anniversary. (We all enjoyed the 

cake). 

The education was top notch. As one 

convention goer commented, “ I learned 

something this week that I had never 

heard about before and I am excited to 

try it when I get home.” That is what 

convention is all about- education, 

competition and family. And of course 

shopping. Thanks to the Convention 

chairs, Stacey, Don, Loretta, Lohren, 

Cindy, Becky, Dennis and Pat for an 

outstanding fun time 

The COAI board met on Sunday and 

Monday for the business portion of our 

week, starting at 8:30 am and working 

until about 9:00 pm. We did not finish a 

few items and met on Friday to complete 

the meeting. Criteria for awards was 

discussed for Lifetime Achievement and 

Ring of Honor. This will be an ongoing 

item as we continue to keep up with the 

changing times. The website will be 

updated and hopefully easier to follow. 

Competition rules were also 

discussed. A few changes were suggested 

and each Board member was asked to do 

a little homework to go over the complete 

rules and come back in three weeks 

with any corrections or recommended 

changes. Competition Chair Cathy 

Mackey and her team were hard at work 

on the competition rules. 

The Board voted on a new Ring of 

Honor recipient, Pat Newton, budget 

discussions went on for hours. The board 

decided to break and pick it up in the 

morning after we had a few winks of 

sleep. We went over election feedback 

and a committee was formed to review 

and bring back to the fall meeting, 

a criteria and procedures for future 

elections. Too many decisions were made 

to list them all but is was a productive 

meeting. 

The highlight of the week was the 

award's night. Hard work by many 

clowns paid off as their names were 

called in recognition of a special top 

ten placement. I was excited for all 

of them. Paradeability is always my 

favorite. because some really great gags 

come to light. I had the honor to present 

the Lifetime Achievement Award to 

Merilyn Barrett who was escorted by her 

grandson Jerrod. I also had the honor of 

presenting to Judy Phelps 

and her daughter Jodi, the 

Ring of Honor for Dennis 

Phelps. Jodi spoke for a few moments 

about her father and shared some 

wonderful stories. Mike Cox presented 

the Ring of Honor to Tom Newton for Pat 

Newton. There were not many dry eyes 

in the house with our thoughts of Dennis 

and Pat. They both are missed. 

In a personal note to Dave, Thank 

you for the funny Calliope Cover Song 

directed as you said to the powers that 

be (me). Maybe someday you will be 

on the cover, or may I offer a hint, BUY 

it at the auction for the Education Fund 

*

Membership 

by Teresa Gretton 

Director of Membership 

gretton@verizon.net 

While spring has sprung 

and many clown activities 

are coming back to life from 

the winter months, it will be 

summer before you know 

it; but there is still time to 

prepare for International 

Clown Week (ICW) 

recognized August 1 – 7. 

With that note, I would like 

to thank Barbara “Nuzzles” 

Waters-Riddle for her time, 

talent, and untiring efforts 

in chairing the Clown Week 

committee over the past 

few years. I have asked Bob 

“Bunky” Gretton to fill in 

as the interim chair for the 

upcoming year. Bob has been 

chairman in the past. See his 

article on page 59. He looks 

forward to reclaiming his old 

position. 

Congratulations to Alley 

#6, Kapitol Klowns, in 

winning last year’s Alley 

CHARLIE Award, and to 

John “Splash” Sullivan 

for the Individual Award. 

Both participated in many 

activities for International 

Clown Week 2011. 

Hopefully, you and your 

alley have plans for an active 

Clown Week in 2012. Please 

Page 10 

remember one important 

element of Clown Week—to 

obtain public awareness. You 

can do this by scheduling a 

visit to your local or state 

government to request they 

issue a proclamation. If you 

do vie for the CHARLIE 

award, please make sure 

you have at least one 

proclamation. 

When planning to submit 

nominations for any awards, 

(as a nominator) please 

carefully read all of the 

criteria. The committees for 

the different awards must 

follow the criteria. I ask that 

you do so as well. Please 

double check the website 

www.coai.org under the 

specific award. If it’s easier, 

copy the information, break 

it down, highlight it, etc., to 

make sure you have followed 

the rules. I would also like 

to see some Excellence In 

Clowning applications. It has 

been a couple of years since 

any have been submitted. 

Criteria updates are 

in the process of being 

implemented. Please follow 

the criteria on the website, 

and then check back with the 

website before you submit, 

just to make sure no criteria 

changes have occurred. 

The COAI Board is 

delighted to announce that 

we began a new membership 

drive on May 1, 2012. While 

the previous membership 

drive/contest has ended, 

the new drive will proceed 

until December 31, 2012. 

For every new member that 

YOU, as a sponsor, sign up, 

two months will be added 

onto YOUR membership. 

Sign up six and you have 

a whole year of added 

membership. 

The Membership Drive 

and Contest that ended on 

April 1, was won by Charlene 

Link. Congratulations 

Charlene and thank you for 

the seven new members! 

She recently moved from 

New York to Florida and 

decided she needed to start 

a new COAI alley in her 

area. She took advantage 

of the membership drive 

contest and signed up more 

than enough new members 

to form an alley. Way to go 

Charlene! Look for more 

information on the contest 

and an up close and personal 

interview with Charlene in an 

upcoming issue the The New 

Calliope. 

If you are instructing 

clown classes, include the 

COAI membership as part of 

the class fee, automatically 

registering each student. This 

has been a very successful 

endeavor for others. What a 

great educational benefit! 

Kudos to each and every 

member who attended the 

COAI Convention in Kansas 

City. 

The convention was 

fantastic with much 

entertainment and tremendous 

education. 

Congratulations 

to all who received awards 

for competing in the different 

categories. I know that 

everyone benefitted by the 

competitions as they are 

a significant value in the 

educational process. 

Congratulations are in 

order for Kynisha Jarreau 

who won the Convention 

Best in Clown Award for 

competing in single skit, 

single parade-ability, 

character makeup, single 

balloon, multiple balloon, 

balloon arrangement, as 

well as cheek and full-face 

painting. She earned top ten 

awards in all competitions, 

and medaled in third place 

in cheek art, second place in 

character makeup, and first 

place in full face painting and 

single balloon twisting. 

New Calliope editor, Tom 

Newton, awarded Glenn 

Kohlberger, the Editor’s 

Choice Award for his 

assistance and dedication to 

the New Calliope magazine. 

He also awarded the Best of 

Press Award to the Rose City 

Clown Alley 196 for their 

great alley publication. 

Everyone is already 

looking ahead to Richmond, 

VA, where the 2013 COAI 

Convention will take place, 

hosted by Virginia Clowns, 

Alley 3. 

Continue to support the 

membership drive in 2012 

and bring in new clowns 

everywhere. 

Don’t forget the “gifting” 

opportunity that can apply to 

the membership drive as well. 

l l l 

The New Calliope

Open Appointment Officers Call 

by Michael Cox 

Executive Vice President 

COAI has three offices 

declared vacant and up for 

appointment. These three positions 

are: Northwest Regional Vice 

President, South Central Regional 

Vice President and Southeast 

Regional Vice President. These 

three positions represent COAI 

within their geographical regions. 

Candidates for Regional Vice 

President (RVPs) must reside full 

time in the region they represent. 

RVPs work with existing alleys 

with planning, organizing/staging 

of regional conventions; assist 

with membership concerns and 

oversee the administration of all 

COAI programs. They are required 

to report regional activities to the 

board and the general membership. 

Term of office is set to begin 

after appointment in 2012 and 

continues until June 30, 2014. If 

you are interested in filling one 

of these three positions, please 

send a declaration for the office 

you would like to fill and a photo 

(out of clown). The process is 

similar to our current policy for 

nomination declarations. Include 

your qualifications and what you 

feel you can bring to the COAI 

Board. Declarations will be given 

to the President and the new board 

will make the final appointments to 

fill these three vacancies after July 

1, 2012. 

Deadline to receive the 

declarations is June 25, 2012. 

Either email 

declarations and 

photo (please put in subject line 

“Appointment Declaration”) to 

coaiexecvp@aol.com 

or 

Mail your declaration & photo 

To: Mike Cox 

ATTN: COAI 

Appointment Declaration 

9415 Alameda Avenue 

Henrico, VA 23294 

If you have any questions, 

please feel free to contact me at 

coaiexecvp@aol.com. 

l l l 

COAI DISCLAIMER 

The Purpose of this disclaimer: to assure 

our membership that we have not in the 

past nor will in the future disclose any 

membership information. 

At the Spring Board meeting, concerns 

were brought to the attention of the COAI 

Board of Directors pertaining to the 

distribution of member information during 

the current election process. COAI would 

like to clarify that we have a long standing 

policy not to give or distribute membership 

information under any circumstances. 

COAI has no intention of changing or 

compromising this policy. COAI takes your 

personal information very seriously. 

However, if you have registered your 

personal information on the website it 

may be available to other members. Only 

members can access this information 

and therefore is only available to COAI 

members. If you are concerned about your 

personal information, you may want to 

review your information and make some 

of it private. By doing so, no one will have 

access to it. The privacy choice is up to each 

individual. To see how you can make your 

personal information private, please see the 

“Security Controls” article on page 17 of 

this New Calliope. 

COAI will be in contact with our legal 

counsel to add a disclaimer to be posted on 

the website and in the New Calliope. 


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Alley Report 

by Toni Dufrene 

Director, Alley Region Support 

As of May 5, 2012 the following alleys are deliquent in 

filing annual alley report. 

Alley Name Region 

Alley 39 Colorada Clowns SC 

Alley 80 Golden Gate Clowns SW 

Alley 92 Kansas City Clowns NC 

Alley 103 Funny Bones Clown Alley MW 

Alley 159 Krackerjac Clowns SE 

Alley 159A South Shore Joeys 

NE 

Alley 166 Cheerful Clown Alley SC 

Alley 225 Pioneer Valley Clowns NE 

Alley 234 King's Jesters MW 

Alley 240 Pound Of Clowns NE 

Alley 263 Magic Town Clowns SE 

Alley 279 Cleveland Karavan Clowns MW 

Alley 287 Tri-Rivers Clowns NE 

Alley 301 Uptown Clowns Of Largo, Inc. SE 

Alley 313 Idaho Gem Jesters NW 

Alley 332 Luv-N-Laffs ME 

Alley 339 Jubilee Jesters ME 

Alley 352 Pappy & The Honaker Redbuds ME 

Alley 353 Harford County Clowns ME 

Alley 362 Mostuff NC 

Alley 371 San Diego Clown Conspiracy SW 

Alley 373 Golden Triangle Funnybones SC 

Alley 379 Rain Coast Clown Troupe CA 

Alley 380 Holmes Hilarious Hiccups MW 

Alley 383 The Cleveland Clowns MW 

Alley 384 Hoosier Clown Alley MW 

Alley 386 Cotton Pikin' Clowns SEE 

Alley 387 Clowns On Call SE 

Alley 388 Mid Atlantic Alley NE 

Alley 394 Corn E Clowns Of Erie County NE 

Alley 401 Klownz Around NC 

Alley 402 Happy Clowns Of St. Clair ME 

Alley 407 Asopado LC 

Alley 408 Consentradonde Payasos International LC 

Alley 409 Fun-N-Sun Clown Alley SE 

Alley 410 Caravana De Payasos De Puerto Rico LC 

Alley 412 Katy Klowns SC 

If your alley is on this list and your alley is active, please 

have your alley's president or secretary go online and fill out the 

Annual Alley Report. It's simple and easy. Go to www.coai.org 

and sign in. In the red bar you'll see Alleys. Move your mouse 

to Alleys and then click on Annual Alley Report. Fill out the 

information and hit submit. It's that easy. If you have trouble, 

contact me and I'll be glad to help you out. 

If your alley is inactive, please let me know so that I can 

keep our records up-to-date. 

You can email me at: toni_dufrene@yahoo.com or you can 

phone me at 504-812-9003. 

The New Calliope

2012 COAI General Membership Meeting Minutes 

Kansay City, MO • April 25-26. 2012 

President Bacher called the general 

membership meeting of Clowns of America 

International to order at 2:45 p.m. 

The following board members were in 

attendance: Exec VP Michael Cox, Secretary 

Catherine Hardebeck, Treasurer Candyce 

Will, Sergeant at Arms Glenn Kohlberger, 

Director of Alley and Region Support Toni 

Dufrene, Southwest RVP Bonnita Love, Latin 

Countries RVP Angel Morales, Director of 

Conventions Pat Roeser, Director of Education 

Cheri Venturi, Director of Membership Teresa 

Gretton, South Central RVP Dale Flashberg, 

Canadian RVP Dale McKenzie, Midwest RVP 

Georgia Morris, Southeast RVP Kent Sheets, 

Mideast RVP John Kral, Northeast RVP Bill 

LeBlanc, Tom Newton Editor -“The New 

Calliope”, Cleon Babcock Parliamentarian. A 

quorum was present. 

Absent board member: International RVP 

- Lee James , Northwest RVP Albert Alter, 

North Central RVP Vivian McArthur, Director 

at Large Tom King 

The agenda was accepted as presented. 

Board Members were introduced. 

Recognitions were given to: 

Past COTYs, LTA, Excellence in 

Clowning, Northland Clown Guild Alley 

217 Convention Host Alley, COAI Lifetime 

Members, former past presidents of COAI, 

former COAI Board members, Alley/ 

Individual Charlie Award winners, current 

committee chairpersons, current alley 

officers, junior joeys, Regional /International 

Ambassadors, COAI members. 

Moment of Silence was given for our 

troops and members who are no longer with 

us. 

The minutes were accepted as posted. 

Alley roll call was made by Toni Dufrene, 

Alley Support Director. Present: 3,6,17,30,39, 

54,56,84,92,97,128,147,159,159A,166,170,18 

8,189,190,191,196,200,217,240,250,285,296, 

303,352,357,384,386,388,395,399,410,411,41 

3,414,415 

Brief Reports were given from Vice 

President, Education Director/ Junior 

Joeys, Director of Membership, Secretary, 

Competition Committee. 

The Budget for 2012-2013 was presented 

by Executive Vice President Mike Cox. 

Questions from the general membership were 

made about the proposed budget. 

An attendance raffle was held – Linda 

Loveday was the winner. 

The meeting was recessed at 4:00 to the 

call of chair. Additional time was given to 

Mike Cox to consider answers to questions 

poised about the presented budget. 

The meeting was reconvened at 7:30 

pm on Thursday April 26, 2012. Mike Cox 

answered the questions about the proposed 

budget and a new budget was presented. 

Motion: (Jeanne Woska) - We accept the 

revised correct budget as proposed. Seconded: 

Vote: Passed 

Action Item ( Treasurer) End of the year 

report printed in the New Calliope listing 

proposed budget compared to actual budget. 

Action Item (Treasurer) - List the Business 

Manager’s Salary and Business Manager’s 

expenses separate on the budget. 

Motion (Walt Lee) – To adjourn the 

General Membership Meeting. Seconded: 

Vote: Passed 

Meeting was adjourned at 7:45 pm. 

l l l 


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Convention 

by Pat Roeser 

The COAI convention in 

Kansas City, MO is over, but 

what a swell time was had by all! 

It was the bee’s knees! The host, 

Northland Clown Guild Alley 

#217, made us feel welcome 

from the get go by showing us 

their great talent, starting with 

the Tuesday evening show. They 

continued the showcase with 

the Radio Show Luncheon, and 

the Gangster Mystery Show 

and Roaring 20’s Theme Party 

(celebrating the Alley’s 20th 

anniversary). 

The whole event was full of 

excellent classes, competitions, 

and entertainment. I spoke to 

an attendee halfway through the 

convention who said her “sponge” 

was full; She couldn’t soak in 

anything more. That is a sign of a 

nifty convention. “Sho nuff!” 

One of the 

concerns about 

the convention was airport 

transportation. The Northland 

Clowns were very innovative. 

They contacted a church group for 

help. Attendees could go online 

or write the alley with their flight 

information and prepay for the 

pickup. The money collected for the 

ride to and from the hotel was given 

to the church’s charity. It gave a 

personal touch and much good will. 

Thanks to all the alley members 

and helpers of Northland Clown 

Guild Alley #217 for an excellent 

convention. You are the cat’s 

meow! 

As always it was good to see 

old friends and meet new ones. If 

you missed this convention it would 

be wise to start saving your quarters 

now to get yourself to the 2013 

COAI convention in Richmond, 

VA, April 16-21, 2013. 

Page 14 

The New Calliope


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Page 16 

The New Calliope

How to 1 

Secure 

your 

Information 

on the 

COAI Website 

For those of you who have registered on the website you can 

secure any or all of your personal information so that no other 

member can see it. This can be a double-edged sword as it also 

means that a friend who has lost your contact information will 

not have access to that information. So it all depends on your 

comfort level. 

To begin with, anyone who is not a member of COAI can not 

access your information. In addition, any member who has not 

registered on the website can not access your information because 

the website won’t recognize them. 

Pic 1: To get started go to 

www.coai.org and log in. After 

logging in click on “Manage 

Profile” on the right side. 

Pict 2: Click on “Edit Bio” 

Pict 3: For each line of information 

you will see a an 

avatar (symbol) of a person 

on the left side of that information 

line. Click on that 

avatar. 

Pic 4: A window will open displaying 

an avatar of a person 

and an avatar of a lock. 

Next to the person avatar, in blue type it says: Members 

Only (Visible Only To Members). Next to the lock Avatar 

it say in blue type: Private (Not Visible In Profile). Click 

on the blue type to the right of lock avatar. 

Pic 5: Now the lock shows. Now continue down the list 

and make secure any line of information that you do not 

want any member to see. 

Pic 6: Now scroll down to the 

bottom and click on “Save 

Changes.” This is very important, 

because if you don’t 

do this then the changes you 

made will not take place. 

You can go back any time and 

change these settings. Just remember 

this information is only available to 

COAI members who have registered 

on the COAI website. l 

2 

3 

5 

4 

6 


PHOTOS: 

Tim “Sawdust” Laynor 

ARTICLE: 

Ann “Tuttles” Sanders 

SINGLE BALLOON 

AWARD WINNING 

FROG 

John “Kris Krunch” Kral, COAI Mideast Regional Vice President, 

took first place in the single balloon category at the 

2009 COAI Convention in Clarksville, Indiana. 

Kisses to John for being a real prince & sharing 

how to make his award winning frog! 

Step 4: EYES: 

Twist two 

small bubbles 

approximately ¾” 

and lock twist. 

Step 1: Inflate a 

260, 12” – 15” and 

tie off. Massage the 

balloon to soften. 

Step 5: BODY: Twist a single bubble 3”- 

4” (approximately one hand width). 

Step 2: Make two 

small bubbles 

and lock twist. 

Step 6: Twist 1 ½” bubble, ¾” 

bubble and 1” bubble. 

Step 3: LIPS: Ear 

twist both bubbles 

from Step 2. 

Step 7: Duplicate the last three bubbles 

in reverse order: 1” bubble, ¾” bubble, & 

1 ½” bubble. 

Page 18 

The New Calliope

Step 8: 

Fold and 

lock twist 

at bottom 

of body. 

Step 9: 

Roll the 3”- 4” 

BODY bubble 

between the 

loop created 

in Step 8. Turn 

HEAD around 

so EYES are on 

top and LIPS are 

forward. 

Step 10: Pinch and hold the balloon between the 

last bubble and the un-inflated end. Cut a small hole 

in the end of the balloon and allow air to escape. 

Step 11: Tie knot 

close to last bubble. 

Step 14: FRONT FEET: 

Pinch twist ¾” bubbles 

made in Steps 6 & 7. 

Step 12: To hold in place, 

wrap un-inflated portion 

between 1 ½” bubbles. 

Step 13: Bring un-inflated 

balloon along BELLY and wrap 

around lips and pull between 

ear twist (LIPS) to form TONGUE. 

Step 15: Add enhancements with 

permanent marker: Eyes and spots. 

John suggests that you use 

“puppy feet” - three-dot 

pattern for the spots. 

Now you 

have a charming 

frog fit for a 

princess or 

prince! 


Floating 

1 

2 

Spoon 

Copy by Ann Sanders • Photos by Tim Laynor 

Need something for those, 

“Hey clown, show me a trick” 

moments? Once you master this illusion, 

all you need for an impromptu performance 

is to simply borrow a spoon or similar 

object from an audience member. 

3 4 

5 

The Set Up: 

The Performer's View 

Interlock your fingers so the middle finger of the right is 

to the back of the other fingers. NOTE: The index finger 

and pinkie of your left hand will be positioned on the top 

and bottom, respectively. Photo 1 & 2 

Place the spoon under the right middle finger and press 

on the sides with your thumbs. Photo 3 

Take away your thumbs and the spoon will remain 

vertical. Photo 4 

The Performance: 

The Audience View 

Interlock your fingers. Photo 5 

Position the spoon as described above. Photo 6 

Let go with your thumbs and the spoon will appear to 

float! Photo 7 

I found that slender, lightweight objects work best. I’d 

recommend that you experiment with a number of easily 

accessible objects and see what works best for you. 

I would also recommend that you practice in front of 

a mirror. You do not want to give away how the secret 

is performed so you need to be aware of you hold your 

hands. 

Add your personalized, patter and you are ready to 

entertain at a moments notice. 

6 7 

Page 20 

The New Calliope

Ideas and 

Remedies for 

Your Personal 

Needs for 

Gigs 

What a summer we had in 2011. 

We faced many obstacles with 

violent storms, flooding, dry 

spells, fires, wind storms, exceptionally long 

periods of excessive heat, etc. I hope everyone 

got through these obstacles and learned how to 

deal with that sort of adversity for future gigs. 

And speaking of future gigs, here are some tips 

I've learned from conversations I had with other 

clowns. 

Makeup: The problem: How to keep makeup 

from cracking, dry and from melting off? I 

studied makeup, makeup design, application, 

and problems at various seminars and 

tradeshows, and by talking to top makeup 

artists, and makeup manufacturers. I have 

helped many clowns with different problems. 

Not every tip helps everyone. Products react 

differently depending on your body’s chemistry. 

No one makeup is perfect for everybody! Four 

or five are close, but some people have allergies 

to them. 

I use a different thickness in the summer, than 

in the winter. In summer I have to use denser 

grease paint, in winter I can use light grease 

paint. In summer, I am sometimes in makeup 

all day long and I tend to get wet from sweating 

halfway through the day. There are several 

products out there that help you stay dry, 

includeing No Sweat by ProFACE and Barrier 

Spray by Mehron and Ben Nye. Because of 

fragrance allergies, I try not to use too much 

baby powder, so I use theatrical powder from 

Ben Nye or ProFACE. This also sets better for 

me. It is a trial and error, and everyone has to try 

different things to see what works best. When 

I teach makeup classes, I have all the different 

makeup and powder products in case someone 

has a particular problem. They can try different 

ones to see what works best without having to 

buy too much product when starting out. If you 

get frustrated keep trying, call me or ask other 

professionals. 

Red makeup on lips. Through teaching, I have 

found that red sometimes does not dry with 

powder on some people. You'll notice this when 

you powder, and it smears because it's not dry 

so it won’t stay on all day. You may need to try 

other red products until you find one that 

works for you. You may also want to carry a 

touch-up kit with you. Makeup melts so don't 

leave it in the car. In very hot weather, keep 

an ice pack with your makeup. For personal 

hygiene, add deodorant to your kit just in case. 

Head covering: Hot weather is hard on your 

system. Wet your hair/head with cold water 

before putting on your skull cap. This helps 

to keep you cooler. I like the cotton skull caps 

because they absorb excess moisture. 

Wash your caps often. 

Do you ever get to an event and there is no 

shade or they have you on pavement? Put in 

your contract that you will need a shaded area. 

I can't stand or face paint in sun for three to four 

hours. Balloons get too hot to blow up when 

they sit in the sun and face paints get very soft. 

You need to check the logistics with each client! 

Also, most events won't cancel for rain, so you 

may need to make your own arrangements for 

covering. 

I have two remedies for this. 1. I invested in 

an E-Z Up instant shelter. Since it takes two 

people to put it up and down, if working alone, 

tell the client that you will need a person to 

help set it up and take it down. 2. My 

best suggestion is to get your 

own personal umbrella 

on a 3-footed base. Look 

for an 8'-9' wide umbrella 

that goes from 3' to 8' high 

tilts. Keep it in your vehicle 

at all times. I got mine from the Lakeside (like 

LTD) catalogue and Dick's Sporting Goods for 

$39.98, but watch for a sale. I have used all 

three for birthday parties in yards that didn't 

have any trees. The three together provided 

enough shade for all the kids to sit under 

They are also good in the rain. Best 

investment that I ever made. 

Keep yourself hydrated. Take water 

with you. Start now for a fun and safe 

summer. 

Keep them laughing and keep on 

clowning. Any other questions I will be 

happy to help in any way I can. If I can't answer 

it, I will seek out other resources. 

by 

Georgia 

“Shananigans” 

Morris 


The 2012 COAI 

“Best in Clown” 

goes to 

Kynisha Ducre-Jarreau 

Award 

by: Lulu Mire 

By pedestrian definition, the daisy 

is a type of flower. According to 

Disney, it’s Donald’s girlfriend. But 

in the clown world, when you say “Daisy,” 

we think of Kynisha Ducre-Jarreau, the 

recipient of the “Best in Clown” award 

at the 2012 COAI Convention held in 

Kansas City, MO. The Gerber daisy is 

Kynisha’s favorite flower, and this year, 

“Daisy the Clown” was our favorite clown! 

E 

ver 

since 1994, Kynisha has been 

entertaining audiences by clowning 

around. Her clowning career started 

in New Orleans when she was introduced 

to Cheri “Cheri-Oats” Venturi. Witnessing 

all the grins and giggles Cheri-Oats 

brought to so many people, Kynisha knew 

she wanted to bring that same joy to kids 

who were overlooked, sick, or simply in 

need of a smiling friend that encouraged 

their dreams. 

So, what did her family and friends 

think about her being a clown? They 

actually thought it was pretty cool. 

She loves to dance and she has plenty 

of little cousins to entertain. She was 

also a cheerleader (in high school and 

professionally) and won the title of “most 

school-spirit” her senior year of high 

school. So her decision to pursue clowning 

made perfect sense to them – she has 

that contagious energy to lift your spirit! 

T 

his 

sure isn’t the dental profession 

she thought she’d go into as a child, 

but she’s still producing the same 

result: happy smiles! Kynisha’s purpose 

for clowning is to make smiles. To 

Kynisha, clowning means, “making God 

happy by sharing the talents He gave 

[her]. It allows kids to wonder and adults 

to be amazed, sharing in the joy of their 

kids.” 

Inside the Superdome, watching 

Ringling Brothers performers was 

Kynisha’s earliest memory of clowns. 

Her family would always sit in seats 

close to the circus action to maximize the 

interactive fun. Growing up, she would 

pay the fun forward. “I'm an only child 

that had parents that played with me a 

lot. My mom is one of 16 children. Those 

16 kids produced 49-ish cousins who 

I entertained often. I love exposing 

people to clowning, learning new 

things or improving old ones, and have 

gained more internal joy than I could 

have wished for. My six-year-old son, 

Cayman, loves his Mommy as a clown 

too and plans to assist me in upcoming 

shows.” Right now she’s the only clown in 

the family (with a red nose), but it looks 

like her son will be putting smiles on 

people’s faces soon enough. 

Not surprisingly, “Daisy” quickly 

blossomed in her clowning career. But 

instead of petals, this Daisy is adorned 

in an embellished Catholic school-styled 

jacket with a poofy, well-coordinated 

skirt. Her skills include scarf juggling, 

plate spinning, small shows, dancing, 

balloon twisting, and face painting. She’s 

also an expert hugger! She’s interested 

in silly magic but would like to grow into 

more sophisticated illusions. One day 

she’d also like to be a more advanced 

juggler and stilt walker too. She’s already 

on her way to attaining those goals - her 

neighbors have witnessed her practicing 

stilt walking alongside her backyard 

fence. Kynisha will never forget the 

astonished expressions on their faces. 

Clowning started for Kynisha in her 

hometown of New Orleans, but damages 

from Hurricane Katrina forced her to 

relocate to McKinney, Texas in 2005. 

Among her many losses were all of her 

carefully collected clown supplies. She 

painstakingly tried to recall all the 

items she once had and from where she 

had purchased them, but soon realized 

this task was too difficult and that a 

new approach was necessary. She came 

to the conclusion that it was truly a 

time for fresh new starts. She turned 

her loss into an opportunity to start 

anew by broadening her world as a 

clown - exploring brand new props and 

learning brand new tricks. In the midst of 

hardship, she continued to see the world 

with the fresh eyes of a true clown. 

Page 22 

The New Calliope

Learning has always been important 

to Kynisha, and in Texas, she continued 

her education by attending a variety of 

conventions. These conventions have 

been very rewarding for her. She’s 

learned a lot of new skills and won 

a lot of awards, too. In 2010, she was 

the Dallas TJam (T. Meyers Magic) 

“7 Minutes or Less” balloon twisting 

competition winner. In 2011, at the Texas 

Clown Association (TCA) convention, 

she was a multiple medal winner: first 

in multi-balloon sculpture, two second 

place finishes in single balloon sculpture 

and skit competition, and two third 

place finishes in character makeup and 

performance. It was only natural that 

she’d keep the winning streak alive at 

the COAI convention. Kynisha competed 

and made top ten in: single skit, single 

paradeability, single balloon, character 

makeup, multiple balloon, balloon 

arrangement, as well as cheek and full 

face painting competition categories. 

She brought home the following medals: 

third place in cheek art, second place in 

character makeup, and first place in full 

face painting and single balloon twisting. 

Often, life-changing moments come 

with great inner dialogue. When asked 

what she was thinking at the convention 

banquet the moment her name was 

called out as the “Best in Clown” winner, 

Kynisha replied: 

My inside voice said, ‘Did she 

just…?; Well, you did go up 

there a lot…; No, it couldn't…; 

But everyone is looking at me! 

Get up, Silly, and walk to the 

stage!’ Then, as I stood up and 

realized this was not a dream, 

I was humbled with joy that I 

was being celebrated. 

Winning “Best in Clown” came as a 

result of wanting to try new things and a 

willingness to accept critiques on ways to 

improve. Now that she has accomplished 

this goal, she feels that she will have 

more confidence in herself to perform at 

her current level and in bigger settings 

as well. When asked to give advice to 

clowns aspiring to win future “Best in 

Clown” titles, she replied, “Organize your 

thoughts. Write them down. Do your 

personal best and don't compare 

yourself to others.” 

New and 

aspiring clowns 

would be wise to 

listen to our 2012 

“Best in Clown” 

winner’s simple 

words of advice, 

“Dream it. 

Organize it. 

Practice it. 

Have fun 

with it!” 

We had some fun with our 2012 “Best in Clown” 

winner and asked her about some of her “bests”: 

Best (fondest) clowning moment? …when a nonbelieving 

kid believed I was really an elf and asked for 

a special wish! 

Best (favorite) balloon design to twist? a 

cockatoo on a branch. And definitely not a squirrel; 

haven’t mastered the proportions yet! 

Best (favorite) face painting design to paint? 

this year’s full face, first place winner with glitter 

Best part (what did you think) of this year’s 

convention? great lectures, smiles, sharing, staff and 

entertainment. Because I am always curious about 

growing or expanding, it was nice to hear from many 

different professionals and how to get there. 

Best (favorite) quote? “Every great dream begins 

with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within 

you the strength, the patience, and the passion to 

reach for the stars to change the world.” 

-- Harriet Tubman 

Best five words to describe clowning? (Ok, we 

really asked her what are the first five words that 

come to mind when you think of clowning, but we 

needed to make this fit somehow!): Smiles, silly, cute, 

amazement, and skipping (that’s what came out!)!!! 

Kynisha is a proud member of Mid-Cities 

Clown Alley #85, COAI and WCA. 


5th Place 

Jenny Lou 

Rodriguez 

6th Place 

Debbie Fowler 

7th Place 

Pam Mulhall 

8th Place 

Linda Loveday 

10th Place 

Larry Stillman 

9th Place 

Debbi Copper 

Page 24 

The New Calliope The Convention New Calliope Issue

Auguste 

1st 

Place 

2nd Place 

James Caffrey 

Miguel 

Rosto Solis 

3rd Place 

Reyes Santos 

4th Place 

Judy Johnson 

May/June 2011 2012 Page 25

tramp 

hobo 

1st 

Place 

James Dixon 

2nd Place 

Richard Westbrook 

Page 26 

The New Calliope The Convention New Calliope 

Issue

Lite 

Auguste 

1st 

Place 

2nd Place 

Ann Sanders 

Jeanne Woska 

3rd Place 

Janna Gerdel 

4th Place 

Sandra Winstead 

May/June 2012 2011 Page 27

Comedy 

White face 

1st 

Place 

3rd Place 

Michael Becvar 

2nd Place 

Bill Young 

Spangle The Clown 

4th Place 

Vickey Garrett 

Page 28 

The New Calliope

Classic 

White face 

Luis Casiano 

1st 

Place 


6th Place 

Patti Coombs 

5th Place 

Dale FlashBerg 

4th Place 

Newall Barker 

9th Place 

Elizabeth Lavergne 

7th Place 

James DeWilde 

8th Place 

Alejandra 

Texidor Perez 

Page 30 

The New Calliope The Convention New Calliope 

Issue

Senior 

1st 

Place 

2nd Place 

Barbara Bird 

Bruce Long 

3rd Place 

Dawn Marie 

Pearson 


Character 

3rd Place 

Jeffrey G. Hogue 

2nd Place 

Kynisha 

Ducre-Jarreau 

5th Place 

Paula Ward 

1st 

Place 

Katie Harmke 

4th Place 

Julie Wright 

Page 32 

Page 32 

The New Calliope 

The New Calliope Convention Issue

Single balloon 

1st 

Place 

3rd Place 

Julie Wright 

4th Place 

Luis Casiano 

2nd Place 


5th Place 

Newall Barker 

Kynisha 

Ducre-Jarreau 

7th Place 

Pam Mulhall 

6th Place 

Bruce Long 

10th Place 


9th Place 

Judy Johnson 

8th Place 

Ann Sanders 

May/June 2012 Page 33 

May/June 2011 Page 33

Multi Balloon 

2nd Place 


3rd Place 

Judy Johnson 

1st 

Place 

Julie Wright 

4th Place 


5th Place 

Jill Schmidt 

9th Place 

Bruce Long 

6th Place 

Kynisha 

Ducre-Jarreau 

10th Place 

Pam Mulhall 

7th Place 

Bill Young 

8th Place 

Luis Casiano 

Page 34 

The New Calliope

Balloon Arrangements 

1st 

Place 

3rd Place 


2nd Place 

Pam Mulhall 

Julie Wright 

6th Place 

Bruce Long 

4th Place 

Kynisha 

Ducre-Jarreau 

5th Place 

Judy Johnson 

10th Place 

Bill Young 

7th Place 

Reyes Santos 

8th Place 

Ann Sanders 

9th Place 

Ronald Metz 


Cheek Art 

1st 

Place 

Ann Sanders 

2nd Place 

Judy Johnson 

3th Place 

Kynisha 

Ducre-Jarreau 

4th Place 

Julie Wright 

5th Place 

James DeWilde 

6th Place 

Sharon Cohen 

7th Place 

Reyes Santos 

Page 36 

The New Calliope

Face painting 

Full Face 

1st 

Place 

3rd Place 

Sharon Cohen 

2nd Place 

Ann Sanders 

Kynisha 

Ducre-Jarreau 

4th Place 

Judy Johnson 

5th Place 

Luis Casiano 

6th Place 

Reyes Santos 

7th Place 

Julie Wright 

8th Place 

Larry Sillman 

9th Place 

Vickey Garrett 


group 

1st 

Place 

The Shell Game 

Newall Barker 

Roger Brakebill 

Bruce Long 

Nancy Morehouse 

Richard Westbrook 

2nd Place 

“Letter from Mom” 

James Dixon 

Rob Moffett 

3rd Place 

“Talking Machine” 

Rene Gallaher 

Jamye Sims 

4th Place 

“The Check Up” 

5th Place 

“Balloons for Sale” 

Debbie Fowler 

Kenny Fowler 

Page 38 

6th Place 

“Gone Fishing” 

Ray Hapner 

Gloria Sterrett 

7th Place 

“The Boss” 

Angel Morales 

Carmen Periti 

Alejandra Perez 

Reyes Santos 

Miguel Rosto Solis 

Jenny Lou Rodriguez 


Katie Harmke

Skit 

Single 

3rd Place 

“Dance” 

Roger Brakebill 

2nd Place 

“She's Got You” 

Debbie Fowler 

1st 

Place 

4th Place 

“Congratulations 

Mr. Clown” 

Luis Casiano 

7th Place 

“World's Greatest 

Baseball Player” 


5th Place 

“That's Magic” 

Judy Johnson 

6th Place 

“The Audition” 

James Caffrey 

The Proposal 

James Dixon 

8th Place 

“Hokey Pocus” 


9th Place 

“Cave Over the Hill” 

Kynisha 

Ducre-Jarreau 

10th Place 

“Acme Employment 

Agency” 

Rene Gallaher

Paradability 

group 

In categories 

with 5 or fewer 

competitors, the 

placement is based 

on percentile 

achievements. 

2nd Place 

“Drag Queen” 

Susan Dorland 

Sheila Gleason 

Judy Quest 

Kathy Scofield 

Teresa Ziska 

Single 

3rd Place 

“Broken Bike” 

Bruce Long 

6th Place 

“Help Shave 

the Whales” 

Rene Gallaher 

3rd Place 

“Tinkle Bear” 

Alejandra 

Texidor Perez 

Miguel Rosto Solis 

Page 40 

The New Calliope

1st 

Place 

2nd Place 

“Here Comes 

The Queen” 


5th Place 

“Who's Walking 

Who?” 

Kynisha 

Ducre-Jarreau 

“Yikes!” 

Katie Harmke 

4th Place 

“Pop Art” 

Debbie Fowler 

7th Place 

“Rolling 20 Tee” 

Reyes Santos 

8th Place 

“Going Down 

The Drain” 

Julie Wright 

9th Place 

“Elephants 

Are Coming” 

Judy Johnson 

10th Place 

“Boom Box” 

Larry Sillman 


Congratulations 

Pam Bacher (r) presents Merilyn Berrett with her Lifetime 

Achievment Award. Woohooo, way to go Merilyn. 

Teresa Gretton(l) presents Mike Becvar and Katie Harmke 

of Kapitol Klowns with the Alley C.H.A.R.L.E. Award for 

Clown Week 2011. Not present was John Sullivan 

who won the 2011 Individual Award. 

Pam Bacher enjoyed the honor of presenting Judy Phelps 

and her daughter Jodi Colgan with the Ring Of Honor 

certificate in honor of Dennis Phelps. 

Pam Bacher and Mike Cox present Tom Newton with the 

Ring Of Honor certificate in honor of Pat Newton. 

Tom Newton presented Glenn Kohlberger with the Editor's 

Choice Award for all of his help with The New Calliope. 

Page 42 

Paddee Embrey accepts the Best of Press Award for the 

Rose City Clown Alley's newsletter, the Red Nose Newz. 

The New Calliope

Page 44 

The New Calliope

Junior 

Joey 

Update 

by 

Cheri Venturi, 

Director of Education 

The Junior Joey program 

started with some concern 

about attendance, but we 

ended with great hope and 

enthusiasm for the future. As 

many of you know, COAI 

has tried to enroll more 

students in our convention 

program but many schools 

will not allow the joeys to 

take the time off or give them 

credit for attending. Thus our 

enrollment has not been what 

we had expected over the 

past two or three years. Due 

to the time commitment and 

dedication to the program, 

the Board had to make a 

minimum requirement if the 

program was to be an all-day 

event. We decided to make it 

for five students. 

By the time the 

convention was a week 

away, we found out one 

student could not come at 

all and the others could 

only attend on Saturday. 

After much discussion we 

changed the format and 

decided to continue with a 

shortened schedule. With the 

cooperation of the host Alley 

the students were able to 

attend the morning sessions 

with the JJ staff and then 

select the classes or events 

that they wanted to attend 

on their own, for the same JJ 

registration fee. 

Am I glad that I had the 

pleasure of working with 

three of the most talented 

girls: Blake “Dot,” Riann 

“Dip,” and Janae “JoJo” 

as well as our one boy, 

Max “Blackbird.” What 

a trouper! He arrived on 

Saturday and joined right 

in the group. He did a super 

job learning everything 

in crash collision time. 

Thanks to the girls for 

helping him and including 

him in everything. These 

four students were the most 

enthusiastic and energetic 

clowns I have had the 

pleasure of instructing. 

Obviously they had a great 

deal of training before 

they arrived and were very 

confident in their clown 

characters. They were 

willing to try anything and 

everything. They were 

eager to practice and create 

personal touches to make 

the skits their own. They 

loved the magic and each 

one chose to demonstrate 

a trick at the performance 

on Saturday. They did a 

splendid job of leading off 

the parade on Saturday and 

showed us their great moves 

on the dance floor at the 

theme party. 

Here are a few comments 

that the girls sent back. 

Junior Joeys lead the way for the Paradability contestants. 

Thanks to Kendra (Boss 

Clown), we were able to get 

them and the pictures. 

I had a great time during 

the junior joey program. 

I learned about big 

movements and hiding the 

small ones. I really enjoyed 

spending time with all the 

people who spent their time 

teaching us. Thank you so 

much. Riann “Dip” 

I really liked learning 

how to better express 

myself, especially with 

facial expressions. It was 

all such a fun experience; 

the parade, our program, 

the magic, and more! I now 

know how to use a thumb tip 

and am excited to try it out! 

The scholarship was also 

awesome. Blake “Dot” 

I learned many things at 

clown camp. Our Jr. Joey 

class was a class for just 

kids and clowns in training. 

Mostly we learned makeup 

techniques, magic tricks, and 

acting tips. My favorite part 

was clown ministry where 

magic tricks were turned 

into illusions of God. I also 

learned that Elvis sweats a 

lot! Janae “ JoJo” 

I would like to thank 

all the Board members 

who contributed their time 

to teach the Junior Joeys 

as well as those that gave 

their support for continuing 

the program in spite of 

not meeting the minimum 

registrations. I would like 

to especially thank Georgia 

for bringing all the props 




and teaching the students 

the skits. As you can see 

they really appreciated your 

efforts and the knowledge 

you shared. I would also 

like to thank those who 

donated $109 to the Junior 

Joey program at the auction, 

in addition to Jim Harkness 

who donated his $50 

drawing. Judy Johnson gave 

each student a wonderful 

clown bag of goodies, chock 

full of magic, balloons, 

snacks and fun information. 

Thank you Judy. A special 

thank you to Candy Will 

for starting the Junior Joey 

program years ago and 

for making all the balloon 

horses for the parade. 

If our future is in their 

hands, we sure have a 

bright and shining one to 

look forward to. 

Major 

Announcement 

Always striving to grow 

in the art of clowning, 

COAI and The Red Skelton 

School have teamed up to 

present a joint Junior Joey 

camp. This year COAI is 

sending four instructors to 

the Red Skelton School in 

Vincennes, Indiana. 

We are most excited 

about this for the future of 

Junior Joey education as 

COAI has acknowledged the 

need to adapt their program 

to fit in with present school 

regulations and restrictions. 

For more information please 

go to our website. It is a 

wonderful opportunity for 

parents and Junior Joeys 

to attend a well established 

program at a minimal cost. 

If you are a COAI member, 

you and your Junior Joey 

can attend for five days, 

lodging and three meals 

a day included. If you are 

a parent or guardian and 

coming to support your 

Junior Joey or would like 

to volunteer your time but 

not attend classes yourself 

a family rate is available. 

Although it may be too late 

to plan for this year, you 

may want to start planning 

for next year. Reserve you 

space early as we have a 

limit of 30 students each 

year. What a wholesome 

family opportunity! 

Although it is dorm living, it 

isn’t like it used to be: Super 

rooms, with big screen TV 

in outer rooms and private 

bathrooms. Call me if you 

have any questions. 

l l l 

Page 46 

The New Calliope

Last Walk-Around 

Joseph Dunn 

My husband, life partner 

and love of my life “Paddy 

the Clown” died April 7th 

after battling brain cancer 

for almost four months. He 

will surely be missed by the 

thousands of children and 

adults he entertained and 

by the many charity events 

he attended. Some of his 

charities are the Verizon 

Pioneers, Juvenile Diabetes, 

American Heart Association, 

Empire State Games for 

the Physically Challenged, 

various political fundraisers 

with Assemblyman Joe 

Saladino and Peter King, 

Luke Neuhedel Foundation, 

American Cancer Society, 

Annual Breast Cancer Walk, 

and hundreds of 7-Eleven 

community affairs, as well 

as many small local charities 

and fundraisers. The list is 

nearly endless… He was 

truly a “giving” clown, joked 

often about the blessings of 

being “good for nothing” 

and shared his miles of 

smiles throughout his life, 

especially during his 35 

years as a clown. Heaven is a 

better place with him in it. 

If a clown close to you has passed, we would very much like to honor that clown with his or her last walk-around. 

You can submit your Last Walk-Around obitituary and photo to: NewCalliope Editor @comcast.net 

or you can snail mail to: 

New Calliope Magazine 

c/o Newton Studios, 

370 W. Dearborn St, Suite B, 

Englewood, FL 34223. 

If emailing, please be sure to send a high resolution photo. 

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. 

Ms. Jackie “Lollibells” Garner 

418 Sharmain Place 

San Antonio, TX 78221-1846 

Dr. Dave “Sneezer” Hoffner 

13728 Greenwood Ave. N, #012 

Seattle, WA 98133 

Barbara “Patches” Nichols 

504 College Place 

Kingsville, TX 78363-4901 

Betty Schultz 

8300 NW Barry Road, Apt 238 

Kansas City, MO 64153 

Frank “Famus Fumbles” Recor 

C/O Crystal River Health & Rehab 

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

Crystal River, FL 34429 

Sissy Womack 

2602 Maplewood Road 

Richmond, VA 23228 

Roland “Rolo the Clown” Wood 

60 River Road 

Edwards, NY 13635 

Fred Schlosshauer, 

Good Cheer Chairman 

8 Alanon Street 

Whippany, NJ 07981 

973-887-2617 

oscarboj@aol.com 


Why Not Give A Gift That 

Will Keep On Giving? 

Why Not Gift 

A COAI Membership? 

See the application on page 49 

or call the Business Office. 

USA Toll Free 877.816.6941 

941-474-4351 

www.coai.org 

How To Register On The Website 

• Log in to www.coai.org and Click on “Register” 

• Fill In your Username, First Name and Last Name 

in the spaces provided. 

• Next screen, choose CURRENT MEMBER 

• Continue, filling out all the pertinent information. 

• In the billing section, put a 0 in for family 

members. If you have family members, have them 

register after you. In the comments field please 

note who your family members are. Select “Bill 

Me” - you will receive a bill for $0 (because this 

is an automated system, we need to get your profile 

information without you being charged.) 

• Once your submission is approved you'll be 

able to start working on your profile preferences 

and exploring our site. 

• For more information on registering, see your 

January/February 2011 New Calliope or call the 

business office: M-F, 9-5, EST. 

Page 48 

The New Calliope

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 Rates 

NEW U.S.: $40 Active Renewal: $35 

NEW International (U.S. funds): $45 Family Renewal (U.S. & Intl.): $17 

NEW Senior (65 +): $30 International Renewal (U.S. funds): $40 

NEW Senior Intl. (65 +, U.S. funds): $35 Senior Renewal (65 +): $25 

NEW Junior Joey (age 8-15): $30 Senior Intl. Renewal (65 +, U.S. funds): $30 

LIFETIME Membership: $500 Junior Joey Renewal (age 8-15): $25 

• Seniors and Junior Joeys must provide proof of age with application (copy of Birth Certificate, License, etc.) 

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

• Full members and Junior Joeys receive The New Calliope. Family members 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 1171 • Englewood FL 34295-1171 USA 

Phone: 877-816-6941 • 941-474-4351 • Fax: 941-474-8317 • Web site: www.coai.org 

All memberships to COAI are on an annual basis. 


CLOWNS OF AMERICA INTERNATIONAL 

FORMULARIO DE APPLICACION Y RENOVACION 

Nombre: Primero Iniciales: Apellidos 

Calle: 

Ciudad: Urbanización / Barriada: Pueblo: Zona Postal: 

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: 

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 

Deseo escribir una nota.________________________________ 

_______________________________________________________ 

_______________________________________________________ 

_______________________________________________________ 

_______________________________________________________ 

_______________________________________________________ 

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 

Tarifas Anuales de Membresía 

Nuevos miembros (US) $40 

Nuevos miembros (Int’l) $45 

Nuevos miembros Seniors (65+ US) $30 

Nuevos miembros Seniors (65+ Int’l) $35 

Nuevos miembros Júnior Joey (edades 8-15) $30 

Membresía de por Vida $500 

Renovación (US) $35 

Renovación (Int’l) $40 

Renovación Miembros (Seniors 65+ US) $25 

Renovación Miembros Senior (65+ Int’l) $30 

Renovación Júnior Joey (edades 8-15) $25 

Membresía Familiar *(cada uno) $17 

para miembros adicionales de un hogar 

* Estados Unidos o Países Internacionales) 

* Seniors y Júnior Joeys deben proveer prueba de edad junto a su solicitud. 

* Seniors deben ser de 65 años de edad o mayor durante la matrícula o año de renovación 

* Júnior Joey debe estar entre las edades de 8 y 15 años durante el año de la solicitud. 

* Niños entre las edades de 8 y 15 años pueden escoger entre Familia o Júnior Joey… los miembros de familia pueden tener cualquier edad. 

* Miembros completos y Júnior Joeys reciben The New Calliope, miembros de la familia no recibirían copias adicionales… 

Favor de enviar en US $ dólares solamente. 

Cheque a nombre de: __________ 

Método de Pago 

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 

Enviar formulario a: 

Clowns Of America, International, Inc. (COAI), P.O. Box 1171, Englewood, FL 34295-1171 USA 

Teléfono 1-877-816-6941 • 941-474-4351 • Fax 941-474-8317 • Página Web: www.coai.org 

Clasificación de Membresía 

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

Page 50 

The New Calliope

Donald W. Adams 

E Springfield, PA 

Dusty 

Mayra Alonso 

Clark, NJ 

May The Clown 

Sandra Anderson 

North Richland Hills, TX 

Fiddle Britches 

Alvin L. Birt 

Raytown, MO 

Maynard The Moocher 

Lori Blyth 

Bloomer, WI 

Plywood 

Jonna L Brakebill 

Owasso, OK 

Justin Brodie 

Canton, OK 

Big Red 

Tera Bush 

Williamsport, PA 

Marty Pants 

Graham D. Campbell 

Truro, NS Canada 

Beeper 

Lori Campbell 

Bristol, TN 

Wiggles 

Francis T. Cancro 

Belmont, NC 

Frankie 

Rita Case 

Leeds, AL 

Plum Cute 

June Castle 

Mascoutah, IL 

Flo-Mingo 

Linda S. Champion 

Birmingham, AL 

Peppermint 

Roger Chapanis 

Sammamish, WA 

William R. Chappell 

DeRuyter, NY 

Smilo 

Donita M Cohorst 

Marysville, KS 

Clayton W. Cox 

Hardin, KY 

Gerald Allen Crabb 

Lakeland, FL 

Pockets D Clown 

William Cunningham 

Boise, ID 

Cornelius T Clown 

Lee Czajkowski 

Saratoga, NY 

Janie Tuley Davis 

Bartlesville, OK 

Laydee Bug 

Sandy DeSosa 

New Port Richey, FL 

Butterfly 

Joe DiFiore 

Adams, TN 

Cuffs 

Charlotte Dismukes 

Birmingham, AL 

Lot-Tee-Dah 

Mark T. Dunleavy 

Philadelphia, PA 

Sir Dim of Witty 

Kalia Eichengreen 

Haifa, Israel 

Lihahaha or Lucky Star 

Debbie Eichner 

Baltimore, MD 

Butterscotch 

Evan Eichner 

Baltimore, MD 

Slushee 

Nixzaida Rodriguez 

Escribano 

Gurabo, Puerto Rico 

Pintita 

Tony Angelo Ferrante 

Winder, GA 

Tone-Deaf the 

Musical Hobo 

Susan Fitzpatrick 

Cape Coral, FL 

Lilly 

Kate Fontaine 

Westhampton, MA 

Pinwheel 

April Ann Fredericks 

Montgomery, AL 

Shoo 

Theresa Gillis 

Holland, MI 

Peaches 

Greg Scott Gosselin 

Pike Road, AL 

Goosie 

Jim Green 

Thunder Bay, ON Canada 

Fraydee 

Joan Green 

Thunder Bay, ON Canada 

Freckles 

Nick Guthro 

Pictou, NS Canada 

Happy 

Archie D Harris 

Davenport, IA 

Lucky Bo 

Elaine Howell 

Arlington, TX 

Murcee 

Angus S. Lamond Jr. 

North Chesterfield, VA 

Mc Tug Boat 

Robert L Lewis 

Damascus, MD 

Janet L. Maguire 

Kentwood, MI 

Janoramma 

Paula Ann Moors 

Petaluma, CA 

Sunshine Annee 

Shannon M. Morgan 

West Melbourne, FL 

Cookie, Cookie The Clown 

Jo Ann Narewski 

Columbia, SC 

Joyfulheart 

Osa Nuenlis-Zavala 

Fort Meyers, FL 

Little Ms Osa 

Dallas H O'Dell 

Monticello, MN 

Odie 

Brenda Pace 

Fletcher, NC 

Caasi 

John Pankowicz 

Clifton, NJ 

Fumbles 

Nikki Pankowicz 

Clifton, NJ 

Twinkles 

Gregory L. Parks 

Minneapolis, MN 

Carmen Peire De 

Pastor 

Guaynabo, PR 

Cheryl Peters 

Kansas City, MO 

Petunia 

Ginger Prior 

Saint Petersburg, FL 

Cotton Dandy 

Janice Ralston 

Hoover, AL 

Miss Priss 

Alejandro Ramirez 

Houston, TX 

Alejandro 

Miguel A. Resto-Solis 

Trujillo Alto, PR 

Tatin 

Valerie S. Rodriguez 

Cape Coral, FL 

Ms Kitty 

Reyes Santos 

Cidra, PR 

Boton 

Lana L. Sceiford 

Albuquerque, NM 

Poppie 

Mildred Lea Shartzer 

Corydon, IN 

Silly Milly 

Brian Shannon Shaw 

Paris, TN 

Raggles Raggermuffin 

Patricia A. Steele 

Haines City, FL 

Patti Pat 

Michael Terry 

San Diego, CA 

Story Catcher Mike 

Alejandra Texidor-Perez 

San Juan, PR 

Redonda 

C. Michael Thayer 

Grand Junction, CO 

Pooh Bear 

Tal S. Thompson 

Richmond, VA 

Johnnie Lee Trivette 

Bethany, OK 

BanJo 

Josephine G. Wicker 

Arden, NC 

Pansy Jo 

Ernest Wilbelmy 

Shelburne Falls, MA 

Willy Nilly 

Madge Will 

Centerville, OH 

Dribbles 

Deborah Withers 

Omaha, NE 

Doodlebug 

Silvia Zavala-Flores 

Fort Meyers, FL 

Silly Ms. Silvia 


Budget 

As approved at the General Membership Meeting April, 2012 

Revenue 2011-2012 2012-2013 

Equity Fund Transfer $0 $10,000 

Membership $99,000 $91,505 

Lifetime Membership $100 $70 

Magazine Ads $40,000 $30,000 

Merchandise $6,000 $3,000 

Junior Joey Auction Funds $100 $100 

Education $0 $0 

Convention $2,500 $5,000 

Interest $1,500 $800 

Misc $150 $500 

Web Page $100 $0 

CD Revenue $100 $0 

Education Auction Revenue $2,000 $5,000 

Scholarship Endowment Fund $500 $500 

TOTAL $152,050 $146,475 

Expenses 

Bank Charges/Returned Checks $300 $1,500 

Credit Card fee $2,000 $2,000 

New Calliope Expenses $80,000 $75,000 

Nat'l Office Expense $22,000 $25,000 

Board Supplies $500 $0 

Fall Board Meeting $12,000 $7,000 

Ambassadors $125 $0 

Spring Board Meeting $7,500 $8,000 

Officers Phone & Postage $600 $200 

COAI Grant $500 $750 

Education $1,000 $500 

Scholarships $2,000 $1,500 

Scholarship Endowment $500 $750 

Convention Expense $2,000 $2,000 

Trophies $1,500 $2,000 

Printed Material $1,500 $1,500 

Equipment Purchase $200 $0 

100% Alley Education Mat $0 $0 

Merchandise $1,000 $1,000 

Jr. Joey Merchandise $50 $0 

Clown Week $100 $50 

Coty Promotion Expenses $0 $0 

Excellence in Clowning $50 $0 

Clown of the Year $500 $0 

Special Projects $0 $0 

Promotion and Publicity $100 $0 

Misc $200 $500 

Prof. Organization Dues $0 $0 

Professional Services $3,000 $5,000 

Web Page $6,000 $6,000 

Insurance-Board $2,000 $2,000 

Media Liability Insurance $3,035 $3,035 

Trademark LLC $190 $190 

Federal Income Tax $1,500 $1,000 

Audio Director $100 $0 

Director at Large $0 $0 

TOTAL $152,050 $146,475 

Page 52 

Financial Report 

Clowns of America International 

Income, expense and balance statement 

Jan/Feb 2012 

Year To Date 

Revenue 

Membership $4,765 $57,895 

Lifetime Membership $0 $0 

Magazine Ads $3,926 $17,867 

Merchandise $544 $896 

Education $0 $0 

Convention $0 $5,000 

Interest $59 $395 

Lowe Collection $0 $0 

Miscellaneous $1,336 $1,366 

Web Page $0 $0 

Education Auction Revenue $0 $0 

Junior Joey Auction Revenue $0 $0 

TOTAL $10,630 $83,419 

Expenses 

Bank Chgs / Returned Checks $222 $1,921 

Checks $0 $0 

Credit Card Fees $118 $1,493 

New Calliope Editor Fees $5,300 $21,200 

New Calliope Production $4,562 $18,532 

New Calliope Postage $2,128 $6,264 

Other New Calliope Fees $0 $236 

Nat'l Office Business Manager $2,147 $17,610 

National Office Phone $0 $0 

National Office Postage $54 $527 

National Office Misc. $0 $292 

Board Expenses Other $0 $0 

Fall Board Meeting $0 $6,078 

State And Intern. Ambassadors $0 $0 

Spring Board Meeting $0 $0 

Officer's Phone & Postage $44 $171 

Educational Support $0 $267 

Convention Expense $0 $3,250 

Trophies $0 $0 

Printed Material $0 $0 

Grants $0 $0 

Alley Support $0 $0 

Merchandise $0 -$188 

Excellence In Clowning $0 $0 

Clown Week $0 $0 

Clown Of The Year $0 $8 

Jr. Joey Expense $0 $0 

Special Projects $0 $0 

Audio Director $0 $0 

Lowe Collection Expense $0 $725 

Promotion & Publicity $0 $0 

Miscellaneous Expense $0 $0 

Shipping $0 $0 

Organization Dues $0 $0 

Professional Services $0 $956 

Web Page Expense $0 $5,995 

Insurance $100 $1,294 

Directory Expense $0 $0 

Media Liability Insurance $0 $0 

Federal Income Tax $231 $604 

TOTAL $14,906 $87,235 

Florida Shores Bank $49,079 

Money Market Accounts $32,392 

Sholarship Account $21,355 

Contingecy Reserve $37,114 

National Office Operating Fund $400 

Total $140,340 

(Amounts given to the nearest dollar) 

Respectfully submitted, Candyce Will, Treasurer 

The Financial report shown above meets the motion made by 

our general membership to provide a financial statement to 

the general membership every 6 months of its fiscal year. 

Based on the view of 3 CPA’S and legal counsel. 

The New Calliope

Calendar 

June 5-10, 2012 

Red Skelton Clown School 

Vincennes, IN 

www.RedSkeltonClownSchool.com 

July 11-15, 2012 

Clown Jam 

Branson, MO 

www.ClownJam.com 

July 30-August 5, 2012 

California Clown Campin' 

San Bernardino, CA 

www.californiaclowncampin.org 

californiaclowncampin@yahoo.com 

951-310-7087 

Please note that the dates for 

California Clown Campin' were 

incorrect in the March/April 

Issue. We regret the error. 

August 1-5, 2012 

TCA Convention 

Irving, TX 

www.texasclownassociation.com 

817-282-6555 

August, 20-24, 2012 

The American Clown Academy 

Newark, OH 

www.americanclownacademy.com 

614-256-7905 

September 13-15, 2012 

Circus Magic West 

San Diego, CA 

www.CircusMagicWest.com 


SECA 

Jacksonville, FL 

www.southeastclownassoc.com 

dhale5@att.net 


Clownfest 2012 

Seaside Heights, NJ 

www.Clownfest.com 

Clownfest@aol.com 

732-747-3841 

October 3-7, 2012 

Midwest Roundup 

Davenport, IA 

midwestroundupwebsite.com 

October 19 & 20, 2012 

Kapitol Klown's Workshop 

College Park, MD 

www.KapitolKlowns.com 

bunkytclown@comcast.net 

November 1-4, 2012 

Kentucky Clown Derby 

Clarksville, IN 

www.KentuckyClownDerby.com 


MACA 

New Cumberland, PA 

www.midatlanticclownassociation.com 


WRCA 

Laughlin, NV 

http://westregionclowns.org 

April 16-21, 2013 

COAI Convention 

Catching the Spirit 

Of Richmond 

Richmond, Virginia 

clownalley3@ yahoo.com 

www.clownalley3.com 

Do you know of any 

clown conventions 

or workshops that 

ought to be listed? 

email the information to: 


Southeast Regional VP 

by Kent Sheets 

By the time you read 

this, many of you will be 

recovering from another 

great COAI convention. 

Another great 

opportunity I know of is 

scheduled for July 30 to 

August 3, the Fellowship 

of Christian Magicians’ 

Convention at Indiana 

Wesleyan University in 

Marion, IN. The FCM 

convention is not just 

magic. FCM covers 

the performing arts of 

magic, ventriloquism, 

balloons, clowning, face 

art, storytelling, drama/ 

mime, juggling, and 

puppets. The convention is 

a week-long program with 

over 150 workshops. It is 

an excellent educational 

opportunity. In addition 

to the outstanding classes, 

the evening programs have 

performers from all over the 

US and the World. Visit the 

website at www.fcm.org. If 

you convince two of your 

friends to attend with you, 

you can qualify for a free 

registration. 

Another event I hope 

you have started planning 

for is Clown Week, August 

1-7 - Our very own week! 

It is a great opportunity to 

clown all over town, from 

getting proclamations, 

entertaining at nursery 

schools, retirement homes, 

churches, the mall or 

shopping areas 

to wherever 

you can find an 

audience. Skits and balloons 

with the seasoned clowns 

has always been one of the 

best training experiences 

for new clowns. Schedule 

daily events for your alley 

members to entertain. There 

is nothing better than when 

a person receives his own 

sponge clown nose from a 

clown. 

My favorite convention 

is September, 5-9, 

the Southeast Clown 

Association, SECA 

Clowns of the Tropics, 

is the theme for 2012. Earl 

Chaney, Leon McBryde, 

Jim Howle and a host of 

others are on the agenda. 

The Hyatt Regency, 

Jacksonville Riverfront 

at Jacksonville, FL is 

the location. Questions 

or comments? E-mail: 

dhale5@att.net or call 

President Chris Burton 

(859) 619-0477. 

I recommend you visit 

the SECA website: www. 

southeastclownassoc. 

org, ASAP. and become a 

member so you can start 

getting their newsletter. Get 

your convention registration 

in early. 

Smile! Have Fun! Take 

lots of pictures. 

l l l 

When Was The Last Time You 

Brought Someone Into COAI 

And The Art Of Clowning? 


Page 54 

The New Calliope

Sergeant-at-Arms 

by Glenn Kohlberger 

This will be my last 

message to you as your 

Sergeant-at Arms. First I 

would like to thank all of 

you for your comments, 

suggestions and the 

conversations we shared 

while ordering COAI 

products (although you are 

still welcome to call me 

for some laughs). I truly 

did enjoy chatting and feel 

I have made some new 

friends along the way. I am 

also proud of the products 

that we have added and 

offered you over those 

years. 

I am very excited about 

our new Black COAI 

logo shirt which comes in 

either long or short sleeves 

and was unveiled at the 

27th COAI Convention in 

Kansas City, MO. This is 

a very well-made oxford 

shirt with a chest pocket 

and the logo above that. 

The short-sleeved shirt is 

being sold for $38 S-XL 

and $40 for larger sizes. 

The long-sleeved shirt is 

$40 for S-XL and is 42 

for larger sizes. Shipping 

is $5 anywhere in the 

Continental US, and slightly 

more elsewhere. For 

an extra $10 you 

can order your shirt 

with your name or 

your clown name 

embroidered on the right 

side. 

SPECIAL OFFER 

If you order five or 

more shirts even in 

various sizes, your 

shipping will be 

FREE. (Let’s say 

you get together 

with your alley 

mates or friends 

and send one order 

for five or more 

shirts of different sizes 

going to one address; 

there will be NO charge 

for shipping to that one 

address). So be sure to take 

advantage of this offer. Of 

course we still have the 

red polo styled shirts and 

will make the same offer 

available for multiple sales 

of five or more of them as 

well. 

Don’t forget the 

Clowning Basics Book, 

which continues to be 

the best resource for the 

beginner, advanced and 

the professional clown 

available.. The Clowning 

Basics 

book 

is excellent for 

clown schools, seminars, 

and alleys or simply as 

a reference book in your 

home library. You never 

want to stop learning and 

growing. We are also 

offering this book (if 

purchased in groups of five 

or more) with free shipping 

to one address. We still have 

DVDs of past conventions 

including Kansas City, 

bumper stickers, patches, 

pins and more. 

Finally, 

go to 

and use 

the COAI 

website www. 

coai.org and 

see all the fun 

things going on 

there, it is updated 

often and full of new 

things to do as well. It has 

been my pleasure to serve 

the members of the COAI 

from this position and I am 

sure I will see you all down 

the road. 

l l l 

Keep Your Eyes Peeled For 

The New Black Button Down COAI Shirts. 

They look GREAT! 


Competition 

by Cathy Mackey 

Thank you to Alley 

217!!!! You did an awesome 

job! We had a “Roarin” 

good time. 

Each year after I get 

home, I look back on the 

convention and realize I did 

not get the chance to spend 

all of the time I wanted 

to spend with everyone 

because there was so much 

to do. I learned so much 

from the competitions. I am 

proud of all of the first-time 

competitors and hope they 

achieved the goals they 

set for themselves. It takes 

courage to get up in front 

of everyone and for that I 

applaud them. 

I only wish that everyone 

could have seen the Junior 

Joey show, I learned a few 

things that I had forgotten 

about that I plan to use at 

camp. Way to go Cheri, you 

and your supporters did an 

awesome job yet again. I am 

so glad you decided to keep 

the classes. 

Thank you to my team, 

Bill, Walt, John, Bob, 

Tim, Cindy and Ann for 

an outstanding job. I am 

so lucky to have such a 

strong team to make the 

competitions happen and 

to run smoothly. Our goal 

each year is to make the 

competitions as educational 

as possible, and for the 

competitors to have a 

positive experience. Our 

judges are outstanding 

in their effort to educate 

the competitors and to 

help them improve their 

clowning skills to their 

fullest potential. I can't 

thank them enough for 

giving us their time. We 

have so much knowledge 

at our conventions and we 

have not even tapped the 

surface. We do what we do 

because we can. It’s a gift 

to be shared. If we don't 

share, we are being selfish 

in not spreading smiles and 

happiness. 

I am very proud of all 

that you clowns do, from 

Junior Joeys to Seniors and 

everyone in between. It is 

for you that my team does 

what it does, and in my eyes 

they do a phenomenal job! 

If you have any questions 

or comments 

please feel free 

to contact me either by 

email: ctots@aol.com or by 

phone 518-784-2127. 

See you in Richmond! 

NOTE TO ME... 

Check Out 

The Educational 

Opportunities on 

The Calendar! 

Page 56 

The New Calliope

Quick 

If You Have Any Quick & Easy Tip That You'd Like To 

Share With The Membership, Please Send Them To: 


or 

New Calliope Editor 

C/O Newton Studios, Inc. 

370 W. Dearobrn St., Suite B 

Englewood, FL 34223 

Tip By Ann Sanders 

Chili Dog 

Many clowns own and use the same props. 

To make it uniquely yours, consider how you can 

customize it. 

For example, the ever popular invisible dog leash 

is always good for a laugh. With practice, you can 

act as if the invisible dog is tugging on the leash 

and/or dragging you toward things a real dog would 

like to examine. Plus, there are lots of word plays 

you can do while walking your pet. 

I added a foam hot dog in my leash and, to step 

it up a notch, added a scarf. I tell my audience that I 

have a chilly (chili) dog. 

Tip By Tim Laynor 

Next time you are heading out the door for a 

clown, balloon or face painting job, pack a bag-not 

the type you use when going on travel but one to 

hold pieces of broken balloons and/or trash created 

when you are working. Leaving the area neat and 

clean makes a great impression on those who 

hired you and helps protect the environment. Those 

plastic grocery bags work well and you're getting a 

second use out of them. 

Tip By Priscilla 

Nose Remedies For Hot Weather 

Sometimes the hot weather makes it difficult to 

keep a nose on. Your sweat reacts with the water 

soluble latex glues and well -- you can imagine, 

yup, before you know it -- your nose is running off 

your face, and down the sidewalk! What is a clown 

to do??? 

A back-up nose on a string is a terrific solution 

for days you nose just won’t stick. Some noses 

are designed to be worn with glue or on a string. 

You can buy them with a string or convert them 

yourself. All it takes is some fishing line, a bead to 

keep the line from pulling through the nose, and a 

balloon or piece of elastic for the back to provide a 

stretchy custom fit. Voila! 

If you wear a nose tip and are having hot 

weather glue problems, PAINT your nose on. Not 

handy at painting a circle? Use the Jumbo Mehron 

pro pencil for a template! Put makeup on the edge 

of the pencil cap and make the round mark on 

your nose. Then just fill it in! Need glitter? After you 

have done your FINAL powdering, paint on your 

dot. Use red loose glitter to set the makeup. It can 

be applied with your finger. You will get an instant 

glittery nose with no need for glue! Sweet! 

OK, so you can’t wear a nose with a string? 

You sweat like crazy and can’t keep a nose on? 

Here is my secret weapon, Skin Bond adhesive. 

It is a medical-strength adhesive meant for skin. It 

is used to hold on medical appliances like colostomy 

bags. Heaven knows you wouldn’t want one 

of those coming loose!!! But be warned: the glue 

is very sticky. We recommend the solvent wipes to 

get any extra glue off your skin. 

May/June March/April 2012 2012 Page 57

Page 58 

The New Calliope

Celebrate Clown Week 

by Bob Gretton 

Interim Clown Week Chair 

There is no better time than August 

1 - 7 to show and tell the world you 

are a clown, and to share with your 

community the joys of being a clown 

by celebrating International Clown 

Week. You still have time to plan your 

special week. The ultimate plan either 

with your alley or on your own is to 

plan one event each day during Clown 

Week. This could be performing at 

your local library, meeting & greeting 

at a subway stop in route to your 

“other” job, or doing “emergency nose 

transplants” at your local hospital visitations. 

Everyone needs a smile. Each 

time you go out in clown, make your 

audience aware of each day of Clown 

Week. 

Tell the world through local media 

what you have planned, by sending 

press releases. Ask local and state officials 

to prepare proclamations. You 

can find a sample of a Clown Week 

press release and a proclamation at: 

www.nationalclownweek.org. These 

things need to have advanced preparation 

when dealing with governmental 

scheduling. At present the Clown Week 

page on the COAI website is under 

construction; however, when completed, 

it will have a sample proclamation, 

a copy of the original resolution, history 

of Clown Week, and information 

on ideas and suggestions for creating a 

great Clown Week. 

What is National Clown Week? On 

October 8, 1970, Public Law 91-443 

under the 91st Congress, JJR 26 was 

passed by both the House and Senate 

and was sent to President Richard 

Nixon for his signature. The joint 

resolution was signed into law by 

President Nixon on August 2, 1971. 

When he released his “National Clown 

Week” by the President of the United 

States of America Proclamation”. Since 

then, governors and mayors have had 

their own Clown Week proclamation 

for their state or city. In 1996, COAI 

renamed the week to International 

Clown Week. 

After the week is over, share what 

you did. Put together all pictures, 

proclamations, and news stories. Documentation 

of dated pictures is very 

important. Ask for thank you notes on 

letterhead stating the day and time of 

the event. Compile all material in a 

scrapbook and submit the material for 

the CHARLIE Award, Alley or Individual 

award. Details can be found on 

the COAI web site at http://www.coai. 

org/?page=Charlie. 

What is this CHARLIE Award? 

CHARLIE stands for Clowns Have A 

Real Love In Everyone. (Karen Allred 

of Utah Clown Alley #26 provided 

the fitting name.) The trophy (now affectionately 

termed “the boot”) was 

designed and donated by the Grand 

and Glorious Mid-Michigan Galaxy 

Clowns, Alley #44. The CHARLIE trophy 

is a 22" high, 6" wide clown shoe 

carved of solid walnut, by Roger Foshbender. 

Adopted in 1974, it was offered 

to the (then) COA Alley that did 

the best job observing National Clown 

Week. All CHARLIE Award applications 

are due October 1, 2012. 

In 1999, the COAI Board approved 

a new award for the individual member. 

The Individual Award is given to a 

member of COAI who best documents 

and celebrates Clown Week on an individual 

basis. It is a large plaque with all 

“individual” names selected 

each year for 

their contributions to International 

Clown Week. Kapitol Klowns, Alley 

#6, donated the plaque. 

As the interim Clown Week chair, 

I invite you to contact me for further 

information about International Clown 

Week. I have given you a little history 

about the Week, suggestions on what to 

do, and follow-up if you wish to pursue 

the CHARLIE Award. I have sample 

packets for your information including 

a sample of a resolution. Please 

do not hesitate to contact me by email 

(bunkytclown@comcast.net) or phone 

(301-843-8212). 

Editor’s note: Please forward photos 

and their descriptions to The New 

Calliope for consideration for 

publishing. 


COAI Scholarship & Grant Awards For 2012 

by Cheri Venturi 

Director of Education 

Every year at this time 

COAI announces their 

scholarship and grant 

recipients for the 2012. 

We had a bumper year 

for scholarship requests. 

Our website has made it 

so easy and accessible. 

We actually received 22 

applications this year and 

three grant requests for the 

Spring meeting. 

Just a reminder: 

Available scholarship 

monies are based upon the 

amount of monies raised 

at the auction the year 

before. COAI also takes 

into consideration if the 

individual is receiving 

other scholarships and 

if they have received a 

COAI scholarship in the 

past. We are proud to 

announce the following 

scholarship winners and 

the programs they are 

planning to attend: 

Diane Evans, MooseCamp 

$350 

Toni Depeel, California 

Clown Campin $350 

Kynisha Jarreau, 

World Balloon $350 

Judith Johnson, 

Vent Haven $350 

Barb Fields, American 

Clown Academy $350 

Maryann Martin, The 

First Medical Clowning 

International Summer 

Seminar $500 

COAI Convention 

Kansas City, Missouri 

Page 60 

Jana Gerdel $195 

Janice Larson $195 

Dawn Pearson $195 

Jeff Hogue $120 

Susie Dorland $95 

Sheila Gleason $95 

Jane Beckman $95 

Kathy Scofield $95 

Our Junior Joeys* 

Blake “Dot” $50 

Janea “ JoJo” $50 

Riann “Dip” $50 

Max “Blackbird” $50 

*The last names of our 

Junior Joeys have been 

purposely left off for their 

safety and protection 

One applicant was a 

spoofer. One applicant's 

program was cancelled 

until next year. Six 

applicants either had 

other scholarships or had 

received a scholarship in 

the past. 

GRANTS 

Three applications were 

received. Two were chosen. 

One disqualified due to 

lack of report that was due 

March 1. 

SECA Alley Alley 415 

$500 

Kapitol Klowns Alley 6 

$250 

AUCTION 

The auction in Kansas 

City, MO raised a gross of 

3,513. 25% of this gross 

will be put into a reserve 

fund for future use. $109 of 

these funds were designated 

to the Junior Joey Program 

Thank you to: 

• All the estates that 

donated items, as well 

as the host alley, and all 

the individuals that sent 

items and/or carried 

them many miles to 

donate, 

• All those that purchased 

the treasures, 

• The Board and the 

Business Manager 

who give from the 

heart to work the 

auction to insure we 

have funds to continue 

our educational 

scholarships, 

• Dale Flashberg for the 

beautiful quilt that 

she and friends made 

especially for the 

convention, 

• Judy Quest for helping 

with the 

selection of 

the scholarship winners, 

• Our Auctioneer: Shirley 

Grout – a real trouper 

(and Dennis Porter's 

teacher in high school), 

• All the dealers that 

contributed products, 

and 

• Finally a very special 

thank you to my 

roommate Toni Dufrene 

for inventorying all the 

items and putting up 

with me running around 

crazy for the past four 

years. 

Good luck for next year. 

See you all down the road. 

l l l 

Your 

New Calliope 

will be missing 

if you don’t notify 

us of your change 

of address. 

Don’t forget!! 

If You Move You Must Notify 

The COAI Business Office 

PO Box 1171 

Englewood, FL 34295-1171 

If you have registered on the website 

you can change your address 

yourself by going to your Bio. 

Don’t Miss A Single Issue!! 

The New Calliope

Members On The Move & Look Who's Reading 

Gloria Sterrett took full advantage of her opportunity 

at Spring Fling in South Bend, IN by sharing her 

New Calliope with Pat Kelly, Emmett Kelly’s son. 

The Krackerjac Clown Alley of Palm Beach County, Florida (COAI #159) 

hosted "A Day of Clowning Skills" with Robin Eurich, and Karen Bell at 

the Church of the Palms in Delray Beach, FL. 

The Angel Ocasio Comedifest staff reads The New Calliope. 

Starting in the back (top) row from left to right: Mary Pat McCoy, 

Merrily Schultz, Angel Ocasio, Aurora Krause, Mike Bednarek, 

Gina Wollrabe, Trudi Sang. Bottom Row: Albert Alter, Tina Flores, 

Bruce Johnson, and Dre Wollrabe. 

Julie Varholdt, (l) and 

Sara Runnells try to get 

a peek at the New Calliope 

magazine. They were 

in Pueblo, CO April 5-8 

helping Stephen “RJ” 

Smith set a world record 

on his 48" walking globe. 

He shattered the record 

by standing on his globe 

for 25 hours non-stop! 

Norm “The Great Normando” Barnhart travelled to San Antonio, Texas 

and put on a workshop for the Jolly Joeys Clown Alley of San Antonio. 

He showed us balloon antics, sleight of hand, a few card tricks (that 

anyone May/June can 2012 do), and many more things. We all had a great time. 

Page 61

Staring Heather “Pockets” Wuersching and Ted “Twaddles” White 

Photographer: John Wuersching. Script by Ted “Twaddles” White. 

Escape From The Zoo 

An elephant has 

escaped from 

Australia Zoo 

Has stolen a 

motorcycle … 

Foto Funnies 

And is speeding 

in a northerly 

direction. 

A few minutes ago he is 

reported to have done a 

tone on a city street … 

Police are advising 

motorists to … 

Treat it as a 

Roundabout! 

If you have a Foto Funny you would like to submit, send high resolution photos along with your script to: 

New Calliope, P.O. Box 1171, Englewood, FL 34295-1171. Email: NewCalliopeEditor@comcast.net. 

NOTE: If sending jpg electronic images, please take the digital pictures at your camera’s highest resolution! 

Page 62 

The New Calliope

A Final Word from the Editor 

Wheeewwwww! Great 

job Northland Clown Guild, 

Alley 217! I hope that 

you've all had a chance to 

unwind and reflect on the 

Kansas City convention. 

For me, finishing the 

convention was like getting 

out of the pot and into the 

fryer. Conclusion of the 

convention was just the start 

for me. Calliope had to get 

out. It's a time consuming 

ordeal going through some 

10 gigabytes of photos. 

That's over 3,100 photos. 

As cumbersome as that is, it 

brings the convention back 

to life for me as I relive 

those memories. I hope that 

you too can relive some of 

those memories by reading 

this convention issue of 

your New Calliope. 

One particular moment 

is etched into my memory. 

On awards night Pat Newton 

was ushered into to the Ring 

Of Honor. I felt privileged to 

be able to accept the award. 

Even though I knew the 

award was being presented, 

my emotions took over and 

left me unable to say much 

more than thank you. They 

were tears of joy ... They 

were tears of sorrow. Thank 

you for the honor. It will be 

treasured always. 

We have begun another 

membership drive. This 

one is not a contest like the 

last one, but you can earn 

two additional months of 

membership with each and 

every new member you bring 

into our COAI family. This 

The New 

CALLIOPE ADVERTISING RATES 

BLACK & WHITE Full 1/2 1/4 1/8 

OPEN $375 $220 $150 $85 

3X Contract $350 $205 $135 $75 

6X Contract $330 $195 $125 $70 

drive will 

last until 

December 

31, 2012. When was the last 

time you introduced someone 

to the art of clowning? Help 

someone find that clown 

within and watch that clown 

grow. 

Finally, the election cycle 

is almost over. By the time 

the next New Calliope hits 

the mail, your 2012-13/2013- 

14 Board will assume their 

leadership rolls and help 

guide this organization 

forward. Will you step 

forward and offer to help? 

This is a large organization 

and many hands help lighten 

the load. 

Tom Newton 

Note: All emailed items 

must have a resolution 

of not less than 300 

pixels per inch at 100% 

size). 

The New 

C u A u L u L u I u O u P u E 

Our Advertisers in May/June 2012 Issue! 

We appreciate your support!! 

Balloons To You....................... 13 

BeBe the Clown......................... 9 

Bubba’s.................................... 46 

Cherri-Oats & Company........... 16 

Clown Supplies........................ 46 

COAI Membership Gift............. 48 

COAI Merchandise................... 58 

Costumes by Betty................... 12 

Indiana Clown Supplies........... 10 

Jared's Goodies....................... 16 

La Rock's Fun & Magic............ 64 

Laugh It Up Clownstuff............ 14 

Mooseburger........................... 16 

Rocky Five Badges..................... 9 

Specialty Insurance.........14 & 15 

T. Myers Magic........................ 46 

EVENTS 

California Clown Campin........... 2 

Clown Jam............................... 16 

Clown Fest............................... 54 

COAI 2013 Convention............ 44 

Kapitol Klown's Workshop....... 12 

SECA 2012 Convention.............. 8 

Red Skelton Clown School...... 56 

WRCA Convention................... 56 

4 COLOR 

OPEN $470 $275 $190 $110 

3X Contract $440 $260 $170 $95 

6X Contract $420 $245 $160 $90 

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%. For more details, contact Tom. 


370 West Dearborn Street, Suite B, Englewood FL 34223 

941-474-4351 • Fax 941-474-8317 

editor: NewCalliopeEditor@comcast.net 

production and ad sales: NewCalliopeAds@comcast.net 

High resolution PDF files 

must had the photos and 

fonts embedded. 

Microsoft Publisher files 

can not be used. If you 

use Publisher contact us 

and we can send you 

instructions on how to 

convert your file to a 

jpeg. 

Any questions re: 

emailing files, 

call Tom Newton at 

941-474-4351 or 

email him at 

NewCalliopeAds 

@comcast.net 

Articles and advertising should be sent to 


370 W. Dearborn Street, Ste B, 

Englewood FL 34223 

941.474.4351 Fax 941.474.8317 


NewCalliopeAds@comcast.net 

Unsolicited articles or pictures must include 

return postage, self-addressed envelope. 

DEADLINES: 

July/Aug. 2012: June 1 

Sept./Oct. 2012: Aug. 1 

Nov./Dec. 2012: Oct. 1 

Jan./Feb. 2013: Dec. 1 

March/April 2013: Feb 1

MayJune_2012

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