Nov_Dec_1998

November/December, 1998
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By Judy "Dear Heart" Quest
COAi President
Happy Holidays! No matter how you celebrate, it is a
great time of year for clowns . I'm sure many of you do
holiday shows or participate in parades or parties.It is just
such a great time to enjoy the wonder of children ••may we
never completely grow up. So have a wonder·filled holiday.
LOTS OF THINGS are happening on the national
level of COAi. I was honored to be the presenter of an
affiliate's certificate to the Midwest Clown Association in
Chicago in September. Mainly due to the work of Midwest
Regional Vice President Patricia Bothun, this affiliation
means a sharing of resources that will benefit all of us. This
is actually COAi's third such affiliation, following the South
East Clown Association and the Texas Clown Association.
Many COAi Board members were on hand to join in the
celebration. We want to thank Midwest for shaking hands
COSTUMES
by Betty
with us in this way and for showing us a wonderful time in
Chicago.
WHEN IN CHICAGO, COAi Board members present
held a brainstorming session to kick off the two•year term of
this Board. While there were many, many ideas and it was
hard to choose priorities, we did settle on three to propose
to the whole Board at its fall meeting Nov. 19·21 in
Minneapolis. These are marketing (especially international),
alley and regional support, and education. It is the sincere
desire of the entire Board to make this organization very
responsive to ttle needs of COAi members , if they belong
to an alley or not.
WE ARE VERY HAPPY to welcome three Regional
Vice Presidents -- Andrew Stevens (International), Agi
Farkas-Hibbert (Canada}, and Pedro Santos (Latin
Countries) •· who will be intensely involved with our effort to
become truly more international. These regional vice
presidents are active members of the Board and welcome
your ideas. Andrew and Agi have special challenges with
the geography they cover, but they are enthusiastic and
willing to work with clowns from their regions.
ALLEY AND REGIONAL SUPPORT is the
portfolio of Director Dan Lake. We have lots of ideas to
welcome new members , to acquaint them with nearby
alleys, and to encourage people to gather in regional
conclaves at the international convention. But we would
love to hear YOUR ideas. What does your alley or region
expect from the international organization? Give Dano a
jingle, or email him your ideas.
IT'S NO SECRET that education is a favorite priority
of mine. Rex Nolen, COAi's new Director for Education , is
perfect to lead this effort. A teacher himself.he has
expertise to offer. I know from recent experience at my own
alley in Omaha that he is a wonderful teacher of clowns.
Ideas for scholarships to educational events and grants to
organizations are on the table. We feel this is one thing that
we want to be known for: Excellence in the many aspects
of clown education.
Tony Jones
1872 Daiquiri Ln.
Lutz, FL 33549
Betty Cash
2181 Edgerton St.
St. Paul, MN 55117
SO, "HOLD ONTO YOUR HAT, LORETTA!"
This COAi Board is on the move. Creativity is in the air. As
you read this, the Board's fall meeting in Minneapolis is
history, so watch for things to happen. BTW: I hope you
have made your reservations for the convention in
Minnesota. looks like it will be a GREAT ONE!
For the best value in top quality clown
wardrobe and accessories give us a call.
1-800-47CLOWN
OR FAX AT 1-800-442-6432
Keep a smile in your clown heart.
(Editor 's Note: Due to my error, the state of Louisiana
was omitted from President Quest's listing of states in the
South Central COAi Region (The New Calliope,
September/October, 1998). With the states of Colorado,
New Mexico and Texas, Louisiana is an integral and vital part
of the South Central Region.
42 The New Calliope