MayJune11

Clowning In Monaco
by Ron “Toto” Johnson
Way back in 1985 as an 18-yearold
student at the Ringling Brothers
and Barnum and Bailey Circus' Clown
College and later on when I was on
tour with the Red unit of “The Greatest
Show on Earth” I had a wish...a hope...a
dream...that some day I might have the
honor of performing in the most famous
circus tent in the world. I knew that my
chances of actually traveling to Monaco
and performing at the Chapiteau Espace
Fontvieille during the Circus Festival
of Monte Carlo were very slim...but
dreaming is free and that is a price we
can all afford!
Fast forward to April 2006. Part
of that dream actually came true! I
was invited to Monaco as an honored
guest of the third “Festiclown de Monte
Carlo” under the patronage of H.S.H.
Princess Stephanie of Monaco. Two
performances were held in the beautiful
Princess Grace Theatre. Most of the acts
in the show were from France but there
were also clowns from Brazil, England,
Germany...and little ol' me from the
USA! My whipcracking cowboy gag
(you might call it a skit but in the circus
we call it a gag) was very well received
and I was on top of the world.
I booked my plane ticket so I would
have a free day following “Festiclown”
to explore Monaco. I visited museums,
the Palace, the zoo, and various other
points of interest before making my
way to see the Chapiteau Espace
Fontvieille. It was completely empty. I
had it all to myself. I stood amazed. I
was actually standing in the very tent
that the Circus Festival of Monte Carlo
is held each January. I took dozens of
photos from every angle. I even tried
one of the doors on the row of dressing
rooms (locked) behind the tent. I was
just waiting for someone to come kick
me out...but no one ever did. I was
soaking it all in...thinking this was my
one chance to ever step foot in this grand
chapiteau.
I was wrong. In December 2010 I
found myself heading back to Monaco.
I had been invited by Francien “Frankie”
Giraudi (creator of “Les Enfants de
Frankie”, a charity benefiting sick and
needy children) and the act selection
committee from “Clowns International”
(based in England, it is the world's oldest
clown organization) to perform at the
14th “Noel de Frankie...Le Festival de
Clowns” under the patronage of H.S.H.
Prince Albert II of Monaco. “Le Enfants
de Frankie” presents a gala Christmas
show each year for the children and
families that it serves and each year the
show has a different theme. The clown
theme for 2010 had been in the planning
stages for some three years.
The 14th “Noel de Frankie...Le
Festival des Clowns” consisted of
nine acts performing in the ring plus
approximately 20 “front of house”
clowns doing “meet and greet” before
each of the two performances. “Where
were these performances held?”
The Chapiteau Espace Fontvieille of
course!!!
I have to admit that a lump came
to my throat and a tear came to my
eye when I found a bit of “quiet time”
during the tech rehearsal to simply stand
in the ring by myself and absorb all
the feelings...the history...the magic..
the magnitude of it all.
A lump also came to my throat
knowing that I was going to be
performing in the circus ring for the first
time in quite a long while...and not just
any circus ring...the most prestigious
circus ring in the world...to an expected
audience of nearly 4,000 people at each
performance! I had practiced at home...
utilizing a large room in the local library
as my “circus ring”...but had I spaced
everything out correctly? Would the
timing of the gag I was running in my
mock “circus ring” match up with the
timing in the actual circus ring?
continued on page 5
May/June 2011 Page 3

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The New Calliope Convention Issue

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.
FFF
May/June 2011
COAI NEWS
ARTICLES
President’s Comments..............9
Clowning In Monaco.................3 Convention Report..................11
Bad Things Happen During
Performances......................7
Oh! What A Tangled
Web We Weave...................46
Selling Your Clown
Means More Work..............54
FEATURES
Last Walk Around...................15
Good Cheer.............................48
The Right Work.......................57
Members On The Move..........58
Look Who's Reading..............60
SKILLS/IDEAS/TIPS
Flowers.................................... 18
My Favorite MAGIC.................. 20
Warm Weather Clowning......... 43
The Art of Balancing
Almost Anything.................. 44
Thank You California Clowns..11
International Clown Week
Are Your Ready...................12
Junior Joeys...........................17
2011 Best In Clown
Asia Espinol........................22
2011 Competition
Winners........................ 24-41
New Members........................49
2011-12 Budget......................50
Financial Report......................50
COAI Application.....................51
COAI Application (Spanish)....52
Calendar.................................53
Southeast Regional VP...........55
Alley Report............................55
Excellence In Clowning...........56
More Convention Photos........59
Editor’s Comments.................63
Ad Directory...........................63
Ad Rates.................................63
Deadline Dates........................63
Museum
continued from page 3
My worries were shortlived.
My whipcracking
cowboy gag went extremely
well. The timing of the gag
as I did it in the library in
Davenport, Iowa and as I did
it in Monaco varied by just 4
seconds. I felt alive and very
much “in the moment.” It
was magical as was the trip to
Monaco.
The adventure in Monaco
did not end as we cleared out
the dressing rooms after the
performances on December
15th. The next morning
about some of us clowns did
shows at various schools
around Monaco. I headed
to the Saint Charles School
with my pal Martyn “Eek”
Cooper, a marvelous clown
from England who I have
performed with at festivals
in England and the Azores of
Portugal. We presented four
20-minute shows in the
school's small “theatre” and
had an absolute blast with the
kids
After a bit of sightseeing
in the afternoon it was time
to fly back to England. Most
of us were on the same
flight from Nice, France to
Gatwick Airport in London.
The weather in England was
starting to get bad but after
a 2-hour delay we made it
back safe and sound. I was
supposed to spend one day
with my dear friends/clowns
Bluey and Jenny Brattle
before flying back to the
USA but that soon changed.
Instead of flying home on
December 18th I didn't leave
England until December
23rd! The winter weather,
a total of about 4 inches of
snow, completely shut down
Heathrow Airport for five
days! Thankfully Bluey and
Jenny “rescued” me. I was
safe and sound and well fed
at their home.
I have now lived the
dream I have had for 25
years and then, when a bad
situation could have put a
huge damper on the whole
experience, true friends
rushed in and saved the day!
What more could a clown ask
for?
The New CALLIOPE (ISSN 1072-1045) is published bimonthly:
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May/June 2011 Page 5

Don't Forget To
Renew Your COAI
Membership Today!
Page 6
The New Calliope Convention Issue

Bad Things Happen
During Performances
By Karen Bell and Robin Eurich
Over the course of a long career, or
even a short one, we all have stories about
performances that went in a way we had not
exactly intended. The best laid plans of mice
and men sometimes go awry. Karen recently
had her nose fall off in the middle of a very
important performance. This gave us the
idea for an article. The trick, when you are in
trouble, is how to realize you are in trouble
and then how to get out of it gracefully. It is
how you deal with the situation that makes
the difference between a pro and a beginner.
Sooner or later it happens to all of us, so
when things go bad: 1. Give yourself a break!
2. Don’t blame your partner, and 3. Don’t
blame the audience.
There are two ways things can go wrong;
externally and internally. The first you can’t
do anything about but the second you can.
External things that can go
wrong include; weather issues
(power failure), change in the venue
(it was going to be at the Lincoln
Center but now it’s in the I-HOP
parking lot), and sound/technical
issues (feedback). As a performer,
these are things that need to be
addressed. As my yoga teacher
says, ‘You have to be flexible’.
Internal problems,
however, can be avoided
and are inexcusable. These
include; not enough
rehearsal, no technical
rehearsal (with costume,
props and sound), lastminute
changes to the
gag (with or without
your partners approval),
distractions (phone
calls before the show),
not being on time (if
you are on time you
are late! Be there 30
minutes before you
think you should!)
and not doublechecking
props
before the show.
When things don’t start well, most
performers hardly ever recover. So …how
can you fix problems during a show?
Here are a few of our suggestions:
Use Energy! Pump up the action or
make a bold move. Robin was performing
a juggling routine in front of a long line of
people waiting to enter the ‘Spruce Goose’ in
California. The lights went out (pitch black)
and there was a moment when the crowd
could have panicked. Robin took that moment
to make a bold move, vocally calling to the
audience to watch him. He recovered from
the situation despite the fact that he was a
mime.
Admit to something going wrong: A
mentor and friend of ours, Jackie LeClaire,
recently performed a one hour pantomime
of Red Skelton classics. During the first
segment, there was creaking and groaning
from the very center of the stage every
time Jackie made the slightest move. The
audience could not help but notice and there
was concern for the performer. Once the
piece was over, rather than ignore the noise,
Jackie mentioned it- apologized for it – and
went on with the performance (trying hard
not to hit the same spot again). Once he had
acknowledged the noise the audience relaxed
and enjoyed the rest of the show free of
concern for Jackie.
Denial: Go on as if nothing has happened.
A certain favorite clown of ours recently
forgot an important prop. When he realized
what had happened he told the MC of the
show that he had to ‘go feed the elephants’.
He ran back to his hotel room and grabbed
the prop while the MC gracefully filled the
time with playful banter (luckily the MC was
a pro!)
Surrender: Once Karen and her trained
dog, Grock, were doing a variety performance
on stage with a magician. What she did not
know was that the magician used rabbits
in her act. Grock, although well trained,
could not stand the temptation of bunnies
back-stage and scurried under the curtain to
investigate. Karen ended up having to leave
the stage to save the bunnies from certain
doom. The audience, on hearing what was
going on, got a big laugh out of the dilemma.
Blame: Just don’t do it! Learn from your
mistakes and move on.
So the trick is knowing where the pitfalls
are and how to overcome them during any
performance. How many of you have had a
balloon pump break during a gig? How did
you recover? The audience expects a show.
So before each performance check your
props, check your props again and, most
important, look your partner dead in the eye
and say ‘It’s you and me, let’s knock ‘em
dead’.
Oh, and how did Karen get out of losing
her nose in the circus ring? She highlighted
it as it rolled across the floor, picked it up,
boldly presented, and replaced it on her face.
The audience did not think about it again and
the gag went on without a hitch.
May/June 2011 Page 7

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Page 8
The New Calliope Convention Issue

President’s Comments
by Pam Bacher
What a Convention!
Disneyland will never be the
same. It was great fun for
all. I want to thank all the
hard-working people who
put this year’s convention
together.
The Board had a very
busy week. Our meeting
started on Saturday night,
with a brainstorming
session. The Board then met
all day Sunday, Monday and
a half-day on Tuesday. Then
we broke to start setting up
the convention area. We met
again each morning to go
over the day and to resolve
issues that came up. On
Wednesday we met for lunch
to finish our board business
and close our meeting. We
tackled all the agenda items
and accomplished a great
deal of work.
Many of us woke up on
Monday or Tuesday with
colds. Pat Roeser and I lost
our voices for the week. But
I was still excited to see so
many of our clown family
members again and that so
many first-timers attended
the convention. They were in
awe of all the education they
had been missing.
One highlight, we broke
the record for the photo of
the most people with the
same clown shirt, 104 in all.
Keep in mind 104 clowns
taking direction isn’t easy.
You know how we can be.
I must say that I am in no
any hurry to hear the song
“The World of Color” again
after hearing it twice a night.
The theme party proved that
clowns know how to have
a great time with “THEY
ARE STARS.” Marilyn
Monroe, Ginger Rogers, The
Marx Brothers, Sylvester
the Cat and more were all in
attendance.
The convention was
definitely a success and we
look forward to the 2012
convention in Kansas City,
MO, my home state. Roaring
20s will be the theme. So get
the flapper dresses and zoot
suits ready.
I’m sitting in a dark
house due to the tornado
that hit Bridgeton, Missouri
on Good Friday. It’s now
Sunday evening and still
no power. I had to go to a
nearby hotel in order to use
their wireless to send this
article.
We live about one block
from the people who lost
their homes to this tornado.
I sent my husband to go
upstairs to get the other
lantern. When we heard the
roar of the tornado above
our house, my husband ran
down and yelled for me
to get on the ground. With
the cat in my arms, we laid
down for what seemed like a
long time but It was over in
a few minutes. Sirens began
going by the house within
15 minutes. I walked out to
the corner of our yard and
police were there already
there as the power poles had
been snapped in half. It was
a miracle no lives were lost
and I feel lucky to be alive.
St. Louis and the Red
Cross came together and
helped people needed. I
worked with the Red Cross
and went into devastated
areas. Many felt blessed to
be alive, and were thankful
for all the help that was
coming in. A sight I will
never forget was a National
Guard officer who found
a puppy and returned it to
the child who lost it. There
was an elderly gentleman
walking up the street with
a chainsaw and gas can.
When I asked if
he needed help,
he replied no, that he was
one of the lucky ones in
the neighborhood and was
going to try and help others
who weren’t so lucky. It’s
volunteers like this that
make the world a better
place.
I asked for you to tell
me about your favorite
volunteers and at the award
dinner I was honored to
present three people with
the President Of the United
States Volunteerism Award.
Ann Sanders received a
Gold Award and Richard
Smith and Cathy Hardebeck
received Silver Awards.
They each received a
certificate and personal
letter from President
Obama, along with a lapel
pin. I will be looking for
more volunteers for next
April so start sending me
your nominations for your
favorite volunteers.
I want to again thank
everyone who worked the
convention and made “all
our dreams come true”
“Nose Bumpers till the
End.”
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May/June 2011 Page 9

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Page 10
The New Calliope Convention Issue

Convention Report
by Pat Roeser
Director of Conventions
When you wish upon a STAR!!!!
Yes, the convention in Anaheim is over.
It seemed so far away then all of a
sudden it was here and then gone. Just
like a shooting star.
The “Be A STAR” theme was
carried throughout the week, from the
ticket booth registration area, to the
“Premier” theme party, and the award
banquet. Everyone had the potential to
brighten themselves with the classes,
competitions, and other opportunities to
glow. By the time we got to the award
banquet everyone had been applauded
for their efforts. The table decorations
proclaimed, “U R A STAR.” Everyone
received a gift box with a “dime on
pin.”
I would like to thank the California
Connection (convention e-group) for
their efforts to make this a wonderful
convention for all. Tops on my list are
Dealer Chair Mike Roman, Goodie
Bag Chair Wendy Olson, Sound/
Lighting Contact Kelly Martinez,
Media Goddess Bonita Love, and
Communications Director Candy
Will. A great big thanks to Hospitality
Queen Janet Larson and all those that
volunteered to cut-up the nine – 6-footlong
Subway sandwiches. Everyone
appreciated the food served daily in
the hospitality suite. It helped to off-set
the expense of eating in restaurants.
Thank you San Diego All Stars, Red
Nose Response, Golden Gate Clowns,
Northland Clown Guild Alley #217,
COAI Board, and Clown Education
Promotions for hosting the morning
and evening hospitalities.
Much gratitude for all the hard
work and long hours to Registration
Chair Toni Dufrene, Instructor Chair
Cheri Venturi, Decorator
Pam Bacher, Mentor Teresa Gretton,
Welcome Chair Tom King, Media
Master Merilyn Barrett, and Creative
Coordinator Glenn Kohlberger.
Thank you to all the vendors and
other contributors to the auction and
goodie bags. And a special thanks to
Wendy Olson, Candy Will, and the
Paradise Pier Hotel for taking all the
unopened, nonperishable food items to
the area food shelves and shelters. That
was a great way to end the whole event.
What lies ahead? The Roaring 20’s
Theme in Kansas City, MO, April 24-
29, 2012 and beyond that is Richmond,
VA, April 16-21, 2013. Stay tuned for
more updates.
Remember….You are a STAR!
u u u
Thank You California Clowns
by Candyce Will
Treasurer
As the head of the California
Clowns who helped to bring
and supported the 2011 Clowns
of America International
Convention in Anaheim,
California, I just want to thank
you all! Yes there may have
been a quirk or two, this will
happen at any convention, but
everyone plugged away to help
get the convention moving and
it was greatly appreciated by all
of the board, especially me! I
personally want to thank Mike
Roman for putting together
and running the dealers and the
dealers' room even with some
personal trials along the way. I
want to thank Kelly Martinez
for helping get the sound up,
teaching and mentoring. To
Chrissy Will for her help at the
registration desk and for being a
Junior Joey Coach at the Junior
Joey Critique. A big thanks to
Pat Prickett for being a runner
at the competitions and Cheryl
Fiedler for being a judge plus all
the other running and helping
that they both did. To Wendy
Olson for all of her donations
that were gathered and all the
help around the convention.
To the Funny Business Clown
Alley who helped get food and
run the Convention Committee
Friday morning hospitality
and to the San Diego All Star
Clowns who ran the Wednesday
morning hospitality and put
an ad in the convention book.
And finally to Becky Lucia
who made cupcakes for Angel
Morales' Latin Birthday Party
Class! In case I didn't say it to
all of you at the convention, I
want you all to know I love you
and appreciate you!
u u u
May/June 2011 Page 11

International Clown Week ...
by Barbara Waters-Riddle, Clown Week
Chair; and Teresa Gretton,
Director of Membership
What are you planning to do for 2011
Clown Week? Hopefully, you have begun
organizing the fun activities for the best
week of the year (August 1 – 7).
Through the years, COAI has seen
a tremendous participation from alleys
and individuals. The excitement and
enthusiasm of celebration has spread
worldwide.
Have you or your alley begun
planning yet? Alleys and individuals
should be well into the planning stages
for Clown Week activities including
proclamations, news releases, public
awareness, photos, as well as specific
activities to plan for the celebratory week
of events.
Clown Week should always begin
by getting a proclamation from a public
official (mayor, governor, senator,
county commissioner, etc.). You need
to start early, around April or May (but
it’s not too late if you haven’t done it).
Remember it takes a while to arrange
schedules with the official offices and
they usually would like you or your
group to accept the proclamation at one
of the state or county meetings. It’s a
great photo opportunity for you, your
alley, and for them!
Your planning can include some
events like visiting hospitals, assisted
living facilities, day care centers for
young and elder as well as other venues
like local malls, restaurants and libraries.
What about an amusement park or a local
television station? The idea is not only to
perform, but to help educate the public
that clowning is more than looking funny
and acting funny.
Above all else, Clown Week should
be fun. It should not be about winning
the Charlie Award or making a name for
an individual or alley. It should be an
opportunity to share with the community
in such a way that the alley has fun. If
you have fun, then the people you are
entertaining will have fun.
Over the years, alleys have become
more and more extravagant with their
Clown Week celebrations. Allow alley
members a chance to step up and assist
in the activities. Consider sharing the
leadership to avoid a possible burnout
with your alley. It’s supposed to be fun
for all alley members including the “boss
clowns.” Allow everyone in your alley
to have a hand in planning activities
and setting things up. Make it easier for
your “boss clowns” by suggesting ideas
and offering to arrange an activity. Just
remember to keep your alley Clown
Week chair(s) in the loop to avoid
mistakes or misunderstandings.
The following information comes
from a couple of clowns who have had so
much fun with Clown Week in the past.
Page 12
The New Calliope Convention Issue

... Are You Ready?
They submitted their scrapbooks for the
Charlie Awards and won. (There may be
some duplication of thoughts and ideas
but they say the more times you read
something the more it might sink in.)
Mike Cox, Virginia Clowns, Alley 3 -
As a Virginia Alley 3 member that
participates each year with my alley,
International Clown Week is viewed as
that “special” week in August where
our alley goes forth into the community
to bring smiles and laughter to those
in need of a little fun. Having been a
past recipient of the Individual Clown
Week Award, I found writing requests
for proclamations to be most rewarding,
especially when a proclamation arrives
in the mail. Wow! To receive that letter
of recognition from my State Senator
or State Representative, combined with
proclamations from local mayors and
Boards of Supervisors, and to read these
is quite exhilarating. Hey – I have even
been lucky to receive a proclamation
from the President of the United States!
To get proclamations, one must be an
“early bird.” I start mailing out requests
for proclamations.
Don’t forget to contact the local
newspapers to involve and alert them
about Clown Week (especially if this
is the first Clown Week experience for
you in your community). I also like to
notify my local radio stations about
Clown Week and usually I get invited
to a station for a live on-air interview!
(You can do this “in clown” for extra
fun or out of clown, like I did, but hey,
the radio audience does not have eyes.)
I get photos taken with the disc jockeys,
too! Photos are important to document
everything you do during this fantastic
week. Document each day for later
Charlie Award submission. I even have
my own “Clown Week” banner (small
enough to carry and hold by oneself)
that I use everywhere I go during Clown
Week.
Paul “FuddiDuddy” Kleinberger and
Electric City Clown Alley 285 -
International Clown Week should
be the celebration of the performing
art of clowning by those who are its
practitioners us clowns! Its primary
purpose should be to bring a performing
clown face-to-face with his or her
audience so the audience can not only
enjoy clown comedy arts entertainment,
but also learn about the art of clowning
and a little bit of something about the
clown performer. It's also a great week
for clowns to give back to the community
in the name of clowning.
The clowns of the Capital Region of
New York State have a reputation for
participating fully in Clown Week and
receiving some significant recognition for
their efforts. This as been accomplished
with four things in mind: Planning
starts early, public relations needs to
be coordinated, everyone needs to be
involved and everybody needs to have
fun.
Proclamations are important. Copies
of the proclamations received should be
sent to the COAI Clown Week Chairman
(Barbara Waters-Riddle.
Clown Week alley events need not be
extraordinary. Walk-A-Rounds in support
of local charities, balloon twisting, face
painting, parade appearances, can all be
easily arranged. The key is to have one
event set up each day of Clown Week. All
alley members need to be encouraged to
attend. Make the news media aware of
your event and appearance. A clown’s
appearance by itself is rarely news
worthy. However, a group of clowns
receiving a proclamation, raising funds
for a local charity, or making a big
fuss of a child spokesperson for a local
charity, is a great human interest feature.
Maximizing clown alley participation
can be a bit of a challenge. There is so
much going on all over the area August
1-7. Several years ago we encouraged
our alley members to set up their own
events during clown week and then reach
out and invite all their clown friends
to be part of what they had planned.
We expanded our participation from
seven clown week activities to over
30 appearances around the area and
increased our membership participation
from about 50% of our members to better
than 95% of our members. Last year
a local tour boat company sponsored
us with a “Boat Load of Clowns.” We
extended invitations to all of our clown
friends, a couple of children's charities
we work with and even some of our local
celebrities and entertainers. The result
was an event that was a whole lot of fun
for everyone!
Have you noticed one important word
throughout this article? FUN! Now, go
out and spread miles of smiles planning,
arranging, and anticipating Clown Week
2011.
If you are interested in celebrating
International Clown Week and need a
packet of how to go about the celebration
just email me at btnuzzles@aol.com and
in the subject line put Clown Week. I
will send you a packet on Clown Week
with history, information on obtaining
proclamations and how to send out
press releases, etc. If you do not have
a computer you may request a copy by
mail from: Barbara Waters-Riddle, 2800
Kiskadee Drive, Englewood, FL,34224.
Deadline
Reminders
September 1
Clown of the Year
Nominations due
Excellence In Clowning
Submissions due
October 1
Lifetime Achievement
Nominations due
C.H.A.R.L.I.E.
Scrapbooks due
Check www.coai.org
for criteria.
May/June 2011 Page 13

Page 14
The New Calliope Convention Issue

Last Walk-Around
Mike “Hi-Top” Swan
Michael Swan aka “Hi-Tops” died
December 6, 2010. He was a member of
Clowns of America for almost 40 years. For
37 years he performed with me, Andy Swan,
as one-half of the “biggest” two-man circus
in the world – “The Swan Bros. (almost)
World Famous Circus.
Words can't describe his incredible
personality, his happy demeanor towards
all people, his generosity, his willingness
to assist folks in any way he could. There's
a cliché that fits him perfectly, if you didn't
have a smile he would give you one of his!
He was a tireless worker adept at
problem solving with the attitude of
“there are no problems, just solutions
to problems.” I’ll miss his incredible
ability to adlib one-liners and his laughter
which was highly contagious! Almost
every conversation contained one of his
“zingers.”
Mike had experienced small seizures
for 7 years due to a concussion following
a car accident. He died of a seizure in his
sleep early on December 6. We both told
each other if the other goes first try to keep
the circus going to break the Guinness
record for the longest privately-owned
circus in the USA (now owned by John
Strong of John Strong & Son Circus – 48
years. Sooooo…. I will attempt to keep
Swan Bros. Circus going for 13 years, to
reach the magical 50-year milestone! It
won’t be easy, but it will be my tribute to
Mike as “The show must go on!”
He will be missed but never forgotten.
I will try not to mourn his passing but to
celebrate his life.
Like me, Mike loved all clowns and
those performers who entertained and
liked to laugh. In his memory I’m going
to join Clowns of America as “Zippy” the
clown.
May all your days be Circus Days!”
u u u
Darlene “Neanor” Zwit
They called her Neanor, created by one
of her uncles, who could not pronounce
her name. It was a childhood nickname but
she liked the nickname and if asked she
would give the credit to her Uncle. In her
adult life she was known as Aunti Neanor
to many nieces and nephews. In fact, she
chose the name “ Neanor” as her clown
name.
Darlena Zwit, 84, a retired Laboratory
Technician, but active volunteer, seamstress,
artist, singer, clown, face painter and
balloon artist, died Saturday February 26,
2011, from complications sustained from
an automobile accident on January 26, 2011
after leaving one of her volunteer meetings.
After a hospital stay, she was brought to
the home she loved in Harbor Isles with
Tidewell Hospice care and died peacefully
two days later.
Darlena was born November 11, 1926
in Kanawha City, West Virginia to Annis
and William P. Withrow, their only child.
Between her tomboy ways, climbing
trees, playing Tarzan and her dancing,
creating plays and her desire to learn, she
never missed a beat. At the age of 14,
she received a bone bruise and contracted
Osteomyelitis. But she had a strong desire
to live and learn. In fact, it was during this
point in her life that she became fascinated
with medicine and decided she wanted to be
a laboratory technician.
Darlena never lost her passion to learn
and succeed. She graduated from Stonewall
Jackson High school in Charleston
WV, went to Morris Harvey college in
Charleston did her internship in Baltimore
and then University of Illinois. She became
a laboratory technician and later in life
returned to Northern Illinois University to
earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Darlena met the love of her life, William
Zwit, at University of Illinois Circle. They
were married in Chicago on February 16,
1952 and had four children. They lived
in Long Beach, Indiana and the Chicagoland
area for many years before retiring
and moving to Florida in 1985. After
they moved into Harbor Isles Retirement
Community, Darlena engaged every activity
that suited her including providing tailoring
services.
Darlena was an active member in
Catholic Church in every community
in which she lived. She was a respected
member of the communities and always
there to lend a hand. Darlena was
intelligent, creative, compassionate, loving.
She loved everyone. She became a clown
with COAI and later Tidewell Hospice. She
was a member of the American Society for
Clinical Pathology and a member of the
Florida Watercolor Society.
Darlena will be dearly missed. She is
survived by her children, William F. Zwit,
Jr., Susan M. Zwit-Frantzen (husband,
Jeffry), and Charles R. Zwit, several
cousins, sisters in law, and many nieces and
nephews.
u u u
Pauline “Ollie” Oline
Pauline D. Oline, 86, aka Ollie the
Real Clown, made her last walk-around
on January 15, 2011 after a long battle
with cancer.
Ollie started clowning in 1979
with the Telephone Pioneer Clowns
and was a charter member of the Korn
Patch Klowns, alley 189, which was
organized in 1989.
She was always ready to put on her
face and clown. She always though if
she could put a smile on someone's face
who didn't have a reason to smile, then
she was a successful clown.
She was also involved with many
community activities,including her
neighborhood association, the VFW,
The Parks Business Women Club,
nursing home visits and parades.
The city of Des Moines honored
Ollie at the City Council Meeting the
week following her service with The
Lifetime Achievement Award for the
thousands of volunteer hours she had
given.
Because of all the lives she touched
and the contributions she made in the
community, a piece of Ollie will always
remain in Des Moines.
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May/June 2011 Page 15

Page 16
The New Calliope Convention Issue

Convention Time And
My Final Farewell
Candy “Butterscotch” Will,
Junior Joey Chair
clownbutterscotch@yahoo.com
Hello Junior Joeys!
Another great convention,
and it was right here in
my own home state of
California! We had one
wonderful Junior Joey
this year, Lemon! Lemon
has been a clown for a
while and so when she
came to our classes and
showed us what she knew,
we were astounded!
Needless to say she flew
through the classes, from
make-up application to
skits, juggling and mime,
balloon techniques and
parade ability. Lemon
absorbed everything we
gave her!
At the theme party,
Lemon danced the night
away! Then came the
Junior Joey critique!
Lemon performed with
flying colors! She took
a gold medal for all of her
abilities including, makeup,
costume, single
skit, group skit and
stage presence. Cheri
Venturi, the Director of
Education, and I had so
much fun with our little
junior! We are all proud
of Lemon and we all
hope that she takes her
convention experience
and uses it in future
clown performances.
Congratulations
Lemon!
On another
note, this is
my last time
I will be writing the Junior
Joey column. During last
fall’s board meeting the
board decided to put the
Junior Joey program under
the care of the Director
of Education because I
was stepping down. It
was Cheri Venturi who
did the work of putting
together the schedule and
planning the Junior Joey
convention classes for this
year’s convention. I want
to thank Cheri for doing
this. It saved me the time
that I needed for my new
position of Treasurer. From
this point the Junior Joey
program will stay under
the care of the Director of
Education. There will be
some changes for the better
coming soon. We will keep
you all informed as the
changes come up.
I would like to thank
COAI, all the Juniors, their
parents and mentors for
allowing me to work with
all of their wonderful Junior
Joeys throughout the eight
years that I have chaired
the program. I would also
like to thank all the board
members for their help in
teaching classes at every
convention. Without their
help there wouldn't be a
Junior Joey program. It
has been an awesome time
for me and I will always be
there for any Junior who
may need assistance. I have
many wonderful memories
of all the Juniors who
attended each convention
and I will cherish them
always. Not only did we
teach the Juniors, but the
Juniors taught us as well!
Remember, never stop
learning! Keep up with
your clown education and
you will be the best clown
you can be!
Happy Clowning and see
you all “down the road”!
With lots of love, Candy
“Butterscotch” Will.
May/June 2011 Page 17

Flowers
by Marcela
One of my favorite things to paint is flowers
and with spring right around the corner I like
to share how to paint very simple ones and how
to place them on the face to make pretty spring flower
fairy designs.
Some of the things to remember when painting flowers
is to keep the petals close together and to gather the
flowers in the same way. The leaves of the flowers need
to be close to the petals, otherwise they look as if they
were flying out by themselves. Practice making a bunch
of small flowers trying to make them go in the direction
of a semicircle.
To paint this design start by painting wings around the
eyes using any color combinations. Rainbow cakes from
Silly Farm are perfect for a fast application. Then paint a
few bunches of flowers on the tips of each wing and in the
corner of the eyes. Add the leaves and then connect any
open space with swirls and teardrops. For a finishing touch
add baby breath (small dots) at random, lipstick and glitter.
Happy Spring!
Page 18
The New Calliope Convention Issue

1.
6.
2.
5.
3.
4.
1. Start the flow with your brush on its tip.
2. Press down to form petal.
3. Paint petals close together.
4. Paint petals in a circle to form the flower,
then add the
center.
5. Paint a series
of small flowers
gathered in a
bunch.
6. Paint leaves,
keeping them
close to the
petals.
7. Practice your
swirls, and double
swirls with tear
drops.
7.
May/June 2011 Page 19

My Favorite Magic
Business Cards
Do you have a business
card? No! You only do
clowning at church!
You are a caring clown
working at your local
hospital! You are new to clowning!
You do not do any clowning for pay!
1
2
It does not matter how long you have been
clowning or where you clown. In my opinion,
every performer should have a business card.
Having a business card communicates that you
are serious about being an entertainer. A business
card may be the first line of communication.
Everyone you meet needs to know you are a
serious professional entertainer. Family, friends,
co-workers, every person you meet should know
that you are an entertainer and be able to contact
you. Maybe they have family or friends who are
interested in clowning. Maybe they would like
you to perform at their church, medical facility,
or nursing home where their friend or relative are
recovering. Almost everyone I meet finds that I
am a clown, very interesting. Once you are ready
to perform for pay, who knows who will open
doors for your next performance. Don’t just give
them a business card. Perform a magic trick with
your business card. They will tell every friend
and relative about what happened, keep your card,
and remember being entertained by a clown.
Page 20
The New Calliope Convention Issue

3
The Trick: A business card, back side (blank
preferred) is placed into your open palm (Fig. 01). You then
close your hand as you turn your hand over (Fig. 02). You
push the card through your hand with your thumb (Fig. 03),
showing that the business card is the same on both
sides of the card. You repeat the routine a second
time, again showing the business card is the same on
both sides. The third time you place the business card on
your open palm (Fig. 04), closing your fingers and turning
your closed hand over (Fig. 05). With some magic words
and/or a wave over the top of your hand (magical jester), as
the card is again pushed through your fist with your thumb
(Fig. 06), the business card shows your name and contact
information (Front of Card).
The Secret: The first and second time you
place the back side of the business card face up on the open
palm on the fingers (Fig. 01). This flips the back side of the
business card, but appears like you are showing both sides
of the business card. The third time you place the back
side of the business card face up on the open palm below
the fingers (Fig. 04). This move does not flip the business
card, but turns the other side of the business card as you turn
your closed hand over. This shows the front of the business
card, with your name and contact information as the card is
pushed out of your fist.
My Story: “It has been great meeting you. Let
me give you one of my business cards.” Take out blank,
back side of business card up. Lay business card on fingers
of open palm (Fig. 01). Make the move of closing fingers,
turning over hand, and pushing card out of your fist with
your thumb.
“Sorry, sometime these cards are blank.” As you proceed
with performing the move for the second time mention,
“That is OK, I know some magic!” Perform the move for
the third time, placing the card on the open palm below the
fingers (Fig. 04). Say the magic words or do a magic jester.
As you push the business card out of your fist with your
thumb say, “There that is much better. Here is my contact
information” Give them your business card.
6
4
5
This is a very simple trick with a business card. There are
many more tricks that you can perform with business cards.
Never pass up an opportunity to perform a miracle and
entertain someone.
Enjoy and have fun.
May/June 2011 Page 21

2011 Best In Clown
by Glenn “Clyde D. Scope” Kohlberger
There are approximately 3,000
thousand miles between New
Jersey and California; but Asia
‘Quty’ Espinol was not about to let
that distance, three time zones or
even Mickey Mouse stop her from
becoming the 2011 Convention Best
in Clown Award winner in Anaheim
California. You see, travel and humor
have been a part of Asia even before
she was born. When discussing her
birth place, she laughingly said “I
was made in Puerto Rico, but was
delivered in the Dominican Republic.”
And anyone who has been around Asia
for more than three minutes is quite
aware of her humor, laughter, and love
to entertain.
Her family moved from the
Dominican Republic back to Puerto
Rico when she was young. She didn’t
realize it at the time, but this was
where she began to develop the clown
inside. At the age of 7 she learned to
twirl fire batons as a majorette. It was
then that she began to see how much
she loved to entertain. At age 10, she
was asked by a local organization to
get dressed in a clown costume and
make-up to help collect money for
a Muscular Dystrophy fund raiser.
For her it was a day in heaven, her
heart was singing and she could share
that song with everyone through her
clowning. She has always been a
happy person who loves to laugh and
share her laughter with everyone, but
there was something about that day
that will live in her heart forever.
In 1980 after Asia’s father passed,
her family moved to New Jersey and
she opened a beauty shop which she
operated for 23 years. Asia would joke
and laugh with everyone at work and
would be perky and smiling all the
time, in fact her mother always said
she laughs too much.”
But somewhere deep inside, Asia’s
love of entertaining and joy of sharing
smiles needed to find a different kind
of outlet. It was busting at her seams
to come out.
Asia officially began her clowning
career part-time in 1988. She was
buying shoes for her daughter when
they ran into a male clown who was
doing magic. After watching him for
a while, they struck up a conversation.
He told her he was looking for a
female clown to work with. So Asia
finally listened to her heart, and
shortly after that day Quty (Q-Tee)
was born. She realized that being a
clown truly was the glow that came
from deep inside her soul and she
needed to bring it out and share it with
everyone. She closed her beauty shop
in 2003 and has been clowning fulltime
ever since.
In 2004 Asia went to her very first
convention and as any New Jersey
clown will tell you, that convention
had to be Clownfest. She competed
for the first time in White Face Make
Up and came in second place. Asia
says “When I put on my make-up
it is like I magically transform into
Quty right before my very eyes. That
transformation changes the mood and
the ambiance not only around me but
deep inside me as well.”
In 2006 she returned to Clownfest
and placed first in Whiteface, first
in single balloon and third in multiballoon.
She has won 11 more
competitions at Clownfest over the
years, including the prestigious ‘Fun
and Friendly Award’ in 2008 and
third place in the ‘People’s Choice
Award’ 2009. Additional clowning
competition awards include five
medals at MACA, Balloon Camp
in Las Vegas, NV, Twist and Shout
Page 22
The New Calliope Convention Issue

Asia “Quty” Espinol
in Nashville TN, and two more first
places at the East Coast Face Paint and
Balloon Convention in CT.
At the COAI International
Conventions she has continued to do
extremely well. In 2007 Asia received
seven Top Ten awards in Springfield,
Missouri including three in the Top
Three; eight Top Ten Awards in 2008 in
Richmond Va. with another three in the
Top Three and four top Ten Awards at
the COAI 25th Anniversary Convention
in Houston TX. In Anaheim, CA she
had Two in the Top three; and six more
Top Ten Awards, including one first,
two seconds and two thirds to give her
the Convention Best in Clown Award
for 2011.
Excluding Anaheim, CA which will
always have a very special place in
Asia’s heart of hearts, we asked her:
Which Convention is your favorite of
all time?
“Each and every convention I have
attended has had something that made
it very special to me. I love to compete,
love to learn and love to share what I
learned with others. But the 2008 COAI
Convention in Richmond, Virginia will
always be a great one to remember.”
What does winning the Convention
Best in Clown Award mean to you?
“This award truly makes me feel
like a complete clown. I am very
humbled by this award, for many
years I have been told I was a talented
clown but now I feel as if this award is
the culmination of my clowning, like
I graduated college. It is the highest
honor any clown can achieve at a COAI
Convention, and I will honor it always.
It is like I have now earned my place in
clowning.”
What advice would you give others
who would like to follow in your
footsteps to be the next Convention
Best in Clown?
“First and foremost you have to
feel the clown inside you and let it out.
You are not a clown just putting on
makeup and a costume; it has to come
from deep in your heart. I think
you are born with it like the
color of your eyes. You
must have a passion and
a love of children and
you must practice your
skills over and over
until you know them
by heart.”
Is there
anything else
you would
like to say to
the members of
COAI?
“You must
continue to grow and
give back to the art
of clowning and like
COAI make sure
you bring unity to
all clowns near
and far, because
caring and sharing
is what clowning is
all about and I am
proud to be a COAI
clown.”
Asia is a member
of COAI, MACA,
and the International
Brotherhood of
Magicians.
I would like to thank Lorenzo
Martinez (Asia’s close family
friend) who helped translate some
of this interview.
May/June 2011 2010 Page 23

congratulations!
5th Place
Wayne Rongholt
4th Place
Agustin Torres Rosa
3rd Place
Alan Flagg
6th Place
Maureen Minder
8th Place
Neal Oplinger
Page 24
7th Place
Rosemarie Ballard
The New Calliope Convention Issue

Auguste
2nd Place Terra Smith
1st Place:
Jeanne Woska
May/June 2011 Page 25

Comedy Whiteface
In categories
with 5 or fewer
competitors, the
placement is based
on percentile
achievements
3rd Place
Laureen A. Meyes
2nd Place
Mary Katherine Harmke
4th Place
Deborah G. Held-Lanning
5th Place
Maritza SilverioDeLaCruz
Page 26
The New Calliope Convention Issue

Classic
Whiteface
1st Place:
Julie Varholdt
May/June 2011 Page 27

Senior
4th Place
Colleen Charles
1st Place:
Nicholas Reed
Page 28
The New Calliope Convention Issue

4th Place
Kent Sheets
Lite
Auguste
3rd Place
Judy Johnson
Tramp
Hobo
3rd Place
Cynthia Uible-Bryson
In categories
with 5 or fewer
competitors, the
placement is based
on percentile
achievements.
2nd Place
Carlos Ocasio
May/June 2011 Page 29

Character
3rd Place
Asia Espinal
In categories
with 5 or fewer
competitors, the
placement is based
on percentile
achievements
4th Place
John Hanewall
6th Place
Jean Jenkins
5th Place
Barbara Cox
Page 30
The New Calliope Convention Issue

Single Balloon
2nd Place
Judy Johnson
3rd Place
Julie Wright
1st Place:
Asia Espinal
4th Place
John Hanewall
5th Place
David Keenan
9th Place
P. Jason Clopton
6th Place
Terra Smith
7th Place
Rosemarie Ballard
8th Place
Ella Grimshaw
10th Place
Agustin Torres Rosa
May/June 2011 Page 31

M ultiBalloon
2nd Place
Julie Wright
3rd Place
Ella Grimshaw
1st Place:
David Keenan
4th Place
Judy Johnson
6th Place
Neal Oplinger
7th Place
Mary Ann Changg
5th Place
P. Jason Clopton
Page 32
8th Place
Terra Smith
9th Place
Rosemarie Ballard
10th Place
Harry Turner
The New Calliope Convention Issue

Balloon Arrangements
2nd Place
Ella Grimshaw
3rd Place
Asia Espinal
1st Place:
Agustin
Torres Rosa
4th Place
Judy Johnson
5th Place
P. Jason Clopton
6th Place
Deborah G. Held-Lanning
7th Place
Julie Wright
8th Place
Neal Oplinger
May/June 2011 Page 33

Cheek
Art
2nd Place
Asia Espinal
1st Place:
Mary Ann Changg
3nd Place
Jean Jenkins
4th Place
Judy Johnson
5th Place
Rosemarie Ballard
6th Place
Ella Grimshaw
7th Place
Nina Dees
8th Place
Agustin Torres Rosa
9th Place
Carlo Ocasio
10th Place
Rhiannon Youngvall
Page 34
The New Calliope Convention Issue

Face painting
Full Face
2nd Place Asia Espinal
3RD Place Lisa Ponce de Leon Terai
4th Place Nina Dees
1st Place: Mary Ann Changg
5th Place Jean Jenkins
6th Place Judy Johnson
7th Place Ella Grimshaw 8th Place Carlos Ocasio 9th Place Agustin Torres Rosa 10th Place Cindy Johnston
May/June 2011 Page 35

Group
2nd Place
Dennis Porter
“Dances Of
All Time”
3rd Place
Agustin Torres Rosa,
Carlos Ocasio
“Love In The Museum”
4th Place
Barbara Cox, Michael Cox
“California's Best”
5th Place
Wayne Rongholt,
John Hanewall
“Who's In Skits”
1st Place:
Cynthia Uible-Brson,
Laureen A. Meyers
“Banana/Bandana”
6th Place Tie
Richard Shaedon,
Franny Kwan,
Zeelon Zeden,
Lisa Ponce
de Leon Terai
“Hu La-La Ladies”
6th Place Tie – Dale Flashberg,
Georgia Morris, Julie Wright
“Jump Rope”
8th Place
Judy
Johnson,
P. Jason
Clopton
“What's
Up”
9th Place
10th Place
John Hall,
Alx Sanchez
“Jokey 'Ray'
Cooking Show”
Robert Lee, Andrew Swan,
Cindy Johnston
“Girl Squeezes While Guy Rips!”

Skit Single
3rd Place
Cheryl Fiedler
“It's All About Me”
2nd Place
Carlos Ocasio
“Wish Upon A Star”
4th Place
Rosemarie Ballard
“The Balloon”
5th Place
Leonie Norton Pytlak
“Parade”
6th Place
Asia Espinal
“Necklace”
1st Place:
Lulu Mire
“French Cooking
With Foolia Child”
7th Place
Deborah G. Held-Lanning
“Wisconsin Cheese
Samages for Sale”
8th Place
Barbara Cox
“My Husband Doesn't Understand”
9th Place
Harry Turner
“Flea Circus”
10th Place
Neal Oplinger
“Tight Rope Walker”

Group
3rd Place
Angel Morales, Agustine Torres Rosa, Carlos Ocasio
“Where's The King”
2nd Place
Wayne Rongholt, John Hanewall
“Swindle Bro's Concessions”
5th Place
Cindy Johnston, Robert Lee
“Walk Around Musical Duo”
Page 38
4th Place
Maureen Minder, Ruby Minder
“Portable Potty”
In categories with 5 or fewer
competitors, the placement is based
on percentile achievements
The New Calliope Convention Issue

Paradability
Single
1st Place:
Mary Katherine Harmke
“Not So Taco”
3rd Place
Rosemarie Ballard
“Wild West”
2nd Place
Keith Stokes
“Toby's Parade”
4th Place
Bonita Love, “Bo Bo”
7th Place
Nicholas Reed
“My Bucket List”
5th Place
Barbara Cox
“Calling Boyfriend”
6th Place
Ella Grimshaw
“I Won”
8th Place
Judy Johnson
“I Found IT”
9th Place
Harry Turner
“Up A Creek Without A Paddle”
10TH Place
Sherron Newberg
“Bee On My Head”
Page 39

Congratulations
COTY Barbara Bird gets her revenge by publicly
egging the face of “New Calliope” editor Tom Newton
for misspelling her name on the New Calliope Cover.
Barbara Bird accepts the Charlie Award (Alley) for the
Electric City Clown Alley 285. This is the fifth time they
have taken this coveted trophy home.
Ann Sanders received the Editor's Choice award for her
service above and beyond the call of duty.
Lindsey Waldrep of the Cheerful Clown Alley's accepts the
Best of Press Award for best Printed Newsletter for
“The Cheerful Chatter” newsletter.
Klownz Around Tulsey Town Newsletter won the Best Electronic
Newsletter award. No one was present to accept the award.
2009 CHARLIE Award winners Ann Sanders (individual)
and Sandra Winstead accepts for Virgina Alley #3.
Page 40
Ann Sanders escorts 2011 Life Time Achievement award
winner, Keith Stokes to the podium.
The New Calliope Convention Issue

Congratulations
Fantasy Face Paint and Balloonatasia were exhibitions at this year's National Convention in Anaheim, CA. One of the things
that made this special was that the winners were voted on by the members in attendance. Congratulations go to Jennifer
Pilcher winner of Balloonatasia an to Leonie Norton Pytlak, winner of Fantasy Face Paint.
COAI smashed the previous record of the most “Target Clown Shirts” on clowns in a single picture with 104.
The previous record holder was MACA with a total of 28 shirts.
May/June 2011 Page 41

Page 42
The New Calliope Convention Issue

Warm Weather Clowning
Summer is here and the temperatures
are rising. Yikes! With a little planning
you can make the most of it. You will want
to check the following for the summer:
• Calendar
• Costume
• Props and Preparation
Calendar –
First check your calendar to be sure all
your events are in order. Double check
dates, times, and locations so you know
where you are going and what you are doing.
You will be glad you took the little
extra effort in the long run. Make sure to fill
in ALL the details of the event: directions,
times, contact numbers, activity. Sometimes
you will book the event 6 months in
advance, “thinking” you will remember the
obvious details. Don’t count on it!!!!! It’s
best to be prepared.
Costuming –
Be prepared for a lighter look for hot
weather. For parades, I opt for a smaller pair
of clown shoes. They are the size of normal
shoes, but made out of leather with polka
dots! I have noticed that all of the reputable
clown shoe dealers are now making
this kind of shoe. My daughter wears red
Converse high-top tennis shoes and striped
stockings. Some clowns have gone for the
colorful new plastic clog type shoe called
“Crocs”. Now would be a good time to buy
a pair of really good innersoles. It will help
an old pair of shoes give much-needed support.
Sometimes you will need to go to extra
efforts to keep your feet happy. Believe it
or not, I have gout! My chiropractor taught
me how to tape my feet with athletic tape to
provide more support. It makes all the difference
in the world. Once again, taking the
EXTRA time in advance to think through
what your individual needs are will make
your performance time more enjoyable. You
can concentrate on how well you are performing
instead of how sore you are feeling.
Don’t be afraid to lighten up! A few
years ago my daughter Julia and I performed
for hundreds of Girl Scouts at a “Be
a Clown” field day event. I knew we would
be driving an hour to the location and then
performing shows for two solid hours outside
with no break. Julia and I would do a
fun warm up, performing two skits and then
teaching the skit to the girls. We did this
in 20 minutes and repeated it five times.
Whew!
Hmmmmm. When I thought about it, I was
ready to try a lighter look. Performing with
my then 12-year-old daughter in a field with
a bunch of young girls – I just didn’t think I
should do the whole “Mooseburger.” Plus I
had only 45 minutes to get cleaned up after
we got home before I needed to be in church.
If you have ever tried to take off white face
make-up in a hurry, you are probably laughing
right now! There is no way to do it without
taking a shower. It always manages to get
into your hairline. You can only get so much
of it off and you end up looking like a ghoul!
I reluctantly decided to try a new look. I
put my hair up into ponytails on the top of my
head and added red wig scrunchies. I worked
up a lighter Auguste makeup with a round
red nose. My Pricilla Mooseburger dress and
all its bells and whistles just would not do.
Luckily I have a costume rental shop full of
gently used clown costumes. I found a baggie
pair of short clown pants with a matching vest
and collar. I wore my small clown shoes. The
small shoes allowed me to drive to the event
without having to take time to switch into my
big clown shoes once I got there.
I felt very kid friendly., but it was a very
different of feeling. My Pricilla Mooseburger
character was born on the circus, carried on
performing stage shows and used for meet
and greets at Disneyland. I did not want to
overshadow my daughter. We only get to perform
together a few times a year and I really
wanted this to be special.
Sometimes you just have to take a chance.
It worked. I was comfortable and the girls
thought it was neat to see a mother and
daughter team. We got home in time for
showers and off to mass, but I must say that I
was all worn out by 7:30 that night!!!
At first the idea of making changes in my
“look” to accommodate weather and endurance
really bothered me. I didn’t want to
look like I was lowering my standards or
taking the easy way out. The joke in my family
is our family motto-“Duct tape your arm
back on and get to work!” We are a stubborn
bunch, and believe in doing the job right or
not at all. With growing older and hopefully
wiser I have learned there are times to make
changes and accommodations in your performance.
I have enjoyed the process that I once
approached with fear and in trepidation. The
reality is without these changes I could not
perform to the best of my ability. I love to
tell my students “It is not the most miserable
one who wins.” It was time to take my own
advice.
Props & Preparation –
Give your props the good once-over –
and NOT just an hour before your performance!
Touch up with fresh paint, stitch up
loose ends, you get the idea. This could be
a great time to do an upgrade. Buy or make
one really good prop for the summer. Yes
I did say ONE! Then you will have a better
chance of getting it done. Have realistic
goals or you shoot yourself in the foot every
time. Reconsider what you use for props
as well. Not as spry as you used to be? It
might be time to retire some of your heavier
parade props. Instead of that wooden camera
your Uncle Albert built for you 20 years
ago when you first became a clown; invest
in a new foam camera.
Think of new fun ways to entertain that
don’t involve heavy props. Most clowns
could benefit from a class in “No Props
Clowning.” Often we hide behind our
props because we don’t think we are funny
enough on our own. You will be surprised
what happens when you “lighten up”
Here are some other quick tips for
the summer. Get a small cooler to keep in
your car. Load it with bottled water (skip
the caffeinated drinks – they dehydrate
you!) Keep some high energy snacks there
as well. I like trail mix with nuts, raisins
and M&M’s! You don’t need to worry about
messing up your makeup and it gives
you a boost. Put together a first-aid
kit for your car. You can purchase small
ones at discount stores. You might want to
invest in the cool packs for around your
neck. Clowns needs bandages for blisters
from walking parades! I recommend taking
Advil BEFORE the event because as my
doctor informed me “Once you start hurting,
it is too late!”
Planning ahead
for changes makes
them less stressful.
Take the extra
time now to plan for a
terrific summer clown
season. You will be
glad you did.
Pricilla Mooseburger, a.k.a. Tricia Manuel,
started her clown career with Ringling
Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus. While
working at the Greatest Show on Earth
she learned the art of indestructible
costume design. She is a long-time
member of COAI.
May/June 2011 Page 43

The Art of
Balancing
by Kelly James Ballagh
Photos by Becky Bartlett
Over the years, I have
been asked many
questions about the art
of clowning, from applying
makeup all the way to the
finer points of “falling down
gracefully.”
As a student of
clowning, I have spent a
lot of time studying the
comedic art form. When
I started with the Ringling
Brothers and Barnum &
Bailey Brothers Circus,
I remember being told
by countless individuals
that clowning was a
never-ending educational
experience. You never stop
learning, but continue to
grow into a well rounded
clown!
That being said, with
this feature, I offer my
insight into the finer “tool”
of balancing objects on your
clowning journey. I use
the word “tool” to describe
balancing objects for the
sole purpose that this is a
skill, something which you
use to aid your clowning.
This skill does not MAKE
a clown, but rather, it helps
give the already formed
clown a “tool” to use.
3 Easy Steps in Balancing
Step 1
a Hat on Your Nose!
First, find a nice, stiff baseball hat to use. (If the hat
isn’t stiff enough, it will not hold its shape, affecting the
Center of Balance.) Once you find a hat, turn it so that
the brim is facing down, with the top of the hat facing
AWAY from you.
Step 2
Step 3
Place the front, center edge of the brim of the ball cap
on either the tip of your clown nose or the bridge of
your real nose. Level the hat so that the adjustment
strap or tag on the back of the hat is directly over your
eyes. (This will be the area to focus on while balancing
the hat on your nose.)
Carefully let go of the hat, keeping the balance of the
hat by moving your head so that your eyes always stay
under the strap or tag. Use your neck muscles to move
your head and not your body, so that you stay stationary
with the hat on your nose. If (or when) it falls, just pick
the hat up and try it again. With practice, you’ll be able
to acquire this useful “tool”!
Page 44
The New Calliope Convention Issue

T
LMO S
A Anything
Enough blathering on
though, now it is time to talk
about the art of balancing
ALMOST anything!
The most important thing
to understand when balancing
objects is that they come in
a variety of different sizes,
shapes, and weight. This
might not seem like a big deal,
but understanding this is the
first step.
Every object has a
different Center of Balance
(or C of B for short), which is
that area in which the object’s
weight is level from top to
bottom. For example, a broom
has a high C of B, usually at
the tiptop at the head where the
bristles are. When balancing
it, you have to keep the broom
almost perfectly vertical, with
the C of B directly above the
point of balance (i.e. hand,
chin, foot or elbow). As
the broom starts to lean one
way or the other, you must
adjust the point of balance to
accommodate that movement.
In laymen’s terms, you must
move your hand, arm, foot or
chin so that it stays below the
C of B.
As you move to other
objects, you must determine
where that C of B is. Shorter
objects will have a lower C
of B; whereas objects such
as chairs or ladders will most
definitely have off-centered
ones. The key to remember
here is, the HIGHER the C of
B, the easier it is to balance.
To find the C of B on
an object that is off-center,
it’s being able to “feel” the
balance. This might sound
strange, but it’s as simple
as it sounds. Using a chair
for example, as you start
to balance it in your hand,
you will notice that if it’s
perfectly horizontal (as though
someone was about to sit in
it), the chair would fall out
of your hand. You must lean
the chair back and to the side,
so that the weight is evenly
distributed over your point of
balance.
The important thing to
remember here, referring
to the above paragraph,
is that the weight (as in
HEAVINESS) of the object is
key. If the object, such as the
chair, is too heavy, you won’t
be able to support it with your
body. So be sure and check
the weight of the object before
you try balancing it.
The same goes for the
size and shape of the object
you are trying to balance. You
must know 100% that you can
handle it, and if not, just try
something smaller and lighter.
Once you learn the basics
of finding the C of B on
an object, you’ll be able to
try your hand (chin, elbow,
nose or foot) at balancing
ALMOST anything.
Good luck and don’t
forget to have fun while you
practice and perform!
Kelly started his career in clowning when he joined
the Blue Unit of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
in 2001. It was here that he spent his first year learning
the art of clowning from the clown who went to the famed
Ringling Bros. Clown College. As the years went by, he
became a more accomplished performer, as well as a more
rounded entertainer, learning additional skills from such
performers as the high wire walkers and jugglers in the
circus. In 2005, Kelly was promoted to the higher ranking of
boss clown of the Red Unit, where he was placed in charge
of the entire clown alley for the show. Instrumental in the
hiring and training of new clowns, Kelly became a skilled
teacher of the “art of circus clowning” in his remaining
years on the Circus. At the end of 2007, Kelly left the
circus to begin his POST Ringling career. He can now be
found working at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas as a
therapeutic clown, doing advance clowning for Ringling
Bros. Circus when needed, teaching clowning workshops
across the United States, and also creating incredible clown
drawings in his spare time. You can visit his web site at:
www.KellyJamesBallagh.com
Kelly currently lives in Irving, Texas, with his girlfriend,
Becky Bartlett (a skilled freelance choreographer in her own
right), and their white boxer dog, Allee.
May/June 2011 Page 45

Oh! What a
Tangled Web
Welcome back, I am
proud to say that we have seen
a great increase in the number of
people signing on and using the
web site since this series of articles
began. Thank you. I have also been
receiving emails and phone calls
telling me how much they enjoy
the step-by-step instruction and
that they can’t wait for their “New
Calliope” to come to learn what is
next.
It is important to understand that
this web site is a community of
clowns. The more COAI members
that are on it and using it, the more
we can enjoy all the features of
it. You see some of the features
involve communicating between
members, sort
of like chatting,
or tweeting.
For those who
can’t relate to
that, think of
it as putting a
message on the
bulletin board
so that other
members in your
family will read it,
and reply with a
message of their
own. Think of it
as another way
to communicate
with your friends.
We Weave!
Part 3
There are a few different ways to
communicate on this site. We have
messaging, forums, groups, community
blogs and the Wall. Each one is a
slightly different way to communicate
but all are available to our members.
If you look on the home page (that’s
the page that comes up when you go to
www.coai.org) in the lefthand menu
(that’s the red column on your left) you
will see three of them, Forums, Groups,
and Community Blogs. We will
discuss those in the July/August article.
Messaging and the Wall are not found
on the menu. You need to go into your
profile to find them.
So let’s start there. Sign onto the
web site. (If you need help with that,
look at either the January/February
or March/April New Calliope) which
should bring you to your Profile Page.
(Pix1)
Let’s look around on your profile
page so we all understand what is
there. Under your name you will find
PROFILE PAGES and +MORE. We will
1.
by Glenn “Clyde D. Scope” Kohlberger
skip those two things for now, but we
will get to them later. Directly under
that we have a place to upload a photo
of you, and under that it says “ONLINE
NOW,” which is pretty self explanatory.
To the right there are three tabs: MY
FEEDS, MY WALL, and MY BIO. Now
if you click on each tab you will notice
that the sub menu (the things directly
under that tab) will change. These three
tabs are a lot like the ones on Facebook.
So if you are on Facebook, you might
relate to them. If not, don’t worry, I
will explain each step because we want
everyone to enjoy these features.
Let’s start by clicking on MY BIO.
(Pix 2)
What you are looking at is all the
information you put in when you set
up you profile. So take a look around
here and make sure it is all correct. If
something is wrong, correct it.
Next; click on the MY FEEDS tab. It
will automatically show you FEEDS All
Activity. (Pix 3)
Once you begin to have
“CONNECTIONS” (which means
2.
Page 46

once you have made a connection to
your friends on this site) you will see
their activity here as well. All Activity is
just that, it is what’s going on with your
friends, your groups and those you are
connected with.
Click on MY GROUPS (Pix 4) Once
you have joined any group or groups;
all the information of the group will
show up here. We’ll describe that when
we do groups. Next go back up to the
tabs and click on MY WALL. (Pix 5)
Right below that tab you will see the
words “WRITE ON THE WALL” and a
maroon button that says “POST”. What
I would like each of you to do is write
something in the “WRITE ON THE
WALL” section and then click on POST.
But remember whatever you put in there
all of your friends or CONNECTIONS
will be able to read whatever you write.
So let’s make it simple and write the
word “TEST” in there and click on POST.
Notice that when you click the write
on wall it expands so you can see more
of what you are writing. Now click
POST. Did you see what happened when
you clicked it? The words you wrote
are now below and “Posted 1 minute
ago” came up below it. That time will
change until the end of the day when
it will become the date of the post.
Congratulations you just wrote on your
wall for all to see. But until you have
some CONNECTIONS no one is going
to see it.
So let’s make some connections.
I would like each of you to go to
the top of the right column where it
says COMMUNITY SEARCH in the
maroon section. This will be a big help
in finding friends or CONNECTIONS
for you. I want you to type in GLENN
KOHLBERGER. You should see (Pix 6)
in the blue section it says “You searched
for Glenn and Kohlberger”. Just for the
record let’s say you know BOB but you
don’t know his last name. You can type
in BOB and every BOB in the web site
data base will come up here. But you
will also get everything that every BOB
every joined or wrote on the web site. So
the more information you have the less
information you will have to dig through
to find what you need or want. If you
have a full name it will usually be the
first entry to come up.
So click on my name and bring up
my profile. You will see four things
under my name; Profile Pages, More,
Message, & Connect. For now we will
work with the last two. Lets click on
CONNECT. (Pix 7)
Again we will keep it simple for now.
It shows who you’re sending it to and
who is sending it.
Then it has the subject line filled
in saying “You’re invited to join my
Connection List”
Now we will skip the attach file until
later but in the large open area you can
write a note to the person you want to
become Friends with or Connect with. If
you want to write it in Microsoft Word
you can copy and paste it into the space.
But when you click the paste button
you will see two
options, paste and
paste from Word.
You need to use
‘Paste from Word’
to have it work
correctly. There are
enhancements like
emoticons on the
web site, but other
than that if you
know how to use
Microsoft Word, this
is almost the same
thing. When you
have finished writing,
click the send button
and you just sent your
first message, to me!
And you asked me to
be your friend.
Your screen will
now look something
like (Pix 8) which is
your message center.
You will see who
you sent a message
to, what the subject
was and when you
mailed it. Once I
reply to it, we will be
friends and you will
get
a message in your regular email saying
you have a message on the COAI web
site. There will be a blue “LINK” to click
on in the email. If you click on it you
will see (Pix 9) now, you might ask
“If I want to send a message, does that
person have to be on the web site at the
time I am messaging them?” NO they
do not. You see messaging is a lot like
sending an email to someone. You write
it whenever you want, and they can read
it at their convenience, it is that simple.
And when you receive a message from
someone else, you will also get an email
in your regular email at home to let
you know “You’ve got mail” Just like
the one you will get when you make a
connection.
Now remember you can go back to
your profile at any time, all you need to
Continued on page 48
6.
4.
3.
5.
7.
8.
9.
May/June 2011
Page 47

Tangled Web
Continued from page 47
do is click on PROFILE HOME
on the right. But I would like
to show you one more thing.
Just under the words
MESSAGE CENTER you will
see a little box with the words
“QUICK JUMP TO” with a
down arrow next to it. Click
there and a small menu will
open saying
HOME
INBOX
SENT MESSAGES
MY PREFERENCES
If you click HOME it will
NOT take you to your profile
home, it will bring you to (Pix
10) the Message Center. From
here you can do many things
Go to your inbox; Go to
your sent mail; Message
a member, or Message a
Connection
Messaging a member is
the same thing we did before.
Click on “Message A Member”
It will bring up (Pix 11).
Type in my name or anyone’s
name that you know is on our
web site into the search field.
(You can search by group, by
country or by location) for this
let's use the search field. This
time under my name click on
MESSAGE. You will see who
this message is from (YOU)
and who you are writing
to. But the subject line is
blank. You name the subject.
Everything else is just like
when you sent a connection
message.
So now you have some
new information to play with.
Next time I’ll get into forums
and groups. Remember have
a great time with it. This is
your web site, without you the
members, COAI would
not be here. So tell
your friends
about
COAI
and our
web site
and just
how much
fun we are all
going to have
once everybody gets
use to using it.
10.
11.
As always my email is
soundsfunny2me@aol.com if you
have any questions or if you get
stuck. Talk to you on the web.
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
Debbie “Dizzy” Kordon
133631 Blacktail Road
Fairfield, ND 58627-9453
Page 48
Babara “Patches” Nichols
504 College Place
Kingsville, TX 78363-4901
Betty Schultz
8300 NW Barry Road, Apt 238
Kansas City, MO 64153
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
The New Calliope Convention Issue

Welcome New Members
Mitch Allen
Southlake, TX
Mitty
Shirley Bailes
Toano, VA
Dana Barnum
Harker Heights, TX
Rainbow D. Clown
Darakah Barnum
Harker Heights, TX
Fruit Lupe
Teaven Barnum
Harker Heights, TX
Petie Barnum
Alan Giovanni
Barquera-Hernandez
Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico
Co-Coyin
Eduardo Jesus
Barquera-Hernandez
Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico
Co-Coy
Shelly A. Beayon
Greenwich, NY
Lyttle Tyke
Robin Burg
Los Angeles, CA
Robbo
Roger Caldwell
Fort Edward, NY
Mcfunny Bone
Terry B. Cannon
Murfreesboro, TN
Ttred
Karen A. Colello
Schaghticoke, NY
Rosebud
Terry R. Cunningham
Sulphur Springs, TX
Howdy Do-Dat
Phil Currie
Trussville, AL
Philbert
Craig Cuthbert
Argyle, NY
Cupcake
Pamela J. Dean
Clinton, CT
Bubbles
Joany Michelle Diaz
Port St. Lucie, FL
Tibiri Dots
Nancy Frankel
Bedford, NH
Corky
Marilyn N. Garcia
Laredo, TX
Eric Britt Henning
Laurel, MD
Professor Bumbles
Maria Graciela
Hernandez-Jaimez
Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico
Coco-Ying
Ana M. Jimenez
Comeno, PR
Lekynita
Charlie C. Kavanaugh
Averill Park, NY
Jeff Steven Kersting
Sandy, OR
Koregon
Joette C. Khamis
Selkirk, NY
Shannon Kirsch
Fort Edward, NY
Fanny S. Kwan
Kailua, HI
Fun Fun
Janis Lukstein
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Tickled Pink
Rochelle Ellen Mason
Myrtle Beach, SC
Lulu The Clown
Charles Masselli, Sr.
Pensacola, FL
Jinx
Jackie S. Maxcy
Caldwell, ID
Star
Mary C. Mcculloch
Watervliet, NY
Glitter Belle
Nick J. Merola
Buskirk, NY
Snapshot
Sherron Newberg
Santa Ana, CA
Molly
Leonie Norton Pytlak
Temecula, CA
Zanie Lanie
Juan Nunez, Sr.
Austin, TX
Tornillito
Juan Nunez, Jr.
Austin, TX
Pee Wee
Erica Nunez
Austin, TX
Kittie
Abner Nunez
Austin, TX
Jocelyn Y. Porter
Philadelphia, PA
Giggles The Clown
Amy Ragule
Greenwich, NY
Joel Barquera Rios
Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico
Joy-Joy
Melody Roster
Highlandville, MO
Janice Louise Rudolf
Lake Placid, FL
Poodles
Joanne Sbardella
Cataumet, MA
Jo Jo
Laretta J. Scown
Liberty, MO
Bunnie The Clown
Cat Squires
Bay City, TX
Bubbles The Clown
Ashely Struble
Baltimore, MD
Twinkle
Stephanie J. Swald
Schenectady, NY
Flutterbug
Andrew Swan
N Highlands, CA
Zippy
Scotty Sykes
Dover, TN
Ugg
Melissa Thomas
Greenwich, NY
Miss T
Carlos M. Torres, Sr.
Waukegan, IL
ROLYN
Wendy Tyler
Bay City, TX
Tickles The Clown
Michael J. Wasyliw
El Cajon, CA
Zorba
Connie Widmann
Parsonsburg, MD
Boom Boom
Ronald A. Wilson
Granville, NY
Checkers
Raymond O. Winiecki
Largo, FL
Uncle Funny
Lynn M. Yaeger
Naples, FL
Putt-Putt
Zeelon Zeden
Honolulu , HI
Zeze
May/June 2011 Page 49

Budget
As approved at the General Membership Meeting April, 2011
Revenue 2010-2011 2011-2012
Membership $112,135 $99,000
Lifetime Membership $2,000 $100
Magazine Ads $35,000 $40,000
Merchandise $3,800 $6,000
Junior Joey Auction Funds $100 $100
Education $1,000 $0
Convention $2,500 $2,500
Interest $2,000 $1,500
Misc $500 $150
Web Page $0 $100
CD Revenue $0 $100
Education Auction Revenue $1,500 $2,000
Scholarship Endowment Fund $500 $500
Total $161,035 $152,050
Expenses
Bank Charges/Returned Checks $100 $300
Credit Card fee $2,000 $2,000
New Calliope Expenses $80,000 $80,000
Nat'l Office Expense $25,000 $22,000
Board Supplies $500 $500
Fall Board Meeting $9,000 $12,000
Ambassador Supplies $250 $125
Spring Board Meeting $7,000 $7,500
Officers Phone & Postage $500 $600
COAI Grant $2,500 $500
Education $1,000 $1,000
Scholarships $2,250 $2,000
Scholarship Endowment $750 $500
Convention Expense $5,000 $2,000
Trophies $1,700 $1,500
Printed Material $2,500 $1,500
Equipment Purchase $0 $200
100% Alley Education Mat $0 $0
Merchandise $3,100 $1,000
Jr. Joey Merchandise $0 $50
Clown Week $100 $100
COTY Promotion Expenses $400 $0
Excellence in Clowning $200 $50
Clown of the Year $500 $500
Special Projects $0 $0
Promotion and Publicity $1,000 $100
Misc $500 $200
Prof. Organization Dues $250 $0
Professional Services $3,000 $3,000
Web Page $6,000 $6,000
Insurance-Board $1,200 $2,000
Media Liability Insurance $3,035 $3,035
Trademark $0 $190
Federal Income Tax $1,500 $1,500
Audio Director $200 $100
Director at Large $0 $0
Total $161,035 $152,050
Page 50
Financial Report
Clowns of America International
Income, expense and balance statement
Jan/Feb 2011 Year To Date
Revenue
Membership $4,176 $48,012
Lifetime Membership $0 $500
Magazine Ads $6,895 $34,763
Merchandise $1,183 $2,681
Education $0 $268
Convention $0 $2,420
Interest $29 $1,647
Lowe Collection $0 $0
Miscellaneous $10 $50
Web Page $0 $370
Education Auction Revenue $0 $0
Total $12,293 $90,711
Expenses
Bank Chgs / Returned Checks $55 $247
Checks $70 $70
Credit Card Fees $300 $1,392
New Calliope Editor Fees $5,300 $21,200
New Calliope Production $4,821 $20,801
New Calliope Postage $0 $6,478
Other New Calliope Expenses $0 $0
Nat'l Office Business Manager $1,755 $9,218
National Office Phone $0 $771
National Office Postage $154 $6,868
National Office Misc. $0 $160
Board Expenses Other $0 $0
Fall Board Meeting $0 $9,894
State And Intern. Ambassadors $0 $0
Spring Board Meeting $0 $0
Officer's Phone & Postage $28 $343
Educational Support $0 $1,000
Convention Expense $8,510 $11,628
Trophies $0 $0
Printed Material $0 $2,122
Grants $750 $750
Alley Support $0 $15
Merchandise $0 -$119
Excellence In Clowning $0 $0
Clown Of The Year $0 $0
Jr. Joey Expense $0 $0
Special Projects $0 $37
Audio Director $0 $0
Lowe Collection Expense $340 $340
Promotion & Publicity $0 $108
Miscellaneous Expense $0 $592
Shipping $0 $0
Organization Dues $0 $250
Professional Services $366 $8,549
Web Page Expense $0 $6,385
Insurance $100 $100
Directory Expense $0 $9,907
Media Liability Insurance $0 $3,035
Federal Income Tax $0 $1,073
Total $22,549 $123,214
Florida Shores Bank $25,097
National City Bank Checking Account $27,415
Money Market Accounts $41,797
Scholarship Account $19,557
Contingency Reserve $26,138
National Office Operating Fund -$285
Total $139,719
(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 Convention Issue

Clowns of America International
Application and Renewal form
Name:
First Middle Initial Last
Street:
City:
Phone (required):
State: Zip: Country:
E-mail:
Date of Birth (required): Age: Male: Female:
Clown Name:
Alley Affiliation:
Your COAI Number(if renewing):
Expiration Date:
Referring Sponsor (if any):
Sponsor’s COAI Number:
Annual Membership Dues Rates
NEW U.S.: $40
NEW International (U.S. funds): $45
NEW Senior (65 +): $30
NEW Senior Intl. (65 +, U.S. funds): $35
NEW Junior Joey (age 8-15): $30
LIFETIME Membership: $500
Active Renewal: $35
Family Renewal (U.S. & Intl.): $17
International Renewal (U.S. funds): $40
Senior Renewal (65 +): $25
Senior Intl. Renewal (65 +, U.S. funds): $30
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
Payment Method
Credit Card # __________________________________________________________________
Expiration Date: _______________________
CC Verification Code (3 digits) ______________
Discover
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
Signature
All memberships to COAI are on an annual basis with dues payable July 1 of each year.
Join at the new member rate indicated any time of the year if the date is not June, July , or August — your membership will be prorated for the next year on the annual dues notice. When
you receive your dues notice in May following your sign-up, the prorated amount you should pay to bring your membership up to July of the new membership year will be indicated on your
notice. (For example, if a U.S. resident applied for a membership in October of 2005 and paid $30 to join, the membership would be extended to October, 2006. In May, 2006, the member
would receive a prorated dues renewal notice for $20 to extend the membership from October, 2006, to July, 2007.Then each year the annual fee of $25 would be billed in May for payment
by July 1. International and family memberships are similarly prorated.)
May/June 2011 Page 51

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:
Número de COAI (renovación):
Afiliado: Nombre del alley
Fecha de expiración:
Referido por:
Numero de COAI del Referido:
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.
Método de Pago
Cheque a nombre de: __________
Visa
MasterCard
Discover
Firma y Teléfono: (Se requiere para las tarjetas de crédito) Número de Teléfono:___________________________
Número de Tarjeta de Crédito __________________________________________________________________
Fecha de Expiración : _______________________ Código de Verificación (3 dígitos) ______________
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, con expiración y pagos para el 1ro de julio de cada año.
2. Únete a la tarifa indicada para el nuevo miembro en cualquier momento del año. Si te interesa unirte a COAI como nuevo miembro y la fecha no es junio, julio u agosto, tu membresía será
prorrateada para el próximo año en el vencimiento anual general. Cuando recibas la carta de renovación en mayo, la cantidad prorrateada que deberás pagar para renovar la membresía hasta julio
del próximo año se te será indicada.
** Por ejemplo, si un residente de Estados Unidos (US, por sus siglas en inglés) solicitó una membresía en octubre del ano corriente, él/ella deberá pagar $30 para unirse y extender su membresía
hasta octubre de siguiente año. En mayo del año siguiente, el miembro recibirá una carta de renovación prorrateada por $20, para extender la membresía desde Octubre en que el/ella solicito hasta
Julio del año corriente. Luego, cada año la membresía anual de $25 será solicitada en mayo para su pago, que vencería el 1 de julio. Las membresías internacionales, Seniors, Júnior, y familiar
serán prorrateadas de manera similar.
Firma
Page 52
The New Calliope Convention Issue

Calendar
June 7-12, 2011
Red Skelton Clown School
Vincennes, IN
www.redskeltonclownschool.com
June 10-12, 2011
Intl. Humor Project at Silver Bay
www.humorproject.com
518-587-8770
June 18, 2011
Family Entertainers Contest
Ogden, IA
www.ogdenfundays.org
July 11-15, 2011
Fellowship of Christian Magicians
Marion, IN
www.fcm.org/usa/convention.php
847-296-7574
July 13-17, 2011
Clown Jam
Branson, MO
www.ClownJam.com
757-615-8355
July 19-24, 2011
Mooseburger Camp In Buffalo
Buffalo, NY
www.mooseburger.com
320-963-6277
August 1-7, 2011
International Clown Week
Kansas City, MO
COAIdirconv@aol.com
August 1-6, 2011
California Clown Campin'
California State University
San Bernardino, CA
www.carliforniaclowncampin.org
951-310-7087
August 1-7, 2011
TnT Clown University
Taccoa, GA
www.tntuniversity.com
Aug 10-14, 2011
TCA
Irving, TX
www.midcitiesclowns.com
September 7-11, 2011
SECA
Jacksonville, FL
www.southeastclownassoc.org
256-308-1461
September 14-18, 2011
Clownfest 2011
Seaside Heights, NY
www.clownfest.com
September 16-17, 2011
Circus Magic West
San Diego, CA
www.CircusMagicWest.com
757-423-3867
November 4-6, 2011
Kentucky Clown Derby
Louisville, KY
www.KentuckyClownDerby.com
757-423-3867
November 18-19, 2011
Family Entertainers Workshop
Granbury, TX
www.FamilyEntertainers
Workshop.com
757-423-3867
H H H
April 24-29
2012
COAI
National
Convention
Kansas City, MO
coaidrconv@aol.com
COSTUMES by Betty
Quality Clown Costumes
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2181 Edgerton Street • Saint Paul, MN 55117
May/June 2011 Page 53

“Selling” Your Clown Means More Work
by: Dan “Fitzwilly” Langwell
A well known trainer in the business
world has taught extensively about
selling. As I have worked my way
through a good portion of his training
I started thinking about the upcoming
clowning season. It’s great when your
mind wanders isn’t it? Later on I reread
some of my notes with clown brain on
full alert.
There are entertainers out there with
great characters and fantastic shows
that have trouble getting work. On the
opposite end, there are people who
should barely be called entertainers that
manage to stay consistently busy. What
is the difference? What can you do to
improve your booking rate and fill more
boxes on your calendar?
Part of the difference is the
individual’s past experience, and part is
where they are focusing their attention.
I am not in any way suggesting that
you stop striving to be a better clown,
however I am suggesting you may want
to parcel out your time a little differently.
A lot of the “down and dirty” of booking
more gigs starts with your preparation
and the way you think. While there is
some validity in concepts like the power
of positive thinking, that alone isn’t
going to fill your dance card.
For this conversation I am going to
assume that in your market: a) someone
else is top dog (clown, magician, play
park etc.) b) you have worked hard and
have a solid character and a strong show;
c) you want to book more gigs, and d)
you are willing to try something new.
First off, realize that if someone has
made the effort to call you they want to
hire you. Would you call a restaurant to
make a reservation if you (or someone
important to you) didn’t want to eat
there?
Secondly, you need to believe in
yourself. At this point you may be
shaking your head saying “Of course
I believe in myself.” Here is what I
mean: Deep down you have to believe
that people should hire you instead of
the competition because you are the
better option. Perhaps you are the best
entertainer, the funniest clown, the most
skilled magician, juggler or balloon
twister; or perhaps you are not at quite
the level of your competition but you
consistently give each performance
110%. If that is the case then maybe you
are the best value for your customers’
dollars, or you might be the most wellrounded,
somewhat skilled in many
areas but not the absolute best in any one
particular skill-set. Then again you might
have a completely different attribute that
allows you to set yourself apart from
your competition.
Plan your sales conversations before
you answer the phone. Think about what
information you need to know in order
to have a great gig. When you are on
the phone ask engaging questions, not
pushy or “salesy” questions. You are
the party expert in their eyes, so act like
one. Get the client interested in what
you have to say. People buy for their
own reasons, not yours. Find out what
their reasons are and completing the sale
(booking the gig) is much easier. Sure it
may be Suzie’s birthday but Mother may
simply be overwhelmed with getting
the house ready and she doesn’t want to
worry about all the planning that would
be involved for entertaining 20 or 30
children for a couple of hours. It could
be that the parents want to impress the
neighborhood by having the “best” party.
Generally they won’t just come out and
talk about reasons like these but if you
are listening for the clues and asking the
right questions it helps you to formulate
your answers. During the discussion,
while you are talking about what you
offer (balloons, games, magic show,
etc.) try also talking about the outcome;
a more relaxing party for the parents,
something for each child to take home,
kids telling parents what a great time
they had. Beforehand, think about any
concerns parents might have (cleanliness
and safety of face painting for example)
and answer them in your vibrant
description of what you offer (my paints
are all hypoallergenic and FDA approved
for young children’s sensitive skin…)
before they even have a chance to
become stumbling blocks to them giving
you the order.
Develop and ask questions. Ask
questions that will make the client think
about their event and themselves and
then answer in terms of you.
u u u
FOR SALE
Page 54
1961
Cushman
Truckster
visit:
http://wonderlandwizard.weebly.com
The New Calliope Convention Issue

SE Regional Report
by Kent Sheets
South East Regional VP
By the time you read this, many of us will be recovering from
another great COAI convention. I’m still seeing stars.
In July, I will be attending 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 their web site 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 (Aug. 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 or wherever you can find an audience. To do
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 their own sponge clown nose
from a clown.
A great convention is on the horizon. In September,
Southeast Clown Association, SECA’s President, Bob Gretton,
with the SECA board and other volunteers, will host, “Lights,
Camera, Action SECA goes to the Movies-the sequel”. The
dates are September 7-11, 2011. The convention will be held at
the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville River Front, 225 East Coastline
Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32202, 904-588-1234. The hotel
convention rate is $89 per night for up to four per room. Ask for
the SECA rate!! Free Parking!!
Some of the lecturers & dealers are: Angel Contreras; Jim
Howle; Tony “Junior” Jones; Tommy “E Boy” King; Dave “The
Riz” Risley; Kitty “Sunshine” Kuhr; Lee “Juggles” Mullally;
Paula “Stickers” Biggio; Steve “Ickle Pickle” Bender; Janet
“Jellybean” Tucker; Cheri “Cherri-Oats” Venturi; Steve “Spots”
Roeske; Julie “Lovely Buttons” Varholdt; Jim “Rusty” Gorgans;
John “Kris Krunch” Kral; Jan “Giggles” Livesay; Lee “Lew-e”
Andrews; Dave Hill; Jim and Bonnie Blank; Clementine Cooper;
Bob “Bunky” and Teresa “Blinky” Gretton; Glenn “Clyde D
Scope” Kohlberger; Grace “Pockets the Clown” Verab and Dan
Harris-Photographer
Registration Fee: SECA Member $140 until Aug. 2, 2011
Questions or comments? E-mail at dhale5@att.net or visit
www.southeastclownassoc.org.
I recommend you visit the SECA web site 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.
Alley Report
by Toni Dufrene
Director, Alley Region Support
Greetings! Here in Louisiana the weather is glorious with
mild temperatures, cool breezes and bright sunshine. But
it’s just the end of March. I promise you, by early June
I’ll be eating those words and longing for fall. We have an
expression here in the New Orleans area during the summer –
we have “air that you can wear,” meaning that it’s so hot and
humid that the air just clings to you like wet clothing. I realize
that many of you are still digging out from winter snows so
pack up your shorts and sunglasses and come on down!
Alley reports for the year 2011 were sent out in January.
Thank you to those alleys that have returned theirs to me. If
you haven’t done so yet, it’s not too late. I'd rather have them
late than not at all.
The following is a list of alleys whose reports were
returned as undeliverable. Please read over it and if your alley
is listed you can contact me to resend it to the correct address
or you can go on-line at www.coai.org, select “Alleys”
from the list on the left side and then click on “Annual Alley
Report.” Just complete the form on-line and hit the send button
and it’s done!
Deleward Valley Clowns, Alley #8
64 Uwchian Ave., #403
Exton, PA 19341
Golden Gate Clowns, Alley #80
P.O. Box 153
Redwood City, CA 94064
Corporacion Asociada de Payasos De PR, Alley #84
P.O. Box 895
Sabana Seca, PR 00952
Pounds of Clown, Alley #240
28 Mullen Dr.
Newton, NH 03858
Uptown Clowns of Largo, Inc., Alley #301
65 4 th St. NW
Largo, FL 33777
Bricktown Clowns, Alley #365
604 Eastview Dr.
Yukon City, OK 73099
Northwest Rubber Chicken Society, Alley #385
PO Box 30722
Seatle, WA 98113
The Clown Krewe, Alley #400
PO Box 1122
New Port Richy, IA 51453
Peace and giggles.
May/June 2011 Page 55

Who Will Be The 2012 Clown Of The Year &
Excellence In Clowning Recipients?
by Teresa “Blondi” Gretton
Director of Membership
It is now time to nominate a very deserving and talented
clown who promotes the art of clowning as well as Clowns
of America International (COAI). How? The first place
to start is on the COAI web site www.coai.org. Click
on Awards/Clown of the Year. You will find the criteria
needed to get started.
Each year COAI bestows the title and honor of “Clown
of the Year” on one of its own members. This member is
recognized for his/her outstanding qualities as a clown. The
Clown of the Year (COTY) exemplifies the true meaning
of what it is to be a clown through his/her caring, sharing
and performance ability. This clown may have provided
outstanding contributions to clowning and his/her Alley
or has gone above and beyond the norm in promoting
clowning and COAI. Such a clown reaches out to the
community giving tirelessly. The COTY is held in high
esteem among his/her peers. The COTY is recognized as a
leader and performer at the highest level.
The process of nomination is not difficult. Please read
the criteria and start your application today! That someone
just might be crowned the 2012 Clown of the Year! If you
have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Teresa
Gretton: gretton@verizon.net or 301-843-8212. I will be
happy to guide you through the process.
Excellence In Clowning
Are you an excellent clown? Do you feel you deserve
recognition for your achievements and accomplishments?
Have you given much time volunteering? You should
stop wishing and submit your application no later than
September 1. Check out the COAI web site (under Awards:
Excellence In Clowning) and follow the procedures.
Begin the process now and you should be able to meet the
deadline.
Basically, the award is earned by the number of hours
you have served in clown.
One area is serving within the clown community (officer
of alley or board of directors, instructor, judge, author of
clown articles, chairperson of convention committee, etc.).
The other service area encompasses the community at
large (volunteering at hospitals, nursing home facilities,
fundraising events, non-profit organizations, etc.). Log-in
hours must be accumulated after January 1, 1995.
Take time to look over the rest of the criteria on the web
site www.coai.org, click on Awards on the left side of the
page and follow the arrow to Excellence In Clowning. Log
in the hours for the different service areas and send your
application to me, Teresa Gretton, Director of Membership.
(See address on page 4 of The New Calliope.)
Deadline
Reminders
September 1
Clown of the Year
Nominations due
Excellence In Clowning
Submissions due
October 1
Lifetime Achievement
Nominations due
C.H.A.R.L.I.E.
Scrapbooks due
Check www.coai.org for criteria.
Page 56
The New Calliope Convention Issue

The
“Right”
Work
by David Bartlett
Confession time ... I lifted most of this
article from a book, but that's ok. I got
exclusive permission from the author of
The Clown Star to do it. I know the guy
very well and he owes me. It pretty much
says what I wanted to address in this
issue. It's about work. More specifically
the “right” work of clowning. After all, in
the last issue I urged you to “Show Up”
and take every opportunity get out there
and work on your clowning. It would
be nice to make sure you are doing the
“right” work.
First, a quote from one of clowning's
most famous practitioners, Karl Adrien
Wettach, more famously known as
“Grock.” “The genius of clowning
is transforming the little everyday
annoyances, not only overcoming
but actually transforming them into
something strange and terrific... it is the
power to extract mirth for millions out of
nothing and less than nothing.”
I love the quote but there is one
problematic escape loophole that many
jump through with both feet, and that
involves the word “genius.” That
certainly gives you the opportunity to say
that you are not a genius and are therefore
absolved from having to clown as he
describes. Not so fast!
Now comes another quote, this time
from American icon Thomas Edison.
“Genius is 1% inspiration and 99%
perspiration.” In The Clown Star, the
author first took the liberty of rephrasing
Edison's quote to say, “Genius is mostly
work.”
He then, took the word “genius” out
of the first quote and replaced it with
the word “work.” Finally he tightened
up the quote a little and came up with
a third quote. “The work of clowning
is transforming everyday events into
something strange and terrific... it is the
power to extract mirth for millions out of
nothing and less than nothing.”
That, fellow clowns, is the “right”
work. That should be what we always
aim our work toward. It is the ultimate
goal each and every time we dress up and
leave the house.
Regardless of what tools we pick
up in this pursuit ... magic wands,
balloons, paint brushes, juggling pins ...
it isn't enough to simply perform these
activities. The work of the clown is to
extract the mirth from them. Sometimes
it is a complex extraction, but that's part
and parcel of being the clown ... and if
anybody ever told you it was easy, they
lied!
Even if the totality of your cover
activity is simply handing out stickers,
your work is to somehow make that
activity a mirthful clowning activity, not
a distribution activity. The same applies
for ballooning and face painting.
An interesting observation I’ve made
over the years about people who strive
to do the right work, and I've met a lot of
them, is that they end up buying less and
less stuff as they realize that sometimes
stuff just gets in the way of clowning.
A final way to think about this, imagine
your value if you actually could extract
mirth for millions from nothing! Wow!
That is alchemy, only this time it's real!
May/June 2011 Page 57

Members On The Move
How did you spend April 16th? The Freestate Clowns
went to the RBBB Circus and were photographed with
the RBBB clowns. Then Patty Cake and Happy Jack,
talked about the recent performances of RBBB and
handed out RBBB coloring pages at the Knights of
Columbus Children's Easter party.
The Northland Clown Guild Alley 217
of North Kansas City, Missouri won a
$1000 prize for their float in the North
Kansas City Snake Saturday Parade!
This parade celebrates St. Patrick’s
Day and was held on March 12, 2011.
The alley participated in the parade
and then face painted for the festival
held afterwards.
Introducing the latest graduating class from Toby's Clowns! The
new clowns are: (back row l-r) Jerry “Booppa” Sherman, Richard
“Chico” Greco, Janet “Wanna-B” Borden, Beverly “Sunshine”
Gran, Lynn “Putt-Putt” Yaeger, Nancy “Lulabell” Schnur, Jane
“Twinkle” Klasing, and Pamela “Captain Windy” Peters.
(Front row l-r) Carol “C-note” Heausler, Faye “Zoee” Conley,
Daniel “Monte” Fierimonte, Linda “Peek-a-Boo” Sikos, Rudolf
“Rusty” Hoffmann. Not pictured is Barbara “Mizz Bee” Boschen.
Anyone interested in future classes given by Toby's Clowns, please
call the clown house at 863-465-2920.
Page 58
Members of Caloosa Clown Alley COAI#97 march in the St.
Patrick's Day Parade in Fort Myers Beach. Great weather and
great crowd. (L-R) Jessie, “Buttons” and Vince, “Smokey”
Titus; Kent “KA-YO” Sheets; Joe, “Buddy” and Annetta,
“Jingles” Otto.
The New Calliope Convention Issue

May/June 2011 Page 59

Look Who’s Reading The New Calliope!!
Nicholas “Dr. IckyNicky” Reed M.D. of Toby’s Clown Alley #296 enjoys the
latest New Calliope, especially reading of Toby’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dr. IckyNicky is seen here finishing the last of 40 hyperbaric oxygen treatments
for radiation side effects from prostate cancer. Pictured with the good doctor
are (l-r) Michelle Backus, RN and Heidi Graves, RN.
Betty “Sweetheart” Tolles reads The New Calliope with her Daughter and
grand children while they wait for the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. This is
a two and one half mile trip from the valley floor to the mountain station at
8,516 feet. “I wish all children could take this trip!”
The Free State Clown Alley attended a
RBBB performance in Baltimore MD.
The Alley attended the elephant walk,
elephant lunch at Lexington Market
and an awesome performance.
Front row: Hannah, Katie S., Jarrett,
Ashley, Katie H.
Second Row: Zac, Steve, Donna
Third Row: Pat, Thom, Casie,
Courtney, Stephanie, Keith, Pam
Smiley and Sparky from 4-Ever Young
Clown Alley had a great time clowning
around with Christian rock band Mercy
Me at Sedalia, MO during a meet and
greet before their phenomenal concert.
“We share God’s love through laughter
and they share it through music.” Clowns
in front: Diane “Smiley” Reynolds and
Debbie “Sparky” Hjerpe.
Tony “TJ” LaCava, reads The New
Calliope Magazine while he waits to
march in the 2011 National
Cherry Blossom Parade in
Washington DC.
Page 60
The Battenkill Joeys and some friends enjoying reading The
New Calliope at Circus Magic, Williamsburg, VA on February
26th. Teresa Gretton and Glenn Kohlberger are hanging out
with the Battenkill Joeys and their target T-shirts.
The New Calliope Convention Issue

The Battenkill Joeys hanging at the airport
waiting for their flight to Anaheim to attend the
2011 COAI Convention!
Tim “Sawdust” Laynor of Toano, Virginia, took a
couple of breaks from sight seeing at the worldfamous
Keukenhof Gardens in Amsterdam,
Holland to spend time reading his New Calliope.
From Left to right, Karen Turner, Jim Brickman,
and Harry “Cotton Boll” Turner on a recent
cruise hosted by Jim Brickman. Jim Brickman is
a romantic piano sensation and composer.
Jamye “Twinkles” Sims is found
reading her New Calliope in Puerto
Vallarta, Mexico in February 2011. She
and her husband David were visiting
there while celebrating their 36th
Wedding Anniversary.
Anne “Daff-O-Dilly”
Meyer ice climbs in
Wisconsin not too
long after joining
the COAI.
Jessie, “Buttons” and Vince, “Smokey” Titus, members of Caloosa
Clown Alley COAI#97 read the New Calliope after marching in the
St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Fort Myers Beach on March 17.
May/June 2011 Page 61

Page 62
The New Calliope Convention Issue

A Final Word from the Editor
Was Anaheim fun or
what?
Balloonatasia and
Fantasy Face Paint were a
big success. The participants
enjoyed themselves and the
general membership liked
having the power of a vote.
The classes had great
instructors and were
well attended. What a
fabulous way to grow
your clown. And many
clowns participated in the
competitions. Much could
be learned by reading the
judges comments. Again
another way to grow your
clown.
Then there was the star
studded theme party. Many
a star gazer showed up to
see the likes of the Marks
Brothers, Marilyn Monroe,
The New
CALLIOPE ADVERTISING RATES
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370 West Dearborn Street, Suite B, Englewood FL 34223
941-474-4351 • Fax 941-474-8317
editor: NewCalliopeEditor@comcast.net
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W.C. Fields, Captain Hook,
Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett,
Cruella DaVille, Snow
White, Mickey Mouse and
many more. And of course
the paparazzi were on hand
to catch these stars at their
best and in compromising
positions.
The banquet is a chance
for all the winners to
shine and they did. This
year it was also a time for
retribution. Barbara Bird got
her chance to publicly place
the egg on my face that I
so much deserved. Many
folks missed the typo on the
front cover of the January/
February 2011 issue of The
New Calliope. I misspelled
our Clown of the Year's
name. I knew that I was
going to get what I deserved,
All Alleys who have 100% COAI Membership may purchase ads at the lowest rate
available less 10%. For more details, contact Tom.
I just didn't know when or
how. Barbara kept me on
edge until the last moment. I
was relieved that the public
egging was not with real
eggs, I just hope that the
public egging was enough
satifaction for Babara ... I
mean Barbara, so that my
restitution is complete.
Barbara, thank you for being
so gracious.
Now it's time to plan
and move into International
Clown Week. Have you
begun planning your events?
In this issue you will
find a red bumper sticker
promoting Clown Week.
Enjoy.
u u u
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Any questions re:
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The New
C u A u L u L u I u O u P u E
Our Advertisers in May/June 2011 Issue!
We appreciate your support!!
Angel’s Artistic Endeavors......... 8
Balloons To You....................... 16
Bubba’s...................................... 8
C&B House of Clowns............. 54
Cherri-Oats & Company........... 10
Chris Beardsley........................ 54
Clown City Shoes....................... 8
Clown Gadget Store................... 9
Clown Supplies.......................... 8
COAI Merchandise................... 62
Costumes by Betty................... 53
Dewey's Good News Balloons. 53
Frontier Creations.................... 64
Indiana Clown Supplies........... 56
La Rock's Fun & Magic.............. 2
Laugh It Up Clownstuff............ 10
Mooseburger Originals............ 10
Specialty Insurance................. 16
T. Myers Magic.......................... 6
EVENTS
California Clown Campin........... 6
Clownfest................................. 14
Clown Jam................................. 9
COAI 2012 Convention............ 42
Kapital Klowns......................... 12
WRCA...................................... 11
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DEADLINES:
July/Aug. 2011: June 1
Sept./Oct. 2011: Aug.1
Nov./Dec. 2011: Oct.1
Jan./Feb. 2012: Dec. 1
March/April 2011: Feb 1
May/June 2011: April 1
May/June 2011 Page 63