Calliope_MayJune 2017

For Members of Clowns of America International
May / June 2017
Volume 34 • Number 3

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
DIRECTORS
President
Michael B. Cox
9415 Alameda Ave
Richmond, VA 23294
804-270-1165 (H)
804-337-6143 (C)
coai.president.mike@gmail.com
Vice President
Julie Varholdt
4601 S Kachina Drive
Tempe, AZ 85282
480-838-7781
juliecoaivp@cox.net
Secretary
Dan Langwell
54990 Ehman Lane
Mishawaka, IN 46545
574-904-9643
laughingstockpro@yahoo.com
Treasurer
Sandra Winstead
11801 Riverpark Way
Chesterfield, VA 23838
804-350-3687
strawberry.red1@yahoo.com
Alley
Region Support
Judy Quest
715 North 36th Street
Omaha, NE 68131-1906
402-551-4185
dearheart@cox.net
Conventions
Jim Caffrey
PO Box 833
Colona, IL 61241
309-314-6026
jclownus@yahoo.com
Education
Jim Dixon
5323 East Murdock
Wichita, KS 67208
316-871-6705
jdixon2482@gmail.com
Junior Joeys
Regina Wollrabe
Post Office Box 40
Gresham, OR 97030
503-807-2584
coaijrjoeys@gmail.com
Your
Membership
Teresa Gretton
3411 Lisa Circle
Waldorf, MD 20601
301-843-8212
tgretton@comcast.net
REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS
Northeast
Bill Le Blanc
2 Dee Jay Road
East Bridgewater, MA 02333
508-378-1545
bildabbles@aol.com
North Central
Curt Patty
9335 Berry Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63144
314-496-7824
curt-patty@yahoo.com
Northwest
Alyse Axford
116-A Sudden Valley Drive
Bellingham, WA 98229-7751
360-647-9229
sales@zigzag-ragz.com
Mideast
Jessica King
405 West 24th Street
Huntington, WV 25704
304-542-6046
mideastjess@yahoo.com
Midwest
Georgia Morris
4234 Woodworth
Holt, MI 48842
517-694-7100
clownshananigans@comcast.net
South Central
Matthew Spraggins
1668 Chesterwood Drive
Rockwell, TX 75032
972-746-8455
spectatorart@hotmail.com
Southeast
Dianna Hale
1013 Way Thru The Woods
Decatur, AL 35603
256-309-1153
dhale5@att.net
Southwest
Lisa Ponce de Leon Terai
710 Lukepane Avenue, #101
Honolulu, HI 96816
808-271-4190
lolly4upaint@gmail.com
Officers
Canada
Dale McKenzie
867 Raynard Crescent SE
Calgary, AB T2A 1X6
403-273-9047 (H)
403-606-7750 (C)
funehappenings@shaw.ca
Latin Countries
Angel Morales
24 RR5 Jardines de
Caparra, Bayamon,
PR 00959
787-565-3205
jobolin2008@aol.com
International
Ted White
20 Maple Court
Yandina, QLD 4561
Australia
+61-7-5472-8018
twaddles2014@hotmail.com
STANDING COMMITTEES
Audio Visual: Merilyn Barrett, 407-844-2862 • klownkop@prodigy.net.
Awards Advisory Council (AAC): Teresa Gretton (Chair), 301-843-8212 •
gretton@verizon.net. Bob Gretton, Angel Ocasio, Walt Lee, Keith Stokes,
Mike Cox
Budget: Mike Cox, 804-270-1165 • coai.president.mike@gmail.com
Bylaws and Rules: Julie Varholdt (Chair), 480-838-7781 • juliecoaivp@cox.net.
Cleon Babcock, Ted White, Glenn Kohlberger, Jeanne Wosaka
Clown Week: Carrie Ray, 214-577-6002 • shimmygiggles2011@yahoo.com
Competition: Cathy Mackey (Co-Chair), 518-784-2127 • ctots@aol.com.
Bill Le Blanc (Co-Chair), Walt Lee, Shirley Lee, John Kral, Paula Le Blanc,
Bob Gretton, Ann Sanders
Ethics and Grievance: Paul Kleinberger (Chair), 518-489-2680 •
fuddiduddy@aol.com. Glenn Kohlberger, Jeanne Woska
Finance: Mike Cox 804-270-1165 • coai.president.mike@gmail.com
Good Cheer: Fred Schlosshauer, 973-887-2617 • oscarboj@aol.com
Historians: Walt Lee, 410-551-7830 • wally788@verizon.net,
Teresa Gretton, 301-843-8212 • tgretton@comcast.net
International Ambassador Program: Bob Gretton, 301-843-8212 •
bunkytclown@comcast.net
Junior Joeys: Regina Wollrabe (Chair), 503-807-2584 • coaijrjoeys@gmail.
com. Trudi Sang, Maria Shafer, Caitrina Monaco, Bob and Teresa Gretton, Dawn
Pearson
Membership: Teresa Gretton (Chair), 301-843-8212 • gretton@verizon.net.
Glenn Kohlberger, Bob Gretton
Parliamentary Procedure Advisor: Cleon Babcock, 515-266-6530 •
ccbabcock@aol.com
Public Relations: Bonnie Love, 619-282-9668 • bonbonsandiego@yahoo.com
Scholarship: Jim Dixon (Chair), 316-871-6705 • jdixon2482@gmail.com.
Lulu Mire, Judy Quest
2 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

May / June 2017
Volume 34 • Number 3
Published by
Clowns of America International
The mission of Clowns of America
International is to organize all members
desiring to pursue the honorable
profession or art of clowning and the
dedication toward its advancement and
the education of its members.
COAI Business Office
Post Office Box 122
Eustis, Florida 32727
Telephone:
1-877-816-6941(toll-free)
1-352-357-1676
Hours: Monday–Friday
9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (EST)
E-mail: coaioffice@aol.com
Website: www.coai.org
Magazine Production
SPS Publications, Inc.
Editorial Assistant
Rachel Strnad
Graphic Design
Jessica Friend
Bryan Conroy
Creative Consultant
Regina “Cha Cha” Wollrabe
Publication Deadlines
September/October 2017—August 1
November/December 2017—October 1
January/February 2018—December 1
March/April 2018—February 1
May/June 2018—April 1
July/August 2018—June 1
Send ads and articles to
thenewcalliope@gmail.com.
The New Calliope (ISSN 1072-1045)
is published bi-monthly (January/
February, March/April, May/June,
July/August, September/October,
November/December) by COAI, 800
South Ave., Eustis, Florida 32726.
Periodicals Postage Paid at Eustis,
Florida, and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes
to: The New Calliope, COAI Business
Office Manager • Post Office Box 122,
Eustis, Florida 32727.
The New Calliope articles are protected
by U.S. copyright and international
treaties and may not be copied without
the express permission of Clowns of
America International, which reserves
all rights. Re-use of any of The New
Calliope editorial content and graphics
online, in print, or any other medium for
any purpose is strictly prohibited.
© 2017 COAI
Clowns of America International, Inc.
Cover Photo By Sears Photography,
Colonie, New York
Cover design: Régis Sudo
OUR COVER
4 Lifetime Achievement Award: Paul “Fuddi-Duddy”
Kleinberger Rachel Strnad
HOW-TO
42 How About Chalk Talk? Rachel Strnad
47 How to Pick a Nose Tim “Sawdust” Laynor
54 Calla Lilly Patricia “Pockets” Bunnell
INSPIRATION AND HUMOR
12 Alley Profile: Magic Town Clowns Clydene Dyer
14 Five Reasons New Clowns Should Be in Parades
Tricia “Pricilla Mooseburger” Manuel
50 Junior Joeys Regina “Cha Cha” Wollrabe
OFFICIAL BUSINESS
8 From the President Mike “Bonkers” Cox
8 Vice President’s Report Julie “Lovely Buttons” Varholdt
9 What Is the CHARLIE Award? Carrie Ray
11 From the Membership Director Teresa “Blondi” Gretton
48 Alley Happenings Judy “Dearheart” Quest
NEWS
10 Marie Beck Membership Incentive Program
Teresa “Blondi” Gretton
16 Annual COAI Competition Awards
47 Clown Calendar
52 COAI Perks Jessica “Gabby” King
53 The Last Walk-Around
MISCELLANEOUS
2 Officers, Directors, and Committees
15 Our Good Cheer List
49 COAI Registration and Renewal Form
55 Membership Gifters
55 Welcome, New Members
14
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 3
4
16
42
54

OUR COVER
By Rachel Strnad
Clowns of America International is proud to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Paul “Fuddi-
Duddy” Kleinberger. Paul has served several clown organizations in roles from teacher to president,
including two terms as COAI Vice President and one term as President. He continues to serve COAI
as head of the Ethics and Grievance Committee. In addition, he is the current president of Clowns on
Rounds, Inc., and works with the Shrine Clowns, Red Nose Response, and the Electric City Clown Alley.
His awards include the Shorty Award,
Master of Laughter, and five Alley
CHARLIE awards with the Electric
City Clowns. He was named the 2004
Business Person of the Year by the
Business Advisory Council, and has
been included in Who’s Who in American
Business. Yet, he still seems surprised to
receive this award. “Can you believe it?”
he said, “You hang around long enough
and they do stuff like that!” Yes, they do!
Paul was nominated by Barbara “Sparky”
Bird, and his Lifetime Achievement
Award was approved by the Awards
Advisory Council.
Like many clowns, Paul did not start
out in the funny business. He was a
music geek through high school, college,
and his service in the Air Force, playing
drums, the baritone horn, and singing
in various choirs. By a strange coincidence,
his first exposure to clowning was
in the Air Force. While working in the
Plans and Programs office at Fairchild
Air Force Base in Washington State,
his office mate, Steve Miner, invited
him to the Shriner Children’s Hospital
in Spokane. “I went up, looked around,
and didn’t see him anywhere. So I asked
a couple guys in the funny hats Shriners
wear if they knew Steve. They pointed
out a group of clowns. One of them
came over and said, ‘Hi, Paul. How are
you?’” It was Steve, in full clown costume
and makeup, and obviously having a
grand time. He took Paul on a tour of
the hospital, and introduced him to the
kids they were entertaining, as well as
his fellow clowns. Though this visit inspired
Paul to become a member of the
Shriners, he still kept to the music side
of things, playing in a jazz and concert
band at that same hospital every Sunday,
and in various musical groups wherever
he was stationed. He often performed
alongside Shriner clowns.
But the clowns wouldn’t leave him
alone. His girlfriend, Miriam, “Senorita
Soto,” dabbled in clowning for a number
of years and always wanted to formalize
her education. Finally, Paul and Miriam’s
daughter bought Miriam a clown class
at the Schenectady County Community
College for her birthday. “We got tired of
the ‘I want to’s,’” said Paul. “So we stood
in line with her at the college registration
and made a big deal: ‘This woman wants
to be a clown. Sign her up!’” She graduated
in 1994 and proceeded to drag Paul
to several different conventions around
the area. He succumbed, enrolled in
the same college, and attended his first
clown class in 1995.
Bill “Snappy” Hart, the 1999 Clown of
the Year, was Paul’s instructor, and largely
influential in Paul’s COAI membership.
“Bill presented COAI membership in a
manner that wasn’t optional. ‘You will fill
4 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

out this form. You will write this check,
and we’ll get back to you.’” Paul joined
about the time he graduated in 1996 as
Fuddi-Duddy the Clown.
While Fuddi-Duddy was not the first
name Paul considered, it ended up being
the most appropriate, though he credits
its inspiration partially to his grandson
and partially to Bill Hart.
During clown classes, Bill probed
his students to consider why they were
pursuing clowning. Paul shared his frustration
with his job as a corporate salesman.
“I knew I needed to do something,
and this clowning around might be the
ticket.” To escape some of the stress, he’d
gone to Ohio recently to visit his daughter’s
family. One day, after he’d gotten
up from playing with his three-year-old
grandson, the boy complained, “You’re
an old fuddy-duddy!” His mother was
shocked he even knew the word, much
less its proper use.
Bill said, “That’s a really good name
for a clown. You should think about that,
and as you do, you’ll find there’s a whole
lot more to this clown thing than you
think there is.”
Paul took his advice, and Fuddi-
Duddy came into being. “As I got more
into the character development, he became
part of who I was then and who I
am today.”
In 1998, Fuddi-Duddy and Senorita
Soto finally tied the knot. They decided
to have the ceremony at Howe’s Cavern,
a natural cave formation that was a popular
local tourist attraction. “You start
down that low, one hundred and fifty
feet below the surface, and there’s nowhere
to go but up,” Paul said. Then, five
weeks into the planning, Miriam suggested
it would be neat if they got married
in clown and told all their friends
to come in as colorful a costume as they
wanted. They would have no shortage
of clown guests. “By that time, we had
both attended several regional conventions
in the northeast and beyond. We
had a pretty good feeling for the clown
community and the clown community
had a pretty good feel for us.” Once the
word got out, some of their non-clown
friends started asking if they could come
in clown as well. In the end, the happy
couple hosted over fifty clowns, as well
as the other attendees, far more than
they’d expected; several other clowning
events in the area had been rained out.
Thus, many clowns who hadn’t been
planning on coming showed up in costume
for the party. The clown wedding
made local, regional, and national news.
Paul and Miriam still have a full-length
bridal portrait to commemorate the day.
Not only did the dynamic duo attract
news attention with their own antics,
they became especially good at getting
their fellow clowns in on the action. In
1994, they helped Bill Hart form the
Electric City Clown Alley #285, which
first met in Bill’s home. “Bill has this
ability to surround himself with really
enthusiastic people,” said Paul, “and my
wife and I were a couple of those people.”
Paul served as an Alley officer for a
number of years. Now, twenty years after
its inception, it is still a vibrant organization
in New York’s Capital Region, registering
sixty-five members at its largest,
and garnering five CHARLIE Awards
to date.
“We didn’t set out to win the award
originally,” said Paul. After their first
Clown Week, the Alley stepped back
and looked at the event strategically. This
was supposed to be a seven-day celebration
of the performing art of clowning,
so why not have an event at a different
location every day? All the members invited
their friends and family out to join
the party, and the event took on a life of
its own. Yet again, the New York clowns
made the news. “Once we won the
CHARLIE Award, the thinking was we
should probably try to outdo ourselves
because that’s what clowns do. They want
to make it bigger and brassier.” So, year
after year, the Electric City outdid themselves
until the event became so large it
was almost unmanageable. They needed
their own Chair of Clown Week to make
everything happen. By their fifth award,
they had gotten to the point where they
couldn’t outdo themselves any more.
This put no damper on their enthusiasm;
they just redirected it into
Fuddi-Duddy entertains at a children’s birthday party.
conventions. Shortly after Paul joined
COAI, he was asked to join the
Northeast Clown Council to help administer
and host the next regional
clown convention. In 1999, the Electric
City Clowns hosted the Northeast
Clown Convention in Albany. In typical
Electric City fashion, they didn’t hesitate
to go big, and looked for unique opportunities
for their prospective guests. As
luck would have it, the New York Giants
were holding their training camp at the
University of New York, across the street
from where the convention was going to
be held. The Alley reached out to them.
“They weren’t that thrilled with having
over two hundred clowns invade their
training camp,” Paul remembered, “but
we did work a few of our clowns in with
some charitable events the Giants were
conducting.” Guests have since looked
back on that convention as the best convention
they’d attended in the northeast,
with the most opportunities not only
Paul Kleinberger as Dr. Jest Kidding.
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 5

THOUGHTS ABOUT Paul “Fuddi-Duddy” Kleinberger
Paul “Fuddi-Duddy” Kleinberger is a clown who has won clowning performance awards, has shown remarkable leadership in every clown
organization he has been a member of, and who shares his love of the art as a teacher. More than that, he is the kind of person who looks for the
best in everyone and sends many notes of congratulations, issues awards for their accomplishments, and communicates all of this with joy. You
just feel better about yourself when Paul celebrates you. He truly is a caring clown. He is most frequently seen with a balloon pump, twisting hats,
tickle swords, and all description of animals. As a performer, his clown show is memorable, energetic, engaging, and adaptable for all occasions
and all ages.
Paul likes to start each new class on clown performance skills with the question, “What is a clown?” The answer is, “Someone who touches a
person on the outside to make them feel good about themselves on the inside.” That is a description of Paul “Fuddi-Duddy” Kleinberger.
–Barbara “Sparky” Bird
Merriam-Webster defines achievement as something that has been done or achieved through effort and hard work, typically by courage or skill.
Paul has accomplished much as a clown, but mostly as a member of COAI. He founded three COAI Alleys, and is an active member in each.
He has trained many people in the art of clowning. During his time as both COAI executive vice president and president, he brought us in line
to be a business, seeking out other professionals such as accountants and lawyers to get their opinion on what would be best for the organization.
Because of these efforts, COAI joined many business organizations to help further this initiative. With all of Paul’s accomplishments, I feel he
has more than fulfilled the definition of achievement and the COAI requirements to qualify for this honor.
–Pat Roeser
Paul has given of his time and energy to perpetuate the art of clowning from the first time he applied his grease paint. He has exhibited
leadership by serving COAI as marketing consultant before being elected to the board, as vice president, president, and in many more leadership
roles. He fulfilled all these duties while organizing one of the best COAI conventions and developing an educational opportunity for new
clowns through the Fuddi Duddy Institute, as well as performing regularly. Paul’s work ethic is above and beyond most. He is a complete night
owl who does his best research from dusk to dawn. I never did figure out when he slept. His devotion to the art of clowning has been a lifetime
commitment.
–Cheri “Cherri-Oats” Venturi
Lifetime Achievement awards are given by COAI to recognize contributions over the whole of a career. I have known Paul since the 1990s.
We first meet at a regional convention in Hartford, Connecticut, when he became a member of the Northeast Clown Convention Committee.
When writing a letter of recommendation for this award for a clown, we really only know what we are told about or see. We are not privy to all
the clown does in his personal life. I am basing my letter of recommendation on what Paul has done for COAI. I am basing this recommendation
on facts: Paul was and is an asset to COAI, both as vice president and president, and continues to actively promote COAI and its conventions.
–Jeanne “Freckles” Woska
to attend classes but to participate in a
unique entertainment.
With the success of the Northeast
Convention, the Northeast Clown
Council put their heads together and
said, “If we can do this, we could host the
international convention.” Subsequently,
the Electric City Clowns were selected
to host the 2002 convention, and again,
they outdid themselves. In order to provide
a completely unique experience,
they enlisted the help of a production
manager who was involved with circus
performance. Luck smiled on them
again, for there were some labor controversies
in the circus world at the time.
Several acts had turned down contracts,
hoping for greater pay, but were more
than happy to perform in a five-day slot
at an easily accessible location. Thus, the
2002 COAI Convention was not only a
convention, it was a circus spectacular.
6 The New Calliope • May/June 2017
“Everyone had an awful lot of fun doing
something that hadn’t been done with
COAI before.”
Paul isn’t just known for hosting great
parties, however. His clown career has
been marked by a strong desire for an efficient,
effective business structure on the
one hand, and a true heart for the overlooked
individual on the other. In the
early 2000s, Cheri “Cherry Oats” Venturi
invited Paul to join the COAI Bylaws
Committee. Paul agreed and served for
four years. Later, he served as chairman
of the Marketing Committee. At the
time, COAI was in its adolescence, still
figuring out who they were and what
they were trying to accomplish. “I was
surprised,” said Paul. “Even though we
had six thousand members, the leadership
still had a club orientation to everything.”
Paul began his mission to help
bring COAI into full, non-profit status,
first in the Bylaws Committee, then in
the role of Vice President and President.
“As we shifted away from a club mentality
toward the actuality of what the organization
was, lots of difficulties fell away.
We were a non-profit organization operating
within the bounds laid out by the
state of Minnesota. As such, there were
resources and benefits yet to be tapped.”
Paul didn’t stop helping the organization
grow once he stepped down as president.
His successor, Tom King, had visions
for the International Ambassador
Program, and invited Paul to take on
the chairmanship. Under his direction,
the program grew from eight to
over one hundred ambassadors. “There
were some people already traveling the
world who could serve if they only knew
about the program.” While Paul himself
never went overseas, his location, two
hours from the Canadian border, made

Paul Kleinberger.
him ideally suited to reach out to fellow
clowns in Quebec. The New York
clowns established connections with
both the Karnak Shriner Clowns, and
started a couple more Alleys in that area.
Montreal hosts the largest and oldest St.
Patrick’s Day parade in North America,
and the clowns joyfully participated for
many years. “Nobody parties like the
Irish, and nobody celebrates St. Patrick’s
Day like the French-Canadians,” said
Paul. In 2016, three quarters of a million
people lined the streets of Montreal.
“They’re always out, no matter what
the temperature. Sometimes it’s thirty
below zero, sometimes it’s fifty degrees.”
The Quebec clowns still get together
with the New York Alleys from time to
time, though Paul hasn’t been up there
much since he stepped down from the
Ambassador Program. He is glad he did
it, though. “I had much more fun with it
than I ever thought I would.”
Paul’s work with COAI also brought
him in contact with Jeremy Cohen, a
Shrine clown and CNN executive based
in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2005, Jeremy
watched from the CNN headquarters
as Katrina swept across Florida and
camped out in the Gulf of Mexico, swelling
bigger and bigger as she headed for
the southern coastline. At first, he only
saw the potential for a good story. Then
the hurricane devastated New Orleans,
tearing people from their homes, and
sometimes tearing families apart. In the
aftermath, Jeremy was struck by the fact
that there was a lot of emotional support
for everyone except the kids, and reached
out to the greater clown community
in hopes of filling that void. Paul was
COAI Executive Vice President at the
time, and met with Jeremy in Georgia
to form what later became known as
Red Nose Response. “Nobody expected
this charitable effort to do much more
beyond Katrina and Rita,” he said. But
eleven years later, they are still a force to
be reckoned with across America. In the
aftermath of natural disasters and mass
tragedies like the Newton, Connecticut,
and Oregon shootings, they are some of
the first on the scene.
Paul has also been active in his local
community, founding the Battenkill
Joeys #406 and working with New York’s
Clowns on Rounds. Paul confesses he
was a little hesitant when the director of
Battenkill Community Services, an organization
for adults with special needs
in upstate New York, asked him to come
teach clowning classes. “I hadn’t worked
with people with special needs before.”
However, he was willing to come, and
his performance was well received. A
week later, he gave a trial class to see how
the residents would take to the material.
Things went off without a hitch. That was
the beginning of the Battenkill Joeys. “It
was a lot of fun, and definitely a learning
experience.” As a COAI Alley,
the Joeys had the opportunity to
both attend and participate in
the organization’s events and
competitions. Some members
came away with first
and second prizes. Though
the Alley was eventually disbanded
due to the Battenkill
Community leadership taking
their programs in another direction,
many of Paul’s students still
perform four to five times a year in
area parades, community theaters,
and clowning ministries. Some
even make it down to the Electric
City Alley meetings.
Paul also serves as a hospital
clown, Dr. Jest Kidding, at
Albany Medical Center. “I can
walk the halls there in full
clown costume, including
shoes,
and no one pays
attention to me.
And that’s a good thing. It means they’re
used to us and support what we’re doing.”
Albany Med is also attached to a medical
college, and many of the students
have shadowed the hospital clowns to
gain a better understanding of humor
therapy and its benefits. Paul’s formal
work with hospitals began shortly after
the 1999 Northeast Convention. Clowns
on Rounds, then in its eighth year, were
looking for more clown-oriented board
members, and asked him to participate.
After serving as director, he became their
treasurer and then their head of public
relations for several years. In 2015, the organization’s
president died suddenly, and
they asked him to step in as interim president.
He was elected to the office in 2016.
At the end of 2016, Miriam retired
from clowning and Paul, considering
retirement, took their business, Smiles
Unlimited, to part-time status in order to
spend more time with his grandchildren
and pursue broader interests.
After so eventful and prestigious
a career, it is still the
little things that bring him
the most joy. His favorite
is to sit or stand in costume
with a bunch
of four- and
five-yearolds
while
they’re
waiting
for an entertainment
and listen to
the accusations. “I
get all excited about
the clown who’s supposed
to be coming, and
they look at me funny
and say, ‘Wait, you’re
the clown!’ It works with
big kids, too.” He claims
he’s addicted to laughter.
“One laugh is not enough;
I have to have more. I love
bringing an audience to the
zenith of humor, where everyone
is rolling on the floor,
laughing.”
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 7

OFFICIAL BUSINESS
From the President
Mike “Bonkers” Cox
First of all, I want to congratulate the three 2017 COAI Lifetime Achievement
Award winners. Last issue, we introduced Brenda Marshall. In this issue, you will
see Paul Kleinberger. In the July/August issue of The New Calliope, we will feature
Glenn Kohlberger. Each awardee has been a Past President of COAI, and each has a
lifetime of various achievements for COAI and clowning. Congratulations to all three!
The COAI Board approved a new membership incentive program that will be called
the Marie Beck Membership Incentive Program. Marie “Mischief ” Beck reached out
to the board with an idea that has now taken off. She wanted COAI memberships
to be given to members of clown classes, since she was including the cost of COAI
membership in her clown class registration. COAI membership is included in class
registration for a lot of clown classes. The board, with Marie’s assistance, has come up
with an idea to cut back class registration costs, thereby increasing clown class attendance.
Please read the proposal within this issue. Thank you, Marie, for presenting this
idea. We welcome all membership ideas, so keep those wheels turning!
I hope those who attended the convention in Kansas City had a great time! For 2018,
the COAI Convention is being held April 3–8 in Richmond, Virginia, and hosted by
The Vice President’s Report
Julie “Lovely Buttons” Varholdt
I
’ll try to keep this short and sweet this month (said with a big grin!). What a whirlwind
of a month this has been! Our annual convention was a blast, and our hosting
Alley, Northland Clown Guild Alley 217 did a fantastic job. Their Alley members are
so nice, accommodating, and sweet. I wish all Alleys could get along as well as they do.
So, hats off to them!
Start saving your clown pennies for our 2018 convention, which will be held in
Virginia, and hosted by COAI’s oldest Alley, Virginia Alley #3. Information for this
convention will be on the website and in our amazing magazine.
Everything is running smoothly now on our board. The COAI Board meets online
every month, and you would be amazed how much we get done. If you would like to
be a COAI Board member, e-mail me, and I’ll try to steer you in the right direction.
It’s always good to have new blood and new ideas to help an organization keep up to
date and run more smoothly.
You, as a member are our organization’s life blood. Without you, we would not exist.
Please take the time to give a membership, or encourage all your clown friends and
Alley members to join COAI. I have a dream to reach six thousand members again
soon. When this happens, you will hear me shout all the way around the globe. This
cannot happen without you.
I must give a huge standing ovation to Richard “Design O” Smith. He has given
over sixty memberships to COAI. His heart is huge and his love for our organization
Virginia Alley #3. We still need an alley,
or several alleys together, to host the
2019 COAI Convention. If your alley
is interested, please contact Jim Caffrey,
COAI Director of Conventions.
Please congratulate and welcome
Sandra “Strawberry” Winstead as the
new COAI Treasurer. Sandra was appointed
and accepted by the board to
fill the position of treasurer until June
30, 2018. I also want to thank Paddee
Embrey for all the work she did as treasurer.
Also, a big thank you to Mary
Anne Ross for assisting Paddee and for
helping us during the interim till a replacement
treasurer could be found.
As always, please keep them smiling
and have fun doing it! Share your
knowledge with others. Let’s all be the
best clown we can be!
And thank you for being a proud member
of Clowns of America International!
TNC
is endless. So, thank you, Richard, from
the bottom of my clown heart to the tip
of my clown shoes! He was also presented
with the President’s Award this year
at the banquet, and his speech had all of
us in tears.
One last thing. If you know of someone
who is an international entertainer
and has not been a COAI member for at
least four years, that person may be eligible
to receive a Membership Scholarship.
This is a one-year membership to COAI
with an online magazine, access to the
website, a membership card, and voting
rights. This information is available
through our Education Director
Jim Dixon or on our website under the
Membership column. COAI is now truly
an International Organization. Woohoo!
Always remember, if you need anything,
I’m here for you. Also, don’t hesitate
to contact any of our other board
members. We are here for you, and you
make this organization what it is. Bump
a nose! TNC
juliecoaivp@cox.net • 480-838-7781 (MST)
8 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

OFFICIAL BUSINESS
What is the CHARLIE Award?
By Carrie Ray
International Clown Week Chairperson
The CHARLIE (Clowns Have a Real Love in Everyone) Award trophy is given
to the COAI Clown Alley that best documents and celebrates National Clown
Week, which runs from August 1 through 7. The CHARLIE Award was adopted by
Clowns of America in 1974 before the creation of Clowns of America International,
and was offered to the Alley that did the best job observing National Clown Week. In
1999, the COAI Board approved the creation of another award for individual members.
The Individual Award is given to a member of COAI who best documents and
celebrates Clown Week on an individual basis.
What do clowns and clown groups do to celebrate Clown Week? Celebrations take
on a variety of forms, such as putting on shows in malls, child care centers, hospitals,
and nursing homes. They can be educational events about clowning, fund raisers for
numerous charitable causes, or clown appearances in parades and grand openings,
greeting people on the street, visiting kids at the hospital, and appearances at other
places.
How many clowns celebrate Clown Week? The answer is a lot. There are more than
ten thousand clowns in different groups around the world, and there are more who
do not belong to a clown group. So, our guess is there are more than twenty thousand
clowns worldwide. We think they all celebrate Clown Week in one way or
another. If you’re interested in applying for the CHARLIE Award,
go to www.coai.org/awards, click on CHARLIE Award, and read
the application criteria.
Last year, we had a few Alleys and individuals participate in
the CHARLIE Award, but our goal for this year is
to get even more. Now is the time to start planning,
scheduling, and assigning tasks to make
sure you meet all the requirements for the
CHARLIE Award. If you put together a project
team and delegate, it will make the process
so much smoother for everyone participating. As
they say, “One team with one Vision.”
Below are the areas we score each participant for
the CHARLIE Award.
Proclamation: The more proclamations submitted
for the Alley Award, the higher your score will
be. Below is a sample of one type of proclamation,
with suggested wording to help get many more. If
someone does the work for the official (governor,
mayor, city councilman), the chances are
much higher that a proclamation will be
issued. The officials are very busy, and
proclamations are not one of their highest
priorities. Start the process as soon
as possible to give them as much time
as possible.
SAMPLE PROCLAMATION
National Clown Week:
August 1–7, 20XX Proclamation
To: Name of official
From: _____________ (Use your formal
name or clown name) would like
to request a proclamation for National
Clown Week. Please send the proclamation
to: __your address____.
Possible wording on the proclamation
might be:
“Whereas clowns have long been
known as ambassadors of joy and good
will, and bring happiness to both children
and adults…”
Newspaper Articles and Press
Releases: When promoting International
Clown Week and your scheduled events, it’s
very important that you reach out to TV stations, radio
stations, social media sites, and newspapers to help promote
International Clown Week. I would also recommend
making flyers and signage for all your events to
help promote Clown Week.
When scheduling your events, let your clients know
you are applying for an award and one of the requirements
is to get letters of recommendation. Tell them
you would greatly appreciated it if they could write you
such a letter after the event is completed successfully.
The more you promote and get positive feedback, the
Continued on page 46
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 9

OFFICIAL BUSINESS
Announcing…The
Marie Beck Membership
Incentive Program
Teresa “Blondi” Gretton
The COAI Board is very excited to present a new membership incentive for
newly graduated clowns, which Marie “Mischief ” Beck submitted last fall. The
Membership Committee went to work to create and implement the COAI Marie
Beck Membership Incentive Program (MBMIP).
Marie has taught clowning for many years, and has always included COAI dues in
the class fees to give her students a great start to their clowning through Clowns of
America International. She thought that if COAI could offer an incentive towards
membership to those who have graduated from clown classes, it would bring in more
students and benefit both graduates and COAI’s membership.
This two-year pilot program offers a six-month electronic membership in COAI,
and is retroactive to January 1, 2017. The program will be offered to any graduate who
is not a COAI member and who attends classes and graduates from their structured
program. Their instructor will submit a list of those students to both the Business
Manager and the Membership Director. Since this offer is electronically based, the
graduate will receive an online membership for six-months, along with three e-magazine
issues of The New Calliope delivered by e-mail. They will also receive informative
Marie Beck.
e-mail letters and clown tips that will
encourage their clowning and hopefully
help guide them into a full membership.
Any clown school, alley, college, or
individual instructor may contact me
for further information. If you wish to
submit your list of graduates, please
send names (first, clown, last), legible
e-mail addresses, mailing addresses, and
phone numbers, plus your contact information,
including your name as the
instructor. E-mail to Business Manager
Laurel Smith at coaioffice@aol.com, and
Membership Director Teresa Gretton at
tgretton@comcast.net. TNC
In addition to recognition for winners of the 2017 COAI Competitions, other special
awards were presented during the Annual Banquet on Saturday, April 29.
President Mike Cox presented a Presidential Award to Richard Smith for his contributions
to COAI.
Brenda “Flower” Marshall and Glenn “Clyde D. Scope” Kohlberger received
plaques for the Lifetime Achievement Award. Paul “Fuddi-Duddy” Kleinberger’s
Lifetime Achievement Award was received by Barbara Bird on his behalf.
Crissy “Miz Daisy” Melnitzke was honored as the 2017 Clown of the Year.
The convention’s Best in Clown Award went to Matthew Spraggins of Rockwell,
Texas.
Individual CHARLIE Awards for Clown Week 2016 went to Robin Bryan and
Greg Klabunde. The Alley CHARLIE Award went to San Diego All Star Clowns,
COAI Alley #56.
Julie “Lovely Buttons” Varholdt won the Editor’s Choice Award for her contributions
of how-to and inspirational articles to The New Calliope.
10 The New Calliope • May/June 2017
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS AT ANNUAL BANQUET
COAI Alley #147 (Omaha Wild
Clown-dum) won the 2017 Best of
Press Award for their outstanding alley
publication edited by Susie “Sparkles”
Dorland.
Photographer Merilyn Barrett was
recognized for her tireless efforts in documenting
the convention.
The Ring of Honor—COAI’s posthumous
award for those who have contributed
to the advancement of the organization
and to clowning—was awarded
to Bob “Rags” Stanek.
Photos and additional convention
coverage will appear in the July/August
issue.

OFFICIAL BUSINESS
Once again, congratulations to all
three 2017 Lifetime Achievement
recipients: Brenda “Flower” Marshall, Paul
“Fuddi-Duddy” Kleinberger, and Glenn
“Clyde D. Scope” Kohlberger. All three
are COAI past presidents who have served
their years admirably. Each one will grace
the cover of The New Calliope with a feature
story—Brenda in March/April, Paul
in this issue, and Glenn in July/August.
Please read and learn about each of them,
as they left a thumbprint on the history of
COAI.
The board is very excited about the
newly created two-year pilot program,
the Marie Beck Membership Incentive
Program. There is a separate article in this
issue telling all about it. Take time to read
it. Instructors should not let this go by.
Let me know if you have any questions
at tgretton@comcast.net. It’s beneficial for
newly graduated clowns and COAI, so
please get the word out there. I especially
thank Marie “Mischief ” Beck for her great
idea, and I also thank my hard-working
Membership Committee for implementing
it.
A very good friend and COAI member
passed away on March 5. Frank
“Kelly” Kelly was the very first chairman
of National Clown Week in 1966, when
the president of Clown Club of America
(CCA) appointed him. Because of Kelly’s
efforts and those of numerous other clowns
at the time, Public Law 91-443 under the
91st Congress, JJR 26 was passed by both
the House and Senate on October 8, 1970,
and sent to President Richard Nixon for
his signature. The President signed the bill
on August 2, 1971, securing a Presidential
Proclamation naming August 1–7 as
National Clown Week. Frank received
membership number 16 when he joined
Clowns of America. He was so proud of
his number. Until his passing, he was the
longest-living member.
From the Membership Director
Teresa “Blondi” Gretton
I shared many wonderful conversations
with him, and learned more about
the history of Clown Week. He believed
in the proclamations, and felt they were
the written affirmations from the community
at large. In the early 2000s, I
was elated to hear that he would once
again take on the task of International
Clown Week for COAI. By this time,
the week had been renamed by COAI
as International Clown Week. It was
special for our organization to know that
the original chairman was at the helm
again. He continued to be available to
answer questions even after he stepped
down. My husband and I will always be
honored in knowing Frank Kelly. Rest in
peace, my friend!
Remember to check on your renewal
time for membership. Sometimes, it
can catch up to you. If you put a circle
around your renewal time on your calendar,
it will help remind you to renew.
Continue gifting memberships because
it’s working. Give someone a smile
this week; help them by renewing or
re-establishing their membership. TNC
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 11

INSPIRATION AND HUMOR
COAI ALLEY PROFILE
Magic Town Clown Alley #263
By Clydene Dyer
The COAI Magic Town Clown Alley #263 was founded in 1994. One of the
founding members was Diana “Li’l Smidgen” Hale, the current Southeast
Regional Vice President. Throughout the year, we teach skills such as balloon twisting,
magic, face painting, and walk-around tricks at our monthly meetings. With the support
of our local children’s hospital, we have been able to host instructors such as Arla
Albers, Brenda Marshall, David Bartlett, Tom King, Aurora Krauss, and many others
over the past sixteen years. Duane Laflin once gave us a presentation in conjunction
with a local magician’s club. Magic Town Clown Alley members also make up the staff
of the local clown school, which was founded by two alley members in 2002, and originally
met in downtown Birmingham. By invitation, we later moved to a local hospital.
The school’s staff has trained and graduated over two hundred and fifty students from
Alabama and Georgia. The school’s last class was held in early 2016.
The Alley currently has forty members, and we have participated in some unique
experiences over the years. We provided children’s entertainment for a wedding, and
once for a hospital chaplain’s ordination service. Several members clown on a weekly
basis at Children’s of Alabama, our local children’s hospital, and other hospitals in the
area such as UAB Medicine and the VA Hospital and Clinic. We love clowning at the
hospital, and it’s afforded some opportunities to bring joy in times of great sorrow. We
have performed magic over the bed of a child whose family knew they were observing
his last birthday on earth. Both in and out of clown, we’ve attended the funerals of
several children we had come to love while clowning at the hospital. At the viewing
of several fellow joeys, we painted red hearts on our cheeks and sang silly songs as we
gathered to pay our respects. We’ve been asked to visit the mother and siblings of a
tiny baby who was about to be taken off life support, and attended a special welcomehome-from-the-hospital
celebration for a child severely injured from fallen power
lines.
MeMo the Clown does a monthly birthday celebration for the veterans who live
at the Robert Howard Home for Veterans. We also enjoy clowning around at local
nursing homes, including St. Martin’s in the Pines, where we did karaoke and danced
with the residents for their Valentine’s Day party a few years ago. We face paint at a
local assisted living facility for their employees’ annual picnic each year. Several of our
members also have the unique opportunity to call bingo at a local adult hospital each
Tuesday. Patients can tune into the closed-circuit television program featuring our
clowns. After an hour of bingo, the clowns deliver prizes to the winners, often taking
walk-around magic or balloons with them for everyone’s benefit.
Our members will often clown for
local special events, such as this year’s
Valentine’s Day party at a local shelter
for domestic violence victims, or at the
Better Basics Reading Initiative’s annual
dinner for children who’ve met their
reading challenge. Our Alley has also
taught balloon twisting classes for children
at local libraries. Our clowns have
joined many military units for events
around our state as well, especially when
soldiers are returning from Iraq and
their local military group throw welcome
parties.
This June will be our Alley’s twelfth
year participating in the Vulcan Birthday
Bash. Vulcan is the world’s largest cast
iron statue. Fifty-six feet tall, and made
of 100,000 pounds of iron, he stands at
the top of Red Mountain overlooking
the city of Birmingham. Vulcan Park
and Museum features spectacular views
of Birmingham, an interactive history
museum that examines Vulcan and
Birmingham’s story, a premier venue
for private events, and a beautiful public
park for visitors and locals to enjoy.
Members also participate in local
parades, such as the Peach Parade in
Clanton, Alabama, and the Thorsby
Swedish Festival in a nearby town established
by Scandinavian immigrants.
Veteran’s Day will find our clowns riding
their parade tricycles, motorcycles,
and motor scooters in the Veteran’s Day
Parade in Birmingham, home of the nation’s
very first Veteran’s Day.
We hope to enjoy this long-running
history of clowning in our town for
many years to come. TNC
12 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

1.
2. 3.
4.
5.
6.
8.
7.
9.
1. Greg “Goosie” Gosselin, Kathryn “Boo Boo” Mayor,
Terry “Socks” Dailey, Lori “Luna” Theodoras, Clydene “Lil’
Darlin” Dyer visit a mother and her child at the Children’s
Hospital. 2. (l to r) Debbi “Snuggles” Sartino, Philip
“Philbert” Currie, and Sara “Happy” Vollmer at the annual
Tapping Out Cancer event sponsored by the Children’s
10.
11.
Hospital of Alabama. 3. Linda “Peppermint” Champion, Lynn “Whiskers” Erwin, and Christine “Pixie” Ellis on their weekly visit as Hospital Elves. 4. Two motorcycles
designed and built by Terry “Socks” Dailey, our past vice president. Socks is a former championship motorcycle racer, who retired in 2013, and took up
clowning in 2014. He often rides his bikes in local parades. 5. Magic Town Clowns and one of Terry “Socks” Dailey’s motorcycles at the VA Parade in downtown
Birmingham. 6. Margaret “MeMo” Powell at one of her birthday celebrations for the Robert Howard Veteran’s Home. 7. Judy “LuLu” Shields at the Swedish
Festival in Thorsby, Alabama. 8. Santa Steve and Ms. Claus with (l to r) Kathryn “Boo Boo” Mayor, Greg “Goosie” Gosselin, Terry “Socks” Dailey, and Clydene
“Lil’ Darlin” Dyer (kneeling). 9. Our pastor, Clydene “Lil’ Darlin Dyer, Rita “Plum Cute” Case, and Bob “Cowboy Bob” McBrayer at our church’s annual fall festival.
10. Clowning at the Children’s Hospital. (l to r) Clydene “Lil’ Darlin” Dyer, Greg “Goosie” Gosselin, Danita “Dimples” Childers, and Lori “Luna” Theodoras. 11.
Terry “Socks” Dailey.
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 13

INSPIRATION AND HUMOR
5
Reasons
New Clowns
Should
Be in Parades
By Tricia “Pricilla Mooseburger” Manuel
Parade season is here! If you are just getting started in the magical world of clowning,
you are probably going to be in a parade soon. They are the most common
baptism by fire for new clowns.
Here are five reasons new clowns love parades:
1. NO REHEARSAL REQUIRED
If you don’t have a shtick planned, you can simply walk the parade route, shake
hands, wave, and pose for pictures. You don’t need to memorize a routine. You don’t
have to practice blocking for a stage show, and there is no need to get the timing for
a magic trick just right.
However, if you do have a walk-around prop, you should have some patter prepared.
Keep it simple, but keep in mind that the beauty of clown humor is improvisation,
crafted on the spot to pertain to that moment and that person. You can’t go wrong
with a compliment: “My, what a pretty dress you have on! Those are such cute shoes!
Can I borrow them?” I love to tease old men about how they spared no expense when
taking their wives out on a date!
You also don’t want to be carrying a big, heavy prop around; a feather duster or tiny
whisk broom can be a great parade prop. Tell the kids you are here to tidy things up
before the parade starts.
have laughed, but another eight people
who will are sitting ten feet away. If your
wording didn’t sound right in that last
bit of patter, don’t worry. You can change
it up and try out something different in
a moment.
So what if your prop didn’t work the
way it was supposed to? In four minutes,
you’ll get another chance to try it in front
of new people. Don’t get discouraged if
you didn’t get the reaction you wanted.
A parade offers the best way to try out
new material. You can fail, and that is
okay. Your audience changes with every
step you take. And guess what? There’s a
whole other side of the street, too!
It’s also a great place to try a new
look. When I started playing with a
new Auguste character, I tried it out at a
Fourth of July parade first.
4. SAFETY IN NUMBERS
Rarely is there one clown in a parade.
Usually, a clown club will come out en
masse. When you are a new clown, it’s
good to have a few seasoned pros by your
side to help you out in a pinch. Having
a gaggle of clowns around is like having
a safety net; everyone is looking out for
each other.
5. QUICK AND PAINLESS
Most parades average sixty to ninety
minutes for the audience. For someone
performing in the parade, though, it
might only be twenty to thirty minutes.
You get in, you get the laugh, and you get
out. It’s a rush!
2. LOW PRESSURE
Parade clowning is hit-and-run clowning at its best. You make a connection
with the folks sitting along the route, and you have fun. No one’s
birthday will be ruined if you make a mistake.
It’s not like the pressure of sitting in a booth and churning out one
balloon or face-paint design after another. There’s no paycheck riding on
how well you perform in a parade.
You are out there to make some memories with your clown alley. Take
it easy, have fun, and go with the flow.
3. SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR FAILURE
You know what’s great about a parade? You get a thousand and one
times to tell the same joke. Those eight people in front of you may not
14 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

O
INSPIRATION AND HUMOR
Our Good Ch
Our Good Cheer List
Usually, you will find a parade is one of
the quickest and most frenzied types of
clowning you’ll experience in your clown
unit. A clown friend told me that for
one small-town parade, he actually spent
more time putting on his makeup and
costume than he did actually walking
the route!
Sometimes, a parade can be a lot of
hurry-up-and-wait moments, so be prepared
for delays. I am kind of a stinker.
When there is a big delay and I can’t see
the next float coming around the corner,
I tell the crowd, “Well, that’s the end,
folks! Due to budget cuts the parade is
shorter than usual.” No one believes me!
Consider being pre-parade entertainment.
This is what our clown club
does. We don’t actually have an official
numbered spot in the parade. It is too
hard to keep up if you want to stop and
play with the crowd. Instead, we contact
the parade coordinators and ask to be
listed as pre-parade. We entertain the
people waiting for things to start. The
crowd is very appreciative of any kind of
diversion!
Our club carpools and meets at a certain
location. We discuss who is going to
go where and do what, stretch, and then
hit the street about forty-five minutes
before the parade begins.
As we visit with the people, the parade
is catching up behind us, and that’s okay.
Don’t feel rushed. Go at your own pace.
We set a time to meet back at our cars so
no one gets left behind. TNC
Tricia Manuel is known as “Pricilla
Mooseburger” and “Miss Moose.” She is a
long-time member of COAI. She has been operating
Mooseburger Clown Arts Camp and
Pricilla Mooseburger Originals since 1989.
More clown educational articles can be found
at her blog: www.mooseburger.com.
Please take a moment
to spread a few words
of good cheer with a
card or note to one of
these members.
Miriam “Senorita Soto” Kleinberger
2 Maple Lane North
Loudonville, NY 12211
Paul “Daddy-O” Kleinberger
919 Slate Hill Road
Sharon Springs, NY 13459
Charlie “Charlie Chuckles”
Meranda
369 Herron Road
North Ft. Myers, FL 33903-2748
Kathy “Noodles” Gurak
18 Park Avenue
Garfield, NJ 07026
Good Cheer Chairman:
Fred Schlosshauer
8 Alanon Street
Whippany, NJ 07981
973-887-2617
oscarboj@aol.com
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 15

The Annual
COAI
Competition
Awards
Awards were presented in
fourteen categories during
the 32nd Annual COAI Convention
in Kansas City, Missouri. Recipients
were recognized at the banquet on
Saturday, April 30, held at the Hilton
Kansas City Airport Hotel.
Although awards are offered for
the top ten contestents in each category,
scoring does not always result
in awards for all ten positions. In
categories with five or fewer competitors,
placement is based on percentile
achievements. Contestants
may also tie for placement.
Convention
Best in Clown
2017
President Mike Cox presented
Matthew Spraggins with the 2017
Convention Best in Clown Award
for earning the highest combined
score in this year’s competitions.
Matthew lives and operates his
children’s entertainment business in
Rockwall, Texas. He shared a little
with us about his experience and how
he became a clown.
Matthew
Spraggins
Competition Photos by Merilyn Barrett
Layout & Design by Bryan Conroy, Regina
“Cha Cha” Wollrabe, and Teo Wollrabe
16 The New Calliope • May/June 2017
16 The New Calliope • May/June 2017
I had been drawing caricatures for
a few years, working weekend events.
I saw other entertainers twisting balloons
and performing as clowns and
characters. It looked like more fun
than what I was doing, and I noticed
they were getting more jobs. So I
started looking into it. Soon after,
I got the chance to draw a coloring
book for the Shrine Clowns in the
Dallas area. They invited me to come
to their circus, and I loved it. I was
still learning to twist balloons, and
I found a few balloon jams. There, I
met some clowns who invited me to
an alley meeting.

Now, I have been called weird, annoying,
and immature for most of
my adult life, but when I walked into
that first meeting and heard how immature,
annoying, and weird those
people were, I froze. These people
were just like me! I had never felt
more comfortable around a group of
people in all of my life, and I didn’t
really know anyone there. I
knew this was a gift from
God. I thought, “These
are my people!”
I looked for classes
but couldn’t find any because
they were no longer
offered in my area. I taught
myself mostly through
back issues of The New
Calliope and YouTube.
I quit my day job and
started entertaining
full time, presenting
myself as a
clown. I had
terrible shoes,
terrible
makeup,
and a terrible
costume.
After other horrible
attempts to select a name,
I settled on “Stompers.”
My first clown job was also
my first face painting job.
It was scary, but I learned
tons. Soon afterward, I completely
revamped my look,
changed my name to “Soda-
Pop McBop,” and got a menu
for my face painting jobs.
I’ve been clowning for four
years this August. This was my
second COAI Convention. I
also attended Las Vegas last year.
Competing has been the best part
of the conventions for me. I learn
how to take constructive criticism
and apply all the skills I’ve learned
from classes. Then I take what I’ve learned in competitions and put that
knowledge into my business.
Making others smile is the best job I have ever had. It is a true gift
from God! TNC
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 17

Hector Batista
Nicholas Reed
COAI COMPETITION SCORING
Awards are made for the top ten contestants in
each category; however, scoring does not always
result in awards for all ten positions.
In categories with five or fewer competitors,
placement is based on percentile achievements.
Contestants may also tie for placement.
18 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

Luis Casiano
Edward Estrin
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 19

Marielizabeth Capacetti
Esthefany Perez
20 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

Juanita Blackwell
Kristi Parker
Clowns of of America International • • www.coai.org 21 21

Laura Schell
Cheryl Arnold
22 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

Jeanne Woska
Ivan Mendez
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 23

Jorge Adorno
Roger Latham
24 24 The The New New Calliope • • May/June 2017

Sue Marranconi
Lori Jacobs
Clowns of of America International • • www.coai.org 25
25

Sandra Winstead
Roger Brakebill
26 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

www.coai.org
Register today for the
2018 COAI Convention
in Richmond, Virgina!
Contestants who are 55 years of age or older may elect to
be judged in the Seniors Division rather than other makeup
and costume categories. All types of clowns will be
judged in this category, using the criteria set for the various
types of clowns. Contestants who elect to be judged in the
Seniors Division may only enter one category.
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 27

28 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 29

Juanita Blackwell
Kenny Fowler Kristi Parker Gloria Sterrett
30 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

Sue Marranconi Jackie Newton Matthew Spraggins
Roger Bakerbill Lori Jacobs Sara Kreutz
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 31

The Baby
Luis Casiano, Jorge Adorno, Marielizabeth Capacetti,
and Julio Capacetti
The Baby
Jonna Bakerbill, Roger Bakerbill, and Richard Westbrook
Bicycle Ride
Juanita Blackwell and Debora Roy
The Circus Pie Car
Patti Ummel and Lori Jacobs
32 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

Mobile Dentist
Nicholas Reed, Richard Smith, and Sue Marranconi
Out of This World
Dolly Jones and Jackie Newton
Date Night
Tammy Barry and Susan Dorland
Boss Bee
Debbie Fowler and Kenny Fowler
Royal Papers
Deborah Ratajczak and Robert Ratajczak
The Game Show
Nancy Frankel, Claire Marcotte, Barbara Foristall,
and Kristi Parker
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 33

Matthew Spraggins
Sue Marranconi
Lori Jacobs
Jonna Brakebill
34 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

Sara Kreutz
Jackie Newton
Kristi Parker
Roger Brankbill
Gloria Sterrett
Hector Batista
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 35

I Can’t Anymore
Julio Capacetti and Marielizabeth Capacetti
Royal Papers
Deborah Ratajczak and Robert Ratajczak
36 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

cheek
Marielizabeth Capacetti
Asia Espinal
Matthew Spraggins
Laura Schell
Sue Marranconi
Lori Jacobs
Cheryl Arnold
Kristi Parker
Jackie Newton
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 37

full face
Laura Schell
Marielizabeth Capacetti
Matthew Spraggins
Angela Schlangen
Kristi Parker
Asia Espinal
Sue Marranconi
Lori Jacobs
Maria Nunez
Jackie Newton
38 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

Laura Schell
Jill Schmidt
Sue Marranconi
Spangle the Clown
Matthew Spraggins
Donna Trout
Pamela Malhall
Sara Kreutz
Kristi Parker
Wesley Newman
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 39

Matthew Spraggins
Donna Trout
Pamela Mulhall
Spangle the Clown
Laura Schell
Sara Kreutz
40 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

Jill Schmidt
Matthew Spraggins
Donna Trout
Samuel Bearden
Spangle the Clown
Pamela Mulhall
Laura Schell
Kristi Parker
Sue Marranconi
Sara Kreutz
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 41

How about
Chalk Talk?
By Rachel Strnad
had my first experience with Chalk Talk in the mid-nineties while participating in
I a Wycliffe Missions at the Airport event in Kidron, Ohio. I sat with around fifteen
other children on the floor of a cavernous hangar, watching a grandfatherly man set
up an easel. As music swelled from the sound system, he picked up a set of pastels
and began to draw. We kids watched, spellbound, as a jungle landscape took shape
on the paper. Twenty minutes later, with the picture complete, the artist signaled for
the lights to dim, and turned on a black light. In its glow, we saw one of our N60JA
propeller planes flying over the trees. At the time, my six-year-old mind thought it
was just a cool illusion. I had no conception of the history behind this simple picture.
Chalk Talks originally came about by accident in a small, New York Methodist
Church in the 1870s. Like many churches of the era, this congregation was in constant
need of funds, and organized many entertainments and socials to augment their offerings.
For one such entertainment, the ladies planning the event asked recent member
and newspaper cartoonist Frank Beard to present some of his drawings. Beard accepted,
though he felt it would be awkward to simply stand in front of the audience,
drawing. He therefore wrote a short talk to give as he drew. This presentation was so
well received that he was soon giving Chalk Talks in churches and theaters all over
America, including the Chautauqua Circuit.
Other artists caught on to this concept, including vaudeville performers and comedians.
J. Stuart Blackton, “The Komikal Kartoonist,” was known for his lightning
sketches before he took them into the film industry. Winsor McCay also performed
chalk talks as a vaudeville act and pioneered the first animated short with his “Gertie
the Dinosaur” routine. Such acts were still going in the 1940s. Paddy Drew, the Irish
comedian, performed with a large pad of paper, an easel, and chalk. Beginning with
an image as simple as three dots and a dash, which was morse code for the letter V,
he proceeded to draw and explain how this “Sign of England” would frighten their
most dire enemy: swine Adolf. The final picture was a doodle of the enraged Fuehrer
himself. Emmett Kelly, renowned for his hobo persona, Weary Willy, also spent part
of his career as a vaudeville Chalk Talk artist.
Even some contemporary comedians
play on the Chalk Talk format. Demeteri
Martin often performs with a pad and
paper full of either pre-drawn, or partially
drawn figures, which serve as the
springboard for his jokes.
The Chalk Talk format has also been
used as a teaching tool, with the lecturer
doodling on the blackboard or dry-erase
board to augment his students’ auditory
learning with visual aids. With the rise of
the Internet, such methods have come in
handy for YouTubers such as the History
Credits team, who present history lessons
in the form of cartoons “drawn” on the
screen under narration.
In the twenty-first century, however,
the bulk of Chalk Talk artists
Left: Rod Snow creating a hidden image piece. Right: Artist Charlene Bainbridge performing with music.
Illustrations from an early Chalk Art manual:
Crayon and Character: Truth Made Clear
Through Eye and Ear or Ten-minute Talks with
Colored Chalks
42 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

Above: Chalk artist Jim Hicks. Left: Rod Snow
shares the process of creating a hidden black
light image in a chalk drawing.
performance. Once the piece is finished,
the artist turns on a black light, revealing
a hidden image that either augments the
picture or gives it a new meaning.
But what if you aren’t an artist?
Despite the daunting complexity of
most Chalk Talks in the twenty-first
century, it is helpful to remember that
all Chalk Talk routines require only four
things: a drawing surface, a way to set it
upright, drawing materials, and a basic
understanding of the core mechanic. The
finished product must change the audience’s
perception of the drawing, whether
it augments the routine’s punch line
or is the punch line itself. Harlan Tarbell,
in his 1920s booklet, Chalk Talk: Rapid-
Fire Novelties, gives a few ideas.
The secret to chalk talk is creating a recognizable shape with just a few strokes.
come from the Christian performing
arts world. Most books on the subject,
from Beard’s own publications to recent
handbooks on black light chalk images,
have mostly been geared toward Chalk
Talk as a ministry. Most notable among
these contemporary artists was Ding
Teuling, who died in September 2016
at age ninety-six. Beginning in 1937,
he drew for revivals and churches, and
educated more than three thousand artists.
His trademark was hidden images.
Under black light, one scene from the
Old Testament story of Elijah’s departure
from his successor, Elisha, reveals
the fiery chariots taking the prophet to
heaven. Such hidden image artists don’t
actually talk while they draw, but create
their picture under a musical soundtrack.
Though deceptively named, Chalk
Talk uses chalk-based pastels rather than
actual chalk. These come in a variety of
colors, including fluorescent and black
light colors, which are ideally suited for
more sophisticated Chalk Talks that employ
the hidden image technique.
Artists like Teuling and his students
specialize in black light hidden images.
In this technique, the image is drawn on
the paper with special pastels before the
Frank Beard, inventor of Chalk Talk.
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 43

Left to right: Artist Cliff Beeman is known for his patriotic Chalk Art. Richard Height and his work. Ding Tueling at work.
Evolution
Begin talking about the inherent
humor in evolution. “Scientists are real
comedians, you know that? They say we descended
from fish.”
Draw Figure 1. Keep talking as you
start adding to it.
“Can you believe it? Actually, I can. I go
out to the market every day and I see this
man shouting ‘Fish for sale! Fresh fish!’”
Complete Figure 2.
“Now that’s what I call survival of this
fittest.”
Start on Figure 3.
“One thing I wonder about is the evolution
of seals. They have to be in the early
stages, right?”
Start making it into Figure 4.
“But if you think about it, some of them
have already evolved, though they haven’t
got rid of the bark.”
Finish Figure 4.
“Maybe we need to tell the seals to get
their game on.”
Cubism
Begin drawing Figure 1.
“The age of Cubism was so easy for artists,
like walking bouts in a marathon. We could
take a break from all the real taxing work,
draw a couple lines and squares and—
voila! A horse.”
Finish Figure 1. Begin drawing Figure
2, identical with Figure 1. As you talk,
draw all but the horse’s head.
“But some people don’t like cubism. They
have no appreciation for its good points.
They wouldn’t be able to appreciate this
horse from any angle. So, for their benefit,
instead of making this horse look so square,
I’m going to make him look round.”
Finish Figure 2 with the horse’s head
looking behind him.
Drawing skill doesn’t need to be a
pre-requisite for Chalk Talk. An article
in the June 1927 issue of Popular
Mechanics explained how to trace cartoons
onto a sheet of paper with a perforating
wheel in order to “draw” them
later as a Chalk Talk. Many of comedian
Demetri Martin’s routines involve simple
lines, stick figures, and fictitious statistics
that require no artistic skill to produce.
With such a variety of applications, it’s a
wonder Chalk Talk isn’t used more often
in the performing arts. TNC
Rachel Strnad (pronounced STIR-nad)
got involved with the performing arts at a
young age when she, her mother, and her sister
joined a puppet troupe as part of JAARS,
one of Wycliffe Bible Translators’ technical
branches. When the troupe disbanded, her
mother bought a stage, and they continued
puppeteering and clowning as a family
ministry for several years. Rachel wishes to
thank Chalk Talk expert Kerry Kistler for
his assistance with this article.
44 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 45

CLOWN ALLEY
WORKSHOPS
with
FUN
ENTERTAINING AND
EDUCATIONAL!
VISIT BEBOP AT:
www.bebopsworld.com
46 The New Calliope • May/June 2017
Continued from page 9
higher your score will be. Also,
include any thank-you cards
or e-mails.
Event Information: Please
include the date, time, type,
and name of each event. Also,
include the names of everyone
who participated in each
event when submitting your
documents.
Pictures: It’s very important
that you take as many pictures
as you can at all your events.
These pictures help show how
you promoted International
Clown Week. When taking
pictures, make sure you include
signage showing that
you’re promoting International
Clown Week. All pictures
should show Alley members
wearing clown. There also
needs to be a variety of pictures.
For example, action pictures,
posed pictures with a guest,
pictures showing you promoting
Clown Week, and a picture
of everyone who made this
week special.
Content: All the content
you submit with your application
needs to be creative and
organized by date, time, and
event. It should tell a story
from start to finish. The more
creative, detailed, and organized,
the higher your score
will be. I suggest putting it in
a notebook or scrapbook as the
week progresses.
For more information, visit
the CHARLIE Award page
on the COAI website, or contact
Carrie Ray by phone at
214-577-6002 or e-mail at
carrielray10@yahoo.com. TNC

How to
Pick a Nose
By Tim “Sawdust” Laynor
President, Kolonial Klowns Alley #357
When Kolonial Klowns was preparing for the 2017 Gloucester County Daffodil
Festival, we used the daffodil blooms to make decorative hair clips. This left us with a
dozen flowerless stems.
If this ever happens to you, an excellent way to recycle the bare stems is to add foam
clown noses, turning them into a dozen long-stem noses. Do not glue the noses to the
stems, so they can be removed and worn.
When presenting them to an audience member, explain that you received a bouquet
of noses from your Valentine (or beaux, if it’s not that time of year), and you’d be
happy to share. Ask the audience member, “Would you like to pick your nose?” When
moving to the next group, place a nose on the empty stem. TNC
Reach more clowns for less money! Advertise in
The New Calliope! For rates and available issues,
e-mail thenewcalliope@gmail.com.
HOW-TO
CLOWN
CALENDAR
July 12–15, 2017
I.B.M.-S.A.M. Combined Convention
Louisville, Kentucky
www.ibmsam2017.org
July 17–22, 2017
National Puppetry Festival
St. Paul, Minnesota
www.puppeteers.org
July 25–30, 2017
Mooseburger Clown Arts Camp
Buffalo, Minnesota
www.mooseburger.com/moosecamp
August 1–7, 2017
International Clown Week
August 21–25, 2017
American Clown Academy
Newark, Ohio
http://.aca.linklv.com
September 6–10, 2017
South East Clown Association
Altamonte Springs, Florida
www.southeastclowns.com
September 27–October 1, 2017
TCA Convention
Montgomery, Texas
charmin@consolidated.net
October 3–7, 2017
Midwest Clown Association
Convention
Grand Rapids, Michigan
www.midwestclownassociation.org
November 3–5, 2017
Kentucky Clown Derby
Clarksville, Indiana
kentuckyclownderby.com
November 17–19, 2017
Toby's Clown School
Lake Placid, Florida
tobysclownfoundation.org
April 3–8, 2018
COAI Convention
Richmond, Virginia
www.coai.org
GH
Send event information to
thenewcalliope@gmail.com with
Clown Calendar in the subject line.
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 47

INSPIRATION AND HUMOR
CALLING ALL ALLEYS!
Alley Happenings
Judy “Dearheart” Quest
Big Opportunities Coming for New Clown Graduates!
Since I took this office in July, I have been working my little clown brains out trying
to figure out how to get ahold of all of the COAI Alleys. We supposedly have ninety-two
Alleys, but we don’t have current contact information for many of you. The
board is very energetic in creating opportunities for Alleys, but you can’t have our cool
stuff if we don’t know how to contact you. So please, please, please, could you send the
name and an e-mail address for your Alley to me at dearhart@cox.net. If you aren’t of a
mind to send in your yearly Alley report, at least let me know you are alive and still part
of the family by sending in a contact name. Even if your Alley has only three clowns,
we still love you.
Our most recent opportunity is for clowns who have recently graduated, or are
planning to take clown classes, to receive a six month e-membership to COAI free
upon graduation! Many times, people seem to have fun at a class but gradually drift
away afterward. This membership is designed to keep new clowns excited and involved
in the greatest organization on earth. You can read more details about this in our
membership director, Teresa Gretton’s
article in this issue.
I also hope you take the time to read
the article in this magazine about the
Magic Town Clowns. Wow, am I ever
impressed with these clowns and what
they do for their community! If you
would like to have a story about your
Alley in The New Calliope or on the
COAI website, let me know. I am always
anxious to share the good news of great
Alleys.
On a personal note, thank you to so
many clowns from all over COAI-land
who have cheered me on in my ferocious
fight against cancer. Clown people are so
incredibly kind and supportive! TNC
Contact Judy Quest by e-mail at
dearheart@cox.net.
48 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 49

INSPIRATION AND HUMOR
By Regina “Cha Cha” Wollrabe, Junior Joeys Director
Junior Joeys at the COAI
Convention in Kansas City
We had another fun and successful Junior
Joey Program this year at the 2017 Kansas
City Convention. All of the Junior Joeys who
attended reached their goals of getting the education
and competition experiences they desired. As usual,
they got a lot of attention at the convention, because adults
value their commitment to learning the craft that we love so passionately. Every
time I meet a Junior Joey or a Teen Joey, I find that they, too, are passionate to do and
be the very best that they can be.
COMPETITION: Two Teen Joeys competed this year, one in Makeup and the
other in Balloons, and a Junior Joey presented and received critique in the Makeup
competition. We were so proud of Samuel Beardon who placed fourth in the Multiple
Balloon competition with his Grinch design.
JUNIOR JOEY SHOWCASE: The Junior Joey Showcase was amazing. Jillyan
Henning brought her up-to-date steampunk style clown character named “Gears”
that everyone loved, knowing that she brings a style to clowning that kids today
will like and relate to. Charlie Hepner is a whiteface clown carrying on a makeup
tradition that many of us fear is a dying art. She is also a natural funny girl with
contortionist skills and made all of us laugh in the skit that she and Jillyan made up
about ADHD. (A video will be available on YouTube soon.) Eileen Shafer played her
harp and displayed Harpo Marx-style expressions as Harpa in a funny skit assisted by
Samuel Beardon. Isaac Ralston amazed and delighted us with his juggling skills and
his tall, slender, silly Lite Auguste character. We had the help of our headliners, Dustin
Portillo and Brandon Foster, who not only helped tweak some of the kids’ skits, but
also did the sound for the showcase, using music on their playlist that made the show
feel top-notch!
Jillyan “Gears” Henning made her stunning costume.
Left: Junior Joey Showcase: Junior Joeys Director Regina “Cha Cha” Wollrabe, Jillyan “Gears” Henning, Charlie “Ridiculous” Hepner, Isaac Ralston, Eileen
“Harpa” Shafer, and Samuel Bearden. Middle: Charlie “Ridiculous” Hepner. Right: Samuel Bearden placed fourth in the Multiple Balloon category.
50 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

INSPIRATION AND HUMOR
FIRST GRADUATION:
Eileen and Isaac both received
diplomas, along with twenty-seven
others who were acknowledged
for graduating into the
Teen Joey and College Joey programs.
Those who either turned
sixteen in the last four years, or
will before our next convention,
received a diploma and a letter.
If you know a Junior Joey in this
age group who did not receive a
diploma, please let me know, and
I will send them one.
Left: Regina Wollrabe and Junior Joey Graduate Isaac Ralston.
Right: Junior Joey Graduate Eileen Shafer.
Staff and children who participated in the Kids’ Clown Workshop/Community Outreach program.
Left: Granite State Clowns, COAI Alley #190, convention sponsors of James Bradley. Left to right:
Claire Marcotte, Nancy Frankel, Alan Flagg, James Bradley, Kristi Parker, and Barbara Foristall. Right:
Richard “Design-O” Smith has gifted over twenty Junior Joey memberships.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH:
Our Junior Joeys also helped other kids
from the community learn skills at the
Junior Joeys’ Outreach Program, which
brought in seventeen kids. Our convention
headliners, former Ringling
clowns Brandon Foster and Dustin
Portillo, were perfect as our opening
to the workshop. They taught character
types in clowning and slapstick. We
also had awesome station leaders who
taught skills in seven areas: Clown of
the Year Crissy Melnitzki (face painting),
Judy Quest (balloons), Debbie
Roy (puppets), Sammy Smith (magic),
Lifetime Achievement recipient
Brenda Marshall (hat tricks), Andrew
Davis (plate spinning), and former
Ringling clown Nicole Portwood (juggling).
Two other amazing clowns who
assisted in many ways and made the
program possible were Dawn Pearson
and Julie Varholdt. Seven of the children
who attended became new members
of COAI in our Junior Joey and
Teen programs.
A big shout out to COAI Alley
#190, the Granite State Clowns from
Nebraska, for sponsoring fifteen-yearold
James Bradley so he could attend
part of the convention and also become
a member of COAI. Another big, big
shout out goes to Richard “Design-O”
Smith, who donated more than twenty
memberships for Junior and Teen
Joeys. We are so grateful to everyone
who supports these programs.
To join our e-mail list or private
Facebook page, contact me at
coaijrjoeys@gmail.com.
Bump a nose! TNC
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 51

OFFICIAL BUSINESS
COAI PERKS!
PROGRAM
By Jessica “Gabby” King
Clowns of America International is proud to announce the newest list of COAI Perks!
As a member of COAI, you can receive discounts and promotions from participating COAI member-owned
businesses. Keep watching The New Calliope, COAI.org, and our official Facebook page for the newest opportunities.
If you are a COAI member-owned business and wish to participate in this growing program, please contact us at
coaiperks@yahoo.com.
MOOSEBURGER ORIGINALS COAI members get 10% off their purchase ​when they use the online coupon code
IAMCOAI, or tell us over the phone that they are a COAI member. The coupon code can be used more than once, and
is good until July 31, 2017. This offer is good for all Pricilla Mooseburger Originals orders, including custom costume
orders and in-stock clown supplies, excluding shipping and handling. This offer is not valid for Mooseburger Clown Arts
Camp registrations. To place an order, call 320-963-6277 or visit mooseburgeronline.com.
BALLOONS AND CLOWNS AND THE MAGIC DOLLAR STORE COAI members receive 20% off all orders
excluding balloons. This includes magic, sound systems, and games. To receive this promotion, provide your COAI
membership number when ordering at balloonsandclowns.com, or by phone at 919-344-1313.
SILLY FARM All COAI members receive five dollars off their purchase of thirty dollars or more. Use the coupon
code CLOWN5 when ordering. We carry the largest selection of face and body art supplies for both beginner painters
and seasoned professionals.
CLOWN SUPPLIES COAI members get a new or replacement wig at 10% off regular prices. Use the coupon code
COAIWig when ordering online at www.clownsupplies.com.
T. MYERS T. Myers Magic, Inc. thanks you for your business and would love to offer free shipping on all orders
over $125 to COAI members. This offer is valid for in-stock items only, shipped to US destinations. Provide your COAI
membership number when ordering online at www.tmyers.com, or by phone at 1-800-648-6221. Don’t forget; we stock
the freshest balloons!
KENOSHA MAGIC AND COSTUME COAI members receive twenty-five dollars off all Happie Amp orders.
Just mention your COAI membership number when ordering online at www.kenoshamagic.com, or by phone at 262-652-
0300. Happie Amp is the number one portable PA system for entertainers.
SWC MAGIC COAI members receive 10% off all orders. Just provide your membership number when ordering by
phone at 717-578-3269. Scott Correll provides clown, comedy magic, and kid’s show supplies, as well as hand-made
magical items designed by his wife, Donna.
GENE CORDOVA’S COMEDY CREATURES COAI members receive free shipping and handling on all orders
over thirty-five dollars. To place an order, call 423-562-8093 or e-mail genecordova@comcast.net.
FABRICA DE PAYASOS Y ALGO Fabrica de Payasos y Algo is offering COAI members free shipping on all
orders of fifty dollars or more. If your order is less than fifty dollars, you receive 10% off. We take custom, personalized
orders for dresses or suits. Contact Angel L. “Jobolin” Morales on Facebook, by searching “Payamago Jobolin Promotor
Morales.”
52 The New Calliope • May/June 2017
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 52

z LAST
WALK-AROUND
l
Juanita “Doc Tweedles” Brisbin
Juanita “Doc Tweedles” Brisbin, 75, of Nampa, Idaho, died
February 22, 2017, in her home after a long battle with cancer.
During that time, she was able to plan for her death,
write her obituary, and arrange her own memorial service of
joy. The minister spoke of “The Source of Joy,” and two songs
were played at her request: “Jesus Loves Me” and “Always Be
Humble and Kind.” Ruthie, Miss Bee Havin, Pinky Wink,
and Glitterella all attended as clowns, bringing joy to everyone.
Ruthie performed Doc Tweedles’s favorite clown skit,
“My Three Bad Habits,” and tributes were given by her two sons and her granddaughter.
Along with the beautiful flower arrangements, the church was decorated with
clown balloons dancing over each pew end.
Juanita grew up the baby of a loving family in Bakersfield, California. When she
was twelve, her family moved to Caldwell, Idaho, where she attended secondary school
and worked at a local A&W through graduation and beauty school. She held the longest
employee record at that store. After marrying her husband, Marshall, the couple
moved to Nampa, and Juanita began work at the Bank of Idaho. After retirement, she
attended clown college in Boise, and brought smiles, laughter, and
joy to dozens of parties, banquets, hospitals and nursing homes. She
was honored with the Idaho Gem Jesters’ Clown at Heart award in
2005.
Juanita is survived by her husband of fifty-six years, Marshall
Brisbin; sons, Victor Lee (Lorie), and Val John (Stephanie);
grandchildren, Amber (Rob) Grice, Megan (Ryan) Harrison,
Katie (Thomas) Miles, Haley ( Josh) Prow, Jordan, and Dylan;
great-grandchildren, Layla, Bently, and Tucker Miles, and Aiden,
Kelen, and Iris Harrison; sisters, Ella Jane Kock and Eva Joyce
Weaver; and brother, Bernard Riley (Betty) Bufford. Submitted by Wanda “Miss Bee
Havin” Jennings
Agnes “Sissy” Farkas
Agnes “Sissy” Farkas, 60, died February 15, 2017, after a valiant
battle with cancer. Attending Clown Camp in LaCrosse,
Wisconsin in the early ‘90s kicked off her clowning journey.
She was involved in the local Thunder Alley #200, wearing a
few hats over the years. Stage shows and skits were her favorite
kinds of performance, but she created many smiles along
the way at birthday parties, parades, and many other venues.
Agi was appointed COAI Canadian Vice President from 1998 to 2000, and attended
many conventions over the years. She was my first mentor and always encouraged me
NEWS
to never give up. We
had many fun and
crazy times together
and were always
there for each other.
Oh, to hear that
sweet voice one
more time saying,
“Come for dinner. I am making Chicken
Paprikash.” She was very proud of her
Hungarian heritage.
Agi is survived by her son, Jason
Mansfield; daughter, Crystal Mansfield
(Mike Kolinski); and many other relatives
and friends. A celebration of life was held
on February 25, 2017. Rest in peace, my
dear, sweet friend. Submitted by Linda
“Lulu” Loveday
Frank “Kelly the
Clown” Kelly
Francis (Frank)
James Kelly, 90, of Fort
Wayne, Indiana, died
March 5, 2017. He held
membership number
16, which was carried over from his original
number with Clowns of America, before
the founding of Clowns of America
International. He was born in Yonkers,
New York, and served in the Army during
World War II. After the war, he worked
for thirty-eight years with Lincoln
National Life. He was a professional
clown for fifty years, and was instrumental
in persuading President Nixon to declare
August 1–7 National Clown Week.
Frank was preceded in death by his wife,
Bernadette, in 2011. He is survived by his
sons, Tim (Chery), Chuck (Diana), Dan
( Judy); daughter, Anne; fourteen grandchildren;
and eleven
great-grandchildren.
Memorial gifts may be
sent to the Emmanuel
Lutheran Church
in Fort Wayne, or
to Visiting Nurse
Hospice in Fort
Wayne.
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 53

HOW-TO
Calla Lilly
By Patricia “Pockets” Bunnell
1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6. 7. 8.
1. Inflate
a white 160,
leaving a
6-inch tip.
Make two
pinch twists.
2. Make
a 6-inch loop,
followed by an
8-inch loop.
Squeeze the
top of the loop
to give it shape.
3. Wrap
the larger
loop around
the smaller
one, making
sure the ends
of the loops
overlap one
another.
4. Inflate
a lime green
160, leaving
a 6-inch
tip. Twist
the nozzle
around the
two white
pinch twists.
5. Inflate
another lime
green 160, leaving
a half-inch
tip. Form three
equal loops and
twist them together.
These are
your three leaves.
6. Insert one
of the leaves into
the center of the
two other leaves.
Add three pinch
twists at the base of
the leaves to help
hold them upright.
Thread the stem
through the leaves.
7. Add
artwork and
a scrap of a
yellow 160
or 260 to the
center of the
flower.
8. I use a
light yellow
permanent
marker.
Patricia “Pockets” Bunnell is an award-winning balloon artist from the Portland, Oregon area. You may
reach her by e-mail at oddballoon@gmail.com or visit her website at www.myfriendandiproductions.com.
54 The New Calliope • May/June 2017

Welcome,
NEW MEMBERS!
Wayne “Fuzzy” Angel, FL
David “Kozy Clown” Arends, TX
Jane “Paquito” Benson, PR
Lindsay Bezick, US
Paige Blunk, US
Alan Dale “Sweet Pea” Brannon, AZ
Joyce “Dee Dee” Brown, AZ
Donald “Rusty” Carpenter, KS
Arianna “Kount Colors” Ceretto, MN
Carissa “Stitches” Ceretto, MN
Ruth “JerBear” Ceretto, AZ
Marina Church, NY
Francisco Collazo Irizarry, NY
Erica “Jazzy Sparkle” Davis, NY
Brandon “Twisting Tamsyn” Deloney, UT
Gerri Dennis, NY
Enid “Tor Amazon” Diaz Figueroa, US
Rylee “Kiki from FloridaClown”
Donelan, FL
Arturo “Roly Rolipin” Gonzalez, PR
Suzzette “Sparkey Babylonia”
Gonzalez Nieves, NY
Doug “Tootsie” Gouger, NY
David “Estreyau” Heffelfinger, PR
Charlie “Estrella Fugaz” Hepner, PR
Dale “Payasa Lele” Hildebrand, PR
Jeri “Payasa Zaynn” Howell, PR
Caroline “Crispin” Jasiewicz, PR
Dolly “ Payaso Nevadito” Johns, PR
Cecilia “Otis” Kinter, AL
Trudy Lawson, NY
Thomas “Cookie” Livingston, NJ
Lady Alice “Paisley” Lopez Resto, WA
Wagner Martes Mena, PA
Darrin “Wendel” Matney, WI
Destiny “Boomer” Medrano, NC
Chester “Daffodil” Mitchell, ID
Gary “Miss Dot” Mooney, MO
Nestor “Snippy” Mora, OK
Stephanie Morris, MI
Claudia “Kety” Nilson, NY
David “Alegrita Sonrisita” Olmeda, PR
Kozy Pena, FL
Allison “Dolly Dimples” Petty, TX
Terry “Buttons” Price, IA
Judy “Doodlebug” Reed, WI
Wren “Janie Jelly Bean” Renczy, NE
Alex “Ella Quint” Resto Serrano, AK
Mirtha “Hefty Hammerfingers”
Rios, KS
Kristopher Jesus Rosa Rodriquez, KS
Daniel Rothner, KS
Rachel “Cloverfield” Saewitz, KS
Francisco “Payaso lasito” Sanchez
Figueroa, PR
Victoria “Jo Jo” Sands, NY
Candi “Pixie” Scanlon, MN
Diane “Speedy Toys” Schwarte, NY
Lynn “ Concorito” Schweinsberg, NY
Jamie “Bo Bo” Segrist, NY
Steve “Cloe” Snyder, NY
Tamsyn “Joy” Spackman, KS
Sharon “Olmy ” Stephens, PR
Timothy “Stephie” Stephenson, IN
Darlene “Scruffy ” Sturm, OK
Rewel “Buttercup” Viera Martinez,
OK
Deanna “AJ” Wardlow, TN
Jeff “Sweet Cheeks” Wawrzaszek, KS
Beverly Williams, KS
Bonita “Pokey Dottie” Yoder, MI
GH
Give a Gift That Keeps
on Giving. Give a COAI
Membership!
For more information, check out the membership application
at www.coai.org or call the COAI Business
Office. 877-816-6941 (toll-free) or 352-357-1676
A big thank you to Cheryl Hartzler,
Jeffrey Buckley, and Richard Smith
for gifting memberships!
Clowns of America International • www.coai.org 55

56 The New Calliope • May/June 2017