Expansion of at-large directorates from three to five attracted more interest than usual in IJA elections at the Akron convention. Ten people were nominated for those five offices from the crowd of about 150 who attended the Thursday morning open business meeting.
The 1987-88 directors elected there were: Paul Bachman, an entertainer and chemical inspection company manager from Justice, Ill.; Sandy Brown, a professional entertainer living in Frankfort, W. Germany; Laura Green, a professional entertainer and art director since 1984 for "Juggler's World," Daniel Holzman, half of the Raspyni Brothers juggling troupe from Van Nuys, Calif.; and Mike Vondruska, a Juggling Institute instructor from Bensenville, Ill.
Four people ran unopposed for the titled offices they will occupy for the next year. Holly Greeley, a tennis club program director from Amherst, Mass., was elected president. She has previously served the IJA as director in 1983-84, championships director from 1984-86, and vice president last year.
Kevin Delagrange, Akron convention chairman and a bearing company salesman in that city, was elected vice president. Craig Barnes, a computer chess programmer and entertainer from Berkeley, Calif., was elected championships director. Barnes has been a championships judge and co-producer of the convention public show. Bill Giduz, a newswriter and photographer at Davidson College in North Carolina, was reelected publications director.
Greeley said the main focus of board discussion was its own restructuring. The board decided to expand its membership to 11 and eliminate titled offices beginning with the 1988 election, she said. It will be up to board members to elect a chairman from their ranks and to select people inside or outside the board to conduct the IJA's specific business, such as championships, affiliates, publications, video, secretarial and financial matters.
Persons wishing to run for one of the 11 directorships in 1988 will be listed on the IJA mail ballot if they send in a nominating statement to the IJA office (Box 29, Kenmore, NY 14217) by Feb. 12, 1988. The ballot will be mailed to all members along with the Spring issue of "Juggler's World." Additional nominations will be accepted and final elections held at the Denver convention, July 12-17, 1988.
Greeley said, "We expect this structure will allow us to involve more people in the administration of the organization, and allow us to begin compensating people who put in long hours on duties vital to our ongoing operations."
The only offices presently salaried are those of secretary and treasurer, occupied by Rich Chamberlin and Ginny Rose, respectively. A $3,000 annual honorarium has been split between elected officers on the basis of the hours they spent on IJA business.
Rose presented the board with the 1986-87 IJA financial statement. It showed total organizational income of $186,802 and expenses of $143,019. The largest expense items were $79,843 for the San Jose convention and $29,762 for "Juggler's World."
No one responded to the board's call for 1989 convention proposals, though several people showed some interest. Greeley said that the 1989 site is still open and invited people with proposals to call her at 413/548-9621.
The IJA would like to thank the following people who have signed on as IJA Life Members since publication of the last issue of this magazine:
These people join the following IJA Honorary Life Members, elected by the membership over the years for their outstanding service to the organization:
Two of the baton twirlers who performed in the Akron convention public show went on to win national three baton titles later in July. Corrie Jordan, 19, from Vincennes, Ind., won the collegiate division and overall three baton title at the U.S. Twirling Association national championships held in Milwaukee, Wisc.
Franziska St. Cyr, 9, from Amherst, N.H., won the juvenile division. Both were students of Ginnette Groome, an IJA member and former three baton champion from Syossett, N.Y. Groome and her pupils gave jugglers a taste of their specialty on the gym floor in Akron, and put on a polished performance in the Saturday night show.
Darryl Toomey's IJA membership will outlast his mortal soul. The IJA Life Member won an additional year of membership as individual winner of the IJA's 1987's National Juggling Day teaching program. By presenting the signatures of 99 people he taught to juggle as part of the Seattle Cascade Jugglers' event, Toomey also won three Stu Raynolds clubs.
It was actually the second IJA contest Toomey has won. Last year he signed up more people as members than anyone else.
"I carry membership brochures in my backpack wherever I go," said Toomey. Toomey signed up himself, his spouse, Diane, and daughters Kelly and Kerry as Life Members numbers 14-17 last year. "The girls wanted a car for Christmas, but I knew this was a gift that would keep on giving," he said.
The postal service letter carrier bills himself as "Almost a Juggler" despite the fact he can juggle five clubs and six balls. "It gives me an excuse when I drop, and leaves the future possibilities unlimited," he said.
The second place individual winner of the contest was another IJA Life Member, Roy Melanson of Highland, Calif. He and his wife, Margaret Ann, decided to teach folks at a retirement community on June 20. "It was a very exciting day," said Roy. "About 50 people showed up at the community recreation hall and almost 30 of them learned. They asked us to come back again!"
The Toronto Jugglers came in second in the group category with 32 people signing the "Yes! I learned to juggle on National Juggling Day" form. Club organizer Larry Ellison commented, "Though only that many signed the form, I estimate we taught about 600 people in all."
Ellinson added, "This was the first event we staged together as a club and it helped us pick up a lot of new members." More than two dozen jugglers showed up to help teach and give shows during the day and media coverage was good.
The Tampa Bay Jugglers of Florida came in third in the contest with eight signatures and the Orange Jugglers of Southern California finished fourth.
Better late than never... Being three days late to the Halifax, Nova Scotia Buskers '87 Festival didn't hurt Variety In Motion at all. The Baltimore couple made the most of the remaining seven days of performances and ended up winning the $10,000 first prize.
"We flipped out!" said Mardine Rubio, who has been juggling with her husband, Ricky Schnitker, for the past three year. More than 17,500 festival-goers who purchased programs cast more "people's choice" ballots for the Variety in Motion than for any of the other 37 acts in the festival.
Ford of Canada provided the grand prize money for the event, explained Steven Hirder, managing director. Other juggling prize winners were Charlie da Juggla' (Clinton Holzhauer), who won a $500 appreciation award from the city of Dartmouth, N.S., and the Waldo-Woodhead Show, which split a $2,000 Historic Properties Friendship Award with two other groups.
The acts who performed were invited from among many others who applied. Other juggling acts were Ray Jason, Heart & Biko (jean Michel Pare and John Seglins), Mickey O'Connor, High Street Circus and Fool's Paradise (Michael Hershbach, Linda Donnelly and Norman Engelburg-Schneiderman).
The 38 acts performed for a crowd of more than 375,000 during the ten days of the festival at 35 performance sites in downtown Halifax. There was no appearance fee, but buskers were compensated for travel and accommodation and allowed to pass the hat at each performance.
Rubio said she and Schnitker did about six 20-25 minute shows per day. She said the crowds were large and the hats good.
Both performers believed their high energy show style was the deciding factor. It included Schnitker on an unsupported ladder, a dance routine, torch passing on six-foot unicycles and a three club synchronous dance routine.
Schnitker said he hopes the win will help their act gain respect in a broad market. The couple, who were married March 21, were to work for two weeks on a Caribbean cruise ship in September.