Volume 30 Number 50 BttlBCltttCttl’ August-September 1978 INTERNATIONAL JUGGLERS ASSOCIATION Editor’s Address Dear IJA Members, Thank you for my appointment as Newsletter Editor. For those of you who were unable to attend the convention, let me mention that my bid for this position was not hotly contested. Be that as it may, I am still thrilled to have been chosen. My thanks to all those who have contributed articles to my first edition-most especially Dave Walden, who did everything but hold my hand as 1 typed. Also my great appreciation goes to Vice-President Tom Dewart, for his fantastic minute-by-minute convention reports. Roger Doilarhide has provided his fine photographs, and friends Patricia Feeney and Mary Feeney (no, they’re not sisters) are responsible for the terrific graphics and layout of the newsletter. If anyone would like to contribute. I’d be more than happy to receive articles. (I may, however, edit them to death). Also, please send announcements of get-togethers and performances for inclusion in the Calendar of Events. Mail them well in advance so area jugglers can attend. Interested advertisers, please write to me for the new advertising policy. Future newsletters will be published on approximately these dates; Oct./Nov.-Oct.30; Dec.-Dec. 15(Membership Roster and call for 1979 dues); Jan./Feb.-Jan.30; March/April-March 30; May-May 15; June/JulyJune 30. Thus far, producing the IJA’s newsletter has proved to be a fascinating sideline. (In real life. I’m an English teacher.) I can see that this could fast become an obsession! m looking forward to hearing from you soon. ; h Donna DiMeo 1979 IJA Convention Eric Roberts many people as possible to make sure this convention will John Robinson have something for everyone. Please let us know your ideas Conuention Co-C/iaiVpeop/e for convention activities soon so that we have lots of time to Preparations for the thirty-second annual IJA get everything organized. We can be reached by writing: Convention are already underway and it promises to be IJA Convention, c/o Eric Roberts, 149 Larch Road, bigger and better than ever. The convention will be Cambridge, MA 02138. centered at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts (a college town in a rural New England setting) and will run from the evening of Tuesday, July 17,through Sunday,July 22, 1979. Inside: Even though we still have a year to go before the opening day, the convention plans are running along and we’re Multiplex Controversy . 2 expecting to put together a really exciting convention. European Report 3 Some of the highlights are: MIT Mini-Convention .. 4 Calendar 4 Five (one more than last year) days of juggling fun! IJA Reports 5 Use of the gymnasium (the convention hail) 24 hours a day! Convention Report 6&7 Dorms,cafeteria, workshop areas and gym ai! together Championships 8 on the campus (plus 550 acres of farmland and forest for 1978 Convention Photo 9 outside juggling)! Sauna and swimming pool facilities at the gym! 1978 Convention Roster 10 Brief Notes 11 At the moment, we’re getting a lot of help from Prop Makers 11 Hampshire College and a lot of jugglers in the Ads 11 Massachusetts area, but we are anxious to hear from as Multiplex Controversy Taken from 1978!JA Championships Rules and Regulations Senior Division Events: Numbers Juggling (4 trials). Only these props may be used: 7 balls or 7 rings or 5 clubs or sticks. Floor bouncing of balls is not allowed. Roger Dollarhide Controversy arose in the numbers event when Lheith wanted to enter using the multiplex technique of juggling 7 bails. After conferring with several other prominent IJA-ers, I disallowed his entry from being eligible for a prize. Here are my reasons. 2 Based on my own experience in practicing multiplex-type juggling and the similar experience of D some of those with whom I conferred, I concluded that 7 ball multiplex juggling is not nearly as difficult to learn nor as strenuous to maintain as a regular 7 bail or 5 D 5 club cascade. Lheith himself demonstrated this when he kept the pattern going for 110 seconds, and showed Lhieth performing 1 ba// Multiplex little sign of fatigue afterward. When Steve Mills broke the 72 second record for 5 clubs by juggling for 105 seconds, he literally collapsed to the floor afterwards and complained of pain in his arms. Steve is a full-time Lheith professional, in excellent physical condition. During the recent IJA Convention, 1 believe that 1 was Another reason for not allowing multiplex in the unfairly and prematurely disqualified during the numbers Numbers event is that although not specifically stated juggling event in the championships competition. In that in the rules,(admittedly an unfortunate oversight), the event, I finished with a winning time of 110 seconds as 7 ball or ring or 5 club juggle applies to the cascade announced by the Championships Director, Roger only. I have attended every one of the last 11 INA Dollarhide. conventions, and 1 don’t recall anyone doing a pattern After observing my juggling, including multiplex juggling, other than a cascade. A shower pattern is just too on at least two occasions at the Eugene Convention, the difficult to perform in a numbers competition - to director accepted my entrance fees for the Ball Juggling and attempt it would be foolish. Therefore it never occured Numbers events. A few hours, later, I was informed the the to me to consider the possibility of someone using a director wanted to speak to me regarding premature pattern other than the regular cascade. Furthermore, disqualification. no set of rules for any endeavor can include all Upon locating the director, I learned that I was to be eventualities. As Championships Director, I took the disqualified from the numbers competition based on the responsibility of interpreting the rules to mean that 1978 iJA Championships Rules and Regulations. When I only the regular cascade pattern was acceptable in the asked Mr. Dollarhide what in the rules would disqualify me, Numbers event. the director stated,“Everything is not in the rules,” and then Finally although multiplex juggling is certainly said that since the topic under discussion was controversial. legitimate as a juggling technique, and in fact, won 1 should ask my fellow competitors how they felt about me Lheith considerable points in the Ball juggling event for competing in numbers juggling under the posted rules. I his skill in its use, the technique does not lend itself to (Coni, on P. 3) (Cont. on P. 3) 2 Lheith cont. Dollarhide cont. didn’t believe that my competitors were needed to correctly the Numbers event because a separate throw is not interpret the rules, but I decided to comply anyway. given to each ball. In some or most throws, 2 balls go Of the eleven entrants in the event beside myself, seven up together. Balls may also be caught two at a time or signed a petition that was presented to the Director. It separately. stated that 1 should be allowed to fairly compete in the Hovey Burgess, in a parady of the multiplex championships using multipex juggling and that if the rules technique, gave the perfect example of the problems needed to be changed, they should be rewritten for next involved in allowing multiplex jugglers to compete in years competition. the numbers event. His “entry” for this event was 5 Prior to the start of the Numbers event, the Director clubs, taped together and juggled as if they were 3. The announced that 1 was the first person ever to be disqualified multiplex technique would make a mockery of the in the ten year history of the Championships. At the time of numbers event just as comedy jugglers for years have this disqualification I would like to point out that it was still spoofed the “skill” jugglers with the old “9 ball juggle” theoretically possible for me to have attempted 5 clubs or 7 gag. rings, so my premature disqualification was undoubtedly arbitrary and unfair. 1 was then given a brief, timed moment to speak, in which 1 stated that in fact the rules did not disqualify me, and presented my arguments. Several other people spoke, and a motion was introduced by Phineas Indritz that would allow me to compete. Mr. Indritz pointed out that during a Legal conventionn motions can be voted upon at any time, not solely at business meetings. He was ruled out of order by Mr. Dollarhide, and no vote was taken. I feel I was unfairly prevented from discussing the multiplex European subject, and having it voted on, at the most appropriate forum, when nearly all IJA conventioneers were in Report attendance. When my name was not included on the roster of participants for the Numbers event, I again asked if I might be allowed to compete. With a great deal of reservation the London Lloyd Timberlake Director finally agreed to time my trials while continuing to June was a busy month for the London branch of the IJA. uphold my disqualification. It was then that I juggled 7 balls Bob Dylan hit town for six concerts and, despite the fact he for 110 seconds. had long since been sold out, decided he needed some Finally, I believe that it is also theoretically possible for a 7 jugglers to back him up. Thus Toby Philpott, Mark ball multiplex routine to be not only as difficult as other Robertson, Mike Gelb and myself all spent six evenings single toss movements, but perhaps even more visually warming up 17,000 people a show as they streamed into esthetic and definitely permissible under the printed and Earls Court auditorium here.