Volume 33 Number 4 nevclttl’ltti’June I9ai 1981 Convention Site — Cleveland, OH, Case Western Reserve University This photo of Bobby May, IJA Honorary Life Member, appeared in 1940, Now 74 years old and living in Euclid, Ohio, close by the site of the 1981 IJA Convention in Cleveland, May retold the story of his incredible head-stand-five-ball-bounce trick, ‘1 was 15 when I thought of doing head stand juggling," he said, "it took about a year's practice to get it with three balls. Once 1 did it in England atop a 20-fool pedestal, but the guide wire slipped and 1 didn't try it from that high anymore, "I practiced it with five lacrosse balls later and did that a few times in public in the late '30s as a finale trick. I was at Jack Lynch's Walton Roof Hotel Night Club in Philadelphia when someone called the photographer to get this picture." Though his mobility has been hampered by a stroke two years ago. May said he would attend some convention activities if he feels up to it. Butler scurries to prepare for 34th IJA Convention as world’s jugglers wait It seems that time has been speeding up lately. The days are Two events on the schedule which deserve a more detailed now racing by as July 14 approaches. Maybe that's because my explanation are the Public Show and Parade. The Public Show time has been monopolized by last minute preparations for the will be downtown in the Music Hall, a beautiful professional theatre convention. with seating for 3,000. We're hoping to draw a respectable, if not I Imagine as June passes I’ll have even less free time, so I've large, crowd to view our bestjugglers. If you think you have talent taken the attitude that when July 19 rolls around and the largest to perform with the best, let me know when you arrive at the con gathering ofjugglers ever assembled in the World leaves Cleveland, vention. For the first time, a percentage of profits from the Public , that all of the work will have been well worth it. Show wilt be divided between all performers. In the meantime I'll tell you some things about this year's con The Parade will be at Cleveland Stadium before the Cleveland vention you won't see in the official schedule of events. I have Indians/Chicago White Sox baseball game. We will parade around ' heard from jugglers all over the country, Canada and Sweden indi the perimeter of the field inside the stadium and are invited to stay ' cating they'll be juggling their way to Cleveland this summer. The and watch the game afterwards. juggling clubs from Erie. Buffalo, Rochester, Atlanta, Charlotte and Everyone I talk to is excited about the juggling the University of Iowa will be represented by their members. I've convention coming to town, so you should enjoy heard from many jugglers who'll be attending their first convention a very pleasant welcome from the CItyof Cleve as well as a few who were in Jamestown, NY, in 1948 for the first land. I'm looking forward to seeing most of you convention. there and will be working hard until then so you For those coming in early, there are two very large street fairs can enjoy yourselves. which are interested in having jugglers participate. One is the Coventry Street Fair, July 11 - 12andthe otheristhe All-Nations See you in July, Festival, July 13-16. Each attracts over 100,000 people. Alistof post-convention area fairs will be posted at the site. Fever99 By Gene Jones, IJA President DEDa2T New York, NY aFever99 juggler's mind that speaks of the unique enjoy I have been discussing this matter with exec ment that comes from attending an IJA conventbn. utives in the Guinness organization and have ar July is a special time of the year. Many take For those of you who have never been to a rived at criteria for judging juggling events. Pre time to enjoy summer vacations, America cele convention, and for those of you with short mem liminary research has been done to bring juggling brates its birthday, baseball stages its All-Star ories, here are some telltale signs of Convention records up to date and the results have been sub Game...and altow me to add another great pastime Fever, which sometimes live undetected in every mitted. The new Guinness Magazine, which is event: The International Jugglers Association cele one: already printed and will be on the newsstands in brates its 34th anniversary by holding its Annual June, has a full page devoted to juggling. We Convention in Cleveland, Ohio! •You find the thought of 500jugglers juggling have also been promised expanded coverage in the Guinness Book of Records. Although the IJA Convention is not a house simultaneously in the same place appealing. •You would like to know how to do a few new hold word, jugglers around the world should be This represents the evolution of an effective tricks. catching Convention Fever just about now. Con process to establish world records in the field of •You would like to see the latest and/or most vention Fever is that voice in the back of every juggling that will be recognized by international eccentric juggling props in the world. standards. The IJA has been entrusted with •You would like to meetsome friendly people screening claims in order to streamline the process. IJA Newsletter from different parts of the United States and around This means that anyone who feels they can ©1981 International Jugglers Association the world. set a world record in some category of juggling All Rights Reserved •You would like to watch or participate in inter should contact the IJA to officially record his or Design assistant Karen Hardin national juggling competitions. her attempt. In order to accomodate such attempts, •You would like to see whatjoggling is all about. the final day of the Annual Convention (Sunday, •You haven’t passed clubs enough lately. July 19) will be set aside to judge any attempts The Intemationai Jugglers Association publishes •You can feel the growth of the IJA and would that jugglers would like to make. Anyone interested the IJA Newsletter six times a year to communi like to be a part of it. in making a potential world record attempt should cate with its members and as a forum for the ex •You would like to take an inexpensive vaca submit advanced notification to the IJA, including change ofinformation and ideas. M submissions tion and have a wonderful time. a typed description of what will be attempted. should be signed, but names will be withheld by Guinness has agreed to allow us to establish request. Address editorial material to: Bill Giduz, ...If you can answer yes to any of these ques a record for “Most Jugglers Juggling In One Place editor;PO Box 443;Davidson, NC 28036. Sub tions, then you owe it to yourself to attend the At One Time” during the convention. All who want scription by IJA membership only. 1981 IJA Convention. The Convention is basically to participate will be allowed to, and a photo of two things: juggling in every aspect, and the won the event will be made at the convention. IJA Executive Officers derfully unique people who find Juggling a worth Another new event at the Convention will be Gene Jones - President while endeavor. a special workshop on "How to be an active IJA The positive feelings of humanity that occur Larry Olson - Vice-president member.” This will be held Wednesday from 11 at each convention are as much of an attraction Rich Chamberlin - Secretary/Treasurer a.m. until noon, and is intended to be a time for Bill Giduz - Newsletter editor as the massive displays of talent and eccentricity. members to bring suggestions and ideas directly The total flavor of the Convention requires spend Terry Butler - 1981 Convention Chairman to the Executive Board. At the beginning of the ing six days in Cleveland with us, but if you only workshop, members of the Board will suggest con have a few days, please accept our invitation to Officers and Directors venient ways for members to participate in the enjoy a taste of this existential event. Ginny Rose - Asst. Secretary/Treasurer development of our organization. 99 Another topic that will be discussed is the pos Greg Moss - Championships Director SiFacts Roger Dollarhide - Official Photographer sibility of creating IJA-sanctioned juggling clubs that can stage regional competitions,an idea that Dave Finnigan - Educational Director In the past few months there has been a lot of Dennis Soldati - Historian has been brought up frequently in the past year. talk about setting world records. Tom Dewart - Director There have been some jugglers claiming world The Bergen Mall in Paramus, New Jersey, Bill Barr - Director records on their own and many others asking what will be holding a juggling festival August 27 and 28. "Garbo” Garver - Honorary Director the world records are. I would like to take this op The festival will feature three performances Mary Wisser - Honorary Director portunity to make a fairly official statement about per day by the Loco-motion Vaudeville Theatre, Lindsay Leslie - European Director the current situation to hopefully clear up any mis roving jugglers, and a juggling-for-time competition Lloyd Timberlake - Foreign Correspondent understandings that exist. which will be judged by IJA officers. A cash prize Roland Weise - Foreign Correspondent Before a world record can be claimed,exten of$ 100 will be awarded to the winner by the man Karl-Heinz Zeithen - Foreign Correspondent sive research must be done in the category.