For those of you who have never been to a convention, and for those of you with short mem­ories, here are some telltale signs of Convention Fever, which sometimes live undetected in everyone:

• You find the thought of 500 jugglers juggling simultaneously in the same place appealing.

• You would like to know how to do a few new   tricks.

• You would like to see the latest and/or most eccentric juggling props in the world.

• You would like to meet some friendly people from different parts of the United States and around the world.

• You would like to watch or participate in international juggling competitions.

• You would like to see what joggling is all about. .You haven't passed clubs enough lately. .You can feel the growth of the IJA and would like to be a part of it.

• You would like to take an inexpensive vacation and have a wonderful time.

If you can answer yes to any of these questions, then you owe it to yourself to attend the 1981 IJA Convention. The Convention is basically two things: juggling in every aspect, and the wonderfully unique people who find juggling a worthwhile endeavor.

The positive feelings of humanity that occur at each convention are as much of an attraction as the massive displays of talent and eccentricity. The total flavor of the Convention requires spend­ing six days in Cleveland with us, but if you only have a few days, please accept our invitation to enjoy a taste of this existential event.

"Facts"

In the past few months there has been a lot of talk about setting world records. There have been some jugglers claiming world records on their own and many others asking what the world records are. I would like to take this opportunity to make a fairly official statement about the current situation to hopefully clear up any misunderstandings that exist.

Before a world record can be claimed, extensive research must be done in the category. It must be established that the accomplishment is definitely unique. During the process of establishing the superiority of such an accomplishment, standards must be set to serve as guidelines for future attempts.

This is basically the process that must be followed in order to declare a world record.

I have been discussing this matter with executives in the Guinness organization and have arrived at criteria for judging juggling events. Preliminary research has been done to bring juggling records up to date and the results have been submitted. The new Guinness Magazine, which is already printed and will be on the newsstands in June. has a full page devoted to juggling. We have also been promised expanded coverage in the Guinness Book of Records.

This represents the evolution of an effective process to establish world records in the field of juggling that will be recognized by international standards. The IJA has been entrusted with screening claims in order to streamline the process.

This means that anyone who feels they can set a world record in some category of juggling should contact the IJA to officially record his or her attempt. In order to accommodate such attempts, the final day of the Annual Convention (Sunday, July 19) will be set aside to judge any attempts that jugglers would like to make. Anyone interested in making a potential world record attempt should submit advanced notification to the IJA, including a typed description of what will be attempted.

Guinness has agreed to allow us to establish a record for "Most Jugglers Juggling In One Place At One Time" during the convention. All who want to participate will be allowed to, and a photo of the event will be made at the convention.

Another new event at the Convention will be a special workshop on "How to be an active IJA member." This will be held Wednesday from 11 a.m. until noon, and is intended to be a time for members to bring suggestions and ideas directly to the Executive Board. At the beginning of the workshop, members of the Board will suggest con­venient ways for members to participate In the development of our organization.

Another topic that will be discussed is the possibility of creating IJA-sanctioned juggling clubs that can stage regional competitions, an idea that has been brought up frequently in the past year.

The Bergen Mall in Paramus, New Jersey, will be holding a juggling festival August 27 and 28.   The festival will feature three performances per day by the Locomotion Vaudeville Theatre, roving jugglers, and a juggling-for-time competition which will be judged by IJA officers. A cash prize of $100 will be awarded to the winner by the management of the Bergen Mall.

For further information about the rules of the contest, performance times, or how to apply for a salaried shift as a roving juggler, write: Gene Jones, Kenmore, NY.

<---Previous Page

Return to Index

Next Page --->