Once again I was energized by the Annual Convention in Cleveland. Although business meetings, the media, and last minute details limited my juggling time to a total of about twenty minutes, I was tremendously exhilarated by the general atmosphere.

 

Each year, new dimensions and improvements seem to add themselves to the convention with a minimum of fanfare. Most noticeable this year was the staging of the competitions and the quality of the performances. There was a record of 111 entries in all events, and most veterans agreed that the array of talent in the U.S. Nationals was the best ever.

 

To encourage this trend, we will award a large trophy to the U.S. Nationals winner from now on. Another more subtle area of growth was the more involved attitude of the general membership. Over 150 people showed up at the workshop on "How you can help the IJA," and almost 300 attended the general business meeting.

 

Throughout the convention, I was approached by enthusiastic members with helpful suggestions for improving the organization. Since the convention, many members have written to follow up on their pledges of assistance.

 

Before reporting some specific items of interest, I would like to thank a few of the true heroes of the convention, those who gave so generously of their time and energy to insure its success: Ginny Rose and Andy Lintz for a fantastic job organizing registration, Greg Moss for a brilliant job of running the championships in a most professional manner, Dave Finnigan who did an excellent job of filling every available moment with stimulating workshops, and the Buffalo Juggling Club for always being there to handle emergencies. I would also like to officially welcome the 38 new members who signed up in Cleveland.

 

For those who have been watching television hoping to see the convention, NBC aired a 4-minute segment on the Today Show on Monday, August 3. ABC News also filmed at the convention, and aired a delightful four-minute segment on Sunday World News Tonight on September 27.

 

Another item of note is that the publishers of the World Almanac will include the IJA in the 1982 edition of that book. It should be available in November.

 

Looking ahead to the future, we have begun planning to establish an official policy for IJA sanctioning of local juggling clubs. This could eventually lead to regional competitions.

 

The 1982 Annual Convention will be held on the West coast for the first time since 1978, on the U.C.S.B. campus in Santa Barbara. CA, July 13­18. The campus is on 804 acres of beach front property and offers ideal conditions both indoors and out. More information on the 1982 convention will be printed in the next Jugglers World.

 

I would feel remiss if I ended this President's Report without extending my thanks to all of you who showed your confidence in me by re-electing me as President. I would also like to thank all the dedicated and energetic people who attended the Annual Convention in Cleveland for helping to make this job such a rewarding experience.