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BOUNCING TO THE UP-BEAT IN THE jam-packed Xanadu discoteque in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, recently, I looked up and saw fellow joggler Paul WilIiams! Recovering from our mutual surprise, we pushed through the crowd to find a quiet place to talk.

Though he's not joggling as much these days, he said his juggling was going well. He had developed a comedy street act with his ever present canine companion, Israel. But, he was most enthusiastic about his new effort to introduce juggling into the limousine business.

Well, why not, he said. People who hire a limousine for a night at a beach resort generally consider it an entertainment extravagance rather than a serious means of transportation. Added entertainment from the chauffeur should be icing on the cake, he reasoned. "Big tips!" he said.

With gold lame balls dancing against the black backdrop of his tuxedo, he put on an impromptu show on the disco floor before we parted. Then he and his client for the night, a businessman selling hangover pills to nightspot owners up and down the Grand Strand, were off on another sales call.

IT LOOKS LIKE A BALLOT FROM a right-wing Banana Republic. However, I assure you that the IJA didn't formulate its first-ever mail-in election ballot with anything less than honorable intentions.

People will wonder, nevertheless, why only one person is running for each office. Simple answer - only one person sent in a nomination for each office.

The call for nominations, printed in the past two issues of JUGGLER'S WORLD, was totally ignored outside the group of officers already serving in major positions.

As a step toward better organizational democracy, then, this is a less-thandesirable beginning. The best to hope for now is that the appearance of this ballot, in accordance with a membership motion passed at the Santa Barbara convention in 1981, will tempt more people to become involved in IJA administration. If they do, next year's ballot may offer some real choices.

PEOPLE OCCASIONALLY WRITE TO ask if their latest juggling feat represents a record. Lacking omnipotence, I'm at a loss to respond either positively or negatively. Actually, since juggling history is incomplete beyond a few decades in the past, we may never know if anyone has ever juggled on top of Everest, or while hanging upside dowri in a banyan tree, or whatever.

Still, these potential records are often fascinating, and worthy of being recorded somewhere to face future challenge or give twenty-first century historians a good laugh. Would someone out there enjoy taking on the title of "chronicler of juggling superlatives?"

THAT BRINGS US TO CONVENTIONS, where people learn Mills Mess and thousands of other things via the best possible method - one-on-one personal tutoring.

The IJA holds its 37th Convention July 17-22 in Las Vegas. The occasion offers the usual promises of good fellowship, displays of extraordinary prowess, and ample opportunity to learn from fellow practitioners. But this particular locale will also permit conventioneers to witness several world-class acts at the various casinos and clubs around town.

Rudy Cardenas will be at the MGM Grand, Albert Lucas at the Hacienda, Nino Frediani at the Las Vegas Hilton, Los Armandos at the Holiday Casino, and Rejean St. Jules and Yvonne Savage at the Circus Circus.

And Anthony Gatto, who turned 11 on April 14, will be at the Flamingo Hilton. The young man is apparently the toast of the town, recognized by everyone in the hotel and adored by audiences.

His juggling continues to improve almost unbelievably. The latest report has Anthony flashing eight balls and beginning to work on flashing nine rings. His seven ball cascade is solid to the point of doing tricks - neck catch back into a cascade, two tosses behind the back, a five-high pirouette back into cascade, and five tosses of a half-shower. At age 11. And with only one hour's practice and one eight-minute show per day.

It was mistakenly reported in the last issue that he juggles six clubs. In fact, he merely balances one on his head while juggling five.

Whew! His father, Nick, believes Anthony will flash ten rings by the end of the year, and will also be the world's highest paid juggler by then.

Many may have worked harder and longer to achieve their fine abilities, but I don't believe any have ever been born with Anthony's gift to learn. It's a joy to watch him develop it, and it'll be a thrill to see him in person this summer. Don't miss it yourself!