Page 6                                             Summer 1987

All but the oldsters, Jack Breene and Harry Lind, who were invigorated by the late night session, dragged themselves out of bed late. They just had time for coffee before the ten o'clock Juggling Session, the formal demonstration of the juggling arts to the magicians. Nearly 20 jugglers were there for the big toss up.

AII went according to plan until Bobby Jule (born Joe Pegnato) introduced two Italian kids, Sergio and Vinicio, ostensibly from Bobby's neighborhood. He noted that they were still rank amateurs, come to learn from the old masters, but that they would demonstrate the little progress they'd made just to be part of the camaraderie.

 

The first brother walked on with five rings and then, with four more from the wings, calmly did a nine ring cascade. The other brother then did eight rings while spinning one on his leg and balancing a ball on a forehead pedestal. Then they did some foot passing with rings.

 

They were the Chiesa Brothers, stopping by from Ringling Brothers Circus. Jule's joke is still talked about as the quintessential ringer of all IJA conventions.

 

The session broke up at noon and nine people left for lunch in the Hotel's Embassy Restauraunt, around the corner at 600 Grant Street . This was no impromptu

event. Throughout the last two days, there had been little stand-in-the-corner meetings of two and three jugglers amidst the knots of magicians.

 

Aside from the pleasantries, there was talk of forming a separate juggler's brotherhood. Plans were finally taking shape. Art Jennings was collaring people. "This is the time!" he told them. There were noncommittal nods, firm maybes, and a few dedicated "yeses."

 

Jennings, Montandon and Jack Greene decided on a luncheon meeting at noon ­ get the jugglers the hell away from this crowd, away from their props, sit 'em down, and hammer this thing out. George Barvinchak joined in a pre-lunch caucus in which preliminary by-laws were drafted.

 

Of the 20 or so jugglers, 10 made the trip to the Embassy.

 

Bobby Jule and his hand-balancing friend, Teddy Ray, left early. The remaining eight became founders, and Bobby and Teddy became charter members along with three others - Vin Carey, Doc Baldwin, and Joe Fleckenstein - who quickly ratified what took place at the meeting.

 

The eight founders sat at two booths in a semi-private alcove of the Embassy. Jack Greene and Harry Lind were the old pros, masters of vaudeville, lending their years of experience to the youngsters' energies. There was Art Jennings, with his moving force personality, certitude, sharp wit, and ready smile. Roger Montandon, chewing his ever-present cigar, added few words. The meeting was on track and he watched it quietly and carefully.

 

Tall and humorous George Barvinchak was willing to help in any way. Floyd "Bill" Dunham was quick to crack up the group with a joke, and quick to take on any dirty job nobody else wanted. And there was the young and handsome set - Bernie Joyce and Eddy "Easy" Johnson, just out of the Army, post-war students, who had taken the train in from Altoona in response to an ad in Linking Ring. They didn't know anyone there and couldn't believe the company they suddenly joined.

 

After the dishes were cleared, the meeting began. Jack Greene acted as chairman, and minutes were kept on the back of the menu until more space was needed. Hotel stationery was used then. The constitution and by-laws were drafted and voted on, to be ratified at the next convention.

 

Doc Baldwin, one of the charter members, held an international office in the I.B.M. and had been consulted on the legalities of the procedure. Jennings wanted everything legal and proper, unassailable - a good thing since there were those who later questioned the officers' authority and the legitimacy of the founding.

 

The first issue at the luncheon was whether or not to stay within the I.B.M. Jennings initiated the movement to make the IJA independent of the I.B.M. After some discussion over Jack Greene's suggestion for calling the officers Big Club, Small Club, Feather (Secretary) and Balancer (Treasurer), more traditional titles were agreed upon and officers were elected: Jennings as President, Johnson as Vice President, Barvinchak as Secretary and Montandon as Treasurer. The first independent convention was planned for the summer of 1948.

 

It took three votes to name the new organization. There was a lot of debate over simply calling it "American," but Jennings pointed out that there were jugglers in England and Germany who had aIready. through Montandon's "Bulletin," voiced an interest in joining. He said they should be included - and why not think big anyway?

Harry Lind

Young Harry Lind as a performer. Photo courtesy of Paul Bachman.

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