Page 2 Fall 1989
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LETTERS
Thanks
From On
behalf o.f the IJA Board of Directors and the Baltimore Jugglers
Association I would like to thank one and all for coming to our party,
better known as the 42nd Annual International Jugglers Association
Convention, held on the Loyola College campus in Baltimore, Maryland.
It was truly an extraordinary week for everyone, full of old friends,
new experiences, many lessons, thrilling shows and hilarious
happenings. Several hard-bitten old vaudevillians were heard
exclaiming, "Gawd, Maude, EVERYBODY's here!"
The
Chair juggler is delighted to report that everything ran smoothly,
save for the usual surprises inherent in throwing a week-Iong party
for more than a thousand friends. Damage to the facility was
inconsequential and nobody was arrested. The Loyola College staff is
still recovering from shock. It was their first convention, after all,
and you know what that's like! The college administration has invited
the IJA back anytime, though, and there are folks muttering that
Baltimore should host the IJA 50th Anniversary Bash.
Media
coverage was heavy both regionally and internationally, including a
fine stories in The New York Times and USA Today. The BBC sent a film
crew to cover the records events, ABC Evening News gave us three
minutes to close a show and Capital Edition out of Washington, D.C.,
gave us a solid 20 minute story.
Juggling
was, without a doubt, the story of the week.
Special
thanks is given once again to the Baltimore Jugglers who. worked above
and beyond the call of sanity to top the bill as the party throwers of
the year, especially Jerry "The Silver Fox" Raitzyk,
President of the BJA, Rick Purcell, chief of security, Dr. Risa Davis
and Natalie Piet, PT, who tended to. the wounded, and Russ Kaufman
who. stayed up all night to bring jugglers the daily newsletter.
Finally,
we'd like to. thank Mark and Joyce Fisher, the registrars, who. did a
hero's job 24 hours a day.
My
love and gratitude to you all.
LAURA DIRKSEN GREEN - Crab
A Convention Bummer I
hope everyone who attended the Baltimore convention enjoyed the
experience. The entertainment and educational opportunities available
this year were incredible. It is a real shame, though, that an
individual maliciously chose to ruin the convention for me.
In
the morning hours o.f the last day of the convention, $1000 worth of
merchandise and personal property was stolen from behind the Gravity
Specific table. Included in the spree
were three 100-foot rolls of torch wick, about two dozen t-shirts with
the Gravity Specific logo and my camera with
pictures of two Juniors competitors using my brand of props. The
individual, who may or may not have been a juggler, has done serious
damage to. a new business. If anyone has information about the theft,
please report it to me, Loyola CoIlege security, Baltimore Police or the
IJA.
More
important is the need to avoid the paranoia of the outside world and to
be able to trust the people we juggle with. If we can't do. that much,
then as a prop maker, I will have to consider the possibility of theft
before attending and selling my products at future conventions.
JONATHAN
LEE LYONS -
Where
Are Tongan Jugglers? As you may recall, I wrote last spring about providing you with a feature on juggling in Tonga. I have recently returned from Tonga, but am sorry to report that I will not be able to write the story ... for the simple reason that, on the island of Tongatapu, where I stayed, juggling is no longer practiced. During
the three weeks that I was on Tonga, I did not see one single child who.
was juggling, and although I asked people, including teachers in school,
they reported a blank.
I
believe that juggling is still more common on the outer islands of
Va'vau and Ha'apei, but I did not reach those islands. I'm sorry to. let
you down on this, but it would be mere fabrication to. write a story
about juggling on Tonga when I witnessed nothing! ANNE
MEREWOOD |