Letters:

We want levels!

Has anybody set up formal categories of juggling skills for all levels of accomplishment? The Unicycling Society of America has a set of 10 levels for skills with virtually every known trick included somewhere. They also have a certification system wherein a rider demonstrates his accomplishments before any recognized unicycling judge and receives a certificate for that level. It gives riders goals to work toward.

Such a system might be useful for the IJA. It would provide incentives for the majority of us who will probably never be up to competing in the Juniors or the Nationals.

The diversity of props used in juggling and the seemingly endless number of tricks would mean that a formal set of skill levels would have to be limited to a reasonable subset of those props and tricks.

 Steve Stafford

Death of a great roper

I am sorry to pass on news of the death of Frank Dean. Many jugglers remember him because of his book, "Will Rogers' Rope Tricks," which is generally considered the best book on the subject. Although Frank never pursued juggling, he was interested in the IJA and used its concept in founding the International Trick and Fancy Ropers Association in 1980. Born in 1908, he started working the rodeo circuit in 1926 and performed in shows ranging from Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show to Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus.

He was a contributor to the IJA newsletter in its early years and very much interested in spreading the gospel of rope spinning and other Western performing arts. To those of us who knew him, he was an inspiration and all-around great guy. He will be very much missed.

Jim Bayliss

Try boomerang juggling

Since I now hold the official boomerang world juggling record at 161 catches (try it sometime!), I figure this is an excellent time to pass on the art of boomerang juggling. I would provide phone counseling on pointers and be available for on the field coaching. When done right, it is an august experience. It definitely expands juggling into time and space, across a field. All jugglers share the same ethos. A lapse into Prajna, a slip into Zen.

Barnaby Ruhe

Sewing bags for good

To date our church ladies have made over 900 juggling balls and filled them with more than 300 pounds of wheat. Contributions to the church in exchange for the bags are more than $1,000!  We even mail order as far away as New York   I include a set of instructions and IJA application with each set we sell. You can write me for a copy of the simple pattern used in making these bags.

Myron Wilcox Proterville , CA

The goodness of giving

The IJA would like to thank the people listed here for their monetary contributions to the organization during 1984 and 1985. Increased support from members and outside sponsors is an important step in the organization's promotion of juggling as an approachable art and sport for everyone. A big cascade of thanks to:

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