THE FUNNIES

Our special guest will be Pat Lay Wilson. She is going to talk about the various kinds of puppets clowns may use in their performances and how to bring their own puppets to life. Please bring your puppets to the meeting. Non members will need to pay a $10.00 fee to attend the lecture.

Pam's Dad, Snickers, went to heaven Wednesday August 30th. Pam has been in Malibu with him. I don’t know if everyone got her message while he was sick. She knows she is in our prayers. There may be a memorial service later. We will have more news at the club.
 
The class we had last month was so good and we learned a really cool butterfly/fairy/angel/alien; all in one depending on how you add or take away. Carmen used her balloons in a different yet easy to follow way. She also showed us a bird cage/ruby ring. She showed people how she sets up her balloons and paint pins. She got her case at a craft shop. I love to see creativity spark imaginations. Thanks Carmen and we will miss you while you are on the road teaching. See you soon. We also had a friend of Pam House who gave out fliers on a Clown workshop @ Leisure World (10/13-16, 2006), costs 50.00 taught by Happy a Shrine Clown RSVP 562-533-0619 Thanks for the info.

We have a lot of conventions coming up. WRCA, Nov.5-9 in Laflin. Moose Camp On The Road in Las Vegas is Feb. 19-22. FCM has a class on Oct. 14 in Whittier, WCA and COAI will be discussed at meeting. We also have parades coming up I'd like ya'll to join me in and have a booth afterward; more about that at the Mon. meeting. We will put the information on web after class.

You should be thinking about your Oct. shows now. I have been asked to work already. I've started thinking about my stories, crafts, food fun to make, balloons and face painting. When I work at Pumpkin patches, I always make a deal for small ones(pumpkins), that the kids can paint and fix up. While they do their craft, I'm facepainting. I make a space with hay in a C; where I tell stories. I get everything in organizers and ready to take to each event. Parades are at that time also and I have to get out my costumes (make sure Dry Cleaned), and hitch up the wagon for trial runs; I take kids for rides too. I  am reminded of the jobs that I was asked to do again and have to look up names and call people; to let them know I remembered and have started on it. It's time to put your ideas with Thanksgiving too.I grow gourds and make crafts for kids with them.

This month, Pat Wilson will be our teacher on Puppets and wants everyone to bring their puppet. I will have a few to be used or buy. Pat has taught classes and puts on and helps with conventions all over. She will also talk about WCA, insurance (when I ever needed my insurance. updated; she was always right on it), and membership; and she also welcomes us as an official WCA ALLEY! Pat is a very informative and creative clown and teacher. Let's start on time and, if you eat please do before or after meeting (or fast). I know we all like desserts, and I'd like to talk about that. Pat will talk on Puppets for a whole hour. Let’s give her the time. Thanks and Let it Shine, Wendy

I am so excited!!  I will be going to the COAI fall board meeting on September 7th and coming back on the 10th, to help our newest board members to get acclimated, to help get COAI on track and to help prepare for the next convention coming up in April, in Springfield Missouri!  At this meeting we will accept the Director of Membership's choice for Clown of the Year, the Director of Membership's acceptance of Excellence in Clowning applications, look at requests for grants for the 100 percent COAI alleys that have asked for them to help with their conventions and/or workshops plus we go over proposals by the board and membership to see what will work best for the betterment of COAI. 

If anyone has done any kind of record keeping for clown week, PLEASE send it in to the Clown Week Chair, Betty Andrews, before October 1st to be recognized!  These booklets will go with her to the spring board meeting in Springfield MO and displayed during the convention for all to see!  Her mailing address is in the front of the New Calliope. 

One more item that is my personal commitment and that is getting the Junior Joey program on track with the help of my committee members.  I hope to have a scholarship in place in the next New Calliope and teachers signed up for classes for the Springfield convention.  PHEW!! Lots to do... See you all at the next meeting!

Butterscotch

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WITH MORE & MORE DISASTERS HAPPENING AROUND THE WORLD, RED NOSE RESPONSE IS NEEDED MORE THAN EVER.

Important Clowning Tips

For Consideration Before Working With Survivors Of A Catastrophe

1. Go slow. Very few clowns have experience working in shelters. Allow the community within the shelter to get settled before going in. 

2. Families are devastated. Stress and anxiety levels are very high. Comic relief may not be what is needed in some situations. Please evaluate the environment closely. Many survivors may want someone to simply sit down and talk with them. 

3. Fear of clowns can be multiplied in a shelter environment. Full make-up and full costumes are not recommended. Wearing just a red nose and clown shoes will be enough to identify you as a caring clown. 

4. The emphasis should be on helping, listening and assisting. Shelter residents have lost everything and are displaced. Helping them reclaim some degree of normalcy should be a priority. Just listening to them one on one and assuring them that they are important is paramount. Assisting them and then following up once you establish contact is beneficial. 

5. Any and all shelter visits should be coordinated with shelter management. Drop-ins are a disruption to the shelter routine and should be avoided. 

6. Avoid being a distraction. While you may enjoy presenting your stage show, entertainment is not what is needed. Being a beacon of hope is. 

7. While hospital clowning or ministry clowning is OK, what is really needed in the shelter environment seems to be general "caring clowning" or the willingness of the clown to share his/her humanity first and a little comic relief later. 

8. Children have lost everything: parents, grandparents, pets, toys. Ownership is paramount. Do not give a sticker unless you are prepared to give a sticker to every youngster in the shelter. Do not make and present a balloon unless you have one for every youngster in the shelter. 

9. While the shelter residents have had terrible experiences, remember that the shelter staff is working in a high stress environment. Some comic relief efforts need to be directed to the staff. 

10. There is lots of clown power that wants to be involved and involved now. The energy and enthusiasm needs to be bridled. The aftermath of most disasters is a marathon and lots of involvement is going to be required 6, 12, 18, and 24 months out. 

11. Rumors run rampant in shelters. Clowns can be most effective by being willing to act as a rumor control monitor. 

12. Clown supplies are very important. A clown wants to be very well stocked as he or she enters the shelter. 

13. It is best if clowns work in teams of at least two. 

14. Comic relief workers need to decompress at the end of their tour. Some of the stories and situations they are dealing with during their visits are very troubling. If they don't make a point of decompressing and sharing among each other, the possibility of burnout runs high. 

15. There are many efforts being initiated. The natural competitive spirit that is present in some clowns and support/membership organizations needs to be played down. We are all in this together. 

16. After a catastrophe, the whole nation is a victim. Clowns that cannot respond to the shelters or to the recovery workers need to highlight their presence at community events and fundraisers across North America . Everyone is in need of some comic relief at some point after the disaster unfolds. 

17. The responding relief agencies need many volunteers. Our clowns come from many backgrounds and have various talents. Clowns not responding to the affected areas should be directed to volunteer at the local offices of the agencies involved and be encouraged to be active in community fundraising. 

18. Clowns are typically givers. Those who are volunteering their time and giving of themselves should be encouraged to insure they are paying attention to the priorities in their lives, such as families, religious organizations, their jobs, and other hobbies. 

19. Successes and failures need to be shared. 

Remember, it is our recommendation that you do not attempt to work in a shelter or directly with survivors unless you have the proper training or are under the supervision of someone experienced in the area of disaster clowning. We are in the process of developing our intensive certification program and will make it available as soon as it is completed. 

Your Funny Business Board and Associates:

Wendy Olson "Wendy" President/Treasurer
714/524-2897 dolson970@sbcglobal.net

Stacey Anderson "BooBoo" Vice President
(909)496-8393 clowns4ministry@yahoo.com

Jackie McDoniel "Sweetheart" Secretary
714-636-7966 jackiemc@socal.rr.com

Send all Articles by the last Monday in the previous month to:
Paulette "Pom-Pom" Rosen, Newsletter Editor
and Webdesigner and Webmaster for "Clown Pages" our Funny Business Website
714/539-4472 pom-pom@ pom-pomclown.com
Funny Business Website http://clownpages.com