|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
| May's Meeting Program Can Do the clown will present - Don't clown around with your money!!! President's Corner by Ed Fitzgerald Gilbert’s box This story began shortly after I became a clown. It doesn’t take long, when you are a first of may to realize that, as a clown that is ready for anything - one must have a lot of “toys” available to use during a long event. I tried using my pockets, but I looked like a squirrel packing away nuts for the winter. I also felt like a pack mule. No matter how many pockets I had, it was never enough. Faced with this dilemma I kept my “clown eyes” open for a solution. One day while visiting my parents I discovered a box in their garage. My Dad was a collector of anything and everything, we (his family) thought much of it was junk, but Dad, who grew up during the depression of the thirties, saw value in everything. So Dad saved “stuff”. This box was of sound construction, not to big, not to small, like the three bears, it was just right. The box was ugly, the finish was gone, and it was dirty looking and full of “stuff”, but in my clown eyes it was just what I had been looking for. After cleaning and a coat off red paint it looked pretty good, perfect for what I had in mind. At that time, and still today, now that I think about it, I spend way to much time thinking about what I could, what I should, and what I do as a clown. After much thought I decided the box should serve more than one purpose. I could use it as a prop, make it part of my act as it were. What to do, what to do? I got it!! I’ll have snakes jump out of the box every time I go to get another prop for the next bit or trick I’m doing. I thought up a story of how I borrowed this box (without asking) from my good friend Gilbert, (a good name for a clowns friend, and one I could remember without thinking), on the bottom of the box, the part the kids see when I put the box on a stand, I painted DO NOT OPEN. Now the story I would tell the kids was that I knew I had to do a show for them and I had to have cool tricks and games. Well my friend Gilbert has WAY cool games and tricks so I went over to his house to see what I could borrow, well he wasn’t home but I found his box and I “borrowed” it without asking. You shouldn’t borrow anyone’s stuff without asking, that’s STEALING. Gilbert has booby-trapped his box to keep others, in this case me, out of it. That explains why the snakes jump out. Now how to blow it off? Got it! I had recently attended an Ickle-Pickle show and had bought a rat trap that had been rigged to allow you to put your fingers under the bail giving the illusion you had been “caught” in the trap. This trap also has a cap from a cap pistol on it to produce the bang of the trap going off. So now after opening Gilberts box several times and having spring snakes jump out and scaring me I get smart and only open the box slightly, slipping my hand through the crack ….. KAPOW … I jerk my hand out with the rat-trap attached to it, I react accordingly in great pain hopping around until I can get the trap off. Now I tell the kids the moral of the running gag, that it’s not a good idea to borrow things without asking, in the end you will be sorry. Great this will work out perfect I’ll entertain and teach them something at the same time, what could be better than that? Well it did work out great, until that one time… I had a job entertaining a group of kids at a “mission” at an apartment complex for residents of modest income, hosted by a large church in the metro-plex. I had conned, er asked my friend Dubble Bubble into going along as I lacked the confidence to do the job by myself. Plus more clowns equal more fun in my book. The lady asked us if we could take the kids to a room away from the revival portion of the event thinking the kid would be bored and become a distraction. We were basically trapped in the manager’s office with a bunch of kids so we think perfect time for a show. Now Dubble-Bubble and I had not worked together very much at that time. So we decided I would do something then she would do something then we would do something together and would alternate that way until, A. We ran out of things to do B. We thought of something better to do or C. Someone came and got us. I thought this would be a perfect time to use my Gilbert’s box “bit”. It had worked in the past, even though I was still fine tuning it I believed it would be a good addition to the show. The kids were of varied ages so we did things appropriate to older as well as young children. When we were not performing we would take turns setting on the floor with the rest of the audience. My memories of the specifics of the show are vague, I think we got the reactions we hoped for, and I wasn’t disappointed with the show we gave them. It was only after the show that Dubble-Bubble relayed a comment made by a little girl of three or four. At the end of my running gag, while I was hopping around with the rat-trap “attached” to my hand, this innocent little girl with a frightened look on her face said “I hate it when the rats come out.” I felt horrible; I still do, to think I caused an unpleasant memory to surface in this girls mind. It is exactly the opposite effect I was after. I was hoping to make them forget at least for a while all the unpleasantness in their lives. I wanted to go back and tell her everything would be alright and give her a hug to make up for my insensitivity. I couldn’t, I wasn’t sure which girl had made the statement. Sometimes our innocent actions are received in a manner witch we have no control or no way of knowing. That was the last time I used my rat-trap, I, like the little girl, don’t think it’s funny anymore. 3rd Annual Joint Alley Meeting Sponsored by Cowtown Clown Alley #135 JUNE 26, 2006 7 pm, doors open at 6:15 $6 at the door. FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF HURST, 1801 N NORWOOD ROAD, HURST, TX 76054 Sandwiches, salads, chips, desserts, soft drinks & water. Featured Speaker is humor columnist, Dave Lieber, “the Yankee Cowboy” |
|
|
June 24 Homeless Games 9-3 Reverchon Park, 3505 Maple, facepainting, balloons & walkarounds. Contact Ruthie Mae at 972-462-8467. June 12-Aug 7 UTA Clowning 101, beginning clowning, No class 7/3. Contact Susan Keys or www.clowns.freeservers.com for clown class info. July 4 Irving 4th of July Parade, shows & park event. Alley Fundraiser. Irving has changed the event location and are expecting more people this year. They want 4 face painters & 4 balloon artists to handle their big plans. Aug 1-7 International Clown Week Sept 27-Oct 1 Texas Clown Association Convention, Irving, www.tca2006.8m.com We Love Our Volunteer Entertainers National Alliance of Mental Health Buckle, Dubble Bubble, Hodge Podge, & Dwight Reed Children’s Cancer Fund Fashion Show Ana Banana, Doowat, Dusti, Jeepers, Joyfull, Miss Birdie, Ruthie Mae, & Sugar Lump Happy Birthday to: Margaret Clauder “Maggie” 5/19 Ginger Collier “Nutt-Megg” 5/26 Debbie Fisher “Hilly Beans” 5/27 Susan Keys “Dubble Bubble” 6/10 Joe Shamburger “Zippie” 6/22 Barbara Peebles “Ginger Snap” 6/27 Tricia Gregory “Hanky” 6/28 Maria Alexander “Abby K. Dabby” 6/28 Upcoming Meeting Programs June Joint Area Clown Meeting Hosted by Cowtown Clowns. Regular Alley 85 meeting on June 20th, is canceled. July Birthday Business I’ve got a gig!!! Now what? August A Salute to Hubba Hubba! Hubba believed that it was important that we perform for each other. We’ll honor his memory during this meeting by clowning up and sharing our favorite bits. September Dan Cutchen Music, Motion & Other Marvelous Bits of Insanity October Elizabeth Ellis A versatile and riveting story teller of Appalachian and Texas tales and stories of heroic American women November Carl Jones Comedy Mind Reader, Magician, & Topper the Clown December Christmas Party April '06 Meeting Minutes Buckle aka Mr Ed called the meeting to order at 7:25 PM. He welcomed our guest for the Graduation Snickers, and Sparkle. and Family. Buckle asked for any changes to the minutes in the news letter that Miss Cookie was so wonderful to take care of in loppo's absents. Miss Cookies the nut that she is did a great job on the minutes. They were TERrrrific, and appreciate by all especially Loppo for filling in. Ruthie Mae motioned that we accept the minutes, and DooWat 2ND. Buckle ruled the minutes be accepted. Our sick : Buckle's hip is healing, and he said he is limping less thank goodness. Buckle asked for the treasury report and DooWat came thru for us with all the details. Buckle asked for the motion to accept the report. Marcia made the motion and Ana Banana 2ND. As for Old Business. Buckle announced the BAD News that we did not make the cut to sign the National Anthem at the Texas Ranger game. Hodge Podge applauded our efforts. Dusti offered tickets to the event. Buckle mentioned the Joint member for this year is June 26Th at the Hurst 1st Baptist church. Cindy suggested that we not have our regular meeting and DooWat 2ND the motion . All members in attendance voted to accept so there will be no regular meeting at the MacArthur Church location. Buckle reminded us of the July 4Th Irving festival, and urged everyone's participation from the alley. We usually do a show, balloons and walkarounds and generally have a good time with the kids. So please come and be part of the fun. It is our largest fund raiser for the alleys for the year. We need everyone's help. Sign up sheets will be at the front table. April 21st is the Fashion Show at the Hyatt Regency DFW 9am to 12:00, There are usually news personalities there to escort the children down the run way. It sounds like a lot of fun. The clowns are there to help backstage as needed. (RX Take one clown with lots of laughter and water daily to keep the doctor away!) Buckle asked for any new business ...... April 22ND was mentioned by Ana Banana 1K run for kids this Saturday at Stonebriar mall in Frisco.7am to 9:30am. They need clowns for walk arounds Contact JC Hampton 214 674 2766 for details. or mine 214 563 4461. DooWat motion to close the meeting. If you did not get to come to the last meeting you missed a great performance by Susan's last graduating class. There's a really great spitter in that group. her aim is wet center!
|
|
