JCA will meet on Monday, November 24th, 2014, at 7:30pm. This month’s meeting is good for anyone who needs help creating a clown face or working with greasepaint. You are welcome to come in makeup and costume to be critiqued. JCA Board Members will demonstrate how they put on their clown makeup. If you know someone who wants to be a clown, invite them to join us and we will help they get started.

Education is an important event at each Alley meeting. This includes presentation, hands on sessions, and group discussion on topics related to being a clown and entertainer. JCA is a club where we all come together each month to share and learn from each other. New members are always welcome at any of our monthly meeting. The following are the currently proposed educational topics for the coming year. Schedule subject to change. We are working on the educational calendar for 2015, if you have a topic you would like to present or learn more about, please let us know.

JCA Meeting Schedule

-== 2014 ==-

Monday, November 24, 2014	Designing a Clown Face – Makeup Help
Thursday, December 11, 2014	Holiday Party for Safe Places

-== 2015 ==-

Monday, January 26, 2015	Fun with Improv
Monday, February 23, 2015	Putting together a costume
Monday, March 23, 2015	Princess and Pirates: Using your clown skills with other characters
Monday, April 17, 2015	Charity Selection / Elections / Swap Meet
Monday, May 25, 2015	Memorial Day / Reschedule for May 18th?
Monday, June 22, 2015
Monday, July 27, 2015
Monday, August 24, 2015
Monday, September 28, 2015
Monday, October 26, 2015	Annual Potluck Picnic
Monday, November 23, 2015
Monday, December ??, 2015	Holiday Party

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JCA Monthly Meetings
4th Monday of each month at 7:30 pm
Vienna Baptist Church
541 Marshall Rd SW
Vienna, VA 22180

Take I-66 to the Nutley Street exit heading north toward Vienna. Turn right at the first light onto Marshall Road. Drive approximately one-quarter mile to Ware Street and turn left. We meet in the Parlor. The door that is usually unlocked is around towards the back of the building.

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Several members meet at the PanAm Family Restaurant in Vienna around 6:00 pm for dinner before the monthly JCA meeting.

PanAm Family Restaurant
3051 Nutley St.
Fairfax, VA 22031

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Holiday Party for Safe Places

Thursday, December 11th
6:00pm – 9:00pm (tentative)
Location TBD

Our December meeting is being replaced by our annual holiday party for the families of Safe Places. This year, their program has doubled in size! This year they are expecting about 46 children and 19 adults.

For those who haven’t attended the party in the past. Each year, JCA selects a charity group to support and for the past several years, the charity selected has been Safe Places. We host a holiday party for the families they support and provide the food, entertainment, and Santa for the party. Safe Places is a 24-month transitional housing program serving families throughout Fairfax County, Virginia who are homeless as a result of domestic violence. This is NOT a paid event.

Non-members are welcome to attend the party to help with setup, serving, entertainment, and cleanup. We usually dress up as holiday elves or other festive outfits that fit the Christmas Season. You are welcome to bring a side dish or dessert item to share.

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Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade

The Kapitol Klowns have invited us to join them in the Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade in Silver Spring on Saturday, November 22nd. The parade begins at 10:00am and steps off from Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street and proceeds south on Georgia Avenue, ending at Silver Spring Avenue. If interested in participating in the parade, contact Grant Berry at granthberry@aol.com for more details.

Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade
Saturday, November 22nd
10:00am
Silver Spring, MD

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Do you have clown news to share via the news updates or newsletters? Send your ideas and news to Sir Toony at

SirToony@SirToonyVanDukes.com

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Requests for Clowns – Local Events and Parades

If you are interested in marching in one of the upcoming local parades, contact Sir Toony at SirToony@SirToonyVanDukes.com

NOTE: Starting in January 2013, we will review and critique all members before they may represent JCA at events as a clown. Clowns must also have paid their annual dues to both JCA and COAI to participate in events. Clowns from neighboring clown alleys are welcome to join JCA in parades without being required to pay dues to JCA.

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Reston Holiday Parade
Friday, November 28, 2014
11:00am
Reston Town Center
Reston, VA

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Fantasy Flight at Dulles
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Dulles Airport
8:00-Noon

Plans are underway for United Airlines’ 25th Annual Fantasy Flight for Children’s Hospice International. Fantasy Flight 2014 promises to be more festive than ever as they celebrate this milestone in their partnership with CHI on Saturday, December 6th at Dulles International Airport.

If you want to participate in the event, you MUST register online at the Volunteer Match website. Search for the event “IAD Fantasy Flight 2014” and the position “Fantasy Flight Day of Event Volunteer Waitlist”. In the comments field, mention that you are with Just Clowning Around of Northern Virginia.

https://united.volunteermatch.org/

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Special Love Holiday Party for children with cancer
http://www.speciallove.org/
Sunday, December 7, 2014
11:30-4:00
Franconia Fire Station
6300 Beulah St
Franconia, VA
703-971-5858

The Kapitol Klowns have been entertaining the children at the holiday party for Special Love held at the Franconia Fire Station. Several members of JCA have also come to help out in the past. Usually, the clowns do balloons and face painting for the guests. They are also welcome to arrive early to enjoy the lunch. This year’s party is on Sunday, December 7th.

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Upcoming Clown Events

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Florida Super Jam (Balloons)
January 7-10, 2015
The Allure Resort Orlando
8444 International Drive
Orlando, FL 32819
http://www.thefloridasuperjam.com/

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Twist & Shout 2015 (Balloons)
January 21 – 25, 2015
Harrah’s Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas, NV
http://www.balloonconvention.com/

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Circus Magic Convention ** New Location
February 19-22, 2015
Crowne Plaza Hampton Marina
700 Settlers Landing Road
Hampton, VA 23669
http://circusmagicconvention.com/

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Find more upcoming events on Just For Clowns:
http://www.justforclowns.com/calendar-of-events/

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The Circus is Coming to Town

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NSO Pops: Cirque de la Symphonie — Kennedy Center Concert Hall
December 11 – 13, 2014
http://www.kennedy-center.org/events/?event=NPPSC
http://www.cirquedelasymphonie.com/schedule

High-flying fantasy soars once again with Cirque de la Symphonie–back by popular demand for a special holiday program, following its sold-out 2013 engagement! Acrobats, contortionists, jugglers, strongmen, and other new and returning acts perform astonishing feats uniquely choreographed to classical masterpieces.

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Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Presents LEGENDS

Mar 19 – Mar 22
Verizon Center
Washington, DC

April 8-19, 2015
Patriot Center
Fairfax, VA

http://www.ringling.com/

Experience unimaginable family fun, as amazing performers from around the globe perform awe-inspiring feats of daring, spectacles of strength and thrills of wonder to summon the mythical and mysterious creatures of the past: a Unicorn, a Pegasus and a Woolly Mammoth! Join us for an unforgettable family night of legendary proportions!

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WorldWide Circus Summit 2015
July 14th to July 18th, 2015
Big E Fairgrounds
West Springfield, Massachusetts
http://worldwidecircussummit2015.com/

The Summit will be a unique and wonderful opportunity for a wide variety of circus-related save_the_date_smorganizations to join together at a world-class location at a common time to hold their conventions, meetings and/or activities and share their love for the circus. The theme of the Summit is: Celebrating the Circus … Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow!

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Thanksgiving Jokes

=====================

Q: What smells the best at a Thanksgiving dinner?
A: Your nose!

Q: Why did the police arrest the turkey?
A: They suspected it of fowl play!

Q: Who was the drummer in the Thanksgiving band?
A: The turkey, because he had the drumsticks!

Q: If the Pilgrims were alive today, what would they be most famous for?
A: Their age!

Q: What happened when the turkey got into a fight?
A: He got the stuffing knocked out of him!

Q: Why should you never set the turkey next to the desert?
A: Because he will gobble, gobble it up!

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Balloon and Face Painting Jams

Each month, Mike Becvar hosts a face painting and balloon jam at the Cici’s Pizza in Chantilly. It is normally on the 2nd Monday of the month.

Mike tries to arrive between 6:00 and 6:30 and grab some food from the buffet. The actual jam portion of the night begins at 7:00 and continues until Cici’s closes at 9:00pm. You can come as early or late as you like. The manager lets anyone who comes to do balloons or face painting eat the buffet for free. The jam is open to face painters and balloon twisters of all skill levels. You may ask for tips, but you cannot set a price for the balloons or face painting.

Chantilly Face Painting and Balloon Jam
2nd Monday of each Month
Buffet from 6:00 – 7:00
Jam from 7:00 – Close

CiCi’s Pizza Buffet
14392 Chantilly Crossing Lane
Chantilly, VA 20151
703-961-9100

There are several other face painting and balloon jams in the area. Contact Mike Becvar aka Sir Toony for information about the other jams.

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Northern Virginia S.A.M. Assembly 252 Meetings
3rd Thursday of each month
7:30pm until 9:00pm
http://www.sam252.com/

The Knights of Columbus Hall
behind St. Leo’s Catholic Church
3700 Old Lee Highway
Fairfax, VA 22030

(go totally through church parking lot, make a right at baseball field, then a left, Knights of Columbus Hall is on the right) Note: Youth meet 1/2 hour earlier at 7:00pm

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Fairfax Jugglers
Key Intermediate Cafeteria
Every Thursday * when school is in session
Thursdays, 7:30-10 PM

Key Intermediate School
6402 Franconia Road
Springfield, VA 22150

Contact bsperling@cox.net to get on their email list.

Enter the parking lot opposite Japonica Street, turn RIGHT at the front of the school and drive around to the far back and the end of the parking lot. Enter the cafeteria at entrance #6 (visible past the dumpster), along a sidewalk, and this may be the best way in (if you arrive first please prop open this door). Alternately, check the Handicapped Student’s Gym by Entrance #9 or use entrance #5 and turn left at the first cross-hall, then look for the cafeteria on the left. OR: check the handicapped student’s gym by Entrance #9 after your first left turn.

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The CIRCUS CLUB also meets at Key Intermediate School on Thursdays, but in the Handicapped Student’s Gym by Entrance #9. They teach many circus skills to children and perform in parades and other venues. If you know of a child or teenager who would be interested in learning or developing those kinds of skills then contact them at Circusclub@yahoo.com

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