Hello Friends of Jest for Joy!

Today we have a guest blogger, our wonderful and invaluable Treasurer of the Board of Directors, Kristine Coombes.  Kristine has been with Jest for Joy since our inception and has been a marked component of our successes so far.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank Kristine for all of the hard work, dedication and perseverance she has shown on the Jest for Joy journey.  I am pleased to announce that Kristine has been voted by our Society Members as our Treasurer for another year and we are all most grateful!  The following is what she had to say about our recent and successful AGM.

Jest for Joy held its first Annual General Meeting on September 1, 2010. The Board presented highlights on all aspects of Jest for Joy from how we came to be, to how much money we spent and where we see ourselves in the future. My personal favorite was listening to stories written by the clowns themselves on their experience in the facility.

It was an amazing experience as the Board of Directors was able to share this inspirational charity with some of our 31 new society members. The society members were eager to offer valuable ideas that the Board has already started to implement.

We would like to offer a special thank you to Rosa Parks Improv, Blacker Training Systems, ITSAZOO Productions Theatre Company, the Soap Show and Invoke Photography for providing amazing deals and opportunities to all society members. If you are interested in becoming a Society Member please email allyson@jestforjoy.ca for more details.

Kristine Coombes

Treasurer, Jest for Joy Board of Directors



Kristine clowning around with Drs. BB and "Badges" at the Fools Fair Fundraiser

Jest For Joy

Hello Friends and Fans,

We hope you have been having a marvellous summer full of smiles and adventure!

Jest for Joy has been a registered society for one year and it is time for our Annual General Meeting. We request the support of our friends and fans by attending this meeting to vote in the Board of Directors for another season of hard behind-the-scenes work.

In order to tantalize and tempt you to attend, we are offering a fabulous incentive package which will be available as of the AGM! Here are the details:

For a $20 donation you will become a Jest for Joy Society Member and:

 Be eligible to vote at our Annual General Meeting
 Receive a bi-annual Jest for Joy e-newsletter exclusive to Society Members
 Receive a very cool Members Benefit Package including a membership card and reference guide, entitling you to discounts with local Vancouver companies. These discounts are valid from Sept 1st 2010 to Sept 1st, 2011 so becoming a member early gives you more time to reap the rewards!

Please RSVP if you can, to allyson@jestforjoy.ca indicating your attendance at our AGM which will be on:

Wednesday September 1st
7pm
Oakridge Public Library, Vancouver

(Located in Oakridge Shopping Centre at 41 Street & Cambie, southwest corner).
Please bring cash or personal cheques to purchase your Society Membership.

We all thank you in advance for your support and for contributing to our continued success. See you there!

The Jest for Joy Team

Hello Readers,

Today we have a guest blogger, Mr. Rob Walker. I am proud to introduce Rob to you as a committed and double-duty member of the Jest for Joy family. Mr. Walker is one of our dedicated Board members, as well as being one of the select group of performers who have been trained by Jest for Joy as a clown-doctor.

In December, just a few days before Christmas, all four of Jest for Joy’s clown-doctors visited our George Pearson Centre friends together in a Clown Christmas Caroling Day. Although Rob has been trained and has developed a character, he had not yet clowned in this facility, and was touched by the relationships and connections we have established with so many of the residents over the past 8 months that we have been servicing George Pearson. Upon reflection (about clown-doctoring at large, it seems), here is what he has to say:

Hello,
I’m tall, lanky, have a strong goofy streak. Goofy? Heck, I downright could be his love-child. People are always asking me, “Just, what are you, exactly?”

What I do find myself responding to are questions about what clown-doctoring is. Specifically, the clowning. Pop culture proves a pedestal for my explanation. Our organization pays individuals for their professional work in a healthcare setting. That training happens to be in voice and movement rather then fluid identification.

The background I bring to Jest for Joy’s board of directors is Fine Arts and Education. References to the work of Decroux and Marceau come easy to me. I find, however, that Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Tina Fey and Robin Williams are more familiar references. Speaking of Mork, it was his role in the film, Patch Adams, that provides the clearest window. We are establishing a standard of care that returns joy and inspiration to individuals, using the philosophies of therapeutic clowning, amidst the medicine and machinery. Clown-doctoring is about celebrating and encouraging the spirit. Our organization is inspired by international organizations who have been involved in this work for many years. We are in communication with the Canadian Association of Therapeutic Clowning, hoping to gain guidance and alliances with other reputed therapeutic clowns across Canada.

The greatest stereotype I work to dispel is that of the traditional circus or birthday-party clown. Jest for Joy clown-doctors perform with a minimum of makeup, costume and prop. Our clowns always work in pairs, two noses per shift. Doing so allows the audience to participate at will. Working in pairs also increases the artists’ awareness of the patients needs within the medical environment. A person may be experiencing a tough treatment or be susceptible to transmitting or receiving infection (we gown-up outside the room while gently crooning). Might we wear unflattering shoes? Certainly – but Jest for Joy clown-doctors do not step into any room without prior consultation with the clinical team and being invited at the door.

Bet ‘cha didn’t know there was an association of therapeutic clowns! Obviously, we’re not just goofing around.

To you, with joy and inspiration,
Rob Walker