What Might Have Been Lost...

Most of you know that I've been involved with a just-for-fun juggling group here in West Chester. We call ourselves "The Turks Head Jugglers," borrowing the name of our Borough before it became West Chester over a century ago. I started the group roughly ten years ago, and it was at the time an important part of my life. It still is.

We've had over 130 different jugglers at our practice sessions -- some folks for a single visit, and some folks for almost every one of our twice-weekly practice sessions. We've had kids as young as eight juggling with us and a wonderful lady in her 80's -- and every age in-between. Some of us were brand new at juggling when we came and some of us were seasoned professionals when we first walked in the door. We've had three world champions and numerous full-time professionals join us for practice sessions when they passed through the Southeast Pennsylvania area.

And although we are surrounded with colleges and universities, to the best of my knowledge, there are only two other juggling clubs in a 50-mile radius of West Chester. And that radius includes both Philadelphia and Wilmington.

Sometimes we have 4 people attend a session. Sometimes we have 25 people attend a session. We just never know. (Which is sooooo cool!)

For most of us, the practice sessions are a light and pleasant diversion from life's vicissitudes. For some of us, it's a chance to brush up our performance routines. And I did have a parent e-mail me once, saying "I can never thank you enough for what you and the juggling club have done for my two boys."

I guess I have to confess to being the head of the program, since I started it and still maintain communications with the West Chester Friends School (who generously allow us to use their gym twice a week year 'round) and West Chester's Parks and Recreation Department (who provide advertising support and other vitally important assistance). But the truth has always been that the character and energy of the club comes from the membership. And it has been a delight to watch the "character and energy" of the club evolve and change as the years go by.

Years ago, I realized that I could not attend every session to watch over the proceedings, and that several substitutes were required to make sure that somebody had a key to open the gym, watch over the practice and make sure nothing dangerous or foolish took place (okay, truth is, foolish but non-dangerous things happen fairly frequently...), and then chase everyone out and lock up at the appropriate time.

Four regular attenders were obvious choices to form what we decided to call "The Executive Committee." Each of them has a key and is completely capable of keeping things at the gym lively and fun and completely safe. And if I can't open the gym and look over things, the Executive Committee works out which one of them will take responsibility for the session. Of equal importance, the Executive Committee is available, when I have one of my hare-brained schemes as to how to change the club and/or the sessions, to say, "Randy, don't. Just don't. Leave success alone." Which has saved me from numerous embarrassing faux pas.

Anyway, when I started chemo and radiology therapies months ago, I not only felt I couldn't attend the Turks Head sessions (no physical energy available), but couldn't support the Executive Committee either (no mental energy either). I just felt so drained that I told myself, "Well, the EC will either keep this club alive and running smoothly without me or the club may come to a complete halt -- but I can't help out. I've just got nothing to contribute." I didn't call anyone or check on anything. I just hoped that things were okay.

So I am delighted to report that the EC has done a magnificent job in keeping the sessions running smoothly for all these months. There was always at least one member of the Committee who would be there -- and I'm sure that on several occasions, serious sacrifices had to be made by Commmittee members to keep the program going. We never had to cancel a single session due to lack of supervision.

(The two great killers of juggling clubs seem to be losing your venue [pretty obvious -- you can't run a club if you've nowhere to run it!] and not having a dependable, regular schedule [if folks aren't sure someone will be there, they're a lot less likely to climb into the car and make the drive]. And that's why what the EC has done for months is so vitally important.)

So, to Frank, Ellen, Travis and Jack, thank you from the bottom of my heart for keeping the Turks Heads alive and well. I'm deeply touched by your commitment and caring. And I'm back to pick up my share of the load again!

Let's go for at least another ten years!