1. Call to Order
Chair, Benjamin Domask-Ruh, called the meeting to order at: 6:01pm Eastern
2. Roll:
Present: Afton Benson, David Wilkins, Jake Darrow, Noel Yee, Benjamin Domask-Ruh, Jonathan Perry, Sofia Noethe, Nick Hanson, Michael Karas, Biz Olbrisch, Thayer Slichter, Kaylin Meyers, Martin Frost, Donnell Griffith, Mike Sullivan
Absent: ROSS!
Recorder: Biz!
3. Approval of Agenda
Motion: Jonathan
Second by: Sofia
Discussion: no discussion
Vote: motion carried unanimously
4. Approval of Minutes:
Business Board Meeting (Business Meeting Agenda – 10/16/2025 )
Motion: Sofia
Second: Michael
Discussion: no discussion
Vote: motion carried unanimously
5. Reports
Please keep verbal reports to 5 min or less except for festival discussion.
2026 Festival Report (Noel Yee)
Discussion:
Quick update from Noel, big document above with recent fest updates
Update from thayer about designs
Friday film festival discussion
Fest is coming along well for the time, lots of cool things spinning up
Registration numbers low, but higher than most years when it’s not open yet
Donnel Griffith joins at 6:13pm
Mike Sullivan joins at 6:17pm
Financial Report (Afton Benson)
Discussion: `
Fest numbers soon
Giving Tuesday posts oncoming
Newsletter scheduling discussion with Martin for Giving Tuesday.- got figured out
December 2nd is giving tuesday–share posts, write your own posts with the posts you share
IJA moving to quickbooks, different mailing address
Future Festival Site Report (Jake Darrow + Nick Hanson + Mike Sullivan)
In the past month, Jake, Mike and Nick have followed-up on leads from the SMMC show in October and have eliminated these prospects:
- Corpus Christi, Texas – Coastal tourist town, long distance walks between hotels and CC, not good walkability to dining, hotel rates above our $160/night target.
- Memphis, TN – Hotels rates very high, theater and Center rates well out of our range.
- Plattsburg, NY – Inaccessible except by one discount carrier, no downtown, no theater.
- Montgomery County, MD – University of Maryland campus is not available for our group.
- Syracuse, NY – Initial enthusiasm for our event has slammed into zero interest from the venues.
- Jake performed a site visit to Albany, NY and overall looks promising, except for hotel rates. At this point 2 of the 3 available hotels have offered a rate…540 rooms at $179-$199…and another 600 rooms at $209. Another issue though is restaurant access to discuss, also a sizable HILL to discuss as well. Albany is the best offer seen on the east coast so far, and is also a state capitol. The Conference Center/Theater should work great for us.
- Afton and Benjamin also performed a site visit to Rochester, MN. We have not received any rates yet, but they seem very interested in us visiting them.
We’re awaiting additional follow-up from Lubbock, TX. Nick is working on a preliminary site visit in his hometown of Huntsville, AL, which I visited and eliminated in September, 2016, but they have made new developments downtown near the Von Braun Center and Embassy Suites Hotel.
- Other possibilities in the works still…need time to investigate…Albuquerque, NM and Berkely, CA.
We are still holding a live offer from Green Bay for 2029 that we can activate starting in January.
Discussion:
Much discussion about Albany NY and Rochester MN as 2029 festival site locations. Albany is more expensive for hotels, Rochester has space and distance challenges, board gave some broad direction to continue to pursue Albany, Afton will follow up with Rochester.
Noel mentioned that it is near time for the 2028 and perhaps 2029 fest director outreach.
eJuggle Report (Eric Shibuya)
Steve Rawlings will be writing some new works on performance and creativity (see one of my last comments below) in exchange for extending his IJA membership. I will submit that to Marilyn once I accept his first article. Thanks to Ross Berenson for facilitating this idea and contact.
New guest writer Katie Histed with a lovely article on her juggling journey: https://www.juggle.org/juggling-for-joy-from-corporate-security-director-to-juggling-instructor/
Article on new acquisitions from the Brunn/Chirrick collection to the Museum of Juggling History published on 18 Nov, and Esteban’s interview with Yerraldin Callejas published today. Both look great.
Associate Editor Naomi Stager told me that Javier has sent her 6 articles that she will look at and set for January on a biweekly basis. Javier is writing on juggling and fitness (he was one of the writers sent to me after being turned down for the juggling education book). Very excited to see this series (I should get eyes on the first article soon so Javier and I can talk compensation).
Beyond more science/fitness stuff (which I absolutely want to get), I get “requests” from folks saying they’d love to read about creation/creativity. I figure I’d toss that out here to the Board, especially our performing members. Does anyone want to write about what goes into creation? I think what would be great would be a reflection on an already created piece (rather than the theoretical type “I start with some music,” or whatever): How was a piece made, what inspires/inspired you to make it? So readers can follow the creative process but also have the finished product to see as well.
(I put requests in quotes because the most frequent email I get is something along the lines of “you should get an eJuggle article on this” and I note I have editors but not really a writing staff, but I’ll ask around, and maybe they might want to write it? Nothing after that)
Question for the Board: As noted in discussion about eJuggle, Tricks of the Month comes out weekly. Do we want to change the title? Do we care? If we change the title, what does that do for all the previous TOTMs? What about Youtube? (which is the primary venue for TOTM, I think, I just pull the YT link into eJuggle).
My current inclination is to leave as is. Responses to my earlier queries on IJA FB page suggests that no one is seeing everything. The fact that there is a weekly “Tricks of the Month” hasn’t seemed to bother anyone.
Answer: People are fine with Tricks of the Month and don’t need to change it. It only has a question when you point it out.
Discussion:
People like the planned articles. No one thought the tricks of the month thing is a problem.
Membership (Marilyn Sullivan)
Membership Data
Discussion:
- Interesting changes in the Membership numbers? Up 80 down 80?
- Dan Howard had voiced interest at becoming more involved with membership
A new membership director is needed. With the new website a new revamping of the membership director’s responsibilities could be good.
Marketing Report (Lisa Ellipse)IJA social media requests
Discussion:
Chloe and Lisa doing festival stuff next month
Re working well
Kaylin working on giving tuesday
No discussion
IRC Report (Erin Stephens)
Discussion: no report no discussion
YJA Report (Benjamin Domask-Ruh)
Discussion:
- Two more badge books sent out! We are having issues with shipping costs to Europe from the U.S. being prohibitive. We talked with Chloe from Ireland who will be visiting the states soon and will be sending her home with a library of Badge Books to ship from an EU country to mitigate those costs. Hooray for Jugglers!
- Following a discussion on ‘Championships’ this past Monday, there has been much discussion about Juniors/Youth Showcases of the past. Sofia and Benjamin have expressed interest in helping Viveca revisit these shows for future IJA festivals. How does the YJA fit into these efforts?
Biz: With the youth showcase there were some kids who were ready and some who were less ready and seemed overwhelmed. Wonder if that shouldn’t be more of a aux thing for the youth showcase aspect. An intermediate step before they take the big stage.
Thayer: Are we planning on doing any club yja outside of IJA? Benjamin: we’ll have a meeting and sort it out. Could happen at MONDO and Philly.
Kaylin: The teen team might be interested in talking about it?
Jonathan: Teen call info – Afton send to folks.
OpsO Report (Ross Berenson)
Discussion:
- Meeting about Juggling Championships with Viveca and NeilFred has happened.
- A few of us were on a call – please share what was discussed. Benjamin recorded the conversation in a google doc.
- Waiting on an invite from Jugglingedge so the IJA can have an account to list the festival.
Notes: we love Ross and his diligence and efforts going into the website! <3 Good job Ross!
Afton: Will send award nomination email for newsletter and call for 2028 festival director
6. Motions for Consideration
- Motion to reupload April 2024 Board meeting minutes with removed extraneous sentences.
Motion: Sofia
Seconded: Biz
Discussion
- Business meeting agenda 04.15.2024
- Clarified the meeting mins, they were removed back in 2024, adjusted according mins.
Vote: Abstain: Jonathan, Kaylin
Passes with remaining members
7. Varia:
Benjamin – Big Top Group asks about IJA involvement in Spring Circus Lab in April 2026.
Discussion:
They want to do a partnership, looking for us to sponsor a juggler for 2 weeks for a residency. The conversation was lacking information and details.
Jonathan: Are there any NY local jugglers who would be appropriate to teach? Benjamin: Of course but giving them some names may be more productive.
Biz: Who is this group? Benjamin: Circus org in Hudson Valley area for NY. THey’re doing youth circus, workshops, lectures, shows etc.
Michael: Maybe we get involved once they’re more established.
8. Confirm Next Meeting
Next meetings will take place on…
December 4th for the next vision meeting
December 18th for the next business meeting
9. Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 7:23 pm Eastern.