JUGHEADS
Youth Juggling Company, LLC
5905 Concord Avenue
Edina, MN 55424
jugheads@comcast.net
612.229.3348

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December 2002

“The Blessings of the JH Age Range”

This month, our combined Holiday Party gives me cause to focus on a topic totally unrelated to the season: the age range of Jugheads. There are so many new families to JUGHEADS this year that many kids (and even parents) may feel intimidated by the number of veteran members, especially in the older middle and high school age range. Those in that broad category known as teenagers are often viewed with suspicion by younger kids and adults, sometimes for good reason. Bullying, immoral behavior and disregard for discipline or authority are telltale signs of rebellious adolescents. But not at JUGHEADS. I do not and will not tolerate put-downs, bullying or overt disrespect from and among my kids, regardless of their age.

The result is that the kids know my boundaries, and they all feel safer and more secure knowing that I’ll stick up for them if they themselves are bullied or disrespected. In addition, many of our older kids consider it a privilege to mentor the younger kids, whether simply teaching them a trick or even taking them under their wing for a juggling camp or an entire year of a weekly club. So, if you have a younger Jughead looking forward to the Holiday Party, attending MONDO in February , and/or performing in Juggle Jam V in May, know that they’ll be in good hands: not just through my influence and that of the chaperones, but directly through the influence and care of our older Jugheads. The simplest way to show gratitude for blessings received is to pass them on to a captive and needy audience. My whole approach to leading JUGHEADS is an act of gratitude for my own childhood and my many mentors therein, and many teenage Jugheads put the same gratitude in action.