The Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture in Hanford, CA, presents
"Treasured Tales": A Traditional Japanese Storytelling and Puppetry Workshop
with Living National Treasure Shinnai artist Tsuruga Wakasanojo XI
and Nishikawa Koryu V, headmaster of the Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo Troupe

Date: Saturday, October 13, 2007
Time: 1:00-5:00 pm followed by optional no-host dinner with the artists
Location: Marriott Hotel, 300 South Court, Visalia, CA, 559-636-1111
Workshop fee: Before Sept. 15, $130 general, $100 members and
students; After Sept. 15, $150 general, $120 for Clark Center members
and registered students. Fee includes workshop materials and
complimentary admission to October 14 performance at the Hanford Fox
Theatre.

Participants in this exclusive workshop designed for practicing
performing artists and traditional Japanese arts specialists will
have the rare opportunity to work intensively in a small group
setting with two of the preeminent practitioners of traditional
Japanese performing arts in Japan today. The workshop will provide a
brief overview of the history of the centuries-old arts of Shinnai
narrative singing and Kuruma Ningyo puppetry, then, facilitated by an
interpreter, will receive instruction in the content of traditional
performances of these art forms, modes of accompaniment (musical and
vocal), technical aspects of voice control, puppet manipulation,
learn about details of the puppet-making, and traditional training
practices particular to these art forms.

Space is limited to 30 participants, so please reserve early to ensure a spot.

This workshop is presented by the Clark Center for Japanese Art and
Culture. For more information, please contact Maiko Behr by email or the Clark Center at 559-582-4915. More
information can also be found on the tour website at
www.shinnai-usa.org.
++++++++++++++++++++++

Announcement #2:
++++++++++++++++++++++
"Treasured Tales from Old Japan: Shinnai Narrative Song and Kuruma
Ningyo Puppetry"
A rare performance of traditional Japanese puppetry tales
Location: the Hanford Fox Theatre, 326 N. Irwin St., Hanford, CA
Date: Sunday, October 14, 2007 at 3:00 pm
Tickets: $18 general admission, $12 Clark Center members and students
with ID, available by calling 559-582-4915 or through Tickets.com
(see Hanford Fox Theatre) after September 1.

Kuruma Ningyo puppetry is a form of traditional Japanese puppetry
based on the innovation of the "rokuro kuruma," a wooden block on
wheels, which allows a single puppeteer to handle a three- to
four-foot tall puppet. Older forms of Japanese puppetry, such as
Bunraku, require three puppeteers to manage a single puppet,
resulting in a slower, more stylized type of movement. Kuruma Ningyo,
originating in the 19th century, allowed for faster-paced, more
realistic action on the part of the puppets, and broadened the scope
of the puppetry repertoire. Nishikawa Koryu V is the fifth generation
headmaster in a direct line of descendants from the first Nishikawa
Koryu, the originator of this unusual art form. He will be joined by
an associate puppeteer and Living National Treasure Tsuruga
Wakasanojo XI, whose vocal performance will provide the voices of the
puppets and narrator in the presentation of a combination of humorous
and tragically poignant pieces from the traditional repertoire.

This performance will be a rare opportunity to view these
centuries-old performing arts in tandem with each other outside of
Japan. The performance is part of a three-city North American tour
made possible in part by support from the Japan Foundation Performing
Arts JAPAN program.

For more information, please see the tour website athttp://www.shinnai-usa.org or email Maiko
Behr.

All the SFBAPG members who have contacted me so far, want to see the
National Puppet Theatre of Japan on Sunday, October 14. So, that's
the date for our group outing.

Sunday, Oct. 14: 2 PM pre-show talk (optional, of course) * 3 PM performance

If you want to see the show on Saturday night, you'll need to buy
those tickets on your own -- at the full $76 price.

I am going to make our SFBAPG group reservation this week so we are
assured good seats. Please contact me and let me know if you want to
attend.

Mary Decker

Japan's National Puppet Theatre is coming to Zellerbach Hall in
Berkeley! The last time they came to the U.S. was 24 years ago!

To reserve your GROUP DISCOUNT tickets, contact Mary Decker right
away and let her know what day you are available:

Saturday, Oct. 13: 7 PM pre-show talk * 8 PM performance
Sunday, Oct. 14: 2 PM pre-show talk * 3 PM performance

Tickets are normally $76. With our group discount, the tickets will
be $64.60. If we get 20 tickets, then the price will be $62.

Cal Performances web site:
http://www.calperfs.berkeley.edu/presents/season/2007/theater/bptj.php

Bunraku, Japan's centuries-old form of puppet theater, combines three
distinct and highly refined artistic disciplines: joruri, or ballad
narration, shamisen instrumental music, and ningyo tsukai, or the art
of puppet manipulation. Each of these skills demands years of intense
training (it is said to take at least 25 years to attain the status
of omozukai, the main puppet master). But the true magic of bunraku
is revealed when the three independent components of movement, words,
and music come together-it is this awe-inspiring ensemble work that
evokes such deep emotion and wonder. This is extraordinary,
multidimensional performance, displaying complexities not found in
any other theater in the world. In a major cultural event, Japan's
foremost exponent of this singular living art form-a company that
includes four "Living National Treasures"-visits the United States
for the first time since 1983.

Program: Date Musume Koi no Higanoko (Oshichi of the Fire Watch
Tower) (1773), Tsubosaka Kannon Reigenki (Miracle at the Tsubosaka
Kannon Temple) (1887), and an introduction to bunraku

CALIFORNIA SHAKESPEARE THEATER

Cal Shakes is conducting a Shadow Puppet Shakespeare class for
9-12-year-olds starting in October. 8 weeks, 4-6pm on Tuesdays.
Students will design shadow puppets and act scenes from Shakespeare.
See www.calshakes.org for info.

This is last call for puppet event listings for the September
newletter issue. To date I have listings from Nick Barone, Magical
Moonshine Theatre, and two special October events (Wise Fools'
PuppetLove festival and the visit of the Bunraku troupe). Is that
it??????

Looking for any puppetry-related events (performances or
workshops) that are open to the public. And if you have events in
October, send those as well. I'd like to work a bit ahead.

I'm happy to take stuff directly off your website, but (a) I
don't have the email or website addresses of all the members of
SFBAPG, and (b) it's not easy to visit 50 sites to see if you might
have listings. So help me out by letting me know if you do have any
listings, and where.

Please send to me, at this email, the What (with a one-line
description if desired), the Where, the When, the Cost, and anything
we need to know about getting tickets. I'll edit for consistency and
to fit the space.

Peace & joy-

Conrad Bishop
The Independent Eye, Ltd.

This is just a quick note to say that our newsletter deadline is nearly upon us, Aug 25, and I need newsletter material. If you have anything for the newsletter please send it. We need info about the next meeting, calendar listings, classifieds, articles, reviews, COMMITTEE REPORTS, the usual stuff.

ALSO, AS WE WILL NOW BE HAVING FEWER MEETINGS, I WOULD LIKE COMMITTEE REPORTS AT EACH MEETING. This is the responsibility of the committee chairperson. If you write up a committee report for the newsletter, you can just read or submit it at the meeting. Thanks.

A couple of newsletters ago I started a Pro Page, a page for tips or advice from the professional puppeteers in the guild. You pro puppeteers, please think about what you might want to share from your experiences in the field and let me know what you think you might be able to contribute. We were all helped by others as we became professionals, and now we have the chance to help less experienced puppeteers with what we have learned over the years. I think it would be best not to try to put all of your gained knowledge into one writing, but choose a single area to focus on, making it short (no more than one page) and leaving other topics for future pages. Thanks.

WANTED; Gossip columnist (well, not exactly). People are interested in what their fellow puppeteers are doing. I would love to have a regular column that focuses on guild members and their projects, new shows, activities, thoughts, whatever. Is there one of you that would like to try their hand at this? It would probably mean calling up a couple of guild members each month and quickly interviewing them over the phone about what they are doing, then writing it up for the newsletter. It would be a great way to get to know lots of guild members, and it would help all of us to know each other. It could help spawn collaborations. It could help make guild members want to attend meetings as they would know more about their fellow members and want to see them and find out more about what they had read. We are social beings and need to connect with each other. Anyone?

Thanks,
Michael

*
SUMMER GUILD MEETING AUGUST 25 AT OAKLAND FAIRYLAND PUPPET FAIR
*

On August 25 the guild's summer meeting will take place at Oakland
Fairyland's annual weekend of puppetry. While there are shows throughout the
day, the guild meeting itself will start at 4:30 pm at the Fairyland puppet
theater, followed by a potluck and a surprise presentation of "The
Unexpected Performance" just for the guild.
*

DETAILS:
*

Volunteers Needed: The guild will be hosting the craft booth starting at
noon. Some volunteers are still needed to lead the craft project provided by
the guild. Also volunteers are needed to watch the puppet exhibit and talk
to visitors about puppetry and the guild. Anyone wishing to volunteer please
contact Lee Armstrong at 707 996-9474.

Potluck Dinner: If you are bringing a pot luck item that needs
refrigeration, contact Randal Metz at 510 569-3144 to make cool
arrangements. Main dishes are always appreciated.*Admission: *
*Admission* to Fairyland is free for guild members--*(*your guests will have
to pay admissions...$6.00, very cheap for all the puppet shows you can
see!)
Parking is on Bellevue Ave (City of Oakland sometimes charges $3 to park
there on weekends), in the case of folks unloading that is set up through
Randal so they can contact him directly to get details . Volunteers may be
able to get special parking (ask Lee.) WANT to save gas, parking fees, and
hang out with other puppeteers? Arrange carpooling through the guild email
list! Meet and park cars at the nearest *park and ride *(find them on the
internet) and ride-share. It's fun and saves the environment.* *
**
*Puppet Exhibit:* Bring your puppets to display at the Puppet Exhibit.
Include a card with your name and any information regarding your puppet. All
puppets need to be at Fairyland around 10am on Sat. The exhibit will open at
11 am.

*Directions:* (see end of this email)
*
Agenda*: In addition to committee reports and treasurer report, the guild
will discuss a major change in guild structure, the proposed move to a nine
member board of directors. Come and be heard or let your views be known
through a proxy (any current officer would be willing to deliver your
written opinions.) If you have an item for the agenda, contact guild
president Michael Nelson

*SCHEDULE OF PUPPET FAIR EVENTS*:

11:00 am and 4:00 pm Puppet Show: *Aesop's Fables.* Featuring the tales of
The Tortoise and the Hare, The Lion and the Mouse, and The Grasshopper and
the Ant. Enjoy seeing what happens to Aesop's famous animal friends when
they discover they all have to work together to help the turtle win his
race. A merging of all of these charming lesson tales into one fun-filled
production set in Greece and featuring Greek music and dancing! Script by
David C. Jones. Puppets by Lewis Mahlmann and David Jones.

12:00 pm Puppet Show: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in our Ears. A tale of
misunderstandings involving funny characters such as the iguana, the python,
the rabbit, the crow, mother owl and many other entertaining creatures of
the jungle. Adaptation and puppets by Randal Metz and scenery by Lewis
Mahlmann. Presented by *The Puppet Company *(Plaza)

12:30 and 3:30 pm *Pinocchio: The Hip-Hopera. *Enjoy a fairy-take classic
with a modern twist! Pinocchio, the wooden puppet, follows his journey to
finally become a real boy. On his path, he learns valuable lessons about
telling the truth, acting with kindness to others, deciding between right
and wrong. This modern version features jaw-dropping hip-hop choreography by
Funkmode Dance, beats by Oakland teen Chukhudi Hodge, and original raps
written in collaboration with the Children's Fairyland Personalities and
Funkmode Dance.

1:30 pm Puppet Show: *Nick Barone Puppets *performs "T-Rex Thunderlizard's
Wild West Show!" (Emerald City Stage)
2:30 pm Puppet Show: *The Vagabond Puppets, *performs "A day in the Forest -
3 Pigs, Marx Brothers' Style".

*Directions, from the Fairyland website:*

*Driving Directions
*If you have additional questions, please call (510) 452-2259.

*I'm starting from…**
Marin, Richmond: *Take 80 west to 580 east (toward Hayward).*
San Francisco: *Take the Bay Bridge to 580 east (toward Hayward).
*Walnut Creek: *Take 24 through the Caldecott Tunnel to 580 east (toward
Hayward)*Berkeley: *Take 580 east (toward Hayward).

*From 580 east:*
Take the Harrison Street exit in Oakland and turn right onto Harrison. Turn
left at Grand Avenue. Fairyland is one block away, at the intersection of
Grand and Bellevue. Turn to the right and park.

*I'm starting from…**
Hayward, San Leandro, and Pleasanton*: Take 580 west to the
MacArthur/Harrison exit in Oakland. Turn left on Harrison and left on Grand
Avenue. Fairyland is one block away on the right, at the intersection of
Grand and Bellevue.

*San Jose, Hayward, and Fremont:* Take 880 north to the Oak Street exit in
Oakland. Turn right on Oak, which becomes Lakeside Drive. Turn right on
Grand Avenue. Fairyland is located one block away, at the intersection of
Grand and Bellevue (right side).

*Transit Directions**
On BART*: Get off at the 19th Street station. Take the 20th Street stairway
to street level. Walk on 20th Street to Harrison Street. Turn left on
Harrison. Turn right on Grand Avenue. Fairyland is one block away, at the
intersection of Grand and Bellevue (right side).

*On AC Transit*: Take the #12 bus from the 19th Street BART station to
Children's Fairyland.

The guild group is going to Avenue Q in SF on Thursday, August 30 at 8 pm.
So far there are 22 in the group. If you ordered tickets for the show at
the group rates but have not received a call or email in the last couple of
days about your specific tickets, how much you owe, etc., contact Valerie
Nelson ASAP.
If you did not order tickets but still want to go, it may not be too late.
Contact Valerie ASAP.

HELLO GUILD. BELOW (IN BLACK) IS THE PROPOSAL I PUT FORWARD RECENTLY FOR THE
CHANGE IN THE GUILD STRUCTURE. I HAVE USED COLOR TO SHOW DIFFERENT PEOPLE'S
COMMENTS TO DATE IN THIS ON-LINE DISCUSSION. IN GREEN, I TRY TO CLARIFY
SOME OF MY SUGGESTIONS AND RESPOND TO YOUR COMMENTS. PLEASE SEND YOUR
FURTHER COMMENTS EITHER TO ME DIRECTLY (WHERE I CAN SHARE THEM WITH THE
GUILD WITHOUT USING YOUR NAME) OR YOU CAN SEND THEM TO THE EMAIL LIST
DIRECTLY -
Michael Nelson
President, SFBAPG

MODERATOR'S NOTE: COLORED TEXT DOES NOT SHOW UP HERE, SO I AM WRITING THE COLORS AS THOUGH THEY WERE CHARACTERS IN A PLAY. BLACK IS MICHAEL'S ORIGINAL, GREEN IS MICHAEL'S NEW COMMENT, AND BLUE AND RED ARE GUILD MEMBERS' COMMENTS.

BLACK: I would like to propose that the guild consider adopting a nine member
board, with board members' terms being 3 years each and three new board
members being elected every 3 years.

BLUE: If we are attempting to rid ourselves of the "change in officers hiccup"
that happens each time we vote for new officers, I would suggest that The
Nine be staggered. Meaning that we have elections each year to replace
three. A bit of work, yes. Keeping ideas fresh AND having a steady path,
yes.

RED: 3 years is too long! 2 would be sufficient for a commitment & life changes.

GREEN: My original thought was nine members with 3 elected each year, as blue
suggested, so there are always 6 who are remaining on the board in any given
year. Two years could be possible...it would work better with say, six, but
there would be less representation with six than with nine. The question of
how many and how long would be up to the membership to decide. I used the
model of UNIMA-USA when choosing nine, with 3 coming on each year and 3 year
terms for each. If we went to 6, then it could be 2 members elected each
year, with each having a term of 2 years. Then there would always be 4
incumbents on the board. That scenario would only give one more board
member than we have now. To my way of thinking, 9 would be better
representation of the membership.

BLACK: This board would then be charged with making the guild decisions that in the
past were done in the town meeting style of membership meetings.

BLUE: I would suggest a once a year town meeting to air any ideas, grievances,
problem solving or concerns. Disconnecting the majority of the guild from a
voice in the governance of the guild could promote a resentment for The
Nine.

RED: Adding board member is ok but not allowing for input from the general
membership is not ok. This will exclude others & be a little incestuous, esp
if you
get a group that might be self serving. I have just seen this with another
org I
belong to & it's not pretty. Coffers are being depleted & they have made
themselves the STARS. Bad bad bad. Remember it isn't always a perfect world.

GREEN: There was never any idea of disconnecting from the guild or eliminating the
members voices. As a current officer of the guild, I am coming to this idea
from the point of view that we are currently running the guild with
basically 5 (the officers) making the decisions, as the membership has not
participated much in recent years in the month to month running of the
guild. My whole idea behind getting nine board members was to INCREASE the
number of guild members giving input, not lessen it. There have been
decisions that have come up that the board has felt uncomfortable making as
we are such a small number of the guild, but meetings have had such low
turnout that a town meeting type decision was rendered next to impossible.
This situation tends to paralyze the guild. I think that any guild member
who wanted to participate in the governance of the organization who came
forward would be welcome. If any of you feel cut off from the decision
making process, please come forward and be heard! We are looking for you.
Also, I had thought it a good idea to have membership meetings as well, on a
regular basis. I would hope that this change might help encourage more
members to take an active part in guild activities.

BLACK: A 9 member board would offer more diverse points of view during discussions
as well as spread out the work load of the guild among more people.
Meetings could then be less frequent (as the guild
just voted at the last meeting)

BLUE: WHoa. The Nine should meet monthly. Either by voice or in person

GREEN: By meetings being less frequently I was thinking of membership meetings, not
meetings of the board. These I would think would be as often as deemed
necessary to run the guild.

BLACK: and when we have general membership meetings
they could be more program and social oriented, and not have to include
business meetings. The board could communicate with the membership through
the newsletter, the guild website and the guild email list. And, of course,
guild members could take
any business they wished to be considered either to the board or the
membership at large (there would still be at least one regular guild
membership meeting a year and possibly short meetings as needed or requested

at any regular guild event.)

BLUE: No. Not 'as requested'. This sounds like you could bring up a topic for
debate at a meeting and then have it discussed at the same meeting. Yes to
requesting a topic for debate in the next agenda at the next meeting.

GREEN: Good point.

BLACK: Guild officers would be elected by the board, from within the board, for 1
year terms.

BLUE: What is the difference between the Officers and The Nine? The Nine watch
over the Officers so they don't do.... what?? The Nine should be the
governing body of the guild. The Nine could elect a Chairman that reports to
the Guild for a period of a year. As I see it, the only position that is
needed is Finance.

GREEN: The nine would be the board of directors. The board would then within
themselves elect a president to preside over meetings and oversee the board
business, a vice president to take over if the president is absent, a
secretary to record, and a treasurer to handle the money (this position
perhaps should be treated differently as it is more difficult to pass on
yearly). Each office would be just for the year, until a new board is
elected and convened, at which point the new board would then again select
officers. This would be basically as outlined in Robert's Rules of Order,
currently the ruling order of our guild.

BLACK: This is a change in the basic structure of the guild, but it is a change to
a model that many other similar organizations already use with much success.
I am proposing this suggestion in the newsletter and on the guild email list
(which will then put it onto the guild website.)

BLUE: I also believe that the newsletter should be abandoned as the major news
organ of the guild and replaced with a web page based service. Easier to
search. Easier to archive. Faster to look at. Requires no newsletter editor.
(not that you're not good at it - but why should any one have to prod people
to get information and then arrange this information into a readable format,
add pictures - if there happens to be any - and then send it out to in both
hard copy and pdf every month?)

GREEN: Guild member may have varying opinions about the usefulness of the
newsletter. Also, we must keep in mind that however this discussion goes
our email list, that a number of guild members receive the newsletter in
print because they (for whatever reason) do not have or want Internet
access. Their voice will not be heard in this online discussion

BLACK: Let me know your thoughts, concerns, or ideas. It is my thought that should
the membership look
favorably on this idea, that when the guild membership renewal forms are
mailed out in August, there would also be a
proposition ballot updating the bylaws of the guild to make this change in
structure. This gives us some time for discussion before making our
decision. --

Hi Puppeteers
If you have a moment, please check out our puppet commercial for the Heinz Commercial Competition. The spot can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=speEfqOXdmk. If you can, write a review. Send the link to friends. Your participation will help raise it on the list!
Mike Wick, of Images In Motion, was the writer, director and puppetbuilder of this 30 sec. spot. The Images In Motion team (credits including the Round Table pizza puppets) brought the cast of food puppets to life. It was shot in the Images In Motion studio, editing by Kamela Portuges and Kieron Robbins.
Thank you
Lee

Lee Armstrong
Images In Motion Media Inc.
720 Ladera Dr., Sonoma, CA 95476
imagesmedia.com

LAST CALL

Last call for Avenue Q tickets with the SFBAPG group. We will be buying the
tickets tomorrow for the show. The date we are aiming for is August 30, a
Thursday night. The second choice date is August 28, Tuesday. We are
unable to reach the group discount office until later today, but group
prices are rumored to be $15-20.00 less than regular prices. Seats are
going fast so we will act SOON.

If you are interested in joining the group, you can choose your ticket in
whichever section you want (subject to availability--we don't have to all
sit together). Call Michael or Valerie ASAP to reserve your
tickets.

--
Michael & Valerie Nelson
Magical Moonshine Theatre
www.magicalmoonshine.org

HELLO GUILD,
MORE DISCUSSION ON THE 9 MEMBER BOARD EXPANSION. AS THE YAHOO LIST DOES NOT
SEEM TO ALLOW COLOR TEXT, I AM USING "MICHAEL" AND "MEMBER" TO DESIGNATE THE
ORIGIN OF THE COMMENTS BELOW. FOR BACKGROUND ON THIS ISSUE REFER TO THE
EMAIL I SENT OUT YESTERDAY AND THE JULY AND AUGUST NEWSLETTERS.
MICHAEL
SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO ME AND I WILL SHARE THEM WITH THE MEMBERSHIP
ANONYMOUSLY OR TO THE GUILD EMAIL LIST AND COME TO
THE MEETING AUGUST 25 TO DISCUSS THIS IMPORTANT PROPOSED CHANGE IN PERSON.

MEMBER: more than two years of service would be too long. Replacing three
members each year for two years of service seems very doable.

MICHAEL: More than one person has brought up the "3 years is too long"
comment. I can't figure out how 9 persons can be changed every two years
and get a good balance of those remaining on the board with newcomers. It
works for the first six people but then the last three either have to join
one or the other group of 3, giving us a 3 stay on/6 go off split or the
opposite. It is possible to do it with an 8 member board where 4 rotate on
and off each year. The downside of a even number is there is no tie
breaker. Valerie suggested that the treasurer could be a board member in a
different category as it is much more difficult to change treasurer
(requiring change of bank/new checks, expenses, etc. the last time we did
it.) If the treasurer was treated differently but still had a vote in case
of a tie, then the 8 member board could work with 2 year terms. Perhaps
some other of you can come up with a better working scenario?

MEMBER: I am on the boards of a few other organizations and I've found that
the more people involved on the board, the harder it is too get things done
and the process becomes immobilized by indecision or lack of a quorum.

MEMBER: To be honest, the town hall meeting structure has never been a
favorite because it doesn't require interaction. Increasing the number of
board members increases interaction because of their term of service, during
which they will bring new ideas and hopefully new energy to the process.

MEMBER: What are the checks and balances in this process?

MICHAEL: Good question. It looks like the checks and balances would have
to be openness of the board business and the membership paying attention. I
don't think there has been much in the way of checks and balances in the
past, perhaps with the theory that with regular town-hall type meetings the
membership was always involved in the decision making. As I mentioned in my
previous comments, the reason I am suggesting this structure change is that
there have not been enough members attending our regular meetings to make
necessary decisions for running the guild; my thought being that if a number
of guild members committed to being on the board to make those decisions and
the guild entrusted the decision making to them, we could have a functioning
guild.

MEMBER: Here are a few other general thoughts that were triggered by the
discussions you relayed.

1. Virtual meetings using skype or other chatting software are used by many
other organizations. HTML transcripts of the monthly board meetings can then
be published within minutes of the meeting and can be read by the members.
This also gives a searchable reference for items that were discussed and
perhaps tabled for a future meeting.

2. Virtual meetings also hold the board members accountable because the
actual transcripts will be published. It keeps members from derogatory
discussions when they know that their actual conversations are being
published.

3. The newsletter is great as a legacy item but I agree with the member that
suggested that some sort of indexable blog that allows an open dialog needs
to be developed.

MICHAEL: I don't know much about the format of blogs, but I believe our
guild website uses blog software. Also, the emails sent to the email list
usually end up on the guild website. Photos can not be sent through the
Yahoo list (I don't think) and thus do not end up on the website, although
it is possible to post them there separately. Currently the ability to post
comments or photos is limited to certain members...I only know of two for
certain, our webmaster Matt Baum and our newsletter editor (me). I think
the guild could decide to change that if you wish, or develop a different
part of the website as a pure member content blog. The guild can also
decide to eliminate the newsletter (would save the guild some money) but I
repeat myself in pointing out that this is an online discussion and we have
guild members who do not use the internet who get a printed newsletter and
who, by nature of not using the internet, are not able to voice their
opinions on this matter in this online discussion.

Hello Guild Members,
As you may recall I am asking you, the membership, to consider a major
change to the guild constitution. I have outlined this change in the July
07 newsletter
(http://www.sfbapg.org/newsletter/archives/july%2007%20newsletter2.pdf) and
am including a description of this possible change below. We will be
discussing this restructuring of the guild at the guild meeting this month
(info at bottom of this email) on August 25 at Oakland Fairyland. This is
your time to be heard on this possible change to the guild constitution and
bylaws. After the meeting, proposed changes to the guild constitution will
be mailed out with the membership renewal forms for your vote. This is the
time for discussion, starting right here on this email forum. Should the
guild adopt the changes as currently described, the officers just elected by
the guild would no longer be officers, but would become 5 of the nine member
board. Other members would have to be added to complete the 9 members,
either by appointment or election to start with, but then always by election
(except in the case of the loss of a board member during his/her term, in
which case the president would appoint a new board member to finish the
term). Then officers would be chosen from among the guild board by the
guild board. This is a model similar to that used by Puppeteers of America
and UNIMA-USA.

READ ALL OF THIS OVER AND THINK ABOUT IT, AND SEND YOUR THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS
TO THE GUILD LIST, AND/OR BRING THEM TO THE MEETING ON AUGUST 25.
Proposed guild structure change, from July newsletter:
I would like to propose that the guild consider adopting a nine member
board, with board members' terms being 3 years each and three new board
members being elected every 3 years. This board would then be charged with
making the guild decisions that in the past were done in the town meeting
style of membership meetings. A 9 member board would offer more diverse
points of view during discussions as well as spread out the work load of the
guild among more people. Meetings could then be less frequent (as the guild
just voted at the last meeting) and when we have general membership meetings
they could be more program and social oriented, and not have to include
business meetings. The board could communicate with the membership through
the newsletter, the guild
website and the guild email list. And, of course, guild members could take
any business they wished to be considered either to the board or the
membership at large (there would still be at least one regular guild
membership meeting a year and possibly short meetings as needed or requested
at any regular guild event.) Guild officers would be elected by the board,
from within the board, for 1 year terms. This is a change in the basic
structure of the guild, but it is a change to a model that many other
similar organizations already use with much success.
I am proposing this suggestion in the newsletter and on the guild email list
(which will then put it onto the guild website.) Let me know your thoughts,
concerns, or ideas. It is my thought that should the membership look
favorably on this idea, that when the guild
membership renewal forms are mailed out in August, there would also be a
proposition ballot updating the bylaws of the guild to make this change in
structure. This gives us some time for discussion before making our
decision. --
Michael Nelson
SFBAPG President

SUMMER GUILD MEETING
AUGUST 25 AT OAKLAND
FAIRYLAND PUPPET FAIR
As you read in the last issue, the guild
has voted to go to a schedule of having
4 regular meetings a year (with other
guild events informally planned inbetween,
the next one being a trip to
Avenue Q!) On August 25 the guild's
summer meeting will take place at
Oakland Fairyland's annual weekend of
puppetry. While there are shows
throughout the day, the guild meeting
itself will start at 4:30 pm at the
Fairyland puppet theater, followed by a
potluck and a surprise presentation of
"The Unexpected Performance" just for
the guild.

DETAILS:
Volunteers Needed: The guild
will be hosting the craft booth
starting at noon. Volunteers
will be needed to lead the craft
project provided by the guild.
Also volunteers are needed to
watch the puppet exhibit and
talk to visitors about puppetry
and the guild. Anyone wishing
to volunteer please contact Lee
Armstrong at 707 996-9474.
Food: If you are bringing a pot luck
item that needs refrigeration, contact
Randal Metz at 510 569-3144 to make
cool arrangements. Main dishes are
always appreciated.

Admission: Admission to Fairyland is
free when you flash your puppetry guild
membership card.

Parking: Parking is on Bellevue Ave
(City of Oakland sometimes charges $3
to park there on weekends). In the case
of folks unloading, that is set up through
Randal so they can contact him directly
to get details . Volunteers may be able
to get special parking (ask Lee.)

WANT to save gas, parking fees, and
hang out with other puppeteers?
Arrange carpooling through the guild
email list! Meet and park cars at the
nearest park and ride (find them on the
internet) and ride-share. It's fun and
saves the environment.

Agenda: In addition to committee
reports and treasurer report, the guild
will discuss a major change in guild
structure, the proposed move to a nine
member board of directors. Come and
be heard or let your views be known
through a proxy (any current officer
would be willing to deliver your written
opinions.) If you have an item for the
agenda, contact guild president Michael
Nelson (contact info on page 1.)

SCHEDULE OF PUPPET FAIR
EVENTS:
11:00 am and 4:00 pm Puppet Show:
Aesop's Fables. Featuring the tales of
The Tortoise and the Hare, The Lion
and the Mouse, and The Grasshopper
and the Ant. Enjoy seeing what happens
to Aesop's famous animal friends when
they discover they all have to work
together to help the turtle win his race.
A merging of all of these charming
lesson tales into one fun-filled
production set in Greece. Script by
David C. Jones. Puppets by Lewis
Mahlmann and David Jones.

12:00 pm Puppet Show: Why
Mosquitoes Buzz in our Ears. A tale of
misunderstandings involving funny
characters such as the iguana, the
python, the rabbit, the crow, mother owl
and many other entertaining creatures
of the jungle. Adaptation and puppets
by Randal Metz and scenery by Lewis
Mahlmann. Presented by The Puppet
Company (Plaza)

12:30 and 3:30 pm Pinocchio: The
Hip-Hopera. Enjoy a fairy-take classic
with a modern twist! Pinocchio, the
wooden puppet, follows his journey to
finally become a real boy. On his path,
he learns valuable lessons about telling
the truth, acting with kindness to others,
deciding between right and wrong. This
modern version features jaw-dropping
hip-hop choreography by Funkmode
Dance, beats by Oakland teen Chukhudi
Hodge, and original raps written in
collaboration with the Children's
Fairyland Personalities and Funkmode
Dance.

1:30 pm Puppet Show: Nick Barone
Puppets performs "T-Rex
Thunderlizard's Wild West Show!"
(Emerald City Stage)

2:30 pm Puppet Show: The Vagabond
Puppets, performs "A Day in the Forest
- 3 Pigs, Marx Brothers' Style."

Are you interested in working on a Halloween show?

Many thanks to the Nelsons for coming by to see the work in
progress in preparation for this Halloween in Glenview. I'll describe
the work in more detail in case guild members may be interested in
helping out:

Right now I need someone experienced at a sewing machine
to assist in sewing wire to cloth and constructing fabric cornstalks
with a hot glue gun and kapok . Early in September I'll need 24 inch
marionette-scale costume pattern making and construction. There
will be some larger-scale sculpture work with fiberglass and other
materials. I need more manipulating help on Halloween night itself as
I was hoping to have continual or nearly constant puppet action going
on. Hours are flexible and designed by helpers, but range Tuesdays
through Thursdays and weekends. The result will be a free show for
the Halloween community. For ordinary handy-type work I pay $10 - $12
an hour. I'm happy to negotiate with professional or experienced
puppeteers for their services manipulating, which would include some
rehearsals. I can be reached at my home in Oakland (51O) 531-76three5 or
by e-mail, larryseasons earthlink dot net. Thanks.

Larry Schmidt

Dear SFBAPG Members-

I've offered to take over from Michael the job of collecting
monthly schedules for the newsletter, starting with the September
issue. So this is first call for all your puppetry-related events
(performances or workshops) that are open to the public.

Please send to me, at this email, the What (with a one-line
description if desired), the Where, the When, the Cost, and anything
we need to know about getting tickets. I'll edit for consistency and
to fit the space.

If you don't have anything to list for September, I'd still
much appreciate it if you could just send me a quick note saying
"Nothing now" or words of your own choosing, just so I have some idea
whether this note has landed or if I need to do the next one in 36-pt
caps with fireworks.

And if you have events in October, send those as well. I'd
like to work a bit ahead.

Really pleased to be part of SFBAPG, and looking forward to
seeing your work.

Peace & joy-

Conrad Bishop
The Independent Eye, Ltd.

Your SFBAPG is making arrangements for a GROUP DISCOUNT to see Avenue
Q at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco. Possible days during
August are Wednesdays or Saturdays.

The group discount tickets for a Wednesday night (8PM) are:
Orchestra: $65
Mezzanine: $50
Balcony: $40
Side balcony: $20 (not recommended, though)

The group discount tickets for a Saturday matinee (2PM) are:
Orch: $80
Mezz: $65
Balc: $50
Side balc: $35

The group discount tickets for a Saturday night (8PM) are:
Orch: $90
Mezz: $75
Balc: $60
Side balc: $45

In order to get the group discount, the SFBAPG needs to gather 15
people. If you are interested, please contact Michael Nelson and let
him know when you can go and what your seating preference is. (The
group does not have to sit together.)

HEADS UP: Although the puppets are Muppet look-alikes, this is NOT a
show for children. Language and content is off-color at times.

Your August 2007 guild newsletter is online
http://www.sfbapg.org/newsletter/archives/000865.html#more ) and ready to
download to view or print out. Included is news and information about our
Aug. 25 SUMMER GUILD MEETING at Oakland Fairyland's Puppet Fair, Puppet
Rampage festival followup, Larry Schmidt's neighborhood Halloween soft
haunt, job opportunities, summer travels, calendar, and more.

At the guild meeting we will be discussing a proposed major change to the
guild structure, so speak out and be heard.
--
Michael Nelson
Guild newsletter editor