I'm on the fence and need someone to push me off, one way or the other.

Go for it, i think you will be glad you did, I AM ALL MOST SURE I AM GOING

I'm going it will be my first time, I have been told it is really good, hope you jump off that fence & I see you there!

my friend and I are going!(yes I gave in) lol you should come and we will jam during the worship lol!!!

Kelly, if I go I want some face painting lessons from you! :)

if you go pinky you will get from the one who gave kelly lessons, she's tough.

i doubt cluck that pinky woud be in basic since she has been to mooseburger!! lol but pinky I am still learning facepainting but like all things you must practice!!! Have you made any sort of decision? I am taking hometown clowning with angel cantreras!!He is awesome!

Pinky I'm riding the fence also. If I shove you on over can you drag me with you?

cluck did you haer wayne from nz isn't coming???

yes, i heard a few months back, he said it wasn't in the budget this year plus he's slamed in his ministry(real busy), but maybe next year he said.

I'm still on the fence, y'all. Just got back from a marathon driving trip down to Atlanta and back (and hubby helped drive MOST of the way!). I just don't know if I can do all that driving (it would be 8 hrs from here) by myself. And I can't afford to fly. Still trying to decide.
Kelly, I think I would still be in the beginner's class. I have NOT practiced a bit, so I am back to square one, unfortunately.

Pinky I'm riding the fence also. If I shove you on over can you drag me with you?

Love, are you close to Toccoa (being in GA)? How long will it take you drive? The drive is the biggest thing keeping me on the fence, since I hate driving with a passion.

there are ALOT of clowns last year from NC. Remind me again of a few bigger cities in your areas then i will call tony jones to see if there is any near there!! I meant the beginer class is VERY basic meaning 3 sessions on your face!!! then some on costume! I took it last year it was fun but i felt a little bored ....but it is very well done by sandy noe and chris! I'm taking hometown clown....I hear the hospital class is great...cluck how was it???

That's cute. I like it.

I am going and I live outside of charlotte and if anyone gets this far i will drive the rest of the way and back, come down sunday eve and we can leave early monday moring. and the hospital track is good they tell you how to get set up,who to talk to,the do's and don'ts etc and you go to nurseing homes too.

Love, are you close to Toccoa (being in GA)? How long will it take you drive? The drive is the biggest thing keeping me on the fence, since I hate driving with a passion.


Pinky I live near Savannah opposite side of State probably would take 4-6 hours

It will take me 8 hrs. I will probably come down part way and stop over for the night and drive the rest of the way on Monday morning. You don't think getting there at 10am would be too late, do you?

i know of several that are arriving on monday morning!

Hi Guys
I am still believing that God will allow a way for me to come to all my friends please support me in prayer. Pinky you have to go I traveled all the way from NZ last year and it was the best thing ever. Love you guys

you got my friend, i will be driving down on monday moring

I did it!!! I paid for my registration today! Woo hoo!

for tnt???? yay!!!

Wooo hooooo ga bound

Can't wait to meet y'all!

anyone else from NC going to TNT??

Hey, Cluck/Kelly/CJ.....
I'm going again, as well.......looking forward to seeing you all and am praying you can make it, CJ.

Pinky, you will gain SO much from the week. This year, they're doing something a little different with the all-day outreach in Toccoa on Saturday, so that should be fun! I did the clown ministry track last year and thought about doing it again since they have different people teaching it this year, but I decided to go with the performance track instead. SO looking forward to it! I go to a couple of other regional events every year, but this is by far my favorite week and well worth every penny. Looking forward to meeting you.

Q.T. Pie/aka Angie

WoooooHooooooo Q.T.Pie see ya there:D

Well, you ARE a QTpie from your picture! Adorable.
I'm really looking forward to it. I'm not real sure about what I picked for a main class. You know how it is...no ONE thing fits in perfectly with what you intend to do.
This is will be my only clowny excursion this year. I went to Moose Camp in 2008 and 2009.
See you there!

No matter what track you sign up for, you will have opportunities to do other classes, too, so even though that's your "specialty" for the week, you'll get to see probably all the different instructors throughout the weekend, and it's real informal, in the sense that you actually get to KNOW the instructors and by the end of the week, feel they are your friends. And Tony's real flexible, so that if after the first day or so, you think, this track really isn't for me...he'd allow you to change....a guy in our group did that last year.

The thing I like the most is the spiritual emphasis, and that's what sets this apart from other camps and conventions, for me....the instructors are all believers, and also some of the very best in the business, ones you've seen at all the other top-notch camps and conventions, and most of them "perform" for us some time during the week, and it's truly inspirational and motivational.....they have devotions before every meal and a "commission" ceremony, where they send you "out into the world" to share God's love through clowning. And the location is BEAUTIFUL! Dining hall overlooks a beautiful lake, and it's VERY peaceful!

Looking forward to meeting you!

Angie/QT

Thanks, QTPie, it sounds wonderful. I am looking forward to meeting you, too! What track are you signed up for?

I'm doing the performance track this year with Jim Howle and Bo Brown. Last year I did Clown Ministry track.....was gonna do that again this year, since that's still my specialty, and it looks like there's new instructors (Tony Jones did most of it last year, with some help from Bubba Sikes....but this year, looks like it's the Gramlichs (Graham Cracker and Jam) doing it).

But in the end, I decided to do Performance this year and go back to Clown Ministry or one of the others next year. I really don't do much clowning outside of our church's ministry, so didn't feel like Home Town Clowning really was for me (although I adore Angel Contreras and he's a GREAT clown and teacher, and I know I'd learn things I could use). Our ministry does do some nursing home and hospital clowning, so I thought about taking that one year and have taken some classes from Dana Abendschein at a regional and he was GREAT!....haven't clowned for any "disasters" yet, and don't really live in a region where we'd get much opportunity for that, but I'm sure I could still learn stuff there, and I absolutely LOVE Bob & Theresa Gretton (Bunky and Blinky, I think, are their clown names), so I know I'd learn from them, as well. I felt like I was past Basic Clowning, since I've been clowning over 20 years, but I'm sure I could learn there, too, from Sandy Noe.....but just felt the Ministry and Performance track would help me most for where I'm at right now in my clowning.

What track did you sign up for?

hometown clowning for me!!!! yay!!!

I'm signed up for the Hospital/Nursing Home track. I have been to Moose Camp twice, so I felt the basic wasn't for me, either. Tho, I'm sure I'd learn a lot there. I'm sort of torn; there aren't many opportunities for me to clown in my own church here. I did one kid's show at church, bombed terribly, and they never asked me back (can't blame them). I've done a few things for the seniors at church that went well. I do enjoy the nursing home visits. But our local hospital doesn't allow any clowning, period. One guy in our alley went to Moose Camp, took Hospital clowning, and they wouldn't let him do anything, AND HE WORKS AT THE HOSPITAL! So there's just no "in" there, at all.
I've met the Grettons before at Circus Magic and they are so awesome. I've met Angel too, but never taken any classes from him. don't know any of the other instructors, but I've heard they're all great. Actually, the performance track sounded fun, but they scared me off of that, saying you had to be pretty well seasoned to take it. I believe your 20 years in clowning qualifies you!!!

Hey Pinky the hospital track is good, danna and jane will give you ideals to maybe get in to the hospital, if not hospital then nursing homes. You get to go that week to a few nursing homes and maybe a hospital just depends on time. they do give you a lot of info on those topics.

Thanks, Cluck! I'm looking forward to meeting you!

Let's go friend, will be amazing this year.I'm counting the days...Hope see you there.

Silly Lilly hellooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...see u soon my friend...

Pinky this is B Bob and Bunny; this is our 2nd year to go. We had so much fun last year that we signed up before we left GA last year. It was a blast so get off the fence and come on.

Hi B Bob and Bunny: I jumped off the fence a while back and landed on the "yes" side, so I'll be seeing you there! Thanks!!!

I'm going! I was referred to it by a clown named Patches, New Creation Clown Troupe - Patches (http://www.newcreationclowntroupe.com/Patches.shtm), who happened to meet my dad and they talked. I am really excited. I am probably most excited to see Ralph Dewey. I'm in the Begginers Pack, but I'm trying to decide which classes to take there. Any suggestions on good ones?

I can't answer that one, since I've never been myself. We can be newbies together!

I wish I knew about this... I probably would have gone. It sounds great. I hope you all have a great time. Dancin' Dot;)

i suggest any by darren casteel!! he is the best!!

I"m might come next year, who knows. I do know one thing you guys are gonna have a ball!

Honestly, there are NO BAD CHOICES when it comes to classes at TNT....all the instructors are first-rate. Can't beat Ralph Dewey for balloons. Don B! is the CONSUMATE juggler/performer and is a very "physical" slapstick kind of guy, but ALSO extremely witty and great at storytelling or teaching a Biblical lesson. I have never seen Darren Casteel live (he wasn't there last year) but if Mr. Twister/Kelly says he's good.....he's good...and I have seen his videos, and he seems to be a first-rate performer. Bo Brown and Jim Howle will make you laugh til it hurts. Dana Abendschein is a real hands-on, demonstrative instructor and EXCELLENT hospital clown....I learned a LOT from him. He really has a heart for that ministry. Angel Contreras is extremely funny and good at EVERYTHING he does!! Bob and Teresa Gretton are a complete STITCH!!! I haven't encountered ALL the staff in classes, but I can honestly say I didn't regret ONE class I attended. The only real downside of the whole week is that you can't take ALL the classes (although some of them ARE offered twice)!! Ha!

Dot, you would have been a terrifc addition to the group. I hope to meet up with you again sometime; really enjoyed meeting you at Moose Camp.
Goose, if you decide to go next year, let me know. I'd love to see you again, too!
Thanks, QTPie, I am really looking forward to meeting everyone. I know I'll learn a lot!
Kelly, are you ready? :)