Hiya everyone,
I am brand new to clowning but I have been a cut-up all my life. I am 51 now and I am a Shriner. I just joined the Shriner clowns and hope to be able to bring smiles to the faces of children in the Shriner hospitals as well as the many parades and events in which our unit participates. My wife has worked at Shriners for 8 years and was worried when I told her I wanted to become a clown. She said that clowns often scare the small children. I am going to prove her wrong and come up with a less threatening and fun costume. We haven't made it yet but the design is well on the way. She found this forum for me and I look forward to all the wisdom and information I can gleen from all of you and your experience.

Hi Wazoo and welcome to the Clown Forum! I hope you'll post pictures of your costume once it's finished, I'm curious to see what ideas you've come up with to minimize fearful reactions some children may have. (You'll see many people here using a photo of their clown character as their avatar too, btw... just let me know if you want to as well and need some help with that.) Looking forward to your posts; enjoy!

Welcome Wazoo!!
Welcome to the clown forum For Costume Ideas, Check out www.mooseburger.com and also www.clowncostumes.com they sell costumes and it will give you some ideas to work with. You might want to try a European style face. They generally use less makeup. I would reccommend a couple of good books to get you started.

Creative Clowning by Tony Blanco and Bruce Fife
How to be a Clown by Turk Pipki
Clown for Circus and Stage by Mark Stolzeberg
I believe that the shrine also has some instructional material that they use. There are also many good Conventions availible and a couple of really good on the road type Clown Camps. But, I think you found a great place to get started... Right here!
Myself, I started clowning back in about 1984 while in High School. I stopped clowning for a few years while in College and got interested in it again in about '91. Finally, about two years ago, things got to the point that I could do it. BVack in September my wife and I joined a nearby Red Cross Clown Troupe and have been busier that a one armed wall paper hanger every since! My Wife is here also, Her name is Sassy. And I'm sure she will be sending her greetings too!
Welcome to the only Clown Alley on the World Wide Web!
Scruffy

Hi, Wazoo!!

Welcome to the forum.

For a less-threatening look with you makeup, go with less makeup
and fewer hard lines - like the outlines you might add if you
are doing a stage presentation.

Maybe even just the red nose and a tiny bit of white over the eyes,
and some red "rouge" on the cheek bones.

Good luck, and post some pictures when you can!

Ashes

Hi and Welcome Wazoo

Makeup is one thing that should be considered but it is also how you approach children. I happen to be an old Rainbow, which if any of you don't know, is the organization under the masons/shrinners for girls ages 13-18. Try to get down on a chld's level, retreat and stay away from a child that is fearful, some times I'll act like I'm scared and hide my face, they get real curious. It's the clowns that are loud and unthinking think they can joke a scared kid into liking them that sometimes does the damage.

Welcome, WAZOO!

From one Shriner Klown to another! (I'm with Kena Klowns)
SHRINERS (http://www.shrinershq.org/)

This is a great clown site. There are lot's of nice resources here.

WELCOME!

Ditto what Sue said, your demeanor has more potential to threaten kids than your look, unless you end up looking like those creepy movie "clowns" which have given us all trouble. Lately I've run into more teenagers being freaked out than kids. Just got one of them to join our group, maybe she can help us win over others. Welcome to the forum, glad to have some more west coast types on board. Most of the clowns are in bed before I get on-line.

Bunker