"Celebrating Diversity in Altar Guild Ministry" begins with an opening banquet on Wednesday, July 5, and concludes Tuesday, July 11, with the installation of new officers of the National Association of Altar Guilds at the Cathedral of St. John in the Wilderness, Denver. Workshops on stitchery, flowers and banners are scheduled, as are tours of the Air Force Academy and of the cathedral. Each day will have a special Eucharist, and that on Saturday, July 8, will be a "Clown Eucharist with Daughters of the King."

Daughters of the King national secretary Kathleen Nyhuis said, "We apply our mime makeup as the service begins. We have a good clown and a bad clown - I'm the bad clown. We use costumes and props - money, a booze bottle. In the spoken introduction, one of the clowns explains, "We are full whiteface clowns - this means that we are silent. We do not perform and we ask you not to applaud, but only to praise God.

"The Eucharist is totally silent. The congregation watches. At the confession, they write their sins." The papers are attached to the cross, and later in the service they are replaced with Easter lilies. Often the celebrant and servers will be in whiteface too. "The power of God's word in mime is mystical."

Barbara Gent (Southwest Florida), managing editor of the NAGA Epistle, wrote, "[The] national meeting at the Holiday Inn, July 5-11 ... will include several sessions. On July 6 and 7 the Rev. and Mrs. Herbert O'Driscoll of Canada will present workshops on the Celtic heritage of the Anglican Communion. Marian Scoular, international expert on needlework, will teach stitchery; and Ray Moncier, flower specialist from Denver, will lead a hands-on workshop on small arrangements with inexpensive flowers. The following day Betty Wolfe, author of The New Banner Book, will lead an afternoon workshop on making banners and other decorative items."

Even though they cannot participate in the workshops, visitors will be welcome to observe these presentations, as space allows. A field trip is scheduled July 10 for the women to go to the Air Force Academy. NAGA's regular gift to General Convention - the display of an ecclesiastical art collection - will be offered again this year.