Summertime!

By Michael Rielly

Welcome to our August newsletter!

This past July was really hot for most of us across the United States, but it seems like we are now finally in for some pleasant weather. Here in New England, the past few days have been just gorgeous!

As we get closer to the season we typically start to see a rise in membership; and this year is no different. This past week we welcomed our 1,600th new member! Please take a moment to stop by our Welcome Center and say hello to our newest members!

In a few weeks we will kick off two of our most popular annual events on ClausNet -- The ClausNet Christmas Card and Ornament Exchange! Be sure to check the discussion forums for the latest information.

Lastly, ClausNet is now on Pinterest. If you have a Pinterest account, feel free to follow us!

I hope you enjoy this issue of the ClausNet Gazette and as always, please feel free to contact us with your comments and suggestions.

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In The News

Christmas in July held at the Lehighton pool

PA Times-News -- Santa and Mrs. Claus joined several hundred guests for a Christmas in July Celebration last week at the Baer Memorial Swimming Pool, Lehighton. "We're very excited to host this event," said Jackie Hansler, Shull-David Elementary School PTO Treasurer. "Christmas in July gives us the opportunity to come together as a community and support a wonderful cause: our children's education."
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Rough-ridin' Elves help Santa bring Christmas to Cradle Beach

NY News -- Siesta time was over on Sunday, and about 140 campers had been roused from their cabins to line up along the main trail through Cradle Beach Camp in Angola. The activity had the organized but unhurried look of an emergency drill --- all the more so, considering that two huge trees that had crashed to the ground during Friday's storms were right behind the kids, being cut up into firewood. Everyone there was still remarking in relief that those tress didn't hit one cabin just a few feet away.
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Christmas Banner Banned in Australian Community

Defend Christmas -- How do they say Bah Humbug down under? Australia is putting itself on the map as a player in the War on Christmas as the community of Bland Shire may be keeping it’s “Merry Christmas” banner in storage due to a new regulation that calls the phrase “too offensive”.

Under the regulation, Christmas and Easter banners would be allowed to be hung by the town council if deemed “promotional” but banners would not be allowed to be hung by “other parties”.

Former councillor David Bolte called it “political correctness gone mad” when he addressed council in the public forum last week.

“I only ask for the right to remind the community we have the Christmas and Easter holidays because of the birth, death and resurrection of Christ,” he said.

Mr Bolte considered it an attack on Christian groups, questioning if the regulation was “discriminatory”.

He claimed that in the last census, 80 per cent of Bland Shire residents declared they followed a Christian faith. Mayor Neil Pokoney said a new version of the policy was being reviewed, which would see banners associated with gazetted public holidays allowed.

“The wording of the regulation was just a bit too broad,” Pokoney said.

“Prior to this we didn’t have regulation pertaining to public banners – which is something council should be exercising control over.”
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Nerf inks sponsorship deal with Junior Premier League

Toy News Online -- As part of the deal, all clubs in the league - which will now be called the Nerf Junior Premier League - will receive a box of Nerf merchandise, while the brand will also support its events.

"Having an internationally recognized brand, and the world's premier branded play company, as our title sponsor is fantastic for us and we are looking forward to building a long-term relationship," said JPL chairman, Martin Brock. Henry Gordon, senior brand manager for

Nerf, added: "Partnering with the Junior Premier League is an exciting opportunity for the Nerf brand in the UK. Nerf is all about active play and allowing kids to achieve the impossible. "The brand started as a foam ball in the 1960s, so it's a great fit for us to be able to partner with a sport so close to the brand's DNA."
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Featured Member - August 2013

Each month, our Featured Member section profiles one ClausNet member.

Members are chosen totally at random by myself and the staff. Once selected as the ClausNet Featured Member of the Month, we interview the candidate and post the interview on ClausNet.com. This is a great way to get to know your fellow ClausNet members!

This month our featured ClausNet Member is Santa Brian of SC!

Santa Brian joined us only last year but since then he has become a valuable contributor to ClausNet! Brian manages our Weekly Live Chat sessions on ClausNet.com. He does a wonderful job organizing and lining up guest speakers for these events.

We caught up with Santa Brian a few days ago and here is what he had to say...
Read the entire interview »

Missed an interview? Visit our Featured Members of the Month section to read past interviews!

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Ode to me Fabulous Kringle Suit

By Elf Without Jingles

I want to plead guilty to something that's quite a hoot: As you know, I've dressed up recently in a brand-new Santa suit! I felt so deliciously wonderful when first I gave it a try, And I wore it again on my birthday, just for Christmas in July!

There are days when you just can't let go of the magic of just being Santa Claus. After some 2800-plus posts around here, I'm still faithful to the cause. Though I've never signed the Claus Oath Book, nor learned from Tom and Holly, Me new Kringle battlegear has given me many reasons to be jolly!

I'm your humble Elf Without Jingles, and proud I am to say I'm a New York City Santa, too and I live for Christmas Day. Though I've yet to land a proper Kringle gig, I nonetheless feel groovy, Being, of course, the #1 Defender of Santa Claus: The Movie.

Aye, I remember well Thanksgiving 1985, when I first went to see that pic, How old Huddleston made me believe again; aye, that film sure did the trick! And now, three decades later, I feel like Santa all over again. Ooooh, I can't wait for it to be November 1st when the season starts, because then:

I'll have the chance to strut me stuff, as only I can do, And I'll have a chance to tell the world, "Merry Christmas to you!"
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The Changing image and traditions surrounding Santa Claus

By Santa Gordon

St Nicholas was a real living person of history that was documented in record. Many of his actions and deeds are the basis of our Christmas traditions. From St Nicholas's time to the late 1700's there were numerous traditions with a central figure based upon St Nicholas and each had very special stories and traditions linked to that character. Father Christmas, Father Winter, Grandfather Frost, Sinter Claus and many, many more.

In the 1700's and early 1800's many people emigrated to America and they brought their traditions with them. As they generally celebrated at Christmas time and the Winter solstice, they would invite their friends and neighbors to join in their celebrations. Thus the various traditions were blended and mixed.

The Knickerbocker Papers were the first written mention of a character that resemble the modern day Santa. Then after several other publications followed suit, Clement C. Moore wrote his poem "A visit from St. Nicholas" in 1822. No one remembered the name of the story, they referred to it by the first line "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and that firmly "fixed" the image of the modern day Santa since that time on.

The image was further defined and refined first by Thomas Nast, 1872 and then further by Haddon Hubbard "Sunny" Sundblom (June 22, 1899 – March 10, 1976) an artist best known for the images of Santa Claus he created for The Coca-Cola Company.
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Santa's Wisdom

Mrs. Claus: The woman behind every great Santa

By Santa Lou Knezevich

Good Day Santa’s and especially Mr. Clauses.

Most of us who portray Mrs. Claus did not ask for the job nor did we in anyway feel we were qualified to be Mrs. Claus. There isn’t a history or training manual that depicts the look and/or actions of Mrs. Claus. Ask someone to describe Mrs. Claus and they probably will describe a white haired lady with an apron who bakes cookies and kisses Santa on his cheek as he leaves for his Christmas Eve Visits.

I love my role but I certainly I certainly didn’t grow up wanting to be Mrs. Claus. This is not what I had in mind at all.

It was so much fun to watch Santa perform and make all the children happy, all I had to do was stand on the sidelines and watch the show. He only asked me to go with him now and then, besides it was nice to have him out of the house and I could have a few hours of peace and quiet without anything to do about Santa Claus.

I don’t know how you all became Mrs. Claus but I’m sure our stories are very similar.

When you are Santa’s booking agent, seamstress, on duty nurse, dry cleaning pickup and delivery service, prescription filler, transportation manager, bill payer, snack provider, hair product buyer, hair groomer, clothes washer, Santa scheduler, gift shopper for the family and of course my own gift, Christmas tree decorator, dog walker, address, stamp and mail Christmas cards, maintenance on his sleigh, let him sleep in or take a nap, then it’s only natural you step into the role of Mrs. Claus.

As I mentioned, playing the role of Mrs. Claus is based upon very little historical information. It is a role of maternal instincts, which most of us who have had children relate too. Mrs. Claus is usually the one who can calm an apprehensive child, answer questions about the North Pole the elves, plus how the toy making is coming along. Children see in her the calm and trust which only Mrs. Claus can convey.

Most of us didn’t grow up or have any idea we wanted to be a Mrs. Claus. The boys always had their share of toys like, G.I. Joe, Star Trek and all sorts of action figures while; we had baby dolls or an easy bake oven. Imagine how things might be different if you were this little girl on Christmas morning.

Under the tree are all sorts of gaily wrapped gifts and you can’t contain your excitement because you just know the one thing you wanted most in the world; is in one of those presents. Opening the gifts is a frenzy of unraveling the colorful paper and ribbons. You’re just about down to the last two gifts and surely, Santa has brought you the gift you want.

Excitedly, you open a large box, suddenly your eyes become wide as saucers and then you frantically rip away the paper to reveal the gift of your dreams. It’s a Barbie Doll. Not just any Barbie Doll. It’s the Mrs. Claus Gift Set, including Ken as Santa, along with a Sleigh and Eight Tiny Reindeer. Wow, Ken is so handsome in his Red Suit, trimmed in White fur and wearing a clip on Santa Beard. This is the best day of your life!

Ladies, I’m sure none of us spent our youth dreaming of a handsome Santa with long white hair with a belly that shook like a bowl of jelly who would appear with his eight tiny reindeer and gently pick us up into his arms to put us in the sleigh next to him. Then with a snap of the reins we would glide upward silhouetted by the moon as we made our way to the Shangri-La on top of the world called the North Pole. Of course we would live happily ever after surrounded by the elves that needed my attention for almost every little trivial matter in their lives. Having children would have been so much easier!

Well ladies it didn’t work out that way. In real life Mrs. Claus is a hard working “Jack of all Trades” who keeps Santa going at his peak. I love being Mrs. Claus and also knowing I have an important role in all the Christmas festivities.

After all; Mrs. Claus is the woman behind every great Santa! Loretta Knezevich has been Mrs. Claus for over eight years. She has been an instructor at the Santa Academy and appeared in commercials for the Coke Cola Company. You’ll find her hosting a Holiday Tea at Atlanta’s St’ Regis Hotel and accompanying Santa Lou to many venues.

For more information on the Legendary Santa Mentoring Program, please contact Santa Lou Knezevich.

Regards,

Santa Lou Knezevich
Creator Legendary Santas Mentoring Program
LegendarySantasMentoringProg@gmail.com

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Santa Claus Hall of Fame

Each month we feature an inductee of the Santa Claus Hall of Fame. This month we honor Tim Connaghan.

From his first appearance in a GI camp during Vietnam in 1969 to the Sleigh of the Hollywood Christmas Parade, Tim Connaghan has become one of the World’s most prolific Santas.

As a model, Connaghan has been seen on both television and in print. As a writer, he has written “Behind the Red Suit” which has inspired many Santas to aim for higher standards in their profession. As an educator, he has taught countless Clauses through his International University of Santa Claus. As Santa, he has appeared at many commercial and charitable functions throughout the United States.

Connaghan is an entrepreneur and has built through his company, Kringle Group LLC, an extensive network of services and information for the professional Santa.

He was organizer of the “Discover Santa” convention held in Branson, Missouri, in 2006. To sum up his career we share Tim Connaghan’s own words, “Santa has truly blessed me.”.

Tim Connaghan
Hollywood, California
1948 - Current

Want to learn more? Check out the following:

• Santa Claus Hall of Fame

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