A well-known clown in Minot and the area, Gillespie was installed as president of the association at an awards banquet held in San Antonio, Texas, on Feb. 22. He replaces John “Jay Jay” Joseph of Chicago who was 2019-2020 president.

“I’m very excited about it. I’m very humbled to be chosen and elected,” said Gillespie, adding, “I have lots of plans to have activities to help clowns be better clowns.”

In the awards banquet program, an event hosted by Alzafar NEMNUF (“Funmen” spelled backwards) Clowns of San Antonio, Gillespie related that during his 46 years of clowning, the most important event in his life was meeting entertainer Red Skelton at a press conference at the Norsk Hostfest in Minot.

“After becoming president of the World Clown Association in 1988, it was my honor to nominate Red Skelton to which he was inducted into the Clown Hall of Fame. My wife and I were delighted in his performance that night. Red and I joked about our W.C.A. Golden Charter Membership Cards. I loved Red dearly,” Gillespie wrote.

Eloise Ogden/MDN These are medals Ken “Dizzy the Clown” Gillespie wears as the 2020-2021 president of the International Shrine Clown Association.

Gillespie has been a Shriner for 46 years and is a member of Kem Temple of Grand Forks.

He’s also been a Shrine clown for 46 years and has started several clown groups in Minot and the area, with the first one being the Kiddyland Clowns in Minot.

He has also mentored several clowns. “When they win (at clown competitions), that’s what really make me happy,” he said.

The Merrymen of Minot clown unit has about 30 members with six including Gillespie who are active clowns.

Gillespie’s logo as the new president of the International Shrine Clown Association (I.S.C.A.) is “Get Busy With Dizzy,” and that’s exactly what he will be doing in the next months ahead.

He will be traveling extensively including to regional conventions and the East-West Shrine Football game in St. Petersburg, Fla., in January 2021.

He’s also working on plans for the Shriners International convention to be held at the Kansas City (Mo.) Convention Center in July when 6,000 Shriners are expected to attend.

Kansas City, Mo., is Gillespie’s birthplace. He was born there in 1946 and his family moved to North Dakota in 1947.

Gillespie’s first event as I.S.C. A. president will be taking part in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Maple Lake, Minn., on March 17.

Other events to follow include the Shriners Circus in Williston and then Minot in early April and the Midwest Shrine Clowns convention in Regina, Sask., in August.

The Williston Happy Chaps, also members of Kem Temple, won second-place in Group Skits of the skits competition held during the San Antonio event.