Cups and Balls Lecture
"Few routines in the history of magic have endured as have the Cups
and Balls. Even the walls of ancient pyramids record its
performances. Since that time, it's been in the repertoire of
virtually every sleight-of-hand performer. In fact, many old-timers
recall when a magician's ability was judged by his performance of the
Cups and Balls." From his book "The Magic of Michael Ammar".
Continuing our club-sponsored magic lecture series, John Shryock will
be teaching "cups and balls" on Wednesday, October 23 at Williams'
Magic starting at 5:00 PM. You might want to bring your own set of
Cups and Balls. So, drop by and brush up on this perennial magic!
Magic Week
Mike DeSchalit has organized several magical outings during Magic Week
(the last week in October). The intent of Magic Week is for magicians
to perform, voluntarily, for people who would normally not have an
opportunity to see magic. In this spirit, Mike has organized the
following events to perform magic for children:
Next Meeting
The next meeting of Assembly 136 will be on Monday, November 4, 1996,
at Hotel Park Tucson, 5151 E. Grant Road, at 7:30 PM. There will be a
board meeting from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM, and all members are welcome to
attend any and all board functions. After the meeting, everyone is
welcome to walk over to the IHOP for late-night discussions.
Turkey Magic
The magic theme for our November meeting will be "Turkey Magic". This
is actually a competition, of sorts. In this competition, the worst
magic routine is considered the winner. If you win, you get to keep
the circular trophy for a full year (no doubt, something to show off
to your friends and family). If you showcase your best mind-boggling
magic effect, you are destined to lose! Last year's recipients of the
coveted Turkey Magic award went to John Shryock and Tom Potter for
their satirical skit on Penn and Teller.
In the author's opinion, one of the best examples of Turkey magic was
performed a few years ago by Bruce Spell. When he was having
difficulty getting a silk to vanish, his pregnant wife, Jan, got up
out of her seat and started walking toward the door with her hand on
her stomach. All eyes focused on Jan as she cried out to Bruce,
"honey, I think its time!". This cheap form of misdirection burned
the entire audience as Bruce's silk did indeed mysteriously disappear!
At Our Last Meeting
Our last meeting was held on October 7th. Treasurer Joe Duperry
helped out by taking minutes since our Secretary, Alvon Brumfield, is
on special double secret-assignment in Central America. Our guests
for the evening include: Ryan Mogelefsky, Tommy Chaps, "Josh",
Jonathan Saul, and Bill Black. Bill is an old member of SAM #136 (and
even a past President) who has been living in Las Vegas for the past
few years. He has now returned to Tucson and rejoined our Assembly!
Welcome back Bill! We look forward to hearing your unique brand of
humor once again(?).
Phoenix Retaliation - Every year, a group of our membership goes up to Phoenix to perform an evening of Magic for SAM #248. Second Vice President Norm Marini is organizing this special trip slated for Wednesday, February 5th. If you are interested in performing a quick five minute routine up in Phoenix and show our friends the kind of talent that Tucson produces, let Norm be aware of your interest.
Elections - At our November meeting we will be holding our annual elections for officers. The following people have been nominated for the respective offices:
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President: Norm Marini First Vice President: Mike DeSchalit Second Vice President: John Shryock Treasurer: Joe Duperry Secretary: (no one at this time) Historian: Brett Shaw and Don Scott Sergeant at Arms: Tim Ayres |
Thanks to all of those who have already agreed to run for an office!!
Nominations will remain open until the elections. If you are
interested in running for an office, have another member nominate you.
All General Assembly members in good standing (e.g., have paid both
local and national dues) and Lifetime members are eligible to vote.
Sorry, but Associate members, Young members and Honorary members are
not eligible to vote.
T-Shirts - If you did not get a chance to purchase a Stars of Magic `96 T-shirt, they will be on sale at Williams' Magic. Each commemorative shirt sells for $6.50. Act now, while supplies last!
Party - It's that time! Let's face it, we had a successful "Stars of Magic"; there are a lot of activities to keep all Tucson magical enthusiasts involved. Now, let's relax in a social environment and have a party. Lillian and Chris Meyer have offered their residence to hold this event on Saturday, November 16th starting at 5:00 PM. All club members, family and guests are welcome! All food and soft drinks will be provided by the club. Although not required, side dishes or snacks will be accepted and appreciated. BYOB. The map to the Meyers' is shown below (note, it is highly unlikely that the November issue of the Prestidigipaper will be distributed by the party, so keep this map).
Banquet - Plans for our annual banquet are under way. If you have not
already done so, mark your calendars for Saturday, January 18. Norm
Marini is chairing this activity. Bruce Martyn has offered his
creative talent to construct our traditional table center pieces; Joe
"Mr. Showmanship" Duperry will produce the evening's show; and Mike
DeSchalit (as our current Historian) will showcase twenty years of
club history for your viewing pleasure.
This year's show will be very special. In honor of twenty years that
the club has existed, the magic will be performed by the club's past
presidents!
Future Lectures
We are arranging to bring Jay Sankey to the Old Pueblo to lecture for
our club in January. Jay is a well-known Canadian close up performer
who should have lots of solid material to challenge all of our
membership. We will let you know of the date as this event gets
closer.
Good of the Order
Moon Magic - Bruce Martyn is producing a magical event at the Valley
of the Moon (1544 E. Allen Road - one block north of Prince) on
November 9th at 6:00 PM. There will be kid's magic, Parlor Magic and
a stage show. Tickets are $6.00 per person.
Gaslight Magic - John Shryock, Norm Marini and Tom Potter will be performing at the Gaslight Theater on November 11th (moved from November 4th) at 7:30 PM. Come on out and support these fine fine magicians.
Majestic Magic - Bill McRea has been keeping himself quite busy recently. At the Foothills Mall he recently raised over $700 for MDA! On October 15th he hosted another of his "Jokers Wild" series at Laffs Comedy Cafe. Tom Potter and Doc, a Phoenix comedian, were the featured performers. A portion of the event's proceeds are being donated to "Arts for Me" -- a children's assistance organization to expose disabled children to many forms of art. And most impressively, Bill's "Majestic Entertainment" has been issued a sizable grant from the state of Arizona to develop and implement an anti-gang program. This will be presented to every high school in the state. Congratulations Bill!
Castle Magic - And still another Tucsonian has been invited to work the prestigious Magic Castle in Hollywood California. Our very own Mari Lyn Worman will be performing her dancing cane routine in February at the castle! Congratulations Mari!!
Get Well Magic - As many of you know, Charlene Collins has recently undergone a complicated surgical procedure. Charlene, we all wish you the very best for a fast recovery!
Calendar of Events: