Society of American Magicians, Assembly 12
Chartered in 1923 by Harry Houdini and based in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis & St. Paul, Minnesota) metro area, we are Assembly 12 of the Society of American Magicians. Today, it is the oldest and most prestigious magical society in the world with approximately 300 Assemblies worldwide. The primary purpose of the S.A.M. is to advance, elevate, and preserve magic as a performing art. Our members are magic performers, dealers, collectors, and historians — including professionals, serious hobbyists, and students.
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October Hybrid Meeting!
Greetings! Time for our October hybrid SAM assembly meeting!
We’ll meet on Friday, October 18th, at 7:00 PM at Eagle Magic. (Eagle Magic is in Burnsville, MN, 4 lights east of 35W on Hwy 13, southeast corner, next door to the BP gas station.) Bring potluck snacks to share. Connection information for the virtual view of the meeting will be sent prior to the meeting.
Our theme this month, in honor of the Halloween season, is “Spooky Magic.” Time to tell us a scary story with magic, show us your best Halloween show prop, or give a book report on your favorite Bizarre Magic book. Or even make the Professor’s Nightmare live up to its name! Muahahaha!!
As always, be prepared to demonstrate, teach, and provide guidance and suggestions for others.
See you on the 18th, either in person or online!
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September 2024 Meeting Report
SAM Assembly 12 is back after the summer break!!
Eight people attended in person at Eagle Magic, with two attending remotely via Zoom.
Our theme this month: What I did over the summer; magically speaking.
Many SAM 12 members attended conventions over the summer, including Abracorndabra (many attended and had a great time), Magic Live (a huge conference with many big-name performers), and the TAOM/SAM convention (spread out and a bit disorganized, but still a good convention.)
Other summer magical activities included a trip to the Magic Castle, a local IBM fundraising event, and SAM12 participation in a Houdini birthday-themed show at the Jewish Community Center. The Houdini show was well attended and a success, and might even become an annual event.
A few of us had some performances over the summer as well. Paul Ladig worked at some assisted living facilities. Jeff Kohagen dusted off his magic props for a family gathering, performing both kid and adult magic.
On to performances:
Jeff performed a quick coins-across routine that looked amazing! He also demonstrated a double side-steal color change he’s working on that shows great promise. Next, Brad Gudim performed an excellent ring-on-string routine. Then SAM12 president Kevin Smith talked about his summer task of cleaning out his old magic and discovering his old Reiss Games magic props. He performed and explained “Your Favorite Ace” by Garcia and Schindler from a booklet that accompanied a Reiss Games card trick set. (This booklet was an excerpt from the excellent “Magic With Cards” book by Garcia and Schindler.)
The highlight of the evening was Todd Anderson talking about “top shelf magic,” those large expensive magic props on the top shelves of magic shops you always wished for. Todd showed us a classic mirror box he restored, painted like an old radio. He wondered if he could do better. Did he ever!!! Todd spent months over the summer building a mirror box that looks like an old time radio with knobs, a lighted dial, a working antenna, and even a way to tune in the local radio stations!!! Absolutely amazing!!
The evening ended with planning for next month, as well as the usual socializing and snacks. Next month the theme is “Spooky Magic.” Join us in person or online from anywhere in the world. Get the details at SAM12.org.
Look for this in the November 2024 MUM Magazine
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September Hybrid Meeting!
Welcome back! It’s time for our September hybrid SAM assembly meeting!
We’ll meet on Friday, September 20th, at 7:00 PM at Eagle Magic. (Eagle Magic is in Burnsville, MN, 4 lights east of 35W on Hwy 13, southeast corner, next door to the BP gas station.) Bring potluck snacks to share. Connection information for the virtual view of the meeting will be sent prior to the meeting.
Our theme this month, in honor of Back to School season, is “What I Did This Summer, Magically Speaking.” Talk about the conferences you attended, the books you read, show us what you’re working on or what you performed.
As always, be prepared to demonstrate, teach, and provide guidance and suggestions for others.
See you on the 20th, either in person or online!
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