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.
-
March 2026 Meeting Notes
The meeting you’ve all been waiting for: The SAM12 annual magic auction! 20 magicians and guests were in attendance, and all were looking for great deals on tricks, props, cards, and kits that others no longer wanted. Assembly #12 benefited by receiving 10 percent of all purchases and by encouraging that the members’ dues were current.
Guests paid $5 to participate. Many popular items were sold for as little as $1. An evening of sales, stories, and fun!
Special thanks to SAM12 Treasurer Adam Moore and SAM12 President Kevin Smith, who were responsible for coordinating the financials of the
auction and to former Minnesotan Geoff Williams for creating the sophisticated Excel spreadsheet that tracked all of the sales.
The evening ended with the usual socializing and snacks. Our Royal Road book club will continue next month, looking back at Chapter 4 –The Glide, presented by Jeff Kohagen. Join us in person or online from anywhere in the world via Zoom. Get the details at SAM12.org.
See this in the May 2026 MUM Magazine
-
Auction on Friday, March 20th
This month’s meeting will be the Assembly #12 Auction!
-
February 2026 Meeting Notes
Another month! Another great SAM12 meeting! 12 people in attendance in person at the Discovery United Methodist Church, and 2 more over Zoom.
During the business portion of our meeting, a couple of volunteer performance opportunities were announced and up for grabs at different assisted living locations. Also, SAM 12 alumnus Nick Diffatte is performing locally in a couple of weeks, and several members are attending the show. Upcoming conventions with SAM 12 members planning to attend include the Gateway Close Up Convention in St. Louis at the end of March, and, of course, don’t forget about National SAM in Appleton, WI, in July!
Two members discussed recent performances: Manny Betinis performed at a birthday party, and Paul Cook did some table-hopping. Paul discovered/confirmed that he is a disorganized magician, but also realized that “disorganized” was a persona he could lean into and make work for him!
Performances this month, with a theme of Birthday Party Magic:
- SAM12 President Kevin Smith and SAM12 Scribe Paul Sedler performed their BlackSmith Magic opener “Applause Catcher”.
- Manny Betinis wowed us with Brad Christian’s “Mind Reach”.
- Paul Ladig showed off his Chop Cup skills.
- Norm Barnhart did an amazing card routine he’s done for kids that featured a glimpse, in honor of the book club topic.
Our Royal Road book club continued with SAM12 President Kevin Smith going over Chapter 5 – The Glimpse. He demonstrated and explained the different glimpses and tricks in the book, as well as a couple of others. At our April SAM meeting, we’ll continue the book club with Chapter 4 – The Glide, presented by Jeff Kohagen.
The evening ended with the usual socializing and snacks. Next month, we’re having our annual SAM12 Magic Auction! Join us in person or online from anywhere in the world via Zoom. Get the details at SAM12.org.
See this in the April 2026 MUM Magazine
Follow Us on Facebook
