Society of American Magicians Assembly 12

Another month, another SAM12 meeting! Ten people joined us in person at Jeff Kohagen’s house in his secret magic room. (Thanks, Jeff!!) Two more attended via Zoom. 

During the business portion of our meeting, we started with the most important task of elections! We had a single nomination for each position, so the vote was quick and easy. Our new club officers are:

1. President: Brad Gudim
2. Vice President: Manny Betinis
3. Secretary: Todd Anderson
4. Treasurer: Jeff Kohagen

We also chose the delegate for SAM 12 at the SAM National Convention in July–past president Kevin Smith volunteered and was chosen as delegate.

Other performance news:

• Brad Gudim was recently the opening act for a sold-out Neil Diamond tribute show! 
• Brad is looking for volunteer help for a booth he’s hosting in July at Fridley ’49er Days.
• Adam Moore is performing a ‘mystery show’ coming up for 10 to 50 people. Good luck, Adam!
• Manny Betinis had his best gig ever–he did some strolling magic for fancy execs at a fancy hotel downtown and had a great time!! 

Next, Jeff Kohagen gave us a tour of his amazing magic collection, displayed in his secret magic room and beyond. Very impressive.

Performances: 

• Manny Betinis performed his entertaining version of “Fruit Forecast”.

Finally, our Royal Road book club continued, and Past President (as of this meeting) Kevin Smith taught Chapter VI: The Key Card. He went through the various moves in the chapter, performed Do As I Do, and discussed pencil dots and other methods of marking the back of a key card. 

The evening ended with the usual socializing and snacks. While we typically do not meet in the summer, we discussed having some informal meetings, a cookout, etc. A good number of us will be attending the SAM National Convention in Appleton, and we plan on getting together there, too. Watch for details at SAM12.org. 

See this in the July 2026 MUM Magazine

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

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

Time again for our annual Chili Dinner! It was a great crowd at Discovery United Methodist Church–13 people were there in person, andTodd Anderson joined us via Zoom. Special thanks go to Sandy Meyer (and Steve!) who catered the dinner. The menu was chili, cornbread, veggies, dessert, and more! Very good food, and everyone enjoyed it.

The business portion of the meeting was short (mostly because our mouths were full!) We continued our conversation on where and when we should perform in 2026, and discussed venues, show ideas, size, cost vs goodwill offering, etc. We are definitely going to do something during Magic Week this year.

Since performances were optional this year, we only had one: SAM12 President Kevin Smith demonstrated “Revised Mexican Poker” by David Solomon. 

More good things to come!! Next month is our Annual SAM12 Auction, and then in March we’re planning another Movie Night, which usually includes a special guest. You won’t want to miss it!! Join us for our next meeting, in person or online from anywhere in the world via Zoom. Get the details at SAM12.org!

See this in the March 2026 MUM Magazine