SAM12 usually take the summers off, so there will not be an official meeting until September.  There might be a summer cookout, keep your eyes on SAM12.org for all the details. SAM12 Fact: SAM12 is actually 104 years old this year, but our original charter that was signed by Harry Houdini in 1920 when he was president of S.A.M. was lost. It’s likely in the secret warehouse that was featured at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Join us, won’t you? Either in person or via Zoom. Get the details at SAM12.org.

Look for this in the August 2024 issue of M-U-M

SAM12 meets every third Friday of the month. Do you know what else happens the third Friday of the month of May? AbraCORNdabra in Des Moines, Iowa. SAM 12 was very well represented at the Iowa magic convention. 13 of us met over pizza and drinks at the hotel bar for our “official meeting.” Pizza, drinks, friends, and magic. A good time was had by all! Join us won’t you? Either in person or via Zoom. Get the details at SAM12.org.

Look for this in the July 2024 issue of M-U-M

Has it been another month already?! Time for SAM12 to meet again! The April meeting was attended by 10 people in person and 4 via Zoom.

Lots of business was discussed including our afterthoughts on the Gateway Closeup Convention that recently happened in St. Louis. It was a great time and well attended by many members of SAM12. We’re also looking forward to Magic Collector Expo and AbraCORNdabra coming up in May. Our treasurer, Adam Moore gave a report on our financial status (including noting that he properly filed things with the IRS). Adam also talked about a recent performance at a local church.

Next, we discussed the upcoming Houdini birthday celebration coming up this summer, and how SAM 12 will be involved. This led to a robust discussion on how to get more members to the Assembly.

Paul Cook kicked off our performances with a rather funny, and rather messy, vanishing salt. Next, Paul Laidig performed a spooky rendition of Kurotsuke that included music and a light show. Larry Kahlow attempted to stack dice…and was mostly successful! Finally, in the spirit of our theme (“Magic That Might Convince Ancient Peoples That You’re a Wizard!”) Adam Moore told a couple of stories about impromptu magic presentations that had a much larger impact than expected, including a performance of the Balducci Levitation!

The meeting concluded as it always does with refreshments and socializing. Join us won’t you? Either in person or via Zoom. Get all the info at SAM12.org.

Look for this in the June 2024 issue of M-U-M

We started a new annual SAM12 tradition at our March meeting: Movie Night! Around 20 members joined us at Discovery United Methodist Church, in person and via Zoom.

Big Screen. Popcorn. The movie: Billy Topit. Special guest: Lance Burton!

Lance joined us via Zoom from his farm in Kentucky to introduce his movie. It’s about a Las Vegas kid’s magician, played by Lance Burton, who’s just trying to impress the cute waitress and ends up getting mixed up with the mob. Spoiler alert: It all works out in the end. The movie was jam-packed with cameos from Lance’s magician friends, and he challenged us to find as many as we could as we watched. We all enjoyed the movie and the popcorn.

Lance then joined us after the movie and answered our many questions. Big thanks to Lance Burton! He was very personable, had great stories, and answered all our (sometimes odd/silly) questions.

Special thanks to Adam Moore and Sandy Meyer for organizing the event!

You never know who’s going to show up at a SAM12 meeting. Join us won’t you? Get the full scoop at SAM12.org. See you next month!

Look for this in the May 2024 issue of M-U-M

At our February meeting we held the SAM12 Annual Auction. Seventeen people were in attendance at Eagle Magic in Burnsville. It was the annual opportunity to sell some unwanted magic AND just as good a chance of adding magic to your collection. There were bargains galore with bids starting as low as one dollar! A great time was had by all! It was a very casual auction with many laughs and stories. Some left with more magic than they came with, some left with less magic than they came with. As usual, refreshments and socializing brought the evening to a close. Join us, won’t you? Either in person or via Zoom. We’d love to see you! We meet on the third Friday of the month. More information at SAM12.org.

Look for this in the April 2024 issue of M-U-M

Welcome to 2024 everyone! Let’s make it a magical year! Fourteen magicians attended our January 19th meeting at Eagle Magic. Our theme was “Things You Found While Going Through Your Stuff For the Auction.”

During the business portion, we discussed who’s attending AbraCORNdabra in Iowa this year and the lineup of lecturers and performers. Several members of SAM 12 are planning on attending and are hoping for another great convention.

Paul Ladig is performing from his basement stage and got written up in the local paper recently, leading to more business. Old-school advertising for an old-school magician! BlackSmith Magic (SAM12 President Kevin Smith and SAM12 Scribe Paul Sedler) performed for an 8-year-old’s birthday party, with 16 kids and a handful of adults in attendance. Good show! Manny Betinis has been performing at various parties…for free. He’s just there. Might as well perform, right? The Amazing Hondo lecture is happening this weekend at Eagle Magic.

Peter Grendle joined us from the Minnesota Jewish Community Center. He’s hoping to put together a Houdini celebration in June and is looking for some help. That got us all talking about Houdini and things that can be done to help celebrate Houdini’s 150th birthday.

On to performances and show and tell: Eagle Magic owner and SAM12 Vice President Larry Kalow performed the Deception Paddle. Colored pips on a metal paddle. Larry says Eagle is the only place you can buy it right now. SAM12 Treasurer Adam Moore shared an old cigar box with some vintage magical treasures he got from his dad. Really cool! Paul Ladig performed a coin-in-glass vanish combined with his Mullica Wallet. The evening ended with the usual refreshments and socializing.

Next month is our annual auction! Sell some of your unwanted magic to other fellow magicians. Join us in person at Eagle Magic. More info at SAM12.org.

Look for this in the March 2024 issue of M-U-M

September was a busy month for SAM Assembly #12. On September 18th the group hosted a fun lecture with Steve Marshall from Florida by way of Tokyo Japan. Steve has been touring the Midwest Region for most of the summer. His lecture was filled with lots of clever magic inspired by Japanese magicians. The Ben-san Bowl routine with sponge sushi; the Color Changing Rubber bands and the Little Triumph were each remarkable in their own way. As well as being a former “Ringling Clown,” Steve is a very entertaining magician.    

Then on Sept. 28th,  President Tom O’Lenick called the regular meeting to order by reminding the dozen people in attendance that dues is due for the 2018-2019 year. If paid prior to the next meeting (which can be done on the website www.sam12.org), the assembly will pay (as a special perk) your admission to the magic show that Adam and Lisa Moore are presenting that the Plymouth Playhouse theater. Adam recently made the offer for SAM #12 to hold its October 19th meeting at their show. Following the show, Adam and Lisa will conduct a backstage tour and answer questions from the attendees.

Since the group has been on summer vacation without meetings in July or August, it was fun catching up on member activities. Some included discussions about the Sam National Meeting held in Orlando, the IBM in Grand Rapids, Magic Live in Las Vegas and FISM. During September, the Minnesota group had an excellent representation at the Houdini Club of Wisconsin convention in Appleton (the community where Houdini grew up).

Meeting performances this month included: a Rubber Band effect by Manny Benitis; a Enlarging Chinese Coin presentation by “Magic” Brad Gudim; a Vanishing and Reappearing Coin held high above his head by Larry Kahlow; and a quick coin routine by Drew Hanson. Presentations were followed by snacks broght by Jerry Martin and Tom O’Lenick and deserts hosted by Jennifer Kahlow. Magic chats and sessioning by everyone continued for another hour.

Summer finally arrived in the Twin Cities with scorching temperatures over 90 degrees but that didnt hinder a good turn out for the May meeting. Discussions about magic activities during the month included a report on Steve Daly’s AbraCornDabra regional convention in Des Moines which featured Gene Anderson, The Other Brothers, Tim Sonnefelt, Jonathan Burns, Bill Smith, David Charvet, Keith West and company and Rudy Coby!

President Tom O’Lenick also reported on his trip to the Knights of Sleights Magic Flea Market in Chicago just prior to AbraCornDabra.

Upcoming events announced at the meeting: Steve Marshall Lecture on September 18th (free to SAM members); Ben Trainer performance/lecture on June 10th for Sunday Night Magic.

The group also chose the theme for the June 15th meeting. It will be “Dice.” You know, those little square cubes in various sizes with colors and numbers on them. See what you can come up with that will qualify to win a performance prize.

MagicBrad Gudim began the performance portion of the meeting with a clever variation on the “Ramsey Stack of Coins” using a time shift story and a “magic crystal.” Adam Moore shared a trick that David Copperfield did on an early television special called Room Service created by Jonathan Neal Brown. Adam also asked for patter/presentation tips on the Penney to Dime trick and Coloring Book which his son is doing for a school performance. To qualify for the drawing, Drew Hanson then did a nice vanishing finger ring that kept reappearing on his finger. Drew also show his leather crafting skills to some members. He made leather cover tubes for the Ramsey Coin Routine. Finally, Larry Kahlow did a colorful Stiff Rope and won the performance prize drawing donated by Steve Goshman (www.MagicbyGosh.com).

Sandwich snacks provided by Paul Ladig, popcorn by Tom O’Lenick and cookies by Adam Moore were presented by host Jennifer Kahlow. Everyone mingled and chatted about magic until much later in the evening. On the subject of food, we are planning a fun picnic event for our July gathering. Keep an eye open for the details.

Paul Ladig gets ready to perform

a miracle for the group.

Magic Brad Gudim and Manny Betinis look on. 

Prior to performances, we paid tribute to Bill Von Stocken who recently passed away. Bill, aka Darnay, mentored Justin Flom (as a young magian) who created a brief video tour of the theater, pictures of magicians, props and books that Darnay kept in the basement of his home. It was a very sentimental memory.

We then discussed creating a “Tribute Page” of deceased SAM members to add to our website. Even though the idea was enthusiastically embraced, there were a lot of questions about how to handle the information and what should be included. So a committee headed up by Greg Broder was created to explore details and how to proceed. Steve Peer, who first suggested the idea, Adam Moore our web administrator, and Larry Kahlow will also be members.

Tom O’Lenick and David Stahl reported on their recent trip to work as Stage Manager and Production Supervisor for the 50th Annual Academy of Magical Arts (Magic Castle) Awards Show. David Copperfield was named “Magician of the Decade.” Numerous Showroom and Fellowship Awards were presented by Dick Van Dyke, Paul Reubens, John Gaughn, Mike Caveney, Michael Carbanaro and others. Notable recipients included Richard Turner, Johnny “Ace” Palmer, Shoot Ogawa, Collector Ken Klosterman, Historian Peter Lane and Shimada. Comedian and television personality Larry Wilmore was the host and Erika Larsen, Past President of the AMA was the Executive Producer.

The group also approved a lecture by Magician Steve Marshall on Tuesday, Sept. 18th. Steve, a former MUM columnist has appeared on Penn and Teller’s Fool Us and now lives in Japan. Mark your calendars. This will be a free event for SAM members. For all others admission will be $20.

“Rising cards and other ways to cause a card to magically leave the deck,” was the theme for our April Assembly meeting. Larry Kahlow started the performances by showing a technique for making a card rise from the deck using his little finger. Then, Paul Ladig showed a clever trick using a plexiglass holder with a rod penetrating the center. When the rod was removed, the deck “plopped” down and left the selected card rising out of the deck. David Stahl performed a Devano style rising cards finding two selected cards. Tom O’Lenick demonstrated Cardiographic Lite by Martin Lewis.

Treats were provided by Paul Ladig, Jerry Martin, Tom O’Lenick and Jennifer Kahlow. Magical socializing followed for about another hour.

Chatting after the meeting with Larry Kahlow, Brad Gudim,

David Stahl and Tom O’Lenick.