Mordecai's Journal

Clean out your magic closets and dust off your magic bookshelves.  The theme for the November meeting is Swap Night.  Bring a no-longer-wanted item to the meeting and either sell it outright or swap it for someone else’s item.  It could be a trick, a book, a video, a DVD, anything magical that you no longer need that you think another member might find useful.  Join the officers for dinner at 6 PM.  The meeting, and the trading begins at 7:30PM.

1 October 2005  7:35 PM

Sec’y’s report: accepted as printed.

Treas’ report: balance reported.

Old business:

• The club has set a goal of increasing membership.  Ron Strong has sent out some postcards [to local magicians identified by RVP Marlene Clark’s list] and needs more cards.
• Cal Vinick has chosen October 22nd as the date for the club to go to Six Flags New England to see Dave Garrity’s "Fright Fest" show, but had to change the date to either the 15th or the 29th.  More interest was shown in the 29th date.  Meet at 1PM to pick up the tickets in time to see Dave’s first show at 1:45.
• The National Council has selected Springfield for the site of the Nov. 19 meeting.  They are hoping for a good turnout from the local assemblies.  Tom Gentile will be "in charge" of arranging everything.

• Magic Week is coming up.  Dana Ring announced he would be getting a proclamation from his home town council.
• November meeting is to be swap night.

New Business:

January meeting is to be a full Initiation Ceremony for brand-new members and those that haven’t undergone it.  Dana will host the evening.  Ideas for other night’s themes are solicited.
• Mark Wilson is to lecture Oct. 13th for Assembly 127.
• The Bizarre Magick Gathering is Nov. 10-12 in Cromwell, CT.
• SAMCON is Nov. 12 in Peabody, MA.

G&W:

• Kat Lovell is performing a public séance later this month.
• Dan Sclare reports finding a website that has video demonstrations of tricks viewable online, www.elmwoodmagic.com.  Another site mentioned was www.magicvideodepot.com.  Both have downloadable/viewable files in "wmv" format.

Adjourned: 7:52 PM

After a brief break, the group settled for a great close-up lecture by the man, the myth, the legend--Dave Cresey.  Dave shared with us some of his close-up feats, including a copper/silver/brass transposition routine, a "throw change" by which a card is shown face-up in the hand, thrown face-down onto a table whereupon it is later shown to have changed, and a wonderful effect called "Card In Bag."  A card, selected by a spectator, is torn in pieces along with several other cards.  The pieces are put in a paper bag and shaken.  Dave sticks his hand in the bag and one-by-one retrieves the pieces of the selected card.  The scandalously simple solution to this effect alone is worth the price of admission!