Mordecai's Journal

The Society of American Magicians
Northern Connecticut Assembly #21
Newsletter for May 2006
Mordecai

Meetings:

Second Monday of every month except December
at Angelo's on Main in West Hartford
(I-84 exit 41)

May Meeting:
Bring a Trick Night
Show your love of our art by bringing a trick to perform at the next meeting.  The trick can be anything at all, but extra points will be given for any trick (since this is the month of May) beginning with the letter “M”!  We’ll also appoint delegates and vote on officers, both local and national.  Those wishing to join us for dinner are encouraged to do so, starting at 6:00 PM.  The meeting starts at 7:30 PM on May 8th.
Minutes of April Meeting

10 April 2006  7:50 PM
Sec’y’s report:  accepted as printed.
Treas’ report:  balance reported

Old Bus.:  Angelo Chirico has artwork prepared by a West Hartford newspaper, but is waiting for a confirmed date.  It now looks like some time in October is the best estimate at this time.  It was suggested that the restaurant have two shows—an afternoon show for children and an evening show for adults.  There was some discussion as to whether the club has enough talent for this [dinner-with-magic] endeavor.  It was agreed that the club certainly does.

New Bus.:  none this month

G & W:  Charlie Hayden has been a member of SAM for 25 years.

Adjourned:  8:06 PM

Aftermeeting:  Walt Umberfield gave an excellent lecture on simple close-up effects, complete with a set of lecture notes.  The effects he taught us all were:

When Last We Met
Walt Umberfield demonstrated tricks with cards, coins, string and other objects in last month’s lecture.
  • a rope routine—two loops vanish, followed by a moveable knot, and finally a vanishing knot
  • a box of matches was shown, Walt claimed he was placing some matches in his pocket, but the outer cover vanished instead
  • a half-dollar wrapped in paper is skewered, then vanishes
  • two 1" rings were held by his fingers, one ring hung from the other, and rotated
  • a placemat changed confetti into a string of beads
and more!  Walt finished by giving us all a gimmicked card with his own improvement on a recent effect published in M-U-M.
The magical world is a little smaller now.  Billy McComb passed away Sunday, April 30. No further details were available at press time.
Index