Egg Bag - August 2009

Current Assembly Officers:

Lars Klores, President
Joe Tessmer, Secretary and Assembly Reporter
Dwight Redman, Treasurer

JULY’s MEETING:
Sam Brothers did an impromptu "Out of This World" of his own devising (after cheekily pretending to stack his deck to throw us off the scent).

Laurie Curry then performed "Zebra". She first displayed a silk with a white donkey on it. The silk was put in a bag, then removed and shown to depict a black donkey. It appeared that Laurie was using two silks, until she showed the bag to be empty and the silk changed to depict a zebra!

Jim Flanigan performed his own Harry Potter-themed automatic coloring book, followed by a Potter-themed card prediction, which seemed to go wrong until the magician was saved by an insurance policy, which predicted the correct card.

Matt Hiller presented his version of Jim Steinmeyer's "Nine Card Problem" using an interesting method in which the spectator decides the placement of the selection.

Theo Rushin performed a routine of his own devising which combined "Ambitious Card", Masuda's "Wow", and a finale from Jay Sankey's "Reconstruction" in which the magician produced a card which was one-off from the selection, but was then changed into the selection by peeling off a pip.

Noland Montgomery performed Paul Green's Copper/Silver routine that amazed all.

Ray Eyler performed Andy Dallas's "Vanishing Coin Box," a version of the "Sucker Die Box" which packs flat, followed by Larry West's "Roy's Ploy," a "Color Monte" variation using two selections and the Kings.

Larry Lipman, ever on the search for the perfect "Cards Across", performed a real stunner out of an obscure source he indentified as "Tarbell." This version used sealed envelopes to preclude any tampering.

Lars Klores chose Guy Hollingworth's "Reformation" for his first trick as president, and presented it with a faith-healer theme.

Dwight Redman performed his handling of Mark Jenest's "No. 2 Pencil," then followed it with a real baffler called "Blankety-Blank" from Aldo Columbini in which three kings and a blank card changed to four kings, then to four blanks.

Lee Eyler finished off the performance section with part of an Al Leech card effect in which a card was chosen, and then found via an indicator card reversed in the deck. In between the indicator card and the selected card the four aces were found. Lee then finished with his own incredible sandwich effect, "Club Sandwich."

Compeers are requested to e-mail the secretary with a brief explanation of their performances to included in the Egg Bag.

THE $100 LARRY WEST PRIZE
In July 2010, Assembly 23 will have a drawing for a $100 magic-shop gift certificate. To be entered into this drawing, simply show up to the meetings. Each member in good standing at each meeting will be entered into the drawing. Every month, you have another chance to be entered, so at the end of the year those with perfect attendance should have 12 entries.

A bonus entry each month will be awarded to the member whose magic performance best exemplifies that month's theme.


DRESS CODE:
Please remember that the Assembly is a guest of the National Press Club. Gentlemen should dress in business casual or better–no Tee-shirts, shorts, jeans or flip-flops to the dinner meetings. Ladies should dress correspondingly appropriately.

ANNUAL DUES:
Dues are now past due! Dues are $10 per year. If you have not yet paid dues for the new fiscal year (April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010), you may pay the Treasurer, Dwight Redman, at the meeting or mail. Make your check payable to “Larry West Assembly 23”.

OUR NEXT MEETING – AUGUST 19, 2009

UP-COMING THEMES & ACTIVITIES OF THE ASSEMBLY – SUBJECT TO CHANGE:
(Remember, although we have a theme you may perform something else, the most important thing is that you perform.)

The monthly themes for 2009-2010 are:
August: Luck Be a Lady
September: (Al Cohen Lecture Monday September 14th)
October: Jeepers Creepers
November: Dancing in the Dark
December: I've Got You Under My Skin
January: (Ray and Lee Eyler Lecture)
February: Come Fly With Me
March: You're Getting to Be a Habit
April: (NPC Show)
May: (Lecture TBA)
June: I Got Plenty of Nothing
July: What Kind of Fool Am I?

OTHER NON-ASSEMBLY EVENTS OF INTEREST:

To the consternation of some members of Assembly 23 the secretary did not attend the monthly meeting. Rather he had the temerity and unmitigated gall to attend the annual meeting of the Society of American Magicians, as the assembly’s representative to the S.A.M.
National Council. Two items of importance to Assembly 23 members are:

A: There is a new, eco-friendly option, to new and renewing members at a reduced fee. Members may now choose to go "paperless". For many months, M-U-M, the official magazine of the S.A.M., has been available on-line. Compeers may now elect to receive M-U-M on-line and save $20.00 per year.

B: It is now required that all members of any assembly be national members of the Society of American Magicians S.A.M.

Additionally, over 800 high-resolution professional photographs that document the entire convention, many of which are expected to be included in next months M-U-M are now available for review by Assembly 23 compeers.

The Kapital Kidvention, a three-day convention for Children's Magic Show entertainers to be held in the D.C. area in January. More information is at http://www.kapitalkidvention.com/.

Ray and Lee Eyler will premier their new lecture "Inside a Close-Up Session" at the Jokers Gone Wild convention in Fairborn, Ohio, August 21 and 22. For more info see http://www.magical1.org.