Assembly News
Meeting Minutes: July 2008
It was a baker’s dozen in attendance at the Fairmount Community Center July 15 as the summer doldrums knocked down the attendance of the Robert W. Klamm – Assembly 38 S.A.M. meeting. Because of the sparse attendance, the 13 gathered members made themselves at home on a couple of couches and easy chairs at the center, and a welcome and informal meeting took place.
Member Gene Turner made a rare appearance, his calendar is usually booked solid, but for those members present is was a treat. He performed his laugh-producing sponge ball routine with Rachel Melito as his comedic foil, and had everyone, particularly Rachel and her dad, Mike, in stitches. Gene then performed a double-card prediction which he turned into a teach-a-trick session, revealing the subtleties and misdirection involved.
Leading up to Gene’s performance, Rachel and her brothers, Nathan and Jarod, put on the Melito Matrix Melee as each performed their own well-executed versions of bare-handed coin matrix routines. And Rachel also performed a card prediction routine of her own which wowed the assembled mages.
Not to be outdone by his children, Mike Melito, presented Cubio, a block-and-string trick where he has complete control of the block, but a spectator cannot, as the block slides along a string. Mike also presented a matrix-inspired coin routine using jumbo Chinese coins and two cards that he had presented in a recent IBM close-up competition. Those assembled dubbed the routine a winner.
Phil Franklin rounded out the performances for the evening, combining some mental efforts to accurately predict a freely selected card.
Dealer Eddie Pease had $5 VHS tapes in a blowout sale, and many a magi said they would be dusting off their old VCRs to play the tapes.
During the business portion of the meeting assembly members discussed the third Day of Magic that will be held October 19, 2009. Some of the names put up for consideration for the event were Rocco, FISM Award-winner; Gene Turner, who could lecture on creativity and misdirection; local favorite Tom Burgoon; Assembly Veep Shawn Rivera, who could provide a lecture on the torn-and-restored card – he put on a teach-a-trick session on the T&R Card at a recent assembly meeting that was well-received and he has a wealth of information on all aspects of the trick; and C.W. Standford, who wrote a book on trade show performing. All will be contacted to determine their interest.
President Larry Poague asked that any members who are interested in other possible lecturer/performers please contact those magician/entertainers by the August 19, and determine their interest, availability, costs, etc. in order to give the Assembly Board of Directors time to consider them before offering contracts.
In other news, mark your calendars now. The September meeting will be held at Bob and Bernice Klamm’s home. The club will provide meat from Gate’s Barbecue, and is asking assembly members to bring a side dish or desert. Stay tuned for more information.
Respectfully submitted by,
Joe Zeman
