Regional VP

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S.A.M. Assembly No. 59
Portland, Oregon

Northwest Regional Vice President

Northwest SAMSpeak for December 2009
Greetings Compeers,

I had a great time at the National Council Meeting in Portland hosted by the Northwest Region’s most active Assembly, S.A.M.
59. The members were most welcoming, put on a fabulous show for us Friday, served as tour guides and made our stay most
enjoyable in the Rose City. The show featured the talents of Art Manning, Mathias, Tom Waldrop, Larry Seymore, Brian
Carpenter & Sparky, Tom Cramer, David Charvet and Bob Eaton. Oregon Deputy Michael Roth orchestrated the event. Oh,
and we did have an excellent National Council meeting on Saturday. I’d like to share some of the highlights with you.

The ABRA Contest, which stands for ‘Area’s Best Recruiter Award’, was announced to see who can bring in the most new SAM
members between Dec 1, 2009 and May 1, 2010. The top recruiter in each region will win a free year’s membership renewal for
the SAM. The top recruiter in the SAM will win a free registration to the Atlanta Convention! New members will receive a set of
four magic posters as a gift when they join. Winners will be honored by the National President in Atlanta and in M-U-M. There
are few details including: You must recruit a minimum of three members to be eligible; Trial memberships and paperless
memberships do not count in the total; and the first sponsor to sign the membership application will get credit for that member.

New Membership cards will be provided within a year, where we will be upgrading to plastic membership cards. We are exploring
some exciting ideas to make these cards collectable as well. S.A.M. Gifts and Gadgetry has totally redesigned their presence on
our web site. It includes easy navigation, updated photos of all items and an improved shopping cart. Check it out!

The Long Range Plan is moving forward. The mission, vision, and objectives developed by the committee were approved and
should be posted on the web site soon. For our young members and leaders the SYMbol can be accessed on line using your
name and S.A.M. member number. The National Convention will be in Atlanta, from Jun 30th -July 4th. Sign up on the web.

If you have any info on your magic week events, please send them to me. With the Holidays upon us I wish you and your
families a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Festive Kwanzaa or whatever you celebrate at this time of year, and have a
happy new year!

Till next year.
Cheers,
Dick Bowman , SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com
719-527-0678

Northwest SAMSpeak for November 2009
Compeers,

I hope those of you in the Oregon and Washington are reading this before November 14th and will be able to
join us that day in the great city of Portland, Oregon. The National Council Meeting will be held at the Hilton
Portland & Executive Tower, 921 SW Sixth Avenue, beginning at 9 am. Council meetings are a great way to
get insight into how the National Council is working to improve the Society for its members and advance the
art of magic worldwide. If you are unable to attend, the proceedings and reports from the officers and
committees will be posted on the website after the meeting. I continue to be amazed at how dedicated our
National Officers are to the Society, and how much they give of themselves to making us a better
organization. Assembly 59 will be hosting a magic social on Friday evening prior to the meeting to perform
magic and engage in fellowship with our compeers. I hope to see you there.

Last month I asked you to help the children. I hope you have figured out a way to involve yourselves into the
life of a child to help foster their magical aspirations.

Along those lines of helping a young magician, how about using your magic over the upcoming holidays to
bring some holiday cheer to people? There are many ways as a magician that you can perform for people –
be it 15 seconds to a crying child in the grocery store or a two-hour Holiday Show. Most of us have been in
the situation where some pocket magic for a child will help take their mind off of what is bothering them for a
few seconds to fascinate, entertain and help them forget the problem altogether.

All you need to do is be prepared for the child in the market, or on an airplane (ok, TSA says that color
changing knives is not a good one here), or while Christmas shopping-- to suspend the reality of daily life for a
few moments. Hopefully you think before you go out, ‘what do I have on me that I can use in this situation’.
Jeff McBride, one of the greats in our business, seems to be ‘ready’ to perform anywhere, anytime, a situation
presents itself. He is always ‘loaded with magic’. We should be too. One of the founding principles of our
Society is to elevate the art of magic in the eyes of the public. We may not be able to do that for everyone all at
one time, but for that little child (and their parents) waiting in line at the airport, you have created magic in his
or her day. I ask you all to be ambassadors of our art and be ready to perform magic on the spur of the
moment to help further the aura that the magician holds – the ability to suspend belief. Doing so will relax
your little spectator and allow you to see the wonder that makes magic so special. Happy Thanksgiving to all
my compeers and best wishes for a joyous and magical season.

Cheers,

Dick Bowman , S.A.M. NWRVP
samnwrvp@higginsmagic.com
719-527-0678

Northwest SAMSpeak for October 2009
Greetings Compeers,

Help the children! I’m championing the cause to get you to help the junior magicians out there with your advice, knowledge, and
friendship. We have an organization – the Society of Young Magicians – which has Assemblies around the country whose sole
purpose is to foster the magic growth of those young people in our art. While they each have adult leaders, the leaders can
always use extra help with the young magicians. Most successful magicians can point to someone who helped them in their
formative years. Even if the children you encounter are not SYMers, if they show interest in magic, please think about providing
your tutelage to them

While at the Magic in the Rockies Convention in Fort Collins last month, they had a session specifically for Junior Magicians. Bill
Pitts, past IBM president, talked about his life in magic and demonstrated different types of trick decks. Barrie Richardson then
explained how just the power of the French Drop could have them traveling around the world. His talk and demonstration was
captivating. Here we had two very accomplished men, taking time at 8:30 on Sunday morning to share magic with our young
magicians.

I’ve shared this story long ago in my SAMSpeak that is worth repeating. I joined a magic club (IBM Assembly)
in Sacramento, CA, when I was in my late 20s. There I met a young 14-year-old magician who was allowed to attend club
meetings, but was not really accepted by the old timers, since he was ‘The kid.’ He often performed some unusual routines for
the club and wrote the club newsletter, using his not always appreciated offbeat sense of humor. I befriended him as well as two
other of the ‘older’ magicians. Together the four of us worked on new effects, talked magic, and did shows together. We
accepted ‘The kid’ as one of us and together encouraged him. We learned things from his unbridled enthusiasm and
inventiveness, just as he learned things from our experience.

While I lost touch with the other magicians, ‘The kid’ has been my friend ever since. Even though I’ve moved around the country
since then and he subsequently moved to Europe, we’ve kept in touch and see each other whenever possible. ‘The kid’ is Scott
Shawl – aka Scott the Magician, who along with his now wife Miss Muriel, captured the Grand Prix at FISM in 2000. So I ask
you, give a young magician some help. You never know where they will turn up.

Cheers,

Dick Bowman, SAM NWRVP
purpose is to foster the magic growth of those young people in our art. While they each have adult leaders, the leaders can
always use extra help with the young magicians. Most successful magicians can point to someone who helped them in their
formative years. Even if the children you encounter are not SYMers, if they show interest in magic, please think about providing
your tutelage to them

Cheers,

Dick Bowman, SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com
719-527-0678

Northwest SAMSpeak for September 2009
Greetings Compeers,

First I'd like to clarify something from last month's SAMSpeak. The printed version of M-U-M is NOT going away. The Council has
approved an option for those members who prefer to not receive a printed copy, where they pay a reduced membership fee by
only accessing M-U-M on line. I encourage you to get the printed copy. If you are like me—I take my magic magazines along
when I am waiting in the office of my doctor, dentist, or other professional rather than read the year old pubs lying around the
waiting room—and we DO have to wait…

National Magic Week is the last week in October. I hope that you and your Assembly have planned events to celebrate our
magical heritage through shows, benefits, or fundraiser events to publicize both the celebration of magic and your Assembly's
activities. Many people I've encountered who are interested in magic have no idea that they can learn magic and be a part of a
group dedicated to the magical arts. Reaching the community through Magic Week is a great way to open your Assembly and
the Society to those who are interested in magic and thus become members of our great fraternity. Please advise Michael
Bonacci (mbonacci@comcast.net ) of your planned activities for National Magic Week.

I hope your summer has been magical. With magic conventions seemingly occurring every week somewhere around the country,
the ability to attend one is very doable. I hope you have been able to attend one or more this summer. I was overwhelmed at
the openness of magicians at the MAGIC Live! Convention last month in Las Vegas (and the same at S.A.M. Buffalo). Everyone
is a friend, brother, or sister when together, meeting new folks, greeting others like old friends, and sharing their interests. We
are fortunate to have such open friendships in our Society, readily accepting magicians for their interest in magic, without
worrying about their politics, religion, heritage, or the like. Magicians tend to befriend other magicians without regard for skill level
or ‘fame’ status. I hope that you befriend other magicians as well. Please think about how you can help the Society improve its
openness to those interested by volunteering to help out on a committee (see the list of committees on the website) and contact
the committee chair to help participate in moving the Society forward. We are all in the S.A.M. together to advance the magic
that we love and I ask for your help in making that happen. Till next month,

Cheers,

Dick

Dick Bowman, SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com
719-527-0678

Northwest SAMSpeak for August 2009
Greetings Compeers,

I have a few things to pass on from the recent Buffalo convention. It was really a fun time -- a chance to renew friendships, see
the latest tricks from the dealers, and watch some amazing magic. The highlights for me were watching Richard Turner, Greg
Frewin’s Show in Niagara Falls , the close-up show performers and the Stars of Canada Show, which was one of the best I have
ever seen at a convention.

I’d like to pass on some important news from the National Council Meeting:

- Access to the members-only section of the website requires only your name and member number as it appears on your
membership card. You can now read the M-U-M on line and you can read it before your paper copy arrives!

- The S.A.M. will now have a paperless option for your membership. Your dues are reduced, you don’t receive paper
copies of the M-U-M, but all other benefits of the Society remain intact.

- The S.A.M. gift shop has added many new items for the Society, from pins to mugs to shirts – check them out on the
website.

- The National Magic Center is gaining momentum with a possible campus located in Louisville with a 750 seat
Auditorium, Presentation Center, housing, and other buildings to house a museum, offices and workshop. Check out
www.sammagiccenter.com to learn more and how you can become involved.

- The S.A.M. is offering a ‘trial’ membership – for four months; you receive the M-U-M and are able to access the
members section of the website for $25. Ask your friends to consider this as a way to introduce them to the Society.

- The long range plan for the Society is in final draft by the Committee and will soon be posted on the website for the
members to review and comment.

- The National Council report (aka ‘blue book’) is also on line in the members’ section; see the reports from the officers
and committees at www.magicsam.com

Hopefully our communications will evolve and our closeness will grow through the communications and sharing the magic that we
love. First and foremost, please call or write if you have any issues or concerns or suggestions for improvement with the
organization. Our next National Council meeting is in November, hosted by our own NW Assembly 59 in Portland , OR . I hope
to see many of our members out there. Till next month.

Cheers,

Dick Bowman, SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com 719-527-0678

Northwest SAMSpeak for July 2009
Depending on when you are reading this, either I am preparing to go to the National Convention, or am there, or have returned.
Although I was not enamored about shuffling off to Buffalo, I now look forward to it.

I remembered that it is not the location of the venue, it is what you do there. I'm excited about greeting old friends and making
new friends. I'm excited about seeing performers I haven't seen before and seeing ones who I have. I'm excited about
discussing business at the council meeting (ok maybe ‘excited’ is a bit overstated). I'm excited about learning more magic and
seeing dealers’ new wares. Lots to do and things to see. So little time left to sleep!

It's not just about our National Convention; it is really about attending any magic convention (except for the business part).
Hopefully you have plans this year and in the future to attend a convention, whether it is a national one or a local one, they are
well worth the experience. I remember something about every magic convention I have attended since 1982. To
paraphrase what they say about you-know-what, 'Worst I ever went to was great'. So I hope you will try to find the time to attend
a convention in the future. I think you will find when you do attend that your magic IQ has improved, your enthusiasm about
your chosen art has heightened and your desire to improve has increased significantly. The time, money and effort will be well
spent.

Next month I will provide an accounting of the Society's business and our plan to move ahead under the guidance of Mike
Miller. I hope you agree with me that MI Bruce Kalver was a big shot in the arm at a time when that infusion of energy to move
the Society forward was sorely needed. I know he will stay involved to help where needed.

As always, if there is anything you would like me address for the Society, please let me know. Till next month,

Cheers,

Dick Bowman, SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com 719-527-0678
Although I was not enamored about shuffling off to Buffalo, I now look forward to it.

As always, if there is anything you would like me address for the Society, please let me know. Till next month,

Cheers,

Dick Bowman, SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com 719-527-0678

Northwest SAMSpeak for June 2009
Where is the Magic in your life? I am not talking about your magic box, closet, room, or basement that house
your “magic stuff”. I am not talking about the many decks of cards, Disectos, die boxes, linking rings or the
cups and balls you may own. By the way if those things are the only magic in your life, you need to get a life. J
I’m talking about the special people in your life who provide that special lift or “magic” in your life. All too often,
we get involved with our daily lives, jobs, athletics, television, hobbies and, yes dare I say magic, that we
forget about those around us who care for us and provide the foundation of our lives.

Your spouse, children, parents, extended family, co-workers and friends all have, at one point or another
provided, and will continue to provide, that magic in your life that keeps you going. Please remember to think
about where you would be without them and how much each of those people means to you. If you do I’m sure
you will realize that those daily activities may have kept you from expressing your thanks to them for all they
do for you.

I’ve heard magic likened to a ‘Barbie’ doll. You buy one and are hooked. Then you need accessory after
accessory, new Barbies, clothing, outfits, accoutrements, and the like, which make that simple doll an
obsession. Hopefully your magic is not a Barbie collection, but just your ‘magic stuff’ surrounded by the magic
in your lives that really count. Take a moment to thank those in your life who support, and sometimes just put
up with, your ‘Barbie’ collection. Please try to return the magic to them.

The July Buffalo convention is approaching quickly. Please try to attend, and if you are unable, please let me
know if there is anything you would like me to bring up at the National Council Meeting. Thanks. Till next
month,

Cheers,

Dick Bowman, SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com 719-527-0678

Northwest SAMSpeak for May 2009
Magicians. Yes we are sometimes a strange bunch... We keep our secrets as sacred as our
marriage vows. We gather at conventions (see you in Buffalo), then go off in a corner with people
we've never met before to learn an 'underground' card move. Our goal is to deceive, yet our hope is to
entertain through that deception. Often we are thin skinned, sometimes 'cliquish', but unified against
those who would reveal our tricks. A fairly common trait is a sense of

humor that allows us to occasionally poke fun at ourselves. Using a list courtesy of friend Earl Reum,
I have put these into a Late Show Top 10 list:

"You know you're a Magician when..."

10. You have to be careful not to spend some of the change in your pocket (but when you do, you're
mad for a week, muttering to yourself.)

9. You own more decks of cards than any casino. Most of these decks have cards sporting
signatures or some cards are missing or some are stuck together for no apparent reason, and none of
which you can actually play a card game with, and you know what FASDIU stands for and appreciate
it!

8. You regularly buy two copies of the same newspaper and never read either one.

7. While handing you a tip in the restaurant, people ask, "What is your real job?"

6. You pay $60.00 for a book and get, possibly, one or two useful ideas/tricks from it and you're
happy.

5. If you want to put a coin into your left hand you must first pick it up with your right hand and display
it.

4. You haunt thrift stores looking for glassware, cups, uniquely shaped items, all the while planning a
routine with something you just found.

3. You actually want to go to a lecture, pay to take notes, and talk about it afterwards.

2. All of your friends' names start with 'The Amazing' or 'The Great', who call and leave messages on
the answering machine when there is a magic show on TV.

And Number 1: Your child asks, "Daddy what happens to a magician when he dies?" and you say, "His
friends slap him on the back and say 'Nice show'!"

Have fun, til next month,

Cheers,

Dick Bowman , SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com 719-527-0678

Northwest SAMSpeak for April 2009
I've just returned from the National Council Meeting that was held in Hollywood last weekend. There was much business
discussed (plus some great trips to the Magic Castle in the evening). Here are some vignettes for you about what is happening
in the Society, with more information on all of these items on the S.A.M. website:

• The National Convention will feature an F.F.F.F. close-up show (ﬁnger ﬂickers rejoice!); Eric Decamps and Greg Frewin shows in
Canada; and a 'Best of Canada' Show (sounds good, eh). So please plan to shufﬂe off to Buffalo with us. Pack your passport—see you
there!

• The Film and Tape (and DVD) library has many titles they will "loan" you…please take advantage of this awesome resource.

• The S.A.M. merchandise shop will soon be having a sale of S.A.M. items and memorabilia; watch for the sale notice.

• Fred Schlosshauer (OscarBOJ@aol.com) does an excellent job with the Good and Welfare committee. If you have any items to donate for
distribution to those in need of good cheer or if you know of anyone in need, please contact Fred.
Cheers,

Dick Bowman , SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com 719-527-0678

• The Film and Tape (and DVD) library has many titles they will "loan" you…please take advantage of this awesome resource.

• The S.A.M. merchandise shop will soon be having a sale of S.A.M. items and memorabilia; watch for the sale notice.

• Chris Bontjes has put together a neat Video of the "Beneﬁts of belonging to the S.A.M." Watch for this presentation to be posted on the
website.

• New Members who join Online before April 1st (hopefully we will get this extended) get a free Magic CD, a $25.00 value! Talk to your
friends about joining now!

• If you can't wait for the M-U-M to arrive in the snail mail, you can now view it on-line on the website.

• This is the 25th year of the S.Y.M. Please consider volunteering with your S.Y.M. Assembly or starting a new one to bring the magic to
young people.

• We are working to get 'ﬂash’ messages about magic out to our members. Please make sure your state deputy has your current email.

• The reports from all the ofﬁcers and committees at the Council meeting will also be posted on the Website. Please check out
www.magicsam.com weekly to see what is new with the Society.

Till next month,

Cheers,

Dick Bowman, SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com 719-527-0678

Northwest SAMSpeak for March 2009
Do you feel lucky? I am reminded of the Clint Eastwood quote as Harry Callahan: "I know what you're
thinking: ‘Did he fire six shots or only five?’ You've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do
ya, punk?"

I'm not asking if you feel lucky while facing down a .44 Magnum. I am asking if you feel lucky being in the
magic fraternity. How did you get started in magic? Did you stumble into magic or have a mentor to guide
you? Did you start as a child or pick it up later as an adult? I'm sure each of you has a unique story of your
introduction and continuation in magic. I started out as a child doing self-working tricks to the amusement of
my family and friends. I had no one to guide me and no support group to ask questions. Everything I learned
was from a few assorted magic books I had accumulated. No magic shops. When I discovered that teenage
girls didn't like card tricks (or mine anyway), something had to give, so the cards got put away...

I dabbled in several hobbies as I grew into my 20s, without any really sticking. I was lucky to come across a
magician while in my 20s who showed me a few things to rekindle my interest in magic that has continued to
this day. My friend then introduced me to his magic club which led to meeting other magicians, going to
lectures, learning from others, and joining the IBM. I eventually moved to Colorado where I became a member
of the S.A.M. and affiliated with my current Assembly. There have been many things in my life that have
enhanced my knowledge of magic, supported my development, and offered lasting friendships within our
magical community. My 'second' chance at magic was a gift for which I am ever grateful. Yes, I feel lucky. I
hope you do too!

If you haven’t already signed up for the S.A.M. Convention in Buffalo, you are lucky, since $50 will reserve
your place at the convention! You will be invoiced for the balance which is to be paid in full on or before July
1. I hope to see you in Buffalo!

Till next month,

Cheers,

Dick Bowman, SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com

Northwest SAMSpeak for February 2009
I hope everyone enjoyed the Holidays and have started off the New Year in fine form with great
expectations for what the future holds. Magic seems to be alive in the Northwest with several of the
Assemblies planning events and also have had excellent meetings.

TV magic is alive as well, now with the Masters of Illusion on Mondays at 9pm, shown on
myNetworkTV. I just wish my cable company offered me that channel! They will be having some
fabulous magicians on the show in February, so if you can get this on your cable or dish, it should be
a good program to record. ‘Women in Boxes’ will be shown on the Documentary Channel on Monday,
February 9th, at 9pm, which takes an inside look at the lives of magician's assistants all over the
world.

Recently I was interviewed by a young lady who is doing a video project on Great Americans for a
state high school competition. She chose Houdini. To prepare, I reviewed some of the history of the
S.A.M., Houdini’s involvement as President, and his life in magic. When asked to compare Houdini
with other great Americans, I could only think of Babe Ruth and Charles Lindbergh as people who
stood out and set such a high standard of popularity that are revered even today as names
synonymous with their professions. It also looked at the fundamental principles of the Society back in
the early years and how things have evolved to keep up with the evolution of magic in a modern
world. Hopefully our National Council can continue to evolve the services offered to our members to
advance the goals of the Society and lift the art of magic to new heights. We will have a National
Council meeting in March in Hollywood, CA, near the Magic Castle, that I hope to attend. If you have
any issues to address at that meeting, please contact me.

I ask you to continue to keep the magic alive! Till next month.

Cheers,

Dick Bowman, SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com

Northwest SAMSpeak for January 2009
Happy OLD Year! Ok, that is not what you usually hear on January first, but I hope that you did have
a happy 2008. We usually wish our friends and family best wishes for the NEW Year, but never really
check to see how that came out… I’m sure some of us have had great years, others so-so 2008s and
unfortunately some have had a year that they would like to forget. I hope you are in the former, but if
synonymous with their professions. It also looked at the fundamental principles of the Society back in
the early years and how things have evolved to keep up with the evolution of magic in a modern
world. Hopefully our National Council can continue to evolve the services offered to our members to
advance the goals of the Society and lift the art of magic to new heights. We will have a National
Council meeting in March in Hollywood, CA, near the Magic Castle, that I hope to attend. If you have
any issues to address at that meeting, please contact me.

I ask you to continue to keep the magic alive! Till next month.

Cheers,

Dick Bowman, SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com

So did the S.A.M. have a happy old year for 2008? Checking back on 2008, I think we have. We are
moving ahead into the last half of our elected officers’ year. Changes were made in ’08 to bring a new
editor to our flagship publication, with a new look, feel and tricks in Michael Close’s first edition of the
M-U-M in Jan 09. Clearly having a first rate monthly is one of the most important objectives for our
members. I believe Michael will build on the solid foundation laid by David and John before him. We
have a new oath for members and have begun a process to create a long range plan for the Society.
We had our first combined convention with the I.B.M. in 30 years, proving that we are all just
magicians interested in our art. We’ve held a S.A.M. assembly meeting in space. We’ve improved
our online communications and our website. Our elected board is striving to provide meaningful
services and opportunities for our members, not just within the magic community, but to provide good
value when compared to other outside groups, organizations and interests – and we still have 364
more days to improve in 2009!

As always I like to hear from our members and hope that you will contribute ideas, thoughts, and
opinions on what you would like to see improved as well as what you like about membership.
Continuing to improve the S.A.M. for our members is our first and foremost our objective and if we do
that, on Jan 1, 2010, we can look back and say, we had a Happy Old Year!

Have a Happy New Year all,

Cheers,

Dick Bowman, SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com

Northwest SAMSpeak for December 2008
I hope everyone had a very happy Thanksgiving, as we have many things to be thankful for. Best wishes to all
for a great December and a Happy Holiday.

I have heard from several of you about my last month's NW SAMSpeak regarding changes you would like to
see in the S.A.M. I have passed along the ideas to our National Council for their consideration. We are still
working through the objectives and alternatives to meet the long term goals and these ideas will help them
charter the course for the Society. I really expected to get more comments, which reminded me of a story from
a famous football coach. After a player had problems performing the play several times, the coach asked the
player, "Son, I can't figure out if you are ambivalent or just stupid". To which the player responded, "Coach, I
don't know and I don't care..."

Now I don't think our magician members are stupid or ambivalent, and am certainly not of the mind to believe
that because I didn't hear from many that everything is rosy with the Society. But as I have discussed in the
past, because there are so many options for our time and dollars, our members deserve to receive value for
their loyalty and membership. If you have a new idea to try, let me know. If you have a craw in your side about
something in the S.A.M., let me know. If you like some things we are doing, let me know. Most importantly, you
can also let the President, Bruce Kalver, know through the Suggestion box icon on the SAM website, members
only page, at http://www.magicsam.com/sam/index.asp (username and password are in the M-U-M). Hope to
hear from you. Have a great rest of the year and a happy New Year.

Cheers,

Dick Bowman, SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com

Northwest SAMSpeak for November 2008
This past month I attended The S.A.M. National Council meeting in Pittsburgh. I was impressed with
the dedication of our elected leaders to the Society. Trying to make the organization better for its
members is their foremost goal and I applaud their tireless efforts on behalf of the Society and the
magical arts. We also spent an additional day working together on goals and objectives for our
organization with a focus on those services we provide to our members. When one takes the time to
evaluate all the benefits of the Society, your dues seem to get you a good value for your dollar.
However, many members do not take advantage of the many things available to them.

The National Council recognizes that times are tough and wants to provide even more value to our
members. If the mission of The S.A.M. is to promote an environment for the worldwide magic
community that fosters fellowship, preservation of the magical arts, ethical standards, education, and
personal growth, then providing the quality services to you is paramount. Your benefits of the Society
are either “pushed” to you (e.g., M-U-M) or require you to “pull' them (e.g., life insurance, SAMTalk).
The Council also recognizes that those members who are fortunate to live near and be affiliated with
an Assembly get the benefits of fellowship, education through lectures, and networking than our
Associate members do not receive. We are trying to change this and I believe that the current Council
is really dedicated to responding to the needs of all of our members.

I've asked you in the past questions about magic and the Society in these SAMSpeak notes—I’ve
received few responses to my requests. I would really appreciate your comments on what you like
about the Society, new things you’d like to see, and ideas about services that we offer that you do not
need. Thanks for your help. Till next month or when I hear from you…

Cheers,
Dick Bowman, SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com

Northwest SAMSpeak for October 2008
October is magic month, with the week of October 25 to October 31 proclaimed as National Magic Week throughout the United
States and Canada by Bruce Kalver, our National President.

As a part of magic month, S.A.M. Assemblies and our members are asked to use magic to help people in your local community.
This will be a month of giving. The goal is to touch local charities and do some good for your community. Perform a show to
raise awareness and money for the charity. Whether it is an individual effort or your Assembly doing it together, the objective is
to help out a local cause in the name of The Society of American Magicians. Specific info can be found on the S.A.M. Website.
is really dedicated to responding to the needs of all of our members.

Cheers,
Dick Bowman, SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com

As a part of magic month, S.A.M. Assemblies and our members are asked to use magic to help people in your local community.
This will be a month of giving. The goal is to touch local charities and do some good for your community. Perform a show to
raise awareness and money for the charity. Whether it is an individual effort or your Assembly doing it together, the objective is
to help out a local cause in the name of The Society of American Magicians. Specific info can be found on the S.A.M. Website.
Please let me know of your events so I can forward to the S.A.M. coordinator Barbara Dallas.

Hopefully by now you have received your M-U-M and have read Bruce’s column. In his introduction he asks, “What is it about the
S.A.M.? Every fraternal organization is having trouble these days with membership. People just don’t seem to join anything
anymore. They are too busy or on tight budgets. So I ask, “Why do so many stay with the S.A.M.?”

That’s a great question! President Kalver has asked me to tackle obtaining some answers for the Society and develop them into
a strategic objective plan to guide our future. So I am asking you the members to provide me with what you like about being a
member of the Society or what you don’t like and what you would like to see us do or do better. Please take some time to
conjure up a candid look at what the S.A.M. means to you and then email me at the e-dress below. Thanks for your help. Till
Next Month.

Cheers,

Dick Bowman, SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com

Northwest SAMSpeak for September 2008
Life at home was back to normal after the SAM-IBM Convention last month only to have the Olympics
begin on 8-08-08. I am sure many of you marveled at the drama and performances of the worlds elite
athletes. Their performances captured our attention, provided suspense and surprise and overall
captured our imagination as to what it took for the athlete to win the gold.

In many ways watching the Olympics provided the same things that magic is all about. We strive for
the perfect performance, create suspense and surprise with our shows, and hope to capture the
imagination (especially to our younger viewers) of the realm of possibilities in magic. I wonder how
good a performer we would be if we practiced as much as Michael Phelps trains. Of course we'd have
to eat less, but time and dedication into a singular pursuit is commendable. I hope that I and you as
well will at least be able to dedicate more time to the pursuit of magic.

Here is what I have planned for this year for the members of the Northwest Region:

• Establish email contact with as many of our members as possible, and correspond either
through the state Deputies or directly with you (we have over a third of our members in the NW
who are not members of an Assembly due to the wide expanse of the region).

• Provide this SAMSpeak NW region notes, notes about the Society and any breaking news about
magic in general to our members.

• Give the S.A.M. a personal look and feel - not just a monolith that sends you a magazine
monthly and nothing else. WE ARE a society of magicians - everyday people who have a
common bond of magic that we share. Hopefully the above two items will help us achieve this.

Hopefully our communications will evolve and our closeness will grow through the communications and
sharing the magic that we love. First and foremost, please call or write if you have any issues or
concerns or suggestions for improvement with the organization. Our next National Council meeting is
in October and I will be attending. Till Next Month.

Cheers,

Dick Bowman , SAMNWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com

Northwest SAMSpeak for August 2008
I’ve just returned from Louisville, KY, where by most accounts the combined I.B.M.-S.A.M. 2008
convention was a rousing success. There was as much for you to do during the week as your mind
and body could accept. The competitions were very intense with many outstanding performers. The
one-of-a-kind lectures focused more on the history, legacy and performance of our art rather than
teach-a-trick venues. For me these were very refreshing and inspired me to learn more about some of
the people and activities of the past. The banquet was excellent and provided an opportunity to gain
new friends. I did not meet many from the Northwest, but spoke to those who I saw were from the NW
on their name badges.

Perhaps the most important aspect of the convention was the theme - 'It's all about the Magic'. There
were no designations on the convention name badges as to whether you were a S.A.M. member or an
I.B.M. member or both, and this made for a very collegial convention. We were all just magicians
there, readily accepting each of the 2000 attendees as a magician without caring about affiliation.
“Sessions” were all over the hotel. The convention committee provided many gifts throughout the
week - a magic kit, poster, cards, and a commemorative coin.

Louisville proved to be an outstanding host city, with many activities close by the hotel to escape the
magic and clear the senses for a brief period before immersing back into the magic. The 60+ dealers
hawked their wares and managed to take home some of my cash as well as from many others. The
evening shows were top shelf.

Finally, our S.A.M. Annual Meeting was quite comprehensive and featured the installation of new
officers for this year, including re-electing me as your Regional VP. As always, please contact me for
any issues. I sense a real synergy among the Board and expect they will be terrific this year. My
home Assembly 170 of Colorado Springs won the Nate Leipzig award for membership growth. We also
signed the charter for our newest Assembly in Greeley , Colorado , The Town/Gown Wizards, Number
292. Congratulations to these Colorado groups.

I encourage you to sign up early for the convention in Buffalo held from July 15 to 18, 2009 . While it
will require a longer travel to NY (and a valid passport) for us from the NW, the convention looks to
have an outstanding lineup. Of course the most important part will be having the S.A.M. members
together for good times and lots of magic. I hope to see you there. Till next month.

Dick Bowman
SAM NWRVP
samnwrvp@higginsmagic.com
magic and clear the senses for a brief period before immersing back into the magic. The 60+ dealers
hawked their wares and managed to take home some of my cash as well as from many others. The
evening shows were top shelf.

Dick Bowman
SAM NWRVP
samnwrvp@higginsmagic.com

Northwest SAMSpeak for July 2008
Last month I talked about our Magic Community. Hopefully, you are happy that you are a member of
your community - the magic community. I am really psyched to attend this month's combined SAM -
IBM convention in Louisville to meet more of our community.

So keeping with last month's theme, let's look at "Club". Club (klub) n.

1. A stout heavy stick, usually thicker at one end, suitable for use as a weapon; a cudgel.

2. A group of people organized for a common purpose, especially a group that meets regularly: a
garden club.

Ah, The Club! No, I’m not talking about a cudgel or the car steering lock, but I am talking about your
local club, your home Assembly, where you meet and greet your compeers as the local part of the
Magic Community. The Club enhances your ability to integrate as part of the community. When I was
beginning in magic, I joined an IBM Ring in Sacramento . There were many magicians who befriended
me and helped me learn the art. I became close friends with one of the teenagers in the club with an
off-beat sense of humor and a passion for magic. Even though almost 20 years his senior, we worked
together to learn magic, encourage each other, devise new routines, and perform together. After I left
California we continued to stay in touch. In 2000, the FISM Congress was held in Portugal for the first
time. The Grand Prix that year went to an illusion team, Scott the Magician & Miss Muriel (his then
girlfriend, now wife). My friend Scott had succeeded on the grandest stage in magic with two original,
audience pleasing comedy illusions. So who knows what will spring forth from your friendships and
associations in your club.

Perhaps even more relevant is not having a club to attend. After moving to Pennsylvania in the 90's I
was dismayed that the nearest magic club was over an hour's drive away. When I did make some
initial trips for meetings I did not feel welcomed into the club and thus lost the motivation to attend any
further. For six years the only contact I had with other magicians was at summer magic conventions.
I really missed having the monthly association with my fellow magicians to watch, learn, and talk
magic with my community. I hope that you welcome guests to your club and encourage them to be
part of your circle, the magic club.

See you in Louisville! Till next month,

Dick Bowman
SAM NWRVP
samnwrvp@higginsmagic.com

Northwest SAMSpeak for June 2008
Thank you to those who provided input to my myriad of questions last month. Your responses help me gauge
the activities of the magic in your areas and also helped me draft a lecture policy for my home Assembly. I
look forward to seeing those of you who come to the Combined SAM - IBM convention next month in
Louisville.

Community (com.mu.ni.ty (k-myn-t) n. pl. com.mu.ni.ties

1. a. A group of people living in the same locality and under the same government.
b. The district or locality in which such a group lives.

2. a. A group of people having common interests: the scientific community; the international business
community.
b. A group viewed as forming a distinct segment of society: the gay community; the community of color.

3. a. Similarity or identity: a community of interests.
b. Sharing, participation, and fellowship.

4. Society as a whole; the public.

Considering the above, Webster could have used the S.A.M. as examples for definitions 2a and 3a. Our
magic community is bound together with a common interest in the art of magic. No one could argue that the
S.A.M. or the IBM is not dedicated to keeping the magic community alive and well. Even though there is a
strong core to this community, there are cracks that could lead to its downfall - that is declining membership,
factions within each organization, and conflict between national organizations, are just a few of the pitfalls.
Perhaps those are just inherent with large national organizations, but the officers and compeers of the Society
must work to minimize those conflicts. I hope that the officers elected for this coming year (officers please
remember to have your Assembly vote) will dedicate themselves to putting the Society's interests ahead of
their personal agendas. I believe that is what I am asking of our elected leaders with my vote and hope you
do as well.

One more thing - 3b above is what I believe should be the key attribute of the local Assemblies - sharing,
participation and fellowship. Assemblies don't meet very often (usually just monthly) so when you are
together, hopefully you practice those attributes generously within your group.

Please welcome visitors, openly share your talents, and be happy that once again you are together again with
members of your community - the magic community... I am sure you will be better for it.

Thanks. Till next month.

Cheers,

Dick Bowman
SAM NWRVP
samnwrvp@higginsmagic.com

Northwest SAMSpeak for May 2008
This is a reverse Jeopardy SAMSpeak for May -- lots of questions for you to answer. How are your Assembly
Meetings? Do you do a formal business agenda? Do you include a social time? Do you gather around a
"food" time? Do you just do magic? My reading of the Assembly notes in the M-U-M leads me to believe that
most of the Assemblies focus on participating in the “showing” magic portion of the meetings. I think that is
great, since what we are all about is the love of magic and the desire to perform, watch and learn magic.
together, hopefully you practice those attributes generously within your group.

Please welcome visitors, openly share your talents, and be happy that once again you are together again with
members of your community - the magic community... I am sure you will be better for it.

Thanks. Till next month.

Cheers,

Dick Bowman
SAM NWRVP
samnwrvp@higginsmagic.com

However I caution us to not forget about the business side of our Assemblies. Do you discuss the financial
health of your club? It is important that members know and understand what can be done financially by the
Assembly. What about planning future meetings, presenting a schedule for the year so members know what
to expect? Do your officers lead the events of the meeting? Do you have special events like lectures or
shows for charity? I receive newsletters from some of the Assemblies in the Northwest that relate to me many
of the activities are on-going. Keep up the good work. For some others, let's get going. Please let me know if
I can help.

Since I brought up the topic of lectures above, I'd like to know how your Assembly handles them. My home
Assembly has challenges with lectures and I have lots of questions about them as well: How often do you
have them? How do you book them? do you get good member participation for them? how much do you
charge members and guests to attend? do you lose money on them? how many have been good, how many
poor? how many were dealer demos? and finally, did you learn something from them and consider them good
value? Having lectures from magicians outside our normal circle provides us with a different perspective of
magic and hopefully enhances our ability to perform, watch and learn magic. I’d like to know your thoughts on
lectures. Email me anytime.

Till next month.

Thanks and Cheers,

Dick Bowman
SAM NWRVP
samnwrvp@higginsmagic.com

Northwest SAMSpeak for April 2008
I am a big fan of the Friends TV Sitcom. The six friends had their good moments, with perplexing situations and tiffs, and of
course made comedic moments out of those situations. One of the characters, Joey played by Matt LeBlanc, often said in a
Brooklyn accent, to ladies he was trying to impress, "How yu doin'?"

So what does this have to do with magic within S.A.M. in the Northwest Region? Well I am asking you, "How yu doin'?" How
has your magic been, how is the Society serving you, and how are you interfacing with the members of your Assembly?

As your representative to the National Council, along with your state Deputy who provides me with updates, we are here to
forward your comments, concerns, and suggestions to our elected officers for action at the S.A.M. Board meetings, held every
3-4 months. The next one is in late April in San Antonio, followed by the National Convention annual meeting in July.

I rarely hear from any of our compeers, usually only when there is a complaint. So, to mimic Joey, "How yu doin'?", and should I
also say "How WE doin'?" I'd like to hear from you on the things that we are doing well in the S.A.M. and other things that we
should try to improve. Your recommendations are welcome and will be heard. I hope to hear from you in either case so that I
can pass on your comments at the Board Meetings.

Thanks and Cheers,

Dick Bowman
SAM NWRVP
samnwrvp@higginsmagic.com

Northwest SAMSpeak for March 2008
We all have our separate lives to live, but share at least one common bond - we are interested in MAGIC. Maybe we don't all
have the same level of involvement in magic, but we do share a common interest. So how do we get that common interest to
translate into common (read that relatively equal) involvement in the SAM and our local Assemblies to satisfy our thirst for
magic? Conceivably, if we didn't want to collectively further our interests, there would not be a need for YOUR local magic group.

How is your Assembly faring to get everyone involved? Are the officers the same each year - just with different titles? Yes, many
times the same people are still officers year after year! We need to have other members to rotate as board members to bring
new thoughts (that's not to say that you can't give your new thoughts to current board members) and different perspectives to
YOUR magic club.

What about the other organizations that each of you personally belong to? Kiwanis, Lions Club, Masons, Churches, Auto Clubs,
the list goes on. How do those organizations get things done? I'm sure you've heard that 20% of the members do 80% of the
work, no matter what the organization. Why? Because the people who contribute do it because they believe in the principles of
the organization and want to further their interest, so they participate. They make the effort. What about the other people?
Shouldn't they participate more? Yes, but they generally don't. What about YOUR Assembly?

Is it enough to just show up? I hope not. To further our collective interest in magic, we all need to pitch in and lend a hand and
participate. Well, maybe not every meeting, but at least regularly. Our Assembly leaders within the SAM should strive to get
everyone who attends a meeting to participate in some way. Like PNP Jan Goodsell would say, "Share the Magic", and I would
add, share the work and participate in YOUR Assembly.

Cheers,

Dick Bowman
SAM NWRVP
samnwrvp@higginsmagic.com

Northwest SAMSpeak for February 2008
Well how are you doing on all those New Year's Resolutions? So far I am tracking 100% on all of mine. Ok let's just say I am off
track on close to 100% of mine. One of my wife's resolutions for me was to clean up and organize my magic room. Not that it
was in totally bad shape; let's just say it was 10 pounds of potatoes in a 5 pound sack. Is your magic like that? Do you have lots
of tricks, stacks of books, piles of DVDs and videotapes? Just how many have you learned, read or watched? That is my biggest
fault - I have the best intentions when purchasing magic, only to return home from a convention to higher priority activities and
thus the tricks get unopened, the books go unread and the videos go unwatched. As part of "cleaning up" my magic room, my
wife suggested I move my magic to a room in the basement so the old room could be repainted. I guess you can see where this
is going; my magic is now relegated to the basement.

But there is a bright side to this story. While packing up and moving shelves, tricks, boxes, videos, illusions and books to the
basement, I have rediscovered a plethora of amazing "new" tricks, books and videos that I just can't wait to reengage! Just
because I've had them awhile doesn't make them "old", and even though not the new "hot" tricks on the market, they are still
worthy of my effort. I believe that I could parcel my discoveries out and pull them out after the next 10 conventions and have
new wonders to enjoy, without spending a dime in the dealers room (Ok don't tell the dealers about this concept). SOOOOO,
what is my point? Keeping with my resolution thread from last month, one of the great parts of our Society is sharing the magic
with others who love this art just as you do. Perhaps you too will get motivated as I have to learn some new tricks or read more of
the history on magic; and then share these "discoveries" with your compeers in your Assembly. I look forward to the SAM-IBM
joint convention where maybe you and I can share with each other some of the new "old" tricks we have learned. I hope to see
you in July.

Cheers,

Dick Bowman
719-527-0678
SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com
was in totally bad shape; let's just say it was 10 pounds of potatoes in a 5 pound sack. Is your magic like that? Do you have lots
of tricks, stacks of books, piles of DVDs and videotapes? Just how many have you learned, read or watched? That is my biggest
fault - I have the best intentions when purchasing magic, only to return home from a convention to higher priority activities and
thus the tricks get unopened, the books go unread and the videos go unwatched. As part of "cleaning up" my magic room, my
wife suggested I move my magic to a room in the basement so the old room could be repainted. I guess you can see where this
is going; my magic is now relegated to the basement.

Cheers,

Dick Bowman
719-527-0678
SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com

Northwest SAMSpeak for January 2008
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Once again as we turn our calendars to a new year, we hope that 2008 will bring new joys and
improvements over the past year. That change usually brings resolutions for many people. Some folks make a big deal out of
their resolutions. Or maybe you are like me, a closet “resolutionist.” I silently tell myself that I am going to do this or that and
then try to make an effort to be good about them. Then after a few weeks, I’ve fall off the wagon, glad that I didn’t make any of
them known or have written them down to make myself feel guilty.

Well this year I’ve decided to at least make my magic resolutions known so that some of you might join me. Ok, I won’t cover
those like losing weight, getting in shape, eating healthier and being more productive -- no more procrastinating either. But what
about my magic resolutions? How about devoting more time to this thing we call magic – a love affair (or some might say curse)
that has grabbed hold of us and whose grip seems to get even tighter at times. But how do we do that in a positive way? Here
are a few suggestions:

Make a not-to-do list. Put things here that keep you from doing something magic related (did I mention mindless TV shows?).
That should free up some time.

Read more. How many magic books do you have on your shelves that you bought to learn that “one killer trick” without reading
the rest of the book? Or maybe you bought it with good intentions but just never got to it? Pull one down and get started. How
many of you receive magic magazines and don’t read them until a month or two after the cover date? I’m guilty on all counts
here, so this is my primary resolution.

Focus on one trick at a time. How many of you have 3 or 4 tricks in the “learning” process? Guilty. One at a time, whether
working on revisions to an existing routine, or learning a new one. The concentrated focus will help speed the process.

Share. Use your magical knowledge to help fellow magicians at club meetings, roundtables or lunches. Maybe help out a child
who is interested in magic but doesn’t know where to start. Never feel, no matter how new or inexperienced you are in magic,
that you do not have something to share. Maybe we’ll get to share some tricks and fellowship as we meet at the 2008
Combined SAM - IBM Convention in July.

I’m sure you can think up some other resolutions for yourself to work toward. I hope that you all have a magical new year loaded
with good health and happiness and are able to further your interest in magic. Oh, and don’t forget those resolutions…

Cheers,

Dick Bowman
719-527-0678
SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com

Northwest SAMSpeak for December 2007
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all my compeers in the Society. The holidays in December are all about giving. Whether
it be gifts under the tree, support to local charities for those less fortunate, or donating time and talent for the good of all.
Hopefully those of you who perform are giving the gift of amazement and laughter to your audiences.

From the viewpoint of the Society, what are you giving to it? How are you contributing to furthering the magical arts? What are
you personal goals for participating in the S.A.M.? I have a few suggestions. We all read our Society’s magazine, the M-U-M,
right? David Goodsell and now John Moehring put together an ever improving and varied monthly that provides news,
information, tricks to be learned, and advertisements. Yes, advertisements! I know many of you probably skip the ads and move
to the meat, but the ads are an important part of the magazine and hopefully you will support those dealers who advertise with
us. It keeps the cost of our magazine down and allows John to make more improvements. Tell the dealers you read their ad in
M-U-M! My wife and I have for many years now put some gifts under the tree to ourselves from “Santa”. What a nice trick for you
to get a trick under the tree from Santa (purchased from a dealer advertising in M-U-M!).

Another way of giving is to gather up some of your unused magic (I know we all have “bins” of stuff that we bought and never
use). Sell it at your Assembly’s Flea Market – then donate the proceeds to a charity or the S.A.M. Endowment Fund.

When you perform for audiences, friends, and co-workers, are their some people, who you sense when seeing you have the
magic bug? Meaning that they are as enthralled with watching magic as you were when you first got started (and still are…). Try
to get a feel about these folks and their level of interest in magic. If you believe that the seed has been planted to grow into
magic, invite them to your S.A.M. Assembly meeting. For the juniors, tell them about the S.Y.M. and how they can become
involved. The future of our Society and the magical arts is in the cultivation of that magical seed planted inside.

A reminder that the IBM / SAM 2008 Combined Convention is in July 08. Rates will go up $100 in January, so get your
reservation in NOW !! NEWS FLASH: A public auction of ephemera and memorabilia from the legendary magic collection of
entertainer Jay Marshall (1919-2005) will take place in Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday, July 27, 2008 – the day following the
conclusion of the IBM / SAM 2008 Combined Convention. The auction will be held at the Galt House Hotel & Suites, Louisville,
KY.

I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas, that you enjoy the holidays with your families and friends and that you have a
prosperous new year. Until next year, keep the magic alive with your giving!

Cheers,

Dick Bowman
719-527-0678
SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com

Northwest SAMSpeak for November 2007
GOT WEB? How is your website? With the increasing focus on obtaining information from the World Wide Web, the importance
of having a website that conveys your information in a style that sets you apart is essential these days. This is important for
performing magicians, but also for organizations. Our S.A.M. website has a wealth of information for anyone to access. It also
can point you to other places and individuals within the Society to get the information you need. David Xanatos has done an
excellent job of keeping it up to date and resolving problems.

My local Assembly 170’s website was subjected to several cyber attacks over the past year where hackers put us off line.
Fortunately Hank Miller was able to completely build a new site that looks fantastic and provides a wealth of information. Check it
out at http://www.sam170.org/. But back to my original question, GOT WEB? I "Googled" our Northwest assemblies to see what
popped up. I had mixed success. I found that we have some excellent websites among our NW Assemblies that provide
information on monthly meetings, special events, officers, missions, assembly news, their SYM group, and many other items of
interest. I was pleased to see these and impressed with the quality of the sites. I hope for those Assemblies who do not have a
website, the officers would investigate the minimal investment and effort to get one started. As folks use the web more and more
to search for information...having the site available on-line will help an Assembly reach more potential members. Till next month,
keep the magic alive, at home and on the web!

Cheers,

Dick Bowman
719-527-0678
SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com

Northwest SAMSpeak for October 2007
All of fall’s colors are alive here in Colorado. The magic is alive here as well. My recent trips to
Alaska and Washington State , although each was all too short, showed me that the magic is alive
throughout the largest territory of the SAM regions. Last month I discussed our commitment to magic,
the Society, and to your local Assembly. My meetings with our fellow Alaska magicians showed me
that while they are few in number in our largest state, they have a commitment and dedication to
magic as strong any in the lower 48. Additionally they support the youth of the SYM .
out at http://www.sam170.org/. But back to my original question, GOT WEB? I "Googled" our Northwest assemblies to see what
popped up. I had mixed success. I found that we have some excellent websites among our NW Assemblies that provide
information on monthly meetings, special events, officers, missions, assembly news, their SYM group, and many other items of
interest. I was pleased to see these and impressed with the quality of the sites. I hope for those Assemblies who do not have a
website, the officers would investigate the minimal investment and effort to get one started. As folks use the web more and more
to search for information...having the site available on-line will help an Assembly reach more potential members. Till next month,
keep the magic alive, at home and on the web!

Cheers,

Dick Bowman
719-527-0678
SAM NWRVP
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com

While in Washington for a family get together, I did a show for my wife’s side of the family and their
guests. Afterward, the children were very interested in how to learn magic. I told them about the
SYM , and that our sponsors helped teach the youth members the secrets to performing good magic.
One young lady asked me why we did that. I responded that we do it to pass on the secrets to the
next generation of magicians so that the art of magic continues and improves without fail. I also
talked to them about who would be the next David Copperfield, Lance Burton or Chris Angel. One
never knows who will be the next “star” magician. Each of those men can look back and credit older
magicians who have helped them gain their skills and special status as performers. I would hope that
you help our young members as well. After all, your protégé might be the next bright star of magic.
Till next month, keep the magic alive…

Cheers,

Dick
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com
719-554-3429

Northwest SAMSpeak for September 2007
Fellow Compeers of the S.A.M.,

Whew! August just ﬂew by for me--changing companies, changing jobs, traveling to Omaha on my last job,
doing magic shows, attending MAGIC Live!, my son’s and my birthday celebration, and I even played a little
golf in the few spare moments… My wife marvels when I am even home to do more than eat and sleep. You
might ask then, “I am busy too, what does this all have to do with the S.A.M.?” One thing that I found time for
in this crazy month was attending my local Assembly meeting. I believe that the local Assemblies throughout
the world are the bedrock of the Society. Without the participation of the members in the Society’s
Assemblies, there would be no S.A.M. In the early 1900’s magicians like Keller and Houdini met to talk
magic and pass on and protect the secrets of our art. Although the meetings are now much less formal, we are
more inclusive to anyone with a desire to learn, watch, perform, and discuss magic. The Assemblies are where
that begins, fostering the excitement of illusion and trickery, and to further this unique art form that we all
love. I ask each of you to support your local Assembly and ﬁnd the time in your busy schedules to meet each
month with your compeers. Please make it a priority to attend AND participate.

On a side note, MAGIC Live! was fantastic. This is a different style of convention from the perspective that it
was not a series of lectures just teaching tricks. Yes, there was Talk about Tricks with Josh Jay at every
session, but many other historical lectures, interviews, shows, and comedic events. Your current S.A.M. board
was represented by Maria Ibanez, Bruce Kalver, and Mark Weidhaas. Along with PNPs John Apperson, and
Jann and David Goodsell who also attended, we had time to squeeze in Lance Burton’s great show at the
Monte Carlo. One last segue; don’t forget the combined SAM-IBM convention in Jul 08 in Louisville. Now
is the time to sign up and commit to what looks to be a special event with historical signiﬁcance. Till next
month, keep the magic alive…

Cheers,

Dick Bowman
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com
719-554-3429

Northwest SAMSpeak for August 2007
Greetings all,

First, here is a bit of introduction from me. My name is Dick Bowman from Colorado Springs, CO. By now
you know that I was elected at the recent S.A.M. Convention as your Regional Vice President for the
Northwest US. I served the Society for three years in this position a few years ago, so I am familiar with the
duties and responsibilities required of the NWRVP.

As such, my job is to be the members’ main conduit to the S.A.M. Board. First and foremost, I want the State
Deputies to be able to contact me, or the members if so desired, regarding any issues with National, an
Assembly, or any areas where assistance is needed. I have been associated with magic for almost 30 years, a
member of S.A.M. for over 12, a life member of the S.A.M. and a Member of the Order of Merlin in the IBM. I
perform professionally part time, working about 80-100 events a year, hold a full time job supporting the
Missile Defense arena and am an adjunct professor for Webster University. One may then ask, given all these
activities, why did I run for NWRVP? Actually, our now Second V.P. Mark Weidhaas, the previous NWRVP,
twisted my arm to serve again (he is much stronger and younger than I am). Ok, he really didn’t strong-arm
me… Either way, I couldn't refuse; I actually saw this as a way of giving back to the magic community and
the art that I love so passionately. I know that the magic is alive in the Assemblies of the great Northwest! I
hope to help make it stronger.

I will be reinstituting my SAMSpeak monthly news and thought pieces as a way of communicating with our
members. I ask that the Assembly secretaries publish these pieces in the monthly newsletters. But that is from
me to the bedrock of our Society, the members. In return, I have provided ways to contact me below so we can
complete the loop of communication on behalf of our Society. Please contact me with any issues, concern,
praise, or any bits of magic business that you'd like. Enjoy the rest of the summer. I look forward to a good
year and hearing from our members.

Cheers,

Dick Bowman
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com
719-554-3429
twisted my arm to serve again (he is much stronger and younger than I am). Ok, he really didn’t strong-arm
me… Either way, I couldn't refuse; I actually saw this as a way of giving back to the magic community and
the art that I love so passionately. I know that the magic is alive in the Assemblies of the great Northwest! I
hope to help make it stronger.

Cheers,

Dick Bowman
SAMNWRVP@higginsmagic.com
719-554-3429

Northwest Regional Vice President's
SAMspeak – May 2007
Active National Ofﬁcers in the Northwest
It has been a whirlwind of activity for the Northwest RVP. In April, upon my request, SAM Dean George Schindler and his Dame, Nina, toured
Colorado. What does the Dean do? Well this Dean is the SAM Publicity Chairman, working on a plethora of projects including copy for the
website and membership ideas. He is also involved with the Houdini Fund. The Fund will assist any magician who is in ﬁnancial need with extra
expenses normally not covered by insurance. George is also the International Assembly Coordinator and a Past National President. He is also a
wealth of magical knowledge and history, and his lecture was well received, particularly in Fort Collins and Denver. If you missed it, he will be
lecturing again at the Dallas Convention this July.

In early May, Most Illustrious Andy and Barbara Dallas visited Colorado, again upon my request.
Your SAM President has truly enjoyed his year as President and been very active in visiting
Assemblies all over the world. During his Assembly presentation, he thoroughly describes all the
SAM programs and member beneﬁts available. In Colorado Springs, he shared some great magic with
cards, rubber bands, false shufﬂes and card moves. He was able to keep the seasoned pros and the
junior members equally enthralled. In Denver, Andy performed a portion of his acclaimed routine
with a pocket watch and straw mat – it was breathtaking. Andy is also involved with the Magic
Center, the Occult Investigation Committee, and the Magic Endowment Fund. Of course, he too will
be in Dallas in July.

Mid-May took me to Philadelphia for a fun visit to see history – America’s and Egypt ’s (King Tut
exhibit is there). I timed it to coincide with the Philadelphia Assembly regular meeting. Philly has
one of the largest Assemblies. They begin with a teach-in then allow dealers to set up shop. After
their business meeting (SAM 2nd VP Mike Miller was elected Assembly President and PNP Dick
Gustafson was elected Secretary), they had a stage magic contest with ﬁve great performers. It was a
very friendly group. Take advantage of other Assembly programs when you are traveling. By the
way, Mike Miller will be in Dallas (is there a theme here?) and is the Convention Stage Manager.

I will be in Dallas too, helping with 3 special programs. A SAM members-only program to meet your
ofﬁcers, a SAM leadership and assembly planning program, and a library show Session. I will be
moving on to ﬁll Mike Miller’s current position as 2nd VP - the Philly magicians didn’t like the
sound of that. I assured them Mike was moving up to 1st VP. The Northwest Region will be
represented with a new RVP, fellow Colorado Springs magician Dick Bowman. Dick will once again
step into the position he held ﬁve years ago to keep you informed of National events.

See you in Dallas!

Mark Weidhaas , Northwestern Regional Vice President

Northwest Regional Vice President's
SAMspeak – April 2007
National Council Meeting--Spring 2007

I was able to visit Austin, Texas and represent the Northwest Region at the National Council Meeting. The
weather, although a little wet, was much better than my last visit in January during their ice storm. The local
Assembly was very accommodating and helped get the Society business done.

Fun times included Esther's Follies, a comedy and magic show on 6th Street with great illusions by Ray
Anderson. Did you read the article in M-U-M last fall about Richard Garriott and the party at his mansion?
We were welcomed to his home ﬁlled with magic and secret passages. Did you read the article about Richard
Turner in the April Genii (written by Jason England, a former Colorado Springs Assembly member)? Richard
performed for us, as did Sweden’s Bertl Fredstrom. An evening show was presented with emcee Cody Fisher
featuring Doug Gorman, Hull Youngblood, and Kent Cummins plus a dueling Cups and Balls Session with Dr.
Michael Tallon and Doug Gorman.

Now down to the business. The SAM Magic Center has worked hard to get a beautiful brochure soliciting
ideas for this project - look for it in the May M-U-M. They have also contracted with a fundraiser to explore
how this facility will become a reality.

Membership showed a growth of 146 members compared to last year! The membership committee has several
incentive programs, and will have a booth and sponsor two member-only programs at the Dallas Convention.

The Treasurer reported that although expenses are under budget, income is down from anticipated M-U-M
advertising. Monies had to be transferred from the reserves, and at our current rate, the reserves will be
depleted in three years. There was much discussion how to curtail this problem. We discussed savings that
could be done to the M-U-M, however, it was decided that since it now exhibits the best quality magic
periodical available, we should avoid reducing its appeal. It was noted that MAGIC Magazine and the IBM
are increasing their dues this year. The only other solution available was an increase in dues. Basic dues
structure will be $65 for initial member (unchanged) and $65 for renewals ($15 increase). That is still only
$5.40 per month. The increase will take effect January, 2008. To help soften the increase, for the rest of this
year you can pay for up to three years dues at the old rate (and don’t forget the Life Membership available for
$1,000 – it will be increasing to $1,500 in July).

The Dallas Convention has shaped up to be the place to be in July and in 2007! I hope I see you there! Of
course, in 2008 will be the much anticipated joint SAM/IBM Convention in Louisville. Still working on
2009, but 2010 is locked in at the Gaylord “Opryland” Hotel in Nashville with a $108/room rate.

If you have any questions or comments, please share them with me. Also, if you need any convincing that the
SAM convention in Dallas will be the friendliest convention, and that you will not want to miss it, give me a
jingle.

On the local front, the Dean of American Magicians, George (and Nina) Schindler visited Colorado in April
and National President Andy (and Barbara) Dallas will be in Colorado in May. Also, 1st Vice President Bruce
depleted in three years. There was much discussion how to curtail this problem. We discussed savings that
could be done to the M-U-M, however, it was decided that since it now exhibits the best quality magic
periodical available, we should avoid reducing its appeal. It was noted that MAGIC Magazine and the IBM
are increasing their dues this year. The only other solution available was an increase in dues. Basic dues
structure will be $65 for initial member (unchanged) and $65 for renewals ($15 increase). That is still only
$5.40 per month. The increase will take effect January, 2008. To help soften the increase, for the rest of this
year you can pay for up to three years dues at the old rate (and don’t forget the Life Membership available for
$1,000 – it will be increasing to $1,500 in July).

On the local front, the Dean of American Magicians, George (and Nina) Schindler visited Colorado in April
and National President Andy (and Barbara) Dallas will be in Colorado in May. Also, 1st Vice President Bruce
Kalver visited Utah in April. The National Ofﬁcers can be available to visit you too – let the Assembly Visit
Coordinators (Tom Gentile or Debbie Leifer) or myself know.

Your SAM Friend,

Mark Weidhaas, Northwestern Regional Vice President

Northwest Regional Vice President's
SAMspeak – March 2007
Minding our Members
or
“Hey Buddy, can you spare some change?”

I’m a numismatic. I collect coins. Actually, it was my grandfather who collected the coins. He collected many
things and even wrote the book on 1939-40 New York World's Fair Medals. But I enjoyed the coins as a child.
I am still proud of my U.S. large cent collection. Once, I attended a local club meeting of numismatics in
Pennsylvania where I grew up. I wandered about, watching the dealers talk about the old days, and other
collectors swapping coin-grading stories. Nobody approached me, the new guy, and I never returned. Now I
live in Colorado Springs, only blocks away from the American Numismatic Association Headquarters. But
that poor welcome 30 years ago ruined any chance of my return. Besides, I have a new grown-up passion:
MAGIC!

What does your Assembly do when a “Neophyte” or newcomer shows up at your meetings? They will be
discouraged, intimidated and maybe left feeling inferior by the level of expertise witnessed by the “pros.” If
this happens, it is time for “change” (pun intended). Like my numismatic story, if they are not warmly and
sincerely welcomed into the assembly, they may never return.

The Society of American Magicians is the oldest and most prestigious magic organization in the world. It is
also known as the friendliest. Remember, you have a friend in the S.A.M. The Neophyte needs a friend too. Be
that friend!

I have a good friend in Austin Texas. He is Stan “Doc” Seaton, the Most Illustrious President of Assembly 206.
This assembly has won the Harry Houdini Award for growth in membership for the past three years, and is now
the second largest Assembly in the world. They are doing something right, and I asked him what it was. He
told me when a newcomer shows up to a meeting, one of the members act as a personal host/mentor. The Host/
Mentor makes sure they are introduced to all. They discover the newcomer’s magical interests. The Host can
direct them to others with similar levels of interest, and advise them on future events of interest.

Stan says the most important part of the Host comes after the meeting. They will call the newcomer and remind
them of the next meeting, invite them for coffee to discuss magic, and even offer to carpool to magical events.
And this occurs for a whole year. At the end of the year, the newcomer is an old-timer and there to stay as a
friend of the S.A.M. This idea that the newcomer has a friend in the S.A.M. is the strength of Assembly 206,
and it can be strength for your Assembly, too. Use this idea.

Do you have an idea to help S.A.M. grow and retain its members? Please share them with us at
mweidhaas@yahoo.com.

Your SAM Friend,

Mark Weidhaas
Northwestern Regional Vice President/SAM Membership Development Chairman

Northwest Regional Vice President's
SAMspeak – February 2007
S.A.M. Magic Center Update
As a Board Member of the S.A.M. Magic Center Foundation, I met with the rest of the Board in Austin,
Texas in January—right in the middle of an historic ice storm. The entire city was shut down! But we
still met and made some big accomplishments. This project is now getting off the table to become a
reality. It can offer a central and permanent location for the S.A.M. Offices, DVD and Video Library,
Performing Arts Center, Gifts and Insignia, Reference Center and Library, Hall of Fame, Archives,
Museum, and Magic Shop. It can be a home of our own and a contact center for information about
magic worldwide. The Magic Center can build a foundation for the future of magic while preserving the
past! You will be reading about our progress monthly in the M-U-M.

For now, what can you do? As a member, you can make a financial contribution (cash, pledge,
endowment), perform a magic show and donate the proceeds, contribute magic apparatus, books,
memorabilia, magazines, etc., recommend organizations that financially support similar projects,
contribute personal service (fund raising, clerical, professional skills), support the project and tell
others about the project. As an Assembly, you can perform a public show and donate the proceeds
(Thanks Colorado Springs Assembly 170!), appoint a National Center Committee to work with the
Foundation, identify members of the Assembly with expertise and talent who may potentially assist
the Foundation, identify collectors in your Assembly, have an auction to benefit the National Center,
and make a direct financial contribution from the Assembly and support the project.

The contact person for the Foundation is PNP Jay Gorham, 918 E. Loma Vista St., Gilbert, AZ, (480)
722-0427.

S.A.M. National Convention Special Rate Deadline: March 1
Dallas, Texas will be HOT this 4th of July! HOT because the S.A.M. Convention will be HOT! It is
billed as the Friendliest Convention and guaranteed to have more things to see and do than a person
could humanly attend. You will have to pick and choose your favorites! And Friendly? You bet!
Many years ago I did not attend a S.A.M. Convention that was near where I lived—I didn't think I
would know anyone. What a mistake! Do you have that concern? Don't worry—you Have a Friend in
the S.A.M.! I will be there, and will personally introduce all our Northwestern S.A.M. (and non-S.A.M.)
friends to your National/Worldwide Officers. Come find me at the Membership table and we'll go to
lunch together. That is, if there is time! Register today at www.magicSAM.com.

If you are reading this and you are not a S.A.M. member, would you like an opportunity to get your
membership for free? If you sign up for the S.A.M. Dallas Convention, the friendliest convention
around, before March 1, you will save $70 (*) if you join S.A.M. too! That is a better deal than a free
membership!

(*) Non-member rate after March 1 is $229 compared to member rate before March 1 of $159.

Your S.A.M. Friend,
Mark Weidhaas
S.A.M. Northwestern Regional Vice-President

Northwest Regional Vice President's
SAMspeak – January 2007
Gone to Oregon
As promised, I am continuing to provide information about SAM activities in the Northwest region’s States. This month, we’ll learn
about Oregon. Did you know Oregon has the only State flag that has 2 different sides? Also, did you know Portland Assembly
59 has the largest membership in the Northwest Region, with over 75 members? If you are traveling there, take time to visit! Or,
read further and see if there are any ideas that might make your Assembly more successful.

Monthly meetings are held on the 4 th Wednesday of the month at Beaverton Elks Lodge #1989, 3500 S.W. 104th Avenue,
Beaverton, Oregon 97005. Their meetings are well organized, thanks to President Michael Roth, Past-President John Kaleta,
and Secretary and past-RVP Tom Waldrop and their Officers. Each monthly program is typically divided into 3 portions. First is
the “Teach-In,” a one-hour lesson taught by one or more skilled members or guests. This is followed with “ShowTime,” where
members sign up to perform an effect related to the evening's theme or other topic. Finally, “StarLight Magic” is offered with two
or more tables with a skilled instructor at each. They teach a different specific topic, effect, routine, or technique. Lessons will
repeat at each table so members can go from table to table during an evening to maximize learning opportunities.

If that is not enough, every week, Assembly 59 sponsors no-host luncheons on Tuesdays, 11:30AM, at the Beaverton Elks
Lodge. These weekly events attract 8 to 15 magicians who are hungry for magic and the company of other magicians. There's
no pressure to perform magic. There's no club business. Just join to have lunch from the cafeteria and then sit and talk magic
with other area magicians.

On the 1 st and 3rd Saturdays of the month, the SYM Assembly 105 meets at the Schellenberg Center, led by at least 3 of 6
adult mentors. I saw members Kevin and Matthew Puckett perform in the “Stars of Tomorrow” show at last year’s National
Convention, and they were awesome.

April 27-28 2007 will be a great time to visit because you will also see the likes of Mac King, John Carney, Mike Caveney, David
Williamson, Tina Lenert, and Jerry Andrus at Stan Kramien’s 20 th annual Northwest Magic Jamboree in Newberg, OR. This is a
wonderful convention with great hospitality (have you heard of a magic convention with free beer?!).

The website to see more information on the Oregon Assembly is www.sam59portland.org . This website is easy to navigate, full
of information, and a model website for other Assembly websites. Also, you can always call Tom Waldrop, 503-518-1700 or email
Oregon SAM Deputy, Jim Brinkman, brinkcpa@juno.com.

Spot Light Member of the Month is a new S.A.M. membership recognition program and we need your help and participation.
Each month, the M-U-M will feature a different member or several members spotlighting their achievements throughout their
years in magic. Almost every assembly has that special member who has used their magic talents to perform important and very
welcome public service. This may include community involvement, special commitments and/or long term standing performances.
Here are a couple examples of what we are looking for...

"John Doe from Assembly 000 in Happyville, Indiana performed free for the 10 th year at the Franklin Community Men’s Shelter
for their Thanksgiving Celebration."

" S.A.M. compeer Earl Smith of Assembly 007 in Earlytime, Pennsylvania donates all his performance fees to help children with
disabilities."

In addition to the information in the examples above (name, assembly number and short description of their accomplishments),
we will also need a current picture of the member (a headshot would be great). Please forward this information to recognize
members in your Assembly to Mike Miller, S.A.M. 2 nd Vice President, MMille8430@aol.com, for review and possible selection for
S.A.M. recognition.

Next month: National Magic Center progress report.

Mark Weidhaas
S.A.M. Northwestern Regional Vice-President

Northwest Regional Vice President's
SAMspeak – December 2006
Season’s Greetings!
Looking for that special gift? How about a registration to the world’s “friendliest” magic convention! The SAM
convention is in Dallas Texas July 4-7. Special events will include the SAM Sessions, evening shows at the Majestic
Theater. These evening shows will include the "All Latin Magic Gala" featuring six of the many FISM acts that you
will only see in Dallas at the SAM. The "Ocean's 7" Gala show will allow you to take a magical cruise to watch top
notch pro cruise ship magicians at work. Earlier in the week, cruise ship performers will teach you how to get the
bookings, the art of working this lucrative venue, life aboard the luxury liners and more inner secrets taught by the
pros. Register now to get best seating and possible tax deduction on your 2006 income tax.
See http://www.magicsam.com/SAM2007/ConvAd01.html for more information. While you are at it, don’t forget to
register for the joint IBM/SAM 2008 convention in Louisville. Register before Jan 1, 2007 to save $100!

As we end the year, I want to give some accolades to deserving people. First – thanks to the Seattle, Portland and
Denver Assemblies! I get copies of their monthly newsletters, and they are very informative and fun to read.

Special congratulations are in order for our new SAM Alaska State Deputy, Jeff Brown. I did not mention Jeff in my
Alaska column last month, but he is the organizer of Balloons Around the World ( http://
www.balloonsaroundtheworld.com/ ) and is located in Juneau.

Finally, thanks to you for making the SAM strong. Thanks for participating in your Assembly’s programs. And thanks
for taking your magic and wonder and touching the hearts of those you see – this wonder and astonishment is what
is needed in the world today.
Mark Weidhaas
S.A.M. Northwestern Regional Vice-President
Looking for that special gift? How about a registration to the world’s “friendliest” magic convention! The SAM
convention is in Dallas Texas July 4-7. Special events will include the SAM Sessions, evening shows at the Majestic
Theater. These evening shows will include the "All Latin Magic Gala" featuring six of the many FISM acts that you
will only see in Dallas at the SAM. The "Ocean's 7" Gala show will allow you to take a magical cruise to watch top
notch pro cruise ship magicians at work. Earlier in the week, cruise ship performers will teach you how to get the
bookings, the art of working this lucrative venue, life aboard the luxury liners and more inner secrets taught by the
pros. Register now to get best seating and possible tax deduction on your 2006 income tax.
See http://www.magicsam.com/SAM2007/ConvAd01.html for more information. While you are at it, don’t forget to
register for the joint IBM/SAM 2008 convention in Louisville. Register before Jan 1, 2007 to save $100!

Northwest Regional Vice President's
SAMspeak – October 2006
Going to Alaska!

Happy National Magic Week! If you ﬁnd yourself heading to Alaska, where would you go to see some
magic? If you are there on a 2nd Tuesday, stop in at the Alaska Magic Circle, Assembly #163. Nicknamed the
Frozen Chosen, they meet at Kaladi Brothers on Brayton Drive and 70th, in Anchorage. This smaller
Assembly has 6 to 8 members attend and usually has a short business meeting followed with a theme, so bring
a trick or two to share.

Informal magic gatherings occur every Wednesday at lunch at Yen King Restaurant. This weekly event is
advertised in the paper, so new magic enthusiasts or visitors stop in all the time. These lunches usually have 4
to 12 in attendance.

On the third Thursdays of the month, the SYM group meets, led by Assembly President Don Russell. Don
does a great job with the kids and is a good role model. He is a full-time magician.

Other active performers included Jean Shadrach, a great lady and a locally famous professional artist. Vera
Crews enjoys platform magic and using music to enhance her illusions, as she is also a piano teacher.

The Assembly performs an annual public show for Fur Rendezvous in February and another program at
Halloween time at the library. Their web site is www.alaskamagiccircle.com. Stop in and see them when you
are in the neighborhood!

Do you know someone who is thinking about joining the S.A.M.? Here is an opportunity to get them to act.
New prospective members who join before December 31 will receive eight 8X10 poster reproductions from the
Nielsen Collection. More info can be found at:

www.magicsam.com/memberposters.asp.

Next month: New ideas from the Fall S.A.M. National Council meeting in Florida.

Mark Weidhaas
S.A.M. Northwestern Regional Vice President

Northwest Regional Vice President's
SAMspeak – August 2006
School's In Session
Wow, school has begun, and so have the school assembly programs. These opportunities to use
magic to teach are my personal favorite. I perform at kids' parties and some corporate programs, and
am now working on an illusion act. Introduced to magic in my late 20's, I have not had the full time
required to master close-up coins and cards. Performing 200 shows a year plus a full- time job as
a Licensed Professional Structural Engineer has limited my free time. What magical knowledge I now
have, I can thank my local Assembly for giving me ideas to grow and offering me a place to improve.

I have been the S.A.M. Colorado Deputy for seven years. Good friend and fellow Colorado Springs'
magician, Dick Bowman, was the NW RVP when I started. Then friend Lahsen Mahi from Alaska
followed by Tom Waldrop from Oregon. Tom is not only a friend, but also a mentor in helping me ease
into this position.

Do you need a magical friend or mentor? Seek them out at your Assembly. At this year's S.A.M.
Convention, I made almost 100 new magical friends. If you have questions or suggestions for the
S.A.M., the National Council wants to hear them. Reach out to your State Deputy or to me, and we
will help.

That illusion act I mentioned earlier is becoming a reality because my Assembly is having a public
show. Through them, I have an assistant and technical expertise to pull it off. I am learning new
things, and so can you. Wow, school has begun.

Next month: learn about magic in Alaska.

Mark Weidhaas
info@inspectormagic.com
(877)-85magic

Northwest Regional Vice President's
SAMspeak – July ‘06
2006 National S.A.M. Convention – Louisville, Kentucky
Having just returned from the S.A.M. National Convention, here is a partial list of what happened:

Who’s on First?

Who was there from the Northwest Region? Dr. and Mrs. Robert Sammons and daughter Merritt
Sammons from Grand Junction, CO led several of the SYM programs. Speaking of SYM, brothers
Matthew and Kevin Puckett (and Dad, Mike) from Aloha, Oregon performed in the excellent Stars of
Tomorrow Show. The entire show was a highlight of the convention and the two brother’s act was
flawless. Oregon Assembly 59 helped financially support their attendance (Thanks #59!). Sterling
Dietz, from Ferndale, Washington also performed a very warm and fun act. Montana SAM
Deputy Duane Laflin was the Master of Ceremonies of the show and, as usual, was unflappable.
Winner of the “most in attendance from one state” was Alaska as the entire Lahsen Mahi family was in
attendance. Past National President Jann W. Goodsell from Utah was always present and smiling
with the convention Guest of Honor PNP and Past MUM Editor David Goodsell. We had a very
Northwest Regional Vice President's
SAMspeak – July ‘06
2006 National S.A.M. Convention – Louisville, Kentucky
Having just returned from the S.A.M. National Convention, here is a partial list of what happened:

Who’s on First?

Who was there from the Northwest Region? Dr. and Mrs. Robert Sammons and daughter Merritt
Sammons from Grand Junction, CO led several of the SYM programs. Speaking of SYM, brothers
Matthew and Kevin Puckett (and Dad, Mike) from Aloha, Oregon performed in the excellent Stars of
Tomorrow Show. The entire show was a highlight of the convention and the two brother’s act was
flawless. Oregon Assembly 59 helped financially support their attendance (Thanks #59!). Sterling
Dietz, from Ferndale, Washington also performed a very warm and fun act. Montana SAM
Deputy Duane Laflin was the Master of Ceremonies of the show and, as usual, was unflappable.
Winner of the “most in attendance from one state” was Alaska as the entire Lahsen Mahi family was in
attendance. Past National President Jann W. Goodsell from Utah was always present and smiling
with the convention Guest of Honor PNP and Past MUM Editor David Goodsell. We had a very
touching tribute to David. Also there was hometown magician and boxing great Mohammad Ali who
graciously stopped by for photos.

What’s on Second?

What else happened at the convention? Something for everyone and so much it was impossible to
see it all. I didn’t even have time for a meal the first few days. Dealer’s Room, Lectures, Sessions,
stage shows (All Gal Gala was grand, and I laughed till I cried), close-up, and competitions. But the
best thing was the comradery – the S.A.M. Convention is the Friendliest convention around.

I Don’t Know is on Third.

I don’t know why you were not there? You should attend the 2007 convention in Dallas Texas. And
do not forget we are going back to Louisville for 2008 and you can now register for this joint IBM/SAM
convention. Need more information? Contact me at info@inspectormagic.com.

Magically yours,

Mark Weidhaas
S.A.M. Regional Vice President – Northwest

NW Region Veep's Views June 2006
This is my last newsletter for my term of ofﬁce. Let me repeat a few things from my ﬁrst “Veep’s Views” in October 2003. Our Region is the
largest in the country (35% of the U.S. land mass), but has the sparsest population (less than 7% of the people). However, our S.A.M and S.Y.M.
membership accounts for 5.4% of the National organization. Thanks for sharing three years with me…it’s been an awesome experience. I trust that
you’ll give your new RVP the same level of support and cooperation.

The ﬁnal idea I’d like to share with you is TAPIOCA (The Audience Pleasure Is Our Central Aim). As you know, most of my monthly writings
have dealt with thoughts on how we should relate to and interact with our spectators. While some may enjoy the art of magic as a solo activity, I
think most of us get involved so we can entertain others. As I said last month, we would be nothing without one or more spectators. So, here are
some closing thoughts on how you should interface with them so they can achieve greater pleasure from the experience.

Darwin Ortiz: “Audiences don’t like to work.” “The more easily the audience can see and hear what you’re doing, the easier you’ll ﬁnd it to hold
their attention.” Jay Sankey: “Instead of waiting for your audience to extend their attention and energy to you, extend yourself to them…in the
hope of connecting to them, as they are, in that moment.” Ken Weber: “Make friends with the audience. Let them know, by your smile, your
words, and your body language, that standing there in front of them pleases you immensely.” Eric Evans and Nowlin Craver: “So talk with them;
get to know them. More than likely you’ll never see them again, so this is your chance to connect with them and let them know that you value
their presence.”

This little paper has been fun to research and produce. I look forward to next month when our new RVP communicates with us.

Coming events in 2006:

* IBM National Convention, Miami, FL, June 27-July 1
* SAM National Convention, Louisville, KY, July 12-15
* PCAM Convention, Victoria, BC, August 9-13

I will still welcome your contacts at: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. Keep the magic alive!!

Tom Waldrop

NW Region Veep's Views May 2006
The S.A.M. National Convention is only two months away. This is the time of year when we get to exercise our democratic right to elect the
members who will lead us next year and beyond. My ﬁnal term of ofﬁce runs out at the convention. Mark Weidhaas, current Colorado Deputy, is
on the ballot as my replacement. He has been a strong supporter of my effort over the last three years and I likewise offer Mark my support. I
encourage all Northwest Assemblies to vote for Mark when you receive your ballots from National headquarters.

Let’s continue our “good manners” idea with MOAT (More On Audience Treatment). Last month we talked about treating our spectators with
consideration and respect. Regarding volunteer helpers, we said you should always ask their names and use “please” and “thank you” when
appropriate. These actions just scratch the surface of becoming intimate (in the sense of chummy cooperation) with the audience. Jay Sankey
writes: “Without at least being open to being intimate you will fail to really hear, see, and—most importantly—sense your audience.”

Ken Weber offers further advice: “Those people are your guests. Treat them as guests, never as props to be manhandled.” He goes on to say,
“Touch another person only when absolutely necessary, and restrict those touches to the universally accepted safe zones.” By this he means it’s
okay to shake hands with the helpers—which you should always do—and you might also help them on and off the stage.

Finally, Ken says you should listen and react to your guests on stage. If you don’t, the audience will think you’re foolish for asking questions and
not really trying to hear the answers. “Your reaction to whatever is said or done guides the audience’s reaction.”

Next month: TAPIOCA (The Audience Pleasure Is Our Central Aim).

Coming events in 2006:

* Northwest Magic Jamboree, Newberg, OR, May 19-20
* IBM National Convention, Miami, FL, June 27-July 1
* SAM National Convention, Louisville, KY, July 12-15
* PCAM Convention, Victoria, BC, August 9-13

Contact me at: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. Keep the magic alive!!

Tom Waldrop

NW Region Veep's Views April 2006
A lot of us are still ducking and dodging the effects of a tough winter, but spring still crept in more than a week ago. Even though it’s a long way
until fall, it’s not too early to start planning for this year’s National Magic Week (October 25-31). Now’s the time to start making contacts and
sending your requests to governors, mayors, and other ofﬁcials to inspire them to issue proclamations for National Magic Week.
This month we’ll review STAMAR (Show The Audience Manners And Respect). Magic is a visual performing art. Generally speaking, without
an audience a magician is nothing. Since we perform at the pleasure of our spectators, it’s imperative that we treat them with courtesy and dignity.
From the moment you are introduced to your audience, Jay Sankey says you “should be reassuring, encouraging, and empowering,” that each
audience member has “the choice to be actively involved or passively watch.” Jay also suggests, “that you be polite, friendly, complimentary, and
especially mindful that the audience has power.”

Since most magicians interface with members of the audience, Ken Weber writes, “they become parts of our show, often important parts.” That’s
why we need to pay attention to how we treat or mistreat them. Always ask for the names of those who assist you. Not to do so says to the
audience “that either you don’t care about your guests, that you consider yourself more important than them, or your mama never taught you basic
social niceties. In any of those cases, you lose.”
* PCAM Convention, Victoria, BC, August 9-13

Contact me at: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. Keep the magic alive!!

Tom Waldrop

Finally, always say “Please” when asking your helpers to do something and “Thank you” when they complete the task. “The audience judges you
by the way you treat their comrades, so be mindful of your manners and be respectful at all times.”

Next month: MOAT (More On Audience Treatment).

Coming events in 2006:

• Northwest Magic Jamboree, Newberg, OR, May 19-20

• IBM National Convention, Miami, FL, June 27-July 1

• SAM National Convention, Louisville, KY, July 12-15

• PCAM Convention, Victoria, BC, August 9-13

Contact me at: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. Keep the magic alive!!

Tom Waldrop

NW Region Veep's Views March 2006
If you haven’t already done so, please set up the special “Guest Night” that has been prompted by S.A.M.
Membership Development Chair. Be sure to use the Ellusionist cards as prizes for both drawings: one deck for
the guests and one deck for those who brought them.

This month we’ll investigate LLAMA (Look Like A Magical Artist). If you recall my previous writings, you
know that most of the content dealt with technique, attitude, presentation, and other psychological aspects of
magic. In this issue, let’s look at hygiene and appearance and the way these things might affect how our
audience perceives us as performers.

In Maximum Entertainment, Ken Weber gives a bit of space to personal appearance. His writing may seem
obvious until you look around at some of your fellow magi. Unless you are portraying a character in costume,
then you should be the best-dressed person in the room…but not over-dressed. Your shoes should be clean
and shined. If you wear glasses, they should be clean and in style (contacts are better). Always carry a clean,
white handkerchief. Always wear a clean long-sleeved shirt when you wear a jacket…have the jacket
buttoned when you make your appearance. Ladies—make similar adjustments in your attire.

Most important, think of your hands as a mini-stage, especially if you do a lot of close-up work. Your coins,
cards, and other props are the actors on this stage. Even if the ﬁnal magic “happens in their hands,” your
hands will be the focus during much of an effect. If the spectators are watching your ugly hands, they will
likely miss the point of your magic. Therefore, you “must have hands that don’t call attention to
themselves.” Keep the nails clean, clipped, and ﬁled; keep the cuticles under control. Show the audience that
you really care about how you look.

Next month: STAMAR (Show The Audience Manners And Respect).
Coming events in 2006:

Ø Northwest Magic Jamboree, Newberg, OR, May 19-20

Ø IBM National Convention, Miami, FL, June 27-July 1

Ø SAM National Convention, Louisville, KY, July 12-15

Ø PCAM Convention, Victoria, BC, August 9-13

Contact me at: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. Keep the magic alive!!

Tom Waldrop

NW Region Veep's Views February 2006
Another wild year weather-wise in the Northwest Region! Folks in Oregon and Washington have seriously
considered rebuilding the Ark after getting more than 30 consecutive days of rain. All of the other states in
the Region have had their weather extremes to contend with. Enough already…this gives a whole new
meaning to the “paddle” trick!!

This month we’ll look at the acronym DICTA (Drama In Conjuring Titillates Audiences). In January we said
that magicians can easily access drama technique, but why aren’t more of them bothering to do so? Maybe
it’s too much work. Consider this: When I do strolling or close-up gigs, I am never without my “Hologram
Half.” I show the folks a Kennedy half-dollar and let them fondle it since the coin is seldom found in daily
use. Then I put the coin on my palm, close my ﬁst, and introduce a small plastic straw from my case or
pocket. One end of the straw is inserted into my ﬁst and I commence to blow into the other end. I blow as
though I was trying to inﬂate a truck tire. The veins on my temple stand out and my face begins to turn red.
When I then open my hand, JFK appears to be full of air. The folks are convinced that I “pumped it up” and
sometimes they don’t want to touch the coin again.

My effort was acting…seeking to convince the audience that if air could be blown into solid metal, then I was
the one who could accomplish this impossible feat. My background is one that includes many hours in the
dramatic theater as an actor, student, or stagehand. And this ﬁts in with Henning Nelms comment: “The
difference between a trick and an illusion depends largely on the conjurer’s attitude.” My attitude was to
convince the audience that I could do this task. Ken Weber states: “The trick or routine is just a fragment of
the entertainment process. A small fragment. The trick is important but performance trumps the trick every
time.” Get some drama training…see where you and your magic can go.

We’ll shift gears next month with: LLAMA (Look Like A Magical Artist).

Coming events in 2006:

Ø Northwest Magic Jamboree, Newberg, OR, May 19-20

Ø IBM National Convention, Miami, FL, June 27-July 1
use. Then I put the coin on my palm, close my ﬁst, and introduce a small plastic straw from my case or
pocket. One end of the straw is inserted into my ﬁst and I commence to blow into the other end. I blow as
though I was trying to inﬂate a truck tire. The veins on my temple stand out and my face begins to turn red.
When I then open my hand, JFK appears to be full of air. The folks are convinced that I “pumped it up” and
sometimes they don’t want to touch the coin again.

We’ll shift gears next month with: LLAMA (Look Like A Magical Artist).

Coming events in 2006:

Ø Northwest Magic Jamboree, Newberg, OR, May 19-20

Ø IBM National Convention, Miami, FL, June 27-July 1

Ø SAM National Convention, Louisville, KY, July 12-15

Ø PCAM Convention, Victoria, BC, August 9-13

Contact me at: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. Keep the magic alive!!

Tom Waldrop

NW Region Veep's Views January 2006
A very Happy New Year to all in the Northwest Region! May the devastating vagaries of nature and human
tragedies remain behind us. We all need some time to catch our breaths and to focus on the future. The new-
look M-U-M has been launched and I hope all of you enjoyed John Moehring’s ﬁrst issue. Sadly—since PNP
David Goodsell has passed the baton—we can no longer claim to have the editor among our Northwest
family. The good news…PNP Jann Goodsell continues to serve as National SYM Director and still brings
great pride to our Region. Let me also add that Portland Assembly No. 59 member, Jerry Andrus, has reached
the 50-year milestone as a member of the S.A.M. Jerry has received the appropriate honors from the National
organization.

This month’s acronym is DAMASK (Drama And Mystery Are Still King). Over the past two years, I believe
we’ve thoroughly covered the aspect of “mystery” in our magic. Various words and phrases were used to
describe the objective of our magic as it pertains to desired results from our spectators: surprise, achieving
miracles, being amazed, feeling wonder, or experiencing the impossible. Darwin Ortiz, Jay Sankey, Ken
Weber, and other prominent magicians were quoted during this effort.

We haven’t really looked at “drama” as a component of our art. In “Magic and Showmanship,” Henning
Nelms writes “drama and conjuring are both arts of illusion.” He asserts that the most elementary methods
used by actors are largely unknown to conjurers. “The art of conjuring consists of creating illusions of the
impossible.” Drama gets the action to take place in the minds of the spectators and the result is that the magic
of drama is far more powerful that the magic of trickery. Since drama technique is available to magicians just
as it is to actors, why aren’t more magicians aware it exists?

We’ll follow this thread some more next month with: DICTA (Drama In Conjuring Titillates Audiences).
Coming events in 2006:

Ø Northwest Magic Jamboree, Newberg, OR, May 19-20

Ø IBM National Convention, Miami, FL, June 27-July 1

Ø SAM National Convention, Louisville, KY, July 12-15

Ø PCAM Convention, Victoria, BC, August 9-13

Contact me at: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. Keep the magic alive!!

Tom Waldrop

NW Region Veep's Views December 2005
Before I get into this issue, let me add the Governor of Colorado’s National Magic Week Proclamation to our
Regional tally. That’s 11 responses for the Region or about 23% of the national total. Great job!!

All of our performing members should be well into the holidays by now. It seems to get pretty busy from
Halloween through New Years and I hope that’s true for all of you who want to get out there to perform. With
the frequent TV offerings of unusual magic, it doesn’t look like public interest in our art is slacking off at all.
Have a wonderful time as this holiday season continues to roll out!

This month’s acronym is: WINED (What If No Entertainment Develops). Over the last 23 months of “Veep’s
Views,” I’ve offered many segments of advice on ways to make your magic stronger. A lot of this advice was
quoted from masters in the art. The next few sentences attempt to summarize almost two years of output. The
intent has been to ensure that the people in our audiences are entertained since we perform at their pleasure. If
we perform with a smile, keep the structure of our effects simple, gratify the imagination of our audience, and
allow them a brief escape from the real world without making them work at it, then we have done our job.

This assumes, of course, that our magic is technically strong and that we employ the same tools as an actor.
We also remove challenge from our routines and try to create a cooperative venture between our audience and
us. We reveal our humanity in a way that everyone’s emotions are triggered. Then we work hard to “amaze”
the onlookers…to truly get them to experience the impossible. If we do all of these things with honesty and
energy, then the result should be “entertainment.”

Next month: DAMASK (Drama And Mystery Are Still King).
Coming events in 2006:

Ø Northwest Magic Jamboree, Newberg, OR, May 19-20

Ø IBM National Convention, Miami, FL, June 27-July 1

Ø SAM National Convention, Louisville, KY, July 12-15

Ø PCAM Convention, Victoria, BC, August 9-13

Contact me at: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. Keep the magic alive!!

Tom Waldrop
This assumes, of course, that our magic is technically strong and that we employ the same tools as an actor.
We also remove challenge from our routines and try to create a cooperative venture between our audience and
us. We reveal our humanity in a way that everyone’s emotions are triggered. Then we work hard to “amaze”
the onlookers…to truly get them to experience the impossible. If we do all of these things with honesty and
energy, then the result should be “entertainment.”

Next month: DAMASK (Drama And Mystery Are Still King).
Coming events in 2006:

Ø Northwest Magic Jamboree, Newberg, OR, May 19-20

Ø IBM National Convention, Miami, FL, June 27-July 1

Ø SAM National Convention, Louisville, KY, July 12-15

Ø PCAM Convention, Victoria, BC, August 9-13

Contact me at: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. Keep the magic alive!!

Tom Waldrop

NW Region Veep's Views November 2005
National Magic Week for 2005 just ended. To generate some action locally, I sent letters to Mayors in one
Washington city and eight Oregon cities requesting them to issue proclamations for our annual event. At this
writing, six Mayors have given positive response and all of their visible contributions should be on the
S.A.M. web site soon. It was an interesting TASK…all I had to do was ASK. Within our Region, the Mayor of
Anchorage also responded as well as the Governors of Alaska, Utah, and Wyoming. Great job folks!

This month’s acronym is: AWECOW (Are We Entertainers, Conjurors, Or What?). A familiar quote from
Wilson: “Magic is an art that sometimes instructs, often amuses, and always entertains.” The word “always” is
pretty strong. Right now, let’s assume that whether we use gimmicks or sleights, our execution is ﬂawless.

Darwin Ortiz says that magic offers an experience that is very “different from what an audience can get from
music, dance, comedy, or other form of entertainment.” With magic, the entertainment comes from mystery…
the experience of the impossible. In sum, Ortiz says that our primary goal is to make the audience experience
mystery...to confront the impossible. Jay Sankey strongly agrees that magic is a unique form of entertainment,
“and it must be if the word ‘magic’ is to have any meaning at all.” He would rather have the audience think of
him “as a magician ﬁrst and an entertainer second.”

You may ask how you can make magic more entertaining. Ortiz states that we can do so “by making the
magic itself more entertaining.” He says, “if you don’t believe that experiencing apparent impossibilities can
be strong, unique, and memorable entertainment for an audience…you don’t belong in magic.”

Next month: WINED (What If No Entertainment Develops).

Coming events in 2006:

Ø Northwest Magic Jamboree, Newberg, OR, May 19-20

Ø IBM National Convention, Miami, FL, June 27-July 1

Ø SAM National Convention, Louisville, KY, July 12-15

If you have topics for me to cover, please send me a message at: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. Keep the magic
alive!!

Tom Waldrop

NW Region Veep's Views October 2005
Just got off the Norwegian Star—venue for the 2005 PCAM convention— and returned home yesterday. A fabulous magic adventure…we do a lot
of great things on the Left Coast! Now we’ve got National Magic Week later in the month: October 25-31. I sent letters to eight Oregon Mayors
requesting them to issue proclamations for our annual event. To date, three Mayors have given positive response. I hope you’ve had the same
good fortune and have sent color copies of your treasures to Maria Ibanez, S.A.M. First Vice President.

Here’s this month’s acronym: FOMENT (Fool Or Mystify…Emotions Need Triggering). In September, our main thought was to leave our
audience with mysteries, not with puzzles. We touched on the idea that if we want our spectators to experience wonder, they need to involve their
emotions in the process. But this starts with us. If the magician doesn’t display an emotional component, it’s not likely that the audience will
either. In fact, in Maximum Entertainment, Ken Weber writes that we should try to gain rapport with our audience quickly by uncovering a part of
who we are. He says we should “reveal our humanity with emotions.”

Weber also talks about the fact that “people react to people.” One person will tend to respond when they see the emotions displayed by another
person. If it’s true that a “magician is an actor playing the role of a magician,” then we have to be able to experience on the inside what we are
trying to project on the outside. Weber writes, “The ability to reveal emotions, true emotions, is an ability lacking in too many magicians.” Jay
Sankey sums it up with this thought: “Though an experience of wonder may well have an intellectual component, such stirring moments are often
dominated by an emotional component.”

Next month we’ll start a new area: AWECOW (Are We Entertainers, Conjurors, Or What?).

Coming events in 2006:

Ø Northwest Magic Jamboree, Newberg, OR, May 19-20

Ø IBM National Convention, Miami, FL, June 27-July 1

Ø SAM National Convention, Louisville, KY, July 12-15

If you have topics for me to cover, please send me a message at: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. Keep the magic alive!!

Tom Waldrop

NW Region Veep's Views September 2005
This year, National Magic Week is scheduled for October 25-31, which is now less than two months away.
Hopefully you did your planning early and your events are either underway or soon to be implemented. Last
year’s event was wonderful…this year it should be stupendous.

This month’s acronym: POMADE (Puzzle Or Mystery: Another Deﬁning Element). If you’ve been reading
the “Views” for the past few months, you know that Darwin Ortiz and his book, Strong Magic, have greatly
inspired my writing. For example, Darwin wrote: “A magical effect may be very puzzling, but it’s not a
puzzle.” He carries the thought further by indicating that one of the most pervasive problems facing the art is
our inability to distinguish between puzzles and magic.

Let’s walk our way through these thoughts. By deﬁnition, a puzzle has one or more solutions. Also, puzzles
are designed to pose a challenge to our problem-solving abilities and do not intentionally encompass our
emotions. Of course, we may display some emotional involvement if we become angry because we can’t ﬁnd
the solution. We can also express joy when we do solve the puzzle. In fact, the satisfaction of a puzzle comes
from solving it.

True magic, on the other hand, does not acknowledge there is a possible solution. If real magic was possible,
the events that people witness are intended to remain a mystery forever. If we want our magic to seem real,
NW Region Veep's Views September 2005
This year, National Magic Week is scheduled for October 25-31, which is now less than two months away.
Hopefully you did your planning early and your events are either underway or soon to be implemented. Last
year’s event was wonderful…this year it should be stupendous.

True magic, on the other hand, does not acknowledge there is a possible solution. If real magic was possible,
the events that people witness are intended to remain a mystery forever. If we want our magic to seem real,
Darwin believes that the magic we do should create “the illusion of impossibility.” We want to leave our
audiences with impossibilities, not with puzzles. After all, part of the satisfaction in magic should come from
not solving the mysteries. Jay Sankey says that mysteries involve the emotions and “resonate with far-
reaching values and meaning.” You should make sure that your spectators get to experience wonder!

Next month: FOMENT (Fool Or Mystify…Emotions Need Triggering).

Coming events in 2005:

Ø Magic in the Rockies, Fort Collins, CO, Sept. 8-11

Ø PCAM Convention, Aboard Norwegian Star, Sept. 25-30

If you have topics for me to cover, please send me a message at: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. Keep the magic
alive!!

Tom Waldrop

NW Region Veep's Views August 2005
First of all, let me say “Thank you” for electing me to serve one more year as your Northwest RVP. It was a
distinct honor to attend our National Convention in Boston in July and take the oath of ofﬁce along with the
other RVPs. There was another aspect of the event that I shall cherish for a long time. Four of our Assemblies
received Certiﬁcates of Recognition for their efforts during the 2004 National Magic Week: Assembly 163,
Anchorage, AK; Assembly 37, Denver, CO; Assembly 170, Colorado Springs, CO; and Assembly 59, Portland,
OR. I wish all of you could have been there to enjoy the excellent event with me.

Here’s the August acronym: MASTERS (Magi And Spectator Teamwork Equals Rewarding Sorcery). (When I
refer to audience in this article, I mean “lay audience,” not an audience of magicians.) To once again quote
Darwin Ortiz, “A good magic performance is a cooperative venture, not a competitive one.” He goes on to say
that our primary goal is to make our audience experience mystery. René Lavand echoes this by saying:
“Always amazement ﬁrst.” If we approach our magic with a challenging, confrontational attitude, we create a
win-lose scenario. If we fool our audience, we win…if they are not fooled, they win.

Our goal should be to create situations where the audience becomes our ally in fooling them. A principal way
to achieve this is to avoid giving a presentation that carries with it any sense of challenge. Ortiz adds to this
when he writes “that there is no place for challenge in good magic.” Hence, a performer should not project a
challenging attitude. We want to “amaze” our audience…we don’t want them seeking explanations for our
effects. We want them to conclude—from our attitude and behavior—that what we do can’t be explained.
Even if they wave the wand or say the magic word for us. Simply, what we do is magic.

Next month: POMADE (Puzzle Or Mystery: Another Deﬁning Element).
Coming events in 2005:

Ø Magic in the Rockies, Fort Collins, CO, Sept. 8-11

Ø PCAM Convention, Aboard Norwegian Star, Sept. 25-30

If you have topics for me to cover, please send me a message at: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. Keep the magic
alive!!

Tom Waldrop

NW Region Veep's Views July 2005
Our 2005 National Convention will be underway in Boston in a few days. I hope you are attending this year
and that I have a chance to meet you. The next big activity to take place this year is Magic Week, which will
unfold during the last week in October. Earlier in the year I sent each Assembly a number of items to help
with event planning. I trust that your local efforts have already started and that we’ll be able to get more of
our city mayors and other local ofﬁcials to take part in the proclamation process. As was done last year, the
National organization will be contacting the state governors to encourage them to issue formal
proclamations. Some of you may be asked later to help with this effort. For additional guidance, please refer
to the Magic Week CD that I distributed to each Assembly last December.

The July acronym is FOCAL (Fool Or Confuse: Awkward Legerdemain). Last month we noted that to get
maximum impact from an effect, we need to make sure its structure and plot can be understood by those who
watch us. As Darwin Ortiz wrote, “Audiences are not easily fooled, but they are easily confused.” Effects that
are full of twists and turns having no bearing on the plot or the premise will confuse our audience.

I’m not just talking to simplicity of method. In fact, the audience may not care at all about method. However,
they do care about how well they can follow what is happening. If an effect is weak or confusing, it will stay
that way no matter what method is used. We are taught that every effect has three phases: beginning, middle,
and end. If we take a direct path through each phase to perform the effect, then confusion will be erased, we
will probably achieve clarity, and the spectator will be amazed and entertained. Ken Weber asks, “What is the
essence of our magic art? It’s the excitement of doing impossible things.”

Next month we’ll review this acronym: MASTERS (Magi And Spectator Teamwork Equals Rewarding
Sorcery).
Coming events:

Ø Rocky Mountain Gospel Arts Conf., Denver, CO, Aug 4-6, 2005

Ø Magic in the Rockies, Fort Collins, CO, Sept. 8-11, 2005

Ø PCAM Convention, Aboard Norwegian Star, Sept. 25-30, 2005

If you have topics for me to cover, please send me a message at: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. Keep the magic
alive!!
I’m not just talking to simplicity of method. In fact, the audience may not care at all about method. However,
they do care about how well they can follow what is happening. If an effect is weak or confusing, it will stay
that way no matter what method is used. We are taught that every effect has three phases: beginning, middle,
and end. If we take a direct path through each phase to perform the effect, then confusion will be erased, we
will probably achieve clarity, and the spectator will be amazed and entertained. Ken Weber asks, “What is the
essence of our magic art? It’s the excitement of doing impossible things.”

Next month we’ll review this acronym: MASTERS (Magi And Spectator Teamwork Equals Rewarding
Sorcery).
Coming events:

Ø Rocky Mountain Gospel Arts Conf., Denver, CO, Aug 4-6, 2005

Ø Magic in the Rockies, Fort Collins, CO, Sept. 8-11, 2005

Ø PCAM Convention, Aboard Norwegian Star, Sept. 25-30, 2005

If you have topics for me to cover, please send me a message at: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. Keep the magic
alive!!

Tom Waldrop

NW Region Veep's Views June 2005
By the time you read this, it’s only a little more than a month before our National Convention in Boston. I
hope as many of you as possible will be able to attend…not only for the magical aspects of the event but also
to be able to take advantage of the location. There are many famous and historical sites in the Boston area; to
see them will give you a better feel for our American heritage. Get booked and meet me there!!

In the January 2004 issue of this little paper, I focused on the “KISS” principle: Keep It Simple, Sorcerer. Our
acronym for June is SKIPS (Still Keep It Pretty Simple). To me the word “simple,” doesn’t necessarily imply
that the method used to produce the effect has to be easy. What I do mean is that the premise and structure of
the effect should be such that the audience can follow it without difﬁculty. Remember, lay people will not
recall the details of an effect except in short descriptive bursts such as: he tore up my card and put it back
together, he pulled coins out of my ear, she ﬂoated on the air, etc.

In Strong Magic, Darwin Ortiz writes, “The audience must never be made to work.” He further suggests that
we need to make things as easy as possible for the audience, but not always easy for ourselves. When we put
our magic effects together, we need to try to make them as clear as we can. Here are some of the ideas that
Darwin offers on how to do this: Keep the number of props at a minimum, make sure the props and the way
they are laid out are visually clear, eliminate interruptions and time lags, and avoid indirect procedures and
excessive handling. Darwin’s book is a great one for the serious performer.

We’ll follow this “audience” and “clarity” thread some more next month with FOCAL (Fool Or Confuse:
Awkward Legerdemain).

Coming events:

Ø I.B.M. National Convention, Reno, NV, June 28-July 2, 2005

Ø S.A.M. National Convention, Boston, MA, July 6-9, 2005

Ø Rocky Mountain Gospel Arts Conf., Denver, CO, Aug 4-6, 2005

Ø Magic in the Rockies, Ft. Collins, CO, Sept. 8-11, 2005

Ø PCAM Convention, Aboard Norwegian Star, Sept. 25-30, 2005

If you have topics for me to cover, please send me a message at: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. Keep the magic
alive!!

Tom Waldrop

NW Region Veep's Views May 2005
As we roll headlong toward summer, our National Convention is looming larger and larger. It seems that
every week that goes by, there are more things added to the already intense agenda that we received in the
mail a few weeks ago. If you haven’t already done so, go to the S.A.M. web site and get booked for the
convention. I’ll see you there!

Our acronym for May is PITACOL (People In The Audience: Conjurors Or Laymen?). While I was viewing
the “Front Row Sankey” DVD a few days ago, one thing Jay said was: “Don’t confuse your experience with
theirs [the audience]. That’s one of the biggest handicaps a magician can have.” How profound can you get?
In a few of my previous writings, I shared some ideas about magicians who perform mainly for other magi as
compared to those who seek to entertain John and Jane Q. Public.

If you’re in the ﬁrst category, you put effects and routines together that you hope will knock the socks off your
magic buddies. Not necessarily in the sense of whether you fool them or not as much as how well they
respond to your prowess and skill that gets the job done. In these scenarios, it’s okay to compare your
experience to the audience’s.

But if you perform for lay people, please remember that only a few of them have ever seen a magician
perform…much less up close and personal. Hence, there aren’t many effects that you can perform where the
audience will have a preconceived notion of what’s about to happen. Your premise and method can be
simple…direct…conclusive. As Tom Craven wrote, “…a trick is only simple to those who know the secret.
To those not in the know, it’s still a mystery.” We’ll explore this some more next month with the acronym
SKIPS (Still Keep It Pretty Simple).

Coming events:

Ø NW Magic Jamboree, Newberg, OR, May 6-7, 2005

Ø I.B.M. National Convention, Reno, NV, June 28-July 2, 2005

Ø S.A.M. National Convention, Boston, MA, July 6-9, 2005

Ø Rocky Mountain Gospel Arts Conf., Denver, CO, Aug 4-6, 2005

Ø Magic in the Rockies, Ft. Collins, CO, Sept. 8-11, 2005

Ø PCAM Convention, Aboard Norwegian Star, Sept. 25-30, 2005

If you have topics for me to cover, send e-mail: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. I hope the month is a super one for
you. Keep the magic alive!!
simple…direct…conclusive. As Tom Craven wrote, “…a trick is only simple to those who know the secret.
To those not in the know, it’s still a mystery.” We’ll explore this some more next month with the acronym
SKIPS (Still Keep It Pretty Simple).

Coming events:

Ø NW Magic Jamboree, Newberg, OR, May 6-7, 2005

Ø I.B.M. National Convention, Reno, NV, June 28-July 2, 2005

Ø S.A.M. National Convention, Boston, MA, July 6-9, 2005

Ø Rocky Mountain Gospel Arts Conf., Denver, CO, Aug 4-6, 2005

Ø Magic in the Rockies, Ft. Collins, CO, Sept. 8-11, 2005

Ø PCAM Convention, Aboard Norwegian Star, Sept. 25-30, 2005

If you have topics for me to cover, send e-mail: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. I hope the month is a super one for
you. Keep the magic alive!!

Tom Waldrop

NW Region Veep's Views April 2005
Spring has sprung. Can a change of the season have any meaning? Of course it can. This change tells us that
there are less than seven months until National Magic Week 2005. On March 11, I sent a third paper to the
Regional Deputies for review and distribution to each Assembly. The paper introduced The “X” Factors,
which are some speciﬁc guidelines to follow to use Magic Week as a major recruiting tool. The time to get
started on this year’s celebration is now! If you haven’t already done so, get your Magic Week Chairperson
elected or appointed. He or she needs to get moving right away!

This month we look at CAMP (Camouﬂage: A Magic Ploy). In our brief study of misdirection, we’ve looked
at some of the ways that space and time can be used to misdirect action. There are also times when we need to
be able to misdirect objects. This means that the objects must be available and useful to the magician, but
invisible to the audience.

For example, in a levitation illusion, the items that are there all the time but camouﬂaged against the
background could be the support devices used to make the person “ﬂoat on air.” The “black art” principle is a
camouﬂage method that can be used with objects of any size. Magicians can purchase very realistic looking
“bottles” that are made of rubber or soft plastic. When placed in a paper bag that is later crushed, the illusion
to the audience is: “What happened to the ‘glass’ bottle?”

In the area of close-up magic, think of the impact made by all of the effects that use “invisible thread” or a
thumb tip. Both of these objects can serve as mini-camouﬂage devices. This completes our short series on
misdirection. Our acronym for May is PITACOL (People In The Audience: Conjurors Or Laymen).

Coming events:

Ø NW Magic Jamboree, Newberg, OR, May 6-7, 2005

Ø I.B.M. National Convention, Reno, NV, June 28-July 2, 2005

Ø S.A.M. National Convention, Boston, MA, July 6-9, 2005

Ø Rocky Mountain Gospel Arts Conf., Denver, CO, Aug 4-6, 2005

Ø Magic in the Rockies, Ft. Collins, CO, Sept. 8-11, 2005

Ø PCAM Convention, Aboard Norwegian Star, Sept. 25-30, 2005

If you have topics for me to cover, send e-mail: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. I hope you have a rousing month.
Keep the magic alive!!

Tom Waldrop

NW Region Veep's Views March 2005
We’re well into the New Year and, by now, each Assembly should have put together at least a starting plan for
gaining new members. A few weeks ago I developed two papers to help guide you through this process. The
ﬁrst paper was “The Four P’s” and its intent was to emphasize the purpose for and method to develop a growth
plan. “The Four A’s” was the second output and it was to provide tips on how to make sure your Assembly
meetings have a positive impact on people we invite with the intent of recruiting them as a new member.
Make sure your S.A.M. Deputy provides this information to you.

This month’s magic topic is LIMIT (Let’s Investigate Misdirection In Time). When mastered, this technique
is one of the best-kept secrets in magic. Magicians use it to control the audience’s attention by masking the
actual speed that time passes (temporal misdirection). If used properly, boredom can cause an audience to
forget what happened earlier. For example, a key move in a card effect may be forgotten if a few meaningless
moves or patter intervene for several seconds.

On a larger scale, the Substitution Trunk effect (sometimes called Metamorphosis) is where the magician is
shackled, tied in a sack, and locked in a trunk. Then the magician’s assistant stands on the trunk and lifts a
covering curtain. The curtain is immediately dropped to reveal the magician. A few moments later, the trunk
is opened to reveal the assistant who is freed from the sack and the various constraints. To the audience, the
whole effect took place in the split second when the curtain was raised and dropped. In reality, a relatively
large amount of time passed from when the magician was out of sight until he or she reappeared. Even more
time passed between this moment and the assistant’s eventual release from the trunk. Next month: CAMP
(Camouﬂage: A Magic Ploy).

Coming events to be aware of:

Ø NW Magic Jamboree, Newberg, OR, May 6-7, 2005

Ø I.B.M. National Convention, Reno, NV, June 28-July 2, 2005

Ø S.A.M. National Convention, Boston, MA, July 6-9, 2005

Ø Rocky Mountain Gospel Arts Conf., Denver, CO, Aug. 4-6, 2005

Ø Magic in the Rockies, Ft. Collins, CO, Sept. 8-11, 2005

Ø PCAM Convention, Aboard Norwegian Star, Sept. 25-30, 2005

If you have topics for me to cover, send e-mail: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. Have a great month and keep the
magic alive!!

Tom Waldrop
Coming events to be aware of:

Ø NW Magic Jamboree, Newberg, OR, May 6-7, 2005

Ø I.B.M. National Convention, Reno, NV, June 28-July 2, 2005

Ø S.A.M. National Convention, Boston, MA, July 6-9, 2005

Ø Rocky Mountain Gospel Arts Conf., Denver, CO, Aug. 4-6, 2005

Ø Magic in the Rockies, Ft. Collins, CO, Sept. 8-11, 2005

Ø PCAM Convention, Aboard Norwegian Star, Sept. 25-30, 2005

If you have topics for me to cover, send e-mail: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. Have a great month and keep the
magic alive!!

Tom Waldrop

NW Region Veep's Views February 2005
In early December, I sent to each Assembly in the Region several copies of a CD entitled “Keys to
Success” (Membership Growth). I hope that the CD has received some attention because the intent was to
provide each Assembly with a basis for developing an annual plan to increase local membership. For the
National organization to achieve its stated goals, we must increase our membership base. Almost every
important human achievement was preceded by a good plan. Also, a big announcement came out just before
Christmas: David Goodsell, Editor of M-U-M, is planning for retirement. The search is on for a new editor. If
you or someone you know is qualiﬁed to ﬁll this job, follow the application procedures outlined in the
January M-U-M.

Our acronym this month is MIST (Misdirection In Space Technique). A central talent of magicians is being
able to control audience attention. One method is using space and motion to divert attention away from a
thing the audience should not see. As a set of general rules, the audience will: look where you look, look at
anything that moves, look at anything to which you point, and look toward a ﬂash of light, a loud noise, a
stumble or fall, or a seeming accident.

If you hold out the left hand as though you had something in it and also wiggle your ﬁngers a bit, the
audience will stare at the hand. If you look at your left hand at the same time as you point at it with your
right, you will strengthen the effect.

A rule closely related to this says a big move will cover a small one. In the French Drop coin move, the secret
of the trick is masked by the large move of one hand pretending to take a coin from the other hand that
eventually drops to the side in a smaller move. Next month we’ll look at LIMIT (Let’s Investigate
Misdirection In Time).
Coming events to know about:

Ø NW Magic Jamboree, Newberg, OR, May 6-7, 2005

Ø I.B.M. National Convention, Reno, NV, June 28-July 2, 2005

Ø S.A.M. National Convention, Boston, MA, July 6-9, 2005

Ø P.C.A.M. Convention, Aboard Norwegian Star, Sept. 25-30, 2005

If you have topics for me to cover, please send me a message at: trix_r_i@bctonline.com. Have a great month,
have fun, and keep the magic alive!!

Tom Waldrop