2007-04 Ring Report

Ring #170

The Bev Bergeron Ring

Thirty four regular members filled the seats at our March Ring meeting. We also had four guests, James Minelli from the East Coast of Florida, Phil Swartz and Phil and Alex Tiedtke. President Craig Fennessey gaveled the meeting to order and announced the Flea Market Auction will be on April 21st.The featured lecturer will be Alain Nu. Dan Stapleton gave us an update on Pigeon Forge , Tennessee and his recent appearance at the Winter Carnival of Magic. Nicolas Tangredi is appearing at the Haines City Cabaret. The business meeting concluded and the fun began!

Ring Board Member James Songster was the Master of Ceremonies for our monthly after-the-business-meeting show. This month's theme was "Favorite Packet Tricks". First up was KP, Kerry Pierce. He dealed off 10 cards and had a spectator select cards for an imaginary poker hand. Even with a free choice, Kerry ended up with the best hand. Mark Fitzgerald was in fine form with some fancy coin moves and ending with four aces and a great coin and card matrix effect. Wallace Murphy had a whole paper sack filled with packet card tricks out of his magic drawer. He said the paper sack was a tribute to the late Bill Hoffman, who always brought his magic to the ring meetings in a paper sack. Wallace did a card trick with blank cards that soon mysteriously 8 Balls printed on them. Then billiard balls began to appear!

Joe Vecciarelli had two items for a show and tell. One was a side table he adapted from an inexpensive flower table be found at a craft store. the other was a writing pen that wrote in ink that would disappear if heat was applied. The pen is only available in England, with no plans to sell it here. It certainly has usefulness for magic. Information can be found at http://www.pilotpen.co.uk/ Joe Songster then assisted Jim in a comic version of "Who is smarter than a 7th Grader". Regardless of the questions drawn at random, the adult helper could not answer the questions but the youngster helping Jim could answer questions drawn for him.

Roger Reid had a good packet trick called "Flinch". A packet of number cards seemed to reverse order while he was counting off the stack even though a spectator told him which cards to deal. In the end the cards turned upside down and the backs changed to beer labels. James Minelli did a fast-paced routine with 2 female spectators from the audience. A card selected and signed by the spectator appeared in his pocket, then in the middle of the deck, the top of the deck and finally in his wallet. Billiard Balls appeared in the routine and he concluded with a coins-across routine. Young Sid had a Torn Chinese Laundry ticket routine with lines far beyond his years. A card he selected was also the card named by a spectator. Finally four cards produced happened to be the same four cards the spectator had previously selected.

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Wrapping up the Ring Show was George Iglesias. Eight Queens were face up only to be found face down. Four of them then turned into four Jokers with four different colored backs. George showed a tube with a can of soda-pop covered inside. Six cans of soda pop were shown and a spectator merely thought of a brand. The prediction seemed to fail since a regular sugared soda was seen under the tube. George then popped the can and poured out a stream of dry sugar. Returning the tube over the can the correct selected brand was seen when the tube was lifted.

With the show concluded we adjourned and planned for the coming weekend's Annual Ring banquet and show. Good things are always happening in Ring 170!

Dennis Phillips