Welcome to the Capital District's magic club. Members of our club include illusionists, close-up magicians, kids show magicians, clowns, magic collectors and magic enthusiasts.  We meet at 7:00 pm on the second Tuesday of every month at The S W Pitts Hose Company of Latham, 226 Old Loudon Rd, Latham, NY.

The purpose of our organization is to promote the art of magic by learning to perform it well, to preserve its history and to assemble collections of past magicians and paraphernalia.

Assembly #24 is one of the oldest Assembly's in the Society of American Magicians. It is named after Past President Jay A. Gorham.  Jay was a Professor and Mathematics Chair at Hudson Valley Community College. He is an active magician and magic collector. After moving from this area to Arizona, Jay became the National President of the Society of American Magicians in 2004.

 

THE CAPITAL MAGIC CONNECTION NEWS

The fire station in Latham has invited us back so IBM Ring 186 and SAM Assembly 24 are planning to meet at that facility.   Both groups will start their meetings at 7:00 pm.  SAM on the second Tuesday of the month & IBM on the fourth Tuesday of the month.  We will continue to have one zoom meeting on the third Tuesday of the month and the Morning Magic Group will meet on the first Tuesday of the month.

  

 THE CAPITAL MAGIC CONNECTION


March 3, 2024
 

MORNING MAGIC GROUP
 

The next meeting of the morning group will be on Tuesday morning, March 5, at 8:30 am at the Ugly Rooster off exit 12 of the Northway.  Everyone is welcome.
 

If you need more information or directions, call Cliff Bruce, Dave McClements, or Ken Marcinowski


MARCH MEETING OF THE SAM ASSEMBLY 24

 
SAM Assembly 24 will meet on Tuesday, March 12, at 7:00 at S. W. Pitts Hose Company, 226 Old Loudon Road, in Latham, NY. The theme for this month is exotic magic,  magic originating in or characteristic of a distant foreign land.

 

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, magicians from foreign places enjoyed a great deal of popularity.  Many magicians donned oriental costumes and changed their stage names to appear more mysterious.  Okito, Chung Ling Soo, Fu Manchu, Chop Chop, and Ching Ling Foo were all foreign magicians or were magicians who pretended to be foreign magicians.

 

Tricks with oriental symbols or red dragons painted on all sides are still available.  The Chinese coin with the square hole in the middle is still popular.  The magic catalogues are filled with tricks with exotic names - the Chinese linking rings, the Indian rope trick, the Egyptian cups and balls, the Chinese rice bowls, the Jap box, and the lota bowl.

 

For this meeting, see if you can come up with an exotic piece of magic; if not, do your usual card trick, only don’t make us count or deal too many cards, thank you!

 

Karl Johnson has volunteered to bring the refreshments for this meeting.

 

MARCH ZOOM MAGIC MEETING

 
The magicians of the New York Capital region will host a Zoom meeting on Tuesday, March 19, at 7:00.   Everyone interested in magic is welcome to join us by logging into this meeting at:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88548490202. The meeting ID is: 88548490202
 

MARCH MEETING OF IBM RING 186

 
IBM Ring 186 will be meeting on Tuesday, March 26, at 7:00 at S. W. Pitts Hose Company, 226 Old Loudon Road, in Latham.  No other information at this time.

 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THESE UPCOMING SHOWS AND EVENTS


Thursday, July 25 through Saturday, July 27:  Magicians Guild Presents:  Glitches in Reality at 
Universal Preservation Hall, 25 Washington St., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.  This show  features Simon Cornell who has appeared twice at the Adirondack Theatre Festival.  For more information and tickets go to: https://tickets.proctors.org/TheatreManager/95/tmEvent/tmEvent34562.html

 

Sunday, August 4: Our annual picnic at Ken Beckley’s place on Lake George.  More details later.


ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS

 
If you know of a magic related event or show which might be of interest to capital area magicians, send that information to me in time for it to be announced in our next newsletter.

 
Also if you would like to contribute an original article, trick or  review of a book, dvd, trick or internet site, send it to me for inclusion in this newsletter.  PLEASE DON’T COPY WHAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS WRITTEN UNLESS YOU  DOCUMENT THE SOURCE AND HAVE PERMISSION TO SHARE IT.

 

REPORT ON NORB’S MEDICAL SITUATION

 

Last month, Norbert “Norb” Kosinski, a long time member of our local magic community, was admitted to St Clair Rehabilitation Nursing Home.  He hopes to be going home this week. So I am suggesting that anyone who would like to send a card, send it to his house.  The address is:

 

Norb Kosinski 
956 Balltown Road
Niskayuna, NY
12309  

 

DUES FOR 2024

 

Your 2024 membership dues are now past due. Don’t make the treasurers twist your arm to get your twenty bucks.

 
If you wish to pay your dues by mail, the address for SAM Assembly 24 is:  


Ken Marcinowski
1107 Raymond Rd
Ballston Spa, NY
12020


Make your check for $20.00 payable to “SAM Assembly 24.”

 
And the address for IBM Ring 186 is:  

Karl Johnson, 
102 Dumbarton Dr. 
Delmar, NY 12054

Make your check for $20.00 payable to “IBM Ring 186

 


SAM Assembly #24 Member Directory:   Fellow Assembly Member contact information is listed in the MEMBERS ONLY SECTION and can only be accessed by current active members with the password information provided on your membership card.