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

Assembly News

Most Entertaining Card Trick Contest

Leo Haglund sponsored his 12th Edition of the Most Entertaining Card Trick Contest at our meeting on March 26.  The purpose of this event was to get the imaginations primed, to add some new inventive elements to magic, and...most important of all...to create an effect with cards that is truly ENTERTAINING!!  As judged by the audience, showmanship and presentation count more than technical skill.  This year, Bob Eaton served as M.C. as well as a contestant.  The others in the contest were: Phil Amaya, Brian Carpenter, Tom Waldrop, John Kaleta, Tom Cramer, Phil Crosson, and Don Burns.  As voted by the audience, Tom Cramer was the Winner and Phil Amaya took Second Place.

Bob Eaton presents to Tom Cramer (in Jacket) the First Place
Prize for Most Entertaining Card Trick Contest held in March
(Photo Courtesy of David Ashton III)

Broken Wand: Stan Greer

Long time member Stan Greer passed away on Thursday, January 31, 2008 from complications brought on by cancer and several strokes.  He had been a member of the S.A.M. since October 1960.  He held most elected positions during those years and served as ShowTime Chairman for many of the latter years.  Stan was always involved in the Assembly activities and spent much of his free time providing magic instruction to young people.

Here are the details regarding the funeral service for Stan:

                Saturday, February 9, 2008.  Service at 2:00 p.m.
                Rose City Park Presbyterian Church
                1907 N.E. 45^th Avenue (45^th and Sandy Blvd)
                Portland, OR 97213
                Church Phone: 503-282-0965

Betty Greer would appreciate a light-hearted atmosphere at the service.  SAM 59 members are encouraged to bring a few close-up effects to entertain the young people who will attend.

Spotlight Member of the Month--January

Our fourth Spotlight Member...and timing is everything...is Stan Kramien.  He was featured in a presentation by Erik Pierce at the Assembly meeting only three days after hosting the Stage Magic Contest that is reported in the next article.  Erik covered many of the highlights of Stan's 70+ years in the world of entertainment, primarily as a stage magician, circus operator, and other interesting offshoots.  Stan has also been hosting the Northwest Magic Jamboree in Newberg for the past two decades...the 21st edition will be on April 25-26 of this year.  Stan has helped many SAM 59 members develop in the magic art.  He is truly one to be recognized for his contributions.

Stan Kramien Excellence in Stage Magic Contest

During the annual banquet noted below, Stan's Sixth Annual Stage Contest served as the entertainment vehicle for the event.  This year, Scott Davis served as MC to introduce the nine members who competed: Elisabeth Jones, Mark Benthimer, Brian Carpenter, Tim Alexander, Grey Lerner, Bob Eaton, Michael Roth, Phil Crosson, and Tom Waldrop.  At the end of the show, all audience members cast ballots for their favorite performer and...after the ballots were counted...Bob Eaton was declared winner of the contest.  The win is a clear demonstration of Bob's versatility: he also won the Desmond Close-Up Contest in October 2007.  The other stage magic contestants each were presented with nice medallions.  All in all, another successful banquet and contest kicked off the new year.  For photos of the contestants, CLICK HERE.

Winner Bob Eaton Holds the Trophy and Hugs Benefactor Stan Kramien

S.A.M. 59 Annual Banquet

The Assembly held its annual awards and installation banquet on January 20, 2008.  We had more than 70 members and friends attend the affair, which was held at the George Morlan Plumbing Design Center Showroom in NW Portland.  The new officers were introduced as follows: Tom Cramer, President; Grey Lerner, Vice President; Gregg Jacot, Treasurer; Tom Waldrop, Secretary; and Marlene Azar, Sergeant at Arms.  The Immediate Past President, Michael Roth, will serve as a Board member along with three other At-Large members: Mark Benthimer, Rick Denton, and Bob Eaton.  The following members were presented with the annual awards noted: Jim Brinkman, Most Improved Performer; Tommy Ng, Performer of the Year; and Michael Roth, Sorrells Service Award.  In turn, Michael presented personalized certificates of appreciation to Mark Benthimer, Ken Magee, David Ashton, and Tom Waldrop.  An integral part of the event will be the 6th Annual Kramien Excellence in Stage Magic Contest.  See the preceding story for details.

SYM Y105 Presents Annual Thanksgiving Show

The Portland Assembly of the Society of Young Magicians (SYM) followed tradition and presented their 2007 Thanksgiving show at the S.A.M. 59 Assembly Meeting on November 21.  In all, seven of the SYM members took part in the performance: Noah and Quinn Meihoff, Annika and Eamon Minges, Ellen Anderson, Sean Asbury, and Adrian Araujo.  Senior Mentor Mel Anderson gave an overall introduction for the show and turned the program over to Annika, who served as Emcee.  The young folks covered the waterfront with their magic: there was a ball and vase, cut and restored rope, some neat card stuff, a few mental effects, silk productions, livestock transformations, mailbag escape, flying carpet illusion, and several other mysteries.  All in all, it was an excellent program.  Several SYM Mentors and parents helped backstage and to videotape the performance.

Broken Wand: Merle Ellsworth

Long time member Merle Ellsworth passed away on November 13, 2007 as a result of cancer.  He was a member of S.A.M. 59 for 47 years and held many offices, including President, during that time.  He was also an office-holding member in the Portland Society of Magicians, which he joined in the late 1940's.  Even though only an occasional performer in club shows, he was always a loyal helper and club supporter.  There was no public funeral, but a viewing was held on November 20.

"Magneto Maximus" Scores for Evergreen Middle School

For the second year, our Vice President Dan Waterman performed magic to help raise funds for the school's Positive Behavior Systems (PBS) program.  Dan is a teacher at the school and he played the Magneto role in stage shows on November 8 and 9.  Ticket sales generated about $2,000 for the Evergreen PBS.

"Scary Magic" Punctuates National Magic Week

On October 28, S.A.M. 59 performed its first public show in several years.  The Assembly teamed up with Rose City Park Neighborhood Association to present two 90-minute stage shows at the Friendship Masonic Lodge in NE Portland to serve as a fundraiser and as an integral part of Portland's celebration of National Magic Week.  For the show, David Ashton III served as M.C. and as a performer.  The cast members were Gregg Jacot (as Unka Bubba), Tom Cramer, Marlene Azar (as Eartha), Ernie Storey, Tom Waldrop, Bob Eaton, and Mark Benthimer.  The backstage crew was Duane Duvall, Dan Friedman, and David Sundquist.  Several family members appeared on stage to take part in some of the large illusions and to help with technical matters.  While the audiences were relatively small, the Assembly feels we have something to build on for additional shows in the years to come.  To see photos of the performers in action, CLICK HERE.

2007 Desmond Close-Up Contest Winner--Bob Eaton

At the S.A.M. 59 monthly meeting on October 24, ten members competed in the 16th Annual Desmond Contest. This contest features magic suitable for close-up and parlor venues.  Each contestant has only ten minutes to persuade the judges (which consists of the whole audience) that their skills, showmanship, originality, and entertainment abilities are the best.  David Glanville served as Emcee for the contest and introduced the following competitors: Warren Gardner, Grey Lerner, Jim Brinkman, John Kaleta, Phil Crosson, Bill Butterfield, Bob Eaton, Tom Waldrop, Tom Cramer, and Dan Waterman.  As the dust settled at the end of the contest, Bob Eaton was voted as winner and Dan Waterman was awarded Second Place.  The Desmond Zombie Ball Trophy will spend the next year on Bob's mantle.  For photos of all participants, CLICK HERE.

Bob Eaton, Zombie, Michael Roth, and Dan Waterman
(Photo Courtesy of David F. Ashton III)

Unabated Growth Continues--New Members Selected

After winning the 2006-2007 Harry Houdini Award for Assembly Growth, S.A.M. 59 has not slowed down a bit.  At our September 26 meeting, the following compeers were voted into membership: Ken Anderson, Matt Stevens, Danny Schreiber, Michael Just, and David McFarland.  When we met on October 24, three more names were added to the roster: Garry Rieg, Phil Crosson, and Dan Friedman.  To top it off, we had more new visitors at that meeting.

Spotlight Member of the Month--September

The third S.A.M. 59 member to be honored in the monthly spotlight was Leo Haglund.  President Roth provided the narrative for the presentation, which traced Leo's life...family, military, and magic...through many years.  Leo has been a member since 1961 and has held nearly every office in the Assembly. Especially noteworthy was the very long tour of duty he served as Secretary, which he finally relinquished two years ago.  Leo also sponsors the "Most Entertaining Card Trick Contest" that is currently held in March each year...this year marked the 11th anniversary of the event.  Since we recruited so many new compeers over the last year, our "Spotlight" program is especially beneficial to them to help them gain a sense of history of the Assembly and its members.

Broken Wand: Jerry Andrus

A 50+ year member of S.A.M. 59--Jerry Andrus--world-famous magician, optical illusionist, writer, inventor, teacher, philosopher, and lecturer dies August 27, 2007 at the Mennonite Home in Albany, Oregon.  He was 89, lived in Albany almost 80 years, and is survived by his brother, George, and a niece and nephew.  On a local basis, Jerry was also a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians (I.B.M.) and the Portland Society of Magicians (P.S.M.).

A private funeral was held the week following Jerry's death.  A public Memorial Service was held on Sunday, September 30, 2007 at the Albany Senior Center, 489 Water Avenue NW, Albany, Oregon.  The program commenced at 2:00 p.m. and concluded shortly after 4:00 p.m.

During the ceremony, many of Jerry's friends and associates provided testimony and anecdotes about Jerry's life.  There were also segments filled by audio and visual presentations.  A short "Broken Wand Ceremony" was presented by Dwight Vance (I.B.M. member) and Michael Roth (S.A.M. 59 President) and was the final activity of the Memorial Service.

Jerry performed and lectured internationally.  He spoke at Harvard, Stanford, and other universities.  Jerry appeared on the covers of M-U-M in September 1958 and Genie in October 1989.  He wrote more than 20 books on magic and optical illusions and invented many magic effects that have been marketed continuously for more than 50 years.  Still available are well-known writings such as Andrus Deals You In, Andrus Card Control, and Safety Pin Trix, as well as prized effects including “Linking Pins,” “Zone Zero,” and “Miser’s Miracle.”  His many friends and colleagues in the Pacific Northwest will sorely miss Jerry.

Special Awards from S.A.M. National

The most recent S.A.M. Annual Convention was held in Dallas, TX during July 4-7.  For our hard work over the year just before the convention, S.A.M. 59 was presented the Harry Houdini Award for Membership Growth for 2006-2007.  This award goes to the Assembly that has 51 or more members at the beginning of the year and achieves the highest percentage growth over the next 12 months (May to May).  Our prize was a beautiful hand-made magic wand and storage box (see photo below).  There are several other growth awards presented at lower levels of Assembly size.

Special thanks to the following individuals who were part of the 2006-2007 class of new members: Ben Smood, Kevin Puckett, Matthew Puckett, Rob Dunlap, Richard Watson, Daniel Roberts, JoAnn Bezodis, Marvin Chapman, Dan Fate, Alex Fontana, David Glanville, Rod Kennedy, Matthew Legare, Grey Lerner, Garth Meihoff, Danny Schreiber, and Matthew Stevens.  S.A.M. 59 is now at 85 members, the highest level ever achieved by this 53-year-old Assembly.  We have already recruited several new members for the next year.  

Harry Houdini Award for Membership Growth

Special Award for National Magic Week Activities

Also during the S.A.M. Annual Convention just cited, Assembly 59 received another form of recognition.  We were awarded a certificate for outstanding contributions to the 2006 National Magic Week event.  The Assembly was able to persuade the Oregon Governor and ten area Mayors to issue proclamations announcing October 25-31, 2006 as National Magic Week in their respective jurisdictions.  This action accounted for about 25% of the total national effort.  We're already achieving notable success in our 2007 quest for proclamations.

Magic Show for Elks Annual Picnic

In return for the use of Elks Lodge #1989 for our Assembly meetings, we perform a one-hour cabaret show for them during their annual family picnic.  On August 19, Julian Thornton kicked off the festivities by performing strolling magic on the picnic grounds for about one hour before the stand-up show.  The latter show was Emceed by Art Manning and the four performers were Ken Williams, Grey Lerner, Tom Waldrop, and Matthew Legare.  Technical assistance was provided by Tom Cramer, Duane Duvall, and Rick Denton.  At peak size, we had about 45 members in the audience and the show was well received.

S.A.M. 59 Annual Family Picnic

Gregg and Connie Jacot hosted this year's Assembly Family Picnic on August 12.  We had nearly 30 attendees who enjoyed some really great picnic-style eats and drinks.  For entertainment, we inaugurated a new concept: the non-magician spouses were encouraged to perform a trick.  Four of the ladies did just that... and did it very well.  Our hats are off and our applause goes to: Connie Jacot, Kieu-Oanh Nguyen, Marie Lathrop, and Ellie Butterfield.  We should seriously try to recruit them into the Assembly.

New Member in August

During the summer, David McFarland filed his membership materials and has become a member of The S.A.M. National organization.  His application for Assembly membership will be voted at the September 26 meeting along with the three gentlemen listed in the article following the next one.  We welcome them all aboard.

Doc Eason--July Lecture

S.A.M. 59 and P.S.M jointly brought Doc Eason to Portland on Sunday, July 29 to present his new magic lecture.  With an audience of about 45 folks, Doc shared several of his philosophies about magic performances.  He also taught several very entertaining card effects; an excellent copper, silver, brass coin routine; and an unusual routine featuring large nuts and bolts.  It was an excellent program and fulfilled our commitment to provide at least two free lectures a year for our members.

Three New Members in June

At the S.A.M. 59 June 27 meeting, Danny Schreiber, Matthew Stevens, and Ken Anderson submitted their applications for Assembly membership.  Danny had earlier joined S.A.M. National.  All three applicants have solid backgrounds in magic and their Assembly applications will be considered and voted at the next regular SAM 59 meeting.

Spotlight Members of the Month

At the May 23 meeting, S.A.M. 59 initiated its new Member Spotlight program.  At the meeting, Mark Benthimer introduced and presented background material on Duane Duvall.  Duane is the only remaining continuously active Charter Member of the Assembly (the Charter was issued in 1954) and was previously designated as an Honorary Life Member of the S.A.M.

At the June 27 meeting, Stan Greer was in the Member Spotlight.  Alex Fontana presented a verbal and pictorial package that described Stan's adventures as a B-24 Navigator in World War 2 as well as his deep involvement in the Portland magic scene over more than 50 years.

The purpose is of program is to let new members know something about the backgrounds and legacy of some of the more senior members of the Assembly.

Dr. Anthony Darkstone Visit to Oregon

President Michael Roth invited Dr. Anthony Darkstone (aka Tony Brook) to visit Oregon in May.  Dr. Darkstone currently hails from Portugal, where he serves as an S.A.M. International Deputy.  His visit to our area included attending the S.A.M. 59 meeting on May 23; presenting a stage show at Corvallis High School on May 25; and providing a lecture to Assembly 59 and P.S.M members as well as guests on May 26.  Anthony was able to spend quality time with many of our members and he reported that he enjoyed the visit immensely.  Perhaps we can count on Anthony to return to the Northwest in the future.

20th Annual NW Magic Jamboree Participation--Ng Scores Again

This year there were approximately 300 magicians and family members registered for one of the best kept secrets in magic: The Northwest Magic Jamboree.  The 20th edition of the Jamboree was held on April 27-28 at the Big Top Ranch in the cool, green hills outside of Newberg, a small town about 30 minutes south of Portland, Oregon.  This gathering attracts many folks from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and the southwest part of Canada.

While this yearly event is privately sponsored and produced by member Stan Kramien and his family, many of the Assembly 59 members get involved in a variety of ways.  It would be impossible for this web site editor to list all of the folks who played a role in the success of the Jamboree.  Out of the nearly 40 Assembly members who attended, a few do stand out for their contributions.

Several of the members served as stage crew members, coordinators, and contest judges.  A few of them manned some of the dealer booths or sold raffle tickets.  Tom Waldrop did a routine in the Stage Contest while Tommy Ng and Tom Cramer both entered the Close-Up Contest...Tommy Ng won Second Prize for his effort.  Art Manning served as Emcee for both contests.  David Ashton, Erik Pierce, and David Charvet performed on the big Friday night show, which was Emceed by Stan Kramien.

Everyone agreed that the big closing show on Saturday night was the best in recent memory.  If you can imagine a program featuring the following international stars, then you know what it must have been like: Mike Caveney, Mac King, Tina Lenert, John Carney, and Mike Williamson, all of whom were supported in the closing routine by David Charvet.  A non-stop display of magic, artistry, and humor.  Those two hours will never be forgotten.

April Initiation: Five New Compeers

Assembly 59 performed the S.A.M. Initiation Ceremony again on April 25 for five new magicians who had joined over the past several months: Dan Fate, Alex Fontana, Dave Glanville, Grey Lerner, and Matthew Legare.  Four of the S.A.M. 59 officers played roles in the Ritual: Roth, Storey, Jacot, and Cramer.  We still have several new members to honor with the Ceremony.

Jerry Andrus Commemorative Coin

The S.A.M. Assembly 59 and Portland Society of Magicians (P.S.M) banded together to design and produce a coin to honor Jerry Andrus.  Jerry held membership in both Portland organizations for more than half a century.  Several other articles that attest to his involvement in and contributions to magic follow in this section.  Each member of the two organizations received a coin for free.  These members plus others can purchase additional commemorative coins at $5.00 each.

Most Entertaining Card Trick Contest

The main activity for the March 28 meeting night was the conduct of Leo Haglund's 11th annual "Most Entertaining Card Trick Contest."  This is a rare contest in the magic world because showmanship and entertainment skills reign supreme over technical, finger flicking skills.  Each audience member serves as a judge by casting a ballot for their favorite performer at the end of the contest.  The Emcee for the contest was Grey Lerner, one of the newly voted members in the Assembly.  The ten contestants were: Bob Eaton, Tom Cramer, Ken Magee, Stan Greer, Art Manning, Ernie Storey, Tom Waldrop, Dave Emery, Dan Waterman, and new member Alex Fontana.  Using an interesting combination of fire and playing cards, Ken Magee was voted as the winner for this year...he also won last year.  Dan Waterman earned Second Place and Art Manning took Third Place.  Ken won a nice trophy for the effort and all contestants were presented with a unique participant award: money clip with Silver Dollar attached.  For pictures of all the contestants, CLICK HERE for Photo Album.

Ken Magee holding First Place trophy as presented by
President Michael Roth.  Other contestants shown are
Dan Waterman, Dave Emery, and Tom Cramer.
(Photo Courtesy of David F. Ashton, S.A.M. 59 Life Member)

Two New Members in March

At the S.A.M. 59 March 28 meeting, Alex Fontana and Grey Lerner submitted their applications for Assembly membership.  Alex had earlier joined S.A.M. National.  Both applicants have strong backgrounds in magic and were unanimously approved for membership by the Assembly.  They were welcomed aboard and took part in the evening's program, as you can read in the preceding article.  The Assembly plans to initiate 12 new members at the April meeting.

March 18, 2007: Jerry Andrus Day Declared in Albany, Oregon

Jerry Andrus, Honorary Life Member of the S.A.M., received one more honor in his illustrious magic career.  On Sunday, March 18, the Mayor of Albany declared Jerry Andrus Day for the city, where Jerry lived most of his life.  The special event was held at the Venetian Theater in downtown Albany and was sponsored by Ring 238 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.  Other Andrus news is posted in the next article.  Details of the Andrus Day event may be acquired by clicking on the following link:

http://www.democratherald.com/articles/2007/03/16/news/local/3loc03_andrusday.txt

Jerry Andrus Honored in Portland

On March 3, 2007, member Jerry Andrus was jointly honored by S.A.M. 59 and the Portland Society of Magicians (P.S.M.).  Jerry has been an active and supporting member of both organizations for more than half a century.  Over 50 magicians from the Pacific Northwest and beyond met to present Jerry with a Lifetime Achievement Award in magic.  Michael Roth and Ken Magee, S.A.M. 59 and P.S.M. Presidents, respectively, spoke to the group about Jerry's accomplishments in magic on an international basis.  Several others--Barry Brilliant, George Olson, and Tom Waldrop--added some personal insights to the proceedings.  All in all, it was a wonderful event presented by those who "grew up" with Jerry over his splendid career.

Jerry Andrus, center, receiving Lifetime Achievement Award from
Michael Roth while Ken Magee looks on.
(Photo Courtesy of David F. Ashton, S.A.M. 59 Life Member)

February Initiation: Five New Compeers

Assembly 59 performed the S.A.M. Initiation Ceremony on February 28 for five new folks who had joined over the past several months: Kevin Puckett, Matthew Puckett, Rob Dunlap, Richard Watson, and Dan Roberts.  Four of the S.A.M. 59 officers played roles in the Ritual: Roth, Storey, Jacot, and Cramer.  

Two New Members in February

At the February 28 S.A.M. 59 meeting, the Assembly reviewed the applications of Rob Dunlap and Dan Fate.  Rob had already completed National membership processing.  Both candidates were approved for membership and were greeted warmly by the folks at the meeting.

Six New Members for Assembly 59

During its meeting on January 24, S.A.M. 59 discussed the credentials of six new candidates desiring to become Assembly members.  The candidates--all of whom were approved for membership--are JoAnn Bezodis, David Glanville, Garth Meihoff, Rod Kennedy, Richard Watson, and Daniel Roberts.  All of the new compeers joined the National organization during the last two months of 2006 to take advantage of the special poster offer that was available.  JoAnn, David, Rod, and Richard were all able to attend the January meeting and receive their new member certificates, pins, cards, etc.  Additionally, JoAnn and Garth have children who recently joined our SYM Y105 Assembly and have already been active on participating in magic shows for the public and for S.A.M. 59.  We welcome aboard all of the new compeers.  Rob Dunlap has an application in process and we expect to finalize his membership requirements at the February 28 meeting.

Stan Kramien Excellence in Stage Magic Contest

In 2003, we began to hold the Excellence in Stage Magic Contest under the sponsorship of member Stan Kramien.  The purpose was to provide a competitive venue for members who do not specialize in performing close-up or card magic.  On January 14, we held the fifth edition of the contest in conjunction with the Annual Banquet, noted below.  This year, six members took to the stage to vie for the First Place Trophy: Brian Carpenter, Tom Waldrop, Michael Roth, Ernie Storey, Dan Waterman, and Erik Pierce.  The audience viewed magic, mayhem, mentalism, and some ventriloquism as the contestants went through their paces.  Each member of the audience served as a judge and, after the final ballots were counted, Erik Pierce was announced as the winner.  Ernie Storey won Second Place.  Each person received a nice medallion to attest to his participation.  For photos of the contestants, click here.

Assembly 59 Annual Installation and Awards Banquet

On January 14, S.A.M. 59 held its 52nd Annual Banquet, which was dubbed "Night of Wonder."  All of the new officers listed below were officially introduced and installed for the 2007 calendar year.  Outgoing President John Kaleta presented several special and annual awards: 45-year member Leo Haglund was awarded the special Assembly 59 Honorary Lifetime Membership.  In the annual award category, Tom Cramer received the Most Improved Performer plaque and Tom Waldrop was doubly surprised with the Sorrells Service Award trophy and Entertainer of the Year plaque.

(Photos Courtesy of David F. Ashton, S.A.M. 59 Life Member)

Assembly 59 Officers Elected for 2007

At the October Assembly 59 meeting, the members approved the nomination of the candidates to serve as officers in 2007.  Here are the names: President, Michael Roth; Vice President, Dan Waterman; Treasurer, Gregg Jacot; Secretary, Tom Waldrop; and Sergeant at Arms, Ernie Storey.  The At-Large Board member nominees are as follows: Rick Denton, Tom Cramer, and Mark Benthimer.  The current President, John Kaleta, will also serve on the 2007 Board of Directors as Immediate Past President.  The Assembly cast ballots for the nominees at the November 22 meeting and all of the nominees were elected.  The new officers were installed at the annual banquet on January 14. 

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