S.A.M. Assembly No. 59
Portland,
Oregon
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S.A.M. Assembly No. 59 |
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The Society of Young MagiciansWhat's Our Goal?A primary goal of the S.A.M. is to consistently search for new members by attracting people who possess a sincere interest in learning and performing the art of magic. One way we achieve this is by "growing our own." We do this by encouraging young people-- ages 7 through 17, inclusive--to join and participate in The Society of Young Magicians (S.Y.M.). Then, when the young folks turn 18, they are eligible to become regular members of the S.A.M. Locally, S.A.M. 59 sponsors S.Y.M. Assembly 105 and serves as the primary source of qualified and certified volunteer adult mentors for the group. There are currently six certified S.Y.M. Leaders in Portland and this provides the young people with a wide variety of magic styles and personalities from whom to learn the art. Magic is an excellent hobby for young people. Its mastery involves combining the technical execution of magic's basic principles along with the elements of theater, stage presence, comedy, elocution, and timing. In the process, those who perform magic develop self-confidence, poise, self-esteem, and increased reading skills. The S.Y.M. members also gain valuable life-long public speaking and communication skills. The main objective of the S.Y.M. is to reach out and attract interested young people in the community who appreciate the art of magic. Prior knowledge of magic technique is not required, just a strong desire to listen, watch, practice, and learn. We provide regular significant meetings, quality instruction, motivation, fulfillment, organized fun, and a secure and positive atmosphere to learn about and enjoy the performance of magic. The S.Y.M. members receive their own monthly publication from the National organization: The Magic SYMbol. We also prepare a local newsletter--Phantasmagoria--and send it out about five days before each meeting. This paper contains the meeting agendas plus news about SYM and other local events Our adult magicians are encouraged to promote the S.Y.M. to their children, relatives, neighborhood youth, and whenever they are performing shows for the public. The intended result of this activity is for the young people to become proficient in their magic skills and to want to continue their growth in the art by becoming members of S.A.M. 59 or other S.A.M. Assembly should they leave the area. S.Y.M. 105 MeetingsOur local S.Y.M. Assembly 105 usually meets on the first and third Saturdays of each month from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. There may be additional meeting dates when the group is preparing for a public show or the annual Thanksgiving show that will be presented to the parent group, S.A.M. 59, on November 26, 2008.
Local S.Y.M. InformationFor more information about S.Y.M. 105, please contact one of our mentors:
2008 Meeting Schedule
New Officers Elected for SYM Y105As 2008 gets under way, a new slate of officers was elected. The following members will serve in the offices shown:
President
Ellen Anderson Best wishes to the new leadership team. SYM Y105 Brings in Three New MembersOver the past few months, the following young people visited SYM Y105 meetings and elected to apply for membership: Sean Asbury, Adrian Araujo, and Sean Oulashin. Our plan for the next year is to intensify our recruiting effort to get the Assembly membership back to the double digit level. SYM Y105 Presents Annual Thanksgiving ShowThe 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. Summer VisitorsA few more young people visited some of our meeting during the summer. As of September 1, Sean Asbury from Beaverton attended his second meeting. Eamon Minges' sister, Annika, made her second visit on September 15. Both new kids appear to be really interested in the magic art and we look forward to receiving their applications for membership. New Adult MentorsTwo more of our S.A.M. 59 members have completed the certification process to become Adult Mentors. JoAnn Bezodis has a son and two daughters as SYM members and Garth Meihoff has two sons in the group. JoAnn and Garth join the other six adults who oversee the SYM meetings and other activities. Our large team of Mentors allows us to schedule their attendance to one meeting every two months. This prevents Mentor burnout and gives the SYM members multiple personalities from whom the learn the magic art. JoAnn and Garth...welcome to the team. The Classics of MagicFor the past few months, our teaching topics have centered around the "effects" produced by magic: vanishes, productions, levitations, restorations, etc. Each effect was illustrated by four or more examples. Beginning in August, we will start teaching the mechanics and routines associated with the "Classic" effects in magic. If you look at the schedule above starting at August 18, you'll see the list of Classics that we'll begin covering. Why the Classics? Because their popularity with audiences and universal appeal have withstood the test of time. Visitors...May 19, 2007Eamon Minges and his father, Kurt, made their third visit to our SYM Y105 meeting on May 19 and Eamon applied for membership. Eamon also played the role of Emcee for the meeting's ShowTime. Welcome aboard, Eamon. Your energy and enthusiasm will keep everyone hopping. Attending NW Magic Jamboree...April 27-28, 2007Several of the SYM Y105 members attended the recent NW Magic Jamboree held outside of Newberg, OR. Ellen Anderson attended all of the shows, lectures, and dealer demonstrations with her father Mel, who is one of the SYM Leaders. Noah and Quinn Meihoff attended the two-day event with their father Garth, who is a member of Assembly 59. The largest single family to attend was that of member Luke Kazmierowicz...he and his father, mother, and three sisters stayed through the entire program. Everyone was treated to one of the finest closing stage shows ever presented at a NW Jamboree. Try to imagine Mike Caveney, Mac King, Tina Lenert, David Williamson, and John Carney all on the same program with assistance from David Charvet. It was a magnificent event!! New Officers...2007At its February 3 meeting, SYM Y105 held the first phase of elections for its 2007 officers. At this meeting, Stephen Dickerson was elected President and Ellen Anderson was chosen as Vice President. In March, one other position was filled: Noah Meihoff volunteered to serve as Sergeant at Arms. Congratulations to the new officers!! We still need a Secretary. Portland S.Y.M. Does Pittock Mansion ShowThe Pittock Mansion in Portland served as the venue for a holiday magic show presented by the S.Y.M. Y105 magicians on December 16, 2007. For this show, our own Luke got to cut his teeth as M.C. and performed some good magic as filler between acts. The others who performed were Austin, Ellen, Noah, and Quinn. A few of the effects performed at the Thanksgiving show (below) were used and the show concluded with Quinn and Noah doing the Chair Suspension illusion. The entire show went well and the audience members really appreciated the entertainment. S.Y.M. Members Perform 2006 Thanksgiving ShowOur young magicians geared up and performed their traditional annual Thanksgiving show for S.A.M. Assembly 59 on November 22. The six members who performed were Steven (M.C.), Carolyn, Shanna, Noah, Quinn, and Ellen. The effects they performed covered the spectrum from parlor magic to full stage illusions. The Assembly 59 members who attended got a real treat at this year's show. Church Show CompletedFour of the S.Y.M. Y105 members performed an excellent special 30-minute Halloween magic show. The show was presented at 7:00 p.m. at the All Saints Episcopal Church on Sunday, October 29. The church is located on S.E. Woodstock Boulevard in Portland. The performers were Steven (who also served as M.C.), Austin, Luke, and Ellen. Mel Anderson, one of the S.Y.M. Leaders, served as show coordinator and performed a few effects to flesh out the event. The show added $100 to the S.Y.M. Y105 treasury and an invitation to perform two more shows next spring. Repeat bookings are the strongest recommendation that can be received. S.Y.M. Y105 New Members AboundSince April 2006, eight new young people have joined the S.Y.M. They are Eden O'Neil, Austin Chavers, Luke Kazmierowicz, Jeremy Duke, Steven and Carolyn Dickerson, and brothers Quinn and Noah Meihoff. On March 3, Susannah Dickerson turned in her application for membership. When the processing is complete, our S.Y.M. Assembly will have 10 members. S.Y.M. Members Perform 2005 Thanksgiving ShowThe members of Portland S.Y.M. Assembly Y105 performed their annual Thanksgiving show for the parent S.A.M. Assembly 59 on November 23. This has been a long-held tradition between the two groups. In part, it recognizes the many hours that the S.A.M. members devote to the mentoring process to help bring the young members to a point where they can perform with skill and showmanship. This year, six of the S.Y.M. members provided more than 30 minutes of close-up, parlor, and stage magic with almost 40 members and guests in the audience. Mel Anderson, one of the S.Y.M. Leaders, gave a brief overview of the program and then introduced Kevin Puckett, who served as M.C. and performer. The other performers were Ellen Anderson, Shanna Anderson, Matthew Puckett, Isaac Stalleup, and Evan Schlang. Several of the parents also helped as stagehands. All in all, it was a great show and the performers received high marks for their work. National S.Y.M. Information |
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