During this Autumn season, our imaginations entertain stories of the supernatural. Please enjoy an old time radio broadcast from 1949 featuring a ghost and Harry Blackstone Sr., The Magic Detective, titled "The Phantom Intermezzo." At the end of the show, Blackstone will teach a trick that anyone can perform. Just click the track below and enjoy the show ... but remember not to tell anyone the secret you will learn!
HARRY BLACKSTONE
World's Foremost
Magician
"Blast From The Past"
Click Track for a Magic Mystery
HELPFUL LINKS
2022-2023
OFFICERS
President
D Jay Lenz
618-462-3675
Vice-President
Terry Richison
314-791-9108
Treasurer
Sandy Weis
314-378-4403
Secretary
Alan Zibits
636-273-9974
2022-2023
BOARD MEMBERS
Scott Smith
Past President
618-610-5947
Steve Finkelstein
314-409-6869
Jerry Collins
314-517-7619
Ted Schnarre
314-440-2341
Michael W. McClure
618-826-5125 & Webmaster
Scribe
Sandy Weis
314-378-4403
Spirit Editor
Gary Chan
617-418-4468
RING ONE
SEPTEMBER 2023 REPORT
Sandy Weis
I.B.M. Ring1 Scribe
1927 95 Years of Magic! 2021
IBM Ring 1 Annual Dues
The webmaster asks that Ring 1 members submit images of themselves in action so we can showcase the fun we have to share. The world is visiting OUR www.ibmring1.com to see what the excitement is all about! E-mail a photo of you performing magic (or your preferred headshot) to: watson7654321@gmail.com . Your photo may magically appear on our Ring 1 website!
View Steve Finkelstein's Lecture before it's gone by
A bit of HOGWARTS magic resides on our Officers & Board page ... Check out Ring1's counterpart to Prof. Dumbledore ... our very own animated 1st President!
Annual membership in IBM Ring 1 is $20 and is a bargain, considering our lineup of performers, lecturers, and activities! If any of your contact information has changed, please let Alan Zibits know at alan.a.zibits@boeing.com.
To pay by mail: Write a check payable to “IBM, Ring 1” for $20.
Write “2023 Dues” on the memo line.
Mail the check to"
Sandy Weis
1755 Elkins Drive
St. Louis, MO 63136.
OR PAY ONLINE:
To pay dues by mail:
Write a check payable to
“IBM, Ring 1” for $20
Write “2023
Dues” on the memo line
Mail the check to:
Sandy Weis
1755 Elkins Drive
St. Louis, MO 63136
Harry Blackstone Sr. performed at the 1946 I.B.M. Convention in St. Louis, Missouri - hosted by our I.B.M. Ring 1
Join MAGIC 101
Our Experienced Mentors Are Available To Help New and Intermediate Magicians ...
Please Contact Any Officer Or Board Member Listed Below For Informaton
I.B.M.Ring 1 Annual Dues
PLEASE USE THE DONATE BUTTON ABOVE WHEN PAYING BY PAYPAL.
UPON MAKING PAYMENT YOU MUST SEND AN EMAIL TO
sweis50@yahoo.com
FOR HER TO PROPERLY CREDIT YOUR ACCOUNT.
IF YOU FAIL TO SEND THIS EMAIL, THE FUNDS YOU TRANSFERRED MAY NOT BE CREDITED TOWARD ANY MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL (SINCE PAYPAL DOES NOT ALWAYS PROVIDE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO IDENTIFY WHO YOU ARE). ANY PAYMENT RECEIVED WITHOUT THE REQUIRED EMAIL WILL BE CONSIDERED AS A GENERAL DONATION ONLY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT.
PLEASE USE THE DONATE BUTTON ABOVE WHEN PAYING BY PAYPAL.
UPON MAKING PAYMENT YOU MUST SEND AN EMAIL TO
sweis50@yahoo.com
FOR HER TO PROPERLY CREDIT YOUR ACCOUNT.
IF YOU FAIL TO SEND THIS EMAIL, THE FUNDS YOU TRANSFERRED MAY NOT BE CREDITED TOWARD ANY MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL (SINCE PAYPAL DOES NOT ALWAYS PROVIDE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO IDENTIFY WHO YOU ARE). ANY PAYMENT RECEIVED WITHOUT THE REQUIRED EMAIL WILL BE CONSIDERED AS A GENERAL DONATION ONLY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT.
Annual Dues have increased to $20 effective Jan. 1, 2023
Annual Dues have increased to $20 effective Jan. 1, 2023
MAGIC MOMENTS VOLUME 1
Click here to view
our first filming adventure ...
Ring 1 magicians performing for you!
(Over 1400 views in 6 months on YouTube!)
VIRTUAL COMPETITION COMING SOON !!!
Happy New Year,
As this message is being written just prior to Christmas, I want to wish everyone a very warm and safe holiday and a wonderful new year.
With regrets, I was not able to make the meeting in December which is our annual Christmas party and white elephant gift exchange. From what I heard, everyone had a great time at the party and fun with the gift exchange.
Our next performance for Ranken Jordan will be on January 9, 2023. This is the second Monday of the month. We need volunteers for the performance. Please e-mail me if are are willing to perform for the children. Include your phone number in the contact information.
The Veterans and First Responders show was a great hit with the audience. We had about 180 guests to see the show. Everyone enjoyed the close-up performances in the lobby and the artists on stage. The best moment was when a little girl received a stuffed teddy bear from Steve Zuehlke. The young lady was overwhelmed with joy and couldn't believe that she was receiving the bear as a early gift. Also in attendance were Harry and Trudy Monti.
Our January meeting will be slated for video recording of our members performing effects that are level appropriate for children and adults. This recording is being made so that we can reach out to area children hospitals and other organizations. Many patients are still vulnerable to illnesses and these performances can help them while confined to their stay in the hospital. Please consider reaching out to Mike McClure if you are interested in performing one or two effects. Stand-up and close-up effects are welcomed.
Also, our member dues rate for the 2023 year is $20.00. This is still one of the lowest rates for local clubs. We offer so much for a modest amount. We will still continue to bring in lecturers and provide other opportunities for our club to flourish.
Steve Zuehlke and Jill Schmidt summarized Ring 1’s close-up competition which was held on September 6th. Approximately thirty-five members and guests attended. Steve Queen hosted the competition since he was the winner of last year's advanced category close-up competition. Steve helped make the night extra entertaining by performing as the judges finished up their score sheets. He told some jokes, did card tricks, and performed a funny professor's nightmare routine. He really kept the “ball rolling” and the ring really appreciated his enthusiasm. Steve Z. felt that this was one of the best contests the ring has had in a long time. There were five very different acts with no repetitions. Every performer filled their ten-minute time slot, making for a great show.
First up was Paul Gregor. He used an inventive "playing card" pun, then produced harmonica music by blowing through a deck of cards. He got laughs as he waved a silly wand above his head, helicopter style, which appeared to change a king into a two. He waved the wand again, and the audience was surprised the deck turned blank. Coins magically moved from his hand to a small closed box and from the box to his hand. Then, from the small box appeared what looked like a lime. Paul cut the fruit in half, and the audience was shocked that the fruit was a watermelon. He closed his act with a coin matrix effect. Next, Steve Finkelstein, one of the Ring’s most experienced performers, recreated his Las Vegas casino dealer audition which was great. From his deck of cards he cut to the four aces. A spectator then shuffled the deck, and Steve placed the cards across a prediction board with the spectator making free choices. Steve's predictions were correct. He closed by saying, "This was called the impossible dream." Next, Gary S. Chan performed a routine based on the board game Clue. Gary hosted the contest last year since he had won the previous year. He was back this year with a whole new act which was very original. Find the person whodunnit. Gary called up a volunteer to be the detective. The detective's first job was to figure out who the culprit was. The detective chose club member Steve Zuehlke as the guilty person. By rolling the dice, the detective figured out the location and then figured out what was stolen by choosing a card from a deck of 52. Amazingly, this all matched the prediction that had been in a box all along. A very entertaining routine! Next up was veteran member, John Davit. He warmed up the crowd with several jokes. He called up a volunteer and an English penny from the volunteer's hand magically switched places with the half dollar in John's hand. John's rope tricks included a one-handed knot and pulling the rope through his thumb. He also did a one-handed cut, which magically cut to an ace and again cut to the ace even when a spectator cut the cards. All the classics done well. Lastly, Raliegh Muns, who was a past winner, presented an entire new act. He always has a theme to his Ring 1 close-up competition performances. Last year's theme was Star Trek, and the year before was money. This year, he did Classics of Magic. He was dressed the part with a top hat and tuxedo. He did a funny bit with “four random chosen tricks.” His first trick was pulling a rabbit out of a hat. He had a stack of cards, each with four tricks written on them. A spectator chose one, and the card was set in a box. Raleigh performed the linking rings, saying, "I am warming up. Getting ready to do the tricks you put in the box." Raleigh performed more warm-up tricks. Then the spectator looked at the card in the box. The card miraculously showed the tricks Raleigh had performed. Very original and amusing.
While the results were being compiled, Steve Queen kept the crowd entertained. The winners were announced at the conclusion--Gary S. Chan was the first place winner, Steve Finkelstein was the second place winner, and Raleigh Muns was the third place winner. Congratulations to all the participants for doing a fantastic job!! Steve Zuehlke commented, “Speaking from experience, it’s not easy to get up amongst your peers and try to fool them.” Therefore, since Gary won, he will be the host for next year’s competition. Steve Z. commented that it’s never too early to start practicing for next year’s event. The judges were as follows: Jeff Lefton, Mike McClure, Al Zibits and Jen Queen, who was a lay judge. Scott Smith was the time keeper and Terry Richison was the scorekeeper. They all did a great job. Also, Mike and Susan McClure supplied treats which the audience really enjoyed. Thanks to everyone who helped make this contest one of the best ever.
Dan Todd shared the following: “Due to the Labor Day Holiday, Ring 1’s visit to Ranken Jordan was held on the second Monday of September instead of the first Monday of the month. Jeff Lefton and I had fun performing at Ranken Jordan. I performed the following: Bubble Catch, Color Changing Ball to Square, Everybody Wins (Homemade), Dart Board, Socks (my stage version), Out to Coloring (my stage version), Square Circle with tweeting bird in cage finale).” Jeff covered the second half and shared the following: “I performed some new routines that I am working on, along with a couple standard ones for me: chop cup, d'light routine with misers d'light, a spinning plate routine, Starcle (Dan Harlan), and Sean Farquhar's mind reading book routine. The stage area was very nice. There were about 8 kids, plus some adults. Many of the kids were in portable beds or wheel chairs. It was nice to be able to bring some smiles to the faces of these kids who are going through so much. This was my first time performing at Ranken Jordan. It doesn't take long, and it is a very rewarding experience. I highly recommend it.” After Dan performed at Ranken Jordan, he taught a chess class to Scouts online from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM so they could earn their chess merit badge. Dan also shared the following; “I just performed at Children’s Hospital on Friday, the 1st of September. Itinerary was Indian rope, juggling silks, silk to egg, Rocket Book with one Topsy Turvy Bottle routine, What’s Next, Everyone Wins (homemade), Match the Color Balls, and my Mix and Match jumbo. Afterwards I was requested to go bedside in ICU to take a young boy’s attention off of his surgical recovery pain, which was a lot. I did my best impromptu with some effects used from the show. I did not have a second egg, however. I showed him the balloon challenge with a surgical glove that was shown to me by Julian Mathers from Australia. The last one, the shark, surprises even the doctors and nurses. I had recently made a new hospital version effect, based on Room for Doubt. It uses Purina Paws of Hope cards and a special dog license I made with a mini instruction book that guides them through the moves. Unfortunately I did not bring it to Children’s or expect to need it on the magic show on CCTV day. The patient would not have felt up to moving the dog license in the routine anyway. I have been asked to perform chess magic at the Chess Hall of Fame on Halloween, no times set yet. I will continue to perform close-up magic at Shriners Hospital twice in September.”
Jeff Lefton recently performed at a retirement community in Edwardsville, Illinois. He shared the following: “Tippie Heimos came up to me to say hello. She was married to the late Emory Heimos, a very busy local magician. Emory was sponsored by Lemay Bank. He worked for Famous Barr downtown selling men’s clothing, yet somehow found time to do 250 shows per year for 37 years beginning in 1966. Tippie was wearing a shirt given to Emory out of appreciation for shows he did at YMCA Trout Lodge which is located in Potosi, Missouri. Ernie passed away in 2004.”
Jill “Silly Jilly” Schmidt is entertaining at Eckert’s Country Store & Farms in Belleville again this year. She has several shows scheduled in September and October on the weekends. She is very popular with the children since she has been asked to return year after year. Also, Jill has been watching live children's magic shows lately which included Lew-E the Clown at the Montgomery County Missouri county fair and Mario the Maker Magician at the Edinburgh Fringe. Both motivated Silly Jilly to start asking more questions to her audience. Jill noticed that Lew-E's and Mario's questions, like, "If you want to see more, say more," really energizes the audience.
Visitors are always welcome to attend the Ring’s meetings and activities. There were several visitors who attended the contest and were really impressed with the skilled and talented magicians that belong to Ring 1.
Our Next Meeting
I.B.M. Ring 1
October 4, 2023 at 7 p.m.(a short business meeting begins at 6:45)
Please join us on October 4th at
Dielmann Recreation Center
11400 Olde Cabin Road
Creve Coeur, MO 63141
President Lenz's Certificates of Appreciation
Sandy Weis - Gary S. Chan - Paul Gregor
Dan Todd - Steve Finkelstein
I.B.M. Ring 1
Close-up Contest Winners 2023
1st Place Advanced
2nd Place Advanced
3rd Place Advanced
2023-4 Officers Installed by Alan Fisher, IBM-GCTVP
New Year's Message
from Our President
D. Jay Lenz
Our April Fool Us live event was a huge success, and now it is being reworked as an ongoing virtual competition so YOU can play along in your own homes.
Details to follow later this Fall!
MATTHEW GARRETT