I.B.M. Ring 362
Dr. James William Elliott Ring
Bangor, Maine

Ring Report
February 18, 2007

The theme of the February meeting was The Linking Ring. Members were asked to perform effects from The Linking Ring.

Dr. Wilson gave the test of the Twelvefold Way to the newest member in attendance, Kevin Roberge. Dr. Wilson said that a year ago, a Chinese herbalist had explained to him that it would be difficult to form a magic club, since the proposed membership contained no real magicians. The test of the Twelvefold Way, given to all members over the past year, had proved this to be true. He showed Kevin a tray holding twelve red discs, each bearing a different image painted in black and gold. As Dr. Wilson turned his back, Kevin picked a disc, removed it from view, and covered the tray. Dr. Wilson then gave Kevin the herbalist's message. As it happened, Kevin is the Ring's first real magician, and members rose, lifting red Chinese lanterns to celebrate the occasion.

Bryan-Keith Taylor rolled a sheet of stiff paper into a tube, holding it in place with two hoops. After showing the tube empty, he produced a large number of silks. Alan Drew folded a dollar bill so hard that when it was unfolded, the center was at the corners and the corners were in the center. Scot Grassette performed a pretty visual reversal of a pair of black and white cloth bands. He then made a pencil, held by a volunteer, grow so heavy that she couldn't lift it. With another word, it grew light as a feather.

Brother Don Paul showed six different color tissue paper packets held by a clip. He asked a volunteer to eliminate colors one at a time. As the colors were named, Brother Don burned the named packets. The last one contained a dollar bill, making this an expensive trick if Brother Don was bluffing.

New Ring President Danny Baker asked Alan Drew to hold a sealed envelope containing a prediction. After he had taken the envelope, Alan picked a card. Danny removed the prediction from the envelope, reading a list of stunningly accurate predictions, including one revealing the card's identity. The last prediction was that Alan Drew, the founding President of Ring 362, would wear a Past President's Medal from the I.B.M. Alan discovered that he had been magically pinned, and was in fact wearing such a medal. Members rose in a standing ovation to thank Alan for his year of service.

Kevin Roberge had Danny Baker pick a card from a group of five cards shown, then spread the cards face down on a table. As he guided Danny's hand over the cards, he was able to sense the vibrations and pick the correct card. Wes Booth, winner of the 2006 Elliot Card Challenge, showed his stuff with some card fans, color changes, card vanishes and productions. After the formal magic presentations, Professor Miller could be seen working with some of the Ring's experts on his Ball and Cone moves and getting his plans for his Zombie Ball routine evaluated.

Full details of the business meeting and photos are available on the Ring's web site (www.ibmring362.org).