I.B.M. Ring 362
The Maine Mystics
Bangor, Maine

Ring Report
June 10, 2007

The June Meeting was held at the All Souls Congregational Church in in Bangor, Maine. The theme of the meeting was Parlor Magic. The first annual Max Malini Parlor Magic Contest was held, with Kevin Roberge serving as the contest official.

Dr. Wilson brought a bit of street performing to the parlor, presenting the Cups & Balls on a busker's table. Roland Perry followed with two card effects. A card appeared between the two Jokers, and a chosen card moved to a named position in the deck.

Danny Baker performed a manipulation act to music. A deck of cards appeared magically and shrank away a step at a time until they were too small to see. Silks and billiard balls appeared and multiplied. As objects appeared, Danny placed them in a box set on a side table. He then took apart the box and table, showing that everything had vanished, before moving to a linking ring routine using two rings.

Brother Don Paul, performing as the mysterious Baxter, flipped through a set of printed cards instead of speaking. The cards directed an audience member to select a playing card from an image of many cards. After a bit of fun, Brother Don revealed why he was not speaking: the chosen card was in his mouth! He then taught the audience how to turn a silk into an egg, although he ended up using magic to save his presentation. He played Bank Night, offering audience members their choice of numbered envelopes, leaving himself with one. Everyone got a potentially valuable scratch-off card, but Brother Don also got the envelope with the hundred-dollar bill! Finally, he borrowed a nice diamond ring and offered to mark it with a can of spray paint. Suddenly, the ring was inside the can. Brother Don spray-painted a picture of the ring onto a signed index card, then folded the card to produce the ring, revealing that the picture had vanished.

Conjuring Carroll taught the audience that they didn't know their chins from their cheeks. He delighted a young audience member by producing a dove from a bundle of ribbons. After he had hypnotized the dove, he showed a magical coloring book. Coaching the audience to make magic words and gestures, he made them color the pictures. When he tried to clear the book, the audience used too much magic and all the black lines vanished too! A few more magic words, and all was ready for his next perfromance.

The panel of three judges awarded First Place to Brother Don Paul, Second Place to Conjuring Carroll, and Third Place to Danny Baker. Brother Don Paul won the vote of the audience members present and was named the People's Choice.

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