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

Minutes of February 2007 Meeting
February 18, 2007

The February Meeting of I.B.M. Ring 362 was held at the Friars' Bakehouse in Bangor, Maine, on February 18, 2007, at 3:00 pm. The theme of the meeting was The Linking Ring. The meeting began with member performances. Please see the Ring Report for details of the performances.

A Thurston commemorative coin from an anonymous donor was raffled and won by Brother Don Paul. The raffle raised $38 for the Ring.

Former President Alan Drew, wearing the Past President's Medal from the International Brotherhood of Magicians, made welcoming remarks, thanking the other past officers for their year of service. He presented the 2006 officers with copies of the Ring's Charter, and presented Danny Baker with a pair of magic wands, one of which doubles as a pen. Alan took the opportunity to promote the event at the Museum of Famous Unknown Magicians and Clowns on the weekend of June 2-3.

Danny Baker called the meeting to order. Sergeant At Arms Geoffrey Miller cited a set of simplified Rules of Order that have been made available as a PDF on the Ring's web site, which were adopted as the Rules of Order for the meeting.

The agenda for the meeting had been made available in advance, and Danny Baker called for the adoption of the agenda, which was approved without amendment.

The minutes for the January meeting were approved without amendment.

Treasurer Randy Von Smith reported that the Ring's old bank account (to be closed) has a balance of $755, the new bank account has a balance of $75, and that there is approximately $100 in petty cash. Recent activity includes income of $86 (raffles and a $20 endowment) and expenses of $102 (postage and Elliott postcards). The Ring funds include the following amounts in endowments: Elliott Endowment ($10), Ring Name Plaque Endowment ($40), Chung Ling Soo Endowment ($20), and Parlor Magic Endowment ($20).

In Old Business, the Ring Name Raffle is scheduled for the March 2007 meeting. The Board has approved three names for the Ring Name Raffle: Dr. James William Elliott Ring (the current name), The Maine Mystics, and Chung Ling Soo Ring. The Board voted unanimously to disqualify the name of Ralph Greenwood Ring, as S.A.M. Assembly 174 in Portland has renamed itself after Ralph Greenwood. Please see the minutes of the Board meeting of February 4, 2007. Wes questioned the practice of changing the Ring's name annually. As this is in the Bylaws, it would require amending the Bylaws to change the policy. Amending the Bylaws requires at least two months advance notice prior to a vote, so a proposal to amend the Bylaws cannot be voted on prior to the March 2007 meeting. Therefore, the Ring Name Raffle must take place at the March 2007 meeting. The Sergeant at Arms pointed out that since there was not a motion or a vote on the floor, further discussion was out of order.

In Old Business, the Elliott Card Challenge is scheduled for April 29, 2007, at the Hotel Harris in Rumford (Maine's Capital of Magic). All three members of the committee to promote the Elliott Card Challenge in Rumford (Wes Booth, Scot Grassette, and Paul Szauter) were present, and agreed to meet as a committee after the business meeting. Members were encouraged to compete in the Elliott Card Challenge.

In Old Business, three of the four members of the committee to write guidelines for youth magic instruction (Carroll Chapman, Geoffrey Miller, and Randy Von Smith) were present. They reported that they had not yet met or exchanged emails. Carroll Chapman agreed to serve as the chair of the committee, and reported that they would begin working on the guidelines.

In Old Business, the Secretary reported on behalf of Kim Hawkins that she had agreed to teach magic classes for Southwest Harbor's Summer Festival of the Arts. This involves fifteen classes of 75 minutes duration over three weeks, followed by a series of performances. Members commended Kim on being the first member to teach magic classes on behalf of the Ring. Any member with information on other opportunities in magic instruction for youth are encouraged to contact Carroll Chapman.

In New Business, the Secretary reported that payments for ads on the Ring's Hire a Magician page are due March 1. The Board has raised the rates from $5 to $10 per year or any portion thereof. All members who have paid for ads by the March 2007 Ring meeting will be eligible for a drawing to determine the order of placement of the ads. Ads purchased after the March 2007 Ring meeting will be placed below the other ads in the order received. This process will be repeated annually. Members wishing to place ads should contact the Secretary.

In New Business, the Secretary reported that Teaching Tables have returned. These are talks and demonstrations up to thirty minutes in length by members, who are encouraged to distribute notes with sources and references. Danny Baker will present a Teaching Table on Impromptu Magic at the March 2007 Ring meeting, and Brother Don Paul will present a Teaching Table on Mentalism at the May 2007 Ring meeting. Other members who would like to schedule a Teaching Table are encouraged to contact the Board.

In New Business, Danny Baker has appointed the subcommittee chairs for the All-Star Magical Revue at the Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor on July 4, at 2:30 pm. Randy Von Smith has been appointed General Show Chair and chair of Talent Coordination. Paul Szauter has been appointed chair of Publicity and Ticket Sales. Geoffrey Miller has been appointed chair of Stage and Theater Management. Members interested in performing in the show, working as crew, or assisting in promotional activities on July 4 were encouraged to contact the show committee.

General Show Chair Randy Von Smith described the general framework of the show, opening with a talker delivering a bally in front of a set of sideshow banners. The show will be approximately two hours in duration, consisting of six-minute slots for acts. We hope to include Eostara Dancers, a rhythmic gymnastics team, and a sideshow performer from outside the Ring. Members were encouraged to read the minutes of the Board meeting of February 4, 2007, on the Ring's website.

In New Business, the Board has decided to build a full Ring show around the Worldwide Escape Artist Relay 2007. The venue has not yet been selected, nor has the show committee been named. The Secretary reported that there are currently 50 performers in eight countries registered for WEAR 2007, and that a press release on WEAR 2007 was published in the February 2007 issue of The Linking Ring.

In New Business, Paul Szauter has written the rules for, and endowed, the Ring's first stage magic contest, the Chung Ling Soo Stage Magic Competition. Danny Baker has appointed Paul Szauter as the contest official. The competition will take place in September, although the date and venue have not yet been selected. The contest requires acts to be ten minutes or less. All acts must be silent, using music if necessary. No speech, narration, or display of written words is permitted. The rules for the Chung Ling Soo Stage Magic Competition are posted on the Ring's website.

In New Business, Brother Don Paul reported that he would write the rules for the Parlor Magic Contest following the example of the other contest rules. He reported that the Isaac Farrar mansion is too small for a fundraising show. He reported that the All Souls Congregational Church has a parlor with stained-glass windows and velvet drapes; it could hold up to seventy people for a parlor magic show. The venue is available for the cost of paying the janitor, approximately $25. The venue is available on Sunday afternoons.

In New Business, Danny Baker reported that the Ring would hold a banquet near the end of March, probably at the Muddy Rudder, and that installation of officers and induction of new I.B.M. members would take place at the banquet.

With the agenda items completed, Wes Booth introduced a motion to tell the Sebasticook Valley Community Center that the Ring would no longer meet there. The motion was seconded. In the discussion, Brother Don Paul pointed out that if the Ring were to outgrow the Friars' Bakehouse as a meeting space, there are two other excellent venues for meetings in Bangor: the All Souls Congregational Church (suggested as the venue for the Parlor Magic Contest), and St. John's Episcopal Church. Randy Von Smith raised the subject of rehearsal space for shows. Paul Szauter pointed out that Otter Creek Hall is available, and the space is the size of the Criterion stage. Otter Creek Hall is available for $50/day to nonprofits. Brother Don Paul and Geoffrey Miller pointed out that St. John's Episcopal Church has a 3,000 square foot space that could be used for rehearsal also.

With no further business at hand, a motion was made to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed unanimously.