Society of American Magicians, Assembly 12
Chartered in 1923 by Harry Houdini and based in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis & St. Paul, Minnesota) metro area, we are Assembly 12 of the Society of American Magicians. Today, it is the oldest and most prestigious magical society in the world with approximately 300 Assemblies worldwide. The primary purpose of the S.A.M. is to advance, elevate, and preserve magic as a performing art. Our members are magic performers, dealers, collectors, and historians — including professionals, serious hobbyists, and students.
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May 2025 Meeting Notes
Every May, many SAM12 members head to Des Moines, Iowa, to attend Abracorndabra, and it often happens at the same time as our monthly meetings. This year was no exception.
Nine SAM 12 members got together Friday afternoon, between lectures, at the Bennigans attached to the hotel. The “official meeting” was pretty low-key, and everyone had a great time!! Food, drinks, and friends!!
Our next formal meeting is set for September, as we usually take a break in the summer. We’re thinking about doing some informal online hangouts during the summer, though. Check SAM12.org for updates on these and future meetings. Everyone’s welcome to join in.
See this in the July 2025 MUM Magazine
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May meeting at AbraCORNdabra in Des Moines
On Friday, May 16th, in lieu of our normal meeting, there will be an Assembly 12 meet-up at AbraCORNdabra in Des Moines, Iowa. We will meet during the dinner break (4:30–6:00 p.m.) at Bennigan’s, located in the convention hotel. See details.
If you’ll be joining us, please RSVP so that we reserve a big enough table.
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April 2025 Meeting Notes
Our April SAM 12 meeting was our 2nd annual Movie Night!! 16 people were in attendance at Discovery United Methodist Church, with 3 more joining via Zoom.
This year, we watched clips from the 1970s show The Magician starring Bill Bixby as Anthony “Tony” Blake, a wealthy magician who uses his magical skills to help people in trouble. Our special guest was none other than Larry Anderson! Larry worked for Mark Wilson, and together they were the technical advisors for the show. Larry, with Mark, planned the magic and the illusions used in the episodes, taught Bill Bixby, and even appeared in the show himself. Larry had many great stories to tell about being on set and on screen with Bill, deciding which magic trick would be featured, and how it would help thwart that episode’s bad guy. He talked about the individual episodes and gave us great insight into the world of television productions. He answered all of our questions, too! Plus, there was popcorn, pop, and chocolate to enjoy, thanks to Sandy Meyer. Another successful Movie Night, and a great meeting! We’ve already started planning for next year.
Many of us are attending Abracorndabra this year, so our May 16th meeting will be held there. Get the details at SAM12.org.
See this in the June 2025 MUM Magazine
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