Meeting Minutes – March 2026 – The Wizard's Scroll

March 17, 2026
The latest meeting of the Dallas Magic Club was filled with elections, club history, book discoveries, travel tales of remarkable magic shows, and preparations for the upcoming club competition..

Club Officers, Committees, and Banquet Planning
The meeting opened with confirmation of club officers and positions. Roles such as Vice President, President, Sergeant at Arms, Secretary, Treasurer, and Board members were reviewed and affirmed. Eric remains Treasurer, Daniel continues on the Board (and was also referenced as VP), and other core positions were acknowledged.
Matthew Welsby was recognized as serving on the standing committee for lectures. There was also discussion about adding modern support roles, particularly someone in charge of social media and the club website, with the suggestion that this be considered by next year’s leadership.
Attention then turned to the annual club banquet in May. A banquet committee is being formed, with Cindy and Jeff Lee being specifically asked to help, along with others such as Doc and Matthew volunteering or being suggested to support planning. The committee will work together to handle logistics and one of the “fun parts” of the job: selecting the entertainment for the banquet.

Doc Blum Magic Magazines
A portion of the meeting was devoted to club history. Doc Blum shared a 2012 issue of “M-U-M,” the magazine of the Society of American Magicians, which featured an article on the Dallas Magic Club’s 2012 installation banquet.
The article highlighted a photo of Mike Smith presenting an award to Daryl Howard, who was the first recipient of the club’s life member award. The piece honored Daryl’s longtime contributions, including serving as club photographer and writing a monthly newsletter column, as well as his remarkable attendance record.
Doc Blum also discussed another section called “Newsworthy,” which mentioned club members participating in performances at a Crime Against Women conference. He then noted the “Broken Wand” column in The Linking Ring, which memorializes magicians who have passed away. He read about Lieutenant Colonel James Montgomery, a club member with an extraordinary academic and professional background who recently passed. This led to a reminder that the club cannot send condolences or get-well notes unless members inform Doc, Mike, Sean, or others when someone is ill or when a member or spouse passes away. Doc and Mike have volunteered to write notes on behalf of the club.

The Need for a Club Historian
From this historical conversation emerged a strong call for a formal club historian. It was noted that there is a wealth of material—magazines, archives, and decades of club history—that should be organized and preserved. Dal mentioned having purchased the first 20 years of Dallas Magic Club history from the club’s founder and suggested that the president appoint a historian as a standing position.
Doc Grimes was floated as a “perfect historian,” though he jokingly moved on quickly. The group agreed that the club should formally adopt the historian role going forward.
Articles, Recognition, and Contributions to Magic Literature
Doc Blum then talked about how he reads The Linking Ring, often on planes or at bedtime, tearing out important articles even though the content is also available online. He highlighted a feature on “Australia’s Houdini” written by Sean, noting Sean’s growing contribution to magic literature. He also pointed out that Sean had published a magic effect in the previous month’s M-U-M, underscoring the club’s strong representation in national magic publications.
Doc Blum further noted a captioned photo of Dal Sanders with a classic Henchen Magic prop inherited from his father-in-law.
Book Report: “Wired for Wonder”
Mike Smith delivered a book report, explaining that when he downsized from nine bookcases to three, two of those remaining are still devoted entirely to magic. He introduced a new book by Tobias Beckwith titled “Wired for Wonder:
The Theatrical Science of Magical Performances,” which he highly recommends.
The book focuses on acting, storytelling, stagecraft, and the construction of magical performances. It connects to topics previously presented at the club, such as Meisner acting techniques, and explores different performance venues and how to structure a magic program. The book is readily available on Amazon, not just through magic dealers. Mike shared that Beckwith, a retired producer and director, has worked with notable magicians such as Jeff McBride in Las Vegas. Mike brought the book and placed it at the front for members to browse after the meeting.
Travel Report: Austin Collectors’ Workshop and John Magic’s Theater
George shared an enthusiastic report about a recent trip, taken with several club members, to Austin for a collectors’ workshop. The group saw extraordinary vintage magic items built in the 1960s–1980s, many of which were remote-controlled long before such technology was common. One memorable example was a card box that refused to accept a selected card: as a spectator attempted to place their chosen card into the box, the lid would slam shut at the critical moment. Other advanced devices included electronics that could audibly announce the time from inside a sealed box.
Unfortunately, the creator’s extensive use of formaldehyde while working in a confined space contributed to serious health problems later in life, but his creations were nonetheless inspirational to see. After the workshop, there was an auction in which many club members good-naturedly outbid one another on rare pieces.
The group also attended a close-up show arranged by Daniel at a small theater built and run by magician John Magic in Austin. Daniel described how John, originally from Texas, had worked in Hollywood in craft and catering services for film productions, which led to friendships with major stars like Harrison Ford, Tom Cruise, and Richard Pryor. John also served as a hand double for Mel Gibson in the film “Maverick,” executing the iconic spinning reveal of the royal flush that Gibson could not perform himself.
Piff & Piffles Poster
Daniel reported that he and Leticia attended Piff the Magic Dragon’s show ain Dallas. They went to the pre-show and asked Piff to sign posters for the Dallas Magic Club. Piff graciously signed three posters: one dedicated to Daniel and Leticia, one addressed to the Magic Club (to be archived or given to the historian), and one with a blank “insert winner’s name here” personalization line. That third poster is being offered as a special prize in the club raffle and was awarded to a lucky winner along with any other raffle item they receive.
Main Lecturer, Dal Sanders on Performing and Judging Magic Competitions
Dal then shared significant news: he has become the new President of FISM North America. He explained that FISM (Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques) is fundamentally an
organization of magic organizations, and its mission is to benefit many clubs and associations.
One of the major projects currently underway is the UNESCO initiative, in which FISM is working with UNESCO to have magic officially recognized as an art form worldwide. This is a long-term cultural and institutional effort intended to elevate and protect magic as an important performing art.
He also mentioned that FISM oversees high-level competitions. The rules used in the Dallas Magic Club contest are descended from FISM standards, filtered through national and regional bodies like the SAM and IBM, and then adapted for the local club level. Dal highlighted that understanding how acts are judged is crucial for competitors.

He noted the upcoming North American FISM Championship, which will be in Las Vegas in 2027, sponsored by the IBM, and that the next FISM World Championship will be in Busan in 2028. The United States is preparing a bid to host FISM in this country for the first time, with details still in very early discussion.
With the club competition scheduled for next month, Dal Sanders provided a detailed overview of the rules and judging structure, effectively serving as a training session for both potential competitors and future judges.
He outlined core eligibility: to compete at the Dallas Magic Club level, you must be a member in good standing and present in person; acts cannot be “phoned in.” He described how at higher levels (TAOM, SAM, IBM, and FISM), contestants must submit a video in advance, receive acceptance or rejection, and comply with strict time limits.
For the local contest, acts are limited to 10 minutes, with penalties assessed if the performance runs over. At higher levels, acts exceeding 12 minutes are disqualified. Dal emphasized that while FISM and some conventions allow fire, glitter, and confetti under controlled circumstances (often requiring a tarp to catch debris), the Dallas Magic Club does not allow fire, confetti, glitter, or similar messy or hazardous elements. Streamers and flash paper (considered fire under Dallas County rules) are likewise prohibited. Liquids that could create slippery conditions on stage are also discouraged. Smoke effects that do not involve open flame are not explicitly banned, but must still be used judiciously.
He further explained that middle acts relying on stooges are grounds for disqualification at FISM and similar competitions. If judges suspect a stooge, they may require the act to be repeated under controlled conditions for the judges only, as happened with an act at FISM where suspicion was later proven unfounded. For the Dallas Magic Club contest, use of stooges is similarly discouraged and may affect eligibility.
Dal then walked through the judging sheets and scoring philosophy. Acts are evaluated in categories such as stage setting, stage presence, entertainment value, presentation/technical ability, and originality. He explained that a score of “7” in some categories represents the level of an average professional magician, while in more demanding categories, a “5” might be considered the professional baseline. Truly exceptional, world-class acts (for example, Lance Burton’s classic dove act in its prime or Mei Ling’s bird productions) might reach an 8 or 9. He stressed that these upper scores are reserved for truly extraordinary work.
Originality is scored on a strict scale. Dal remarked that a “4” in originality at the FISM level corresponds to something extraordinarily inventive, and that scores of 8 or 9 in originality are practically unheard of. He expressed a genuine wish that someone in the club would one day introduce something so original that it would “break the scale.”
He explained that judges fill out personal notes and numeric scores, then meet afterward to compare and discuss their impressions. Scores may be adjusted slightly after conversation, especially when acts are very close in ranking. This practice is standard in major magic competitions and helps ensure fairness and consistency.
Questions from members covered topics such as setup time between acts, use of volunteers, the possibility of having external judges from neighboring clubs, and minimum acceptable act length. Dal suggested that for the club context, performers should aim for roughly five to seven minutes to give judges enough material to evaluate. He recommended pre-selecting helpers in the audience and bringing an assistant if an elaborate setup is required, so transitions are efficient.
On logistics, Dal and George confirmed that there will be a backdrop available for performers to set up behind, and tables will be provided as needed. Music playback can be handled via Bluetooth from a phone, with a few minutes allowed for connection between acts. Microphones can be provided for those who need amplification.
The question of judge training was also raised. Dal described how at FISM, prospective judges are effectively trained and then judged themselves: after serving as a “guest judge,” he later received detailed feedback comparing his scoring to that of official FISM judges. He views this as an important part of building a high-quality judging pool. For the Dallas competition, he typically prefers to use past contest winners and broadly knowledgeable magicians as judges and is open to inviting judges from Fort Worth or Mid-Cities clubs to provide outside perspective.
Magic Club Showcase: An Evening of Illusions and Inspiration
Last Month’s Magic Performances were a packed night of classic card magic, mentalism, music, and grand illusion, highlighting the creativity and variety in our club. As always, our regular “Open Mic” sessions not only give our club members a chance to share their skills, they help make club members better magicians by giving them added “flight time”.
B’wave with John Montes
The evening opened with John Montes performing the classic effect “B’Wave.” By Max Maven
Volunteer Sandy helped bring the routine to life as John walked her through an imaginary journey with the four queens.
Sandy was asked to imagine either the red queens or the black queens. She chose red. Then she was asked to imagine either the Queen of Hearts or the Queen of Diamonds.
In the finale, Sandy’s freely imagined Queen of Hearts was the only face-up card—and the only one with a red back—while the others had blue backs, earning John a strong reaction from the audience.
Mind Reading with Daniel Brookshier & “Ben Franklin”
Next, Daniel Brookshier presented a comedic mentalism routine framed around a psychic connection to Ben Franklin (due to a kite, a key, the vast energies of static electricity and s door knob).
Margaret Clauder, our lovely volunteer secretly wrote down the initials of a playing card and the name of a person, living or dead but not from Franklin’s era.
Rain & Serpenti from Maxim Sumets
Maxim is an interesting addition to our club. He’s a Physics Professor at Grayson College who has also been performing magic professionally for over 40 years. We don’t get to see him often because he has a Tuesday evening class. Last month happened to be Spring Break at Grauson and so he was available to come to our club meeting.
Maxim shifted gears for a beautiful interlude, showcasing the diversity of talent and artistic flair with umbrellas and an endless stream of streamers.
His act was set to music and incorporated many classic effects including color changing records. We don’t often get to see this effect anymore because many or our younger audiences do not recognize records but since vinyl records are making a comeback, shouldn’t we as magicians also consider bringing back this classic trick? His never ending streamers astounded many members of the DMC. When he was asked where he got those streamers, Maxim simply replied “Magic”.
The Statue of Liberty Illusion with Russell Turner
Russell Turner, last year’s Magician of the Year, closed the show with a miniature recreation of David Copperfield’s famous Statue of Liberty disappearance..
Using a model, lights, and curtain, he made the statue vanish and reappear, echoing the drama of the original. He used the routine to reflect on freedom and liberty, culminating in a patriotic sing-along of “God Bless the USA,” with the audience invited to stand and join in..
Next Month’s Contest: Organizer Shawn Messonnier reminded everyone about next month’s magic contest, encouraging members to sign up or email him if they’d like to perform.