Ring 76 Chartered by the International Brotherhood of Magicians in 1948

MagiCurrentsSon Diego, California

Recipient of the IBM's Quality Ring Award Honest Sid GerhardRing 76

Honest Sid Gerhart Ring 76Website

www.ring76.com Volume XX 8 August 2006

August Ring Meetingto be a "Favorite Trick

Our meeting for Monday, August 14th> has beenchanged, instead of a picnic in Temecula with 13other Southern California Rings it will now be a"Favorite Trick Night" and will be held at our regularmeeting place: Jack's Magic Place at 4275University Avenue. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m.sharp.

Planning for the combined Southern California Ringshas been going on for many months, and the idea ofgetting everyone together for an old fashioned picnicseemed to be an idea that was popular witheveryone. However, after much work on getting theproper permits we found that insurance for this eventwas a serious problem. A new committee will beformed that will include the presidents of all of the 14Southern California Rings and the two TVPs. A newplan will be worked out and hopefully next year wecan have the combined Rings picnic.

In place of the picnic we are going to give ourmembers an opportunity to show off their talents anddo some magic. We are asking members to do atrick they may have learned this summer or perhapsone they have used whenever they are called uponto perform an event or function. These kinds ofprograms always offer a learning experience for boththe performer and the audience.

We will have plenty of iced soda and water, andpopcorn popping. Because of the warm weatherwe have set up a series of fans to cool the meetinghall down, so dress casually for warm weather.

Kenny Shelton still inthe running for MillionDollar Prize on NBC

Ring 76, 2nd Vice President Kenny Shelton, amagician and juggler, has in recent weeks beenbasking in the spotlight of the NBC Networktelevision program "America's Got Talent."Kennyfirst appeared on the program in June, andadmittedly had some trouble while juggling in front ofthe judges. His persistence and dominantpersonality caused the judges to give him a secondchance on that first program and that gave him theconfidence to pick up the pieces of his act and go onto a second round.

Kenny Shelton juggling flaming torches.

The person who wins the "America's Got Talent"contest will walk away with 1-million dollars in prizemoney and the honor of being America's top talent.But Kenny says it's not the money he is interested in

Continued on page four

Page 2 MagiCurrents

The July Installation & Awards Banquet at Terryand Lynn Lunceford's home enjoyed by all

The Ring 76Installation andAwards Banquetwas held onSunday afternoon,July 16th-at thehome of Terry andLynn Lunceford inthe shadow ofMount Helix.Some found it adifficult place tofind while otherssaid they followedthe map inMagiCurrents andwent right to thehome.

Terry Lunceford

Richard Ustick reports that 62 people paid to attendthe luncheon, installation, awards ceremony andshow put on by the board of directors. The lunchwas catered and offered a wonderful assortment ofMexican dishes. There were also dishes for thosewho do not eat meat.

Territorial Vice President Jeff Marcus prepared avery fast moving and funny but dignified installationprogram and officially installed the new officers forthe 2006-2007 year. Outgoing board memberswere thanked and plaques were handed out.

Then came the awards portion of the program with1st Vice President Terry Lunceford taking over andpresenting awards for the Close-up Contest held lastFebruary. 1st Place Winner, Craig Stone; 2nd Placewas a tie with two winners, Bob Pozner and GregWauson with both of them receiving equal prizemoney; Third Place was awarded to Tom McCarthy.

The next category was the Stage Competition thatwas held in May: first place went to Jacques Lordand Phoebe, 2nd' place was awarded to RandyKappe; with third place a tie between Loch DavidCrane and John London, with each of them receivingequal prize money.

The next award, the Honorary Lifetime AchievementAward was presented by Ring 76 Secretary, JackWhite and was given this year to Jim Riley who hasbeen a member of Ring 76 since 1966. Jim has

Jack White presents HonoraryLifetime Honor's to Jim Riley.

served as an officer and past president of the Ringand has always offered his support to Ring projectsand has been an active part of the monthlynewsletter for many years and was a past TerritorialVice President for the I.B.M. Jim now joins a selectgroup of past recipients of this special honor.

Richard Ustick presented the "Performer of the Year"award to Michael E. Johnson, who was not at themeeting to receive the award. Then Diane Lane,last years recipient of the "Member of the Year"Award, presented it this year to Kenny Shelton, Ring76 2nd Vice President in charge of membership.

With the awards out of the way it was show time.Terry Lunceford opened things up with his "Six CardRepeat" routine and introduced the first performer ofthe afternoon, Ring 76 President Bob Ingalls, whoproduced a real watermelon from a briefcase.Richard Ustick, the Ring 76 Treasurer, presented amagic song that was original and very entertaining.Jeff Marcus did his very beautiful Linking Ringroutine; Diane Lane had us all on the edge of ourseats with a hidden spike under a styrofoam cupeffect. Jack White taught us how to conductourselves on a game show and also found aborrowed dollar bill in a lemon. Kenny Shelton,who gave us all a preview of the juggling stunt hewould present the following week on networktelevision, closed the show.

MagiCurrents PageS

There was lots of close-up magic at the varioustables during and before the meal and following theshow. It was a most successful Installation andAwards Banquet. Here are some photos of thevarious events.

Jim & Bernita Whiting

mBelinda Kaesler & J.P.Jackson

Jim Riley, Robin &Vi Freeland

..i It/The "If Girls

• v.~

*«"»•*•-» •,-.:.The Greenbaum Family ..

Mr.& Mrs. Tom McCarthy _ •/' *Mr." & Ws. Don Holcomband Marcus Day

At left: Tom LaChance and Jim Riley talk over a card trick. Below: The newofficers of Ring 76. From left to right: Bob Ingalls, President; Terry Lunceford,Diane Lane, Kenny Shelton, Donna Greenbaum, Jack White, and RichardUstick.

Page 4 MagiCurrents

MEETING SCHEDULE FOR RING76 FOR 2006 & 2007:

Monday. August 14. 2006"Members perform their favorite trick night"

Monday. September 11. 2006"J.P. Jackson's Silk Lecture" Plus Tricks old and newwith silks." (Members perform)

Monday. October 9. 2006"Halloween themed magic" (Members perform)

Monday. November 13. 2006"Ring 76 Teach-in" Five instructors will teachnew moves and magic close-up and parlor magic.

Monday. December 11. 2006"Holiday Party with special entertainment to beannounced."

Monday. January 8th-. 2007"Induct new members of Ring 76, Bag night" Memberspick a brown bag and perform a trick or routine with thecontents of the bag.

Monday. February 12.2006"Ring 76 Close-up Contest"

Monday. March 12. 2007"Favorite trick night." (Members perform)

Monday. April 9. 2007"Ring 76 Swap Meet"

Monday. May 14. 2007"Nominations for Ring officers and Ring 76 Stand-upCompetition."

Monday. June 11. 2007"Ring dues, Election and Ring 76 Auction"

Monday. July 75. 2007"Installation & Awards Banquet." (Location to beannounced)

Above is the tentative schedule as put together by theRing 76 president and board of directors for the comingyear. President Bob Ingalls, after polling themembership, asked that the board approve a schedule thatwould allow our members to perform more often atmeetings. All meetings start at 7 p.m. on the secondMonday of each month and include a brief businessmeeting followed by our scheduled program. A brief

teach-in will be conducted prior to each meeting duringthe social hour between 6:30 and 7 p.m.

All meetings except the July 15,2007, Installation &Awards Banquet to take place at Jack's Magic Place, 4275University Avenue, East San Diego. Members areencouraged to invite guests to all of our meetings andevents.

Kenny Sheiton storyCon't from page one

so much as the opportunity to perform and hone histalent and skills on a network television program.

Since the show first went on the air in early June,Kenny has been prominently featured in all of theon-air promotion doing his juggling stunts. Hisairtime has been enormous, and it has all proven tohave been good exposure because his secondappearance on the program in late July turned thecorner for him. He juggled three flaming balls whilewearing gloves. For his second juggling stunt hejuggled three flaming torches while perched on topof a Rolla Bola board, and the act was flawless.

On each of the programs 15 acts are selected totake part in the show, but only 10 of those acts areactually asked to perform before the televisioncameras, leaving five acts out in the cold and kickedoff the show. In addition to being a good performer,Kenny is a good actor, and the show's producer hasrecognized that by often times, between acts,showing Kenny in the audience praying that hisname be called as one of the acts to perform. It hasbeen these cutaway shots and the brief interviewsdone backstage or between the various acts thathave endeared Kenny to the audience in the studioand at home.

Videotaped at the Paramount movie studios onMelrose Avenue in Hollywood, this has been both anexciting and exhausting experience for KennySheiton. It all began with an audition session, thenthe first taping of the program, then being askedback and round two of the competition. Thetoughest part according to Kenny is the not knowingwhat will happen next and whether or not you willmake the cut to the next level.

The competition on the program has been good.Some of the top variety acts in the country haveauditioned and are taking part, acts that areheadliners in Las Vegas Casino Shows, as well assome people who are doing the show on a dare.

Continued next page

MagiCurrents Page 5

Craig Stone's new daughterarrived in early July

In case you have not heard this year's first placeaward winner in the close-up contest, Craig Stoneand his wife Barbara have given birth to a new babygirl. Below is a photograph taken two to three hoursafter Amelia Faith Stone was born on July 10th, at4:17 in the afternoon. Her big sister Emily age 18,has taken care of both Mom and baby in the daysimmediately following the new arrival and is holdinglittle Faith in the photo.

Craig Stone has kept up a busy schedule of doingshows and taking care of the entire family during theblessed event. When asked by MagiCurrents if hissleep has been interrupted by the new baby, Craig'sresponse was; "My sleep has not been affected, but Ican't say as much for others in the household."

Kenny Shelton Continuedfrom page four

People like the "Rapping Grandmother" or the"Gospel Singing 10-year-old girl." Through it allKenny has prevailed and continues to hang on asthe highly rated weekly television program isbroadcast and goes into millions of homes andbusinesses across the nation.

At Ring 76 we all say congratulations to KennyShelton, for having the personal grit to take part andpush his performing skills to the maximum. We areall proud of you, Kenny, win, loose or draw, becausewe know you have made the effort to showoff yourGod given talents in a gentlemanly way. Hang inthere, we are all rooting for you!

The Trick Shop inTemecula moves

Sam Blankenship, the owner and operator of the TrickShop in Oldtown, Temecula, has moved north one blockand across thestreet from theformer location.The new addressis 28480 FrontStreet. ChrisBlankenship toldMagiCurrentsthat the newlocation wouldallow more roomfor more stockand anopportunity tohold morelecturers andteaching sessions.

Chris and Sam Blankenshipat work in the new Trick Shop

Sam Blankenship has recently taken over the operation ofPenguin Magic in Las Vegas, Nevada, a large on-linemagic supermarket. Sam is currently carrying a completeline of Penguin videotapes and DVDs in his new store, aswell as the products of many other independent magicmanufacturers, apparatus and books that are hard to findelsewhere.

The next time you are in the Temecula area, drop by andsay hello.

"MagiToon"fry JIM WhMw < ftten

"And Valdaro, the Great Escape Artist will be alittle late for his show. He's stuck in the elevator."

Page 6 MagiCurrents

I want to begin this month bythanking Terry and LynnLunceford for their help andhospitality in putting on this year'sannual Installation and AwardsBanquet. They have a lovelyhome that is perfect forentertaining a group such as ours.I have yet to hear any complaintsfrom those attending this excitingevent. It is too bad that more ofour members could not come outand take part in this specialmeeting. If we do this again wewill begin the festivities a littlelater in the afternoon with thehope of attracting more to thisimportant event.

Your new board of directors meton July 24th and planned themeeting schedule for the yearahead. I have asked Jack White,the editor of the newsletter, topublish the new schedule in thisedition of MagiCurrents so thateveryone will know what is ahead.One of the recurring requestsfrom members was to havemeetings where our members canperform. With that in mind I thinkyou will find our new schedule willsupply ample opportunity foreveryone to take center stage.

As most of you know TerritorialVice Presidents Belinda Kaeslerand Jeff Marcus along with Ring76 Secretary Jack White havebeen working for sometime now toput together a combined SouthernCalifornia I.B.M. Rings Picnic.The date that was tentatively set

for this event was Sunday, August13th. The location was selected;a park in Temecula and thepermits were being processed.During this period it wasdetermined that the insuranceneeded to cover such an eventwas more than we could afford.So the picnic has been shelveduntil next year. This will give theTVP's and a committee ofpresidents from all of the other 14Rings in Southern California,more time to better work out thedetails of such an event andbetter promote it.

So our August meeting will be atJack's Magic Place, 4275University Ave., at 7 p.m. Mondayevening, August 14th. The themefor the evening will be "FavoriteTrick" night. That simply meansyou can bring a favorite trick andpresent it at the meeting. Thestage is set up at our meetingplace. I am looking forward toseeing you all at our next meeting.

I must also thank Diane Lane forstepping up to the plate andtaking over the mini-teachins wehave presented in the past justbefore our regular meetingsbegin. They usually start about6:40 and anyone who wants totake part can learn a new move ortrick. Diane is lining up ourinstructors for the future and shewill tell us who will be teachingeach month in MagiCurrents. Ifyou want to know more aboutmagic, this is a great way to learn.

Stay cool during these hotter

than usual summer months.

76

Ring 76Board

of Directors2006-2007

PresidentBob Ingalls

1st Vice PresidentTerry Lunceford

2nd Vice PresidentKenny Shelton

SecretaryJack White*

TreasurerRichard Ustick

Sgt at Arms/LibrarianSal Barajas

Member at LargeDonna Greenbaum

Immediate Past PresidentDiane Lane*

Territorial Vice PresidentJeff Marcus*

*denotes Past Ring President

For information onmembership, orRing events, contactJack White, Ring 76Secretary by e-mailprestoone@cox.netor by phone at619-299-9037

MagiCurrents Page?

News

Terry Godfrey spent the thirdweek of July entertaining at theHood River County Fair, inOregon. Terry has booked anumber of fairs in Oregon andNorthern California during Julyand August. He has found timeto do a special magic show for theSan Diego U.S.O. Terry will beflown out to the Aircraft CarrierLincoln, about 150 miles off thecoast of San Diego, on August 3rd'and do magic shows for theSailors and Marines and theirfamilies onboard the carrier. Thegiant ship will tie up in San Diegoon August 4th. As a young man,Terry was in the Navy and alwayswanted to serve on a carrier.Now his wish has come true, eventhough he will only serve for 24hours.

In case you have been wonderingwhat ever happened to Ring 76member Bryan McDaniel, he hasfinally surfaced. He and his wifeDawn have moved toWoodbridge, Virginia, about 25miles from Washington D.C. Asyou know after a career in theU.S. Marine Corps, Bryan retiredand went to work for SAIC, agovernment agency, and wasimmediately sent to Baghdad for ayear. He returned to the UnitedStates in February of this yearand was offered a newopportunity in the nation's capital.Bryan tells us he is now amember of Ring 50 in the nationscapital, and has attended severalmeetings. Says they are a greatgroup of guys but misseseveryone at Ring 76. Bryan sayshis wife Dawn is a native SanDiegan, so they will no doubtmake occasional trips back to thisarea to visit friends and family,Bryan says he will pay us a visitwhen he can. We all wish the

Briefs

McDaniels the best of luck inWashington D.C.

If you are one of those whooccasionally read "AmusementBusiness" magazine, the voicefor the outdoor showman, you willbe saddened to learn it hassuspended publication effective,June 30th. It was originally called"Billboard" magazine and servedthe variety arts entertainers,circus and carnival performersand workers. In the 1960s,Billboard became the voice of themusic industry and the spin-off forvariety artists, circus and carnival,became "Amusement Business."Stories and reviews of magiciansand magic venues were alwaysfeatured in Amusement Business,a publication that was read mostlyby professional entertainers andshow people. The passing of thisonce proud publication leaves avoid for all performers.

Terry Lunceford will take a breakfrom magic in September andtake his sleek little racing car toTopeka, Kansas, for the NationalChampionship races. Terrybecame the west coast champion,assuring him a place in theNational Championship raceearlier this year here in SanDiego. We all wish Terry the bestin his attempt to bring a newchampionship to SouthernCalifornia.

The Friends of Heritage ParkVillage in Oceanside will hold their

20th Annual Ice Cream Social onSunday, August 20*- from 11 a.m.to 4 p.m. featuring magic byMichael E. Johnson, a car show,and music by the Rumble SeatRascals. Heritage Park Village isoff of highway 76 near the MissionSan Luis Rey.

On Sunday evening July 30th' JoelWard and longtime director of thejunior magicians at the MagicCastle Bob Dorian were seen atthe Civic Theater in San Diego, aspart of the audience for "Wicked,"a musical featuring the Witchesfrom the "Wizard of Oz." Dorian isa big fan of the show and says inFebruary, a production of"Wicked" moves into the PantagesTheater in Hollywood for anindefinite stay. A lot of goodtheatrical magic is featured in theexciting fun-filled production.Meanwhile, Joel Ward opened atthe Magic Castle in the PalaceShowroom on July 31st for aweek-long run. Joel has been ontour with his magic act during thesummer in Canada and the UnitedStates.

.Bob & Judy Ingalls are gettingready for a fall cruise to Alaska, inmid September. Bob is workingout the magic routines he plans totake with him to entertain fellowpassengers on the ship. TheIngalls have been to sea manytimes before, and Bob says this isa great opportunity to test some ofthe material he has been workingon for the past couple of years.

Jack & Lynn White are headedto Honolulu and Maui in theHawaiian Islands on August 2nd,Jack will be back in time for theAugust Ring meeting.

Page 8 MagiCurrents

Coming AttractionMonday, August 14, members will meet at Jack's Magic Place; thecombined Southern California Ring Picnic has been postponed. OurAugust meeting will be an opportunity to perform a favorite effect.

Monday, September 11, J.P. Jackson will open our evening with a mini-lecture featuring the most beautiful Rice magic silks you have everseen. The brief lecture will be followed by Ring members presentingtricks featuring silk magic. This will be a very colorful evening.

Monday, October 9, members will present Halloween themed magic ef-fects with a spooky story. Get ready for the ghost and gobblin seasonof trick or treat.

Ring 76 Board of Directors meeting will be Monday evening, August28th, at Jack's Magic Place, 4275 University Ave. This meeting isopen to all members. It begins at 7 p.m. sharp.

Watch for our re-opening soon

Bar &Grif! Since 1986

BREAKFAST * LUNCH • DINNER

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S02 W. Washington St. * San Diego, CA 92103 • (619} 260-0400

MagiCurrents is published monthly by Ring 76 and is edited by Jack White; Associate Editor isJim Riley. We encourage articles, stories, and news items. All material should be submitted toJack White by e-mail at prestoone@cox.net. or written manuscripts may be submitted toJack White, 4288 Arguello St., San Diego, CA, 92103.