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sirbrad Inner circle PA 2096 Posts |
I always wondered how to go about starting a Ring in my local area, and I even asked IBM but they did not seem too helpful, or detailed in answering. I left my membership expire years ago, as I lost interest due to the fact that I simply do not have the time to travel even up to one hour away for meetings, which I believe were the closest ones the last time I checked. If I were to rejoin, how would I go about starting my own Ring? What would be an ideal place to have meetings, or doesn't it matter?
Over the past 26 years of my magic career, I have met very few magicians in my local area, and as far as I know I am still the only one in my town. It would be nice to go through with something like this in order to generate more interest, and perhaps take some of my own work load/demand off by helping to create more magicians in my area. Is there any criteria that you must follow in creating an IBM Ring? How would you make it official? I would love to generate more interest in magic in my town, and this seems like a great way to possibly do it. I will also contact IBM about it again soon. Any ideas, or further information about how I should go about doing this would be appreciated.
The great trouble with magicians is the fact that they believe when they have bought a certain trick or piece of apparatus, and know the method or procedure, that they are full-fledged mystifiers. -- Harry Houdini
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drwilson Inner circle Bar Harbor, ME 2191 Posts |
The good news is that it isn't difficult. You need to have an organizational meeting at which ten members sign a petition for charter. The International officers will assist you in finding I.B.M. members in your area from their mailing list. We just did this in Maine in January:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......orum=196 Please see also: http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......;start=0 Yours, Paul |
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The Bonnie Kids Loyal user Sweden (Västerås) 267 Posts |
I have to agree with sirbrad.
I moved from Italy to Sweden and I discovered that here in Sweden there is no I.B.M. Ring (not only in my city, in the entire Country!!!!!!). How can it be that one entire Country has no I.B.M. Ring? I really couldn't believe it.. This is maybe a good thing for the FISM website, as Sweden is hostig FISM this year! I also asked the I.B.M. for some information but they have not very helpful. What I need to know is the *complexity* of this action, as I do not have too much free time. Thanks for the links Paul, I will also give a look there. The Bonnie Kids // Andrea |
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sirbrad Inner circle PA 2096 Posts |
Thanks so far for the feedback.
A few questions regarding the IBM ring meetings. 1. Where are they generally held? Who decides where they are held? Do you have to rent a space somewhere, or can you meet up at a local coffee shop? I would think the meetings would need to be private from the general public, especially if methods/secrets are being discussed? 2. Which leads me to my next question. Are secret methods discussed of effects, if they are not owned by all the members previously? What is the ethical criteria of such discussions? Can these discussions take place as long as they stay within the group? 3. I also heard that SAM or IMB, (I think SAM) has a magic library that is available to all members? Something like every DVD, Book, etc available to all members? 4. What generally occurs at these meetings? Does the president, or group create a specific "topic of the night," in which discussion and performance ideas take place? Who decides who is the president, would this be the one who started the Ring? What are the other titles, and their responsibilities? I think I remember seeing a Vice President, and Treasurer as well. What are their duties? I also heard there is competitions? 5. I heard there might be dues for each Ring, who collects them, and what are they used for? Food and drink expenses, renting a space, magic literature? For example, has dues ever been used to create a "pool" so to speak, and then invested in magic literature. or media to be reviewed and learned by the club? Sort of like having your own "magic library" so to speak, only available to the Ring members and for a specified time limit. Has this been done? These are just a few of the questions that I have after reading through many sites and still not being able to find the answers. I am not new to IBM, but I never been to a Ring meeting for reasons previously stated. In fact I think it would be almost impossible to find even 5 people, let alone 10 in my local area. Some would have to travel to get things started at first. But I believe after the word gets out, many more would come out of the woodwork and develop an interest in magic. So any further information would be appreciated, and hopefully some of the answers can help everyone who has the same questions, and wants to start a Ring as well. By the way my location is "central PA" just in case there is anyone here hiding out there somewhere. IF so, let;s get this thing started!
The great trouble with magicians is the fact that they believe when they have bought a certain trick or piece of apparatus, and know the method or procedure, that they are full-fledged mystifiers. -- Harry Houdini
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Steve Hart Veteran user Cocoa, FL 388 Posts |
Hi Brad,
Exactly what town to you live in. The state of Pennsylvania is divided into East and West since it so large. The I.B.M. has two TVP (Territorial Vice Presidents) who help and give leadership to all the members and Rings in their territory. There are answers to all of your questions and in time I will make sure you get the anwers but first lets find out which TVP is responsible to assisting you. Steve Hart
www.SteveHartSpeaks.com
www.magic2motivate.com "Motivational Magicians are some of the highest paid magicians, find out why?" |
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sirbrad Inner circle PA 2096 Posts |
Thank you Steve. My town is "Bloomsburg."(Columbia County) The last time I checked the closest Ring was in Wilkes Barre. It is not that far, but is still a little too far for me personally to travel due to my hectic schedule, and takes 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic. I am on the east side of the state. Plus I believe a more "local Ring" would benefit many in my area who may not also be able to travel, and save many others on travel time who may travel from the west to the east as well. But the fact remains that there is just not any Rings in my immediate area, and the closest ones are about an hour away. This has been a problem for a long time now, and I would like to change that. I look forward to your advice, and answers.
The great trouble with magicians is the fact that they believe when they have bought a certain trick or piece of apparatus, and know the method or procedure, that they are full-fledged mystifiers. -- Harry Houdini
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The Bonnie Kids Loyal user Sweden (Västerås) 267 Posts |
Steve,
put also me on the list for Sweden. I cannot promise anything because of my job, but here in Västerås there is already one magi cclub. maybe it's possible (I doubt, due to the usually reactionary character of the Swedes) to "convert" it or part of it to be a Ring. // Andrea Bonetti |
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drwilson Inner circle Bar Harbor, ME 2191 Posts |
Sirbrad,
Different Rings do things differently, here are the answers to your questions for our Ring only. 1. We held our organizational meeting and our first meeting at a Chinese restaurant. They let us use the space if we each bought a meal. This was fun, because when we did magic, the restaurant patrons got to watch. We set up a backdrop, lights, and a sound system. It was a real show! There was no discussion of methods except informally, one-on-one. Unfortunately, getting the food took a lot of time that we would rather have used for magic or business, but that's what it took to get started. We now hold our meetings in a community center, which is letting us use the space for free in exchange for organizing a fundraising show for them. This arrangement is used by other Rings also. 2. There are secrets and there are secrets. People will freely discuss things out of Tarbell or the Rice encyclopedia, or very old things that are in the public domain. For marketed effects, members will steer other members to the book, DVD, or item. You can't learn or perform most effects from a secondhand account over coffee. Many members have original effects or things that most members have no interest in (in my case, sideshow feats and escapes), so those aren't shared, or are shared very carefully. 3. Our Ring does not have a library, but of course individual members have their own libraries, some quite extensive. 4. You can read our Ring Reports (with photos) and minutes online. You can also read our Constitution, Bylaws, and Policy and Program Manual online. These deal with election of officers, duties of officers, finances, contests, and so on. Our meetings have themes that are used to guide performances. 5. We are a new Ring, and wanted to keep the dues low. They are set at $5. Members must be members in good standing of the I.B.M. We mail out a newsletter (some of our members don't use computers). The dues barely cover the mailings, let alone our web site, cost of incorporation, and so on. We are counting on making money from our Fourth of July show. We don't spend money on food, rent (we are trading a show for that), or purchase of books or DVDs. The problem with a Ring library, although some Rings have them, is keeping it somewhere and not having things vanish. I think that if you really want to perform an effect, you ought to have the book or DVD yourself. Many Rings use their funds to subsidize lectures from magicians on the lecture circuit. It is not likely that our Ring will do this any time soon, because first, we are really, really broke, and second, because we are geographically isolated. I used to be in a Ring in central PA, based in Harrisburg. Ring 20, The Eddie Clever Keystone Ring, is still active. Yours, Paul |
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sirbrad Inner circle PA 2096 Posts |
Thanks for all the information so far. The real problem I see is finding a way to come up with 10 members. I don't doubt that the members would eventually come once the club got started, but trying to hunt people down would be very time consuming, and difficult. Especially when no club yet exists. Does SAM or IBM help you get in contact with potential members who may also be in the area, and looking to find a local club? I believe the closest club is about 60 miles away, so my area should be eligible.
The great trouble with magicians is the fact that they believe when they have bought a certain trick or piece of apparatus, and know the method or procedure, that they are full-fledged mystifiers. -- Harry Houdini
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Dave V Inner circle Las Vegas, NV 4824 Posts |
That's the hard part. Without people there is no club. If you can't find at least ten people that are IBM members, then it's going to be tough. You need about five elected club officers, and if it's like most clubs 10 percent of the people do 90 percent of the work. That means you may need 50-100 people on your roster to find enough willing to put in the work toward forming a Ring.
As far as I know, IBM doesn't really have a "waiting list" of potential Ring members, but you can try calling IBM Headquarters and see if you can get a list of existing members in your area. Your Territorial Vice President is your "man in the field" who should know how to proceed and who to contact. You can locate your TVP on IBM's website at http://www.magician.org or PM Steve Hart directly and see what he can do for you.
No trees were killed in the making of this message, but a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
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sirbrad Inner circle PA 2096 Posts |
Thanks Dave, I will look into that and see what I can do.
The great trouble with magicians is the fact that they believe when they have bought a certain trick or piece of apparatus, and know the method or procedure, that they are full-fledged mystifiers. -- Harry Houdini
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drwilson Inner circle Bar Harbor, ME 2191 Posts |
The other thing to do is to look into getting a list of S.A.M. members. We have an S.A.M. Assembly in Portland, Maine; many of these folks weren't I.B.M. members because there was no local Ring. In the months before our organizational meeting, we signed up several new I.B.M. members. One of these new members is now an officer.
Good luck! Yours, Paul |
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Steve Hart Veteran user Cocoa, FL 388 Posts |
Excellent, everyone has jumped in to help out, especially you Paul.
I have sent both Brad and Andrea a private message giving them their local contact for the I.B.M. They are called T.V.P. which stands for Territory Vice President. Every T.V.P. has access to the list of all the current I.B.M. members. They can quickly look at the list and decide if there are enough members to start a Ring. Of course there are ways to recruit new members. One is to start advertising round table at a local restaurant and see who shows up. You eat together and talk magic for several months until your numbers grow, then if there is enough interest, start regular club meetings. Have the local T.V.P come speak and perform. One other way is to start teaching a magic class in your local area. See who shows up. After six weeks and the class is over ask if everyone would like to continue to learn magic through a magic club. Applications for membership can be found on-line in the I.B.M. Website. I hope this helps. Steve Hart
www.SteveHartSpeaks.com
www.magic2motivate.com "Motivational Magicians are some of the highest paid magicians, find out why?" |
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sirbrad Inner circle PA 2096 Posts |
How long are meetings in general? 1 hour, 2 hours? I would think they would need to be at least 2 hours, as it would go very quickly with 10 people trying to cover everything. Especially if everyone wants to perform. What is the longest they usually run? When are they typically held? I seen a few held on something like "the first Monday of each month at 7 pm," but no end time was listed. Or is there no definite end time, and people simply stay as long as they can?
The great trouble with magicians is the fact that they believe when they have bought a certain trick or piece of apparatus, and know the method or procedure, that they are full-fledged mystifiers. -- Harry Houdini
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Jim Mullen Veteran user Lake Tahoe, California 351 Posts |
You might go to the IBM Web site and look up the IBM Teritorial Vice President for eastern Pannsylvania. One of the TVP's missions is to help establish Rings in his or her territory. He also will be well connected with the IBM headquarters people. Sometimes the headquarters people are too far away to be of much help, so the best entry is to contact a more local representative. There also are Territory Representatives in the IBM, but these people are not as well connected as the TVPs.
Good luck.
Jim Mullen
Lake Tahoe |
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sirbrad Inner circle PA 2096 Posts |
Yes I have contacted the TVP's, and am still awaiting a response from one. One responded quickly, and I am still awaiting his next response about other questions. Thanks.
The great trouble with magicians is the fact that they believe when they have bought a certain trick or piece of apparatus, and know the method or procedure, that they are full-fledged mystifiers. -- Harry Houdini
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sirbrad Inner circle PA 2096 Posts |
Since I would be creating the club, would I be the President? Could I maintain that position indefinitely being I started and organized the club? Or does the club vote other members to different positions annually? Or is this all personal preference of the club?
The great trouble with magicians is the fact that they believe when they have bought a certain trick or piece of apparatus, and know the method or procedure, that they are full-fledged mystifiers. -- Harry Houdini
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Steve Hart Veteran user Cocoa, FL 388 Posts |
HI Brad,
Each Ring is given a set of guidelines they may use or they can create their own. Usually all the officers are elected each year by the members. But if the Rings sees fit for the officers to continue in their office so be if they are giving the Ring what they want. You may be the "Ring contact" person year after year but It may serve you well to allow others to serve a term as officers. Steve Hart
www.SteveHartSpeaks.com
www.magic2motivate.com "Motivational Magicians are some of the highest paid magicians, find out why?" |
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sirbrad Inner circle PA 2096 Posts |
OK thanks, that is what I initially thought. Just wanted to check around to see what others are saying. Sounds great though, that way the club can be sure they finish the night's agenda without having to cut off the meeting abruptly.
Even though this club will never exist without me getting it started,(I actually wish one already existed in my local area as this would all be a lot easier) I am not too concerned about holding office positions. As long as meetings are taking place, that is all that matters. But I would like to remain known as "the founder."
The great trouble with magicians is the fact that they believe when they have bought a certain trick or piece of apparatus, and know the method or procedure, that they are full-fledged mystifiers. -- Harry Houdini
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spatrick Special user Tom Sawyer let me whitewash these 517 Posts |
Just to let everyone know, I am the TVP for Eastern PA. and I have emailed Brad at length about all the qualifications for starting a new Ring.
I applaud his efforts and encourage others to follow in his footsteps. S. Patrick |
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