November 2025 Meeting

Bill Weimer, a well-known face in the Chicago Bar scene, shared some of his creative ideas in part 2 of his mini lecture series, Remembering the Magic Bars of Chicago. He also announced the release of his new book, “Weimer’s Stuff!”, which covers some of his signature effects. If you’re interested in getting your hands on the book, you can buy it from Bill here https://www.magicbarbook.com/weimer-s-stuff.

Bill performed table side and showcased several of his classic routines, all in his new book. These effects, honed over the years while performing in various bars around Chicago, have been thoroughly tested by Bill and are easy to learn but really wow the audience.

Below are the effects Bill performed and taught in his lecture:

Bishop’s Birds of a Feather - A fun, follow-the-leader trick using bird cards. Bill also talked about how to print and make your own custom playing cards.

The Small Card - A funny card routine where a spectator’s selection shrinks down to a miniature one.

Weimer’s Wisdom Teeth - Bill’s take on a Terry Seabrooke’s routine, where a set of motorized teeth are tossed into a handkerchief held by the spectator and they bite through the box and cards, eventually finding the spectator’s selection.

The Magic Puppy - Bill’s take on Brother John Hammon’s Micro Macro, where a deck of tiny puppy cards magically morphs into a regular deck of dog cards.

My Family Photos - A charming routine where the magic of photography brings a chosen card from a photograph to life.

Bill’s Anniversary - A captivating performance of the Anniversary Waltz that leaves the audience with a special keepsake.

Mind Reading Elvis 2 - A mesmerizing mind reading effect using Elvis’ business cards.

King Construction Company - Bill’s creative twist on a David Regal assembly routine, letting the spectators watch the Kings being placed in each packet, eventually they all gather on the roof.

One of Bill’s amazing skills is his ability to take classic effects and make them his own. He carefully designs cards that match his artistic style and they typically include his name and contact info, leaving the spectator with a calling card for future events.

October 2025 Meeting

Minutes of the October 2025 Meeting of the Chattanooga Magic Club

Submitted for review by Club Secretary, Tommy Johns

Meeting Date: October 21, 2025

Members/Regulars Present: 13 members present

The Chattanooga Magic Club met on October 21, 2025, for our regular monthly meeting at Miller’s Ale House on Gunbarrel Road in Chattanooga. We enjoyed a time of fellowship and food prior to the start of the meeting as is our tradition.

A new tradition we are enjoying is seeing what fun and/or magical fun Cindy and Ron Williams have produced on their 3D printers. This month there were turkey fidget spinners, pumpkins and skulls! Thank you!

At 7:00 PM, Club President Jim Driscoll called the meeting to order.

The minutes of the September meeting were presented via email prior to the meeting and were approved at the meeting with no discussion or corrections.

The treasurer’s report was presented by treasurer Adam Ryan. Our current balance is $188.05. We currently have 14 paid members.  

Under Old Business, the following items were discussed:

·      Jim Driscoll reported that the YMCA meeting room possibility presented at the last meeting will not be a workable solution.

·      An update regarding IBM members in the Chattanooga area was presented. Cities within a 60 mile radius have been submitted to the IBM office. We are waiting for a response.

·      Jim thanked Jeffrey Williams and Lance Johnson for agreeing to perform later this week on October 24 for the senior assisted living facility that allowed us to host the Dan Stapleton lecture.

·      We were reminded that 2026 club officers will be nominated at the November meeting.

·      The December meeting will be early in the month, on December 2. 

Under New Business, the following items were discussed:

·      Club member Lance Johnson will be performing at the Comedy Catch at the Choo Choo in Chattanooga on November 13. All members are encouraged to attend and support (and cheer for) Lance.

·      In the category of magic opportunities, The following items were announced - Josh Jay’s lecture and show in Atlanta on October 25 and 26, the upcoming TRICS Convention in Charlotte, NC on November 20-22, and a report from the Atlanta Harvest was given. Lots of great magic within driving distance!

·      Themes for upcoming meetings were announced. November’s theme will be “Holiday Wonder.” In December, the theme is “New Beginnings.” All members are encouraged to prepare something to present at future meetings and to be thinking about themes for 2026.

Jim Driscoll offered a motion to end the business meeting at 7:16 PM. This motion was enthusiastically seconded and approved!

Business Meeting Adjourned

Mini Lecture

We are really enjoying our member mini-lectures! This evening was part one of a two part lecture by member Bill Weimer on the history and people of the Chicago Bar Magic Scene. Bill told so many great stories of the places and people that made Chicago a hub of Bar Magic since the 1980’s. We got a preview of Bill’s newly updated book, Now You See The, Now You Don’t. What a thoroughly enjoyable PART ONE! We can’t wait to see Part Two – The Magic from the Magic Bars!

Performance and sharing time – Theme: A Season of Thanks

This month, performing for the theme (loosely interpreted) were Jim Driscoll (a fun routine with Uno Cards), Jeffrey Williams (Silk through Mirror), Bill Weimer (an original card trick with a custom deck called Elemental), Adam Ryan (a top secret electrical light board that was a real mind blower), and Mike Frisbee (a multi phase card routine using three volunteers).

As always, we had an AMAZING time of fun, magic and fellowship. If you are in the Chattanooga area on the third Tuesday of any month (except December), we would love to have you as our guest! And bring some magic!

September Meeting

Minutes of the September 2025 Meeting of the Chattanooga Magic Club

Submitted for review by Club Secretary, Tommy Johns

Meeting Date: September 16, 2025

Members/Regulars Present: 8, Guests Present: 0

The Chattanooga Magic Club met on September 16, 2025, for our monthly meeting at Miller’s Ale House on Gunbarrel Road in Chattanooga. As has been our tradition, most of us showed up around 6:00 to enjoy a meal and a time of fellowship and conversation.

At 7:04 PM, Club President Jim Driscoll called the meeting to order.

The minutes of the August meeting were presented via email prior to the meeting and approved with no discussion or corrections.

The treasurer’s report was presented by Jim Driscoll on behalf of treasurer Adam Ryan. Our current balance is $185.05. We currently have 14 paid members.  

Under Old Business, the following items were discussed:

·      Jim Driscoll reported a possible meeting location at the local YMCA. They have a meeting room we may be able to use. He will report on this at the next meeting.

·      An update regarding IBM members in the Chattanooga area was presented. Cities within a 60 mile radius have been submitted to the IBM office. We are waiting for a response.

·      Jim thanked Jeffrey Williams, Lance Johnson and Tom Raidy for agreeing to perform on October 24 for the senior assisted living facility that allowed us to host the Dan Stapleton lecture.

·      Bill Weimer will be presenting a 2 part mini lecture at our October and November meetings on the history of Chicago Bar Magic, highlighting stories from his new book, Now You See Them, Now You Don’t. We also discussed the need to schedule additional mini lectures (an idea we borrowed from the Georgia Magic Club and have been VERY well received!).

Under New Business, the following items were discussed:

·      Themes for upcoming meetings were announced. October will be “A Season of Thanks.” November’s theme will be “Holiday Wonder.” In December, the theme is “New Beginnings.” All members are encouraged to prepare something to future meetings to present.

·      Michael Frisbee reminded us that we start nominating officers for 2026 at the November meeting.

·      We were reminded that the date for the December meeting has been changed to Tuesday, December 2nd.

Jim Driscoll offered a motion to end the business meeting at 7:19 PM. This motion was enthusiastically seconded and approved!

Business Meeting Adjourned

Mini Lecture

We are really enjoying our member mini-lectures! They just keep getting better and this month the trend continued with Barry Savage presenting Hidden Treasures, magic from old books and publications. WE have all heard the quote, “If you want to keep a secret from a magician, hide it in a book!” Barry dug through some of his over 500 magic books and presented almost a dozen great ideas and routines, including:

·      The Saxon Flap

·      Clippo from Boys’ Life Magazine from decades ago

·      Cut Anywhere, a James Randi idea

·      A number of sight gags including a double ended toothpaste tube

·      Several card tricks, including a swing out force which was VERY fooling

·      A children’s book with sound effects converted to a close up mat for a routine with funny sound effects. (I am not doing this justice, but you would have had to have been there to fully appreciate this!)

·      A double prediction, proving once again that math IS magic

·      A card reveal using paper and flame that looks like REAL magic

Thanks Barry! We can’t wait for you to do Hidden Treasures, Part 2!

We then took a brief self-care break and signed up to do some magic!

Performance and sharing time – Theme: Spooky Magic

This month performing for the theme were Mike Edwards (Axtell’s Genie puppet), Michael Frisbee (T&R TP to the song Wipeout), Roger Smith (Spirit Box and a ghost story), Tommy Johns (Halloween Costume Generator), Jim Driscoll (Book Force using a beautiful and brilliant premise).

After the theme magic, Jim presented a magic hat he has been building with special effects and a card fountain.

For a small club, we always have a BIG time!

August 2025 Meeting

Minutes of the August 2025 Meeting of the Chattanooga Magic Club

Submitted for review by Club Secretary, Tommy Johns

Meeting Date: August 19, 2025

Members/Regulars Present: 11, Guests Present: 0

The Chattanooga Magic Club met on August 19, 2025, for its monthly meeting at Miller’s Ale House on Gunbarrel Road in Chattanooga. We met at 6:00 for a meal and a time of fellowship, which was enjoyed by all present.

At 7:05 PM, Club President Jim Driscoll called the meeting to order.

The minutes of the July meeting were presented via email prior to the meeting and approved with the following amendment, for accuracy’s sake. Tom Raidy requested the following change which was approved and has been added to the July minutes.

“Tom Raidy reported on behalf of the Bylaws Committee that work is continuing and that the first change will a change that will increase the size of the board of directors to include all elected officers, with the president serving as chair of the board.”

The treasurer’s report was presented by Adam Ryan. Our current balance is $185.05. The only expense this month was the Dan Stapleton lecture. It was reported that we currently have 14 paid members.  

Under Old Business, the following items were discussed:

·      The Dan Stapleton lecture was wonderful with only 6 in attendance. We owe the venue a magic show in exchange for the meeting space and they have requested a show for the residents on October 24. Members Lance Johnson and Jeffrey Williams have stepped up to provide entertainment for this event. The club appreciates their willingness to help!

·      Jim Driscoll has contacted the IBM regarding IBM members in the Chattanooga area to whom we might reach out and invite to the club meetings.

·      Jim also offered a report on his experience at the Kidabra Conference in Atlanta. He had a great experience and encouraged us to attend next year, which will be the last one.

·      Tom Raidy asked the members present for clarification on the number of members the club’s board of governors has had historically.

Under New Business, the following items were discussed:

·      Themes for upcoming meetings were announced. The theme for September will be Spooky Magic. October will be “A Season of Thanks.” November’s theme will be “Holiday Wonder.” All members are encouraged to prepare something to present.

·      Upcoming mini lectures include Barry Savage presenting “Hidden Treasures” or perhaps another idea he is working on. The October and November mini-lectures will be presented by Bill Weimer, discussing Bar Magic and his experiences in the Chicago area.

·      We were reminded that the date for the December meeting has been changed to Tuesday, December 2nd.

Jim Driscoll offered a motion to end the business portion of our evening at 7:30 PM. As always, this was approved unanimously.

Meeting Adjourned

Mini Lecture

A new feature of our meetings is a mini lecture by a member. This month’s mini lecture was presented by Tom Raidy who led a Roundtable Discussion about Developing Your Performing Character. He called it a “reverse lecture” where the attendees would be doing a lot of the sharing of information. After a brief introduction (of himself and the topic), Tom quoted Joe M. Tuner from a 2011 IBM lecture. Joe stated that not enough magicians spend very much time developing their character as a performer. Tom stated that his own character is just himself, amplified.

He then asked us “How did you develop your performing character?” He then called on Roger Smith, Tommy Johns, Mike Edwards, Michael Frisbee, Jeffrey Williams and Jim Driscoll to share their answer to the question. What a wonderful and diverse group! A lot of information and insight were shared.

Thanks Tom for a fun and helpful mini-lecture!

We then took a brief self care break and signed up to do some magic!

Performance and sharing time – Theme: Mystery and Metalism

This month performing for the theme were Jeffrey Williams, Tommy Johns, Roger Smith, Bill Martin, Tom Raidy, Jim Driscoll, Barry Savage and Michael Frisbee. Minds were read, futures were predicted, the unseen was seen, choices were controlled and a good time was had by all!

February 2025 Meeting

Big night last night for Ring 112. Our February meeting was packed with fun and magic. We welcomed two new attendees. Darce Peter found the club through our website and shared some of his excellent card magic. And Daniel Martin, already a member, was able to join us for the first time. Welcome to the Chattanooga Magic Club!

Attendees approved having a new feature during meetings. Our “Mini Lecture Series” will premier in March with Mike Edwards starting things off sharing his work and experiences doing Lego themed shows at Lego festivals around the Southeast. We also decided to move forward with sponsoring an exciting lecture in mid summer. Look for an upcoming announcement!

Daniel Martin unveiled a new club tee shirt. Watch for ordering information. Proceeds will go to the club’s treasury.

During our performance/sharing time, our theme was “Luck and Fortune” and we enjoyed magic from Jeff Williams, Adam Ryan, Tommy Johns, Roger Smith, Jim Driscoll, Daniel Martin and our guest Darce Peter.

Our next meeting will be March 18. Our theme will be “DIY Magic – Creative magic with household objects, gimmick-building and thinking outside the box.”

And we look forward to seeing as many members as possible during the Winter Carnival of Magic in early March.

January 2025 Meeting

Ring 112 kicked off 2025 last night with another great meeting. Our main piece of business was electing officers for the year.

Our magic sharing/performance portion was fun. Some of the highlights included:

— Robert Jones shared his collection of illusion ornaments created each year by Smokey Mountain Magic

— Mike Frisbee divined each person’s special number which ended with a Valentine’s theme

— Barry Savage demonstrated a unique idea involving a spooky, animated pin impaled on a drawing of a voodoo doll

— Jim Driscoll performed a Valentine’s version of Dan Garrett’s “Heartz” routine

— and Tommy Johns gave away bananas (yes, you read that right.)

Our next meeting will be Tuesday, February 18. Our theme will be “Luck and Fortune: Tricks themed with luck, gambling and games of chance”

September 2024 Meeting

RING 112, CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE – M.H. Ortwein Ring Meets 3rd Tuesday, each month at 6:00 pm Miller’s Ale House, 2119 Gunbarrel Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37421

 Our regular monthly meeting was on Tuesday, September 17. The month’s theme was “Birds, Bubbles, and Planes; What Else Rises and/or Floats!” We had a great session of performing, sharing, and teaching. Here are some highlights:

— Tom Raidy, our program chairman, started things off by floating a $20 bill between his hands.

— Mike Edwards performed a unique floating card box routine with a one-of-a-kind prop. He followed that with a routine featuring bubbles mysteriously floating under a cloth.

— Cindy Poteet Williams showcased her latest 3-D printing project of creating holders for half dollars.

— Jim Driscoll shared a floating zombie doll that he’ll be using during this year’s Halloween season.

— Michael Frisbee wowed everyone with a very creative and fun soft drink prediction routine that had everyone talking afterward. He claimed the bubbles in the Sprite qualified the trick for the theme. (There may be a spike in sales on Amazon after he revealed the clever gimmick for this unique effect.)

— Tommy Johns, a visitor from Ring 9 in Atlanta, capped off the evening by showing and teaching “Serendipity,” his favorite go-to card trick with a shuffled deck.

 We invite all former Ring 112 members, and all magicians in the Chattanooga, south Tennessee and north Georgia areas who are interested in becoming a part of the club, to join us at one of our future meetings. Our meeting location is at Miller’s Ale House, near the Hamilton Place Mall in Chattanooga.

April 2024 Meeting

RING 112, CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE – M.H. Ortwein Ring Meets 3rd Tuesday, each month at 6:00 pm Miller’s Ale House, 2119 Gunbarrel Rd, Chattanooga, TN 37421 Ring 112

After a period of not meeting regularly, Ring 112 is back! A small but energetic group of members gathered in April to chart the future of the ring and to plan on the best ways to reenergize the organization and build membership. We’re inviting all former members, and those in the Chattanooga and north Georgia area who are interested in becoming a part of the club, to join us at one of our future meetings. Our meeting location is at Miller’s Ale House, near the Hamilton Place Mall in Chattanooga. After a short, but productive business meeting, the fun part of the evening started. We enjoyed magic from Adam Ryan, Tom Raidy and Jim Driscoll It was a great night for the Chattanooga Magic Club that was originally founded back in 1919 and has enjoyed so much history through the years. We’re optimistic about its future and invite all magicians nearby to join us.

JIM DRISCOLL: Acting President / jim.driscoll@gmail.com