Hello,

Those of you who are in the Fellowship of Christian Magicians, I want to get your reaction to this proposal:

Resolved, whereas FCM now includes members who mainly do puppetry, balloon twisting, ventriloquism, clowning (without magic), drama, juggling, etc., the organization should changes its name to reflect that diversity.

I suggest we call ourselves the Fellowship of Christian Performing Artists. A big-tent organization should have a big-tent name.

CSR

What was your reasoning to the change of name? I was just wondering.

I thought it was pretty obvious. We're not just a group of magicians anymore. We're performing artists of many stripes, and actually more than that. FCM also includes chalk artists, which barely qualifies as a performing art.

So what do you think?

CSR

As a magician, I say (maybe somewhat biased) if it isn't broken, don't fix it.

I don't think that it matters a geat deal what the organization is called. As long as the organization doesn't treat jugglers, ballonists, drama, vents, and clowns - or even magicians as second class. And from what I have seen, although there are a lot of all of these groups in the organization, it would seem that none are in such a large number that by their sheer volume of membership, they would warrant a redefinition of the organization's name.

BroDavid

I agree with BroDavid. As you may know, if you have been attending any of the recent FCM conventions, the subject of a name change has been discussed. Ultimately it was decided by majority input that the name should remain unchanged.

Michael
MAGIC with a MISSION

Carrie Sue
I agree with BroDavid & carolina illusionist the name should stay the same.

Steve

Ps You have obviously never tried to do a Chalk Talk, or seen a "Good" Chalk Talk Artist. It is Definitely an ART, I have a friend, Bronco West, who was a tremendous Chalk Talk Art Evangelist. I wish you could have been in one of his services.

Steve, you are right on about chalk talk. Uuntil I saw Suzie and Bob Zoorman do their chalk talk routine, dueling chalks, I had no idea how dramatic and poweful it could be.

Every Gift has a place, when used for God's Glory.

BroDavid

I would not go for a name change either.
I am not surprised that it was voted to leave the name unchanged.

Well, as a magician, I suppose I am biased. But I like FCM. I do see your point Carrie Sue. There are many in the FCM that are involved in the allied arts. But proposing a name change on a forum designed for magicians isn't going to garner very enthusiastic support.

Scott

I personally like the name as it is, and enjoy being a member of the FCM - it's nice to be part of a magical-sounding group!

Kind regards
Mike

Bros, I see Carrie's point here. If we don't change, we invite ONLY magicians. Yes, there will be jugglers, ventriloquists coming in but the 'non-magician' members will be much lower.

And I understand that people resist change. It's human nature after all.

Suggestion: Keep FCM but include a sub-tagline to include other performing arts. Or extend FCM to FCMAOPA: Fellowship of Christian Magicians And Other Performing Arts.

Fellowship of Christian Ministries?

so why are they members of a "magic" club/group/fellowship. I belong to a few magic clubs, FCMUK is one of them, I go to the clubs because I'm a magician, I wouldn’t dream of joining a Juggling club because I’m a magician.

Fellowship of Christian Ministries is a great idea! The acronym remains the same and yet the meaning has changed to allow the change in variety of the organization.

I tend to agree with Baz. Why are non magicians joining a magic society?

I would like to get Andre Kole's take on this.

However, I personally have some problem with organizations that if they can't hit the target, they move the target. Somehow I see that as letting the results drive the purpose rather than the purpose be responsible for the results.

I am fully supportive of an additional organization that would include others in the performing arts.

Bob
Magic By Sander
The Amazed Wiz

In Malaysia, we now have an FCM chapter (started last year) - while we still use the FCM logo etc. we are known more as the Fellowship of Creative Ministries.

So at this stage it's more like Fellowship of Creative Ministries (FCM) a.k.a. Fellowship of Christian Magicians. Most members I would say are the other creative arts with a handful of us who are more serious about magic / illusion.

I guess everyone is a Magician, well up to a certain extent.

Leave it. I get discounts when it's Fellowship of Christian Magicians. (heh, heh).

evan

Personally I like the FCM as Fellowship of Christian Magicians since I am not inot the other wonderful creative arts of puppetry, mime etc.
But it might be nice that FCM one day make some kind of name change concession to reflect the way FCM has grown over the years.
Many organizations (I can think for example of missions organisations with years of solid history and reputations)have changed their organization's names to betetr reflect the times.