March 16, 2009
The February meeting had some nice surprises! People we haven’t seen in a while pleased us with their presence. It was really good to see you again! I hope more people will decide to make a the “come-back.”
Doug and Jolene, your ears must burn at least one Wednesday of each month, because you two are like icons, and someone always mentions you. Even though you are so far away, for at least that one night, most of us bring you back for a visit.
We covered a lot of issues at the meeting, and to cover everything.
Richard Giddens thoughtfully brought in the microphone that Vince Contreras built for the club. After Vince died, it was stored and Rich dug it out: it was really helpful in conducting the meeting. Thank you Richard!
Ben (who was nursing a nasty ear infection,) opened the meeting by welcoming everyone and asked if we had any new members or visitors. A young woman introduced herself as Amy. When asked how she heard about us, she said “through Gene and Mom.” So thanks to Gene and Kathy Strain for bringing Amy. There were a few more new faces but we didn’t embarrass them by pointing them out. We want people to feel comfortable when they come to visit and/or check us out.
Next Ben commented about He being one step ahead of him with the t-shirts. He stood and told us that he had ordered, at his expense, new t-shirts for the club. They are a little different from the old ones, and he got them in sizes M, L, XL, XXL, and a few XXXL. The colors are charcoal grey, blue, and black. He had one on and they look really good. He joked that his old shirts were raggedy and he felt others might have that problem too. Anyway, he put the shirts on his card, will sell them at $10.00 each, and after his investment is paid off, the remaining $230 will go to the club. Thank you He for stepping up and taking care of business. We all really appreciate your efforts. So everyone, bring your $10.00 to the meeting and get your new shirts. Richard stated that he got some hats that work great in keeping your neck as well as your head protected while playing in the sun. He donated them to the club and the $6.00 each hat sale brings will go directly into a “for gold purchase only” account. Again, thanks to Richard, who is always thinking about our club and ways for it to benefit.
Ben brought up the possible move to the Luther Burbank Gardens facility. It is on YuIupa by the Mormon church. Drawbacks are it will cost $100.00 a night plus insurance and we will have to do set-up and clean-up. Pros are a larger, more esthetically pleasing room, kitchen use and large parking lot. Ben will check out the place and report back next meeting. Of course there are more pros and cons, but those are the ones I am aware of at this time.
Ben also mentioned that the bill restricting suction mining did not pass. The writers of the bill were trying to sneak it through as a rider on another bill, but it didn’t slip through. There are already environmentally sound restrictions in effect, and for once the State didn’t want to put MORE money into something already in existence.
The members were asked to put their names on a list if they can’t find, or never had, a name badge. We want to keep the badges up to date; it’s great if YOU remember everyone’s names, but some of us don’t. Help the memory-challenged out and wear your name badges, please. We were also asked to either sign up to be a speaker at one of the meetings, or make suggestions as to whom you’d like to hear from, or what you’d like to hear about. If you think about it, it’s not much different than doing show-and-tell.
Ben mentioned that there are time slots coming up with no outings planned, so if anyone had suggestions, or places they’d like to visit, now would be the time to let us know. Pete ‘kneepads’ Riley suggested we go to places like Lake Shasta due to the low water levels. He states he has heard the metal detecting has yielded some nice finds. Would anyone like to put an outing together? Make your suggestions during the open forum at the meeting.
Ben turned the meeting over to me, and I went over several things. Foremost, I apologized to everyone for sending out the first draft of the newsletter, not the edited, finished product. I usually make one draft and go back to it several times with changes and/or additions. Somehow, the finished product reverted back to the unfinished! I heard my critics said I “rambled on and on about myself and had nothing about the club” in the letter, so again, for those who did not attend the meeting, I sincerely apologize for my selfishness.
I asked for and received approval to renew our club membership to the PLP at $100.00 a year. The PLP provides many important services, so if anyone would like to join apart from the club, I have the forms. The price is $35.00 single; $50.00 family; and $100.00 clubs, organizations, businesses.
I have cancelled the expensive insurance costing about $1200.00 a year in favor of the insurance provided by the County at $199.00 for the year! That’s about $16.50 a meeting. The County has guaranteed the price of our room rental to be $29.00 an hour, so it’s now costing $72.50 a night for the room, $16.50 for a $1,000,000 insurance policy, and a $10.00 processing fee, totaling $99.00 for our meetings each month. Included in the cost is the set-up and break down of the room. This contract is in force through June 2009, so we aren’t bound if we decide to move. It will be the same cost if we do decide to stay at the Vet’s Building. The unused insurance premium will be refunded if we notify them in advance. Just a little F.Y.I.
I next brought up the web site and my inability to contact the owner of said site. It was approved by club vote to abandon the old site (which no one can easily find anyway) and build a new one that the club would own. Kami and Dan Ortez graciously volunteered sister Judith to build a new site, and we all agreed.
My last bit of business asked members to be sure I had all their personal info (phone, address, e-mail) so I could update our lists with copies to be provided at the March meeting. Roger Proett told us what the raft1e prizes were for that night. Gold closed at $985.00 and silver closed at $14.83. That lead into………………
Show and Tell: He shared old club paperwork he found. He also had old maps, some of which are defunct, but were of interest to members. The maps brought back memories and stories. Mike Clark showed pictures and crystals he found in Mark West Creek. Man they were pretty. Curtis shared a wonderful story about family and its importance to him. It seems in the ’50s he spent some time working in an area that had snow and slippery roads during the winter. He had a pickup truck that when empty slid all over the road, so he backed his truck up to a rock pile and added some needed weight. This worked great, and he left the rocks in the bed of his truck until the spring when he backed the truck up to his creek bank and threw them out. Time passed, until one day his daughter excitedly told him, “Daddy, Daddy, there’s gold out there!” Curtis was living in ‘gold country’ so he answered that yes, there was gold all over out there. She continued to urge daddy to come see the gold she’d found until finally, not wanting to disappoint such enthusiasm, he told her okay, show me the gold. What she showed him was veins of gold in the rocks he bad used for weight and thrown away when the weather changed. Now Curtis gets to reflect on ‘the ones that got away,’ but his aren’t fish. He’s still wondering where the rest of that rock pile is. But he brought part of the rock with gold to show along with his story. He plans to give the rock to his daughter all these years later as a reminder of the pleasure she has provided him with, and that she will always be his ‘gold.’ Nice story Curtis; thanks for sharing it. Danny stood up with some samples of what he thought were gold that he found at Lake Oroville. He asked members to look at it and help verify that it was gold. Buck wrapped the show up with the earring he found while metal detecting and the match to it he found about five feet away. He also showed a size 13 silver ring he found, and a coin from 1870.
Richard asked for someone to store the water tanks the club purchased a while back to use for demonstrations and games at the picnics. One of the Bushgen men agreed. Rich also asked for a vote to rescind the old rule that the gold purveyor could only buy gold from members at 80% of spot. It was voted to change this rule to purchasing gold at current day prices.
While updating this letter, I have GOOD news about the Web Site! It is up and running. It’s not complete, obviously, but check it out!!!!!! I’ll fill in the details at the meeting.
Jerry Vande Weg was our speaker for the evening. He explained about filing claims and the proper way to do it. Jerry had charts and graphs as well as info. He provided details and anecdotes, and it was a very interesting talk. He also suggested places and books to help in your filing, and people to ask. I have had several calls from people who were excited by the information Jerry provided, and felt that his ‘speech’ was extremely interesting and infonnative. Thank you again Jerry.
Richard has asked me to announce a ‘bake off’ contest at the picnic. The categories will be appetizers and desserts, so think about what you want to enter. We’re giving you plenty of time to decide. We’ve picked up prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each category. He also asked me to remind everyone that the picnic will be the meeting for June, so don’t go to the Vet’s building for the June meeting. It will be early; June 6, 2009. We will give this information each month so no one will forget.
I’ve also been asked to remind you that you need not be present to win when the silver ingot is raffled. Ask Roger how it works.
Mike Manning, who used to belong to the club, came to the Feb meeting. He is in need of a 2-1/2 inch dredge pump. He needs a PlOO, and he says the price needs to be cheaper than new. If anyone has a pump for sale, let me know and I can pass on the information.
That concludes most of the meeting “minutes” for February, 2009.
He asked me to tell you that he has a complete Blue Bowl set-up, including the 12-volt battery. He wants $150.00 for it. Call him at 707 328 4240.
Hopefully we’l1 see you at the March 18th meeting, at the Veteran’s Building, North Room. Many of us arrive between 6:30 and 7:00, and visit in the parking lot, but the meeting officially starts at 7:00.
If you are interested in being in our Resource Guide, a compilation of services the members of the club provide, bring me the information. It’s free advertising, and I can include friends and family if you’ll just bring me the information. The guide isn’t very thick and I’d like to have more information before giving it out. Even if it’s not a member but someone you’ve had work done by, 1’d like that information. With money short at this time for many of us, it would be nice to send work to members, family, or friends who won’t rip you off. You can also e-mail me the info at katheclose@att.net. Please think about it.
I’m also getting low on my blonde jokes, so some help would be appreciated.
Take care, and have fun!
Kathe
A guy walks into a bar filled with blondes. These aren’t your typical blondes; these are biker blondes, and some were pretty mean looking. But the guy walks up to the bartender and asks in a loud voice “Hey buddy, you wanna hear a good blonde joke?” The barkeep tries to ignore the guy, but instead of getting the hint, the man yells, “Hey! I asked if you wanted to hear a really funny blonde joke! Do You?” The bartender motions him to lean closer, and says, “Look around you fella! Do you really want to be telling that joke in here?” The guy looks around, sees all 13 blondes looking at him, and says, “You know, you’re right! I don’t want to have to explain it 13 times!”A blonde goes to a plastic surgeon and says she wants a face lift. The doc tells her he can do her one better, and says he can put a knot on top of her head, and she just needs to tighten the knot as the need arises. The blonde agrees, she gets her knot, and the doc doesn’t hear from her for 20 years. The blonde lady makes another appointment with the doc, and when he comes into the exam room, he asks how the knot worked for her. She replied, “Well it worked fine for the first 19 years, but this last year I’ve had these bags under my eyes that are so huge, I just can’t get rid of them ! That’s why I’m back here to see you.” The doctor looks at her, then says, “My dear, those aren’t bags, they’re your boobs!”
See you at the meeting!