Hello again,
Time to remind everyone that the April meeting is coming up, so : the meeting will be April 18, 2012 at the Veterans Memorial Bldg, Maple Ave across from the Sonoma County Fairgrounds Main Pavilion; it starts at 7:00 pm and is held in the North Room. Visitors and guests are welcome, and if you bring a guest this month you receive a raffle ticket. I hope you’ll join us.
Minutes from the March meeting: James opened with Rose Klemenok reading a joke. It started the meeting with a laugh and good humor. James then welcomed new-comers as well as the members. Roger announced the Proof Set raffle would be held during the meeting so be sure to get tickets during the break. Brett Moore suggested we all purchase T-Shirts to pay Ben back for his expenses, and to help advertise our club as well as help finance future outings. THANK YOU Brett. James talked about the importance of PLP and asked that you help them in any way you are able. If you don’t have extra funds (like me) you can volunteer to do other things. At least think about it. James asked if anyone had taken any trips or gone ‘hunting’ gold. Iron Mike impressed us, AGAIN, with his gold. I have to remind you, Mike WORKS for that gold; contrary to popular opinion, it does NOT jump into his pan! The club had a spontaneous outing to Bear River ; 12 people showed up and everyone found color. Frank Maytus took his metal detector and found gold at Bear. Frank talked about his box for collecting “flour” gold, and his technique of combining metal detector and gravity for a better yield. He used his detector to find soil mineral content and then shoveled that soil into his gravity sluice. I am over simplifying the process, but there isn’t room to detail it. Besides, come to the meetings and find out for yourself. Frank found LOTS of color, and he is bringing photos of it to this meeting. James encouraged all of us to bring our ‘inventions’ to share, and thanked Frank for his contributions. Pete Riley shared info about baggies; what to use them for and where to find the unusual sizes. He also shared the many clever uses he has found for a special caulking material, and where to find the specialized caulking; it’s not the run-of-the-mill stuff most of us are used to using. James brought up the Annual Picnic, and Danny Labourin is checking on the Club House at his complex. We had the picnic there two years ago. It’s not as large as the Pennegrove Park, but in MANY ways it’s a better deal. We’re trying to organize things earlier this year and delegate more of the work. It’s scheduled for May, and as soon as the Club House is secured, we’ll update you. James went over outings and club procedure: The Club pays for one outing each year but we have two ‘formal’ outings planned. We will be asking for a donation for the second outing; it will NOT be expensive but it will pay the approx. $600 that outings cost. Frank Madsen has found cheaper insurance so we’ve cut the cost from almost $800 to around $600. We do get the deposit refunded IF we do no damage and clean up after ourselves. The Club is paying for the outing in October; those attending the August outing will be asked to pay a small amount. The outing in August is during the week so you’ll have to arrange for time off if your job requires it. Danny and Cecil spoke about Roaring Camp, and possible outing s there. They are going to check on costs and fill us in at this meeting. Randy Ricci also talked about Roaring Camp and possibly getting a group discount . Again, we’ll keep you posted. We also want to remind you that Frank Maytus has a lot of gear and ‘stuff’ for mining and prospecting as well as detectors, and his rates are more than fair, so check his stuff out. And, Bob Draper has detecting ‘stuff’ as well as detectors. If you are going to spend money, may as well keep it in the family; you’ll know where it came from and you’ll be able to access help if you need it. Pete Riley mentioned that he is a member of a club in the Feather River area; he’s going to check about a shared outing with them. I lived in Oroville and we, as kids, found gold in the old dredge piles, a LOT. It might be fun to visit another club and share in their spots. We’ll see. James has had a conversation with Phil Herzog about gravity dredges. So far, they are still completely legal. Frank Maytus suggested that you go to the Fish & Game web-site for all the rules and regulations so they don’t get you for some obscure rules. As it stands now, there will be NO motorized dredging until 2016; let’s hope they don’t decide to take the gravity dredges from us, too. On a happier note, Lance shared his Nevada gold specimens. Beautiful stuff, Lance. Thanks for sharing. We had the Break, then the raffle for the Proof Set. Dick Sibbett won the Set, which Richard Giddens donated, by the way. Congrates, Dick ( or Sharon?) !!! There was a little more information shared, such as the El Dorado Gold Summit to be held May 12 and 13, 2012, and where to find the Gold Prospectors Journal; you’ll find it at Barnes and Noble. We had the raffle and the meeting was adjourned.
Here’s a few jokes sent by members ……ENJOY
A biker stops by the local Harley shop to have his bike fixed. They couldn’t fix it while he waited but since he lived a short distance away, he decided to walk home and come back later. On his was home he stopped at the hardware store and bought a bucket and an anvil. He then stopped at the feed store and bought two chickens and a goose. However, struggling outside the store, he now had a problem: how to carry all his purchases home. While he was trying to figure out a solution, an old lady approached him and said she was lost. She asked if he could tell her how to get to Mockingbird Lane. He replied that, as a matter of fact, he lived on Mockingbird Lane. “I could walk you home ma’m, but I can’t carry all this stuff I bought!” The old lady suggested, “Why don ‘t you put the anvil in the bucket, carry the bucket in one hand, put a chicken under each arm, and carry the goose in your other hand?” “Great idea! Thank you!” and he proceeded to walk the old girl home. After a few blocks he said,” Let’s take a short-cut down this alley. It will save a lot of time.” The old lady looked at him and said, “I am a lonely widow without a husband to defend me. I have been alone for a long time now. How do I know you won’t hold me against the wall, pull up my skirt and ravish me?” Shocked, and taken aback he said, ” Holy smokes, lady!! I wouldn’t do that! I’m carrying a bucket, an anvil, two chickens, and a goose! How in the world could I possibly hold you against the wall, and ….DO THAT!!?” The old lady replied, “Put the goose down, cover him with the bucket, put the anvil on top of the bucket, and I’ll hold the chickens……..”
A blonde is flying in a two-seat airplane with just the pilot. The pilot suddenly has a heart attack and dies. She frantically grabs the radio and cries, “May Day, May Day. Help me, please! The pilot has had a heart attack and is dead. I don’t know how to fly a plane!! Please, help me! Help me!” All of a sudden she hears a voice over the radio saying, “This is the tower. I have received your message and I can talk you thru this. I’ve had lots of experience with this type of problem. Just relax, and do as I say. Now, take a deep breath, and tell me your height and position.” “Well, I’m 5’ 4″, and I’m in the front passenger seat” is her reply. After a pause she heard “Ooo-kay….repeat after me: Our Father, Who Art in Heaven………”
See you at the meeting! Kathe