Maryland Free-State Treasure Club Maryland Free-State Treasure Club Meeting Minutes, August 27, 2015: The meeting was conducted at the Victory Villa Community Center, 404 Compass Rd., Baltimore, MD 21220, 410-887-0258. Minutes were submitted by Dave Miller. Call to Order: At 7:17 p.m. the meeting was called to order by the President, Mr. Gary Pennington. Gary introduced the club officers; Howard Shettle, vice president (who also oversees the Contest Board); Steve Cunningham, treasurer; and Dave Miller, secretary. Treasurers Report: Mr. Cunningham reported the M.F.S.T.C. has $7948.01 in the bank (mostly earmarked for October hunt prizes) and $196.72 petty cash in coins and bills. Gary Pennington reports the M.F.S.T.C. currently has an account balance of $376.00 in the Recreation and Parks account. Refreshments: The Stinemire family Mike, Renate and Gina provided another fine meal of Sloppy Joes, homemade coleslaw, vegetables, cheeses, fruits, cookies, candy, chips, soft drinks, etc. Our attendees are the luckiest in the metal detecting world to eat so well at meetings. Mini Hunt Winners: John Vice, Gene Dixon and Jack Pennington. Free Raffle Ticket Winners: Kathy Pine, John Vice, Ed Burgee, Connor Krieger and Amy Taylor won the free raffle tickets given to every meeting attendee. Raffles: Bill Kalwa won the 50-50 and Dave Miller won the silver round raffles managed expertly by Bill Hill and Leo Pollock. Leg of Gold drawing - Howard Shettle. Merchandise Table: Gina Stinemire and Olivia Cornwell oversaw sales of bumper stickers, t-shirts, patches and gloves. Welcome new members: We welcome Wendy Huber, Teri Graff and Amy Taylor to our family of detectorists. We look forward to seeing them in the field. Meet the Member: William "Bill" Hill, married and father of a 4-year-old daughter - also a 10-year volunteer fireman, was born in Baltimore and, influenced by his uncle, began detecting at an early age. He metal detected off-and-on for years until he met Leo Pollock. They soon teemed up and started detecting seriously. Both joined the Maryland Free-State Treasure Club in April, 2013, and since have become valuable members with their sense of volunteerism. Working the parks together, they became members of the "Hoover Boys," a dedicated metal detecting group of club members led by member Kurt Franz. Dealer's Report: Bob Taylor, who owns Taylor Metal Detectors and is a club member, told us about the upcoming large coil for the XP Deus. Not yet available, the coil will be talked about at another meeting. He also mentioned the Minelab 30-30 is getting great reviews and should be considered when one wants an upgrade. Unprecedented Trip to the Smithsonian: Bob Taylor, also vice president of the Bel Mar Coin Club, invited our members to an upcoming trip to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History to see how coins are made and to go behind-the-scenes of the national numismatic collection. Detector Review: Bill Hill reviewed the Minelab Go Find 60, donated to the "Hoover Boys" for video review. The Minelab Go Find 60, in the $400 price range, is lightweight and very portable. It folds up to a compact size and has no wires to fuss with: just turn it on and go. The Go-Find 60 features a backlit display for adjustments, automatic ground balancing and accurate pinpointing. It takes 4 AA batteries and is a single tone machine with no VDI readout. However, if you get the cell phone app for the detector, it opens up more tones. The Go Find 60 is a great backup machine and its compact size takes up very little room in the backseat or trunk. Trip to Atlantic City: Bud Lamb reports an upcoming bus trip to Atlantic City, NJ. Cost is $40. The event provides lunch and entertainment while en route and a credit for playing the slots. Most of the club members who have gone in the past enjoy a day of gambling and metal detecting on the beach. Bud will have a signup sheet at our September 24 meeting and will require full payment at that time. The Almost Gold Ring: Mike McCullough told his story if a gold ring with a blue stone he dug up while he was metal detecting. His heart filled with ever-faster thumping joy, the dirt-encrusted stone and gold-colored object was most certainly a valuable treasure until he noticed a separation in the band. It turned out to be an old children's ring - but not gold. Dang! August Outing: There was no August outing due to heat, dry ground and park restrictions. Contest Board Winners: Contest Board, "Leg-of-Gold," and Find of the Year rules are linked from the home page of our website. Next meeting: Thursday, September 24 at 7:00 p.m. (Mini hunt starts at 6:30 p.m. outside weather permitting) August program: TBA marylandfreestateclub.com |