October 2013
MFSTC Newsletter
At 7:10 P.M. our October 29, 2013 meeting was called to order by the President, Mr. Gary Pennington at our Victory Villa meeting location. The minutes are provided by Ms. Christine Wisnom, Secretary.
Organization officers: Howard Shettle, vice president, Steve Cunningham, treasurer and Christine Wisnom, secretary were introduced. Alvin “Bud” Lamb, who served the committee as the previous secretary, now assists members as an instructor. Bud was thanked for the tireless service, time and talent that he contributed to our club as past secretary and newsletter editor. We will continue to enjoy Bud’s company and contributions as an active member and instructor.
New members: The M.F.S.T.C welcomes Kathy Pine, Patrick Roche, Steven King and Tom Katzenberger as new members.
Refreshment Committee: We would like to thank Jim and Austin Bialozynski, for their continued efforts in providing refreshments to our group. The pizzas and pastries they provided were enjoyed and appreciated by all of the members.
Techniques: Gary Pennington urged members to check out the valuable treasure hunting techniques on YouTube which can be found on the Maryland Free-State Treasure Club website:
(
http://marylandfreestateclub.com/Media.html )
Treasurer’s Report: was provided by Steve Cunningham, who indicated that the club currently has $825.92 in the Baltimore County Savings Bank.
Thank you: We would like to thank Jay Brown of Essex Metal Detectors for his generosity in contributing to our club in the past and present. Jay has been with the M.F.S.T.C since 1975 and was thanked for his continued support. His contributions to our October meeting included batteries for previously donated equipment and a White’s logo cold weather jacket, perfect for metal detecting in cold weather. He also provided White’s Detectors catalogs with coupons for “Christmas specials.”
Appreciation: Rose and Melvin Marshall, Jay Brown and Jack Pennington are appreciated for their being with the club since soon after it was defined in 1972. We hope all of our members become as serious and tenacious as they have been.
Product Questions: Mr. Bob Taylor was on hand with metal detecting accessories and to answer questions about metal detecting products.
Condolences: A club member recently had surgery and will not be in attendance for several months. We would like to extend our sincere thoughts and wishes to her and her family. The group voted to send a note and flower as a token of our concern.
Website: Steve Cunningham has developed and maintained the club website at his own expense and time. Invoices must be paid for monthly hosting and yearly domain renewal which comes out of Steve’s pocket. Gary Pennington placed a motion on the floor to provide a silver round to Steve quarterly to offset the charges. The proposal passed unanimously. We wish to thank Steve for all of his efforts.
Raffle: This month both a 50/50, and a standing liberty silver dollar were raffled off. A total of $134 dollars was collected. The $31 50/50 cash prize was won by Ms. Rose Marshall. The silver dollar was won by Jose-Luis Sagripanti. The raffle was a big success thanks to the generosity of our club members.
Club Hunt: On October 20, fifteen detectorists joined us for what turned out to be a beautiful day at Double Rock Park on October 20. Some with new detectors were able to check their VDIs and sounds against our above-ground test field with many items from various pennies to jewelry. Plenty of junk targets were laid out to compare the signals with good targets.
Detectorists Present: Jim Bialozynski, Steve Cunningham, George Dowell, Bud Lamb, John Manzari, Gary Pennington, Frank Silva, Mike and Gina Stinemire, Bill Wise, Chris and Wade Wisnom, Frank Ziemski, Joe McDrermott (from the Chesapeake Club) and Mike Sell (From the M.A.R.S. club).
Gary Pennington found a standing Liberty half dollar in great condition (only two inches deep) and Bill Wise found a very old half-penny (in poor condition) that might date back to the eighteenth century. Everyone found a variety of targets from a hand full of change to some nice toy cars. Double Rock Park was productive and worth further exploration.
Next Club Hunt: our next club hunt is at Druid Hill Park November 10 at 10 AM. Details are here:
http://marylandfreestateclub.com/Hunts/DruidHillPark/DruidHillPark.html
Club Finds: Vice President, Howard Shettle, reviewed the winners from the October club display board:
Coins: 1st - Gary Pennington, 2nd - Austin Bialozynski, 3rd - Dave Denkenberger.
Relics: 1st - Dave Denkenberger, 2nd - Austin Bialozynski, 3rd - Howard Shettle
Favorite: Kathy Pine.
September’s Treasure (closed) Hunt: The Primary Sponsored Club Hunt Event this year was conducted on Saturday, September 28, 2013, from 11:00 AM- 2:00 PM, at the Gunpowder State Park, Hammerman area beach. Coins and tokens were buried for various prizes. The cost was $35.00 per person. The $35.00 fee to register served to offset the price of the silver coins, prizes and food. Each registrant received a Minelab tote bag filled with valuable gifts from our sponsors. The hunt was “closed”, which meant for members only.
Our sponcors, who generously donated prizes for the hunt were; Bob DeGulimio of Battlefield Detectors; Bob Taylor of Taylor Metal Detectors; Jay Brown of Essex Detector Sales; and the folks at Teknetics and Fisher Metal Detectors (First Texas Products) who provided promotional packages loaded with goodies. The primary expenses were the responsibility of our group.
The subject of next year’s treasure hunt being “open” or “closed” was posed to the group. Mr. Pennington explained that having a major closed hunt was financially difficult for one club to provide. When the hunt is “open” other groups are included and share in the costs of food, coins and prizes by registering. A motion was placed on the floor, the group voted to have our primary hunt “open” next year.
Permits: The availability of county and state permits for metal detecting was discussed. We talked about Baltimore City ($25 money order) and Baltimore County (no charge), the locations where permits are granted and some of their restrictions. For example, during the months of July and August, metal detecting is not permitted in city parks in order to prevent disruption of the summer sports schedules. Several counties currently permit metal detecting in beach areas only from 6-9 AM. Permits for metal detecting in Howard County will not be available until after January 2014. A proposed stipulation, in order to obtain a permit, is completion of a metal detecting class provided by Howard County. As a reminder, the use of shovels are not permitted in parks - six-inch digging tools only.
Permit Applications: can be found on the M.F.S.T.C. website here:
http://marylandfreestateclub.com/Permits.html
New Business: With the rapid expansion of the club, a larger meeting room is necessary. After much location research by Steve Cunningham and Gary Pennington, Gary presented the report. At the present time, the best option may be the auditorium, located within the Recreation Center at our current meeting place. The only time that it is available, however, is on Thursday evenings after 7:30 PM; which would require that we change the day and time of our meetings. We would be responsible for setting up the chairs and tables for the meeting and putting them away following the meeting. Previous options would have involved numerous stipulations, including obtaining expensive insurance. A motion to move the meeting place to the auditorium from our current location was placed on the floor. The club voted to move the location and time of the monthly meetings. Starting December 19th (our Pot Luck Christmas Pary), meetings will be conducted on Thursday evenings, from 7:30-9:30, in the auditorium. Club members are encouraged to be present at approximately 7 PM to assist with the organization of the room and chat, and to stay following the meeting to assist with the break down. Steve Cunningham will communicate with all members via email regarding the changes, and on the MFSTC website. The changes will NOT be in effect for the November meeting.
December Pot Luck: On Thursday, December 19, 2013 we will hold our annual Christmas meeting with a “pot luck” dinner. The club will supply the paper goods and drinks. A sign-up sheet will be circulated. This is a chance to share your “Best Dish.” All family members are invited to attend.
New Metal Detecting Organization: Brochures and literature were distributed regarding “The Task Force for Metal Detecting Rights Foundation (TFMDRF), an organization developed to promote “advocacy, education, communication and unity” for metal detecting. The brochure describes their mission as “Promoting and defending the right to enjoy the recreational hobby of metal detecting on public use lands and waterways.” It described the success of their efforts in NY. An invitation to join is extended to members by visiting their website at www.TFMDRF.org.
Club Finds of the Year: will occur in December. All members who participated in the 2013 monthly club finds are invited to re-enter their best find in the December contest. Grand prizes will be awarded for the year-end.
Election: Gary Pennington announced that he offered the secretarial position to Christine Wisnom when Mr. Bud Lamb resigned. Christine accepted the position. Gary proposed that Chris be elected as secretary. The vote passed. Chris’s schedule will sometimes prevent her from attending. Her schedule will be provided to accommodate the smooth transition of the meeting minutes.
Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 PM. The next meeting will be held on 11/26/2013