Gold Meeting Notes dated 03/14/24
Start time: 7:08pm PST. Meeting led by Bill Izzard.
Price of Gold: $2178
Club membership is tied to price of gold.
Attendees: 36 members; 3-5 guests
Gold Show Update:
Considered a success due to number of volunteers. There were some homemade equipment as
contestants. Lots of good vendors and they were happy with turnout.
* Pre-show payments: $3,503. $833 during show. $1063 in club merchandise. Over $3k in memberships.
Paid admission is $1139. Total income over $16k for that show.
Next year's show will be March 8 and 9th and have paid fairgrounds. Some vendors complained that it is
questionable about hotels converting to summer's rates and so it is important to keep hotel affordable for
the vendors who come out of area.
Homemade equipment had cash prizes and presented their equipment. First price was to make water
warmer so he can stay in water longer. He converted weed burner and wrapped copper tubing around 6"
and runs the water through it. He has been using this device for 5 years. His propane tank lasts 3 days
between he and partner panner. He went to snoqualmine in last weekend of October where it was cold
and he was still able to be comfortable to do 2 hour dive.
All raffle prizes have been delivered.
Business Pieces:
Treasurer's Report for February was accepted. Treasurer's report is in nugget news and members/guests were encouraged to provide email address to keep costs down since postage is free.
Minutes were posted on website and also accepted.
Storage unit: Members are organizing equipment and trying to organize the library. The rolling library
that was 800 pounds is now out of the way. We have room for racks and we purchased two racks. One is
small and other is large. He brought book samples of what is in library and members are encouraged to
review books. There is a log of books of members who checked out book. There's a lot more room to
look at the books. The storage unit is getting more and more organized and accessible. The prior location
allowed use of storage of the library, but our current venue cannot afford to share the space. Storage Unit
is near Union Gospel thrift store. Members requested book list to be added to website like Nugget news
is. Volunteers were encouraged to embark on creating book list. There are more periodicals than there
are books. We are not putting claim maps on website since we are responsible to keep claims clean. We
are the responsible party to maintain the land.
Club doesn't rent equipment; however, club members may agree to share on individual basis to help
others try out equipment before purchasing.
After April meetings, there is WA gold show in Cashmere, WA and there is a dog show in same venue.
April 13 and 14. Our club is advertising and promoting this event. Bob Lowe will be there.
Claims Tour: May 11th. Will start at 9am at Eagle city park between Prichard and Murray. This year, we
will have tent and will have panning lessons. Tour will start promptly at 10am. This is a good outing to
bring friends to see panning and see the claims. The tour takes about 2.5 hours. We avoid lunch breaks
because members don't continue tour after lunch. The claims have a lot of variety of access and gives
everyone opportunity to get different terrain and options for panning. 4pm at Eagle Park will have the
potluck. Club has potluck every outing weekend. Outing weekend is Saturday after club meeting at Eagle
Park. There are other potlucks at park, but they start at 5pm; however, our outing potlucks start at 4pm.
Civil War Reenactment doesn't fall on outing weekend, so check calendar on website.
Eagle park gets a mound of dirt to pan through and last year, they found a nugget even though metal
detectors already ran through it. Outing weekends has free park panning on that Saturday. Members
were encouraged to enjoy the park since it is free for us (the whole family) for day use. Camping
overnight has fees attached. Camping is $10 for the whole weekend on outing weekend. If it is not outing
weekend, then it is $30 for 3 days. There are honey buckets and has a community that feels like second
family. There restaurants in area near park. Pritchard's Tavern and Spraguepole were recommended.
The Eagle Park provides the panning equipment free of charge for participants to use. Eagle park would
welcome gasoline donations due to needing it for equipment use.
Nugget News has section to sell equipment. Please let Bob know and we can post for free to sell the
equipment as long as it mining equipment. Some members are looking for a jaw crusher.
!!!!WE HAVE A NEW CLAIM!!!! Claim is in Montana and was gifted to us from same person who gave us
Warren claim. The Vermillion claim is in Noxin area. It is a teritary from NE to Clark. It's a known gold
area and should be prosperous. It is our first Montana claim, so this may have different paperwork. Claim
is not available to prospect yet since we are still doing paperwork. It's up Thompson falls and bottom of
vermillion river. There is a lot of mining activity in the area in past and present. Mark is hoping to finish it
around Mid-Summer. Current claim owner may allow us to pan, but we want to make sure that we finish
that since he is still responsible for it.
Warren claim is above McCall and is remote. There is a lot of tailings and has nice gold there. There is
no water pumping on that claim.
Club owns 22 claims. There is a batch of multiple claims in one area, so it is not 22 all over since some
are adjacent. The gold member dues pay the claim fees.
No program tonight. Instead, we have Q&A for members and guests that was done on individual level.
Meeting adjourned at 8:23pm PST.
Gold Meeting February 8, 2024
Called to Order: 7:02pm PST
4 guests and 29 members attended.
Price of Gold: $2,049.
Meeting notes and treasurer's report for January has been accepted.
Legislative update AKA "Gloom and Doom Session" by Wayne McCarroll:
In CA, they are denying vested interest in an existing mine in Nevada county, CA. They say idaho-Maryland Mine is abandoned and mineral rights to the mine property have been sold with land sales. Couger and Kirk who represent rise gold to establish veste dright requires company to show that mining was occurring when use permit was issued in 1954 and there is inconclusive evidence. The IM mine was in production through 1956 with production flow sheets, aerial maps, etc (this is 2,000+ pages). The county is contesting all evidence. Rise Gold contends mineral rights wree not sold or abandoned and maintain its vested interests. Nevada county planning commission recommends against the zoning that mine would have. New neighbors in area do not want the mine. Cougar and Kirk are saying that this would be unconsitutional taking and are seeking financial compensation at market value for a mine, which is estimated to be $400 million. The board will hold meeting in 2024 for final vote on use permit.
General Caucus seeks to limit use of Antiquity Act to stop politicians from shutting down areas. This act gives them carte blance power. They are seeking assistance through the supreme court. North Forest group v USA and Murphy v biden were court cases that they are asking to be reviewed. They say that Obama and Biden administrations have abused the anitquities act to lock up federal lands and declare lands to be national monuments. The constitution says congress is to make law, but the presidents are increasingly served as a lawmaker, overstepping and circumventing congressional power.
Government Land Grabs-Antiquities Act of 1906 appease special interest groups and circumvent congress. Obama expanded or created 23 monuments and usurped more land than any other president.
Bevel Mine-EPA succeeded in blocking mine and sided with EPA. AK can still try to reverse decision through appeals.
Announcements:
* Please review newsletters and other information available on counters. Monthly meetings are also great time to sell used equipment, buy club merchandise. Bob Grammer sells club merchandise every meeting.
*Refreshment list sign up is available and has empty slots. Please consider participating.
*IDWR water permits are on calendar year, so please renvew before April if you need to. Bob can assist with permits.
Calendar of Events:
****WEBSITE HAS EVENTS PAGE NOW****
* Monroe, WA Gold Show is 03/17-03/18/24 at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds.
* Our gold show is March 9-10 at Kootenai County Fairgrounds
*NCWP Gold show in Cashmere, WA at their fairgrounds.
*May 11, 2024 NWGPA Claims Tour for new and existing members. We are wanting to have a bigger event this year to have gold panning demos, club botth information (10'x10' pop up tent). Tour starts at 10am, but gold panning lesson will be at 9am. Potluck at 4pm at Eagle City Park.
*June 20-26: Beach trip with WA prospecting club. Campground has is already reserved. Gold cube with sea water and only recirculating.
*Please submit any activities/ideas for next year. We would love to have more events/outings.
*Suggestion to have outing to claim Pony Gulch.
Claims Committee: No update.
Gold Show Overview:
We are sold out for booths. We still need volunteers for signs. Bill is distributing signs and had about 40 tonight. The signs go up on 3/4/24 and a day before.
Homemade and modified equipment contest has awards-open to club members only.
Call for volunteers! Volunteers do not have to pay admission.
We are still creating a seminar schedule. (3-4 on Saturday and 2-3 on Sunday).
Advertising on Craiglist and neighboring craigslist. Volunteer for someone to promote gold show on their social media accounts. We can share digital copy of flyers.
There are sluices in storage that will be raffled off.
Separate booth if you want to sell your used equipment as well.
Program tonight:
*How to Make a Snuffer Bottle by the Tassie Boys. (Just over 6 minutes). This is Mark's favorite snuffer bottle how-to video.
Request for new ideas on programs.
Meeting ended 8:13am PST