General Membership Meeting of the Vernon Placer Miners Club
Met April 2 2024 at the Hall at 1204 30th Ave, Vernon BC. President Donna Smith opened the meeting at 7:11 PM. Note-taker was Cal Olsson. There were 17 members in attendance. Meeting started after potluck lunch.
Old Business Arising out of Last Meeting’s Minutes:
-Johnathon Paul has filled in the forms and sent them in so we are recognized as a society again. He has did up our gaming licence as well so we are legal.
-Donna has now purchased the 10X10 screen tent for Liana to use at BC Open . Best deal in town $156.79.at Canadian Tire.
Correspondence: by Donna Smith
· emails back and forth to Brenda Morrison and Jonathan Paull to find required information for licences etc.
Membership Report by Brenda Morrison
-20 families are currently paid up members in good standing.
-14Life timers in good standing
-5 Honorary members in good standing.
There is a common dues date of December. Dues are $20.00 per year per family, Dec. to Dec.
Social News by Donna Smith but Brenda has been informed it is now here job. Birthdays, deaths, illnesses and recoveries.
Happy Birthday to Mike Bjerstadt Dayna Hurd and Vi Turner.
John McFarlane is recovering from an operation.
Donna Smith is using a walker as her back/hip is out.
Treasurer’s Report by Donna Smith
Income………. $______________ Expenses………..$__________ Balance……..$_____________, Amounts reported at the meeting.
BC Open Comittee Report by ( Donna Smith, )
BC Open World Gold Panning Championships to take place Saturday May 18, and Sunday May 19, 2024. Set up on Friday May17th.
-Terry Regier has volunteered to do the dirt toss and flat panning again.
-Members chose prizes for the raffles. The raffle tickets one dollar each , for the large nugget- name and phone number to be written on the back of the ticket so know who the drawn ticket winners are. If no name on ticket, there will draw again. There will be two silent auctions- one on a large gold panner pendant and the other on a 3 piece nugget jewelry set. Both of course will have reserved bids to cover cost. If costs are not covered on those, it will revert back to who presented the option for them.
-Treasurer to buy the prizes. Prizes passed out on Sunday.
-Louie to look into having BC Open indicated on the flashing led sign on the highway in front of city hall when event is going on.
We need volunteers for this year’s BC Open Gold Panning Championships. Please consider giving a hand to help?
New Business:
-Treasurer purchased gold from Jerry Stainer for the ‘learn to pan’. 20 mesh size, $680.00.
-Treasurer purchased gold nuggets from Ken Montie $269.00 (Jerry still needs more small nuggets)
-Donna suggested a guess the marbles in a jar to win a nugget also.
-Donna went to the Science Center to ask about a display there. They suggested it be something that kids could touch and hold, different pans and such, and club is to get hold of them later for a May display
-Donna went to the Access Center, where we previously had a display, and they will get back to us.
–Maybe the girl Guides and Boy Scouts who have outdoor activities may want a talk about recreational prospecting?
Events:
Came early for potluck supper to visit and share stories , notes, jokes and such. Good turn out, lots of food..thanks everyone, I think we need to do this more often, getting back in to being more of a social club.
-next meeting May 7- @7pm
-On May 11 2024 come for a car show in Lumby. If you can dress for it that would be great, and wear your name tag. Kim Creed and Mike McKenzie have volunteered to help Rick with it. Don’t forget to bring a garden hose if you have one.
-John MacFarlane won the 50/50 draw $32.00 and also won a nugget, but declined so it was drawn for again.
-1st gold nugget door prize won by Kim Creed
-2nd gold nugget door prize won by Jerry Stainer ** only his second time winning since he joined in 1996
-June 6, outing to Kettle claim. For details call Rancid Crabtree (Cal) at 250 766-40
-June14,15,16 Lumby Days..Rick will only be there on 15&16 and will need help
-July gold cleanup (TBA)
The wonderful BC world of prospecting and mining, recreational and otherwise. Get in touch with provinces history.
The meeting adjourned at 9:01 PM.
Political Liaison and Information Committee. Report by Rick Peterson
Rick commented on the following invitation from the politicos to zoom meeting and what it may portend for us. Since it was a zoom meeting he didn’t attend but sorted it out with a reliable source. Many of them at the meeting agreed, there would be no zoom meeting for them either. Letter states:-
As a Free Miner Certificate Holder, we are pleased to invite you to the next interested group engagement session on April 4, 2024. On March 11th and 12th, The Ministry of Energy, Mines, and Low Carbon Innovation completed and conducted pre-engagement sessions with over 250 participants to inform the development of an engagement strategy. This upcoming session will provide an overview of the themes and feedback we have received through pre-engagement, as well as outline new engagement opportunities for interested groups. There will be an opportunity to provide further feedback on these engagement opportunities to help inform an engagement strategy for Mineral Tenure Act reform.
Session details
l Date: Thursday, April 4, 2024
l Time: 2:00 – 3:00 PM
l Location: Zoom (meeting link will be provided upon registration through Eventbrite)
To confirm your interest in participating, register through Eventbrite.
Please note that direct responses to this email will be deleted and not responded to. However, if you wish to stay up to date on this project please subscribe to the Interested Groups mailing list. To provide feedback on MTA reform please email MTA@gov.bc.ca.