General Membership Meeting of the Vernon Placer Miners Club
Met October 1, 2019 at the Hall at 1204 30th Ave, Vernon BC. President Gerry Morrison opened the meeting at 7:15 PM. Note-taker was Cal Olsson. 18 members attended the meeting. The minutes of the last meeting were read and adopted by a show of hands.
- Old Business Arising out of Last Meeting’s Minutes:
ü The gravel from the BC Open cleanup at Pat and Louis Yonkmans place went well. The Yonkmans are fine hosts and have a beautiful setting: it’s hoped we can do the clean-up there again next year. The gold recovered was given to Jerry Stainer and placed back for use in this year’s BC Open. Once again thanks to the Yonkmans and all the members who came out to help! Thanks to Louie as well for making that new facility for those who camp over.
ü Great appreciation to Kim Creed for the wonderful float he made for the Lumby Day’s parade! You did an awesome job.
ü Thankyou Rick Peterson for representing us so well at the Lumby Day’s and Vernon Sunfun events doing the ‘ learn to pan’.
ü Many Thanks also to Mike and Karen McKenzie for holding the learn to pan at the Rock and Gem shows and on the river at Mission creek.
Correspondence:
ü List of constructive suggestions from Liana Bjerstadt about things we could do to make this year’s BC Open more successful.
ü Just a lot of emails back and forth asking Donna questions. Nothing snail mail.
Membership Report by Donna Smith.
ü 9 families are currently paid up members in good standing.
ü 15 Life timers in good standing
ü 3 Honorary members in good standing.
ü There is a common dues due date of October first. Dues are $20.00 per year per family, Oct. to Oct.
Treasurer’s Report by Donna Smith.
Income………. $______________ Expenses………..$__________ Balance……..$_____________, Adopted by a show of hands.
BC Open Report by Interested Parties
Thanks to all of the volunteers who helped make the BC Open such a roaring success this year we are looking forward to an even more successful BC Open in 2020. All the prizes are secured already for the May event.
Some members did well in helping with the coffee can prizes and other heavy lifting duties from Donna Smith at the BC Open. Maybe we can keep on with this event. Donna will still handle the computer and mental work as well as advise and sell tickets. She just can no longer do the lifting.
If possible get the raffle tickets made up earlier.( we can now, as we have our prizes-they needed to be known first)
If you have any ideas providing lunches for the volunteers this year please let Gerry know.
More gold nuggets need to be bought, as we only have about 13 or less for prizes and we used about 45. We also need more little gold ones for our meeting draws. Jerry has about 43 grams of NON-usable gold for the club to be traded off for usable hopefully, so actual cash does not have to rob our bank funds too hard. Donna will report back on what offers she can find at the next meeting. If any of you have small useable NUGGETS or PICKERS.. please come see Jerry or Donna, and get a fair price.
It’s probably a good idea to get in touch with the Enderby RV Park to confirm your site reservation for 2020.
New Business:
üPat Yonkman moved we do away with the $10.00 half year membership. Seconded by John McFarlane. discussed, voted on and passed.
ü Rick Peterson moved that we pay our $200.00 dues to the British Columbia Placer Miners Association. Seconded by Kim Creed: discussed, voted on and passed. It was agreed upon that lunch cost for Rick and Cal would be covered by the club.
Announcements.
ü The Xmas dinner will be held on the regular meeting night: first Tuesday in December (on Dec.3rd) . The club will buy the two turkeys, ham and potatoes. Ruth Huizinga is going to cook one of the turkeys. Pat Yonkman will do the ham. Donna will do the potatoes, so we need one more person to cook one more turkey..please contact Donna. Bring a gift for gift exchange and write on it for male or female. Would you please email Donna at mrspumpkin36@hotmail.com or phone 250-309-9117 to let her know what potluck dish you’ll be bringing? Santa Claus is having trouble getting permits to fly his reindeer over Russia and China so he may not be able to make it this year! Your pets will be happy to know left overs may be taken home. Bring your own leftover container. We set up at 5 pm and start supper at 6pm. If you would like to come early and help move tables and chairs, it would be appreciated, like maybe 3 pm?? There will be no food bank donation, as we have decided we all donate all year round, and it is too difficult to get hold of anyone there after the dinner to take them the leftovers. Happy Holidays!
ü If you have any ideas for the 2020 itinerary let Gerry know at 250-309-7683 or email agmorrison60@gmail.com. Or let Cal know. cal-ole@shaw.ca
ü We still have Ken Cuffe’s Santa outfit. It’s thought that this mystical suit would fit last year’s Mrs. Clause’s husband Gerry Morrison perfectly.
Election Results by Louie Yonkman, Elections Committee Chairman:
President……………………..To be announced
Vice President………………. To be announced
Secretary…………………….. To be announced
Treasurer…………………….. To be announced
VP Membership…………….. To be announced
Phone Committee Chairperson… To be announced
Political Liaison & Information Committee Representative… To be announced
BC Open Gold Championships Chairperson…… To be announced.
Volunteer Appointments by President Gerry Morrison were for Refreshments and Correspondence: To be announced
Presentation;
Wayne Thompson brought in his prospecting mining kit and is donating it to the club for gifting to some young person just getting started. He also told us of finding the frame from his 1964 motorcycle accessory box that had Vernon gold panning club engraved on it. I guess we are older than we think. Ruth Huizinga is going to look into the provenance of this, maybe find out something about this from the Vernon Museum. This definitely makes Wayne Thompson holding the oldest memorabelia.
Social Convener’s Report by Donna Smith:
Best Wishes for a happy birthday for October 2019 go out to: Ken Montie, who is having his today, Donna Smith is also Oct, and that is why she goes by mrspumpkin, Joyce Hall, Robin Jenner, Barb Mathers, Lorne Tkaczyk, Terry Regier, and Happy Birthday to one and all.
Donna wishes to thank all of you for thinking of her after her latest heart attack. Your concern was warm and sincere.
Louie Yonkman won the first nugget door prize, and Ruth Huizinga the second.
Gerry Morrison won the 50/50 draw $18.00.
The meeting adjourned at 9:15 PM.
Political Liaison and Information Committee. Report by Rick Petersen
There is the BCPMA general meeting this October 19th At the Coast hotel in Kamloops. There will be a couple of bureaucrats from the govt. there.
All or any of the club members are encouraged to attend: get in touch with Rick at 250-681-0908 about car- pooling and issues you’re concerned about.
For example; treating metal detecting as machine mining.
Perhaps we can get some reliable clarification on what an ‘agent’ can do and what happens when a tenure holder with a partner(s) dies with or without a will?
Why the latest crop of ministry officials are so ignorant of grass roots placer prospecting/mining.