The next board meeting will be on April 11, 2000.  The meeting will be held at Maurer's Dive Shop in Carrolltown at 7:30 P.M.

Treasurer's Report:  Income: $0, Expenses: $41.14, Current Balance: $2255.00

Dan Kelly presented a slide presentation of the recent club trip to Bimini with Blackbeard Cruises.  Dan laboriously scanned over 150 pictures, set the slides to Jimmy Buffet music, and with the help of the "T-Girls" (Donna, Lois and Barb) created suitable captions for the slides.  A big thanks to Dan for a professional-quality and entertaining slide show!

We will be holding nominations for our new officers at the April meeting.  The vote will be in June, and the new officers take over in August.  To help keep the nominations running smoothly, and to make sure that all nominated parties are interested in the office, we will be using a nomination committee for candidate selection.  The committee will consist of board members Sandy Beecher and Barb Wyland, and general membership members Lois Keegan, Mark Hooper and Kim McKee.  Please let any of the committee members know if you are interested in an office.  Offices and duties are as follows:

President:  To preside at all meetings, to act as official spokesman for the club, to be empowered to sign all necessary documents in the name of the club when directed by the Board of Directors or the membership, to coordinate all club activities, to serve as chairperson for the Board of Directors.

Vice-President:  To act as assistant to the President, to preside in the absence of the President, and when so acting, to have full authority of the President, to coordinate and oversee all fund-raising activities, to distribute and gather all necessary quarry and liability releases.

Treasurer:  (need to have access to a computer and Quicken accounting software)  To collect all monies for the club, to disperse funds as directed by the Board of Directors, to keep a record of all transactions and to deliver a report of same at all regular club meetings, to keep a record of all paid members and work with the Secretary in maintaining a membership roster, to be responsible for all club property.

Secretary:  (needs to have access to a computer and to the internet)  To record the minutes of all meetings, to be responsible for all club correspondence, to maintain the club's membership roster, to prepare and keep an up-to-date supply of address labels for all active members, to prepare the club newsletter.

By now, everyone should have tickets for our annual fundraiser. The prize will be $100 for each of five days based on the PA daily lottery number during Memorial Day week. Please try to sell all of your tickets, and turn in your monies no later than the May meeting.  If you are unable to sell all of your tickets, please return them to V.P. Josh Keyser so that they can be redistributed them to anyone able to sell more.

Laurel Diver Jackets are still available.  The jackets are red with white lettering and a fleece lining.  Cost for the jackets are $66.95 each.  Please call Donna Bender at 472-9796, or e-mail her at Donna@Bender.net if interested.

Bob Maurer reminds everyone that sign-ins are important when using the quarry property.  Please let Bob know immediately if you see any unauthorized persons at the quarry.

Please remember that the Laurel Divers web page has moved.  If you go to the old site, a link will direct you to the new address at http://LaurelDivers.com.

On March 25th, we will be holding a racquetball / wallyball party at the Ebensburg Health and Wellness Center in the Ebensburg Industrial Park from 7:00 to 10:00 P.M.  To reach the Health and Wellness Center, travel west on Route 22 past the Penn Gables Restaurant.  Turn left towards the mini-mall at the light across from McDonalds.  Make the first right turn and follow the road to the health club.

On April 1st, if enough people are interested, we will be traveling to Mount Storm for an April Fool's splash.  Please let Donna Bender know if you plan on attending.  You can call her at 472-9796, or email her at Donna@Bender.net
 
D & R Divers Annual Treasure Hunt will be held on Saturday May 20th at Elk State Park in Wilcox, PA.  Registration will be from 9:00 to 11:00 A.M.  Cost for the dive is $25 for registration on or before April 15th, or $30 after.  Early registration includes a free T-shirt.  This is a charity dive to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Laurel Divers will be making a $100 donation again this year.  Last year's event raised over $12,000 for the charity.  Donna Bender will be coordinating the event for our club, and requests that all members wishing to attend take care of their own registration.  More information is available from D & R Divers at 814-265-1227 or at drdivers@penn.com.  Donna also has registration forms.  You can call her at 472-9796, or e-mail her at Donna@Bender.net.

We will be making a trip to Lake Erie on June 17th and June 18th, and diving with Captain Mark Musante.  Saturday's wrecks will be the Boland (130') and the SK Martin (60'). Sunday's itinerary will be the Indiana (95') and the SK Martin (60').  Information about the SK Martin can be found in the April 1999 Laurel Divers Newsletter available on our web site.  Cost for the dive is $55, and a $25 deposit is necessary to reserve your spot.  We are limited to 6 divers per day.  At present, 3 spots are still available for Saturday, and Sunday is full.  Anyone unable to make this trip and wanting to book an alternate date with Mark Musante can call him at 814-734-1560 (let him know that you're from the Laurel Divers--only 2 divers were needed to book last year).  For more information about the trip, you can call me (Denny) at 472-5776, or e-mail me at Mosskeetoe@aol.com.

The trip to Morehead City, NC is now booked for July 29th and 30th.  We will be diving for two days aboard the Diver Down, and will likely visit the wreck of the U-352 (see last month's newsletter).  Cost for the diving is $70 per day, and the trip is limited to 18 divers.  A deposit of $140 is needed to reserve your spot.  Payment is due no later than May 1st, but it is suggested that you book early--we will be opening the trip to non-club members in late April if the boat is not full.  Rooms are available for $67.50 per night with up to 4-person occupancy.  Call Jim Smith or Sandy Verdavoir at 696-1938, or e-mail Jim at JCSDMD@aol.com, for further details.

We will be holding a trip to the Thousand Islands on August 24th - 27th.  We will be staying at 3 small cottages, and will have 2 days of charter boat wreck diving.  There are also shore dives available, several on readily accessible wrecks.  Cost for the trip is approximately $220 for lodging and diving, and a $100 deposit is necessary to reserve your spot.  The trip is limited to 15 divers, and is nearly full at present.  More information about the region and diving can be found in the October 1999 and November 1999 Laurel Divers newsletters available on our web site.  Call Sandy Beecher at 472-5776, or e-mail her at Beechball@aol.com for further details.

Sadly, I have nothing to report once again for this section.  This time of year is generally a period of diving inactivity for many of us, but hopefully there are still some interesting things happening for some of us.  Please remember to let me know--it won't cost you a dime (honest).