Penn Gables, Ebensburg 34 members present

Next regular meeting:  Thursday, November 2, 2000, Penn Gables, 7:30p.m.
Next board meeting:  Thursday, November, 9, 2000, Maurer Dive Shop, 7:30p.m.

President, Donna Bender, called the meeting to order.

Treasurer, Barb Wyland, gave the treasurer’s report.  Income:  $187.00  Expenses:  $427.68  Balance:  $1910.21

Upcoming Events

Ghost Town Trail Ride - Saturday October 21, 2000
Ride starts a 9:00a.m. $10 registration
Brochure - contact Donna Bender if interested (472-9796) - send in own registration
Riders can meet in Vintondale.

Directions to Joe Gordon’s house:
From Ebensburg, take 422 west.
Travel 8 miles to Triangle Restaurant; turn left onto 271 South
Travel 1/2 mile to a Sawmill; turn left onto Red Mill Road
Travel about 2 miles to Red Mill Parking Lot.
The White House on left is Joe's House.
The Cabin is 1/4 mile up the Ghost Town Trail extension from Joe's House

Directions to Vintondale:   from Ebensburg,  Rt 22  West to Sheepskin Shop, make a right at the blinking light at the Sheepskin Shop.  Follow road to bottom of hill (this will be Vintondale), make a left and follow through town to stop sign.  On your right is a parking lot where you can park and ride the trail to Dilltown, Nanty Glo or Joe’s.

Saturday, October 14th, 7:00p.m., Halloween Haunted House – meeting at Donna Bender’s house.  Haunted House at Shadow Box Garden Center.  Call Donna if coming.  472-9796

Lobster Tailgate - Sat Oct 21, Penn State vs. Illinois, 11:00a.m. kickoff
$15 for Lobster Dinner
$10 for sides, no lobster
$2 for chances on a Halcyon BCD
Must register for dinner by October 14th.

Halloween Dive/Chili Contest, Saturday, October 28th.  Diving between 2:00p.m. and 5:00p.m.  Chili Contest to follow.  $5 registration for dive.  Prize is $100 gift certificate at Maurer Dive Shop.

Christmas Party, Saturday, December 2, 2000, 6:30p.m. cocktails, 7:00p.m. dinner, and 8:00p.m. to 11:00p.m. Many Magical Moments Mastered by those Maniacs of Music, the Dashing Diving DJ’s of the  Laurel Divers – that’s right – the Minstrels of Motown  - the Minutemen of Music – the Madcap, Macho McVicker Men!  You might know them by the strange masks they wear on occasion, but we all know them as the great guys who make our Christmas Party rock!
Stuffed Chicken Breast, Stuffed Pork Chop, or Lasagna for $12.75.  Baked Haddock $15.50.

DAN Ascent Rate Studies – Tentative dates: December 15, 2000 and February 9, 2001.  Contact Donna Bender if interested (472-9796)  DAN pays $75 plus board.

DAN O2 course given by Sue Morra, Shelley Kirkpatrick and Bert Sharbaugh.  November 15th and 16th.  $45 for the class.  $20 deposit to hold your place in the class.  Make checks payable to Sue Morra.
Sue also offers a Hazardous Marine Life First Aid Course by DAN – cost is $25.  Let Sue know if interested.

Thanksgiving Dive at Mount Storm, Saturday, November 25th.  Also interest in going Saturday, November 18th.  Call Barb Wyland if interested.  (344-8081)

Nekton Pilot out of Belize, January 27, 2001.  Contact Donna Bender if interested.  (472-9796)

Morehead City – June 2-3, 2001, will start booking in January.

Nova Scotia, September 1 through 9, 2001 – details to follow.

Calendar for 2001 – please submit any dates and trips you may have in mind so we can get them on the calendar.

CPR classes, October 10th and October 19th, 6:00p.m. to 10:00p.m., Maurer Dive Shop, taught by Brad McVicker.
Oct. 10 – Denny and Sandy, John A, Everett and Chuck
Oct. 19 – Tom and Hailey, Kim and Natalie and Barb
If you cannot make your scheduled class, please call the shop and let us know so that someone else can get in on the class.

Constitutional Changes:

Article IV- Section IV:
READS: Members dropped from the club roll for non-payment of dues must be reinstated by a vote of a quorum of the Board of Directors, after submitting a new, updated membership application.
PROPOSED REVISION: Drop the word “new”.  This will allow us to update in person or by phone call - a new application will not be required.

 Article VI - Section V: Board of Directors
READS:...four elected members who shall be elected by the membership, from the membership, and the election shall be held at the first regular meeting of each calendar year.
PROPOSED REVISION: ...the election shall be held at the last regular meeting of the calendar year (December)

Article VI - Section V - number 5
READS: From the membership there will be three auditors elected, by the membership and from the membership, whose only duty will be to conduct a semi-annual audit of the club’s financial records.  Said auditors will be elected at the first regular meeting of the calendar year.
PROPOSED: From the membership, there will be 3 volunteer members selected to conduct a yearly audit of the club financial records.    These volunteers will be selected at the July meeting.  The audit will be conducted in August as the new officers take their office.  An additional audit may be conducted at any time if deemed necessary by the club officers or members.

Rules & Regulations: # 6
READS:  Anyone wishing to sponsor a Club trip must submit the following information to the Board for approval before the trip can be said to be Club sanctioned and advertised in the Club newsletter: area, type of dive, current, visibility, type of boat, conditions normally seen, equipment needed, and rated for diver of what ability.
PROPOSED: Delete

All of the above changes were read and  approved by a vote at the October 5, 2000 meeting.

BUSINESS

Lifetime Membership Award Presented
Jim Hostetler was presented with Lifetime Membership for Laurel Divers for all his work starting the club.  Many thanks Jim and here’s to the next 25 years!

Thanks to the Web Guy!
Ron Peterson took the floor to let us know what is new of the Laurel Divers’ web page.  Many thanks to Ron for all your work on our web page.  As always, GREAT JOB – or in  language Ron would understand:  ThankYou@LaurelDivers.com.

Welcome to Laurel Divers:
Diane Malloy, certified 1979, Johnstown, YMCA, Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Stress & Rescue.
Carl R. Colyer, certified open water, June, 2000, with Shelley Kirkpatrick, Blue Hole Quarry.
Clay D. Cameron, certified July, 1002, Deep Six Dive Center, Advanced Open Water.

Raystown Picnic report, Denny Beecher.  Approximately 20 divers attended the annual Raystown Picnic on Saturday, September 10th.  A Pontoon was rented for they day and two trips out were made.  Diving took place on Swimmer’s Cliffs, the WV and Cemetery Wall.  Treasures found:  an anchor, Timex watch (still ticking), an earring, two bracelets, and various socks and shoes were seen.

Mount Storm by Mark Hooper, reported 5-10’ vis with 80 degree water temps at 90’.

Cozumel/Cancun, Jim Hostetler.  Wonderful diving with “Scuba Cancun” despite a tropical storm while they were there.  Dove Santa Rosa’s Wall (a drift dive) and Paradise Reef.  120’ vis.

Blue Hole Quarry – 25’ vis reported by Sue Morra.

Information regarding a Gateway Clipper Cruise was passed.  Let us know  of any interest.

Bob Maurer informed everyone that there is a new O2/first aid box at the shop.  Please remember to take on club-sanctioned trips.

PROGRAM:
Hawaii trip by Sue Morra.  Sue gave a presentation with wonderful slides of her trip to Hawaii. We all had a wonderful armchair trip to the islands thanks to Sue!

Day book was won by Connie Wirfel, not present.  $75 to carry over to next month.
Door Prize, Undersea Journal, won by Barb Wyland.

Meeting adjourned.

I Don’t Know Nothing!
Please let me know of any events or diving milestones you have made.  Birthdays, anniversaries, 100th dive?   Call me, we’ll talk.  Lois@TechniqueSystems.com or 814 472-0774.

BOARD MEETING, Oct. 12, 2000, 7:30p.m., Maurer Dive Shop

Attendees:  Donna Bender, Barb Wyland, Lois Keegan, Ron Peterson, Joe Gordon, Bert Sharbaugh, and Nelda Donnelly.

New Application:  John Wenturine III, certified 09/24/00, Maurer’s Dive Shop.
Alice Kline – re-up

Discussed gifts for Christmas Party.  Bill Kimmick will be donating dolphin ornaments.  There will also be a 50-50 at the Christmas Party.  Board approved disbursement of monies for Christmas party.

Request to pass treasurer’s report at Board Meeting – ok’d.

Discussion regarding quarry expenses for the year:  $763, received $470 in contributions towards expenses, leaving $293 difference.

Discussion regarding new ladder for quarry.  Plans and approximate costs were shown.

The Board will send recruiters to new classes and to quarry for check-outs with club applications.  We will put quarry maintenance dates on the 2001 calendar.

There is no board meeting in December.

Meeting adjourned.
 

Dear Surewood:
Ah heard that theres a peleecan in the Blew Hole Quarry but I ain’t never seen it when I dive thar.  Do ewe know whair it be or is it just a roomer?  Signed, Wondering in WV
(for those of you who are unaware:  yes, there is a  pelican in the Blue Hole.  It was moved by Donna Bender, with a challenge extended to Paul Brawley to find it in May of 2000.  When Dear Sherwood received this letter, he had not found it yet.)
Dear Paul – I mean Wondering:  Nice try!

Dear Sherwood:
On a recent dive, one of my fins somehow detached and sank into the abyss.  Thanks to a timely rescue by my diving buddy, now known as “Aquaman”, it was recovered and returned to me.  But now everybody teases me and calls me “One-Fin-In”.  How can I get all these meanies to cease and desist with this terrible name-calling?
Signed, Used to be 2-Fins-In!
Dear 2-Fins-in:  Buck up Buckaroo!  Be secure in your fininity and the next time someone starts calling you names – do what any manly diver would do.  Cover your ears and sing loud so you won’t hear them.

Send your scuba questions to Dear Sherwood, c/o Lois at Laurel Divers, or Sherwood@LaurelDivers.com