Next Board Meeting:  March 28, 2001, Maurer Dive Shop 7:30p.m.
Next regular Meeting:  April 5, 2001, Penn Gables, Ebensburg, 7:30p.m.

February 21, 2001 Board Meeting, Maurer Dive Shop.  Attendees:  Donna Bender, Barb Wyland, Ron Peterson, Joe Gordon, Denny & Sandy Beecher, Lois Keegan, Lance Marks, Dan & Diane Turcovsky.

The new ladder for the quarry is now under construction.

There are 10 liability releases that have not been returned for the file.  Donna will make telephone calls on these.  We will make the release file available at regular meetings for members to sign their releases.

The Board recommended that Laurel Divers would donate $100 to the D&R Divers Make-a-Wish Treasure Dive.

Jim Hostetler has offered to help defray the cost of printing the fundraiser tickets.  A copy of the bill will be sent.

We will schedule a swap meet at the June meeting.  Anyone interested in publishing a list in the newsletter before the swap meet should submit the item’s description, in writing, prior to the event.

The Board will look into dates for Try Scuba nights.

Regular meeting, March 1, 2001, Penn Gables, Ebensburg, 7:30p.m.

President, Donna Bender, called the meeting to order.

Treasurer, Barb Wyland, read the treasurer’s report.  Income $1030.00, Expenses $778.64.  Current Balance $3265.66.

Unfinished Business
Quarry releases need to be signed for 2001.  Anyone that did not sign a quarry release for 2001, PLEASE DO SO.  They are available at the meetings – please ask for one .

Liability Releases will be available at the regular meeting for your signature.  Please keep your signature up to date.  Thank you.

Tickets for the current fundraiser were passed out at the meeting.  Please return any unsold tickets so that we have the chance to make them available to others who will sell them.  Thank you.

DUES:
The board recommended at the February meeting the following increases:
Single or first member increase to $24 (was $20)
Second member increase to $16 (was $12)
Third and forth member increase to $8 (was $6)
**we will continue to pro-rate dues for those members joining mid year
A vote was taken regarding the dues increase.
24 votes yes.  None opposing.

Board meeting change : In an effort to get the monthly newsletter out immediately after the monthly meeting, and to facilitate some of the paperwork - i.e. membership applications, we are going to change the time frame of the monthly board meetings.  They are going to be held on Wednesday, one week and one day before the regular membership meeting.  All members are invited and encouraged to attend the board meetings at any time.  Please check the calendar for these meeting times and dates.

Calendar - the board met and assembled a calendar of events for 2001.  We will be sending out calendars in March.  Anyone on the email list will receive a copy via email, and the calendar is accessible to anyone from the web page.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

March 13, 2001, Crab Leg Night, Morris’s Tavern, Sidman, 6:30p.m.
Directions:  route 219 south from Ebensburg, Sidman exit, make a left at the end of the exit ramp. Two miles to Morris’s Tavern, on your left.  It is across from Forest Hills School.

March 20, 2001,  - Celtic Concert – “Cuillin” at Penn State Altoona Campus, 7:30p.m.  Many thanks to Sylvia for advising us of this event and arranging for tickets!  All tickets have been claimed, but there is a “waiting list”.  If you have a ticket and can’t use it, please contact Sylvia so the tickets can be reassigned.  Email:  Sylviam@psu.edu or call (814-237-3261).

March 24-25, 2001 - Beneath the Seas Dive Expo, New Jersey.  For more information, call 914-664-4310, or  visit BeneathTheSea.org  on the web.  300 exhibitors, 60+ seminars. Contact Donna Bender if interested (814 472-9796).

April 7, 2001, Thousand Steps, Jack Mountain, Huntington  Contact John Betting (814 942-1485) or Donna Bender (814 472-9796)

May 19, 2001 - D & R Divers, Make a Wish Treasure Dive – register before 04/08/01 to receive a free t-shirt.  Contact Donna Bender (814 472-9796)  for a registration form.  The Board recommended that we donate $100 to the Make-A-Wish Dive.  A vote was taken and the membership agreed.

June 2, 3, 2001.  Moorhead City  (possibly Friday, June 1, also) - taking reservations. $160 for 2 days boat diving.  Additional $80 if diving on Friday.  Rooms will run approximately $74.50 for 3 nights per person.  We will be closing reservations May 1st.   Get your reservation dollars in – this trip fills up fast!  Check out the dive reports at  www.diverdownscubadiving.com

June 16, 17, 2001 - Dutch Springs, PA

August 24, 25, 26, 2001, Niagara River, Denny Beecher (814 472-5776) great shore diving, 20-25’ visibility, 2 tank boat dive on Lake Erie on Friday.  $55 for the charter boat.  Two drift dives on Saturday and drift diving Sunday.  5-6 hours travel.  $25 deposit by May 1st.

September 1 – 9, 2001, Nova Scotia Dive Trip.  Sylvia MacKinnon (814 237-3261 or SylviaM@psu.edu)  4-5 days of diving.  Approximate cost:  $700 for transportation, diving, food and lodging.  Deadline for down payment:  04/01/01.

OTHER BUSINESS:
Nominations for officers for the year 2002 will start in April.  A committee will call the membership to see who is interested in an office.  See Lois Keegan (814 472-0774), Diane Turcovsky (814 695-6878), Sandy Beecher (814 472-5776), or Mark Hooper (814 942-6666) if interested.

A swap meet will be held in June.  If you would like to list the items you have for sale, please contact Lois Keegan (814 472-0774 or Lois@TechniqueSystems.com) and a listing of your items that you have for sale can be published in the newsletter.

Trip Reports:

Belize  -  Donna Bender, Matt Johnson, John Fry and Alice Kline were the Laurel Divers aboard the Nekton Pilot in February of this year.  Donna Bender reported on the trip.  The group took a river tour that included crocodiles in all stages of growth and spider monkeys.  They dove on wonderful reefs, with spectacular sea life, sponges and eels.  On night dives, they fed the coral by shining their dive lights above the coral to attract the fish.  They were met après dives with warm cookies and a visit to the on-board hot tub.  All in all, a wonderful dive vacation.

15-20 Laurel Divers met on February 24th at Maurer’s for the annual Pool Party/Winter fest.  Good swimming, great food and a wonderful evening was reported by Diane Turcovsky.

On February 18th, Sue Morra and St. Francis College was the host to the annual Scuba Olympics.  John Augustine reported that 11 Laurel Divers were there to defend the club’s honor, and only lost to the young college kids by 1 point.  Events included the diver tow, underwater bowling, snorkel relay, a gear exchange relay and underwater hockey.  Thanks go out to Sue for a great evening of competition.  Next year however, we will begin training for this event in January!

Joe Gordon circulated pictures taken in 1991 of the Blue Hole Cave at the Blue Hole Quarry.

Our next meeting, April 5, 2001, will be Jimmy Buffet night.  Wear your best Hawaiian shirt, order your cheeseburgers and margaritas and bring your favorite cd.

Mark Hooper mentioned that it would be nice to have a photo wall at the dive shop with copies of everyone’s c-card so that we would have a picture reference of people.  The idea was brought up to the membership, and anyone interested in undertaking the project should contact Donna Bender (824 472-9796).

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Rick and Julie Paige.  Rick’s father passed away last Sunday.  The club made a donation to St. Benedict’s School Fund in memory of Richard Paige.

Door Prize – manatee mask strap won by Sylvia MacKinnon. Daybook was won by Mike Urbano – not present.

Laurel Diver patches are available for $10.  See Barb Wyland (814 344-8081) Stickers are also available.

Meeting was adjourned.

FOR SALE:
Men’s 7mm 2 piece wet suit. Size medium.  $50 or best offer.  Contact Donna Bender (814 472-9796)
 
I Don’t Know Nothing!
Two diving milestones were logged on the Nekton Pilot cruise in Belize in February.  John Fry logged dive #100 and Alice Kline logged her 50th dive.
A new proud Grandpa, John Betting, announced the birth of his newest granddaughter.  John’s daughter Deb and her husband Eddy were recently blessed with a daughter, Victoria Grace McClain, on December 28, 2000.  Photos of the happy family can be seen at http://www.tropicsuntan.com/grace.htm
 
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.

DEAR SHERWOOD:
This column is devoted to your dive etiquette questions.  Forward any questions or comments to Sherwood, c/o Laurel Divers/Lois Keegan, 204 Plank Road, Ebensburg, PA 15931, or email at Sherwood@LaurelDivers.com
Sherwood was in the Bahamas at the time of this printing.  The column will continue next month.