Newsletters 2014

January, 2014

Orlando Chapter Newsletter.

A new year is met with a few new changes.  First off lets welcome our new chapter officers.  Chris taking the helm as our new President and Eddie as Vice President.  Well done for you first meeting.  We would like to welcome Ben and Henry who joined us for the meeting.  We hope you had a good time, and will be joining us again.

Chris thanked everyone attending, and gave an introductory speech following up with where he would like to see the chapter heading for this year.  More gold outings throughout the year looks to be one of the answers.


Old Business

Chris thanked everyone for attending the Holiday Party this past December and hoped everyone had a good time.  Dana confirmed that the Gold Cube does in fact work real well.  The chapter has completed the initial tee shirt order, and any remaining are available to members.  A second order may be going in soon, so make sure to let an officer know soon if you would like a few.  We can get long sleeve if you would like extra warmth/sun protection.

The only real old item from the past meeting was the election of the chapter officers.  Chris is taking over as President, and Eddie as VP.  Both Bob and Jim are remaining on in their respective duties.


New Business.

When discussing outings, there wasn't a large show of hands for a Fossil hunting trip, so this may not be an option this year.  The chapter will ask again next month as this is a spring trip, when the water is low and slow.  As for Gold, we reiterated the Memorial Day weekend is one of the major planning dates for the chapter, and we will be planning to continue this tradition.  Mike brought up a possible pay to dig outing where as a chapter we get several pay loader buckets full of pay dirt at either Lucky strike, or Thermal City.  This option will get everyone involved at one central location either working highbankers, or the sites trommel.  This looks promising and both Mike and Chris are going to look into the cost so we can be better prepared. Both offer onsite RV spots, primitive camping, and nearby motels.  I believe there are even cabins available, and the LDMA Vein Mtn. camp is nearby also.  We'll know more in February.

Bob announced that members wanting to be in on all the latest prospecting trips members are planning can send him an Email.  They will be added to an email list where each can directly contact other group members about their planned trips.  The Chapter is hoping this will get members more involved outing the field beyond the Chapters planned events.

This being the start of a new year, resets the Membership Appreciation Raffle.  So Make sure you sign in.  This is open to everyone, and you will get one entry into this raffle after attending 6 chapter meetings, outings, or events.  Each extra attendance gets you an extra chance.  So the more you attend, the more chances to get.

The monthly raffle was won by Cathi.  Congratulations.

Our next meeting is February 9, 2013.

Hope to see everyone there.

Bob Gaebler

Secretary � Orlando Chapter, GPAA
RJGaebler@cs.com

February, 2014

Orlando Chapter Newsletter.

Rain Rain go away.... or not...

This month our meeting was chilly and damp until it started, then it rained, and after once finished, it stopped.  Go figure...  The weather couldn't keep away our 20+ die hard members, after all we are Prospectors, and a little rain is nothing.  We would like to welcome Henry and Michael.  We hope you enjoyed the day, and will join us in the future.


Old Business

While most of enjoyed being under the covered tables, Chris under an umbrella started the meeting off by asking if we needed a second site for meeting if the weather is bad.  This was quickly put aside as most of the membership didn't mind the weather at all.

The fossil hunting outing is on...  The second time asking was the charm as several members showed an interest in going this year.  The plan is around the 3rd week in March, so stay tuned.  At the March meeting there will be a display of the type of fossils found, and some of the gear members use to hunt with.  If you plan to go, consider getting a Florida Fossil Permit as it is needed if you collect any fossils other than shark teeth.  Visit http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/vertpaleo/vppermit.htm for further information and the ink to the application and/or renewal.  It's only $5.00.

As for a possible gold outing up to Lucky Strike or Thermal City in North Carolina, there wasn't much new information to be had.  Mike and Chris were to get info on this, but Mike missed the meeting, and Chris wasn't able to get in touch with the sites.  Chris talked about the information on the Websites, and several members also contributed with their experiences there.  We'll learn more about this in March. Could this be the site of our Memorial Day outing, May 23,24 and 25, or will we be heading back to the Weekenders or Buchanan sites in Georgia.

With only 2 members sending in their Email addresses, it seems the list of members wanting to go prospecting more often is limited, but this meeting that list grew a lot so to those whom signed up should look for a dedicated Email with further information on this.  The Chapter is hoping this will get members more involved outing the field beyond the Chapters planned events.  Several members discussed a possible trip up into Georgia in late March, so that list might just come in handy.


New. Business.

The chapter gave Bob the funds to secure the pavilion for the 2014 Holiday Party.  It's never too early to start planning.

The March meeting is a Pot luck so pleas bring a dish for everyone to share.

The monthly raffle was won by Les.  Congratulations.

Our next meeting is on March 8th. and it will be a Pot Luck, so please bring a dish to share with everyone.

See you then;

Bob Gaebler

Secretary � Orlando Chapter, GPAA
RJGaebler@cs.com

    Congradualtons Les.

March, 2014

Spring arrives early in Florida. The trees are covering cars with loads of yellow pollen. Too bad it's not gold dust raining down from those pine and oak trees... Well maybe not, because if it was, we might be mining Pollen instead... Lol...

The chapter didn't have any new visitors this month but over 20 members gathered for a super Pot Luck feast. Thanks to everyone for the wonderful eats.


Old Business

Chris began the meeting by discussed the upcoming Fossil Hunt this month. The chapter set the date for the 22'nd. ( That's this Saturday, so feel free to join in with the rest of us digging up the peace river... ). Bob brought his floating screen, and the shovel he uses with an attached float, plus an assortment of fossils found in previous outings there. Members were reminded that Florida requires a fossil hunting permit if you choose to collect any fossils other than shark or ray teeth. It's only $5.00, and information on obtaining it can be found on our website at; http://www.orlandogpaa.org/nxtout.htm . As long as the peace river water level at Zolfo Springs is under 6 feet we should be fine at our location. So far it looks like 5-8 members plus guests will be joining in the fun.

Bob noted that the pavilion is rented for the 2014 holiday party, and the cost was the $50.00, the same as the prior year.

The meeting then turned towards Gold... The past month discussions on a gold outing up to Lucky Strike or Thermal City in North Carolina is still on hold for a second month now, as no one can get through to the operators at the sites. Maybe the long winter still has them locked down. With no news to report this again is being carried over for another month. With May fast approaching, the April meeting is now the deadline to determining the destination of the chapter's annual Memorial Day outing. Several members are heading up to the Weekend's property for some early spring prospecting. They'll have news about the conditions there, and hopefully both NC sites will be answering their phones. Plus we always have the Buchanan Farm site which has proven in the past to be a hit an miss location for decent gold, but is always a great place for the campers in the chapter.


New. Business.

Bob gave a talk about the GPAA's new website currently in development. Back in February Chris and Bob first learned about it, but had to keep it under wraps for the time being. Now that the GPAA has made posts on Facebook about it, it's open for full discussion. The new site expands upon the original by adding more personal interfaces for members and chapters. Members can set up a profile, load photos, and a Bio if desired. Information entered has full security controls on personal data for viewing levels, such as everyone, chapter members, or just yourself. Once you set up a profile you can then join a chapter. Bob set up a basic Orlando Florida Chapter with a splash screen, and brief bit of info. Details about our meeting dates, times and location were entered. The Site automatically attaches a map of our very own Warren Park. On the chapter level we can enter in upcoming events and announcements. These then automatically transfer onto a national GPAA Calendar of events. Members throughout the country will have a one spot location where in a snapshot they can see what is going on in the world of the GPAA. From Gold Shows, to meetings to chapter outings, everything will be in one place. For those of us that travel westward each summer, this could prove handy. You may just find a chapter has an event scheduled close to your destination. You can then contact them and join in. We will have to give this time to see how many members and chapters use this new addition. While this site doesn't replace our current website, it's a welcome addition to the GPAA. Bob plans on keeping it up to date with our chapter events as we finalize dates and times of our outings.

The monthly raffle was won by Jim. Congratulations.

Our next meeting is on April 12th.

See you then;

Bob Gaebler

Secretary � Orlando Chapter, GPAA
RJGaebler@cs.com

April, 2014

I'd like to take a moment to apologize for the tardiness of this newsletter this month, as it's now May, but things got a bit out of hand once in a while, and some things get pushed to the back burner, and I'm sorry to say this was one of them. I hope to get to this quicker in the future.  I did however get the news about our Memorial Day outing posted on both GPAA websites with in a week of the meeting, so feel free to visit our Next Outing page, or look us up on the Main GPAA site.

For a second month in a row, the chapter didn't have any new visitors.  We did have 25+ members in attendance, which is always great to see.


Old Business.

Chris began this meeting looking back at the last month.  The Chapter held an Outing fossil hunting in March, where several members attended.  Bob brought the fossils he found, and members that attended told stories about the day.  From Barry's grand daughter having fossil shark teeth for show and tell, to Woody's bit of fools gold as a crushed shell casing looked like it was gold plated in spots highlighted the discussion.

Several members also went for a bit of early prospecting up at the WEGM property in GA.  They reported they had a good trip.  Cold, and more cold, but there was some gold in the pan at the end of each day.  From fines to a picker was reported.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions...   Where is the chapter heading to for the Annual Memorial Day Outing?  Well, no need to give this a second thought anymore.  Chris lead the discussion on this, the main topic for the meeting.  He again addressed the possible locations, being WEGM GA., Lucky Strike NC., Thermal City NC., and Buchanan GA., going over the benefits/limitations of each.   With additional Information about the overall cost for our chapter to utilize the full facilities of Lucky Strike / Thermal City in hand, the chapter was more informed.  Both have a fixed daily fee and trommels for use.  Both supply loads of material to process, and have facilities on site for camping and RV's, at an extra cost.  Needless to say these factors come into play.  A vote was taken, and with a quick show of hand, the WEGM property was chosen for the site.  With it's close proximity to Cleveland, GA., the LDMA - Loud Mine, Gem and Gold Grubbin', this site offers several places within just a few miles for the membership to enjoy in their spare time, or extra vacation days.  Chris also wants this outing to be better than last years.  We're going to have a planned itinerary of sorts, so members will know where to meet, what to expect, etc.  The officers felt that during last years outing members were scattered over too many physical locations and some of the comradery was lost a bit when compared to prior years.  So some planning is in store for this year which hopefully will remedy this.  we'll know more at the May meeting.

There did look to be enough interest in a possible trip to Lucky Strike, even with the cost.   This will drop to a manageable figure if we have enough members attending.  So stay tuned for further updates.

Bob gave a quick talk about the new look of the main GPAA web site, as it expands upon the original by adding more personal interfaces for members and chapters.  Members can set up a profile, load photos, and a Bio if desired.  Our chapter has a central place there among all the GPAA chapters that is more than just a listing.  Events for our meetings and outings will be posted there.  GPAA members throughout the country will have a one spot location where in a snapshot they can see what is going on in the world of the GPAA.  From Gold Shows, to meetings to chapter outings, everything will be in one place.  So sign in, set up your account profile, change anything, or nothing, as most of the info is there.  Be sure to add yourself as a members of our chapter.


New Business.

We have a couple of items heading up to our Trading post page.  Mike brought a Garret Ace 350 metal detector with all the standard items, plus an extra Carry case, mini sniper coil, and environment cover.  Bob got an Email from Walt, a GPAA member now living in Naples.  He's selling a Honcoop mini highbanker, dredge combo with all the works.  Pictures show off everything included better than a description here could, so head off to the Trading post page if interested in either of these items.

In closing;

The monthly raffle was won, for a second time in a row, by Jim.  Congratulations.

Our next meeting is on May 10th.  This will be a Pot luck, so please bring a dish to share with the members.

Hope to see you then;

Bob Gaebler

Secretary � Orlando Chapter, GPAA
RJGaebler@cs.com

May, 2014

May is here, beautiful weather, super pot luck, and wonderful people to share it with.  The chapter didn't have any new visitors, and our President Chris missed this meeting due to an emergency at home.  Vice President Eddie was on hand for the 25+ members that made it out for the day.


Old Business.

First off Eddie reminded everyone about our trading post page on the Website, as last month we had several new additions.  Mike's Garret Ace 350 metal detector and a GPAA member from Naples is selling a Honcoop mini highbanker / dredge combo with all the works.  Pictures show off everything included better than a description here could, so head off and take a look at the Trading post page.

Concerning The Memorial Day outing.  Chris will be at the site from Thursday evening on until the Outing is over, and the phone numbers of the officers will be sent to everyone attending in case they need any assistance.  Eddie asked if there was a preference for the time to meet on Saturday morning.  Since there were no suggestions, it was set to 9:00 am.  This is for a miners meeting so Chris can go over the plans for the Outing, make sure everyone knows where others will be working, the location of the Sluice and Panning area, and decisions about the chapter Dinner.  Jim gave Eddie the $100.00 the chapter contributes towards this Dinner.

Next was making sure all non-WEGM members were matched up with WEGM members as this is a requirement of the WEGM.  This is also for access to the location as the members partnered up can meet beforehand and enter the site together.  It was good to see the members needing matches quickly getting a partner for the outing, and our chapter was set to go pretty much by the time Eddie was finished asking this.

As for the Gold split, this will be up to the members working on each piece of equipment.  All finds from Panning and sluicing area are finders/keepers.


New Business.

Woody mentioned that he has several older GPAA magazines and wondered if other members would want them.  Bob mentioned that in the past members would just bring them, and the chapter would have them on hand for anyone attending our meetings.  I have to mention that most go the day they are brought, and we rarely have items to giveaway.

Woody also talked about his efforts at the local Orlando VA, where he knows a clergyman and they got to a talking about mining, and panning.  Well it seems Woody had everything on hand in his truck, so he showed him how to pan, and one thing lead to another, and he was asked if it's possible for him to demo and teach some of the homeless Vets that attend the services.  Not only panning, but it seems there is an interest in Metal detecting also.  Woody presented this information to the chapter looking for assistance, advice, etc.  Bob reminded the chapter that Steve and Cathy did this once for the Tampa VA, as they had a panning business at the time.  Questions would be if we need any permissions to do this on site?  Are we going to use actual gold, or just painted hammered lead/copper ?  Number of people expected, and members needed to help out?  Amount of supplies needed, tubs and Pans, concentrates?  Woody needs to get some of this answered, and members need to volunteer if and when the day comes.  Further discussion on this is June, as we know more.

In closing;

The monthly raffle was won by Dennis.  Congratulations.

Our next meeting is on June 14th.

Hope to see you then;

Bob Gaebler

Secretary � Orlando Chapter, GPAA
RJGaebler@cs.com

June, 2014

The heat is starting in already, so the temperature up north in the gold county must be almost perfect.  The chapter didn't have any new visitors, and our President Chris missed this meeting due conflict with his work scheduled that took him up into Tennessee.  Hmmmm, I wonder if he was able to get away for a bit of panning in the Tennessee mountains.  We'll have to find out...

Vice President Eddie presided over the meeting for the second month in a row and the meeting was smaller then normal with about 18 members attending.


Old Business.

So how was the Memorial Day outing?  Well seven members made it to the Weekenders site, and three dredges were in operation.  Two 4 inchers and smaller 3 inch highbanker combo were in use.  The weather was perfect and Saturday evening they headed to a fine restaurant for a group dinner.  Dana showed off a bit of Gold he recovered over the 2 days.  Bob is asking that members whom have photos are encouraged to send them to him to create a page for the chapters website.

Woody reported that the proposed Panning and Metal Detecting Demo at the Orlando VA is a no go, as the officials are not about to allow us at their facilities for this purpose.


New Business.

Bob reported that the Chapter was invited to Kelly Co on June 28th for a Minelab launch celebration of their new SDC 2300 Gold detector.  We are able to have a booth there to promote the GPAA and Bob intends to do so, and is asking members attending to help out at the booth if they are able to. The chapter will show off typical items we're involved in, including Gold, Gold panning, and Fossils recovered at Peace River outings.  The Launch event will have seminars about the new SDC 2300 and Go Pros' latest camera, door prizes, a chance to use the SDC 2300 to find buried coins and real gold nuggets, Go Pro demos, and lunch will be provided.  Separate Emails were sent concerning this prior to this meeting detailing KellyCo's required registration with a web link to it.  Hope to see you there.

Dana let the members know of several items her has for Sale, including a Gold Cube, desert fox w and extra wheel, blue bowl, Whites eagle IIsi with extra coil, Fisher CE5 quicksilver ,garret sea hunter xl800, and Lodge cast Iron dutch ovens (12 & 10 inch ), lifters and stands also.  This will be posted to the Trading post soon.

In closing;

The monthly raffle was won by Marty.  Congratulations.

Our next meeting is on July 12th.

Hope to see you then;

Bob Gaebler

Secretary � Orlando Chapter, GPAA
RJGaebler@cs.com

July, 2014

It was nice to see 20+ members in attendance this time of the year.  After all the Florida heat is turned up about as high as it goes. The chapter would like to welcome Dave & Cindy, and John for stopping by.  We hope you enjoyed the morning with us, and made a few new friends in the process.

Our President Chris is back, and for the first time in three months all of the chapter officers were present.


Old Business.

Chris started off by reminding everyone of all the newer items members have been putting up on the chapters trading post web page, as last month Dana and Mike added several.  This month kept the trend going, as John is looking to sell his RV.  Chris and Bob talked about it, and it's now been added to the web site, so please take a look if you might be interested in a 2012 16' KZ Spree Escape .

The Chapter had a booth at KellyCo for Minelab's New SDC 2300 Gold detector's launch party two weeks ago.  About 15 members made it to the event, and many got to try out the new detector, hear seminars about the SDC 2300 plus GoPro's latest 4k video camera.  Various raffles were held during the day, and as a chapter we donated a pink pan, with 2 bags of concentrates plus a small vial that already contained a few flakes.  Thanks to Eddie and Bob for the donations towards this.  Bob, Chris and Eddie & Cathi pretty much manned the booth for the day, with several members dropping by and helping out a bit now and then.  The booth displayed a few of the simpler methods of getting gold, with a sluice box, bluebowl, photographs, pans of black sand & a magnet, Georgia Hardpack, several vials of Gold, and an assortment of fossils found during our outings at the Peace River.  There also was a smaller table set in a front corner for attendees to learn about and try out a bit of panning. I'd say 30+ people tried it out during the day. Bob would let them hold a .33gram picker, then demo his panning method and afterwards each person got to try their luck.  It's safe to say no one lost the nugget.  Also, congrats to Chris and Eddie for winning raffle prizes during the event.  Eddie was lucky enough to win the grand prize, a GoPro camera.

IN June we discussed the possibility of a second outing for gold this fall.  Chris is now taking this up, and will report back to the chapter in August a couple of weekend dates for the chapter to discuss at the next meeting.  He'll know better the exact costs for equipment rentals, and pay dirt.  The cost of running the trommel over 2 days looks to be too high, so Chris is looking into a single day chapter common, (Saturday), where several loaders worth of pay dirt will be processed, and then split up among the members.  This way, members will have Sunday to work for themselves or relax for a day n the NC mountains.


New Business.

Bob reported that the Chapter's GPAA points are up over 23,000 due to one renewal.  Please visit the GPAA's website, sign up, and associate yourself with out chapter.  This is one method to make sure our chapter get credit for members yearly renewals.  The point allow the chapter to get some pretty nice items.


In closing;

The monthly raffle was won by Pat.  Congratulations.

Our next meeting is on Aug 9th, and this one is a Pot Luck, so please bring something to share with the membership.

Just a reminder about this years Membership Appreciation Raffle.  This year requires members to attend at least 6 chapter events, so there's still plenty of time to reach this goal.  There's at least 5 more meetings, and 2 possible outings in the works to boost your numbers.

Hope to see you then;

Bob Gaebler

Secretary � Orlando Chapter, GPAA
RJGaebler@cs.com

Aug/Sept., 2014

The September meeting was the largest this year so far with 30 members in attendance. Thanks everyone for joining us for the morning. The chapter would like to welcome Greg, Isabel and Mike and thank them for stopping by. We hope you enjoyed the morning with us, and made a few new friends in the process.


Old Business.

Bob reminded everyone that the Chapter's GPAA points are up over 23,000. Please visit the GPAA's website, sign up, and associate yourself with out chapter.


Was New but Now Old Business.

A fall Outing to Lucky Strike on Saturday October 4th is happening. This was voted on in August, and Chris went into the details this September. We'll be having a one day event, on Saturday as the chapter outing, but members are encouraged to arrive early, and stay later to fully utilize the facilities at Lucky Strike. We'll be renting a small trommel and we also will have highbankers, provided by our members on hand to process the pay dirt. Chris estimates the cost per person participating to be about $40.00 for the day, but this cost can vary due to the amount of pay dirt the chapter purchases. At the end of the day we will have Gold draw followed up by a dinner on site. Lucky Strike is a pay to dig site with plenty of space for RV's and campers, and I believe panning and sluicing is included with overnight stays. If you arrive early or stay late enjoy the facilities and do some extra prospecting on site. Note: Chapter members providing a highbanker or mini trammel for the use during the outing will be receiving an additional bag of concentrates during the gold draw, limit one extra per person.


New Business

Jim noted that the GPAA has provided chapters with a list of items that we can purchase at a discount. These include pans, patches, snuffer bottles, and the likes. There are about 20 items on the list, so see Jim if interested.

Bob Reported that the internet provider for the chapter's website has raised it rates to more then double the last 2 year renewal. Due to this he will be look for a new provider. GoDaddy was suggested and will be looked at.

The chapter is putting in a order for tee shirts as we now have a good amount of members wanting one and it is hoped these will be ready for the fall outing.

The Chapter is also ordering a couple of GPAA membership kits as we no longer have any on hand. Mike suggested the chapter also purchase a few pans to be used in the future, and this was also approved.


In closing;

The monthly raffle in August was won By Les, and September by Woody. Congratulations to both of you.

Our next meeting is on Oct 11th, and our outing io Lucky Strike is on October 4th.

Hope to see you there

Bob Gaebler

Secretary � Orlando Chapter, GPAA
RJGaebler@cs.com

Nov. 2014

Fall is in the air, and for me it's about time.  This has been one of the rainiest summers in central Florida in years, and I'm happy to see it's ending.  Here's to nice cooler and dryer until Mid May 2015.  This meeting we had a new member, Dick join the chapter.  On behalf of everyone, We would like to welcome you to the GPAA.

November also was a meeting for Demonstrations.  David brought his Gold Cube, and did a demo prior to the meeting on it's operation.  Many of our members brought concentrates and David took the time to make sure every bucket was processed.  Thanks David.

Then, Mike D. brought his mini kiln and did a demo on it's operation melting gold, doing a pour, and created a nice little gold bar.  Thanks Mike.

Old Business.

Chris briefly touched base on the success of the outing to Lucky Strike, and mentioned that the chapter should head back again in 2015.  Many members want to spend 2 days of time utilizing the larger trommel operation Lucky Strike offers.

New Business.

During the meeting Chris discussed the coming holiday party in December.  It is our largest pot luck of the year, and Bob went over the current list of foods members are bringing.  A sign-up list was made, and most members added items as the day went on.  Chris detailed our gift exchange, Chapter gift, membership appreciation raffle, plus brought attention to the main agenda of the December meeting, the election of Chapter Officers.  President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer are the main officers we elect each year.  It was at this time that Jim, our Treasurer informed everyone that he is stepping down after three years.  On behalf of the chapter I'd like to thank Jim for his dedication to the chapter operating our raffles and finances.

With no new business to discuss, the chapter members continued the gold cube operations, and viewing of a Mini Kiln.

In closing;

The monthly raffle was won by Terry, the last ticket sold, ended up being the winner.

Our next meeting is on Dec 13th, and remember that this meeting begins one hour later than normal as this is our Holiday party.  Members will begin arriving at 10am, and the meeting starts at 11am.

Hope to see you there

Bob Gaebler

Secretary � Orlando Chapter, GPAA
RJGaebler@cs.com