Bald Eagle Chapter of the GPAA
Monthly Newsletter
The Paystreak

July 2010

The Bald Eagle Chapter of the Gold Prospectors Association (GPAA) was founded in 2001 to preserve and promote the great heritage of the North American Prospector. The club is dedicated to providing a platform for the exchange of information, presenting an organized voice for recreational and professional prospectors and helping it's members find more gold.
Today, the GPAA has become the worlds largest prospecting organization, but our goals haven't changed one bit. Through television, the internet and print media, the GPAA today provides more information and is a more effective organized voice that ever before. GPAA programs provide places to go, local support, free information service and much more.

June 24, 2010

Gold $1,242.60
Silver $18.71
Platinum $1,561.00

President
Bob (Ziggy) Seager
717-935-5384
caverzig@embarqmail.com

Vice President
George Dunkle
814-643-1078
geodunk@ msn.com

Secretary
Gail Fletcher
814-687-3990
goldlady@windstream.net

Treasurer
Brian Greene
Pine Grove Mills, PA
814-238-5322
bjgreene2002@yahoo.com

Store Manager
Tim George
Tyrone, PA
814-684-5846
maxfli111@aol.com

State Director
Joe (Butch) Doren
814-342-2661
jrd@iqnetsys.net

Outing Coordinator's
Lynn Rothrock
814-345-5104

Dates to remember:
(dates are subject to change as we try to schedule outings and other club events)

June 19 - Coalport Street Fair Club is having a booth - Set starts at 8am. Fair from 10-5pm
June 26th & 27TH Nittany Gem & Mineral Show - CANCELLED.
July 3rd - NO MEETING. HAVE A SAFE & HAPPY 4TH OF JULY
July 11th- Penfield outing at North Star Gravel Quarry. Meeting time to be determined
July 10-17th Treasure week at Fox Den Acres Campground, New Stanton , PA - Volunteers >>>>>>>>needed for the club booth
August 7th Regular meeting 11:30 am
August 13-15 Outing at Stevensville, PA
September 11th Regular meeting. Note date change due to holiday weekend.
Regular meeting @ 11:30 to be followed by the club annual metal detecting hunt


Important Club News.....
See outing & meeting dates below. Changes have been made….

See Brian Greene for tickets on the raffles. Gold Nugget, Alaskan Jade stone,
and drawing of Bald Eagle by our own Dan Shore.

New members- (and old members too) have you ordered your name badges? Only $8
each. See Brian at the next meeting to order, and you could win a gold nugget.
(You must be present at the December meeting, and have worn your name badge to
at least one meeting to be entered into the drawing)

We would like to get some club outings on the calendar so that members can plan
ahead. Any thoughts on where you would like to go and when?? Maybe we can get groups together. Contact our outing coordinator, Lynn Rothrock at 814-345-5104 or email therocks@iqnetsys.net.

Gold nugget raffle: at the February meeting we started a gold nugget raffle.
Tickets are $5.00 each. Raffle will be drawn at the November 2010 meeting.
Need not be present to win, but you must put your name on your ticket. Nugget
is approximately a ¼ oz. See Brian for tickets at any of the regular meetings.

Club Meeting and Directions....The Club's meeting place is the Halfmoon Township Building on Municipal Lane in Stormstown, PA and we meet on the 1st Saturday of each month at 11:30am The Bald Eagle Chapter of the Gold Prospectors Association (GPAA) was founded in January 2001 to preserve and promote the great heritage of the North American Prospector. The club is dedicated to providing a platform for the exchange of information, presenting an organized voice for recreational and professional prospectors and helping it's members find more gold.

Directions to the Bald Eagle Chapter Cub Meeting

State College: Take 322 North out of State College until you get to Rt. 550 at the flashing light. Turn left and go 4 miles. Turn right onto Municipal Lane in Stormstown and continue down the street, the township building is on the left.

Port Matilda: These directions may seem confusing however it is really just a matter of staying on the main road up and over the mountain. From the traffic light on 220 turn RIGHT (South-East) onto High Rd [High St] and go 0.3 of a mile where you turn LEFT (North-East) onto E Oak St [Oak St], then immediately bear RIGHT (East) onto Beckwith Rd and go 0.2 of a mile. Turn RIGHT (South) onto SR-3017 [Port Mountain Rd] and go 0.9 of a mile. Bear LEFT (South) onto SR-3017 [Beckwith Rd] and go 0.8 of a mile. Road name changes to Beckwith Rd < 0.1 of a mile: Turn LEFT (North-East) onto SR-550 [RR-1] and go 1.7 miles and turn left onto Municipal Lane in Stormstown and continue down the street, the township building is on the left.

Altoona Area: Take I-99/US-220 north. Turn RIGHT (East) onto SR-350 [7 Stars Rd] and go 1.8 of a mile. Keep STRAIGHT onto SR-350 and go 0.8 : Bear LEFT (East) onto LR31071 and go 1.4 of a mile, Bear LEFT (East) onto SR-550 and go 1.8. Keep STRAIGHT onto SR-550 [RR-1] and go 5.6 miles. Turn left onto Municipal Lane in Stormstown and continue down the street, the township building is on the left.

From I-80: At exit 158, take SR-150 west. Road name changes to US-220 [SR-150] and go 15.9 miles. Take 322 east up over the mountain at the flashing yellow light turn right onto 550 and go 4 miles. Turn right onto Municipal Lane in Stormstown and continue down the street, the township building is on the left.

Collinswoods Properties ---If you need maps, or have any information on these properties, please let me know.

Bulldigger.... Tom Menna owner of Bulldigger in Johnstown, PA attended the December, 2009 meeting of the Bald Eagle Chapter with a unique tool, the Bulldigger. Originally it was designed as a posthole digger, he had received a suggestion from prospectors about attaching the bulldigger to the end of a drege, and being able to dredge in the water, and remain high and dry. Our club members seemed very interested in this process.
This also has the possibilities for digging out metal detecting finds. It can be used verically as well as horizontally.
You can vist the site via the link to view the video, and for ordering. When ordering, tell them that you belong to a prospecting club, and receive a $10.00 discount. Will ship anywhere in the US for $15.00

IDEAS...Please bring any ideas about where to go or what to do to the meeting. If you don’t like to speak out, you can write it down and put it on the table up front. Make sure that Ziggy’s name is on it, and he can read it for you.
Please feel free to make suggestions for guest speakers.
(Likewise, if you have recipes, prospecting tips, or any other suggestions for the newsletter please let me know)

New Members... BADGES:  This is mainly for the new members….. Does everyone know that we have an annual nugget drawing for members based on having and wearing your name badge to the meetings?  For every meeting that you attend wearing your name badge, I will put a check mark in the attendance book.  You must be present at the December meeting.  When you attend the December meeting, you will receive a raffle ticket for the nugget drawing for each meeting that you attended wearing your name badge.  (attend 12 meeting, receive 12 raffle tickets)  (Note:  Here the term member applies to member, spouse and dependent children) If you don't have a name badge, we can order one for you, the cost is only $8.00.  Any questions, please see one of the club officers. If you have any articles of interest that you would like to see here, please let me know. Also, feel free to speak up if you know someone who would make a good speaker for one of the meetings; likewise, we want to hear about places to hold some group outings this year.

The Club Library is now available!!!! Check out the recent new acquisitions to the library. See George Dunkle, for anything that you would like to sign out.

Bags of Concentrate. … are available for sale at each
meeting $5.00 each (+tax) - see Brian Greene

Please visit our club web site, feel free to join the discussions on the message board, and try to get the chat room “chatting” again

Let's Get he Club’s Chat room is up and running!!!
Log on to talk to your fellow prospectors.
Just log on to www.pa-gold.com and click on Chat room. You can usually catch someone between 7-9pm. Feel free to explore the site, and check out the message board.

Outdoor/Prospecting Tips:
CAMPING TIPS: Treating Poison ivy from www.webmd.com
Most poison ivy rashes can be treated successfully at home, initial treatment consists of washing the area with water immediately after contact with the plants. To relieve symptoms, use wet compresses and take cool baths. Nonprescription antihistamines and calamine lotion also help relieve symptoms. Moderate or severe cases of the rash may require treatment by a doctor. Prevention: the best way to prevent the rash is to learn to identify & avoid the plants. When you cannot avoid contact with the plants, heavy clothing (long pants, long-sleeved shirt, and vinyl gloves) and barrier creams or lotions may help protect you.
Additional info from a Wall St. Journal article from online www.wsj.com/article
After exposure, there is typically a 15-30 minute window in which you can avoid a reaction, by washing the urushiol (skin irritating oil produced by the plants) off the skin. Several over-the counter products can be used in this critical window and beyond, including Zanfel, a soapy wash that sells in a one-ounce tube for $39.99. Prevention costs less than the cure: Ivy block lotion claims to work like a sun block with a patented ingredient that absorbs usushiol before it can irritate the skin. Sells for $12.99 for 4oz. Pets play an important roll in the spread of poison ivy, If you pet a dog that has it on it’s fur. The same sort of thing can happen with camping equipment. A Dr. recalled a patient who came in every week with a new poison ivy reaction. He repeatedly told the patient to stay out of the bushes and kept showing him photos so he would know what the poison ivy looked like. It didn’t help. It turned out the patient, who was camping, has a sleeping bag, chairs, and tent pole covered with urushio. The lesson. Everything needs to be washed, because the sap stays allergenic forever.

Metal Detecting tips:
Are you looking for a cache around an old house?  Is there a dog house in the yard?  This was, and is a great place to hide your valuables.  In most cases Fido will be on alert for strangers in the yard & you can bet he will not want them in digging under his house.  Keep an open mind when you are hunting because people hide things in strange places.

Club Store: See Tim G. for all your prospecting needs…. Pans, hats, T-shirts, vials. (You can reach Tim at 814-684-5846 or maxfli111@aol.com

License Plates....Club license plates are now available for just $5.00.