Next Board Meeting: July 18, 10:00 A.M., Blue Hole Quarry

Next Regular Meeting: August 5, 2004, 7:30 P.M. at Penn Gables, Ebensburg

***Board Meeting***

June 23, 2004 Maurer Dive Shop
Present: Donna Bender, Ron Peterson, John Augustine, Dan & Diane Turcovsky, Barb Wyland, Bert Sharbaugh and Lois Keegan.

The Board reviewed a thank you letter from D&R Divers for the Make-a-Wish Treasure Dive.

The prize list for the Treasure Dive was reviewed and confirmed.

New member applications were reviewed for Terry, Brinton and Katlyn Black and Naomi
Freno.

Meeting was adjourned.

*** Regular Monthly Meeting ***

July 1, 2004, Penn Gables, Ebensburg, PA

The Royal Conch Blowing called the meeting to order.
 
 
 

Treasurer’s report:
Ron Peterson, treasurer, reports the following  amounts for June:  income of $1,333, expenses of $829.17 and an available checkbook balance
of $2,601.44.

BUSINESS:

Welcome to new member Donna Sabol!

Welcome back to Harry Murtland!

Congratulations to new officers who assume
their duties as of the August meeting.
President:   Donna Bender
Vice-Pres:   John Augustine
Secretary: Jeff and Wendy Kerch
Treasurer: Ron Peterson

Volunteers are needed for the annual audit which
will take place before the August meeting.  Chuck Zupon, Sandy Beecher and Greg Lilly volunteered.
They agreed to meet one hour before the regular meeting on August 5.

Donna Bender brought a book to present to Sue Morra, You Can Be a Woman Marine Biologist. Sue wasn’t at the meeting so Donna will mail it to her.

There is a new resident in the quarry—a Snapping Turtle!  A bounty was put on its head.  One extra weight at the treasure dive to the one who tracks it down and removes it from the Quarry.

UPCOMING EVENTS/TRIPS

July – Tim Laurito will be teaching a Nitrox class. The cost will be $195, which includes the books and tapes.  Call Bob or Rose at Maurer Dive Shop for details 814.344.6641

July 13  - Quarry clean-up, 6:00 p.m. Come lend a hand.

July 16-18, 2004 Laurel Diver’s Treasure Dive weekend.  Friday night erection party (come and help put up the tent).  Saturday can be diving all day, and is definitely a “party at the rock”. Sunday is the Treasure Dive: check in before 1pm, diving only for the Treasure Dive 1pm to 5pm.  $15 registration is due by July 11, 2004.  Club dues must be paid before you can register.  This year’s prizes include a dive computer, tank, reel, list bag, and a roomy, sturdy backpack.

July 16, 2004, Girls only trip to Morehead, contact Sandy Smith for more information. (814 696-1938)

July 23-24, 2004, Indian River Inlet, aboard Surface Interval, departs at 7am, $85 for two tank dives, Northern Pacific 150', contact  Ron Peterson at Ron@LaurelDivers.com

Saturday, July 24, 2004 - Microbrewery Exposition in State College at the Penn State Hotel. Featuring 50 prestigious microbrewers and specialty imports and 150 craft brews. Tickets are $32. You can choose either the 12:00 – 4:00 or 6:00 - 10:00 session. 6:00 –
10:00 session fills fast. The admission includes: Gourmet International Buffet, a Souvenir Pilsner glass, unlimited sampling, and admission to any of the Brew Forum Interactive tasting seminars featuring Stephen Beaumont.  Contact Dan Turcovsky at 695-6878 for more information.

August 13 – 16, 2004 -Thousand Islands.  This trip is filled.  Final payment of $60 is due by July 5th.

August 28-29, 2004 Thousand Islands with Dee & Harve Montgomery.  Contact Dee 814.944.8521

September 4, 2004, Labor Day Dive, 1 p.m. at the Quarry.

September 12, 2004 - Raystown Picnic – we will not be renting a boat, so we need boaters.
Dan Turcovsky volunteered to bring his boat.
Divers are usually taken out at 8:00 and at
12:00. We will picnic at the Seven Points
Pavilion.  There is electricity available for
crock pots and other electrical appliances.

November 13-20, 2004 Cayman Brac Resort
Six 2-tank boat dives on Brac's pristine reefs, dive the Russian Destroyer Tibbitts, the famous Bloody wall and unlimited shore diving. All meals, rooms and transfers included. $1036 per person, double occupancy rooms. Airfare is approximately $500. A
deposit of $100 is needed to hold your spot. Contact Dee Montgomery at (814) 944-8521 or check www.bracreef.com/resortinformation.html for more information.

December 26-January 10, 2005 - Australia with Sue Morra and Saint Francis University. Approximately $5000.00  Contact Sue for more information. 814.886.2053 or  smorra@sfcpa.edu)

Jan-Feb 2005, Cozumel - more details to come.
 
May 2005, Bahamas aboard the Dream Too. Snorkel with the dolphins and diving.  Trip is full.

TRIP/DIVE REPORTS:

Greg Lilly reported on the recent Morehead City dive. They dove two days out of three.  Saw plenty of sharks. Once on the surface, there were lessons in deveining shrimp.  Everyone had a good time in the water as well as on the surface.

EOFND – No divers have ventured into the quarry for the Every Other Friday Night Dive.

Ron Peterson reported on a recent trip to Thousand Islands. Water temp was around 68° and visibility was anywhere between 25 and 40 feet.  Ron also said one dive at 120’ had a 3-5 knot current.

The daybook was $63.  Winner was Lance Marks – not present.  Monies will carry over to next month.
 
The door prize was a tank light - Won by new member Donna Sabol!

It was brought to everyone’s attention that
this is the club’s 29th year.
 
Meeting was adjourned.

For Sale Items: can be found at LaurelDivers.com, and then select
"Classified Ads"

Laurel Divers patches are available for $3.00.

If anyone is interested in adding any trips to our list, please send all information to Wendy@LaurelDivers.com. Thank you!

--Wendy Kerch

Entrant must be a current member of Laurel Divers in good standing.

Entry fee must be paid by the meeting prior to the scheduled Treasure Dive.

Entrant must check in and register with dive officials the day of the Treasure Dive prior to entering the water for the Treasure Dive.

Scuba must be used to retrieve an official Treasure Dive weight.

ONLY 1 official Treasure Dive weight per entrant can be removed from the water.

Weights found by an entrant must be returned to a dive official to receive the prize awarded in conjunction with the weight found.

There will be no awards by proxy – NO EXCEPTIONS
 NO absentee awards will be made.
 NO inability to dive awards will be made.

Any Laurel Diver in good standing who has paid their registration fee and cannot dive the day of the Treasure Dive can therefore notify any dive official of their inability to dive, at which time the official will then attempt to sell the pre-registered “pot” to another Laurel Diver in good standing.  The monies paid by the second party will be then be given to the person of the first party.  If for any reason the first party’s spot cannot be sold, no refund is given to the first party.

An entrant who wishes to trade their prize must register their intention of trade with a dive official.  Their intent of trade will be posted near the dive official’s station.

MEMBERS AND GUESTS

No one is permitted to enter the water in any means on the day of the scheduled Treasure Dive prior to the scheduled starting time.  Only divers placing the official Treasure Dive weights are permitted in the water prior to the scheduled starting time.

Only club members in good standing are permitted to participate in the actual Treasure Dive.

All members participating in the Treasure Dive must be out of the water by the scheduled ending time.

Guests are welcome to partake in all land-based festivities.

Guests are not permitted to dive during the hours of the Treasure Dive.

Members and their guests are permitted to dive only after the Treasure Dive scheduled times are elapsed and the Treasure Dive is officially closed.

No outside parties are permitted to dive the quarry per regulations set forth by Maurer’s Dive Shop on the scheduled day the LAUREL DIVERS DIVE CLUB has reserved both North & South ends of the quarry.