Desert Explorers Meeting Minutes July 8, 2017
Desert Explorers Meeting Minutes July 8, 2017
Attending: Bob & Sue Jaussaud, Debbie Miller Marschke, Bill & Julie Smith, Ding & Allan Wicker, Dolly & Jerry Dupree, Emmett & Ruth Harder, Mal Roode, Jay Lawrence, Neal & Marian Johns. Regrets: Nelson Miller, Nan Healy, Steve Jarvis, Steve Marschke, Terry Ogden.
Meeting Opened 11:45 a.m.
Previous minutes: Approved.
Treasurer Bill Smith reported bank checking and savings total $4,426.10 as of June 30. Discussed possible calendar year renewal subscriptions to newsletter instead of subscription anniversary date renewals. We all figured it would cause as much work as it cut so it was dropped. Also covered the idea of lifetime subscriptions and decided against it. The newsletter is already inexpensive so just subscribe for a longer time. Easy peasy. We are sending $50 to the Needles Museum to put our logo on one of the pages of their excellent calendar. We are giving several honorary subscriptions to the MVRM, Museum Lead Pat Schoffstall, DE pioneers Neal & Marian Johns and Crazy Suzy our website builder.
Newsletter The newsletter is running smoothly with quite a few regular contributors. We had a brief discussion on what works well for contributions in terms of text and images. Jay will write up a short recap for the newsletter.
Website Deb reported that she received all the materials to post recent newsletter content. May, June and July will be up on the web shortly. Right now it looks good, runs good and all is well.
Subscriber Guide Tabled. Updating the Guide has been on the back burner but we will endeavor to have it whipped into shape soonish.
Museum No MVRM newsletters in the summer. They are getting tons of visitors despite the heat. Nelson Miller will be speaking at the September BBQ on the Old Spanish Trail Association. Stand by for a possible work weekend with Nelson.
News The Old Spanish Trail Association will be holding their annual convention in Barstow the first weekend in October. More info at their website:
http://www.oldspanishtrail.org/participate/conference/annual_conference.php
Rondy 2018 Jerry Dupree and Bob Jacoby are scouting Ridgecrest accommodations for our next annual DE Rendezvous. Checking on lodging, camping and RV sites, catering and site suitability. Discussed past Rondy site at the fairgrounds. Possible local, inbound and outbound trips could
include the El Paso Mountains, Trona, California City, the Borax Museum, Panamints, Ballarat, Shoshone, rock art by Little Lake and maybe Little Petroglyph Canyon on the China Lake base. Will report back next meeting.
Trips Mal Roode reported Ron Lipari has a July trip to the White Mountains and Log Cabin Mine, Danny Siler will be leading an August trip in the Big Bear area. Bob and Sue Jaussaud will be leading an exploratory trip in the Spring Mountains in Nevada from September 19-21 plus a trip to Tonapah, the Belmont Mountains, Barcelona ghost town and Monitor Valley from October 23-27. Bill Powell is putting together an October trip in Nevada for 2-3 days covering the Hastings Cutoff. Neal & Marian Johns will be leading a two day trip on the first segment of the Mojave Heritage Trail out of Needles. Date is still undetermined. Discussed doing a trip in the Black Mountains near Barstow covering Inscription Canyon, Scouts Cove and Rainbow Basin. All agreed this needed to wait for much cooler weather and we will put it on the schedule for sometime in the first part of 2018. And thanks for the suggestion Ken Hemkin!
Discussion The subject of publishing specific trip meeting places and times in trip writeups was tossed around and it was generally agreed that trip leaders should give that info out directly to folks after they sign up for the trips so the leader has a good head count and contact info for all the trip attendees. General info on the trip location, highlights, dates, degree of difficulty and special vehicle or gear requirements is what is really important in the initial trip writeup for the DE newsletter. • Sue Jaussaud is keeping an eye on news about the Walking Box Ranch between Nipton and Searchlight. (Karl Welch’s old ranch). • Reminded everybody who is leading a trip to either DO a trip report after the trip or ASSIGN the reporting to someone on the trip. We need your words and photos! • The huge collection of petroglyph and pictograph slides from DE member Dwight Stroud is now safe from the elements with Dennis Casebier in his archive building in Goffs. Dwight passed away several years ago and all
agreed he would approve. Mal Roode scanned all the slides and will try to locate his files so other DE folks might get a copy on CD or DVD in the future.
News All of us were saddened by Jerry Harada’s accident and grave condition. Prayers and good wishes from everyone who knows him (and that is ALL of us) go out to him and his family.
Next meeting Neal & Marian Johns’ home, September 9th, 11:00 a.m.
Christmas Party December 16th
Adjourned 1:15 p.m.
