2017 - October 2 General Meeting
Desert Explorers Meeting Minutes
Saturday, October 2, 2017
Attending Bob Jacoby (Chair), Alan and Ding Wicker, Dave McFarland, Barbara Midlikowski, Neal and Marian Johns, Emmett and Ruth Harder, Nelson Miller, Bobbie Sanchez and Daniel Dick, Bill and Julie Smith, Mal Roode, Terry and Eileen Ogden.
Regrets Nan Healy and Jay Lawrence.
Minutes Accepted as published.
Treasurer Bill Smith provided the Treasurer’s Report. He announced that the DE cash balance is $4,572. We have 86 paid members and there have been two new members since the last meeting. There have been no expenditures since the last meeting. Bob Jacoby noted that a check needs to be written for $425 as a security deposit for renting the 2018 Rondy facilities. The check will not be cashed and will be returned to us at the end of the Rondy. Bill also indicated that it may be better to have new and renewing members make just one payment to cover the DE newsletter dues and the annual membership for MRVM. He will investigate this possibility with MRVM.
Newsletter Bob Jacoby gave Jay Lawrence’s report. Jay reports the monthly newsletter is functioning fine. There is a need for backup and we always need more input from our membership each month. This can be trip reports, tech reports, etc.
2018 Rendezvous Bob Jacoby and Jerry Dupree gave an update on Rondy planning. The dates in Ridgecrest are April 6-8. We will be utilizing the facilities at the Fairgrounds in Ridgecrest. Full hookups, tent camping and nearby motels will be available. We arranged for a caterer, and a Saturday evening guest speaker. We hope to have petroglyph tours conducted by the museum on both Saturday and Sunday. We will need volunteer leaders for other trips on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Website There was no report as Debbie was unable to attend.
Museum Barbara Midlikowski gave an update on some activities regarding the museum. She will take items to the upcoming Museum rummage sale. She also discussed the Death Valley 49ers annual Rendezvous coming up soon. She indicted the national park has cut back on their maintenance program and many campgrounds are closed. Also, the Furnace Creek remodel is still going on.
Trip Schedule Several upcoming trips, scheduled and unscheduled, were discussed:
- • On November 4th Nelson Miller is leading a trip starting in Daggett and traversing to the Calico Mountains.
- • Nelson will be leading a second trip on December 2 in the Mojave near the San Bernardino mountains.
- • Neil and Marian Johns, with assistance from others, will be leading a trip on Segment 1 of the Mojave Heritage Trail. The trip will be in February.
- • Emmett and Ruth Harder, with assistance from others will be leading a tour of Death Valley in early 2018.
- • Emmett will also lead a trip to the Butte Valley in Death Valley. He will likely be assisted by Matt Jones.
- • Gerry Dupree will lead a trip on the Overland Stage Route in the Anza Borrego area. This trip will be in the early spring.
- • Bill Powell will be leading a tour of the Hastings Cutoff route in late spring or early summer. The trip will begin near Wendover, Nevada and end in Elko, Nevada. It will be a three day trip.
- • Bob Jacoby is planning to lead a trip on Route 66 across Arizona and on into California, ending in Victorville.
- • Nelson Miller announced a trip he is planning to Sequoia National Monument to visit various groves. The trip will start in Lake Isabella and will be on Forest Service roads.
New Business: The next meeting will be in conjunction with the annual Christmas party and will be on December 16th at the Wicker’s in Claremont.
