A must read...

This link takes you to Lost Treasure Magazine's on line news letter...

Once there scroll down to "Letter To The Editor"

(NOT editorial, but, Letter To The Editor).
.

If you really love your hobby, you might want to read it.


[www.losttreasure.com]

Any Opinions?

-Me



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/2010 07:09PM by PanMan.

I just printed out the Independent Membership form and will be sending my $10.00 in tomorrow.

JC

right on...they're resolving issues currently too...it really would be a great time to not only join, but contact their organization, let them know you've read that article and see if there could be a way you as an individual or as/with a club could help in any way.

Is for some idiot that walks around a park as their only recreation, to complain about us hunting and removing trash from the ground. I always have my trash pouch filled with some rusty nails, bottle caps, sharp objects (a nice hypo needle helps!) so when a rude intruder complains, I show them what I removed from the childrens play ground.

It's the same thing when I fresh water fish. I buy a license and trout stamp, which in turn helps fund the parks, trash removal service, etc. and yet the people who jog and ride bikes ( and don't pay a penny) complain about the fisherman.

And although I always fill my holes on the beach and remove every piece of garbage I dig up, you see families littering and kids digging holes all over and they never fill them yet we get villified. And I mainly hunt in the off season !

Glad this organization is there to help us out. I was never in a club, and may never be, but I will be a member of the FMDAC.

GOOD INFO!

Panman,
I sent your link to out club secretary. Our meeting is tonight. Hopefully, we can bring this up. Thanks for the info!

-It needs to beyond pondered.

There are 2 main reasons, informed but wrongly informed, dont support the fmdac...both reasons different though created by those who only wish they were plagued with literacy (at least i wish they were).

I just got back from a 5 day hospital visit and my body's too weak to support the adrenaline rush i am gonna get when i bring this story up in forum...expect it saturday or sunday night sometime...i promise to make it a fast, but a good read.

-Mike



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/2010 03:55AM by PanMan.

Panman,

Glad to see your post, I was SE Chapter president for about 8 years ansd still am Vice President but health issues made it difficult to fulfill a lot of the job responsibilities!

A lot of the hobbiests don't realize all that is done by the FMDAC and feel that nothing is going to happen to them. I find it hard to believe that all the people out there swinging $800 to $1000 detectors can't find a few bucks in their pocket to help protect their rights to continue swinging that detector. Thankfully we do have usually around 600 or so members but wouldn't it be alot better, when facing up to the people wanting to ban our hobby, with a couple of thousand members (and voters)!

Wally

Hey Wally, I'll call you early this week coming up regarding both of our health situations...they added a few chapters to mine, and we will have one of our nice talks (i always look forward to them)...
for those of you who dont know Wally, he was being extremely modest in mentioning his role to our hobby.

Both Thomas D. and Wally S. are the type of people in which if you want to "follow a lead", be safe to know that there road is truly your road, and not the path that others in this hobby have made soley to feed their own private agenda(s).

I promised to write a short story tonight regarding this, and not only will i do this, but i will aslo mention names,which will prob get me banned from several sites, but oh well, it's time us good people stick together and show these others that this is OUR hobby and not their "private kingdom" where they believe their opinion can be bought by the highest paying sponsor.
Sincerely,

Me



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/2010 11:19PM by PanMan.

Thanks Mike, looking forward to hearing how you did. I could have saved you a few bucks maybe. I don't know anything about surgery but I sure got a bunch of tools.

Wally

OK, here is the short version, for i am still recovering and am in

pain from my very recent surgery...

Several years ago there were two "well seasoned" metal detectorists down in Texas

that ended being arrested and having their detectors confiscated.

The FMDAC, trying to help these two men, began an investigation.

After the investigation was completed it was learned that these two men very

faimiliar with this extremely private area, and on that day passed

several do not enter and private property signs before they even hopped over

or cut through the fence (dont remember). The FMDAC aat that point no longer

represented these 2 men. Many friends of these 2 popular detectorists from

Texas, Oklahoma and other states started protesting the FMDAC, and though there

weren't many, these few were very popular icons in the time where this hobby

started coming up with different "chiefs" causing too many campfire's in the

campground. The campfire statement above is regarding to what i call

"too many private clicks and circles" within our hobby.

Anyways...little clicks and circles that wanted to be recogonzized as friends

with these rule breaking popular guys started popping up,and soon, the story of

what really happened became meaningless as it changed, practically making these

2 guys a hero and the FMDAC thebadguys. Soon the story became forgotten, but

many still had a "false" resentment to the FMDAC, and less dues money might

mean more clubmembers too...I heard even petty excuses for not joining the

FMDAC such as "the membership cards are made cheaply"...It's ridiculous but there

seems to have been a popularity contest taking over our hobby and it is

sickening. Presige is one thing, for instance, being known as a "Civil War buff"

by all of your peers is cool...you worked hard for that and you are ready to help

others with your knowledge is greatly appreciated...but if you let's say

own the largest detecting forum on the net, reaching most likely 80% of

the detecting internet traffic, and everyone prays in awe to every word you

type on your site...Even if you dont like the FMDAC, why wouldn't you

at least let your readers form a personal opinion for themselves?

Why wouldnt you let your readers know how the FMDAC helped them

throughout the years? When I called Larry Cissna and asked him if i

could link an article from his site, he said no links to any stories from the

site...that's Larry's policy, i know this, but when i asked if i could cut and

paste it, he said ok, whats it about....i told him it is a list of over a dozen

great things the FMDAC has done for our hobby in just the last 2 years,

it's strictly volunteer work...and as i was talking he said that he doesn't

like the organization...and he didnt want meposting it on his site!

Keyword: His site!!! The difference between guys like Larry, and guys like

Thomas, Thomas considers this "our" site (to a point of course)...

I know this will get me kicked out of the treasure depot...but i go to forums

to hear opinons from all..unlike Treasure Depot, where it seems to me most

opinions will be that of Larry Cissna and the Larry Cissna Show Dancers!

PEOPLE,GO TO LOST TREASURE MAGAZINES LATEST: "LETTER TO THE EDITOR" for some

impotant info for you to know...

One last funny foootnote: It seems more people ask about concerns regarding this

article in The Treasure Depot then in any other forum, but Larry's personal

beliefs still keep it from being read from there.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2010 08:35PM by PanMan.

Panman,

I was on the FMDAC board of directors at the time that occurred and we did initially donate money to the defense of the two guys, but sent the Chapter president to the hearing to get the straight story. We invited the Park Rangers responsible for the area to speak to us, which they gladly did, and had photos of the area pointing out the areas of obvious trespass. We were completely convinced that they did what they were accused of. The battle cry arose shortly there after. We don't always agree with the laws that get passed but they are laws and need to be obeyed until we can get them changed!!

The FMDAC has a legislative watchdog that works diligently to stay ahead of the laws but it is difficult without outside help from all the clubs. He has been successful quite often but we lose a lot of them but very often because of no outside help, again from the clubs! The price of membership is very cheap at $5 if your in a member club or $10 for an Independant. Considerabally less than the price of batteries for a month, to help keep your hobby open.

Wally

It is always difficult to extrapolate accurate 'facts'......and politics & human emotion inevitably ensue. I do believe that the FMDAC has a good and genuine 'cause'.......and......as with most things in life.......is subject to mud-slinging......for whatever political/personal motive.
Motto: Don't let one rotten apple...............!!!!!!

(Good info).

Thanks Tom...I care enough about my hobby and friends i have made along the way to where i knowingly burned the bridge between myself and Larry Cissna, as well as being able to use his site anymore (prob will be banned) because like i said,i love this hobby, and i know the importance in the words of that news letter...
please people, dont make my sacrifice one done in vein.

HH

No....as long as the info is honest......it'll never be taken in vain. Now......this is not to be a political (or politically biased) forum.....but sometimes it's inevitable. Any time there is politics......there's problems!

understood...and thanks.

One day I wish for just one campfire, where all are welcome, and feel as such.
And good people in our hobby stay away from the greedy few with greedy agendas.

-Mike



Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/2010 11:26PM by PanMan.