Betty was once again our gracious host for the club's annual beach hunt in Ship Bottom, Long Beach Island.  We had a good turnout and a great time, as usual.  The weather spared us until the end of the day on the ride home when the skies opened up.  Thank you Betty and Mother Nature!  Mike did an excellent job with the hunt.  There were plenty of targets, including lots of silver and tokens for prizes.  The best part of all was the opportunity for the members to relax, socialize and do a little hunting.  It was a really nice day! 

Here are some of our members hanging out in the backyard before and after the hunt.  Thanks to Marianne King, Betty and Mike for providing the pictures.

Samson King is caught using his secret weapon (sugar!) to increase his speed on the hunt field!

Lined up before entering the hunt field.

Marching down to the hunt field.

Detectors up!!!

The mad scramble begins.  There were enough targets planted to keep the hunt going for at least 1/2 hour.

Happy faces all around at the end of the day!  (Dave and Henry aren't in the picture because they were already back out hunting the beach!)

We had a very good turnout at our April meeting, including a surprise visit from past member, Scotty Pullen, who made a grand entrance in the middle of the meeting! 

***PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL NOT HAVE A MEETING ON MAY 14TH DUE TO MOTHER'S DAY.  INSTEAD, WE'LL BE MEETING AT BETTY'S SHORE HOUSE FOR A FUN HUNT ON MAY 7TH.  IN THE EVENT OF INCLEMENT WEATHER, WE'LL POSTPONE IT TO THE 21ST.

Here's Scotty (right) talking to Mike during the meeting break.

Our members brought in some great finds from relics to jewelry!  Here's Albert King's finds.  Don't forget to check out Albert's Youtube channel, Kinghouse BD.

Dave Wittman and his wife, Tara, took a cruise last month, and Dave cleaned up with 9 pieces of gold!  Do you see the name plate in his box?  What are the chances of finding the name, "Tara?"

Here's a real oddity.  Greg German found this oversized quarter shown next to a regular quarter.  I've heard of large cents but large quarters?!?!

We had a "Show and Tell" where members brought in some past finds.  Here's Betty's 2 large gold necklaces from the summer of '15.

Mel and Barbara Sanders brought in some stunning finds.  Here's Mel's 1 carat + diamond ring and Barb's Raymond Weil watch.

I brought in a shell found in a dirt pile taken from an old farm.  So far, I haven't been able to identify it.

Derek Errickson brought in an interesting old Fire Service badge.

Al Meier inspects a coin while Bob Truitt looks on.  See you on the beach at Betty's next month!

Great turnout at the club meeting this past Sunday.  Mike talked about some future plans for guest speakers, hunts and other activities.  I apologize for the poor picture quality.  Forgot my camera and had to use my cellphone : (.

Some of us brought in bottles to give to Albert King as he is an avid bottle collector and enthusiast.  Albert and his brother, Samson, had their heads shaved to help raise funds for the St. Baldrick's Foundation to help find a cure for kids with cancer.  Albert also has his own Youtube channel under the name of Kinghouse BD.  Be sure to tune into some of the videos.  They are well worth watching.  Here's Albert's reaction to receiving the bottles:

Bill Fell brought in a couple past and present finds.  Past finds include a Civil War era Martingale, an engraved Swiss music box and a nice old buckle.  Also shown are Bill's recent finds.

Dave Wittman picked up 3 nice gold rings during a cruise to the Caribbean, as well as some nice local finds.

Speaking of nice gold rings, Mel Sanders took the top prize in the jewelry category with an 18k gold ring with 16 diamonds!

It must have been spoon month for Al Meier.  You could set a table with all that silverware, Al!  Two of the spoons are sterling - one is Steiff.

Greg German had an interesting find with his cork shooter/firecracker toy gun dating between 1868 and the early 1870's.

That's all for this month.  Come on out next month, April 9th, to see what other club treasures await!  -  Amy

So sorry for the long absence!  Let's get back to club business!

June's meeting was fun, lively and well-attended!  We were treated to a talk on coins by Keith, and JoAnn organized 3 rounds of "metal detecting bingo."  The bingo game was enjoyed by the members and proved a good fundraiser for both the club and the winners! 

We were happy to see Mel and Barbara Sanders back at the meeting after Mel's recent medical problems.  Joan and David Visokay didn't make it to the meeting but we hear that Joan is on the mend.  Continued thoughts and prayers go out to Mel and Joan.

As usual, displays were plentiful and stuffed with all manner of treasure as evidenced by the pictures below!

Remember, we will not be meeting in July, but make sure you dress in your best Hawaiian togs for our Tiki party in August!

Kudos to Dave Wittman for doing nearly the impossible!  Dave was contacted by someone who lost his wedding band in the water near Seaside Heights.  After several hours, Dave found the ring in about 3 feet of water!  Incredible, and thanks for being a positive ambassador for the hobby, Dave!

In other news, Betty sent me this pic of her finds on the first evening on the beach of her 2 week vacation at her house on LBI.

Teresa "T" Errickson sent me this picture of Derek detecting a cornfield.   I would love to see more pictures of our members detecting their favorite hunting spots!

The MJRRC fun hunt was held at Betty Sullivan's house at Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island on Sunday, May 15th.  It was a perfect day for a beach hunt.  Cool, breezy and crystal clear.  Approximately 18 members attended.

It was then time for the hunt to begin.  The hunt field was large and heavily seeded with clad, silver, tokens and junk jewelry.  The hunt lasted a long time with so many targets buried.  The seeders did a great job!

After the hunt, token prizes were claimed and raffles drawn.  Everyone had full pouches and plenty to smile about.

Props and gratitude to Betty for allowing us the use of her shore house to hang out before and after the hunt.  This is what it's all about!  See you at the next meeting on June 12th! - Amy