CVP CalendarCVP Presidents MessageContact CVPJoin CVPMember LoginCVP LinksCVP Admin Login

Our club exists on volunteers...
Are you contributing?
If not, how would you like to help?
Let us know.
COMMUNITY SERVICE

DECEMBER UPDATE:
CVP DONATED 572 LBS OF FOOD TO THE FOOD BANK!!! THANK YOU!!!

FRIANT CLEAN-UP - About 40 members from CVP and Coarsegold braved the rain and picked up almost a full pickup bed of trash from along the river. Then the crew headed to Pizza Factory across the street for lunch and visiting. THANK YOU to all that showed up even with the threat of rain to help clean up this beautiful spot!

APRIL SERVICE PROJECT - We are going to collect donations for the homeless dogs (and cats) in and around Fresno. There are hundreds in foster homes waiting for adoption and their "forever home." Donations will go to Westside Rescue and ACT (Animal Compassion Team). more

CVP STORE

The store has many items available such as: shirts, hats, pans, classifiers, scoops, loupes, vials, snuffer bottles, and bags of dirt! Remember to visit prior to the meeting or during break.

Check out the neat article by Dominic about our Gold Show!

I Found PURE GOLD by Dominic Ricci

NEW MEMBERS

Processing of membership applications takes time, so please be patient. Some applications are not complete, so those will be held for correction at the meeting. For faster processing, join online and have your waiver printed out and signed when you come to the next meeting. Please check with Membership Director Allen Volpa Jr at the back table for any questions on membership.

NEW - CVP Rental Equipment
See Listing in members section under "Scheduled Outings"

IS YOUR BAD BACK
HURTING AT MEETINGS?

Don't forget to bring along a comfortable chair to the meetings. We would hate for you to leave early due to your back hurting from sitting on those hard school benches.

CAN'T LOGIN?

Maybe you missed signing-in at the last 3 meetings. Please sign-in and check with our membership chairman at the next meeting so that we know you are still active. Or, if you are new, maybe your email/password was input incorrectly (make sure you fill out your application legibly). Just send an email letting us know you are having problems with login.

About CVP

Central Valley Prospectors is an Official Chapter of GPAA. You do not need to be a member of GPAA to join CVP and we charge no dues. We are a non-profit (501-c-3) small mining and prospecting club. CVP is dedicated to providing education and increased public awareness of prospecting and mining, as well as lots of fun. We own our own claims and provide outside programs for various groups. We welcome all ages, including families with children.

CVP Mini-Miners

Kids are welcome at the meetings. But where did they all go! The kid's table has been suspended until the kids come back. Let us know in advance if you are bringing your kids or grandkids so we can try and have something available for them to do. Just email through "Contact Us."

Fancy donkey by Ashley Cute donkey by Carli Patchwork donkey by Sam

COMMONS Groups Available

To help get everyone involved, we are going to offer "common" groups at the outings. This will allow those that have voiced that they can't prospect any more due to physical limitations to join in the fun. This also puts newbies with an experienced miner at hand to help them learn. All that participate will have a great time prospecting, as it should be. CVP has a place for everyone! (or at least we are trying) Groups will be formed from experienced and new members with different abilities to run a sluice box at the outings. Together, with each offering different abilities, they will form a team to run the sluice for the day. At the end they can split their gold any way they would like. They will have all brought something to the group. Let Nancy know if you are interested.

Come join us!

MEETING LOCATION:
River Bluff Elementary School
6150 W. Palo Alto Ave. Fresno, CA
TIME:
6:30 PM Every THIRD Tuesday
(Except during school conflicts)

CLICK HERE for
Meeting Directions and Map

POSTAL ADDRESS:
Central Valley Prospectors
PO Box 25851
Fresno, CA 93729

SOME IMPORTANT RULES -
-No whining
-Sign-in at back table
-Wear your name badges
-Turn off your cell phones
-No smoking on the school property
-Lock your cars
-Help set-up and clean-up
-And always have fun!

CURRENT GOLD PRICES
[Most Recent Quotes from www.kitco.com]

Tired of seeing this same stuff? Have you seen interesting articles you think we should share with the rest of the members? Please send along any article suggestions and we will try to include them on the webpage. We can't share it unless we know about it. Just send it through the "Contact Us" page.

For the most current news and updates,
visit these links:

Bakersfield RMP Comments due by December 9, 2011.

The Bakersfield (California) Resource Management Plan (RMP) has been published by the Bureau of Land Management and is open to public comments. The area covered by this RMP is huge, running from Madera south all the way to Ventura, and from west San Luis Obispo County east to Lake Isabella. Please take some time to review the RMP and submit your constructive comments to help prevent abuse of your mining rights and rights to access. Comments are due by December 9, 2011. Go to BLM site for the Bakersfield RMP

LINK Bakersfield RMP

LINK PLP - Public Lands for the People

LINK ICMJ Mining News

LINK to New 49ers



Suction Mining Searches
Google suction mining search
Yahoo suction mining search
Bing suction mining Search



Mining Safety

Prospecting can be a fun and rewarding hobby, but safe practices must still be considered. We all want to forget there can be dangers involved, but the tragic deaths of three young men near Fresno reminded us that it can happen. Some things might seem like common sense, but we should never take shortcuts when possible danger is involved. Below are just a few "common sense" items to remember when prospecting.
- Always take a buddy along
- Tell someone at home EXACTLY where you
   are going and when you plan to return
- Stay out of old mines and caves
- Don't venture into remote areas without
  another vehicle along
- Practice good water safety
- Avoid disturbing wildlife and know
  what to do if bit
- Bring basic supplies: water, snacks, first aid
- Keep a tool kit in car and cell phone/charger
- Chains in winter, fire extinguisher in summer
- Safety check vehicle before trip, air up spare
- Check the weather before departing,
  and prepare accordingly
Basic safety involves planning ahead and not taking chances. With a little forethought you can enjoy your trip prospecting, and if you run into problems you will be prepared to deal with them safely and with less frustration. The following link is geared toward industrial mining but has a lot of great safety information. There is even a kid's area with safety and interesting history. Mining Safety at www.msha.gov

www.truthnews.us/p=2034

Important government links

Support is still needed to avoid future problems for our freedom to use our public lands.

Office of the Governor

California Mineral and Mining Museum Website

Contact Senator Dave Cogdill

Contact Assemblyman Tom Berryhill

Gold Pan Animation

Take a look at this interesting animation of the dynamics of how a gold pan works.
Gold Pan Animation

Gold Weights

Here is an explanation of how gold is weighed.

Rules of Conduct

For all CVP members that are interested in using CVP mining claims or partaking in outings, please read our "Rules of Conduct".

Board Meeting Rules

For all CVP members that are interested in attending a CVP board meeting:
"Meeting Rules".

★NEXT MEETING
TUES FEBRUARY 21st★
See what is in store for 2012! We have exciting outings planned and the GPAA Show is at the end of March. We always have a great raffle with gold and other treasures. Come join us!


CLUB RULES
#1 - There will be NO WHINING!
.

JAN - Plans for the year
FEB - Gear up for Gold Show
MAR - Finalize Gold Show
 
EDUCATION EVENTS.

A special Education Program was held October 22nd in La Grange with a small group of youth. We had a great history lesson at the La Grange Museum then headed to the Tuolumne Dredge. There the kids were taught panning, dousing, and metal detecting (our whole school program was set up for them). After that we all did some prospecting and everyone found a little color!

La Grange Outing

Go check out the other photos on our
Photo Page

Regular school programs will again resume in the spring. Please help out when you can; it's great fun and the kids love it!


UPCOMING OUTINGS

January 21st come help clean up the Broken Bridge location with our neighbors from the Coarsegold Prospecting Club (see calendar).

Remember while prospecting to please
clean up any litter, even if it isn't yours :)

Monthly Outings

Due to some problems with insurance, some outings have been changed to "Adventures." These are non-CVP places to go and explore/prospect on your own or with other members. Don't forget to log in to the Members Area to find directions under "Scheduled Outings".


Check Out Our LINKS Page

Prospecting Reports

Club members are asked to take note of the new feature in the "Members Only" section of the Home Page entited, "Prospecting Reports." This is a great area for members to share some interesting spots where they have found gold or just good fun. Just sign into the "Members Only" section and click on the "Prospecting Reports" button. This will bring up a dialogue box that will ask you some pertinent information such as the date, location, and personal comments. This is a nice way of sharing information with other prospecting buddies who will do the same in return. It is a "win win" situation.

Need Someone to Prospect With?

CVP is all about friendship and sharing as well as finding gold. We have many new members as well as long time members who occasionally would like to go prospecting but want some company. Prospecting is not as much fun if you go by yourself and it is not always good from a safety point of view to not have a buddy with you. CVP has initiated a "Prospecting Buddy" Program where you will be matched with another experienced prospector who you can go prospecting with or maybe learn a few tips on new prospecting techniques or equipment.

If you are interested in either a "Prospecting Buddy" or carpooling, then contact our president, Nancy Roberts, her number is in the Officers Directory located in the members section of the web site.
So, now you don't have a car excuse to stay home!