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Notes from the September meeting

We had quite a good turnout for the meeting and had to grab some extra chairs. Thanks to everyone who attended.

We discussed upcoming events:

• September 25 (Tuesday) Park Cleanup 6:30pm at Foster Arend -- club will provide food, you provide some labor in cleaning up around the lake; 1/2 price rental equipment available from MDC Sports; the Olmsted County sheriff department dive boat will be there to help
• October 16 club meeting -- Vuk will present info on the Mayo Clinic hyperbaric chamber
• Zodiac training (date yet to be determined) -- learn to operate our new boat
• Turkey Dive? There is considerable interest, so here it is! Turkey Dive 2007
• The annual Holiday Party will be tentatively scheduled for the 2nd Saturday in January (January 12 2008)

We discussed the possibility of hosting Underwater Monopoly with the Rotary Club, but there wasn't overwhelming interest. Perhaps we could do a simpler "Dive with Santa" fundraiser instead: this would allow non-divers to try out diving in the pool and get their photo taken underwater with Santa (or a reasonable facsimile) for a donation of something like $25 or more.

Roger Southwick presented brief slideshows of photos from "Pirates Up the Wazee II" and from John Preston's "Bachelor Dive" weekend (see more below).

Melissa Erickson gave a nice photo presentation about the Venture Crew's diving expedition to the Florida Sea Base.

We held a raucous session of voting for the photo contest. See winners below.

Treasury Report for September 2007

The club's account balance is $649.67 following purchase of the Zodiac boat & motor for $1500.

October Meeting Agenda

• Report on last month's Park Cleanup
• Report on Thunder Bay "dive" trip
• Info on upcoming Turkey Dive 2007 (with pictures!)
• Upcoming events: boat operations class, Holiday Party
• Special guest speaker Dr Paul Claus, director of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy program at Mayo Clinic, will describe the use of their new chamber for oxygen therapy. Should be an interesting time!

Call for Photos

If you have some photos of diving-related activities from this year, please consider including them in the slideshow at the year-end winter holiday party. Contact Roger Southwick by email (rsouthwick AT charter DOT net) for details.

Photo Contest Winners

Congratulations to the winners of this year's photo contest!

Above-water 1st place "Frank and Dog Butt" by Bob Silbaugh $25 gift certificate

Above-water 2nd place "Beer" by Tom Demarino $15 gift certificate

Underwater 1st place "Reef Shark" by Frank Evans $25 gift certificate

Underwater 2nd place "Mike Ulbrich" by Melissa Erickson $15 gift certificate

The Science Museum's 3D theater will be closing soon!

It's still open on weekends through Sunday, November 25th, which will be your last chance to see "Sharks 3D".

John Preston's "Bachelor Dive" Weekend

by Roger Southwick

We had a great time on the North Shore of Lake Superior, camping at the Knife River campground and diving on the wrecks of the Madeira and Niagara and along the breakwall in Agate Bay at Two Harbors.

More photos in the Scuba Club Photo Gallery.

In the News

• Lifeguard at Coney Island beach rescues small shark from nasty swimmers
• Moray Eels Grab Prey With "Alien" Jaws
• Explorers find 100-year-old shipwreck
• Order prohibits dumping of untreated ballast waters within Isle Royale National Park
• 'Aquanauts' live in a scientific fishbowl

On the Web

• An octopus and Mr. Potato Head

Upcoming Events

Oct 26 - 28 (Fri - Sun)

Turkey Dive 2007! in Bayfield Wisconsin

See the calendar for other activities.