"You can petition the Lord with prayer" (Doors)
The way I see it raptor, or anyone else for that matter...I think we'd need to discover what procedure would be needed and the Game Commissions requirements for a review of a law, or what we would need to have a current law amended.
Lobbying the PUC involved getting on their agenda when THEY had a meeting. There was usually a small delegation, maybe 2 or 3 individuals, speaking on behalf of an entire organization.
Does Pennsylvania have a metal detector organization that acts as an umbrella to the clubs...something that could be a universal voice to all of us?
I haven't belonged to any clubs in years when a couple guys, along with myself formed the "North Pittsburgh Past Finder's".
Meetings were somewhat regular but attendance was spotty. And I guess now, the group is gone. I know there are other clubs around...but how well attended are they? Is there capacity and attendance to make some kind of membership impact to the state without it looking like a few people that want to steal archaeological resources from the hunting lands?
Strength in numbers!
I was very active in astronomy for a while and there was a point when someone attempted to create a statewide umbrella for all the small clubs scattered around, so we'd have a voice in large light pollution control issues. It never worked. Even thought the clubs attended the first organizational meeting, interest lagged and it never took off.
Writing letters can be a tireless task when such long time periods pass before we get responses to even our most basic questions about detecting on various lands.
That's why I would think a face-to-face with the members of the Game Commission would be necessary, in a professional atmosphere, where rules of procedure would be followed and questions answered or investigated.
Like some of the articles I've seen posted...the guys ripping off historical sites...this is our smear, even if it isn't us. We would need to convince the commission that what we do is a noble hobby, that we act in a professional manner by returning the ground to it's original condition,( less goodies) and are beneficial in removing others litter. We have to make them understand, "We are NOT history thieves!"
They're not going to bother waisting their time on 2 or 3 guys that send pesty letters. I think Greywolf did a great job being persistant...but we haven't got that permission we want, deserve, and have a right to.
Like I said before, no matter where the commission gets it's money, it is still PUBLIC monies that fund them.
And I think we could even be a step ahead of them (the commission) if we offered them a similar permit system, perhaps a willingness to buy a detecting stamp to attach to our detectors to prove who we are and they could monitor us like they do everyone else.
Gone about the right way...I think we could change things with them...but again...I think we need to show them, somehow, that it's more than 2 or 3 of us wanting the change. We'd need a good, solid commitment from a half decent number of people to make it worth the while. We need consensus among as many people from around the state, the clubs, and even people on forums like this, to agree in unison we want the change.
Then, once we can prove we have backing from a larger base, we got a shot to get an agenda with the commission.
Sounds like a few people will have to be busy getting in touch with clubs and stuff to try to generate some enthusiasm to form an umbrella organization willing to go to Harrisburg with our petition. I don't mean a petition with signatures, I mean our request in formal.
Could be a good winter project, eh?
Al
