MSGH Group Meeting Minutes

July 11, 2011

Present were: Rodney & Dawn Whittaker, Becky Bukowski, Paula Yates, Angel Braum, Lisa Briggs and David

The meeting began with a welcome to new members, Lisa Briggs & Dave Fritz. Rodney viewed some pictures and EVP’s from previous investigations, with the new members.

Rodney informed the Group that Gettysburg Ghost Excursions, the business we run in Gettysburg on the weekends, is open to all MSGH members free of charge. That includes the Ghost Tour (value $10/person) and the Ghost Hunts (value $25/person). He went on to say that employees are now in place in Gettysburg so that GGE can run without him being present at all times, so GGE should not inhibit any investigations for

The group will post a public investigation to *** and *** in the very near future. In
the past, this has been one of MSGH’s most attended investigations. Please look for that post.

There will be a posting of the next training class to the calendar. Additionally, at all future meetings, there will be a brief “training” on a separate piece of equipment at each meeting…such as “EVP’s” and “Analyzing Photos”, etc. These topics will be helpful to all members, both new and old.

As you know by now, we are in the process of investigating various buildings at the **
MSGH hopes to gain some college students as new members thru these Investigations and the publicity that will be in both the newsletter and the local paper there.

The group then discussed the following potential places to set up investigations. Many of these places would be very good for us to investigate, and you input would be greatly appreciated. (Potential investigations removed from public post)

Paula came up with a great idea for transportation via train rather than bus. I will start looking into the prices for some of these places.

Rodney mentioned the need for help in going over evidence from investigations, and Paula & David.

Rodney stated that any questions, suggestions or problems you may have may be addressed to him personally at mdsocietyofghosthunters@yahoo.com.

There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 4:10pm.

March Meeting Minutes

I was able to attend both the Central and Eastern Shore meeting so this is a compilation of both meetings.

Welcome Becky who's joining us from Port City Paranormal. We're glad to have met you at EPIC - perfect timing.

A few people are still reviewing their evidence from the Grain Mill investigation but there have been quite a few comments about personal/group experiences. Some people have made comments on the forum here- ( you'll need to be logged in - http://forum.msghforum.com/post?id=4618474 )

Also, the Grain Mill was being discussed previously as a possible location for workshops and training. We've found however, that currently it's not an option for us. If anyone has suggestions for other locations we can begin work with please share!

Attendees were able to see the Polo shirts in person. Currently the price is $50 a shirt but I am asking for anyone who may have a source for the shirts or other apparel for information. Ideally, we would have one source for all of the items and I could bring that to the embroidery person. If anyone has a dealer for embroidery and thinks they may be able to work out a better deal, please, by all means let us know what you come up with!!

Most of you read my EPIC report but 2 things I left out we covered at the meeting. I did forget to mention Rodney had a very interesting reading by Mama Lisa who advised him of some things. He took note of them and it may have helped because he was able to sell the house he's had on the market for 8 months a week later!

The 2nd note is about the Paranormal Resource Alliance. MSGH is a member of this organization. They are made up of teams who follow a specific code of conduct and ethics. Our website has a link to their page which may help anyone who is interested in using us see our policy and understand that we are professional. We hope that this will also help us network with other teams for investigations. The PRA is also currently working on a database of public investigation locations which should give groups information on a location before they go into it. (For example PCP may not have wasted a trip if MSGH was able to inform them that you can hear all the fishing boats through the cracks in the stones or MSGH may go into an investigation with another groups info and may either find the same hot spots or even debunk something, looking at it from a different perspective.) The PRA's main objective is to help groups work together to reach a standard of professionalism.

The biggest event coming up is our Luau fundraiser. Gayle has graciously volunteered her backyard and had begun work on the entertainment. We discussed a clean up day to help pick up from storm damage as well as gathering a list of volunteers to cook Hawaiian themed food. Volunteers who will be serving/working at the event may have the opportunity to earn their tickets. Our goal in this event is the purchase of the Thermal Imaging Camera. The date is set for Saturday June 19.

Details are being worked out for our September Murder Mystery Fundraiser also.

If you are attending Phenomenology we would love to hear your summary when you get back or at the next meeting.

2/20 Meeting Minutes

Hello! As promised here are the minutes from the central meeting from 2/20. They are also posted on the blog www.msghblog.com

**I think this is everything but if you have something I missed or more information to clarify on something here please let me know- Lizmsgh@gmail.com or leave a comment!

From the recording it sounded like a big turn out. Glad the new members Angel and her mother could join us. Welcome back Duane too! Other members in attendance include Rodney, Dawn, Tina, Gayle, Lynda, Carol, Russell (Those were the voices I could make out! Please let me know if I missed you!!)

**Dues are Due by Sunday, February 28th. Anyone who has not notified Dawn, or who does not send in their dues, will be removed from the group. Please, if you have any problem paying the dues, send DAWN an email (sdwhitmsgh@yahoo.com). We, don't want to lose interested people, but we do want to weed out those who do not participate in the group in any way. Again, if you have a concern or question, please feel free to contact Dawn (sdwhitmsgh@yahoo.com) , but please do so ASAP.
**Dues are Due! Contact Dawn to find out the amount and where they can be sent.

The Grain Mill investigation has been moved to March 6th. Please let Dawn/Rodney know if you plan on attending so they can get an estimated head count.

Several places were discussed for workshops and even possible ghost tours which would be used as training and fund raising events. (I won't list them directly but there are several possibilities in the works) If you have a suggestion please don't be afraid to contact one of the board members about it so someone can get to work on it.

Speaking of the board, at the meeting being held this week the opportunity of a meetup.com group will be discussed. There is a cost involved of $12 a month for 6 months (one $72 payment), $1/pm for 3 months ($45 payment) or a $19/pm month to month plan which the board will discuss and vote on.

Brochures and fliers are being designed for the upcoming conferences!!

It was requested that these minutes be e-mailed to the group instead of just posted to the blog and that the links to all of our various communication areas be included at the bottom! If you're on the blog just click meetings under the "click to see" on the left to see only the meeting notes from past meetings.

Equipment sales can be listed on the yahoo group for members in case your looking to sell/buy gently used equipment. A new section has also been added to the forum which is open to non-MSGH members to post sales as well which may also encourage networking. A special microphone attachment for digital recorders is available with prices all around $5 maximum, which amplifies the recording quality amazingly and has been tested by a few members.

Yahoo group note- don't forget to set your email setting to individual e-mail or at least check the yahoo group regularly. Digest e-mails can become overwhelming and it may be possibly to miss something or miss out on an investigation that fills up.

Please remember that there is a deadline of 2 weeks after an investigation to turn in your reviewed evidence to Rodney. We understand people are busy but he needs your information in order to make a fully informed report to the clients. Even if you did not get anything of note, let Rodney know so he doesn't wait to deliver the information to the client.

Workshops will be set up for training on equipment. There will be private ones for MSGH members apart from the fund raising ones. These workshops will help members learn how to set up the equipment and be prepared for investigations.

Multiple dates will will possibly be set up for really great investigation spots so we can make sure to include as many members as possible. We want to make sure that no one misses out.

There are two conferences coming up! All the information can be found here- http://www.msghblog.com/2010/02/reminder-2-conferences.html
After each of these events members are welcome to post their experiences/ reviews to the yahoo group or discuss them at the meetings. This will help keep the group informed and encourage members to participate at such events.

Future events that include a cost will require deposits. If you cancel after your payment is made your deposit will only be returned if someone can be found to fill your spots.

The Shanley investigation in north New York state (NOT Stanley in Colorado) is full now. Room assignments will be reviewed and if you're looking to carpool let the yahoo group know! Alan will be the equipment manager for this investigation and will co-ordinate with MD Tri State Paranormal

MSGH apparel can be found here- http://www.cafepress.com/mdsocgh

There is a new training facility in Harper's Ferry, WV! The Booth house was converted into a museum/training facility. Here's what I could find with just a quick search but if you have more info please feel free to share with the group!
http://www.inthepanhandle.com/local/news/article/paranormal_research_and_training_facility_opening_to_the_public/

The rest of the meeting was used to talk about personal experiences and review some previous evidence.

EP News- The logo still isn't quite ready and therefore shirts are also not yet available with the Maryland specific logo. If your interested in purchasing a shirt with the standard logo those can be found here (except they are currently on hold right now while they get out the overwhelming number of orders they have, check back!) - http://www.everydayparanormal.com/EP_Store.php

Our Website, http://www.mdsocietyofghosthunters.com/
The Blog, www.msghblog.com
The Forum, http://forum.msghforum.com/
Our Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=312476629245&ref=ts

Reminder! 2 conferences coming up!!

*Thanks Lynda for the summary!

Conferences:

EPIC CON Conference (www.epiccon.com):

March 12-14th (The Cavalier, Virginia Beach, VA)
3 day event!!!!
Hotel Rooms: $83 a night for room (not per person)
Price: $100 when purchased on the site now! $125 at the door.

Price includes all 3 days of lectures, ticket for The Deadman's Party, and meet and greets.

There are also 2 different ghost tours at $12 each.

There is a charge of $20 (to be paid at the door) for 2 of the classes. On the site you can find the list of A-List (well-known) speakers who will be there. The number of these guests is around 15.

The Awards dinner is $40 per person with a set menu you can select at registration (also on the site)

***EPIC CON stands for Eastern Paranormal Investigators Co-op. This is the first annual event for them. There are Nine Groups that make up this co-op calling themselves the Dream Team. MSGH is one of the nine.


It's not too late to sign-up!!

***************************************************************************************************

PHENOMENOLOGY 102 http://www.phenomenology102.northeasternparanormal.org/
March 25th-28th (4 day event)
Gettysburg, PA
Hotel: Eisenhower Hotel, around $95 Or price of gas if traveling back and forth
Price: Individual- $175, group discount (5 or more) $125

Price includes:

* Four Day Event March 25th-28th, 2010
* Celebrity Meet and Greet
* Access to All Lectures
* Access to the Vendor Room
* The General's Breakfast at the Eisenhower on Friday and Saturday.
* Not to mention the chance to meet new people, network in the field, and have a great time.


Ghost Investigations are $75 for a full night and $36 for half night.
Investigation with Chris Fleming- $100
Galleria Readings- $30

There is also a day pass for March 27th for $77.85.
This includes

* Vendor room access.
* Gallery Reading with Chip Coffey
* Gallery Reading with Michael & Marti Parry


This is the 2nd annual Phenomology 102 conference, hosted by North Eastern Paranormal Investigations, another group in Maryland.

There are OVER 30 A-List speakers at this conference. John Zaffis, Carmen Reed, and Bill Bean will be at both. A partial itinerary is on their website:

http://www.phenomenology102.northeasternparanormal.org/index.html

Forum is UP! and a site change

You may have noticed some changes around here! I've changed the blog name to make it a little bit more with the flow of the rest of our titles and is easier to remember.

At our last meeting there was a discussion about a message board- somewhere we could go to chat and have a thread with a discussion follow through. It took me a bit but I think I've got it together.

On the right hand side you'll see a link to the forum. You won't be able to see any threads or participate until you register and are approved. There is a forum specifically for unregistered members who are interested in joining or are seeking our help.

Looking forward to chatting with you!

Coming Soon! Your turn to hunt!

Keep you're eye out for a fun haunted adventure. Everyone's invited to join us as we solve the case. Soon we'll release the details of a dinner party/scavenger hunt (we're still working out the specifics) that we know you'll love!

Make sure to subscribe or check back to stay up to date as we release more details.

Happy January!! 1/16/2010 Meeting notes

Hi guys! This January we just had a central meeting and plan on scheduling an Eastern Shore meeting in February.

**I think this is everything but if you have something I missed or more information to clarify on something here please let me know- chedderfish@gmail.com or leave a comment!

At our January meeting Russell was kind enough to bring out all his photo equipment to take new head shots for badges so we have a little bit more of a uniform, professional look. Gayle, the rock star, again, opened her hope up to our group and had a lovely spread of goodies for us to enjoy. Thanks to everyone who brought snacks and drinks too.

**Dues are Due! Contact Dawn to find out the amount and where they can be sent.

We enjoyed some snacks and got into our meeting. The big announcement is that MSGH is now a circuit group for Everyday Paranormal Maryland and even more specifically, our President, Rodney, is the Director of State Operations for EP MD. The EPMD team is made up of the elite group of team members from MSGH who have put forth the effort to become certified as well as contribute to the group with their own talents on a regular basis. EPMD also includes Circuit Groups in Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The website is still being constructed but you can preview it here- http://www.everydayparanormalmd.com

Another announcement that was made is the formation of a Board of Directors for MSGH. The 6 selected members will be announced in an e-mail coming out shortly. The 6 members will aide Rodney in making important decisions that effect the group.

It sounded like we had a nice turn out at the Bill Bean book signing Friday night and that it was an interesting event!

An investigation for February 6th has been set up. Check your e-mail for information to come.

*A reminder was made to review the rules and protocol which can be found in the Files section of the yahoo group. We've had a few instances recently of some members not quite following these guidelines. Also, to clarify, you can certainly attend events put on by other groups. We just ask you let MSGH know about the event in case other members might also want to attend. We also ask that if you are involved in another group that you are upfront about this when you join and that you consider the effort and involvement you can give MSGH.

Rodney let the group know that each meeting will have a particular theme/topic that will be presented and discussed. This will help meetings become more informative and formatted.

This months topic was presented by Lynda, our groups spirit medium (link on the right!) She discussed protection with the group and why it is important. It was something I'd never thought of personally, so the presentation was very interesting. Before going into an investigation it is critical to take a moment and focus on what you are going into, not just equipment, structurally and case wise but with your own energies and awareness. For each person it is different because it needs to be based on what your own beliefs are. Some people carry crosses, holy water or grounding stones while others simply say a prayer or focus their energies and put up a shield of white light of protection. These acts will put an investigator into the right state of mind and can prevent a mental, physical or spiritual attack that an entity may attempt in the case of unprotected investigators.

It is also important to take a moment to release or leave anything that may be wanting to attach itself to you before you leave an investigation. Parasitic entities can cling to negativity and come home with you so to speak. For moments before entering and leaving an investigation protection is an important thing to remember for all members. Lynda suggested the idea of taking a moment as a group. This is a good idea because often times there may be a member who didn't have the time or it simply slipped their mind. As a group we can take the time together to ensure everyone's well being. But something to consider also is that whatever form your protection takes it may not be what others believe and therefor does them no good. Because beliefs are so individual mine cannot protect someone else if they don't open themselves up to it/believe it will work for them and vice versa.

Overall it was a very productive meeting with a lot of great information. Do you have any suggestions for topics you'd like to see covered in future meetings? Do you have an idea for an investigation but don't want to contact them? And again, If I've forgotten something or haven't quite clarified something please let me know by e-mail or leaving a comment!!

Til Later-
Liz

P.S. Don't forget just 2 more months til Epic Con. Get your tickets and your rooms booked now!! Link on the right side.