MD clubs/ groups in WV???

Well, Alrighty....LOL... I will take the lack of responses as there are no clubs or groups in WV. Happy Hunting to all.......

The era of brick & mortar clubs has pretty much gone by the way-side. Only very big cities ever have clubs anymore (and even then-so, declining memberships).

Reason is: The era of the internet forums (starting mid to late 1990s) fills the niche for social interaction. Eg.: Show & tell, research @ objects, meeting others in one's area, learing peer reviews of the latest tech & gadgets, etc... We've become lazy. No one gets off their duff and drives to a monthly meeting anymore. Instead they sit in their lazy-chair and get their social interaction @ computer hobbyist forums.

Clubs: R.I.P.

Tom_in_CA said:

The era of brick & mortar clubs has pretty much gone by the way-side. Only very big cities ever have clubs anymore (and even then-so, declining memberships).

Reason is: The era of the internet forums (starting mid to late 1990s) fills the niche for social interaction. Eg.: Show & tell, research @ objects, meeting others in one's area, learing peer reviews of the latest tech & gadgets, etc... We've become lazy. No one gets off their duff and drives to a monthly meeting anymore. Instead they sit in their lazy-chair and get their social interaction @ computer hobbyist forums.

Clubs: R.I.P.

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Yeh, that's kinda what I was thinking. I only know of one other person that detects. He's been out of it for a year or so due to some health issues, though. I'd like to find someone to bounce things against and hunt with from time to time. I do enjoy the solitude, can't deny that. I guess, as a species, we are getting a little lazy. Don't really see too many folks from WV on here. There are few, but not like other places that are represented.

wvdave107 said:

Yeh, that's kinda what I was thinking. I only know of one other person that detects. He's been out of it for a year or so due to some health issues, though. I'd like to find someone to bounce things against and hunt with from time to time. I do enjoy the solitude, can't deny that. I guess, as a species, we are getting a little lazy. Don't really see too many folks from WV on here. There are few, but not like other places that are represented.

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Internet forums also allow you to bump into other like-minded hobbyists to hunt with. If you search the top 6 or 8 md'ing forums, in key-word searches, you will invariably find persons in your area. Chime in on their posts, and vice-versa, and you'll eventually meet locals.

Here in CA, at one time (before the advent of the internet) the only way you met others was A) to bump into them at the beach or parks or whatever, or B) at the club meetings. But now.... ~20 yrs. after the advent of the internet, when I consider the group of guys I hunt with, I can see that invariably anyone I know now, tends to have been via the net. Eg.: you see someone else is finding stuff in your part of the state (via forum show & tell), so you're green with envy. You likewise post something , and they likewise respect your finds as well. You start PM'ing, and trading site tips, and .... next thing you know, you're mutually working some research or site. That's just the way things have evolved these days in the post-club era.

Check out Mountain State Diggers on Facebook. I think some of the guys on there are in clubs.