Starting a Local Club

[Duckwalk]

If i wanted to start a local club in Villa Rica, (which i do) what things do i need. I have no idea what to expect, if anyone would even be interested in joining, If we take donations to get shirts, bumper stickers, etc would i need any special tax forms? This is all new to me but its something i REALLY want to do. Wouldnt mind running things but i need to know some more before i get my feet wet. i dont want to drown lol.

 

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[GoldpannerDave]

If i wanted to start a local club in Villa Rica, (which i do) what things do i need. I have no idea what to expect, if anyone would even be interested in joining, If we take donations to get shirts, bumper stickers, etc would i need any special tax forms? This is all new to me but its something i REALLY want to do. Wouldnt mind running things but i need to know some more before i get my feet wet. i dont want to drown lol.

I wish you the best, Ducky, but I don't have any pearls of wisdom to share. I have always just joined and let the "old timers" who were often retired, do the actual nuts and bolts of running the organization.

 

[Jimmydolittle]

Do you plan to be a private club, or will you be sanctioned by GPAA?

 

[KevinInColorado]

Do you plan to be a private club, or will you be sanctioned by GPAA?

And by private, he means independent

 

[Duckwalk]

Independent is the plan.

 

[Hoser John]

Each state has different laws. Feds all the same when it comes to clubs. There is a threshold amount of income that they use. Down the road a 501c3 nonprofit rocks BUT paperwork can indeed be daunting. Local tiny club here just folded after 3 years of starts and spurts. Stay independent as you get no help/support from anyone anymore,just gimmee. Wish ya luck,keep it looseknit and have a ball with like minded folks-John

 

[Duckwalk]

Each state has different laws. Feds all the same when it comes to clubs. There is a threshold amount of income that they use. Down the road a 501c3 nonprofit rocks BUT paperwork can indeed be daunting. Local tiny club here just folded after 3 years of starts and spurts. Stay independent as you get no help/support from anyone anymore,just gimmee. Wish ya luck,keep it looseknit and have a ball with like minded folks-John

So do i need to go the non profit route or just get a website and a group of friends and call it a club? The only income we would have as a club would be for raffling off pans or equipment every so often. It would be great to pay a private land owner to let us use his creek but that wouldn't happen for MANY MANY years.

 

[Jimmydolittle]

LLC! Non profit will be cost prohibitive, starting out I think.

 

[Rob in KS]

It'll take a lot of your time too, something that seems to be in short supply

 

[rodoconnor]

Like HJ says Ducky. If there is any money involved at all be careful, it may be worthwhile to talk to an accountant. Too bad, in this day and age it seems you can't do anything easy and simple. G/L

 

[goldog]

Money for a shirt won't be a problem (I don't think). If your looking to collect funds it'll be different.

Think of costs. A meeting place can be somewhere free to start for a small group. You can mostly just share stories, locations and info and have a pot luck outing. raffles are usually for the benefit of something. Donated / sponsored items work for that.

You'll end up with a core group of "founding members" and make it more formal. Along the way of course you'll look into the laws and make a set of rules. Sounds fun.

 

[Duckwalk]

Money for a shirt won't be a problem (I don't think). If your looking to collect funds it'll be different.

Think of costs. A meeting place can be somewhere free to start for a small group. You can mostly just share stories, locations and info and have a pot luck outing. raffles are usually for the benefit of something. Donated / sponsored items work for that.

You'll end up with a core group of "founding members" and make it more formal. Along the way of course you'll look into the laws and make a set of rules. Sounds fun.

This is awesome information. thanks. The free meeting place had crossed my mind. Hell, meet at my house for all i care... after i get it cleaned up....
I know someone who does embroidering so maybe i could work something out with her. My main thing is, as of right now i dont want to charge to become a "member" I feel that people tend to get turned off by the idea of paying for a membership but not really getting any benefits. (IE places to prospect or free equipment)

The ONLY reason i would charge for membership would be to pay a land owner monthly for access to his creeks. but that right now doesnt seem like it would be in the future any time soon.

 

[triple d]

Being a club. And being responsible for that clubs actions. Should open doors to private property. Also try to get some members to help with setting up a club. Should make things a lot easier. And getting to know the state officials. And working on issues with them can open doors. You scratch my back ill scratch yours. And good luck. More clubs are needed.

 

[goldog]

Get that core group together and that may happen sooner than you think. A dozen guys kick in twenty bucks might get some attention. If I had a creek nearby I'd let you come by a few times a season. Of course you'd need to establish that the gold is there first.

 

[Duckwalk]

I might ask the guy that lets me in his. Same property that Kevin and I were at. We pulled a good bit of glass out of the creek bed. Maybe the trash cleanup could be my in!

 

[KRIKITTS]

This is awesome information. thanks. The free meeting place had crossed my mind. Hell, meet at my house for all i care... after i get it cleaned up....
I know someone who does embroidering so maybe i could work something out with her. My main thing is, as of right now i dont want to charge to become a "member" I feel that people tend to get turned off by the idea of paying for a membership but not really getting any benefits. (IE places to prospect or free equipment)

The ONLY reason i would charge for membership would be to pay a land owner monthly for access to his creeks. but that right now doesnt seem like it would be in the future any time soon.

you could meet at a local restaurant... maybe get a discount on pie and coffee( who dont like pie?). Could draw some attention your way too when others see you there, put up a little sign like the kiwanis or something...

 

[huntsman53]

Ducky,

If you get a local club started, I sure hope that it works out and shines above many others! I have long thought about joining the "Week End Gold Miners Club" that is in the Dahlonega area but always hesitated to see how things went. However, once I retired, I found that they had lost their' lease on probably the most important Gold producing property that they ever had. That lease was on the Yahoola Creek Southeast of the old Consolidated Gold Mine and Walmart. If my memory serves me correctly, when they had the lease on the property on Yahoola Creek, I believe they also had leases on three other properties but now, they are down to only two. For a person that paid good money to get into the club and especially due to having great locations for Gold, the loss of the lease on the Yahoola Creek property was probably a very hard pill to swallow and a kick in the teeth. As I heard it, a few WEGM members decided to dig outside of the creek which was strictly prohibited by the Property owner and when he found out, he dropped WEGM's lease on it. I have been searching online for a few other decent clubs to pop-up and hopefully one will get a lease on the Yahoola Creek property. If that happens, I may join depending upon the membership fees and dues.


Frank

 

[Duckwalk]

I know a few people who belong to WEGM and they like the property in Cleveland GA. I don't know the name but I know some awesome gold has been pulled out of there recently!

 

[g-olden years]

Your idea of bartering trash cleanup for club use of creek with the landowner you already know seems practical! Find out ahead of time what he doesn't want club members to do on his property. Meeting in restaurant also sounds like easy deal. Some community centers also are available free for varied groups to meet.

Aristotle and your father are both right! Best wishes for your club! Andi

 

[Hoser John]

The trouble starts with selling anything . Then your State Board Of Equalization rules kick in as taxes must be collected and reported periodically in accordance to amounts taken in and each state has it's own mandate. You do not charge dues but take donations as a different animal then also. Your state tax board and the IRS have a lot of free info to assist in club formulations. Accurate records are a must. My old partner Don started a club way back when it was easy and they threw out the GPAA, same as local club up here also, asap as take take take and no give backs anymore just pay pay pay-John