Hi all. Ok I have a question. I would like to know if I am too honest or what would you have done. I called and talked to a pastor at a 137 year old church in a small local town where we have family. We go over there and visit allot so I asked the pastor if I could detect the church grounds and he said he had to ok it with the church board but, did not think there would be a problem because the board is big on the history of the church. Tonight I talked to him and he said yes, I could hunt the grounds but the board said anything I find I have to give back to the church because they rightfully own it. I asked him if that meant coins I might find? He said yes everything. I told him when I originally asked permission that anything that I found significant to the church I would donate back. I also told him that if I was lucky I might find a couple dollars worth of coins. So I was honest and told him that I like to keep my coins because I have over $2000.00 in my equipment and also my time invested and gas money. I never see anybody at this church except Sunday morning. SO.......Here is my question should I have said sure I will do that and just kept the coins I found and not said nothing or was the honest Joe route the smart way to go? I do feel better by being honest but, that did not put any old coins in my pouch. What would you all have done?
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yea I know too honest right??
- Thread starter pointer80
- Start date
Sorry, I don't hunt for free unless a friend asks me to look for something he/she has lost. Sounds pretty greedy of the church board to want everything you find; after all what's the point of even looking (cost of gas, batteries, wear & tear on the detector & equipment). You could offer to donate X dollars to the church in exchange for permission and the right to keep whatever you find. Sounds like the board either doesn't want you digging up the grounds or someone got stars in their eyes thinking you would find a small fortune for the church and they wouldn't have to do anything to earn it. You can always ask the pastor if you can present your case to the church board in person. Who knows what the pastor told the board or how he presented the idea to them.
I applaud your honesty and the fact that you asked to hunt a church which is probably tax exempt.Alot of the time churchs are never asked for permission to hunt even though some of the really old churchs have become private property again.
It would've been really hard for me to keep any coins after they said they wanted them back.Instead,I would've explained that keeping the coins is why I hunt and that I would just pass on their offer.
You offered to donate any big finds, that should've been enough.
JMHO
It would've been really hard for me to keep any coins after they said they wanted them back.Instead,I would've explained that keeping the coins is why I hunt and that I would just pass on their offer.
You offered to donate any big finds, that should've been enough.
JMHO
EtracTom-AdirondacksNY
New member
You did the right thing to live with yourself but makes you think about the next time though huh. I would walk away after one more attempt at talking to the board myself if possiable.
I don't get people they never think to buy a detector and hunt their own property cause they either don't believe in them actually working and or they think there's nothing there so they don't bother.
BUT let someone else come along and it's a different tune!! Visions of what if HE or SHE does find something????
I went to hunt a spot I got permission for and a lady and husband pulled up (lady worked there at the old church museum) and said for me to come and hunt her house instead. It was fairly old and a block away so I did and she followed me around and had to see everything I found. Finally the story comes out of her that someone else asked her to hunt her house and showed her a handfull of coins he had found and I guess some were silver or old so she felt afterwards that she had been somewhat taken or missed out so she I guess thought I was going to find the rest of the goodies for her and she would confiscate them from me right then and there so never again will I do that and be used.
I don't get people they never think to buy a detector and hunt their own property cause they either don't believe in them actually working and or they think there's nothing there so they don't bother.
BUT let someone else come along and it's a different tune!! Visions of what if HE or SHE does find something????
I went to hunt a spot I got permission for and a lady and husband pulled up (lady worked there at the old church museum) and said for me to come and hunt her house instead. It was fairly old and a block away so I did and she followed me around and had to see everything I found. Finally the story comes out of her that someone else asked her to hunt her house and showed her a handfull of coins he had found and I guess some were silver or old so she felt afterwards that she had been somewhat taken or missed out so she I guess thought I was going to find the rest of the goodies for her and she would confiscate them from me right then and there so never again will I do that and be used.
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Not to be the Devil's Advocate, but did you ever think that perhaps this posture by the church could have been a test. Granted I wasn't there, so the context of the exchange is lost, but the Biblical verse above sprung to my mind.
Better yet, if you believe in God, perhaps your sacrifice of your time might have resulted in a grander opportunity. After all, does the Lord give stone instead of bread when it is asked of Him? As a believer, I think that God rewards in some measure. But that is irrelevant from my perspective.
Now, I am not Bible Thumpin, but I would submit to anyone, that the good will extended to the church, instead of a perception of greed, might well have produced another, entirely different result. Contrary to the pack here, I would have done it. Perhaps asked to keep an item after the fact, but I would not want someone who was being selfish look on my property. Perhaps that was why the church was posturing as they were.
Anyway, just another take on the issue. Nothing wrong with what you did, but how much better would it have been, to agree to their terms. Now, they are convinced that they were right perhaps, that detectorists are in it for the greed. The good will produced would have been reward enough to my tastes....I do applaud your honesty and character, in that you didn't do as many, and just say ......why sure <wink, wink, > I will give you all the silver and gold I find.......
HH
Dennis, the nonjudgmental detectorist......
Not to be the Devil's Advocate, but did you ever think that perhaps this posture by the church could have been a test. Granted I wasn't there, so the context of the exchange is lost, but the Biblical verse above sprung to my mind.
Better yet, if you believe in God, perhaps your sacrifice of your time might have resulted in a grander opportunity. After all, does the Lord give stone instead of bread when it is asked of Him? As a believer, I think that God rewards in some measure. But that is irrelevant from my perspective.
Now, I am not Bible Thumpin, but I would submit to anyone, that the good will extended to the church, instead of a perception of greed, might well have produced another, entirely different result. Contrary to the pack here, I would have done it. Perhaps asked to keep an item after the fact, but I would not want someone who was being selfish look on my property. Perhaps that was why the church was posturing as they were.
Anyway, just another take on the issue. Nothing wrong with what you did, but how much better would it have been, to agree to their terms. Now, they are convinced that they were right perhaps, that detectorists are in it for the greed. The good will produced would have been reward enough to my tastes....I do applaud your honesty and character, in that you didn't do as many, and just say ......why sure <wink, wink, > I will give you all the silver and gold I find.......
HH
Dennis, the nonjudgmental detectorist......
Craneman57
New member
I would say "See Ya Later" including church services on Sunday! Let them take a couple thousand out of the collections on Sunday and buy their own detector and then they can and go keep what ever they find. Is this a Catholic church? I went to Catholic School when I was a child. I know how they work... Just find another place to detect... and also for services....
Wow Craneman....apparently you don't know how Catholic churches work. Catholic churches provide more help to the needy and desolate than any other denomination on the face of the planet. I tend to agree with Kuletule. In the end they may have let you keep the coins, or taken them. Who is to say? However, think of it in this context. If you found a class ring or a ring with an engraving....would you look for the owner? If the answer is yes, then you should go ahead and hunt the church. If the answer is no, then by all means pass. Another thought, if you did hunt the church, it may open up other venues to detect. Once they see that the board trusts you to detect on church property, the congregation would probably offer you there homes and businesses as search sites. Just a thought.
jackintexas
New member
I know I am from the old school. My word is my bond. If I hunted it, I would abide by what they say. We detectorist get enough bad rap. A good deed is a very good thing for the hobby. Also, someone else who belongs to the chuch may ask you to hunt their property. Then you could maybe make a deal with them. Are you too honest? In my opinion there is no such thing as being too honest.....Jack
Thanks everyone for all your great input. Like I said it's a very small town and one of the very old houses I have permission to hunt in town is owned by a great elderly lady that has lived there for over fifty years so I'm going to ask her if she knows anybody on the board that I can talk to and maybe change their mind. I have to say though that I did not spend over two thousand dollars for equipment to do charity hunts. Like I told the church which is the same as I tell every church if I find anything significant to the church or it's history I will donate it back without hesitation. My time is very valuable to me and there are other places to hunt including other churches. I always remove any trash when I hunt and that includes any surface trash I see so that should count for something. I would gladly let them take pics of the couple of injuns or maybe the buff or V nickle I might find(LOL). I will probably end up putting this place in the file for a possible future hunt(?). Thanks all and off to the next hunt. HH.
There's a really old house up the street from where my parents live that has quite a history to it. My Mom knows the lady that lives there, and asked her if I could detect her property, and she said the same thing, yes but she got to keep everything. I thought about saying the same thing, I keep the coins to pay for gas, batteries, detecting equipment etc, and she can have anything else, but then I thought it's just really not worth it. Besides I'd be too tempted to keep it to myself if I found a big old gold ring 
John - Maryland
Member
Honesty is the best policy. Who knows if you find some good things for the church it may open some doors for hunting other church members property where they will let you keep your finds. This might be a good opportunity.
Lipservice
New member
Back in the early 70s I had some business cards made up offering to find lost items with a metal detector. I put them in grocery stores/drug stores/etc. Most calls I got were for finding lost jewelry and property stakes.
My usual deal was I find the lost item then I get permission to detect the property and keep whatever else I find.
So one day I get a call from a lady who had lost a $2500 ring in her yard playing volleyball at a large family get together. Getting to her home I find a large 1880s house with a huge yard.
I talked to her and discussed the terms: If I find the ring I get to detect her yard and keep whatever I find. She agreed. She showed me where they were playing volleyball and I found the ring about 15 minutes later.
She was overjoyed.
So I started hunting her yard. She was setting on the big open porch watching, which I really did not notice at the time. I IMMEDIATLY got a crisp, but weak, signal. About 6" down I pulled out a beatiful womans gold ring.
It was obviously antique. And it had a huge blue sapphire stone, with a magnificent cut. I was cleaning off the dirt from it and saw 18k on the inside of the band. Suddenly from over my shoulder... "Can I see that?"
She was standing right behind me! I handed it to her. She looked at it. "Oh I lost this ring! Thanks" and stuck it in her pocket. And she headed back for the house. I stopped her and reminded her of our deal.
This gal was in her mid 30s, no way she lost that old ring. She got angry and said it was her ring. And was not about to give it back. She told me to get off her property NOW or she was calling the police.
I left. After that I had written agreements made up and signed BEFORE I even got the metal detector out of the car. Never had a problem again.
My usual deal was I find the lost item then I get permission to detect the property and keep whatever else I find.
So one day I get a call from a lady who had lost a $2500 ring in her yard playing volleyball at a large family get together. Getting to her home I find a large 1880s house with a huge yard.
I talked to her and discussed the terms: If I find the ring I get to detect her yard and keep whatever I find. She agreed. She showed me where they were playing volleyball and I found the ring about 15 minutes later.
She was overjoyed.
So I started hunting her yard. She was setting on the big open porch watching, which I really did not notice at the time. I IMMEDIATLY got a crisp, but weak, signal. About 6" down I pulled out a beatiful womans gold ring.
It was obviously antique. And it had a huge blue sapphire stone, with a magnificent cut. I was cleaning off the dirt from it and saw 18k on the inside of the band. Suddenly from over my shoulder... "Can I see that?"
She was standing right behind me! I handed it to her. She looked at it. "Oh I lost this ring! Thanks" and stuck it in her pocket. And she headed back for the house. I stopped her and reminded her of our deal.
This gal was in her mid 30s, no way she lost that old ring. She got angry and said it was her ring. And was not about to give it back. She told me to get off her property NOW or she was calling the police.
I left. After that I had written agreements made up and signed BEFORE I even got the metal detector out of the car. Never had a problem again.
Thos brings a recnt statement to mind. In Delaware there is a detector club with a very successful detectorist. He had said many times that when he asks for permission, he states anything he finds will be split. Then he says... I carry a bunch of old buttons and had them over as the find. I always thought this was being very dishonest. But for the church, I do think that was a greedy statement on their part. If tey haven't bothered to search themselves, they should not ask you to do it for them. Probably, never even came to their mind until you asked... greed took over at that time. There will be others, just pass on pricipal. HH
sandnsea49
Member
I had a fellow I met ask me to come over to his house, which was old, to hunt. Now granted I did not make any arrangements for what I found but I figured I'd get something. Well, I started hunting and he folloewd me around and soon found a 2cent piece, he asked if he could see it. ZIP in the house he goes, no coin in his hand when he returned. I then found and indian head, ZIP in the house he goes. I got the message real quick and told him I had to go. My time, gas and equipment is too valuable to hunt and dig for someone else. I did howver spend many days hunting a farm field for a university looking for a battlefield and any thing I found I had to give to them, but I knew it up front and enjoyed trying to find some piece of history.