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AMERICAN FEDERATION OF MINERALOGICAL SOCIETIES
Volume 55, Number 8 IN THIS ISSUE Hats Off To Port Townsend For A Job Well Done A Rockin' Good Time Was Had By All!from Colleen & Lyle Kugler We regret that we could not attend the convention this year. Lyle's angioplasty in February, my knee surgery in May and our son's wedding in early July made it impossible for us to come. We had some good entries again this year with only half a point separating the top two large clubs. We would like to encourage all federations to encourage their clubs to try this competition. Everyone is a winner. It is a great way to compile a history book for your club. We did have five federations represented this year, but would really like all federations involved. And the winners are... Small Clubs Bronze Awards... (in alphabetical order)
Silver Awards... (in alphabetical order)
Gold Award & Highest Scoring Small Club...
Large Clubs Silver Award...
Gold Awards...(in alphabetical order)
Gold Award & Highest Scoring Large Club
from Jon Spunaugle
The lucky recipient, holder of the winning ticket was John Baumler of the Gem & Mineral Society of Syracuse, NY. John has promised that the Dare Devil will be on display at the EFMLS/AFMS Convention which will be held in Syracuse in July, 2004. How I Spent My Summer Vacation from Steve Weinberger, AFMS President
I have been impressed with the dedication of so many people throughout the hobby; to them, jobs are not difficult, they are just things which need to be done. The attention to detail which the organizers at Port Townsend demonstrated was amazing. Everything ran smoothly and everyone made a concerted effort to make us feel welcome. My sincere thanks go to all members of the Port Townsend Rock Club. For those who have never attended an AFMS business meeting, here is a quick run-down of what happens. Just as your club meets and reviews minutes, treasurer's reports, committee reports, old and new business, etc., the AFMS does the same. Whereas your club meets monthly, the AFMS has generally only one meeting each year, in conjunction with one of the regional federations' meeting. This rotates so that we are in any given federation once every seven years. This year in addition to the above-mentioned items, we enacted several changes as outlined below:
The Conservation and Legislation Committee also presented a land use policy to the Board and it was approved. A copy of this policy is found elsewhere in this issue. I don't think that it is different from what most of us believe, but it does codify our thoughts about our concerns over use of public lands. Foremost on this Land Use Policy is the adherence to the AFMS Code of Ethics. This can go a long way to help with not only public support of our interests but also with individual land owners who see that we care about the land on which we collect. As you can see, the AFMS Board and committees have been busy this summer (as they have been throughout the year.) Since many clubs take a respite during the summer, it is now time to prepare for the upcoming fall, winter and spring activities. I wish everyone a healthy year, one filled with exciting endeavors in collecting, cutting and jewelry making. Take some time to teach this year. The opportunities are endless - club members, youngsters, the general public - everyone can learn. Each club member knows a little more about something which he or she can share. As Bram Terrill, EFMLS President (1971-72) was fond of saying, "Each One Teach One" or more, and interest in our hobby is sure to grow while we have fun along the way. from Ron Carman, President-elect
At the annual meeting, we did discuss a great many issues and made some changes to our Bylaws and Operating Procedures, mainly for clarity. The members discussed adding some items to the AFMS website, and approved the placing of the latest revision to the Uniform Rules on the site when all updates have been completed. I was pleased to see this addition, since I have heard numerous requests for it both last year and while I was on the committee. In the long run, this change should save money for both the Supply & Publications Committee and the Central Office by reducing printing and postage costs. Several other items were also approved, and you will certainly hear about them from the committees involved. Another part of the convention that I certainly enjoy (and always do) is the opportunity to meet folks from other federations all over the country. I am from Oklahoma originally, and like that famous Oklahoman Will Rogers, I can say I never met a rockhound I didn't like. This hobby is so varied that persons of many different interests take part, but we all have the love for earth's natural treasures as a common ground, which unites us all at shows and conventions. I can't overemphasize how our shows contribute to our camaraderie as well as being our chance to present a positive image to the public in general. Socializing with others who share our interest is for me a great part of any show! The American Federation, as well as the regional federations, has various committees which do many of the important day-to-day jobs for all of us in the AFMS. The members of some of them are defined in our Bylaws and Operating Procedures; others are appointed by the President. If anyone is interested in serving on a particular committee, feel free to let me know. I will be happy to consider all requests. A list of AFMS officers and the various committees is available in the AFMS newsletter or on the AFMS website. Also, if you haven't visited this very excellent website, go look at it. The URL, or Internet address is <www.amfed.org>. Help For Your Club - Records Retention by Mike Kokinos [Ed Note: Mike Kokinos retired from the IRS several years ago and has been the long-time CFMS tax advisor. This is the first of a series of articles written by Mike in answer to numerous questions posed by AFMS affiliated clubs.] These guidelines give consideration to reports required by the Internal Revenue Service, the States, and retention of historical records. In the years I have worked with California Federation of Mineralogical Societies, the biggest problem is the loss of records. The losses occur from deaths, fire, resignations, relocations, failure to turn over records by outgoing officers and chairpersons, and destruction. Keeping records in an officer or member's home account for most lost records. It is imperative that a common facility be used that is accessible to all officers and committee chairpersons. Records should be neatly organized and stored in lidded record storage boxes of a uniform size. Permanent records should be stored in a fireproof file cabinet. For non-permanent records, the date of destruction should be noted on the outside of the box. A listing of the contents should be kept both inside the box and a separate listing stored with the association's current general files. Permanent Records: These records must be retained for the life of the organization.
Records to be retained 4 - 5 years
Award Winning Programs Earn Cash Awards from Marge Collins Three excellent programs scored 95 or more points to earn $200 each and be designated 1st Place Winners with "Highest Honors" in the 2002 Program Competition. In the Educational Class, "Datolite: Crystals, Diversity and Color" a slide program by Wayne W. Sukow (Northern Virginia Mineral Club, EFLMS) presents a close up look at a variety of datolite specimens from around the world. Samples from each location have unique characteristics. Some are attractive cabinet specimens while others are best appreciated under magnification. You will have a better appreciation for this somewhat unusual mineral after viewing this presentation. In the Field Trip Class, "In Search of South Dakota's Fairburn Agate" a slide program by Doug Moore and Don Kelman (Heart of Wisconsin Gem & Mineral Society, MWF) takes you on a journey to find another colorful, rare species found in areas around the Black Hills. There are several other colorful 'rocks' from the same vicinity which are sometimes mistaken for Fairburns. Doug & Don show where to hunt, what to look for - and what to look out for - if you want to add this unique agate to your collection. In a 'Special Class', "Recovery of the Hyde Park Mastodon" by Jay Tinker (Gem & Mineral Society of Syracuse, EFLMS) shows the detailed process and complications encountered while extricating and preserving the remains from the backyard pond - not far from the Hudson River, north of Poughkeepsie, NY. The original was prepared as a Power Point presentation on CD-ROM. Since few Clubs have access to the equipment needed to properly project such a presentation, at this time, we expect to transfer it to 35mm slides and VHS video so it can be presented at meetings. Those who wish to borrow the CD-ROM will be able to do so as well. These programs will be available from your Regional Program Library before the end of this year. Watch your Regional Newsletter or contact Librarian to set a date your use. Anyone interested in entering the 2003 Program Competition can watch for the Rules and Entry Form in this or your Regional Newsletter; contact your Regional Librarian or AFMS Program Competition Coordinator Marge Collins, (269)695-4313 or margaret@qtm.net for information or suggestions. from Dee Holland, URC Chair The displays at the Port Townsend NFMS/AFMS Convention were excellent. It was indeed a pleasure for the judges and for me to be able to award the following trophies for competitive displays... Trophy # 2 Minerals - Jason Holstrom, NFMS Trophy # 3 Minerals - Anne & Bill Cook, MWF Trophy # 3 Minerals - Society Trophy, MWF Trophy # 5 Minerals - Jack Thompson, RMFMS Trophy # 6 Minerals - Laurie Casto, NFMS Trophy # 8 Minerals - Alexander Schauss, NFMS Trophy # 9 Minerals - Barbara Sky, MWF Trophy # 13 Lapidary - Elvin & Earline Irwin, NFMS Trophy # 17 Lapidary - Elvin & Earline Irwin, NFMS Trophy # 18 Lapidary - Elvin & Earline Irwin, NFMS Trophy # 22 Petrified Wood - Elvin & Earline Irwin, NFMS Trophy # 26 Jewelry - Viola Jones, NFMS Trophy # 15 Lapidary - Society, NFMS Trophy # 28 Educational - Larry Hulstrom, NFMS Trophy # 31 Intarsia - Barbara Jacobsen, NFMS Lillian Turner Award for a Junior: Jason Hulstrom won for his "Master" Mineral Exhibit. Jason is from NFMS, Lakeside Gem & Mineral Club, Kennewick, WA. The award was presented by Toby Cozens, AFMS Treasurer, and Steve Weinberger, AFMS President. Jack Nelson, Chairman In the April issue, I said I would give you a partial list of some of the very useful, interesting and (free) Internet discussion groups (or lists) related to rocks, minerals, fossils and gems where you can meet collectors from many other countries of the world. For those of you who have access to the Internet, here are the ones I am subscribed to and am most familiar with, as well as instructions on how to subscribe (join) or un-subscribe (leave) them. These groups are wonderful places to ask questions, answer questions, relate collecting stories or any other kinds of rock, mineral fossil stories you might find interesting. Go to: http://groups.yahoo.com and follow instructions for subscribing (or un-subscribing) to these or many other available lists
Go to: < http://www.topica.com/lists/rocks-and-fossils and follow instructions for subscribing (or unsubscribing).
Contact Aaron Fox, the list manager, afox@drizzle.com and he will set you up as a member.
The combined total of over 2,260 members of these 10 Internet groups includes many members from foreign countries and is a marvelous way to speak with and to these many enthusiasts about subjects of mutual interest. You might also exchange mineral specimens from some of the list members elsewhere, as I have been doing for over 5 years, now. If you are going to be a worldwide mineral/fossil collector, you can benefit greatly from membership in such groups. Remember they are free and you can really increase your knowledge immensely. Try them! Questions? Ideas? You can contact Jack Nelson at <nelsonja@erols.com> or write to him at 17300 Hughes Rd; Poolesville, MD 20837. Scholarship Foundation Announces Honorary Award Winners from Jon Spunaugle, AFMS Scholarship Foundation President The Honorary Award Winners for the 2001 2002 AFMS Scholarship Foundation have been selected by their respective Regional Federations. These Honorees have been chosen for their contributions to the hobby, and to the field of Earth Science, by each of the six participating Regional Federations. Each selected Award Winner has been honored with the presentation of a handsome plaque and is the person who will select the two students for each Federation. The students selected will receive, for two years each, a two thousand dollar scholarship grant covering the school years of 2002-03 and 2003-04. Thus, a selected student receives a total grant of $4,000 over two academic years. The list of distinguished Honorary Awardees now totals 199 individuals, including the six listed below. A total of 426 students have received scholarships which now total cumulatively $1,016,650.00 of grants paid since 1965 when the first scholarship grant and Honorary Award winner were selected. After this school year's grants have been paid it will add an additional $52,000.00 to this total. This includes some catch-up with two students selected too late to receive grants last year. The Honorary Awardees selected by the participating Regional Federations for this year are: California Federation of Mineralogical Societies Mike Kokinos Mr. Kokinos is a long time active member in the California Federation. He has been outstanding in the assistance he has given numerous clubs and societies over the years in the area of establishing and maintaining their tax exempt status. Mike is also active in the area of exhibiting and judging of competitive exhibits and in encouraging youngsters in the fine art of mineral collecting. The California Federation elected him President in 1967-68 and presented him with the "Golden Bear" award in 1995 for his continued work for the CFMS. Mr. Kokinos was the California Federation Scholarship Honoree in that same year. Mr. Kokinos has chosen Dr. Bradley Hacker at the University of California, Santa Barbara to assist him with the student selection. Eastern Federation of Mineralogical & Lapidary Societies Dr. Michael A. Wise Dr. Wise is honored as a "Friend of Mineralogy" and a most deserving professional. Dr. Wise is honored for his many talks to local clubs and societies. He is a much sought after speaker by Eastern clubs especially in the Maryland/Virginia area. Mike, as he prefers to be addressed, has provided many spectacular exhibit cases. After receiving his Bachelors Degree from the University of Virginia, he began graduate work at the University of Manitoba, at Winnipeg, where he was introduced to the pegmatites of Canada. He later switched to a Ph. D. Program and received his Doctorate Degree in 1987 specializing in this area. He is now a renowned authority on pegmatite minerals. In 1988 he joined the staff of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, where he has contributed to the to the National Museum's Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals collections. He is constantly in the field continuing his research. Mike also serves as an advisor to the National Museum interns. Midwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies Dr. David F. Hess, Ph.D. retired Dr. Hess is a long time active club member of the West Central Illinois Rock and Mineral Club. Since the beginning of the club, Dr. Hess has given numerous educational programs on such things as micro minerals and pegmatites. He always makes himself available to help identify specimens and shells. He is the local club auctioneer in the annual fund raising activities. Dr. Hess is retired as Professor of Geology at Western Illinois University where he taught from 1966 to his retirement in 2000. His areas of interest include petrology, Precambrian geology and mineralogy of metamorphic minerals. He has long been an advocate of the earth sciences and environmental education. Courses he developed are still being taught at Western Illinois University. Dr. Hess is well published with numerous articles and papers on geology and mineralogy. Dr. Hess has chosen students studying at Indiana University and Michigan Technological University. Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies Ms. Sallie D. Webb Sallie is honored for her tireless work in presenting talks to local hobby clubs and societies, schools, and teacher groups and for her preparation of national exhibits. She works as a volunteer at the Museum of the Red River where she Chairs the Museum Board, as well as participates in the numerous activities of the Museum. Included in those activities are directing field trips, providing activities for visiting students and accompanying the curator on museum buying trips. Ms. Webb is a retired school teacher having taught 20 years. She is a member of the Oklahoma Native Plant Society, a member of the Oklahoma Retired Educators Association, and Delta Kappa Gamma Organization. She earned her Master of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. She is a wife, homemaker, and mother of two daughters. Northwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies Mr. Robert Bergantino Mr. Bergantino is honored for his contributions to the historical cartography of the Lewis and Clark expedition and his assistance to the AFMS in its upcoming program celebrating the anniversary of this important first official exploration of the Continental United States west of the Mississippi River. Mr. Bergantino graduated from the University of Montana, Missoula in 1967, with a degree in Geology. While working as a Geological Oceanographer for the U.S. Navy Oceanographic Office in Washington DC. he began plotting the Lewis and Clark Expedition on USGS topographic maps verifying the Expedition camp sights as a "hobby". He was asked by the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation to prepare a detailed map of the Expedition. Later the U. S. Park Service requested the information determining the route to be included in the NPS's National Historic Monument. He also recalculated the celestial observations of the Expedition to determine latitude and reconstructed a route map reflecting the magnetic declination of compass readings. Mr. Bergantino has also been very helpful to the AFMS Lewis and Clark Expedition Anniversary Committee. South Central Federation of Mineral Societies Dr. James N. Connelly, Ph.D. Dr. Connelly is honored for his contributions to clubs and societies, and their programs, and for his work in the geochemistry of minerals, especially zircon and titanite in Precambrian rocks. He was educated in Canada receiving his B.Sc. with Honors in Geology from Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, his M. Sc. in Geology from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. In 1991 he received his Ph.D. from Memorial University of Newfoundland, in St. John's, Newfoundland and continued to do Post doctoral Research at the same University. In 1994 he joined the staff of the University of Texas, Austin, as Associate Chairman of the Geological Sciences Department where he teaches and continues his research investigating the isotope and geochemistry of minerals in Precambrian rocks and has collaborated with professionals and educators world wide. Dr. Connelly has directly supervised many graduate students and served on many Graduate Student Committees evaluating M.Sc. thesis and Ph.D. dissertations. The Foundation is delighted with the broad and diverse selections of Honorary Awardees and proud to add these names to the growing list of distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen whom you have chosen to honor over the years. from Kitty Starbuck, Bulletin Aids Chair We had a wonderful gathering at the Editor's Breakfast in Port Townsend and it was my pleasure to present trophies and certificates to the winners or their representatives. As has been the custom for the past several years, a booklet containing the award winning articles has been assembled and for those wishing one, I still have a limited number. Cost this year is $8 which includes the postage. If you would like one, send your check, payable to "AFMS" to me:
Be sure to include your name and mailing address with your request. Supplies are limited so do not delay. I want to especially thank the judges who worked long and hard reading all the bulletins and articles before rendering their final verdicts. They are: Joyce Hanschu - Canton, MI Here are the results of the 2002 AFMS Bulletin Contest: NEW EDITORS:
MINI BULLETINS:
SMALL BULLETINS:
LARGE BULLETINS:
ORIGINAL ADULT ARTICLES:
ORIGINAL ADULT ARTICLES-ADVANCED:
JUNIOR ARTICLES - authors under age 12
JUNIOR ARTICLES - authors age 12-17
POETRY- JUNIOR
POETRY, ADULT:
SPECIAL PUBLICAT!ONS:
NEW EDITORS...HONORABLE MENTION: ROCK-N-ROSE, Don White, Editor SMALL BULLETINS...HONORABLE MENTION: HOUND'S HOWL, Barbara Fenstermacher, Editor SMALL BULLETINS...HONORABLE MENTION: THE ROCKYTIER, Sharon Scott, Editor ORIGINAL ADULT ARTICLES...HONORABLE MENTION: BEADING; MORE THAN JUST MAKING JEWELRY, Helen Hayton, Author ADULT ARTICLES...ADVANCED…HONORABLE MENTION: EPIDOTE, William F. Grimes Sr., Author JUNIOR ARTICLES -12-17...HONORABLE MENTION: PUZZLE - WORD SNAKE MAZE Jessica Shurtz, Author POETRY...ADULT ...HONORABLE MENTION: A GEM DANDY SHOW, Dorothy Bowman, Author AFMS Endowment Fund Raffle Results from Dee Holland and Lewis Elrod The 2002 AFMS Endowment Raffle is over and I am pleased to announce the winners of the prizes which were donated by individuals in each of our member Federations. Interest from funds generated by the AFMS Endowment Fund are used for a variety of educational purposes including the funding of slide programs from the AFMS contest for your regional federation library. CFMS -Sterling Chain, Ruth Bailey donor RMFMS - Porcelain seal pup, Walt Wells donor NFMS - Belt Buckle EFMLS - Pearl & Gem Necklace, Mrs Anthony Faller donor SCFMS - Bola Tie and Buckle, Joyce & Delbert Speed donors MWF - Gold filled wirewrapped Apache Picture Rhyolite pendant, Marvin
Starbuck donor SFMS - Intarsia donated by Jim Robinson Faceted garnet pendant donated by Steve Weinberger, AFMS President Our thanks to those generous individuals who donated the prizes and to all who purchased tickets for the raffle. I would also like to thank the regional federation AFMS Endowment chairpersons for assisting with this endeavor. AFMS Club Rockhound of the Year from Bonnie Glismann, AFMS Chair I am delighted to recognize the following individuals who have been selected by their club as "Rockhounds of the Year". It is unfortunate that more clubs do not take advantage of this program - doing so is so easy. Each regional federation member club may select one individual or one couple each calendar year. Write down the name of the recipient, and then briefly (50 words or less) tell why the club has chosen the person. Send your selection to your regional AFMS Club Rockhound of the Year chairman and watch this space - recipients will be honored by inclusion in a future issue of the AFMS Newsletter. Regional chairpersons are:
California Federation Palmdale Gem & Mineral Club has selected Al and Fran Jones as their Rockhounds of the Year. They served as federation directors for the club for many years, despite health problems, and now serve as alternates. Al makes beautiful howlite and ulexite carvings and displays them at every opportunity. Submitted by Gail Becker, club secretary. Ventura Gem & Mineral Society wishes to honor Greg Davis as Club Rockhound of the Year. Greg is currently president (for the second time) and a lapidary instructor, and has served as field trip chairperson. He has won honors for his beautiful creations. Greg supports the gem and mineral department at the county fair as well as club shows, and he is a leader at the Ventura County tri-club quarterly meetings. Submitted by Florence Meisenheimer Federation Director. The Sutter Buttes Gem and Mineral Society nominates Bessie & Leo Wirth as Rockhounds of the Year for twelve years of faithful service. Bessie has served as President, Past President, Vice President, Treasurer, Show Kitchen Co-Chairman, and Nominating Committee Chairman. Leo is a club Director, stores a club rock collection at their home, and maintains a workshop with faceting and grinding machines and saws he has designed and built. He has built an excellent fluorescent showcase which he demonstrates at the County Fair. Bessie and Leo's many contributions to the club are invaluable. Submitted by Pete Howell, Federation Director. Clark County Gem Collectors nominate Ed & Jaen Ruprecht as their Rockhounds of the Year. Ed has led field trips, worked in club shows, and assisted other members at the club workshop. Jaen comes up with craft ideas for club members to make for the show, and teaches local schoolchildren how to wire wrap crystals. Two years ago Ed and Jaen built a lapidary workshop at their home and donated half of the building for club use. Ed has been a board member numerous times and has chaired the field trip committee. Jaen has served as board member, treasurer, vice president, and alternate federation director, and is currently the club's federation director. Submitted by Craig A. Edmonds, CCGC President. The Long Beach Mineral & Gem Society proudly presents Mona Compton as their Rockhound of the Year. Her interest in mineral collecting and the lapidary arts encouraged her to travel to club field trips in Southern California, many states in the USA, and to Europe and Asia. She has held several club positions including treasurer, recording secretary and show chairman, and demonstrates beading and wire wrapping at club workshops and shows, including CFMS shows. Submitted by Dorothy Beachler, Federation Director. South Bay Lapidary, Gem and Mineral Society would like to honor Bill Robards as their Rockhound of the Year. Bill has been field trip chairperson for over 15 years, and for many years he has held 3 positions simultaneously for the annual Gem and Mineral show. He helps to rehabilitate and sell donated machinery. Many new or potential members have benefited from Bill's knowledge and expertise. He helps people learn to make jewelry and provides cheap used machinery to old and new members. Submitted by Omer Goeden, Federation Director The Conejo Gem & Mineral Club would like to recognize Don Asher for 30 years of service to the club. Don is a Charter Member of this club and has served as an officer or chairman every year since the club was organized, including President, Programs, Field Trips, Membership, Editor, Show Co-Chairman, and Ways and Means Chairman. Submitted by Jeane Stultz, Federation Director. The Lake County Rockhounds nominates Faye Lemke for Rockhound of the Year. Faye was one of the original members of our group, 48 years ago. She has held every office, setting the standard for field trips and meeting programs. She has held the post of Field Trip Director for ten years and has shared her knowledge in the field of mineralogy. She has kept her rock shop open for forty years, and teaches painting to adults and children. We're very proud of her! Submitted by unanimous vote of the members of the Lake County Rockhounds. Fresno Gem & Mineral Society has selected long time rockhounds Glenn and Esther Shafer as Rockhounds of the Year. Glenn and Esther are always ready to help and get things done to keep the society going, and to share their knowledge and experience. They are the even keel when things get stormy. They are always ready to work, and are very dependable. They spend a lot of time at Quartzsite buying materials we need for our yearly show. Submitted by Jerry Wells, Federation Director. Eastern Federation President Elva Ruiz has been selected by the Gem, Lapidary and Mineral Society of Washington, DC, Inc.as the AFMS Club Rockhound of the Year. Elva was president from 1996-1997, then resumed the presidency last year. She has also served the club as treasurer for several years in the early 1990s and has been a director of the club. She even filled in for a few months as editor of the Dopstick. Her organizational and people skills have made a big contribution to the continued growth and effectiveness of the club. No task is too big or too small for her attention. Georgia Olmstead of the Mineralogical Society of the District of Columbia has been nominated as the AFMS Club Rockhound of the Year. Since she took over as editor of the Mineral Minutes last year, she has added her own stamp and enhanced the bulletin. (She also just earned the EFMLS trophy as new editor for this bulletin and 2nd place in the AFMS contest.) She does a lot of personal research on the internet to augment articles from other sources and has added graphics to the newsletter. She also donates items regularly for the monthly club auction. The Micromineralogists of the National Capital Area would like to nominate Steve Weinberger as their AFMS Club Rockhound of the Year. Several years ago, Steve took over as Chairman of the Atlantic Micromounters Symposium, an annual event, and he has done an outstanding job. In addition to arranging for the space for the meeting and the banquet, which this year were at an entirely new location, Steve and his wife Carolyn do all the publicity, mailings, pre-registration, badges, etc. Steve is also responsible for getting interesting speakers and is the auctioneer for the benefit auction. This year, in addition to his duties for MNCA, he also became the sixth member of the club to serve as AFMS President. Midwest Federation The Driftless Area Gem and Mineral Club of Tomah, Wisconsin would like to honor Marjorie and Howard Niles as their 2002 Rockhound of the year. We honor them for their dedicated work for our club since they joined in 1976. Howard has held the office of president two years, secretary four years and has been a delegate to the MWF Council meetings and has helped out by bringing displays to our shows and door prizes to our meetings. He has gone to schools to show rocks and given talks many times. Marjorie has served as president five times and has helped in the kitchen and at registration at our shows. Submitted by Luella E. DeVoe, Member Northwest Federation Skagit Rock & Gem Club presents David Britten. Dave is a Past-President. He has served as Field Trip Chairman for many years and has not only led many great field trips but takes the trouble of bringing samples of the material to be found at the collecting sites to meetings prior to the trips. He single-handedly runs the club sales table at all our annual shows as well as conducting field trips during the shows. Dave is involved in the maintenance of the club building, including cutting limbs of trees encroaching on the roof and installing a new roof, and organizes and maintains the club's lapidary and rock storage facilities. He was the Editor of the "Gems", the club's monthly bulletin for many years, for which he set it's excellent standards and received many awards. Dave has assumed responsibility for opening our club's meeting facility and sets up coffee service for these meetings. He has served on many committees and is always around to help in any way he can without complaint. In short, Dave is a true Rockhound and many of us could take lessons from him. (On top of all this, he does windows.) Submitted by Ted Roberts, Past-President The Golden Spike Gem and Mineral Society of Ogden, Utah presents Juanita Dunkley as their AFMS Club Rockhound for the year 200l. Juanita is finishing her fifth year as treasurer. Her skills as a bookkeeper have kept our finances in good shape. She works overtime at our annual show time keeping each area of selling with cash and change. She and husband Wayne have been members of Golden Spike since the late Fifties and were active on many field trips. Juanita has served as membership Chair and as secretary. Every job she undertakes is done with care and concern. Submitted by Bonnie Glismann The Golden Spike Gem and Mineral Society of Ogden, Utah presents Shirley Robinson as their AFMS Club Rockhound of the year for the year 2002. Shirley is finishing her second year as President of Golden Spike after serving as Vice President for two years. She has done an excellent job of presiding at meetings, organizing ideas and keeping the club active. She has been editor of our Club bulletin for over five years and it is a labor of love. Shirley has won several awards on the AFMS level for her work on the Golden Spike News. As president , she was instrumental in keeping the lapidary shop open at our local senior center when our director died. She is concerned about making our club a great one and it shows in our attendance at all meetings and events. Submitted by: Bonnie Glismann South Central Federation Owen Hopkins of the Gulf Coast Gem and Mineral Society, Corpus Christi, TX is a geologist who explores for new oil wells. He has served as vice-president and two years as president. He initiated a program he called "It Certainly is Exquisite - What the Dickens is it?" This encouraged everyone to bring their unidentified specimens to be identified. Everyone brings their "goodies" to display and this interaction makes for more member participation and our education. Owen served as Education Chairperson, he takes lectures into schools, gives lectures at our annual Gem & Mineral Show and to nearby clubs. He brings a child-like enthusiasm to our hobby that is hard to equal! He is a valuable asset to our club. Submitted by Donna J. Roethler, Editor of Slabs and Cabs The Pine Country Gem and Mineral Society of Jasper Texas name as their AFMS Rockhound of the year for 2002, Wanda and James Thompson. They host a monthly weekend of "hands on" for club members and others who are interested in learning the many aspects of the rock hobby. They do cutting and polishing stones, bead making, wire wrapping, and gem tree construction at these weekend workshops. James is an expert in keeping their slab saw,sphere making, and other equipment running. Wanda is busy in three clubs in the area and is involved with the junior members of all three clubs. She is librarian of the Pine Country Club, Treasurer of the DeRidder/Lessville club and very active in the Toledo Bend Lake club. We are very proud and happy to have Wanda and James Thompson as part of our club. Submitted by Bill Alcorn, President Lewis and Clark-Discovering the Way, Again from Brenda Hankins, AD-Hoc Committee Chair What first motivated you to give a second glance to a rock, mineral, or fossil? What was the defining moment when some aspect of our hobby became for you more than part of the background? With what do you associate the beginning of your rockhound hobby? Maybe for you it was as simple as waking up on Saturday morning and knowing that your family was going on a field trip. Or, perhaps, you were sent to "time out," and, with very little else to do, you began to notice how the pebbles under your feet varied in color and pattern. Maybe you can trace your hobby interest to elementary or high school when a teacher asked for help in deciding why one rock would float and the others would not. Others of you may have gotten interested in the hobby because something just stirred your curiosity-something like how your sister's diamond ring could have that much sparkle or trying to figure out what gasoline had to do with "fossil fuels." Maybe you were visiting an American icon-such as the Jefferson Memorial, Mt. Rushmore, or the Statue of Liberty-when you realized that most all the materials used to create the treasured icon appeared to be natural elements. How many of you became interested in the hobby because you experienced rocks, minerals, and fossils first hand in National Parks and the great outdoors? Then, again, maybe your introduction to the hobby was as casual as seeing someone wearing an unusually beautiful, handcrafted piece of jewelry. The point is that most of us participated in some type of event or had an experience that in some way related to rocks, minerals, or fossils. That event or experience then caused us to give the rockhound hobby a second glance. Once inspired, we worked to learn more and to find others who were also interested in the hobby. Before long, we were amazed at how many card carrying rockhounds there were and how long they had been at it. And the good news is that there may soon be even more card carrying rockhounds. As thousands of people participate in the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial, they will participate in events and have experiences that may cause them to want to know more about the rockhound hobby. All along the Trail from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean, there will be many opportunities for people to take a longer and closer look at rocks, minerals, and fossils. As these "tourists" read the AFMS publication describing the general geology of the Trail area, they may find they, too, want to become rockhounds. The publication will be sent to the publisher April 1, 2003, and many people are already hard at work in production. The AFMS Lewis & Clark Committee needs a few more rockhounds to lighten the load and share the honors. If you know any of the following regional coordinators, please contact them. Ask what you can do to help; tell them if you want a big job or a little job. And, if you are already overwhelmed with your own work schedule right now, just contact them and give them your support and encouragement! California: Izzie Burns; Eastern: Mike Hakulin, Sr.; Midwest: Robert Morse & Margaret Pearson; Northwest: Shirley Leeson & Dee Holland; Rocky Mountain: Dan Linglebach; South Central: Joyce Speed; and Southeast: Diane Dare. Lewis and Clark opened the West by leading the American people toward a new place with a new spirit. All of what was best about the United States was needed to face the challenges and earn the rewards that went with them. Perhaps our local clubs will be refreshed and reinforced by new people heading to a new place with a new spirit. Converted rockhounds-eager, interested, dedicated. All of what has been best about the local clubs and the regional federations will be needed to face the challenges and earn the rewards that will come with these new members. How can we go wrong: Lewis and Clark are discovering the way, again! from George Loud, Conservation & Legislation Chair Paleontological Resources Preservation Act
The Honorable ______, or can be reached by e-mail through the house website. Mineral collectors, bear in mind that the Forest Service and BLM regulations which cover the collecting of invertebrate fossils on public lands are the same regulations that govern mineral collecting on public lands. Any change in these regulations mandated by statute will doubtless also affect mineral collecting. Diamond Point Recreational Quartz Collection Area As mentioned in a previous column earlier this year, I have received a number of e-mail messages complaining that the Diamond Point Recreational Quartz Collection Area had been closed to quartz crystal digging. The area in question is located approximately 15 miles east of the town of Payson, Arizona, in the Tonto National Forest, Payson Ranger District. The quartz crystals which have been collected at this location are known locally as "Arizona diamonds" or "Payson diamonds." In response to my inquiries, I received a considerable amount of information through the courtesy of Mr. Walt Thole, recreation staff officer for the Payson Ranger District. This one is a shocker for the reason that the area closed to digging is one specifically designated for recreational mineral collecting and, for this reason, a site which would be least expected to be closed to digging. In 1996 the future of collecting at this site was in doubt after a 20-acre mining claim had been filed with the prospect of more mining claims in the offing. In response to the filing of the mineral claim, in June 1997 the Forest Service applied with the Department of Interior to establish a recreational mineral collecting area at the Diamond Point site which required withdrawal of the land to prevent establishment of mining claims. However, in December 2001, Mr. Armenta District Ranger of the Tonto National Forest, Payson Ranger District, restricted collecting at the site to surface collecting. This directive prohibits all digging and breaking of rocks. We have no statutory or regulation guidelines for the extent to which public lands may be disturbed in the process of hobbyist collecting of fossils, minerals and lapidary materials other than petrified wood. The extent to which the land surface may be disturbed varies from forest to forest and among the BLM administered lands, as a function of the tolerance level of the manager of each district. In the case of the Diamond Point Recreational Quartz Collection Area, the amount of disturbance of the land obviously exceeded the tolerance level of Mr. Armenta. I received e-mail photographs from Mr. Thole which show him in trenches up to his shoulders. Collecting at this site in accordance with the AFMS rules of ethics would probably have avoided closure to digging. On January 17, 2002, Ranger Armenta conducted a meeting with representatives of local rockhounding clubs. Ranger Armenta agreed to conduct an environmental analysis for a ten-acre site and have a management plan by the start of the "next collecting season" January 2003. According to the e-mail I received: "The environmental analysis will consider the feasability of designating a ten-acre collection site where recreational rockhounders can dig a one cubic yard hole with the requirement that they back fill the hole before leaving the collection site." Of more than passing interest is another statement in the e-mail which I received which reads: "The crystal collection area has recently received extensive resource damage caused by irresponsible commercial diggers." Jim Van Wert, President of the Leaverite Rockhound Club of Phoenix, Arizona and John McLaughlin of the Mineralogical Society of Arizona were present at the January 17, 2002 meeting. I ask these gentlemen to contact me (galoud@aol.com) so that this committee can monitor the situation and perhaps provide input of some value to Mr. Armenta in the formulation of a new management plan. The accommodation reached at Deer Hill in Maine might provide some useful guidance. from Kathy & Bob Miller We received the following from Michele Yamanaka, Junior Chairman for the Three Rivers Gem & Mineral Society of Fort Wayne, IN. Michele has an active and successful juniors program which she describes for us below. Her letter is dated May 9, 2002. "So far this year we have had four meetings on building a crystal system reference kit. We cut out paper models of the six crystal systems and assembled 3-D models. With skinny dowels and styrofoam balls, we learned how the axes differ for each of the systems. The juniors were encouraged to use egg cartons for the kit: one hole for each 3-D model, and one for an actual well-defined crystal occurring in each system. We supplied the crystals. In addition, info on common minerals in each system, as well as a short description of the system were supplied to glue into the top inside of the carton, corresponding to the model and specimen. A completed Crystal System Reference kit will be on display for the adults to see at our May meeting. A standard feature at our club is that Juniors earn Kids Korner Kurrency by attendance, writing articles, giving presentations, etc. The Kurrency is used to purchase equipment, books, or specimens available only to Juniors. We even have a UV light waiting for some junior to earn. Wehave not had separate field trips for the Juniors. We consider collecting a family activity and encourage collecting together. But there are some juniors who have not made it on a trip because the parents cannot come. We need to work on a solution for them. Our juniors are a great help at our annual show. For several years, one gave a short presentation to the classes that come on our School Day. Others man our Touch N'Feel Table or help at the club table. Juniors who put in a display at the show earn special Kids Korner Kurrency ($5) which is spendable only at the show. Dealers have learned that the funny money counts like the realy thing when turned in to our treasurer. While we have had up to 15 juniors at a meeting, many of our more active members have become older teens and either stay with the adults or have too many committments to come like they used to. So 4 - 6 is more normal now. We will need to encourage more young members again. What activities do you do with your Juniors? Let us know so we can share with others. Remember that the future leaders of our hobby are the youth of today. We need to encourage them. Bulletin Editor's Hall of Fame from Shirley Leeson Begun in Boise, Idaho in 1995 as a way of recognizing the outstanding club newsletter editors, I am pleased to announce the inductees for 2002. California Federation: Dee Clason Eastern Federation: Northwest Federation: Rocky Mountain Federation: Canadian Federation: American Federation: from Anne Cook, Secretary
President: Ron Carman (SCFMS) Anne Cook has another year left in her term as Secretary and was not up for election this year. These officers will commence their activities on November 1, 2002 and will serve until October 31, 2003. We know that you will give them your support. New Case Light Bulbs for the Federation Show 2002 By Carol & Sid Brown The Port Townsend Rock Club just completed a very successful combined American Federation and Northwestern Federation Mineralogical Societies show. While preparing for the show we found that there was not sufficient power supply to the building we were planning on using for all of the show cases. We had an opportunity to upgrade some of the power supply to the building, but it still was not enough to handle almost 200 cases. The electrical committee determined that if they could cut our consumption of power, they could get by with the increased power supply we had already completed. One of the members of the committee went on a light bulb hunt to see what they could come up with. Several bulbs were purchased and at one of the work parties they decided to test them for effect. The club cases had been using 2 - 75 watt or 100 watt flood lamps. In several of the four foot cases they removed one of the flood lamps. They then placed one of the new bulbs in each case. They took a large piece of cardboard and held it between the old flood lamps bulb and the new bulb to determine which side the shadow fell on indicating which was brighter. In most cases the newer bulbs were somewhat brighter and they would reduce the watts consumed, but one bulb was significantly brighter and used about 1/3 the watts of a 75 watt flood lamp. This new bulb was so much better that areas within the case which had previously had dark shadow places, was completely clear. You could even see the threads in the case liner in the back of the case. The new bulb is the Westinghouse Compact Fluorescent 26 watt Twist. They come in a package of three (we found them at Costco) and are cheaper than any other comparable bulb. The light output is 1580 lumens and the bulb has a life of 10,000 hours. The package says that this bulb has the output of one 100 watt regular bulb, however, some of us believe it is more than that from the looks of it in the cases. The cases are much brighter, the displays much clearer and we saved enough electrical power in the Exhibit Building so that we did not have to do any more modifications to the power for the show. The Del Air Rockhounds, Inc. were so impressed with the performance of these light bulbs, that they purchased 100 of the bulbs from us for next years AFMS/CFMS Show in Ventura, CA. We will continue to use these bulbs in our cases for all of our shows, saving power for years to come. Following the show, the show chairman and the electrical staff analyzed the usage of the bulbs with "standard fixtures of the flood light design" in which there were about eight different styles. They determined that they would experiment with some new recessed bulb holders this coming year. They will try to have a manufacturer make up some fixtures with the new design and have them available next year. We welcome any prototypes or designs that you may have for these new bulb fixtures. Our current idea is to have a bulb holder above the case and an "eyebrow shade" inside the case, so when short people look into the case the light bulb will not shine in their eyes. We will also consider a two piece modification with most existing electrical being salvaged and having just an "eyebrow" addition to existing holders. |
Last Revised on
April 13, 2008 |
The
AFMS Scholarship Raffle is over. I thank everyone who purchased a ticket and
ultimately helped raise money for the Foundation as well as the gentlemen who
donated and cut the stone. The funds raised will be added to the fund with only
the interest generated by it being used for scholarships in future years.
One
of the highlights of the president's job is that of traveling to each of the
regional federations and meeting with many of the people who are active in those
federations. We have just returned from the California, Northwest and AFMS
meetings and as we drove across country I reaffirmed several things:
Wow! What a great
show the Port Townsend club put on last month! It was really a pleasure to be
there, and both the local club and the Northwest Federation made us all feel
more than welcome. The mild climate was really a change from a south Texas
summer, and the weather cooperated nearly all week, with a surprising amount of
blue sky and sunshine. The exhibits were attractive; the dealers were also very
good, and the meetings went quite smoothly, especially considering that we went
through a lot of business.
This
bill remains in committee with an outstanding request for executive comment from
the Department of Interior. Senator Reed of Nevada has been quoted as hopeful
that the bill will be reported out of committee for vote by the full house in
the near future. The Society of Vertebrate Paleontologists (SVP), as usual, has
done an excellent job of making its voice heard notwithstanding a membership of
less than 2,000. Those of us in organized rockhounding, numbering in the tens of
thousands, should be able to speak with a louder voice but, to date, our
response has been very muted. Please review the text of HR 2974 via the House
website, <www.house.gov> and write your congressman stating your views on
the bill. Writing is especially important for constituents of congressmen who
are members of "Committee on Resources." Your congressman can be
written at the following address:
The election of officers for the 2002-03 Federation year took place at the
annual AFMS meeting in Port Townsend with the following results:
amfed.org