CFMS Newsletter

Prez Message

By Marion Roberts, CFMS President

As I sit here writing this, I hope everyone will have a great, merry, and happy holiday, BUT, as I also know, this will not be read until at least late January. Now I am hoping that all had a great, merry, and happy holiday! I did make my first field trip since the surgery and did very well, and had a superb time. Afton Canyon yielded some very nice material. We had an absolute fantastic group of people with good food and great weather. The bad day came on the move to Burro Creek where it was cool but still sunny and dry. There again we collected a good variety and a lot of great material. Wet weather in the recent past gave us a good look at the exposed colors.

Now, how many of you were able to pass on some information from last month's newsletter to people at your last meeting. I fully expect those that did not, to please do so from this newsletter. It is your duty to do this. This past year one individual told me, they had never heard of the Camp Paradise or the Zzyzx studies program. Things like this should not be happening.

I now have a serious request. As most of you know, each of the six federations are only going to get one instead of the usual two scholarships, due to the theft of funds from the AFMS Scholarship. Other federations are doing different projects to raise money to replace the lost scholarship, which amounts to $4,000 each. Our total membership is over 9,000. If each club donates $0.50 per member, we cover our scholarship. I have spread this idea and been met with a very positive response. I presented this idea to the Calaveras Gem & Mineral Society in December and they got a unanimous approval to send their check. I do hope all other clubs will see this as what our organization is all about and follow their example. If you do send your check, make it out to AFMS Scholarship and in the memo or on an attached stick-it note write "Unrestricted Fund," so the money can be used this year. Send it to Montella Lopez, who is our representative to the committee at:

676 Hermitage Place
San Jose, CA 95134

Let's be the one they are talking about when we hear, "They did it, why don't we". I will leave you with this for now, but will be back with more in the future. Stay well and be safe, because we need you all.

From The Editor's Desk

By Dick Pankey, Editor

As a communication link between the Federation, and the member clubs/societies and their members, the CFMS Newsletter is meant to be an active link. It is not something to read and then set aside. It should be read and it should prompt action. Our Newsletter is more than just NEWS. It is more than just reports. There are announcements of upcoming events and activities. We use our Newsletter to distribute important forms and updated replacement pages for manuals. There are contact names for insurance, scholarship funds, and committees.

What is an "active link" newsletter? It is a newsletter that gets around your society/club and gets to your membership. First of all the various forms, announcements and articles should be given to the appropriate people in your club so that they can then be acted upon and shared with your members. Many of our articles are "call to action" such as the PLAC reports requesting letters to be written to save our collecting areas and their access. Or our President's "call to action" to help save an AFMS scholarship. The update manual pages need to go to whoever takes care of your CFMS Manuals (By-laws, Operating Procedures, Podium People, Slide & Video Catalogue, etc.). By the way, who does have the manuals and are they keeping them current?

The CFMS Newsletter isn't meant to be perused and set aside. It doesn't do your club any good for you to put it in your stack of "I'll read this later." Read it now and take some action. Our newsletter is not meant to be archived. Once you read it, share it with another member. Help get the Newsletter information to your members by passing on forms and articles to appropriate people, reprint in your club newsletter, announcements at meetings, passing the Newsletter on to another member, post on your bulletin board or any other means of getting the word out.

SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL OFFICERS, COMMITTEE CHAIRS AND OTHERS who provide articles each month.

Winter Safety - The Deceptive Killers PART 2

By Chuck McKie, Safety Chair

Be Prepared! Before the Storm Strikes

On the Farm/Pets

• Move animals to sheltered areas.
• Shelterbelts, properly laid out and oriented, are better protection for cattle than confining shelters, such as sheds.
• Haul extra feed to nearby feeding areas.
• Have water available. Most animals die from dehydration in winter storms.
• Make sure pets have plenty of food, water and shelter.
• In Vehicles, plan your travel and check the latest weather reports to avoid the storm.
• Fully check and winterize your vehicle before the winter season begins.

Carry a WINTER STORM SURVIVAL KIT:

Other

• Keep your gas tank near full to avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines.
• Avoid traveling alone. Let someone know your timetable and primary and alternate routes.
• Dress for the Season: Wear loose, lightweight, warm clothes in layers.
• Trapped air insulates. Remove layers to avoid perspiration and subsequent chill.
• Outer garments should be tightly woven, water repellent, and hooded.
• Wear a hat. Half your body heat loss can be from the head.
• Cover your mouth to protect your lungs from extreme cold.
• Mittens, snug at the wrist, are better than gloves.
• Try to stay dry.

When CAUGHT in a Winter Storm Outside

1. Find shelter, try to stay dry, cover all exposed body parts.
2. No shelter:
   • Build a lean-to, windbreak or snow cave for protection from the wind.
   • Build a fire for heat and to attract attention.
   • Place rocks around the fire to absorb and reflect heat.
   • Melt snow for drinking water: Eating snow will lower your body temperature.
3. In a Vehicle - Stay in vehicle:
   • You will become quickly disoriented in wind-driven snow and cold.
   • Run the motor about 10 minutes each hour for heat.
   • Open the window a little for fresh air to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
   • Make sure the exhaust pipe is not blocked.
   • Be visible to rescuers:
   • Turn on the dome light at night when running the engine.
   • Tie a colored cloth, preferably red, to your antenna or door.
   • After snow stops falling, raise the hood to indicate you need help.
   • Exercise: From time to time, move arms, legs, fingers and toes vigorously to keep blood circulating and to keep warm.
   • AVOID OVEREXERTION, such as shoveling heavy snow, pushing a car or walking in deep snow. The strain from the cold and the hard labor may cause a heart attack. Sweating could lead to a chill and hypothermia.
   • Take Red Cross Cardiopulmonary Rescue (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) training so you can respond quickly to an emergency. Courtesy of American Red Cross NOAA
4. Inside - Stay inside:
   • When using alternate heat from a fireplace, wood stove, space heater, etc., use fire safeguards and properly ventilate.
   • No heat:
     • Close off unneeded rooms.
     • Stuff towels or rags in cracks under doors.
     • Cover windows at night.
     • Eat and drink. Food provides the body with energy for producing its own heat. Keep the body replenished with fluids to prevent dehydration.
     • Wear layers of loose fitting, lightweight, warm clothing.
     • Remove layers to avoid overheating, perspiration and subsequent chill.
5. Family Disaster Plan
   • Prepare for hazards that affect your area with a Family Disaster Plan.
   • Where will your family be when disaster strikes?
   • They could be anywhere at work, at school or in the car.
   • How will you find each other?
   • Will you know if your children are safe?
   • Disasters may force you to evacuate your neighborhood or confine you to your home.
   • What would you do if basic services - water, gas, electricity or telephones - were cut off?
6. Steps to Take
   • Gather information about hazards.
   • Contact your local National Weather Service office, emergency management office, and American Red Cross chapter.
   • Find out what type of disasters could occur and how you should respond.
   • Learn your community's warning signals and evacuation plans.
   • Assess your risks and identify ways to make your home and property more secure.
   • Meet with your family to create a plan.
   • Discuss your plan with your family.
   • Pick two places to meet: a spot outside your home for an emergency, such as fire, and a place away from your neighborhood in case you can't return home.
   • Choose an out-of-state friend as your "family check-in contact" for everyone to call if the family gets separated.
   • Discuss what you would do if advised to evacuate.
7. Implement your plan.
   1. Post emergency telephone numbers by the phone.
   2. Install safety features in your home, such as smoke alarms and fire extinguishers.
   3. Inspect your home for potential hazards (items that can move, fall, break or catch fire) and correct them.
   4. Have your family learn basic safety measures, such as CPR, AED and first aid; how to use a fire extinguisher; and how and when to turn off water, gas and electricity in your home.
   5. Teach children how and when to call 911 or your local Emergency Medical Services number.
   6. Keep enough supplies in your home for at least 3 days. Assemble a disaster supplies kit. Store these supplies in sturdy, easy-to-carry containers, such as backpacks or duffle bags. Keep important documents in a waterproof container. Keep a smaller disaster supplies kit in the trunk of your car.
8. A Disaster Supplies Kit Should Include:
   • A 3-day supply of water (one gallon per person, per day)
   • Food that won't spoil
   • One change of clothing and shoes per person
   • Portable radio
   • Flashlight with extra batteries
   • Extra set of car keys
   • Cash and a credit card
   • Special items for infant, elderly or disabled family members.
   • One blanket or sleeping bag per person
   • First-aid kit
   • Prescription medicines
   • Emergency tools
   • Battery-powered NWR
9. Practice and maintain your plan.
   • Ensure your family knows meeting places, phone numbers and safety rules.
   • Conduct drills.
   • Test your smoke alarms monthly and change the batteries at least once each year.
   • Test and recharge your fire extinguisher(s) according to manufacturer's instructions.
   • Replace stored water and food every 6 months.
   • Contact your local National Weather Service office, American Red Cross chapter or emergency management office for a copy of "Your Family Disaster Plan" (L-91/ARC4466).

Is it a Stroke?

By Paula Rutledge
via Houston Gem Club's - The Backbender's Gazette

Sometimes symptoms of a stoke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking the following three simple questions:

• Ask the individual to smile.
• As him or her to raise both arms.
• Ask the person to speak a simple sentence.

If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call 9-1-1 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

After discovering that a group of non-medical volunteers could identify facial weakness, arm weakness and speech problems, researchers urged the general public to learn the three questions. They presented their conclusions at the American Stroke Association's annual meeting last February. Widespread use of this test could result in prompt diagnosis and treatment of the stroke and prevent brain damage.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people, you can bet that at least one life will be saved. Tell as many people as possible about this. It could save their lives!

CFMS Scholarship Program

By Isabel Burns, Scholarship Committee Chair

In 1977, The California Federation of Mineralogical Societies established a Scholarship Program. They designed our program to assist the undergraduate students who were in their junior or senior year in the field of Earth Science. Lapidary Arts was added to this a few years ago. The AFMS Scholarship, which was formed previous to 1977, is designed to assist students working on their Masters or Doctorate degrees.

Only the interest from the donate funds are used for scholarships. Thanks to the generous donations of society members and individuals the fund has grown. This last year we gave 4 scholarships to students majoring earth science and 1 majoring in lapidary arts. CFMS was named as the care taker of the Diedrick Scholarship Fund established to honor one of our past presidents, which is limited to students who attend Berkeley or Stanford

Surfing the Web, Part One: Fossils

By Jim Brace-Thompson, Juniors Activities Chair

Kids have always been hard-wired, metaphorically, for learning but with the advent of the Internet, today's kids are literally wired-to-learn. If given a research assignment in school when I was a kid, my first stop was the library, but as my kids have been growing up, they run immediately to the Internet and Google. They play video games, they chat with friends via instant messaging, they write their papers on the computer, and they surf the Web for both school topics and personal interest. To help youth leaders capitalize on this now-natural proclivity of today's kids and teens, I'll be devoting my next couple columns to providing annotated listings of Web sites organized around various aspects of the rock-hounding hobby. Given my own interest in paleontology, I'll start with fossils. Future columns will cover minerals and earth resources, lapidary arts, and museums. Because kids especially like dinosaurs, I'll start with a couple sites specifically devoted to these "Terrible Lizards":

CFMS Endowment Fund

By Ray Meisenheimer, Endowment Fund Chair

The CFMS Endowment Fund was established in 1987 to provide a steady source of income to financially assist the programs and services CFMS provides its members. Only the earnings are available for distribution. Funds come from individual donations or club donations or memorials for a departed member. Also from fund raising sales. At this time I want to thank all who donated to the Endowment Fund in the past. It is greatly appreciated.

However it is not enough. I urge clubs to think about what the 'Federation does for clubs, and be generous in donations.

I will have a table or two at the CFMS Show in Roseville, selling items for the Endowment Fund. I need help! I need donations! Some suggestions--GOOD rough material, polished items, slabs, spheres, cabs, jewelry, minerals and fossils. Anything that we can sell is very welcome

Thank you very much.

Slide & Video Programs Update for 2005

By By Bill Gissler

At the November 13,2004 CFMS meeting, Directors were given a copy of the Slide and Video Program Catalog. Since then 13 video programs and 2 slide programs have been added. Pages V-7 and S-5 of the catalog have been revised to include these additions. The revised pages are included in this newsletter so that your Club's program chairman may add them to the catalog.

During 2004 eighty programs were loan from the library to 30 clubs. In planning your club programs for 2005, have you considered renting a program from the CFMS slide and video program library? See your Federation Director for a copy of the catalog and information on how to order programs. You can also view the program catalog on the CFMS web site.

Insurance Coverage for Club-Owned Equipment

By Fred Ott, Insurance Chair

One of the optional benefits available to member societies of the Federation is the ability to purchase insurance coverage for club-owned equipment and supplies. Currently, the premium for such coverage (fire, theft, vandalism, etc.) is only $5.00 per year for every $1,000 of coverage (subject to a minimum premium of $30.00).

What this means is that your club can obtain insurance coverage for $6,000 of club-owned equipment and supplies for only 30.00 per year. If you are interested in applying for such coverage, please complete the Request for Premises Liability and/or Property Coverages found on the Federation's web site, www.cfmsinc.org, and submit your request directly to McDaniel Insurance Services, Inc.

Keeping Public Lands Public

By Bob Cranston,
From the AFMS Newsletter, December 2004

This was sent to me by an officer in the BLM. I think his advice is good and if anyone wants to protect their rock collecting privileges, this would be one good way to start. The other and best way is to get off our duff's and do something. First download and print out and digest the 7.3 megabytes of material listed below. If you can't digest it and make a decision, get some help. There are at least a couple of lawyers in our group and although they are up to their ears in work, they will talk to you. If you print this out, you will have the e-mail addresses of at least a couple of them. They are your peers; so don't hesitate to talk to them.

I am purposefully omitting the name of the BLM officer who sent this to me, so he doesn't have to answer questions of WHY? from superiors.

Keeping Public Lands Public

Dear fellow rock hunter recreationists:
Today I stumbled upon a valuable document that can help all of us fight for the use of public lands to continue our hobby.

We can take a page out of the other side's book to assist our efforts to participate in the resource management decisions of the BLM and the US Forest Service that may unjustly restrict our rights and abilities to collect rocks, fossils and minerals.

Actually, this is 7.3 megabytes of pages from the Wilderness Society "book" titled "A Conservationist's Guide to BLM Planning and Decision-Making Using FLPMA and NEPA to Protect Public Lands." (www.wilderness.org/Library/Documents/upload/BLM-Citizen-s-Guide-full-report.pdf)

Just as the wilderness advocates can use knowledge about federal agency decision-making and processes to lock us out of public lands, rockhounds can take the same knowledge to present opposing information and perspectives. Each of us can become informed about what's being planned in areas of collecting that are our favorites. Personal visits to ranger stations, field trips with the geologists or recreation planners are valuable to make us know and our interests heard. Participating in the planning processes also gives us "standing" to protest or appeal decisions that are made against our hobby in spite of our previous inputs.

Rockhounds don't have the multi-million dollar budgets of the eco-scare organizations, but we can use our existing club and federation contacts to lobby agency managers and legislators. We could team with like-minded groups that would amplify our voices.

A personal pitch of mine is for us to keep other political agendas separate from our interest in either promoting responsible collecting opportunities or opposing unreasonable restrictions. Some of the other groups that support access to public lands have tended to attach unrelated philosophies and themes, such as right to bear arms, and property rights, for examples, to their messages. These themes may be important in themselves but they distract from our main interest and shift discussion from facts to opinions and emotional responses.

Last item: A plug for the Barstow BLM office website pages on rock hunting in the Barstow, CA area. (www.ca.blm.gov/barstow/rock.html) This is an excellent summary of collecting rules and some descriptions of local collecting sites. I haven't confirmed it, but I suspect Harold Johnson, Recreation Chief of the Barstow BLM office is to be thanked for the good work.

About Bob

Rockhounds and outdoor enthusiasts lost a dedicated friend and advocate for the protection of public lands. Bob Cranston passed away on Sunday, January 2nd from pneumonia.

His total dedication to ALAA was unsurpassed by anyone one of us who worked toward keeping public lands open to rockhounds. His contacts kept us all informed on all the many area of concern. He watched for any closures of public land and pending litigation from all sources that would infringe on our rights to collect on public land. His interpretation of governments term "multiple use of public land" was his cornerstone of concern. At earlier meetings of ALAA, everyone waited impatiently for Bob to speak to the concerns of the day. His knowledge of what was happening concerning public lands was invaluable. He spent many hours each day searching websites for coming and pending legislation and possible law suites by environmentalists. Bob served AFMS and ALAA with distinction, there will never be another person as dedicated as Bob to our cause. We have lost our heart and soul today.

From Dee Holland

Past Presidents Recognition

By Shirley Leeson, Historian

Many of you saw the current collection of items donated by CFMS Past Presidents or their families at the Fall Business Meeting in Fresno. It took up the front part of two eight-foot tables. Since then I have received a note from the family of Mary Andersen along with Mary's Robert's Rules of Order 75th Anniversary Edition book. I am indebted to Melanie Andersen for sending the book. In addition, Maria Turner will be donating a pin Mary made for her. Also Arlene Billheimer has sent a note saying she will donate an original pin made by Jessie Chittenden.

Here are the items that are currently in the Historical Collection:

• C.D. Woodhouse - Apr 1940 - May 1946; Golden Bear Replica - donated by Shirley Leeson
• Orlin J. Bell - June 1946 - May 1948; Cabochon belonging to Orlin - Agatized Colemanite, Boron, CA
• Jack Streeter - 1948 - 1950; Chrysanthemum Stone with wood base - Estate of Jack Streeter
• Dorothy Craig - 1953 - 1954; Gemstones from Brazil - from Estate of Jack Streeter
• Jack Klein - 1957 - 1958; Shattuckite, Shattuck Mine, Bisbee, Arizona
• Johnnie Short - 1961 - 1962; Cabochon - Lavic Agate, East of Barstow, CA
• Leslie Darling - 1965 - 1966; Petrified Wood in shape of Golden Bear, Antioch Petrified Wood, Antioch, CA
• Charles Howell - 1966 - 1967; Opal from Australia - donated by Shirley Leeson
• Michael Kokinos - 1967 - 1968; Micro-crystal with picture of microscope he uses
• Barbara Goss (Pettit) - 1968 - 1969; Petrosky Stone, Michigan, additionally, early Golden Bear pin, PP Golden Bear pin and AFMS pin
• Gus Meister - 1969 - 1970; Thumbnail specimen pending
• Toy Sato - 1970 - 1971; Chrysanthemum Stone with wooden base
• E. Alberta Best - 1972 - 1973; Sterling silver earrings by Alberta - donated by Shirley Leeson
• Sharr Choate - 1974 - 1975; Pins Sharr designed for shows, etc. - donated by Shirley Leeson
• William E. "Bill" Tirk - 1974 - 1975; Belt buckle, with multi-diagonally cut stones
• Peg Norton - 1976 - 1977; Carved Fluorite Rabbit - donated by Jeane Stultz
• Jessie Hardman - 1979; four micro-minerals: Cotunnite, Bertranite, Apophyllite, Copper Donated by Bob Stultz
• Jeanne Mager - 1980; Barite, Cumberland, England - miniature
• Dick Swartz - 1981; Cabochon, Petrified Palm Root, California Desert
• Keesa Stewart - 1982; Original CFMS Secretary's Golden Bear Pin, Golden Bear PP Pin
• Ruth Bailey - 1983; Sterling silver pendant with Diabase from Los Banos, hand-made chain
• Charles Leach - 1984; Fine Sterling ingot, Sunshine Mine, Kellog, Idaho - donated by Betty Leach
• William "Bill" Burns - 1985; Benitoite Thumbnail Crystal, San Benito County, CA
• Shirley Leeson - 1987; Coprolite, and CFMS Triangle with bars and PP Golden Bear Pin
• Margaret Norton - 1988; Cabochon, Mahogany Obsidian, Davis Creek Area, CA
• Annelies Nash - 1989; Amethyst specimen from Brazil - donated by Shirley Leeson
• Jeane Stultz - 1990; Orpiment Stamp, Miniature Orpiment specimen from Peru
• Arlene Billheimer - 1991; Original piece of jewelry by Jessie Chittenden
• Isabella Burns - 1992; ZZYZX Writing Rock (porphyry) Near Baker, CA
• James Nelson - 1994; Standing Gold Plated Quartz cluster
• Mary E. Andersen - 1995; Robert's Rules of Order - donated by Vince Andersen and Family, and pin made by Mary - donated by Maria Turner
• Pat LaRue - 1996 and 2000; Diaptase, Tsumeb, Namibia - thumbnail
• Rosemarie Young - 1997; Carving by Rosemarie
• Beverly Moreau - 1998; Original crystal bracelet by Beverly
• Ken Kruschke - 1999; Cabochon, Horse Canyon Agate, Tehachapi, CA
• Bob Stultz - 2001; Selenite Specimen, Spain
• JoAnne Ritchey - 2002; Sphere from Monte Cristo Jasper
• Jack Williams - 2003; Wire wrapped pendant, stone: Horse Canyon Agate Lois Allmen - 2004; Original Necklace and earrings by Lois

Below is a list of those CFMS Past Presidents whose families we need to contact. If you know a family member of any of these deceased Past Presidents, please contact them and see if they would like to participate.

• John Melhase - Jan 1936 - Feb 1938
• Ernest Chapman - Feb 1938 - Apr 1940
• R. O. Diedrick - 1950 - 1952
• C.A. Dietrich - 1952 - 1953
• Hub Dafoe - 1954 - 1955
• W.A. Stephenson - 1956 - 1957
• Howell Lovell - 1958 - 1959
• Alden Clark - 1959 - 1960
• Veryle Carnahan - 1960 - 1961 - have had contact from Niece
• Jack Donahue - 1962 - 1963 - have had contact by letter
• Col. Daniel Mullany - 1963 - 1964
• Ennis Scott - 1964 - 1965
• LaDocia Ellis - 1971 - 1972
• Claude Schapers - 1973 - 1974
• Lee Hollinshead - 1977 - 1978
• Ellen Schultze - 1986
• Bill Aprile - 1993
• Ellen Schultze - 1986
• Bill Aprile - 1993

Wanna be on TV?

By Stephen Blocksage,
Publicity and Public Relations Committee

In light of this I have invited California's Gold to do shows on rockhounding but one in particular about Zzyzx in the Mojave Desert. Its unique history as army post, stage stop, religious retreat, and finally a desert studies center and on occasion lapidary school make it an ideal show. Most everyone who has made the trip to Vegas has seen the sign just this side of Baker and perhaps wondered what the letters mean and perhaps how to pronounce the word if it is a word. Unfortunately this upcoming year 2005 will be the last time we will be able to hold our week of fun and learning in April at Zzyzx because of the needs of the universities that own the site and their students. They have offered other weeks but those would be climate-disadvantaged times. So the Federation is in search of an alternate site somewhere in the desert eastern southern part of California.

Although Zzyzx was the primary offering it has long been my intention to offer the Gem Mine site of the state gem, Benitoite as a place to do a show. I immediately got Mr. Howser's attention several years ago if I could arrange a show there; unfortunately the owner hit a vein of gems and has been working the mine since. Of course he is unwilling to allow filming at such a secure site or call attention to the mine unless it is no longer workable. Other sites were the Davis Creek/Lassen Creek for Obsidian, Clear Creek for Jadeite and Jade Cove for Nephrite jade, perhaps the first viable coal deposit in California in Stone Canyon and its associated railroad and finally the Tonopah and Tidewater railroad and the Dumont dunes and Sperry wash. The village of New Idria where much of the Mercury mined in California originated. The story of poppy jasper mine might be of interest as well.

So how can you be involved? Do you have anecdotal information, pictures, or historical news clippings of any of these areas? Perhaps a field trip where you found something special or an area with historical interest associated with our hobby. As you can see there is grist for many exciting and interesting shows featuring rocks and rockhounding. So if you have something we'll submit it but be prepared to talk about it and be seen at least state wide if not nationwide. Perhaps your 15 minutes of fame, but also the Federation's because we will be cited in the credits and hopefully that will generate interest in our hobby. If you have something to share please contact me at similite@aol.com or Dick Pankey at his web site. It should be noted that there are many people vying for time on the TV and since this is free, the show is selective and may not immediately run a particular idea so be patient.

Roseville Gem & Mineral Blast Update

By GloriaTomczyk,
Show Chair for the "Roseville Gem and Mineral Blast"

February is upon us; hopefully the winter storms have not been a problem for you. As the year marches on, the Roseville Rock Rollers & the CFMS 2005 show committees continue to work on putting on a great show. This month I would like to give you a sneak peak at our growing list of SPEAKERS. The schedule is still being developed with a variety of renowned professionals offering lectures on some very interesting topics.

• METEORITES, many folks find them intriguing to say the least, or maybe you personally have tried your hand at using a metal detector to hunt your own. Whichever the case, Michael Santos will be one of our guest speakers on that very topic all three days of the show.
• FOSSILS & DINOSAURS, most of you have encountered them, from time to time, out in the field, museums or at a show. Dr. Richard Hilton, Professor at Sierra College, and author of the new book, "Dinosaurs and Other Mesozoic Reptiles of California" will be another guest speaker. If you already have his book, bring it with you, as he will be glad to sign it after his talk.
• MINERALS, Dr. Jean DeMouthe from the California Academy of Sciences, will be another guest speaker with two topics: "Minerals as Medicine" and "Minerals of Northern California." I hear she is excellent!
• GOLD, we all have it, we all want it, we all try to find it, but where the heck is it and how did it get there? John Clinkenbeard, Supervising Senior Geologist, with the California Geological Survey, will be our guest also.
• MINERALS OF NEVADA", If you missed Dr. Gregory Ferdock, Co-Author of the "Minerals of Nevada", at the Mariposa show in 2004, you will have another chance to hear his presentation about his new book. He too will be available to sign your book after this talk.
• FLUORESCENT MINERALS, they capture our attention in the dark, ever wonder why they fluoresce? The Fluorescent Mineral Society of Northern California will speak on that subject. This is just a sampling of what we plan to have for the show. I hope that as time draws nearer you will make plans to attend their lectures. Please pass this information onto your individual clubs, as they may wish to take advantage of hearing these lectures.

Also, please make your plans early to attend the Directors meeting on June 11th, and take part in the gold nugget raffle for just attending. Nothing to buy, only free nuggets to win! For more information and forms, please visit the Roseville Rock Rollers website: http://www.rockrollers.com. Hope to see you soon!

All American Awards Program

By Dot Beachler, Chair

The following are instructions to help clubs that are considering entering their books in the All American Awards Program. Each report is to be submitted as a single document limited to a maximum of 100 sheets (one-or two-sided) including text and graphics. A loose-leaf notebook is a suitable binder.

The document should have six section dividers numbered 1 through 6, with the report form in Section 1, and the supporting information for each of the report sections following the appropriate section divider. There are no restrictions on number of pages in any section.

When filling out the report form, mark all appropriate blanks and enter numbers or other information where requested. Assemble requested supporting materials and lists following the appropriate section divider, and then insert photos or other graphics following the typed information. Remember that all requested information is for the prior year.

Museum Corner

By Debbie Bunn, Chair, Museum Committee

If you like fossils, then one museum you have to see is the Sierra College Natural History Museum Located in Rocklin (northeast of Sacramento), it has a fine exhibit of local and US fossils; many of them collected by the students & instructors while on class fieldtrips.

There is a case tracing the story of life in fossils from algal balls to primates. Local fossils from the Ice Age were discovered when the Arco Arena was constructed to house the Sacramento Kings. Parts of bison, camels, horse, and other animals excavated are on display.

Also there is a large log of the famous Eocene Roseville petrified wood.

There is a surprisingly large dinosaur exhibit, including a rare pachycephalosaurus skull that I got to help excavate. There are parts of other dinosaurs that have been found in northern California including a hypsoliphodont leg and a piece of a meat-eating dinosaur found in Granite Bay/Sacramento. You can see parts pfapterosaur found in northern California and a giant turtle.

There are sea mammal fossils, a titantothere skull, and a gompothere. In addition to all the fossils, there is an extensive skull display from bats to elephants. And stuffed animal heads from around the world. There is a fine mineral display.