Herb & Garlic Encrusted Prime Rib
Field of greens salad and assorted dressings
slow roasted prime rib of beef served with creamy horseradish and au-jus
Yukon gold baked potato and fresh broccoli with cheddar sauce
Xangos cheese cake with carmel drizzle/p
The Breast of Chicken Sonoma is $25. The Herb & Garlic Encrusted Prime Rib is $35.
Make banquet reservations by October 31. Mail your check payable to CFMS and your entree selection to:
Pat LaRue
PO Box 1657
Rialto, CA 92377-1657
By Pat LaRue
Plan to join us next June at the beach! Plans are underway for the CFMS hosted Convention and Show in Ventura. When no club stepped forward to
host the 2008 show, the decision was made to do it as a Federation. This will be the third time that CFMS has produced a no-host show. The first
one was in Anaheim in 1981 and the second was in San Jose in 1991.
- Bural LaRue volunteered to take on the responsibility of serving as chairman.
- Dick & Betty Pankey are wearing two hats as the Exhibit and Demonstrator Chairmen. His goal is 100 exhibits and 40 competitive entries.
- Don George will serve as the Dealer Chairman, assisted by Cheri. Don was the dealer chairman of the highly successful 1996 show in Riverside and he's in touch with a wide range of dealers.
- Dealer-demonstrators will be the responsibility of C J Quitoriano.
- Jim Brace-Thompson will handle publicity for this event.
- Bill and Isabella Burns are already on the lookout for program speakers.
- Frank Mullaney promises to come up with a memento for the display cases.
- What am I doing? Since I already handle the CFMS money, it seems logical to serve as treasurer and receive the
pre-registrations.
Yes, just as Cheri is Don's secretary, I will serve in the same capacity for Bural. These persons all have many years of show
experience and can be counted on to carry out their particular responsibility.
There will be lots of jobs to do particularly as the show draws near. We will need volunteers to assist with setup, staff the ticket window, do daytime security duty, and staff special projects. If someone asks you to help out, please say yes.
The planning for the show will be conducted long distance using e-mail as the primary means of communication. Cell phones are also great for this
purpose since most of us have oodles of minutes to either use or lose.
The show committee met at the Lancaster show last month and will meet again at the November meeting in Visalia. Committee members who have a form to include in the show promotion packet should have it to me no later than 10/20 so it can be duplicated.
By Bill Gissler, CFMS Audiovisual Program Librarian
The CFMS Audiovisual Program Library continues to add new programs for loan to CFMS member clubs. Here is a list of some of the new additions.
DVD-23 Geology of Caves and Caverns - A 29 minute program produced by TMW Media Group is narrated by Dr. Laurence J. Jankowski, an Associate Professor Emeritus at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.
This program illustrates what water can do below the earth's surface, over long periods of time. Using animated and real life sequences, this program explores some important caves, their formations and teaches viewers how underground water dissolves limestone to form caves, caverns, stalagmites, stalagtites and boxfork formations.
DVD-24 Antarctica: A Frozen Laboratory - This video depicts the challenges biologists, meteorologists, and geologists face as they study the continent's wildlife, climate, and formation. The program features analysis of fossils and ancient magma, shows how past weather patterns are examined in ice layers, and illustrates fish and bird population studies.
V-134 Exploring Art Clay Silver, Part 1 -
In this 55 minute video, Jackie Truty, Artist, Author, and President of Art Clay World, USA leads you on an exciting exploration of the basic techniques you will need to succeed with Art Clay, including forming, refining, and finishing.
Art Clay Silver is a moldable clay that becomes pure (99.9%) silver when fired. In its wet stage, you can shape it into any form imaginable by rolling, sculpting, molding, stamping, or extruding. After drying, you can sand, file, engrave and even drill your pieces. Firing is easy using an electric kiln, a butane torch, or even a gas stovetop. Art Clay Silver is versatile - it can be added to a variety of media, including glass, ceramics, porcelain, and polymer clay.
V-135 Rockhounds - This 55 minute video is divided into segments so you choose those of most interest. Perhaps a "seasoned" rockhound can fill in some of the gaps in the stories.
- World Class Crystals - 1:08 minutes to 15:51; in Mt Ida, Arkansas to hunt for quartz crystals.
DUSTY BONES. 15:52 minutes to 29:48; two fossil locations in Texas.
- By Any Other Name - 29:49 minutes to 39.48; Oklahoma locations for "rose rocks (barite roses).
- Dinner and a Show - 39:49 minutes to 56:00; the Gem & Mineral Show at Houston, Texas and a featured exhibit the "Rock Food Table" - a dinner table laden with rocks that look like food.
***
For instruction on how to borrow these programs and others, see the CFMS website (www.cfmsinc.org). To place a program order between September 3 and 27, contact Colleen McGann (colleen mcgann@hds.com); the Gisslers are off to Russia.
By Isabella Burns
This show and convention is being hosted by the CFMS. Bural La Rue, currently CFMS President Elect, is the show chairman. Right now he is recovering from surgery and can use lots of help for this show. Do you realize that you are a member of the group who is putting on this show? Now, I know that members make every effort that they can to attend their club shows and to help in any way that they can by attending this show.
Now you ask, how can you help? Start by attending the CFMS show. The fairgrounds where the show will be held is just off the 101 Freeway in the northern part of Ventura, right on the ocean. There will be camping on the fairgrounds. The Metrolink from downtown Los Angeles goes right to the Ventura fairgrounds. Other Metrolink trains from San Diego, San Bernardino, Anaheim, Palmdale, etc. travel to Union Station (L.A.) and then to Ventura. At the last CFMS show some people took the Metrolink to the Ventura Fairgrounds and walked to the Holiday Inn hotel to stay over night. They had two days at the show and a nice mini vacation.
This year the Monterey Park Gem Club took a bus to Palmdale to see the CFMS show there. They had an informative and fun trip there and back. The Palmdale club gave them a break on the admission price and some dealers gave them a discount when they were wearing their club vests. If you d not have enough members to fill a bus, check with your neighboring clubs and fill a bus, or invite your friends. Also you might be able to arrange with your city's parks and recreation department and schedule a trip. Ask your city council about this.
For the northern California folks, I recommend that you fly into Burbank and rent a car to drive up. It's a wonderful drive, if you don't mind some traffic.
George Snyder was born in Idaho in 1916, and he moved to California when he was 15. During the depression years, he worked on the Panama Canal and Hoover Dam. It was when he was in Panama that he and Mona got married. When they returned to Pasadena, George built the house on Palm Ave that they lived in for over 40 years raising their two children, JorJan and Jon.
George was very active in the Boy Scouts for a number of years, being an troop leader. He enjoyed taking the boys on their camping trips up to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and hiking with them.
The family was "bitten" by the rock collecting bug in 1957 on a camping trip to Walker Creek. It was on this trip they found a huge piece of "Jade", which they brought home, it turned out to be a piece of Jadeite, but they where hooked. They joined the Pasadena Lapidary Society and became very active members. George was field trip leader for many years, and show chairman for several years. One of the members even wrote a poem about George's field trip leading expertise, which centers around his ability to always have the right spot for the outhouse.
George took a liking to making silver chains and anything out of silver. He enjoyed trying out new designs and experimenting in silver. He taught silver making at Zzyzx for the CFMS for many years. He gave up teaching there about 4 years ago.
After Mona died, it was hard for George to live in the house on Palm Ave., so he decided that he was going to travel. He sold the house and bought a new motorhome. He went on several trips, including one to Saskatchewan and Washington State for family reunions.
Three years ago, George moved back to Idaho, but coming to California for several visits. He passed away on July 15 at 5 pm due to complications of pneumonia and a broken hip. He will be missed.
By Loretta Ogden
The Roseville Rock Rollers Gem & Mineral Society presents its 2007 Education Through Sharing Award to James Hutchings. Jim joined the Roseville Rock Rollers in 2001, bringing with him a wealth of information and experience. His love of rocks and minerals intrigued him at an early age, while reading his "Little Golden Book" on Geology and Minerals, and he soon found that the world has many wonders to be discovered. A former Sergeant in the California Highway Patrol, he retired after more than 25 years in law enforcement/public safety, just in time to lead our club to an extraordinary expansion.
Elected President of the Rock Rollers in 2005, Jim's ideas were instrumental in providing a fantastic show that year when we hosted the CFMS Show & Convention in Roseville. Through the years 2005 and 2006, he put forth his vision of establishing a lapidary shop and he made it come to pass, through much effort and time and hard work. He said it was a "make or break" proposition for our club, and indeed, we made it! Our shop is a magnet for more and more new members, and our club has doubled from around 80 members to over 160. We are able to offer adult lapidary classes and, under the leadership of Jim's wife, Cathy, an ongoing monthly program for junior members.
Jim's current jobs as club President, "Shop Czar," and Assistant Show Chair have not kept him from going on the road with his Mineral Identification presentations at various gem shows and school classes, his annual trips to Quartzsite and Tucson, and his field trips to search for opals and gold.
Providing the vision, exhibiting the passion, and making the dreams once talked about into reality, Jim has been the guiding light for our club for three years now, using all his outstanding skills to steer us toward having more successful shows, and more rewarding community service. Most importantly, he never stops sharing with everyone his knowledge and love of learning about rocks and minerals.
Submitted by
Terry Yoschak, Treasurer
Roseville Rock Rollers Gem & Mineral Society
***
Oxnard Gem and Mineral Society are honored to have Dr. K. C. Hara as a member. He is a multi-talented man, the finest podiatrist in Ventura County, who takes the time to be a mainstay for OGMS. He quietly steps in where he sees the need. This has led him to work and acquire non-profit status for the club, be President several times, Show Chairman, head of Programs, Coordinator of our classes for the city of Oxnard, teach Lapidary, start classes in Opal Cutting, Wirewrapping, and one in Lapidary for Youth.
He has been our CFMS Director, demonstrated Wirewrapping at Camp Paradise as well as helping with the evening programs with his fine voice. Several times he has brought his singing group to give the entertainment for OGMS Christmas parties. Offered a gift by a grateful patient, he refused, but accepted it as a donation gift with which he proceeded to buy four Genie lapidary machines and two buffing machines to upgrade our shop. He is an accomplished artisan in making, displaying, and demonstrating beautiful and unusual jewelry at our club show and at the Gem & Mineral Bldg at the Ventura County Fair. All this and he has still managed at times to go on Field Trips.
Submitted by the Oxnard Gem and Mineral Society
By Dee Holland,
CFMS Rules Committee
Let me say first, all who entered were winners. And the public who witnessed these exceptional exhibits were winners also because of their experience. I hope that next year we will have even more entries.
Masters
1st. Trophy 3 - Minerals - Clay Williams, El Dorado Mineral & Gem Society
1st. Trophy 16 - Carving - Vivian Roberts, Mother Lode Mineral Society
1st. Trophy 17 - Cabochons - Ed Clark, Ventura Gem & Mineral Society
1st. Trophy 26 - Jewelry - Ted Magee, Mother Lode Mineral Society
1st. Trophy 28 - Educational - Richard Pankey, Contra Costa Mineral & Gem
2nd Place 28 - Educational - Colleen McGann, Peninsula Gem & Geology
1st Trophy #30- Educational - Robert Trimingham, Livermore Valley Lithophiles
Advanced
- 1st. - Geodes 1 - Chris Ward, Del Air Rockhounds
- 2nd - Minerals 2 - Sandra Beightol, Palmdale Gem & Mineral
- 2nd - Mineral 8 - Sheila Bigelow, Antelope Valley Gem & Mineral
- 1st - Ultra Violet 39 - Ed Clark, Ventura Gem & Mineral
- 1st.- Carving 40 - Jesus Ruiz, Santa Clara Valley Gem & Mineral
Novice
- Ribbon 16 - Carving - Anne Ruiz, Santa Clara Valley Gem & Mineral
- Ribbon 38 - Petrified Wood - Brad Murphy, Palmdale Gem & Mineral
- Ribbon 41- Carving - Jesus Ruiz, Santa Clara Valley Gem & Mineral
- Ribbon 21 - Special Lapidary - Omer Goeden, South Bay Lapidary & Mineral
Society
- 2nd. - Ribbon 1 - Mixed Lapidary & Jewelry - Napa Rock & Gem
CFMS Supplemental Trophies
- Barranca Educational Trophy - Robert Trimingham, Livermore Valley Lithophiles
- Choate Jewelry Trophy - Anna Christensen, Mother Lode Mineral
- Diamond Pacific Lapidary Trophy - Ed Clark, Ventura Gem & Mineral Society
Sweepstakes Trophy
- Mother Lode Mineral Society
In addition, the week before at the AFMS Convention and Show in Roswell, New Mexico the following CFMS entries won trophies:
- AFMS Trophy 30 - Educational - William Beiriger, Livermore Valley Lithophiles
- AFMS Trophy 10 - Micromount Minerals - William Beiriger, Livermore Valley Lithophiles
- AFMS Trophy 21 - Lapidary - Marion Roberts, Mother Lode Mineral
- AFMS Trophy 26 - Jewelry - Ted Magee, Mother Lode Mineral
- AFMS Trophy 41 - Carvings - Vivian Roberts, Mother Lode Mineral
- AFMS Trophy 15 - Lapidary - Lyle Roessler
- AFMS Trophy 29 - Educational - Richard Friesen
All AFMS Trophy Winners were not allowed to re-enter the following week in Lancaster unless they entered in a different category. Vivian Roberts and Ted Magee were able to change their exhibits and re-enter in a different category.
Congratulations to all, CFMS made an impact on the AFMS/Rocky Mountain Show.
By John Martin - P.L.A.C South
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office is still seeking volunteers to participate on a Technical Review Team (TRT) to assist the Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office (PSSC-FO) on the preparation of the Meccacopia Recreation Area Management Plan (RAMP).
John Kalish, BLM PSSC-FO manager, said the TRT was recently established as a sub-group of the California Desert Advisory Council (DAC) whose members are appointed by the Secretary of the Interior under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to advise BLM on public land management in the California Desert.
According to Kalish, the BLM and the DAC are seeking individuals representing a cross-section of interests to help BLM prepare the RAMP. Among the interests likely to be involved are: 1) special permitting groups (commercial, competitive non-competitive, organized groups), 2) California Department of Parks and Recreation, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission, 3) California, motorized and non-motorized recreation, OHV organizations, 4) environmental concerns, 6) Riverside County, and 6) Native American and Hispanic concerns.
Kalish said the TRT is expected to meet two to three times a year at the BLM field office in Palm Springs between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the week with meetings lasting about four hours. Two conference calls, and more if needed, will be scheduled during the week between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. and will last approximately one hour.
Those interested are asked to contact Mona Daniels, BLM outdoor recreation planner, at 760-251-4800, email: Mona_Daniels@ca.blm.gov, FAX (760) 251-4899, or mail to: the Bureau of Land Management, Attn: Mona Daniels, 690 West Garnet Ave., P.O. Box 581260, North Palm Springs, CA 92211. Individuals are asked to provide a resume describing professional and recreation background and qualifications, what interest and involvement the individual has with the Meccacopia area and their ability to participate in meetings. An address, daytime phone number, fax number, and email address if available are also requested.
Individuals have until September 15, 2007 to respond. For more information, contact Mona Daniels at 760-251-4800.
-BLM- California Desert District Office - 22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 92553- (951) 697-5217
News Release
For Release: July 17, 2007
Contact: Stephen Razo 951-697-5217; email: srazo@ca.blm.gov
CA-CDD-07-40
By Lew Helfrich,
CFMS. Field Trip Chairman South
Many people that planned to go to Nye Canyon were worried about the surrounding fires and the threat of severe thunder storms in the area that they decided to not go.
I myself was worried and kept in contact with the Forest Service in Bridgeport. Highway 395 was closed due to fires only 3 days prior to our trip. After a lot of thought and phone sessions with Jim, the ranger in Bridgeport, we decided to go.
We left Bakersfield around 6:30 with 6 people including myself from the San Joaquin Valley Lapidary Society, and Jon Black a gentleman here from Bosnia on business that heard about our trip on Yahoo. He arrived at LAX. around midnight rented a car and met us here in Bakersfield just in time to head on out to Hooneyville.
We arrived at California City around 8 A.M to meet up with CJ, Ray, and Danny. As we traveled further north the prices of gas also traveled north. In Bridgeport gas was $3.99 a gallon. The cheapest was at the Indian Reservation at $2.91. We arrived around 2 p.m. in Bridgeport to our usual meeting place "The Barn" where everybody participated in the orientation and signed the letter of release of liability. If ever you wanted a great burger and fries with a thick raspberry milk shake "The Barn" is the place.
By 3 we were fed and ready to head to the Hooney claim in Nye canyon. The weather was in the 80's, no Fires, and cloudy. We were at the "Hooney Claim" by 4.
The claim was about 5 miles off of 395. Road conditions were great where even low clearance cars could make it to the claim. Larger motor homes; I would not recommend up in the pinion pines for fear of getting them all scratched up. There is a great place about 7 miles down 395 called "Sweetwater Summit with ample parking and camping although it is a dry camp. Red and Charlotte along with CJ and Ray, and Ron and Deloris camped there and joined us the following day.
The Air force and Marines just happened to be on maneuvers that day and a C-130 landed in front of them and they were joined by our men in uniform.
We were at the claim around 6 p.m. to set up camp and eat a bit of dinner. People scurried around the camp site and found shards of clear quarts along with several points. Many times you can look around camp and find ancient chards and flakes of obsidian from Indians of long ago knapping arrow heads to hunt deer and bear that populate the area. As for bears, [unless] they had long ears and a bushy tail there weren't any near camp although noises in camp did keep my wife up all night the first day.
The nights were overcast with lightning flashing a ways off. With us counting 1,2,3,4 5 and all of a sudden Kaboom, thunder rumbled through the canyon sounding like a 155 Howitzer firing off. The whole valley rumbled. We had on and off showers every night accompanied by beautiful mornings warm days for the 4 days we were there. We all headed up the hill around 7, digging our butt holes and settling down. Several went to the top to do hard rock mining. In my hole I found several nice points some with actinolite and some clear.
CJ and Ray wandered up the hill a bit with Ray sitting to the right of my wife and CJ forward and to the left of my little piece of real estate that I claimed. CJ started to pick up some smoky quartz; little ones at first and as she dug she found bigger crystals and clusters. Ray was working his piece of real estate finding one or two and as he was about to move on he would find another that would be enough to entice him to stay a bit longer looking for the "Mother Load".
My wife was digging in her hole finding cluster after cluster of one to 3 inch in size crystals when all of a sudden she came to my hole holding a beautiful 1" x 2" in size, red quartz cluster.
Red and Charlotte were hitting the yellow quartz by walking around and occasionally finding a large crystal.
I began hitting little smoky crystals and every time I dug I would unearth 2 or 3. Will and Sue were walking the creek bed and finding nice crystals and good quality cabbing material. On the second day I was looking for water feature rock for the house. The boys were up at the top with Jon and Danny, hard rock mining when Josh came running down to where I was, with a huge crystal around 5 to 8 pounds . Panting from the high altitude he told me that Danny hit a pocket with all kinds of huge crystals.
Danny found around 8 or 9 huge clear crystals and clusters between 5 and 35 pounds.
Since my walking was limited the boys and Jon helped me load the truck with rock and boulders. I found several boulders between 100 and 300 pounds that I wanted. I found this nice oblong boulder about 350 pounds that would look better in my yard than on the hill. I yelled for Josh and Caleb and Jon to lend a hand to bring it off the hill to my truck. As we rolled it over, low and behold there was a cluster of optical points around 3 inches mounted on the side of this huge boulder with clear crystal running deep within.
Night came and due to the restrictions on fires (No wood or coal), we lit our stove and grilled Tri Tip Steaks. Jon being from [the UK, but living in] Bosnia never ate such a meal. We sat around playing Uno until I got Josh interested in Snipe hunting. We were all ready to go and I had to tell him that it was a joke. Danny and Jon decided to go night exploring on the back roads. About an hour later they arrived back at camp with a huge timber rattler.
Danny skinned and prepared the snake like a true outdoor chef would. About 20 minutes of cooking we heard Danny yell "anyone up to eating snake?"
After several feasted on snake we all hit the sack to get ready to pack up and head home. There were no fires locally but you could see where there was a fire several days prior before that closed 395. There were no bears or deer to see only rabbits.
What is really sad about this trip, and I only hope that the claim owner does not close the "Hooney Claim" is that the area that we dug looked like a war zone. The digging was just like always soft and easy not hard. People dug holes and just left them, not covering them up, or by covering other good digging area with their tailings.
What is most disturbing is that on the other side of the hill not only did people not fill in their holes but cut the large roots of the pinion pines and threw them aside instead of digging under them. It is no wonder that places like the Hooney Claim and many more claims are closed to the public. The bright side is that everybody came home with a bucket of crystals and cutting material.
We all had a great time. There were 3 clubs represented. San Joaquin Valley Lapidary Society, The Kern County Mineral Society, and Antelope Valley Gem and Mineral. I would like to thank all that participated and for those of you that could not go well you missed a great time but there will be others.
By Diana Paradis
It has been a few months since the Demonstrators Directory has been mentioned in the newsletter, so I will bring you all up to date on the status of this new feature of the CFMS. There have been several instructors enrolled in the directory. These instructors are willing to share such skills as beading, making enameled beads, faceting, making dichroic glass, knapping, making mosaic pictures, mineral photography, and rock carving. I have also had requests from a few clubs to use the instructors from the Demonstrators Directory to enrich their member's knowledge of all things lapidary.
These are all good signs that the Demonstrators Directory is not only useful, but also something that the CFMS needs to rejuvenate lapidary skills, interest, and diversity in its many clubs. However, there is still a need for so many more instructors! Instructors are needed for: cabbing, clocks, wire wrapping, gem trees, GPS and mapping, intarsia, lost wax casting, metal detecting, micro-mounting, mineral ID, PMC, resin casting, rock painting, silversmithing, sphere making, stained glass and tumbling. The skilled artisans are out there.
We see your work all the time at shows. Some of you may feel that there is too much information that you need to teach at one setting for a skill to be learned. A way around this problem is to break up your skill into different parts. For example, I discussed demonstrating lost wax casting with an artisan just last month. He had tried to teach his craft to a class in his club but found that his 3 hour class turned into an eight hour fiasco. Upon further discussion it was decided that maybe he had tried to teach too much at once. Instead of teaching the whole process of casting he should have first given a class on making wax patterns. Then he could have offered a class on the next step of casting, investing, and so on.
Breaking up the skill into small steps can also insure that your students want to take the time and have the interest to finish a complicated lapidary procedure. Some of you may feel that there just isn't enough interest in your craft for you to waste your time and effort volunteering as a demonstrator. My response to this is that you never know until you try. You will be surprised at how many people there are that want to try their hand at your craft. You may also be surprised at the feeling of pride and accomplishment that comes with being an instructor.
The bottom line is this: The CFMS needs skilled people to be instructors for the Demonstrators Directory. If you have the talent, take the first step and fill out the form now.
From time to time the CFMS newsletter will be featuring an instructor from the Directory.
This month I would like to introduce Joy McClure. Joy lives in Mariposa and can teach the art of making enameled copper beads. She uses a torch and short pieces of copper tubing to make beads that have the look of porcelain and/or some glass beads. Joy has been enameling copper since she was 11 years old and has taught beading for over ten years. She is willing to give a demonstration, teach classes, or demonstrate her skills at a show.
By Diana Paradis
In the February CFMS Newsletter our president, Mr. Pankey, discussed the need for more rockhounds to display exhibit cases at rock shows. I whole heartedly agree with him. When attending a show, one of the big attractions for my family is the display cases. Not only do we get to see a wide variety of fossils, rocks, gems and minerals, but we also get new ideas for methods in which to use these lapidary materials.
Putting together a display case is actually fun and easy. My daughter did her first display case when she was 12. We have found that absolutely NO ONE cares if, as a beginner in lapidary, your cabs, jewelry, or crafts aren't perfect. After all, everyone, at one time, was just starting out. Seasoned artisans are just as proud of their first pieces as you are. If you are not just beginning lapidary work, then your beautiful display cases will inspire others to greater efforts and teach them new ideas and methods.
In his message, our president was baffled by a reluctance of members to exhibit at shows. Some members are getting older, are tired, and don't do as much lapidary work as they used to. They are waiting for younger members to step up, "take the banner", and run with it. As one of these younger members I would like to comment on why many of us don't exhibit display cases at shows. Rockhounds in their 30's, 40's and even 50's fall into the group of people that have full time jobs and full time families. For most of us this means eight hour days, five days a week of work, plus evenings and Saturdays filled with running the kids to sports and academics. When I have displayed at shows it meant setting up at a specific time on a Friday, or early Saturday morning, and taking down on a Sunday. Between work and family there just isn't the time to drive two or three hours to a show and set up a display, especially at smaller shows that only have a small window of time to set up in. Picking up a display generally isn't a problem, as one can go early, get in on end of the show bargains, and then pack up the display.
I feel that, by cooperating within or between clubs, we can overcome this problem. If someone in a club, or even from another club in the near area, offered to be a coordinator and pick up(or just receive), drive to a show, and set up exhibits for the younger generation of rockhounds, more of us would be able to exhibit at a wider variety of shows. I know that I would be happy to create an exhibit to send to a show if I had help getting it there and getting it set up. It would be simple to create a pre-made display that just popped into a display case in three or four pieces. This display could still be a beautiful example of lapidary work, but one simple to set up and dismantle.
For all you old timers that are thinking that I am just making excuses, remember how much time work and family can involve. Then think about how nice it is to have younger lapidary members take an interest and get involved in all aspects of the club. Volunteering to take a few simple displays to a show that you may already be driving to will help bridge the gap between young and old rockhounds, create new friendships, and ensure that exhibits at shows do not become a fable of the past.
By Marion Roberts, E.S.S. Chair
When you read this, I will be in Camp Paradise with a crew of help for the camp. Everything at this point is looking very good and the camp is filling nicely.
Because I'm getting calls on a regular basis form people who are saying they just heard about the classes at the camps, I feel it's necessary to ask why the editors of the local clubs or societies do not repeat or copy the reports from these committees in your newsletter. The information in the CFMS newsletter is for each and every one in your group, not just to the 3 people who receive it. It is your duty and job to forward the information to the complete membership.
Camp Zzyzx will be held March 23-30, 2008. Applications will be in the CFMS October newsletter and on the internet on September 28, 2007.
Applications will be accepted as of October 1, 2007.
I look forward to seeing as many as possible at both camps.
