Secondly, I would like to remind everyone that the new contest forms are
on the website. With Don Ogden’s (our webmaster) help, they are updated
and the deadline is fast approaching. If anyone has any questions drop
me an email at oldjasper@verizon.net
By Shep Koss and Adam Dean, Field Trip South Co-Chair
Wiley’s Well Annual Thanksgiving Rockhound Round-up
Where: Wiley’s Well
When: November 24th–30th. There will be folks camping all week.
Collecting Trips: November 27th, 28th, and 29th. Open to all CFMS affiliated society members and their guests.
Each day we will leave camp at 8:00 am and return in the late afternoon except on Thanksgiving Day
when we will be back in time for our Feast at 2:00 pm.
27th – Pebble Terrace/Fire Agate.
28th – Paisley Agates, Black Agate, and Nodules.
29th – Geode Beds
4wd is not a “must” for this trip, but is highly recommended. No low-clearance vehicles advised. 4wd “is” necessary to get to Fire Agate and Pebble Terrace. We will make arrangements for those without 4wd to ride with those who do. These sites are remote, so bring food, water and all required supplies. The nearest stores are in Blythe, California.
Directions: From the 10 Freeway, exit on Wiley Well Road and turn south from the freeway, 14 miles to camp. Around a mile or two down the road, the pavement will turn towards the right. Don’t follow that road; stay straight onto the dirt road. Stay on this dirt road past Fire Agate Mine and the Coon Hollow. You will see a sign for the Imperial County Line. The camp will be just past this sign on the right-hand side. I will have O.B.M.S. (Orange Belt Mineralogical Society) field trip signs along the way to the campground. If you get lost, call Adam at (909) 489-4899.
Material: Fire agate, geodes and a large variety of miscellaneous fossils, limestone, jasper, petrified wood, agates and very old Stromatolites. Also, we plan to search for the Paisley Agate Beds, Black Agates and nodules.
Tools: Sturdy bags, hard rock tools, safety glasses and gloves. It may be wise to carry a first-aid kit. I also recommend a dust mask as the volcanic ash may irritate your lungs.
Clothing: Wear clothing in layers as it can be very warm during the day and extremely cold at night. Bring extra jackets and blankets.
Dinner: Thanksgiving - 3:00 pm; O.B.M.S. and C.F.M.S. will host a potluck dinner for all those willing to contribute. Please bring your own plates, utensils, drinks and chair. We welcome everyone. If you plan to join us for dinner, here is the guideline to follow:
- If your last name starts with A, E, I, M, Q or - please bring a main dish.
- If your last name starts with B, F, J, N, R or V - please bring a starch.
- If your last name starts with C, G, K, O, S, W or X - please bring a vegetable or salad.
- If your last name starts with D, H, L, P, T, Y or Z - please bring a dessert.
Reminder: Please help preserve our deserts and
pack out what you pack in. Let’s leave it clean
for future Rockhounds.
All those attending the collecting trips will be required to fill out a Liability Waiver form.
For further information, please contact
Adam Dean @ (909) 489-4899 or e-mail him: theagatehunter@verizon.net
or
Shep Koss @ (661) 248-0411 or e-mail: freudonetoo@yahoo.com
CALICO FIELDTRIP
Where: Calico Mountains.
When: December 13th (Day Trip). Sign-in and 8:00 am; we will depart by 8:30 am sharp!
Meeting Place: Calico Road on the north side of the 15 Freeway.
Road Conditions: This is 4wd only! Some sand and steep canyon grades are expected. No 2wd or low-clearance vehicles. You may need to get a ride with a friend with a 4wd.
Accommodations: If you choose to stay overnight, there is nice camping in Mule Canyon (dry camping only) or you may stay in Barstow (there are several motels). Motel 6 allows pets. Food, water and gas are also available in Barstow.
Material: Palm wood, Silver Lace Agate and (our primary objective) Sagenite. Sagenite in this area is not overly-abundant, so don’t expect to fill your sack. You must dig for the best material. It is great agate and you must work to obtain a small amount; however, when you find a good one, it makes all your hard work worth it! This is a remote area, so please bring extra water, packed lunch and supplies.
Notes: The desert can be very cold at night. Bring extra jackets and blankets if you plan to camp out. Don’t forget your camera. Calico is well-known for it’s geological scenery.
Please help protect our deserts and pack-out what you packed-in!
All those attend the collecting trips will be required to fill out a Liability Waiver form.
For further information, please contact
Adam Dean @ (909) 489-4899 or e-mail him: theagatehunter@verizon.net
or
Shep Koss @ (661) 248-0411 or e-mail: freudonetoo@yahoo.com
By Don Ogden
I am presently getting information together for the 2009 CFMS web site.
It is almost impossible to get all the information correct.
Club and federation officers change. Email addresses are the biggest unknown change.
The first real input comes at Visalia meeting in November.
The next is in April at the show in San Jose. As you can see, I need help./p
Review the web site for information that needs to be changed for 2009. Please Email me the changes (donogden@aol.com).
By Marion Roberts
Earth Science Studies – Camp Paradise 12725 Laporte, Clipper Mill, CA 95930
Emergency Phone Number for Camp Paradise: (530) 675-2689
Camp Paradise is approximately 45 miles east of Marysville, CA on Highway E-21 (Clipper Mills).
Elevation is approximately 3500 ft.
The facilities are at a rustic church camp; rooms have double beds and/or bunk beds.
Bathrooms and showers are communal and located in each building. Housekeeping is the responsibility of each guest.
Also available, on a limited basis, are cabins for 4 persons (bathrooms and showers are located nearby).
RV space with electricity and water for most spaces is available.
Since it is a church camp, no alcoholic beverages are permitted.
Room assignments will be made by staff.
Due to the lack of dietary knowledge and the various interpretations of different needs,
we ask that you bring your special food items and we will do our best to prepare them for you.
Animals will be allowed in the R. V. area only and must be on a leash and picked-up after.
Please note that ordinarily, pets are not allowed and that any violation could result in revocation of this privilege and a return to their “no pets” rule.
Classes:
- Faceting
- Ming Trees
- Lapidary
- Soft Stone Carving
- Silversmithing
- Lost Wax & Silver Casting
- Beginning thru Advanced Wire Art
- Copper Enameling
- Lampwork Bead Making and Beading
- PMC3 Clay & Glass Fusion (Dichroic)
Please note: there will be some classes with limited space; preference will be given to first-time students.
*CHANGES MAY BE MADE AS NECESSARY*
A list of items that you might want to bring with you will be sent and a list of supplies the instructors would like you to bring.
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE REGISTERING.
- Any cancellation prior to April 26th will incur a $25.00 Administration fee.
- No refunds or cancellations after this date unless a substitute is provided.
Camp Paradise registration form
May 17-23, 2009
Make Checks Payable to:
CFMS Earth Sciences
Send to: John and Anna Christiansen
245 N. 6th Avenue
Oakdale, California 95361
(209) 847-1173
*************************
Questions? contact:
Marion Roberts
1505 Plumas, Modesto, CA 95358
(209) 538-0197
By Chuck McKie
General Water Safety Tips
Swiming
- Learn to swim!
- The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in-and-around the water is to learn to swim.
- Always swim with a buddy; never swim alone.
- The American Red Cross has swimming courses for people of any age and swimming ability.
- To enroll in a swim course, contact your local Red Cross chapter.
- Swim in areas supervised by a lifeguard.
- Read and obey all rules and posted signs.
- Children or inexperienced swimmers should take precautions, such as wearing a U.S. Coast Guard-approved
personal floatation device (PFD) when around the water.
Rules
- Watch out for the dangerous “too’s” – too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun,
too much strenuous activity.
- Set water safety rules for the whole family based on swimming abilities (for example,
inexperienced swimmers should stay in water less than chest deep).
- Be knowledgeable of the water environment you are in and its potential hazards,
such as deep and shallow areas, currents, depth changes, obstructions and where the
entry and exit points are located.
- The more informed you are, the more aware you will be of hazards and safe practices.
- Pay attention to local weather conditions and forecasts.
- Stop swimming at the first indication of bad weather.
- Use a feet-first entry when entering the water. Enter headfirst only when the area is clearly
marked for diving and has no obstructions.
- Know how to prevent, recognize, and respond to emergencies.
Alchol
- Do not mix alcohol with swimming, diving or boating.
- Alcohol impairs your judgment, balance, and coordination, affects your swimming
and diving skills, and reduces your body's ability to stay warm.
Beach safety
- Protect your skin: Sunlight contains two kinds of UV rays -- UVA increases
the risk of skin cancer, skin aging, and other skin diseases.
UVB causes sunburn and can lead to skin cancer.
- Limit the amount of direct sunlight you receive between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
and wear a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 15.
- Wear eye protection. Sunglasses are like sunscreen for your eyes and
protect against damage that can occur from UV rays.
Be sure to wear sunglasses with labels that indicate that they absorb at least 90 percent of UV sunlight.
- Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine in them. They can make you feel good briefly
but make the heat's effects on your body worse. This is especially true with beer, which dehydrates the body.
- Wear foot protection. Many times, people's feet can get burned from the sand or cut from glass in the sand.
Heat Stroke
- Watch for signs of heat stroke: Heat stroke is life-threatening.
The person's temperature control system, which produces sweating to cool the body, stops working.
- The body temperature can rise so high that brain damage and death may result if the body is not cooled quickly.
Signals of heat stroke include – hot, red, and usually dry skin, but in some cases
such as during athletic activity while wearing a helmet, the skin may be moist.
Changes in consciousness: Rapid, weak pulse, and rapid, shallow breathing.
- Call 9-1-1 or your local EMS number.
- Move the person to a cooler place.
- Quickly cool the body by wrapping wet sheets around the body and fan it.
- If you have ice packs or cold packs, place them on each of the victim's wrists and ankles,
in the armpits and on the neck to cool the large blood vessels.
- Keep the person lying down.
By Dee Holland
The CFMS Executive Board will be considering authorizing the CFMS Rules Committee on a one year trial basis the new BEADING section in CFMS competition. The Beading section will be part of the packet sent out to all directors. Two Master and Two Advanced Trophies will be added for this one year only.
The reason for this is as follows: The CFMS show will be in April, 2009. We have people within the CFMS who (we hope and urge) will enter this competition. We'd like to have CFMS on the cutting edge of this Beading proposal so we can take the information we learn in April to the AFMS Uniform Rules Committee meeting in July in Billings, MT.
Also included in the packet for the CFMS Fall Business meeting (November) will be the Supplemental Rules usually found in the January issue of the CFMS Newsletter. This is being done in November so that the information is out early enough for the April CFMS show. The only exception in the Supplemental Rules is the suspension of the Ultra-Violet Trophy by Greg Anderson until further notice.
By Shirley Leeson
Recently, the AFMS had to cancel the meeting in Houston, TX because of Hurricane Ike. The AFMS Bylaws, cover problems of this magnitude (Article V, Meetings, Section 4) by specifying that, "In the event of...or other great national emergencies, the annual meeting of the Board...shall not be held."
In researching our own CFMS Bylaws, there is no provision for this. Under CFMS Bylaws, (Article, VI, Meetings, Section 1 - 8) it covers regular meetings, fall business meeting, special meetings, quorum, voting body, voting, proxies, voting by mail (this last section states: you can not elect officers nor make amendments to the bylaws). I believe, since we are a "disaster state” because of potential earthquakes of large magnitude, we should immediately have our bylaws updated. I am sending the CFMS Officers the copy of the pages of the AFMS where this is already in place and urge them to make the proper adjustments to the CFMS bylaws as soon as possible. (note: the AFMS bylaws also include “all out war” in this section).
The CFMS bylaws were written in the ‘30s and this wasn't something they were concerned with. But the AFMS bylaws were written in 1947 - after World War II and other calamities. We need to update the CFMS bylaws.
By Dave Muster, CFMS field Trips North
Rock Hounds amp; Miners Unite!
How many of us have had our favorite collecting areas closed by the BLM?
Some of our favorite collecting and mining areas have been closed by the Bureau of Land Management, BLM.
May 1, 2008: after a deceitful study by the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA in
corroboration with the BLM, 31,000 acres in the Clear Creek Management Area was closed to
human activity by the Hollister Field Office. The finest mineral collecting area
in the State of California is closed!
How did this happen? Let me explain. The Clear Creek Management Area has been the site
of mining activity since the 1850’s. Asbestos, cinnabar, chromite and benitoite, California’s
gemstone, have been mined and even refined in the area. Some of the historical archeological
sites that refined the ores used industrial asbestos rings or gaskets in their retorts and furnaces.
When the BLM destroyed these sites they spread this industrial asbestos around in the exact area
where the EPA did their study!
The EPA study was “salted” with industrial asbestos purposely spread around of left by the
Hollister BLM. This industrial asbestos is not found naturally in the Clear Creek Management area.
Dr. Coleman’s thesis on Clear Creek explains the types of asbestos. Instead of cleaning up the
industrial asbestos or capping the known source of the industrial asbestos they purposely left
it on the surface so that it would show up in the EPA’s test study!
Many of the locals witnessed this activity by the BLM. I have pictures of the industrial
asbestos purposely left on the surface by the BLM. If you or I created a hazardous material
spill, we would be liable. The Hollister BLM is responsible for the industrial asbestos.
Conveniently the EPA was invited to do this test study in this exact location.
Is this a blatant “slide of hand” by the Hollister BLM?
By Cheri George
I hope each and every one of you has had a wonderful summer. It has been hard for some of our sister Federations, with the weather having the heavy hand over their festivities. We were sure that the HGMS/SCFMS would go on even without the presence of the AFMS. We know that that probably made it less than it would have been, but I understand that the Houston group always has a great show. My cousin attends every year and brags about what a great time they had and how wonderful the show was. So I am going to assume that, since she lives about 100 miles away, they still enjoyed their trip to Humble.
As you may have seen last month, I added another speaker to the roster: Rick Kennedy. Rick has expressed his interest in giving talks to clubs in the southern portion of our state also, but only when he can fit it in around a show he is doing there. I hope some of the southern clubs can take advantage of his experiences.
I continue to look for new and talented people to give programs and talks to our people; it is a never-ending task. It keeps me on my toes. I thank all of our current speakers for their fine service to our clubs and continued luck in their search for more things to talk about.
By Bill Gissler
46 SOCIETIES HAVE NOT USED THE PROGRAM LIBRARY IN SIX YEARS!
Over the last six years (2003 to 2008), I have kept records on which CFMS-affiliated societies have used the slide and video program library and how frequently. I found that each year we had around 80 requests, ranging from 1 to 3 programs per society, with a few societies requesting 4 to 10.
The 2008 CFMS roster lists 110 affiliated societies. By going through this roster, I listed 46 societies that had never once used the program library during my six year study. In terms of percentage, 42% have never used the library.
Why was that? Don't the Federation Directors of these societies tell their officers about the program library? I doubt if every society has a program library of their own. So why not use the CFMS slide and video program library a few times during the year? The 46 affiliated societies who have never used the program library in the last 6 years will be listed in my report at the November 8 meeting.
By Mike Kokinos, CFMS Tax Advisor
Have you ever noticed all the older mineral and gem organizations use the word Society in their name?
In those days, societies incorporating were advised by Legal Advisors to the CFMS to use Society in their name. The same was true for our Federation. When Francis Marshall, legal advisor, filed for tax exemption for the CFMS, the IRS rejected exemption under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). Mr. Marshall filed appeals to the upper levels of the IRS. In 1966, he obtained a ruling giving the CFMS the 501(c)(3) exemption. Part of the ruling provided that individual societies could be exempt under 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(7) depending on their activities.
Why did the legal advisors avoid “Club” in the name? Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(7)
and the California Revenue and Taxation Code Section 23701g are essentially identical and
identify a type of tax exemption for social clubs. The obvious intent of the sections
is to provide exemption for organizations primarily serving their members such as a men’s golf club.
The law requires that 85% of gross receipts be from members. Nonprofit organizations such as
our societies do not qualify for this type of exemption. We receive more from the public than from members.
Many years ago many societies were misclassified as Social Clubs. In 1994, California tax authorities attempted to revoke the exemptions as gross receipts from non-members exceeded 15% (think shows). We were able to obtain retroactive exemption as charitable and educational or social welfare (501(c)(4) rather than taxed as general corporations.
All of us tend to say club when we are talking about our societies. Actually a few of
our member societies do use club in their name. What’s the difference whether we say society or club?
We already have our exemption so “who cares”? My concern is using club instead of society
wrongly associates us with true social clubs. Let me pose a question: Two societies apply for the same grant
and provide identical information. The only difference: one refers to club activities and the other to
society activities. Which one is more likely to receive the grant?
P.S. A follow-up to last month’s article: Are you interested in learning more about tax exemption?
The IRS mentions an independent website "Stayexempt.org" that has some free simple courses with tests. You can take the courses and tests as many times as you want.
By Marion Roberts
I am proud to say that Camp Paradise was a great camp again this year, with 113 participants attending. With the silent auction and the sell-a-rama doing well, we were well in the “black”.
The evaluations by the participants were overwhelmingly good, with some workable suggestions.
Sign-up for Camp Paradise is up and running right now and already have 9 applications sent in. Remember: Camp Paradise starts May 17, 2009 (not in September) and only one week for 2009.
If anyone has access to used or real cheap 1 or 2 tube/4 foot florescent shop lights, please contact me as I am working on a different table style and lighting set up for our classes at camp.
Looking forward to seeing all of you (70 to 75) at Camp Paradise in 2009!
By Bud McMillin
My question for PATT MCDANIEL this month is:
Patt: I get several calls every year
when a club needs a Special Event Endorsement or a Certificate of Insurance and they always
tell me that you need them to send in the Insurance Coverages and Responsibilities form before
you can comply with their request. I tell them how to find the form on the CFMS website
and to just fill out the form and either FAX, email or snail mail the form to you and
verything will be OK. Why is it so important for you to have that form on file? What
is the purpose of the form?
Here is Patt’s reply:
Any good broker-client relationship depends on communication. We always invite our clients to discuss their individual needs with us. We give each account our personal attention. Through dialogue we can identify insurable risks, recommend solutions and evaluate priorities.
With an organization such as the CFMS, there are hundreds of individuals that we need to communicate with. At the same time, we have been working closely with the CFMS for 10 years and have an appreciation and understanding of the possible activities and operations of the various clubs and societies. Because our time is your money, we know we need to be very efficient in informing you of what you need to know, finding out what we need to know, and tailoring the coverages to meet the needs of each club and society and the Federation as a whole.
The insurance needs of the CFMS are fairly complex. On this form, we have made every effort to concisely describe what your club insurance officer needs to know and what he or she needs to discuss with us further. Because we have a personal commitment to giving you the very best service and guidance, we require that your club insurance volunteer read this information and sign the form to document his or her awareness of insurance coverage issues and club members' responsibilities. We always welcome your calls to discuss any insurance matter and, as many of you know, I particularly enjoy discussing the ins and outs of insurance with CFMS representatives.
In addition, this form helps us to maintain an accurate contact list for CFMS clubs. This information is confidential and used only for CFMS insurance necessities. Sometimes, that information can save us, and your federation officers, a lot of time!
You ask: "What are the ramifications of not returning the form?" Most importantly, you run the risk of not having the knowledge you need to be “risk conscious” for your club and the Federation and run the risk of having a claim that would not have coverage. This could be a severe impact not only for your club and its officers and volunteers but for the Federation, its officers and volunteers, and the pricing of the insurance program. We do not cancel your insurance for not returning the form, but if you do not read it, you may be wearing an untailored 'insurance suit' that does not adequately cover your assets. We hope you can all see that we can only do our job properly if you help us to help you.
These forms are available at mcdanielinsuranceservices.com and on the Federation website (cfmsinc.org). We have a user name and password set up for you on our site. It was mailed out in our recent letter to all clubs but you can also call us for that information. A shortcut to our site is McInsWest.com.
ATTENTION!!! Do not forget we are going to have a question and answer session on the afternoon of November 8th at the Federation Directors meeting. Directors: Please check with your society insurance representatives and your club President and bring any questions they might have to the meeting. Let us all take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to learn EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW about our CFMS insurance policy.
Patt McDaniel, McDaniel Insurance Services
CA DOI #0820481
800-400-7288
The question for FOR YOU this month is: ARE YOU GOING TO BE AT THE INSURANCE
QUESTION-AND-ANSWER SEMINAR IN VISALIA?! We are fortunate to have Patt McDaniel take a
Saturday afternoon out of her busy schedule to come to Visalia and answer all our questions
about the CFMS Liability Insurance, Directors and Officers Insurance, Premises and Property
Coverage Insurance and Vendor Insurance. We will start at 1:00 PM or as soon as the Directors
meeting is over if it goes past lunch. Give any questions you might have to your Federation
Director or join us for the meeting.
By Jo Anna Ritchey
After a CFMS Honoree has been selected, the Honoree is asked to:
- Determine the 4 year institution which the student will attend.
- Work with that institution to pick a student (Junior or Senior).
- Communicate with the Scholarship Committee so that the student and an
escort (parent, professor, significant other, etc.) can attend the Awards Banquet.
The Scholarship Committee will pay for the student and his/her escort as well
as the Honoree and his/her escort (A total of 4 banquet tickets).
More tickets are available at the regular banquet ticket rate.
- The Scholarship recipient will give his/her address information to the CFMS Secretary/Treasurer (Pat Larue).
- Pat will let the recipient know exactly when she plans to issue the check.
The Scholarship Committee has a list of suggested institutions throughout the state.
You are not restricted to these institutions.
Additional things that might play a part in choosing the institution are the internal policies
of each institution regarding scholarships (example: some institutions charge an administration
fee for having that institution help choose a recipient or distribute the monies). Also the
institution may determine that the student is eligible for a certain amount of funds (example $10,000)
and, if that student is receives $2,000 from the CFMS, then $2,000 would be subtracted from scholarships
from other sources. The result is that the student will receive only the previously determined amount
(our example of $10,000).
One other choice would be to give the $2,000 to a student who is going to school on loans.
Also please be aware the Scholarship Committee has the ability issue multiple scholarships.
The only restrictions are nominations for the Honoree. Also, this in an “endowment” fund—which
means that the principal will remain in the fund and only the interest can be disbursed.
