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Editor’s Notes:
“Remember, if you don’t send me news I can always make up some.”
I would like to thank all the folks that demon-strated their skills at our show table this year. We had a few more than ex-pected. We needed two more tables for our dem-onstrators before the show was done. We had a great atten-dance at the Gem and Mineral Show, especially on Saturday during the snow. Have you ever seen so many happy kids and adults at an event except at a football game? The quality of work done by dealers and hosts alike was a sight to behold. We were able to demonstrate our talents and see what other folks had to offer. Can you
(Continued on page 11)
onnie has al-ways enjoyed collecting
things. During his ser-vice in the U S Navy in World War II, he col-lected broken watches and used the parts to repair watches for his buddies. For many years he collected coins. On Fridays he would go to the bank and buy a big bag of pennies, nickels or dimes, go through them one at a time, keep out
the ones that would fill in his collection, then on Monday he’d take the remain-der back to the bank and pay for those he kept. In 1964 he
traded a roll of uncircu-lated 1950 D nickels for a double-hernia sur-gery! Next came col-lecting National Geo-graphic Magazines. Then came rocks. Our son-in-law bought a small rock tumbler while he and our daughter lived in Vernon back in the early 1990s. Lonnie was fascinated by the beauty of the finished
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FEATURED ROCK-HOUNDS
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V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 5 M A Y 2 0 0 7 T H E I N F O R M E R
T H E I N F O R M E R
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
F E A T U R E D M E M B E R S , E D I T O R I A L
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G R E E T I N G S F R O M T H E F R O N T T A B L E
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T H A N K Y O U F R O M D E A L E R C H A I R P E R -S O N S
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K E I T H W E L L S , D I S T I N -G U I S H E D W A R H E R O .
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U P C O M I N G S H O W S
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S C H O L A R -S H I P A W A R D
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H U L L A ’ B ’ L O U
G E M O F T H E
M O N T H
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S E C R E T A R Y ’ S
R E P O R T
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E D I T O R I A L ,
O F F I C E R S ,
A N D C H A I R -
P E R S O N S
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S H O W
A W A R D S ,
D I S P L A Y S ,
D E A L E R S ,
D E M O S , E T C .
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THE SHOW EDITION
V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 5 M A Y 2 0 0 7 T H E I N F O R M E R
Greetings from the Front Table! I hope everyone is breathing easier af-ter all the work done to make the show a success. It was really nice to see everyone pitching in
to make it work. Our thanks espe-cially to Sallie for organizing the show and to everyone who dis-played, demonstrated and helped. Judy and Tony once again gave and gave with the vendor preparations and geodes. The food was excellent. It was a great show. Thanks to everyone. The dis-play cases were really a hit. I don't know yet exactly how we came out on the show, but Ann seemed to think we did a little better than last year. I'm sure we will have a report in the next business meeting. I did talk to several of the vendors, and they said their business was pretty good, especially considering Easter week-end and snow on the ground. I should have thought of putting up signs in the building to bring in folks from the Easter Pageant from Pioneer Drive Baptist Church, but we will re-member if it comes around again.
My apologies to all about the mistake in the Abilene Reporter News. I inter-preted the young reporter's question to mean what the whole show brought in, so I estimated $8,000 to $12,000 counting the vendors. Anyway, it was my fault for not clarifying the issue, and not the reporter's fault.
We have several new members as a direct result of the show, and several more interested. If we get much big-ger and need to re-arrange the shop to have our meetings, I would say those growing pains are healthy for the club.
We also have some inter-ested folks after the agate bids. It could have been better advertised
and set up, but still brought in about $100.00 selling only six matching sets. We might want to consider buying a barrel of solids next year for the club to work and prepare for sale, we would just need to do it in the summer to have time to get ready. I pur-chased the solids for $150.00 for nine 50+ lb bags, and have gotten some really beautiful pieces so far, and not too many duds. I am very satisfied with the purchase, just from what I have kept since the show. Most are small, but even the small ones have really nice character sometimes. One large shadow agate I just finished is really stunning, (even though I left a couple of rough spots on it) and I was thrilled that Bob Patterson thought it was a collector's piece. Thanks again to Tony and Judy for sacrificing their haul space to bring them back!! Next year I may get more done toward an agate display, and more items to sell in the show.
That brings up a question: Does anyone have any ideas for rock or mineral collections we could make as a club and prepare for sale in the show to boost our pro-ceeds? The picture rocks were a big seller in the silent auction, so
could we get more out of that if we made a picture rock theme and adver-tised it? Just wondering.
Zack Stockton has asked that some-one else from the club take over the main duties of setting up the various classes. He is willing to help but wants to step back from being the committee chair. The club will be asked for volun-teers at the next business meeting, and we will respect Zack's request to be able to hand over that job to an-other club member. Please consider this job and volunteer. You do not need to know the class material to or-ganize the classes, you just need to be willing to get the teachers together with members and set out times for the classes. Everything else will pretty much fall into place because, at least from what I have seen, our mem-bers who teach classes organize their own class work, materials, etc.
I am asking all the regular members to be especially aware of our new mem-bers and help them fit in where we can. One of the new members, who is also named Calvin, is already working on a cab. I noticed other mem-bers were being helpful and offering tips and advice Monday night, and I am grateful our club is like that. I, too, am still trying to learn lapidary. It is a truly great hobby which can be shared by young and old(er), wealthy and not-so-rich, men, women and kids alike. …… Calvin
Page 2
G reetings from the front table.
We might want to consider buying a barrel of solids next year……..
Does anyone have any ideas for rock or mineral collections we could make as a club …...
V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 5 M A Y 2 0 0 7 T H E I N F O R M E R Page 3
rocks and decided to get a tumbler of his own. One thing led to another and now he has tumblers, a vibrating polisher, polishing wheels, and two saws. He enjoys making cabs and shields for bolo ties more than any-thing else. He and Martha joined the Rock Club in 2000. Our oldest son is also a member of the club, even though he lives in New Mexico. Lonnie has taken Walt Scarbor-ough’s class in flint-knapping and Sally Lightfoot’s wire-wrapping class. Martha just enjoys the results of all the cutting and polishing. On a trip to New Mexico, Lonnie, our oldest son, and grandson lugged out of the Jemez Mountains over 150 pounds of petrified wood, light tan/white, like nothing we’d ever seen before. After slabbing and pol-ishing, some were made into cabs and shields for bolos. We still have several large pieces, now in our backyard garden, and one is holding up a tall tropical plant in a large pot in the house.
On a trip to the Pan-handle, Lonnie bought some Alibates flint from the quar-ries near Ama-
Continued from page 1 rillo. These also polished well and made nice cabs and bolos. Our daughter and her husband were members of the Panhandle Archeological Society and partici-pated in digs just outside the quarries. We were given a tour of the quarries by a park ranger who is also an expert flint-knapper. A couple of years ago a long-time friend who is a former mem-ber of the club, Thurman Morri-son, gave Lonnie many rocks of good quality that he was not go-ing to use. Lonnie now regrets not keep-ing the rocks he found as a child growing up on a ranch on the Di-vide in Nolan County. He found lots of arrowheads while plowing fields and riding fences. The thing he remembers most about what he did with the rocks he found was use them to chunk at snakes. Martha remembers find-ing lots of arrowheads on her grandparents’ place in northeast Abilene near Cedar Creek when she was growing up. We just took those things for granted, not realizing what a great hobby it could be or what we could learn about native people. This past Christmas Eve, Lonnie and Martha celebrated their 60th wedding anniver-sary. They were both born in Abilene and attended Abilene High School. Lonnie served as a gunner’s mate aboard the heavy cruiser USS San Francisco in the Pacific during World War II. He retired from the office machines business in 1990. Martha retired
Featured Members cont…. from the music faculty at Hardin-Simmons in 1992. Lonnie and Martha have three children, two sons and a daughter. Jeff, the oldest, and his wife Paula live in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Daughter Jane Bering and her husband Gene live in Blanket and work in Brown-wood. Youngest son, James, and his wife Debra and grandson Spencer, also live in Rio Rancho.
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V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 5 M A Y 2 0 0 7 T H E I N F O R M E R Page 4
More of Lonnie’s “shield bolos.” Alibates flint in the rough at bottom of this page.
Page 5
Tony and I want to thank all the club members that volunteered to help with show. It was great to see all the red club vests everywhere in the room. Let’s begin with set-up day: thanks to the club members loading and unloading all the cases, supplies, rocks and machinery and to Bobbie Owens for organizing the kitchen. Members who brought food for lunch and dinner; it was wonderful to get a 30 minute break and eat a sandwich and bowl of soup. The food was delicious. All the members in the Demo booth that had to set up twice. Carlos and Betty for their patience on setting up their booth. Sallie and Charlie for their support with last minute changes in the floor plan.
Next comes the show. The display cases this year were the best ever. Demo booth was full all the time. Geode crackers stayed busy all day Saturday. Special thanks to people working the door; it was really cold in the foyer. All the members purchasing from the dealers, especially Beverly.
Dave Vargo for newspa-per article in the Sunday pa-per. Ann, Zack, and Beverly for staying and counting money each day. Club president, Cal-vin Donaghey, press interviews and working at demo booth.
Special thanks to mem-bers helping to break-down displays and booths, loading and transporting back to club house.
Hope everyone enjoyed the show as much as we did. We’ll see you at the clubhouse. Tony & Judy Steele- Dealer Chairmen
V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 5 M A Y 2 0 0 7 T H E I N F O R M E R Page 5
THANK YOU Gem Show 2007
Our distinguished visi-tor Keith Wells, a local geologist, led the platoon that fought in the battle for Mt. Suribachi.
He retired from the Marine Corps Re-serves in 1959 with the rank of Major.
Twice wounded in that attack, Lt. Wells earned the Navy Cross. His cita-tion would state, "by his leadership and indomita-ble fighting spirit, 1st Lt Wells contributed materi-ally to the destruction of at least twenty-five Japa-nese emplacements . . .."
“ G I V E M E F I F T Y M A R I N E S N O T A F R A I D T O D I E A N D I C A N T A K E A N Y P O S I T I O N , ” 1 S T L T . K E I T H W E L L S .
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Keith Wells shown with club
member Allan McDaniel.
John Scheperle, General Peter Pace and Keith Wells
Keith Wells (right) with other vets signing a litho-
graph of the flag raising.
February 23, 1945 . . . Atop volcanic Mt. Suribachi, Marines of the 3rd Platoon, Easy Company, 28th Regiment, 5th Marine Division, hoist the first American flag over Iwo Jima. Their platoon is believed to be the most decorated platoon in the Marine Corps history for a single engagement.
1st Lt. Keith Wells was in command and
led the charge that took Mt. Suribachi, Iwo
Jima.
WAR HERO VISITS GEM AND MINERAL SHOW
V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 5 M A Y 2 0 0 7 T H E I N F O R M E R Page 7
May 2007 19--CEDAR PARK, TEXAS: Show; Sue Ellen Gem Stones LLC; Holiday Inn Express, 1605 E. Whitestone Blvd. (Hwy. 1431); Sat. 10-4; free admission; semiprecious odds and ends, rocks, miner-als, stone jewelry, gold panning demonstrations; contact Susan Schiff, P.O. Box 92, Leander, TX 78646, (512) 680-2079; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.MyGemShow.com. 26-27--FORT WORTH, TEXAS: 56th annual show, "Let's Rock"; Fort Worth Gem & Mineral Club; Amon Carter Exhibits Bldg., Will Rogers Memorial Center, 3401 W. Lancaster; Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-5; adults $4, seniors $3, children under 12 free; more than 25 dealers, exhibits, kids' games, hourly door prizes, grand prize drawing, silent auction; contact Steve Hilliard, P.O. Box 418, Decatur, TX 76234, (817) 925-5760, or Kay Anderson, (817) 597-8912; e-mail: [email protected].
June 2007 9--CEDAR PARK, TEXAS: Show; Sue Ellen Gem Stones LLC; Holiday Inn Express, 1605 E. White-stone Blvd. (Hwy.1431); Sat. 10-4; free admission; semiprecious odds and ends, rocks, minerals, stone jewelry, gold panning demonstrations; contact Susan Schiff, P.O. Box 92, Leander, TX 78646, (512) 680-2079; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.MyGemShow.com. 23–24--COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO: 43rd annual show; Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society; Phil Long Expo Center, 1515 Auto Mall Loop; gems, minerals, jewelry, fossils; contact Kaye Thompson, (719) 636-2978, or Roger Pittman, (719) 683-2603; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://csms.us.
SEPTEMBER 2007:
1-2--ARLINGTON, TEXAS: 50th annual show; Arlington Gem & Mineral Club; Arlington Convention Center, 1200 Ballpark Way; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; gems, jewelry, beads, SCFMS convention, annual Rolling Rock meeting; contact Karen Cessna, (817) 860-5232, Rick Kupke, 2004 N. Meadow Way Cir., Arlington, TX 76015, (817) 465-5270; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://tses.org.
Upcoming Shows
V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 5 M A Y 2 0 0 7 T H E I N F O R M E R Page 8
Nicole Moore, Abilene Christian University Student, is CTGMS’s 2007 scholarship recipient. Nicole is an outstanding scholar.. She re-ceive a $500 scholarship at the Gem and Mineral Show dinner, April 6, Abilene Civic Center.
Nicole enjoys attending the Gem and Mineral Show each year. Some of you might remember her from last year when she came. I showed her around and introduced her to some of you. Nicole said she especially enjoyed seeing the dealers jewelry displays and the demon-stration of jewelry making techniques which our members were doing.
In a personal side, Nicole’s grandfather was a jewelry maker. When Nicole asked her family about the possibility of starting a collection of jewelry making tools, they informed her they were giving her Grandfather’s tools. She was excited.
She applied last year for this scholarship and was an excellent candidate then. We are happy she applied again this year. We congratulate Nicole Moore as our 2007 Central Texas Gem and Mineral Soci-ety’s Scholarship Recipient.
She has an exciting summer ahead , she is also getting married, on July 14.
Members were able to meet and congratulate Nicole at our dealer dinner, April 6, 6:30 p.m. at the Abilene Civic Center when she received this award. We also saw the Scholarship Showcase where her story was featured.
I want to say “Thank You” Joyce Talley and Sallie Lightfoot, scholarship committee members, for helping with this year’s award.
…………….. JoAn Wilks
CTGMS Scholarship Recipient: Nicole Moore
V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 5 M A Y 2 0 0 7 T H E Page 9
Hulla’b’Lou feature by Lou Jane Davis
There is more to rock tumbling than just throw-ing a bunch of pretty rocks into a gritty medium and let-ting them tumble away. One thing I’ve learned in this “experiment” is that some do literally tumble away. (Drat! That was my favorite and now where is it?)
In the enthusiasm which is always generated by the Show, I decided to try to produce some of those beautiful polished stones like Charles L. did for the Wheel of Fortune. I found a couple handfuls of attractive rocks in the Silent Auction and proudly told the “Master Tumbler” I live with that I wanted to do this. He took me over to the Ebersole booth where we looked at a tumbler canister somewhat larger than ones we had at home. I went away thinking about it and at the end of the show the Master Tumbler brought it home, along with the nec-essary grit: basically putting his money where my mouth was!
Since I had agreed to substitute at school the next week, the MT was left alone with my new interest and time on his hands; so he decided to give me a head start. Besides, all the new stuff had renewed his own interest in an old hobby.
I have to say that I got more than I bargained for. First, I didn’t have enough rocks, so the MT had to supply some from his stash. Second, though mine were of similar color, they were not uniform hardness. (Does this matter so much? Re-read first paragraph.) Third, time! It takes so long--weeks, he said! During that time, one must take the rocks out occasionally, rinse, look, make adjustments (such as, take out some too soft ones and add filler to maintain volume). This must be an exercise in patience.
Now, after a few weeks, the MT has rebuilt and restored to life one of his early tumblers, and we have two happily turning away. I hardly recognize some of the rocks I started with, and some of them were prettier at the beginning. But I have faith that the end product will be dazzling.
--ljd
Emerald—symbolizes immor-tality Since the rich green colour of an em-erald is the colour of spring, the an-
cients prized it as the gemstone symbolizing love and rebirth. Treasured for at least 4000 years by dif-ferent cultures around the world, the emerald is said to quicken the intelligence as well as the hearing of the wearer. Legends maintain that the emerald gives its owner the gift of eloquence. Cleopatra prized her emeralds more than any other gem. She may have dropped pearls in her wine for Mark Anthony but she kept her emeralds for herself. The ancient emerald mines of Cleopatra, long a mystery, were discovered again one hundred years ago near the Red Sea. Some tools found in the mine were dated at 1650 BC but no quality emer-alds were found; the mines were probably exhausted thousands of years ago. Mummies, in ancient Egypt, were often buried with an emerald on their necks carved with the symbol for verdure to symbolize eter-nal youth. The Romans also loved emeralds because, as an-cient scholar Pliny said, "nothing greens greener." Pliny stated that the emerald was the only gem, which delighted the eye without fatiguing it. He claimed his eyes were restored when gazing at an emerald. The emperor Nero even went so far as to wear emerald sunglasses while watching his gladia-tors fight in the arena. The Moguls of India, including Shah Jahan (the builder of the Taj Mahal), loved emeralds so much that they inscribed them with sacred text and wore them as talismans. Some of these sacred stones, known as Mogul emeralds, can still be seen in muse-ums and collections today. Ancient emeralds were from mines in Egypt and perhaps what is now Afghanistan. The Spaniards arriving on the continent of South America were stunned to see emeralds larger and finer than they had ever seen before, and they spent years search-ing for the source of the fantastic green stones fa-voured by the Incas. They finally found it in what is today Colombia, which still possesses some of the richest emerald mines in the world and is the source of the finest stones today.
Birthstone of the month
Permission granted from Lanka Jewels. www.lankajewels.com located at Sri Lanka.
S E C R E T A R Y ’ S R E P O R T F R O M A P R I L 2 0 0 7
Page 10 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 5
Annual Membership Dues : Adults $15 each, Juniors , age 15 and under $10
each
The CTGMS met April 2, for the regular business meeting with 41 members present.
The final plans were made for the show of April 7 & 8.
One new member, John Baker, was introduced.
If you know of any illnesses or deaths in club members’ families, please contact Joyce Talley so she can send notes. Joyce's phone number is 325 692-0063.
It was nice to see Alaskans, Joe and Bobbie Turnbow, at the meeting. They got to attend the show and worked with us on Saturday, although the circumstances were sad. Joe had just lost his mom, and our sympathy and prayers are with the Turnbow family.
Our sympathy and prayers go out also to Dave Vargo who recently lost his grandfather.
If you have any good info on rock hunting places, please write an article about it, and include pictures if you have some. Send the info to Betty Scarborough, 422 CR 606,Tuscola,Texas 9562. Or mail to CTGMS, P.O. Box 7343, Abi-lene, Texas 79608. The club is trying to compile a book of the members’ favorite spots for everyone's information.
May refreshments will be brought by Ricky Alaniz, Betty Scarborough, Bobbie Owens, and John Baker
There were some cookbooks sold at the show, but we still have some for sale.
Next meeting will be May 7, 2007. See you there. ………..Norma
BIRTHDAYS
Mary Lou McCoy May 7
James Grant May 12
Richard McKissick May 24
C E L E B R A T I O N S
G E T W E L L S O O N
M A Y 2 0 0 7 T H E I N F O R M E R
ANNIVERSARIES
Dave & Beverly Vargo May 5
Ian & Marie Johnson May 10
Calvin & Gail Donaghey May 23
Jon & Glenda Denison May 24
Julia McCray May 25
President …………….. Calvin Donaghey 325 695-1508
Past President …… . Carlos Talley 325 692-0063
Vice President ………. Gary Hudson 325 554-7804
Sec/Treasurer ……... Norma Ann Harrison 325 548-2199
Corresp Sec ………... Joyce Talley 325 692-0063
Editor …………………… Jerry Davis 254 643-4586
M I S S I O N S T A T E M E N T
V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 5 M A Y 2 0 0 7 T H E I N F O R M E R Page 11
C T G M S
Committees/Chairpersons
Show ………………………….. Sallie Lightfoot
Field Trips …………………… Tony & Judy Steele
Classes ……………………… Zack Stockton
Nominating …………………. Bob Patterson
Programs …………………….. vacant
Workshop …. Gary Hudson and Mike Baker
Club House and Grounds …..Charlie Lightfoot
Dealers for show ……. ……Tony & Judy Steele
Budget ………………………… Norma Ann Harrison
Scholarship ………………… JoAn Wilks
Show Demonstrations …. Jerry Davis
Silversmithing Classes —- Jerry Davis
imagine the thrill of those see-ing a geode or a nodule being broken open for the very first time; being the first human to see inside of a rock that has been on or in the earth for mil-lions of years? What about the child coming to a rock and fos-sil or fluorescent exhibit for the very first time? Consider that you have inspired a young per-son to become a collector or researcher for life in one of the most interesting hobbies or re-lated career fields.
Many adults and children were pleased to participate in creating a sand art item that will be placed on someone’s table and enjoyed for some time to come.
What about the silent auction table where dealers and visi-tors alike were finding items valuable to bid on? I wish I had had time to bid on some of the items myself. Many folks walked away with treasures. The exhibits were good exam-ples of education about the earth’s products being used as jewelry and for beauty to enjoy. Other clubs were well repre-sented. Lubbock, Midland and High Plains clubs not only shared their exhibits but also received numerous awards. We usually return the courte-ous gesture when their shows come around.
I think everyone that came to the soup and sandwich lunch and to the dealer’s dinner went away well fed and happy with what members served them. It was a king’s feast for sure. Probably about 90 people were served.
We were pleased to honor CTGMS scholarship winner Nicole Moore at the dealer dinner. I’m sure that new mem-bers will see the benefits of the show and be happy to participate in the next one.
(Editor’s notes continued from
page 1)
PO Box 7343
Abilene, TX 79608-7343
Editor: Jerry Davis
Email: [email protected]
MISSION STATEMENT
The Central Texas Gem and
Mineral Society is a non-profit
organization dedicated to the
study of rocks, minerals and
fossils. We offer field trips
and provide educational
opportunities and instruction
to members in a variety of
areas related to the Lapidary
Arts and Jewelry making. We
also award a scholarship to a
student enrolled at a local
college in a field closely re-
lated to geology. We provide
educational displays related
to this hobby at shows of a
similar interest. —- Jerry
C L U B O F F I C E R S F O R 2 0 0 7
A R T I C L E S F O R T H E N E X T M O N T H ’ S N E W S L E T T E R M U S T B E S U B M I T T E D B Y T H E 2 0 T H O F E A C H M O N T H .
We are on the web:
www.txol.net/rockclub
