The Ventura Gem & Mineral Society, Inc. (VGMS)
Entertainment and Information Web Site.
The Easy Access Area.
This is a flyer asking for people to submit an entry to promote the 2013 CFMS Show Poster Contest.
PLEASE NOTE: There is a change to this section of the page. The page you request will now come up in the current window instead of opening a new window. This change makes the site more accessible.
There are many Library Listings. For a Complete List of Books Ready for Check-out in the VGMS Library go to The VGMS Library Catalogue Page.
Please visit the VGMS Gift Shop on CafePress!
For the American Agate-Jasper Links go to our new Agate-Jasper Links Page.
For easy access to Field Trip information go to our new Field Trips Page.
For easy access to Show information go to our new AFMS/CFMS Shows Page.
VGMS Museum Caretaker.
Photo by Jim Brace-Thompson.
The Next Meetings of The VGMS
will be
a General Meeting on May 23 2012, at 7:30 pm and a Board Meeting on June 7, 2012, at 7:30 pm.
Please Note:
For now think "7:30 pm" for both meetings!
Unless otherwise notified the General Meetings are held at the Senior Recreation Center, 420 East Santa Clara Street, Ventura, CA (see map below) and the Board Meetings will be held at the California Oil Museum in Santa Paula. However, this may change any second. Keep yourself informed by phone, email or in person.
Everyone is invited to attend any of our General Meetings.
View Larger Map
The General Meeting location is on the southeast corner
of the intersection marked by the green 'A'.
The Next Workshops of The VGMS
will be
May 19, 2012 and June 16, 2012. See below for times, directions and a map.
These Workshops are held on the third Saturday of the month from 9 am until Noon. The location is 11969 Creek Road, Ojai, CA. It's across the street from Camp Comfort. (See directions and a map below.)
Directions to the Museum/Workshop Site: From Ventura travel north on Highway 33 for about 4 miles past our old facility and turn right onto Creek Road. Another 4 miles on Creek Road and you come upon Camp Comfort. Our facility is a group of structures on the left (across from the camp) with a large parking area.
CAUTION: The speed of traffic past the clubhouse on Creek Road exceeds the limit for the area. We prefer and advise people to enter and exit the driveway at the point farthest from the clubhouse so it allows the drivers maximum view of approaching traffic as you turn off of and onto Creek Road. Your safety is of utmost importance.
Greg Davis.
View Larger Map
The Museum/Workshop location is across from Camp Comfort.
The Purpose of The VGMS.
is
to promote interest and to sponsor and provide means and activities which will result in the dissemination of information and knowledge in geology, mineralogy, paleontology, lapidary, and similar sciences; to conduct lectures, classes, or study groups to further education and interest in the aforesaid sciences; and to make and exhibit mineral collections.
Webmaster's Note: Please see the article below to learn how well we do the things mentioned above.
The All American Club Award was established in 1967 to encourage clubs to share their activities and expertise with other clubs within their respective regional federations and with all clubs of the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies. It was also meant to provide an organized approach to an historical record of a club's activities and to provide a means for national recognition of exceptional clubs. The Award focuses on the efforts of each club to be a good neighbor within its local community, to support other clubs and government initiatives, and to provide an avenue of learning and growth for its members. Clubs applying for this Award prepare a report on their activities from the preceding year, and each report is read and judged for completeness and quality, as well as inclusion of activities thought to make for a well-rounded club. Clubs are evaluated against a national standard established by a committee of judges and regional chairmen. The Award is broken into 2 categories: large clubs (100 members or more) and small clubs (less than 100 members). Gold, silver, and bronze awards are given, based on a point-count system, and the club with the most points is acknowledged as a & "Club of the Year" and awarded a certificate and medal. In 2010, the Ventura Gem & Mineral Society was recognized for their efforts throughout 2009 as "Club of the Year" with a Gold Medal at both the regional level of the California Federation of Mineralogical Societies and at the national level of the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies.
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| We're Gonna Need A Bigger Trophy Room: Megalodon Jaw Up For Auction. |
In case we have you all excited about the purpose of the VGMS, here's an easy way to apply for membership. Click on the following link to the VGMS Membership Application in Word format and print the page on your printer.
Fill out the form and then you can either mail it (address on the application) or bring it to the next regular meeting. Bringing it to the meeting is recommended so we can meet you. Click on this link to the VGMS Information Page to find information about our meetings or go farther down the page to see officers' phone numbers to call for more information. The application will be presented at the next board meeting, which is normally a week after the general meeting, and we'll advise you how that turned out.
The following links are a few places you can visit.
(DISCLAIMER: By linking to other web sites from anywhere on this site, the Ventura Gem and Mineral Society, Inc. does not imply endorsement of those sites or any of their content, or of products or services mentioned on them.)
In alphabetical order, the other members
of our Tri-Club Organization.
The Conejo Gem & Mineral Club.
The Oxnard Gem & Mineral Society.
A few other organizations important to the VGMS.
The Searles Lake Gem & Mineral Society.
They are the nice folks who sponsor the annual Gem-O-Rama
at Trona, CA, with the well known Searles Lake field trips.
The Gull Wings Childrens' Museum.
I joined their Advisory Board this year and am helping
them to upgrade their Earth Science exhibits for kids.
In years past, Ray Meisenheimer had also done work
with them, and a number of our club members are donating
rocks and fossils toward the exhibit upgrades.
Jim Brace-Thompson.
The American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS).
We're affiliated with them.
The California Federation of Mineralogical Societies (CFMS).
We're a member.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
The California Oil Museum.
Other places of interest.
- The Worldwide Museum of Natural History which includes fossils, gems and minerals.
- A collection of pictures from the Smithsonian. Be patient. A lot of small images take a while to load but it's worth the wait. Click on the small images or the links to see larger images.
- A mineral cabinet currently displaying 300 specimens of common minerals taken from the collection of the Department of Mineralogy/Petrography at Bremen.
- The First Rockhound Magazine on the Internet.
- Go visit the Buena Vista Museum Of Natural History in Bakersfield, CA.
- See what the people up north do at the Indian Mounds Rock and Mineral Club of Wyoming, Michigan. Check out some of their activities.
Learn how to contact
The VGMS
by going to The VGMS How To Contact Us Page.
Close the new window to return here.
Webmaster: James A. Layton,
Last Updated: 05-12-2012,
URL of this Page: http://www.vgms.org/index.shtm.
