The Ventura Gem & Mineral Society, Inc. (VGMS)

AFMS/CFMS Information 1998 Archive.

Table of Contents.

1. JANUARY - WHAT THE FEDERATION DOES FOR YOUR CLUB AND YOU;
2. FEBRUARY - "THE FEDERATION" - What is it and what benefits do we receive;
3. MARCH - "AFMS/CFMS NEWS";
4. MAY - CFMS TAX ADVISOR REPORT by Mike Kokinos.

January.

WHAT THE FEDERATION DOES FOR YOUR CLUB AND YOU.

• Public Land Advisory;
• Earth Science Studies;
• Workshops & Manuals, Bulletin Editors, Exhibitors, Field Trips, Many Others;
• Newsletters--CFMS & AFMS;
• Slide & Video Programs;
• Program Aids--Speakers;
• Junior Activities;
• Liability Insurance Program;
• Media Publicity Help;
• Club & Member Recognition, AFMS & CFMS Competition, All American, Education Thru Sharing, Bulletins & Articles, Pins & Ribbons;
• Museum & Cab Case Displays;
• AFMS Membership & Services;
• Help To Put On A Show;
• Sharing Of Ideas & Information;
• And Much More.

     Via The Petrified Log, October 1997.

Table of Contents.

February.

"THE FEDERATION" - What is it and what benefits do we receive?
     The American Federation is made up into seven regional federations - Eastern, South Eastern, South Central, Midwest, Rocky Mountain, Northwest and California, which includes parts of Arizona and all of Nevada and Hawaii. Each year the American Federation show is combined with one of the regional shows. The most recent American / California show was l996 in Riverside.
     Every member of a federated club is also a member of the American Federation. Our dues, paid to CFMS the beginning of. each year, are $1.50 per member. Fifty cents of that goes to AFMS.
     AFMS and most of the Regional Federations now have an endowment fund. It is established by donations and fund raising activities. No one is "required" to pay money into it. The funds are invested and only the interest may be used as decided by the Board of Directors. The fund is a good back-up for emergencies, rather than asking clubs for an increase in dues.

What is our benefit?

• Different clubs hold CFMS sponsored seminars - on judging, displaying, safety, security, field trips, etc.
• All of the Regional Federations use the American Federation rules in competition.
• The Executive Secretary has booklets on various topics - how to put on a show, how to conduct a field trip, how to display, the correct names for minerals and fossils, and others. They can be purchased from Renata Bever for a reasonable price.
• Field Trip seminars are held twice a year by Field Trip Chairman North and Field Trip Chairman South.
• The very popular Earth Science Studies at ZZYZX and Camp Paradise, where attendees learn many lapidary arts from talented instructors.
• Liability Insurance Coverage. Clubs can not afford to pay for their own insurance. Under CFMS liability insurance dues are $1.00 per member per year. (That is, if no charges have been made against the insurance company in the past year.) The policy is liability only, and covers members attending club meetings, field trips, shop activities and shows. Our club is required by the Fairgrounds to add the Fairgrounds to our policy for the three days of our show. Several Metal Detector clubs have joined CFMS for the reasonably priced insurance.

          Florence Meisenheimer,
          Federation Director.

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March.

"AFMS/CFMS NEWS" by Florence Meisenheimer, VGMS Federation Director.

DEE'S DOINGS - by Dee Holland, AFMS President.
     At the AFMS meeting in Jackson, Mississippi, the AFMS recognized the ALAA (American Lands Access Association) as their lobbying arm; but this recognition came with no monetary funds being forwarded from the AFMS. At the present time ALAA has two bills that have been sent to Congress of the U.S. These are the Fossil Bill and the Rock and Mineral Act. At the present time ALAA is trying to get these introduced into the Senate and House of Representatives. John Spunagle, ALAA president will be mailing to all clubs of AFMS an explanation of the two bills, as well as an explanation of the Wewer Letter, which is a legal explanation of what clubs can do monetarily and personally toward lobbying. It is important that you write your congressman in support of these bills.
     ALAA could use your help. Think seriously about joining, as what they do is vital to our hobby.

Ed.: You can call Florence at 805-642-3155 or contact me at 805-642-2683 for an application for membership in the ALAA.

OLIVE M. COLHOUR CELEBRATES 100TH BIRTHDAY via CFMS Newsletter March 1998.
     Widely acclaimed Gemstone carver and lapidary artist Olive M. Colhour will celebrate her birthday April 2. She has received a great many competitive and noncompetitive trophies and awards for her exquisite carvings, mosaics and intarsia creations throughout the U.S. Reproductions of these works of art are printed in an impressive array of books and magazines.
     Olive began working with stones when she was 57. Her final piece, created at age 99, was "Mother Teresa". Rather than sell her works she elected to travel far and wide showing her work and giving lectures and presentations, encouraging others to take up the art form. Her goal was to inspire others and teach them how to work in stone.
     Olive has been inducted into the Lapidary Hall of Fame and dubbed "Lapidary Laureate". Her son is publishing a 200 page book containing beautiful color reproductions of her works, copies of 25 of the Lapidary Journal "How To" articles plus some of her poetry.
     Ray and I had the honor of meeting Mrs. Colhour some years back. At that time her display was exquisite roses carved from pale pink coral, with jade leaves and stems, very lifelike. For dew drops on her roses she had placed dainty tiny clear quartz crystals from Arkansas.
     I think her book would be a wonderful addition to our depleting library when we get our new museum.
     Anyone interested in her book write:
          Robert Whelpley,
          104 N.E. 194th St.,
          Shoreline, WA 98l55-2135.

BILL & LOIS ALLMEN RECOGNIZED FOR MANY YEARS OF SERVICE TO GEMS & MINERALS EXHIBITS OF VENTURA COUNTY FAIR.
     Many of our club members are acquainted with Lois Allmen who was made an honorary member of our club prior to the CFMS Show.
     Lois is gifted at silver work and teaches silversmithing at the Durley Center in Oxnard. She is also one of the silversmithing instructors at CFMS Earth Science Studies at ZZYZX. If any one is interested in classes, give Lois a call - 483-687l. After making cabochons under Wayne Ehlers' tutelage, you might want to fashion your own silver setting.
     Lois and her husband Bill retired this past fall as assistant supervisor of the Gem & Mineral Department after 12 years of service. At the recent Annual Awards Banquet Lois and Bill were awarded a plaque "Whose Years of Exceptional Service to the Gems and Minerals Exhibits of Ventura County Fair have Contributed to the Fair's Success and Vitality". Lois was pleased, and we all felt she deserved it.

Table of Contents.

May.

CFMS TAX ADVISOR REPORT by Mike Kokinos.

Gimmick Solicitation.
     An organization, called Corporation Compliance Center, sent a mailing to all nonprofit corporations. It offers to complete annual meeting minutes for $80.00. The form they mail looks official, but the organization is not a governmental agency. The back of the form properly lists the Corporation Code requirements to be reflected in the minutes of all corporations. I am sure all of our societies are already properly preparing minutes. If you get a form from the Center, let your Secretary read the information, then circle file it.

California Tax Forms.
     The Franchise Tax Board sent form 100ES (estimate of taxes) to all nonprofit corporations. What a waste of money, as very few nonprofit organizations are required to pay any tax, let alone file estimates. Put the Form 100ES with the Compliance Center form (in the circle file).
     The Franchise Tax Board Form 199 need not be filed unless a Society's gross receipts (including the show) exceed $25,000.00. Otherwise, this is another circle file item.

Registry of Charitable Trusts.
     The Registry of Charitable Trusts requires Form CT2 to be filed annually by societies that have gross receipts or assets that exceed $25,000.00. Other societies are only required to file once every ten years. They file on Form CT3, which is a simplified version of Form CT2.
     Today all of our societies are subject to the Registry of Charitable Trusts. The Registry's job is to protect the assets of public benefit corporations. Public benefit corporations must not use any of their funds to benefit any private person. The funds are to be used for the purposes for which the organization received their tax exemption. Periodically I receive questions from societies regarding expenditures for the benefit of club members only. A common question is with regard to the annual Christmas party. Let's suppose members get a dinner free and guests have to pay. On the surface, that benefits the members and not the public and is inappropriate. However, there is a term "deminimus" which can apply. It means that the amount is minor, so its impact on the funds is negligible. If your gross receipts are $3,000.00 and the money spent on members for a Christmas dinner is $600.00, that is not minor. If the society treats the guests as well as the members, the expenditure can be justified as a means of obtaining new members and promoting the society's objectives with the public.
     Some members of societies that have dissolved in the past were not happy they could not receive any of the remaining funds. Only mutual benefit corporations (such as social clubs) can distribute money to their members. To my knowledge, none of our societies are classified as mutual benefit corporations. You will recall in 1994 the Franchise Tax Board required our societies to change to public benefit or pay $800.00 per year as a taxable corporation.

Federal Forms.
     The Internal Revenue Service Form 990 or 990EZ has requirements similar to California's Form 199. However, the Internal Revenue Service wants the Form mailed if you receive a package that has a label on it. You only need to fill out the top portion and sign it.
          From the CFMS Newsletter May 1998.

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