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The Ventura Gem & Mineral Society, Inc. (VGMS)
Rockhound Rambling
June 2003.

Table of Contents.

• PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE;
• WORDS TO LIVE BY;
• Have a Great Summer;
• ROCKHOUND RAMBLING WINS FIRST PLACE;
• JUNE PROGRAM;
• PROGRAM REVIEW - MAY;
• 2003 Meeting Programs;
• MARK YOUR CALENDARS;
• CONGRATULATIONS;
• CHIPS & BOULDERS;
• WEB SITES;
• COMMUNITY & PUBLIC OUTREACH;
• JULY BIRTHDAYS;
• HOSPITALITY;
• ARE YOU A ROCKHOUND;
• MEMBERSHIP;
• CAMP PARADISE - 2003;
• "FIELD TRIPS ARE FUN";
• How Do Crazy People;
• LOUD & CLEAR From George Loud;
• ANOTHER ASSAULT ON COLLECTING From Dave Fordyce;
• CFMS-AFMS BUSINESS MEETING;
• PUBLIC LANDS ADVISORY NORTH AND SOUTH;
• P.L.A.C. Report South;
• VGMS MINUTES;
• HINTS & TIPS FOR ROCKHOUNDS - (Use at your own risk);
• 2003 CFMS CLUB SHOWS;
• AMERICAN FEDERATION / REGIONAL SHOW SCHEDULE - 2003;
• EDITOR'S NOTE;
• Camp Paradise Application;
• VGMS PHOTO ALBUM;
• EDUCATIONAL CORNER;
• COLORBOOK.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.

I want to thank all of you who were so generous with your time and energy at the recent CFMS-AFMS show. Wherever I looked I could see one or more of our club members working. At the banquet Saturday evening Brad Tanas, assistant show chairman, publicly thanked all three Ventura County Clubs, adding that they could not have done it without our help.

Although Florence and I did not see much of the show as we were manning the CFMS Endowment Fund sale, I heard many compliments.

We had three winners -- Shirley Layton for the best large bulletin in CFMS, Jim Brace-Thompson for his display of self collected fossils and Ed Clark for his display. Congratulations to all of you.

Now it is time to look forward to the Fair. The dates are July 30 to August 10. Set-up time will start about two weeks earlier. Help is needed with that. I hope you will participate with entries of your finest material or workmanship.

Ray Meisenheimer.

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WORDS TO LIVE BY.

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

The best way to raise a child is to discipline the grandparents.

Pebbles are pushed around by the stream of life---rocks push the stream around.

There must be some reason man's ears were made to stay open---and his mouth to stay shut.

Collected by Wayne Ehlers.

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ROCKHOUND RAMBLING WINS FIRST PLACE.

We were very honored to be awarded first place in the 2002 CFMS Bulletin contest as well as 5th place in the AFMS Bulletin contest in the Large Bulletin Category. Thank you all for your contributions and support, as we would have nothing without you.

In addition to the bulletin we had three members who also won awards for articles they contributed. None of them knew I was going to enter their articles! There are guidelines for the judging in each category, which they weren't even aware of, so they did especially well. They are:

Steve Mulqueen - 3rd place in the "Original Adult Articles Advanced" category for his article titled "The Twenty Mule Team". Steve does the EDUCATION CORNER for us each month along with other various articles and community outreach that he and Susan do. Steve has also done several programs for VGMS, which is what prompted his article. We are blessed to have Steve and Susan as members and friends. Congratulations Steve.

Red Jioras - 2nd place in the "Original Adult Articles" category for his article titled "So, That's What an Agate Looks Like". Red and Nancy have moved to Eureka to be near their Grandson, so are no longer members of VGMS but still Rockhounds! It was good to see them at the CFMS/AFMS show. Congratulations Red.

Aaron Base, Age 12 - 6th place in the "Original Junior Article" category for his article "Hellooo, It's Aaron". Aaron was one of our pebble pups last year. We will get his certificate and pin to him and hope that he keeps writing. The critique is a help. Congratulations Aaron.

Steve Mulqueen and I attended the Editor's breakfast at the CFMS/AFMS show where the awards were given. Again thank you for helping to make "Rockhound Rambling" an award winner! We all have to keep up the good work and go for 1st at AFMS next year!!!

Shirley Layton, Editor.

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JUNE PROGRAM:
Opal Artistry
By Kay Hara.

Kay Hara, of the Oxnard Gem & Mineral Society, will be giving a presentation on Opals. Kay is a wonderful presenter and he knows his opals!
     Submitted by Nancy Brace-Thompson, Program Chair.

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PROGRAM REVIEW - MAY:
A Bruno Benson Slide Show
By Steve Mulqueen.

Steve Mulqueen has been going through the many slides that Bruno and Opal Benson have taken over the course of their lives and he put together a wonderful slide presentation of rock & fossil collecting in the 1950's, '60's and '70's. It showed that Bruno enjoyed rocks and fossils but also nature in all forms. He was a very good photographer as well. It was a great show. Hopefully, Steve will put on part 2 when he has gone through more slides.
     Submitted by Nancy Brace-Thompson, Program Chair.

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2003 Meeting Programs.

Here's an updated outline of programs planned for our monthly meetings through the remainder of 2003.

     Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers who have helped fill our slate of programs so early in the year! (I'm now soliciting volunteers for next year...)
     Nancy Brace-Thompson, Program Chairperson.

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

6-21-03 - VGMS Work Shop - Museum - Open - 9-noon.
6-22-03 - Cerro Gordo Field Trip - Lone Pine Gem & Mineral Society.
6-25-03 - VGMS Regular Meeting - 7:30 pm - "Opal Artistry" by Kay Hara.
7-3-03 - VGMS Board Meeting - 7:30 pm - At the Museum. Yes, we are having one as most people planned to be in town. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.
7-10-03 - DEADLINE FOR JUNE Bulletin Articles to the Editor!
7-19-03 - VGMS Work Shop - Museum - Open - 9-noon.
7-19 & 20-03 - Greenhorn Mountain Field Trip - Tri Club Field Trip.
7-20-03 - VGMS Breakfast - 9:00 am - Home of Emma Mayer (this is tentative, but probable!).
7-23-03 - VGMS Regular Meeting - 7:30 pm - "Mr. Comet" from Ventura County Astronomical Society - Jim Sumstine.
7-30-03 to 8-10-03 - Ventura County Fair - Ventura County Fairgrounds - Start your exhibits!!!
8-7-03 - VGMS Board Meeting - 7:30 pm - At the Museum. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.

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CONGRATULATIONS!!!

To Shirley Layton, our editor of Rockhound Rambling. She edited the finest bulletin in the state. Yes, she is number one, and has a beautiful trophy to show for it.

To Jim Brace-Thompson who won first place and the AFMS trophy for the finest case of self collected fossils. Jim's case was beautifully laid out.

To Ed Clark who won a plaque for his very nice educational case.

We are all proud of you and know you all worked hard to earn your awards.

Thank you Steve and Susan Mulqueen for putting the club case in the show and to all you members who put in your own displays. It added to an already very nice show. Ray Meisenheimer entered a large fossil display in the Dinosaur room.

Contributed by Florence Meisenheimer.

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CHIPS & BOULDERS.

VGMS Annual Breakfast - The date of our annual breakfast is July 20, 2003. Emma Mayer has kindly invited us to her home again for this event. We had a great time last year and hope more can join us this year, so mark your calendars. We are holding it a bit later in the year so the schedules aren't quite so crowded and we can have a great turnout. There will be more definitive information at the June meeting and the July bulletin will be out a few days before the breakfast to remind you and also give you more details.

Milk Crates are available for members at $5.00 each. See Richard Bromser. They are great for storing our treasures!

Hosts and Hostesses Schedule for 2003 Meetings:
     June 25, 2003 - Jean & Ron Wise;
     July 23, 2003 - Sharon & Gary Markley;
     Aug. 27, 2003 - Greg & Valli Davis;
     Sept. 24, 2003 - Nancy & Jim Brace-Thompson;
     Oct. 22, 2003 - Emma Mayer;
     Nov. 12, 2003 - Shirley & Richard Bromser.
Many thanks from Sharon Cunningham for the volunteers. If any questions or changes please give Sharon a call at 805 649-3579.

VGMS Business Cards Available - You can get them printed with your name and address or whatever you wish on them. They are $2.00 for 50 or $3.75 for 100. See Shirley Layton with the number you want and how you want them printed.

VGMS Workshops - They are held on the third Saturday of each month from 9:00 until noon unless otherwise notified. The Shop Supervisors are: Ron Wise (805) 647-4393 & Greg Davis (805) 647-9214. Stop and say thanks to these volunteers for the opportunity they give the rest of us. It is there for your use, take advantage of it.

Advertising - Any One want to put an Ad in Rockhound Rambling?? - Call Shirley Layton 805 642-2683 - Sell some to a friend! The Bulletin goes to several other Gem & Mineral clubs, so it is good spread for little money!!

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SUPPORT AND PRACTICE
THE AFMS CODE OF ETHICS.

WEB SITES.

AFMS Web Site - http://www.Amfed.org/,
CFMS Web Site - http://www.cfmsinc.org/,
California BLM Web Site - http://www.ca.blm.gov/,
American Lands Access Association Web Site - http://www.amerlands.org/.

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COMMUNITY & PUBLIC OUTREACH.

     On June 7, Steve and Susan Mulqueen led a field trip for faculty members and students from UC Santa Barbara to oil seep localities in the Santa Paula and Upper Ojai areas. Dr. Miriam Fuller, a research biologist at the Marine Science Center at UCSB is gathering data about seeps that will be used in course curriculums and future field trips related to biology research.
          Steve Mulqueen.

     On May 27, Susan Mulqueen presented a 1-hour program on "Insect Metamorphosis" for the 5th grade special education class at Poinsettia School. Susan brought plenty of live crickets, mealworms and other creepy critters to show the kids.
          Steve Mulqueen.

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JULY BIRTHDAYS.

Happy Birthday to all those born in July. We all wish you good health and hope you have a Great Day! Please let me know if I have missed your birthday. Please call Shirley Layton at 642-2683 and leave a message if I'm not there or an e-mail will also do the trick, jns@west.net. Thanks!

July - Happy Birthday!!
     Sharon Cunningham - 7th,
     Don Stehsel - 14th,
     Vern Markley - 26th,
     Nancy Brace-Thompson - 27th,
     Bill Kirk - 27th,
     Stan Schmidt - 28th,
     Ron Chegwidden - 29th.

The July birthstone is the Ruby and the flower is the Larkspur.

THE RUBY.

VARIETY INFORMATION.
     VARIETY OF: Corundum, Al₂O₃.
     USES: Gemstone.
     COLOR: various shades of red.
     INDEX OF REFRACTION: 1.76 - 1.78.
     BIREFRINGENCE: 0.009.
     HARDNESS: 9.
     CLEAVAGE: none, although there is a rhombic parting.
     CRYSTAL SYSTEM: trigonal.
     PLEOCHROIC: strongly.

Ruby is the second hardest natural mineral known and is the red variety of corundum. The non-red variety of corundum is Sapphire. Sapphires are well known among the general public as being blue, but can be nearly any color. The red color in ruby is caused by trace amounts of the element chromium. The best shade of red for ruby is often given the name "pigeon blood red", but ruby can be any shade of red up to almost pink. Oriented rutile crystal inclusions cause a six-rayed-star light effect (called asterism) to form the popular Star Ruby. Rubies come from all over the world but good gemstones are found at Thailand, India, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, North Carolina in the U.S., Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Tanzania, Kampuchea, and perhaps most notably, Burma.

Reference: Amethyst Galleries, Inc.

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HOSPITALITY.

We had 21 members, 5 pebble pups and one guest, Robert Monnier, to enjoy the program and refreshments at our May meeting. The program was a definite trip down memory lane and a neat collection of "old"cars! Sharlyne Holloway brought her wonderful "dump" cake which is always enjoyed by everyone. I gave her moral support and brought cookies (not homemade!) and drinks and Richard Bromser was kind enough to bring a pot of coffee for the coffee drinkers. What more could one ask for? Along with the visit with Bruno and Opal and their fellow rockhounders (caught a glimpse of Myrle and Bill Kirk), good fellowship and refreshments we had some door prizes that the winners thoroughly enjoyed. Since the mineral Opal is one of my favorites, I am really looking forward to the next meeting and Kay Hara's program. Hope to see you there.

Shirley Layton.

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ARE YOU A ROCKHOUND?

1) The sign on the side of the highway says, "Falling Rock", and you pull over to wait.
2) You care more about what happened to the diamond in the movie "Titanic" than the people.
3) Your wife asks how the soup tastes and you reply, 'variable color, greasy surface, low specific gravity, texture smooth with bits of ductile material'.
4) A truck throws a rock into the windshield of the family car and you examine the rock first.
5) You can pronounce the word "molybdenite" correctly on the first try.
6) You think the primary function of road cuts is for easy mineral collecting.
7) You own more pieces of quartz than underwear.
8) The rock piles in your garage prevent you from putting your car into it.
9) The local university's geology department requests permission to hold field trips in your back yard.
10) You find yourself compelled to examine individual rocks in your driveway gravel.

Modified from CHIPS via MOROKS - May 2003.

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MEMBERSHIP.

Some corrections to the 2003 Membership Directories, which were distributed at the April meeting, are as follows. If you see any further corrections that are needed let Shirley Layton know and we will publish them in the bulletin so members can correct their copies.

Membership Directory Corrections:

Ed Clark E-mail address should be: clarkoe@adelphia.net.

Dave Mautz telephone number should be: 805 794-1809.

Attention New Members (or anyone needing a badge).
Need a Club Badge?
Blue Engravers is giving us a $.50 reduction per badge
for advertising space in the club bulletin!
Ventura County Shape badge $11.28 (includes tax & ship).
ACCOUNT: Ventura Gem and Mineral Society, Inc.
Name (print clearly. It will be on your name badge):

_____________________________________________

Address:

_____________________________________________

_______________________________Zip:____________

Make check payable to and mail to (takes 5-7 business days):
Blue Engravers,
1375 Caspian Ave.,
Long Beach, CA 90813.
If ordering more than 2 badges call them for exact shipping
costs at (562) 983-5140, FAX (562) 983-5146,
E-mail BLUEGRAVR@aol.com.

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CAMP PARADISE - 2003.
September 6-13,          September 14-20.

In an ongoing effort to improve the Earth Science Seminars The Committee has approved some changes. In addition to our ongoing classes; i.e. faceting, wire art, silver fabrication, lapidary, glass bead making and soft stone sculpture; we will feature different techniques for each session. During week one - September 6-13 Bob Pevahouse will conduct classes in Copper Enameling, an art ignored by many artisans; but very compatible with Precious Metal Fabrication, wire art, bead making and as an accepted art form. Dick Freisen will be holding forth with sessions in Gemstone carving, which generally entails the use of machinery to create intricate designs on preformed shapes of Gem Quality Material. The Instructors will have basic supplies available at a nominal cost.

Week two: September 14-20; Bural LaRue and Betty Egger will return with their very popular Silver Casting Class. Cheri George will be teaching Glass Fusion. Please Note the above classes will be available ONLY during this period. Supplies will be available from the Instructors at a nominal cost. If you wish to supply your own material PLEASE contact the Instructors.

We have, for the most part, abandoned field trips due to a lack of collecting areas and participation.

Accommodations will be assigned as received with any special needs considered, and in so far as possible, dietary needs will be accommodated.

We have maintained the cost at $220 per person per week with access to all facilities and classes. Early registration is recommended to ensure acceptance due to a limit of approximately 60 participants per week.

Cal Clason for:
The Earth Science Committee.

CFMS Newsletter - June 2003.

Editor's Note: There is an application at the back of the bulletin. Enjoy! (Use your browser's BACK button or equivalent to return here.)

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"FIELD TRIPS ARE FUN."

TRI-CLUB FIELDTRIPS 2003,
Schedule 3-5-2003.

***Please call to confirm that there is a fieldtrip scheduled in the event of changes.

Ron Wise, Field Trip Chairperson.

Fieldtrip Alternative.

Browers Museum has a world class exhibit of gemstones & stone carvings through August 31, 2003. The exhibit is billed as the biggest private collection in the world outside of the British Royal Family.

Displaying:
     Over 300 rare gemstones and stone carvings including,
          A 500,000 (242 pounds) carat faceted gemstone;
          World's largest tanzanite, 242 carats;
          400-carat golden sapphire;
          A red diamond.
     Check it out at www.browers.org.

The Browers Museum is at 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana, CA, four miles south of Disneyland.

The admission fee is $10.00 general, $6.00 for seniors, $3.00 for the audio tour. Note: there is a price break for groups of 10 or more.

Talk to other club members and between the three clubs there might be enough interest for a group outing.

At the present there is no fieldtrip scheduled for August. The Ventura County fair runs from July 30 to August 10.

If interested contact Mette Djokovich at 714-567-3680.

Ron Wise.

The Search for the Passionate Pink Limbcasts,
Texas Springs, NV, May 22 - 23, 2003.

The Tri-Federation field trip to Texas Springs (near Jackpot, NV) offered a myriad of delights. The drive north from Las Vegas to Jackpot, in itself was delightful. The Nevada mountains were beautiful beyond expectations, as were the ranches and small towns along the road.

When we reached the Federation Campsite, it was like driving into a small town on the desert. On arriving, I parked the trailer on the outer edge of the trailers; soon I was in the center of our trailer village. Our leader, Dick Pankey, did everything he could to bring the group together and provide us with a good time. We had entertainment from the local BLM, two potluck dinners, and a "Dutch Oven" dinner with demonstrations from a local group.

Trips to the sites were scheduled for 8:30 a.m. That didn't last long, though, as trucks were on the roll by 5:30 in the morning. Soon nobody, including us, waited to be led out to the sites at 8:30.

There were four scheduled sites: Texas Springs (pink limb casts), Rick's Hill (petrified wood), Bogwood and small limb casts, and Snakeskin agate. In addition, there are other areas to be explored.

On Friday we scratched around at the pink limb cast area. To find any sizable pieces people were digging down 5 to 6 feet and sideways. Walking by, it seemed that dirt just came flying out of nowhere. Since the dirt was "as hard as a rock," that seemed like too much work to us. While we were walking the area looking for small limb casts, back at camp the wind was blowing fine dust into every nook and cranny of our trailer. Watch out for those dust devils!

Saturday we hit four sites. We started at Texas Springs, where we tried a little digging and soon tired of that. At Rick's Hill we found some good wood specimens, however, they are not the famous pink. The third stop offered bogwood and small limb casts. We picked up a number of baby limb casts for the kid's booth at next year's show. After that we checked out the snakeskin agate area and found one good specimen.

Sunday we went searching for Hubbard Basin, using Mitchell's Gem Trails of Nevada. After a number of false starts and a dangerously low gas tank, we retreated to Jackpot and reserved a campsite in town. How lucky can you get? As soon as we moved our rigs to town it began to rain. While the rigs in the desert were wallowing in slick and sticky clay, we were comfortable on our clean asphalt pad next to Cactus Pete's Casino in town.

In retrospect, the trip to Texas Springs would likely be more profitable with a smaller group. And you need to be ready to dig with a capital "D"!

Miriam Tetreault from the Oxnard Club enticed us to venture to McDermitt, NV, in search of more wood. Monday afternoon, when we set up camp in the RV Park in town, we were joined by rockhounds from Washington and Montana.

Tuesday morning we ventured out to the digs, picked a spot Miriam had hit years before, and began to dig. Soon thereafter, when I walked back to our truck, Bob Wheeler from Ridgecrest pulled up in his jeep and invited us to follow him to the Zimmerman Ranch digs. About twenty miles later we arrived to see everyone down in deep holes finding a dark opalized wood. After trying a number of holes, we settled on one, with Ron doing the heavy digging while Miriam and Jean sorted things out. We filled our bags with small to medium sized specimens, some of them quite nice. (Note - Bob will be with us on the first day of our trip to Basin Road in November.)

Wednesday Bob took us to four other sites in the area. We started with the Cinnabar mine dump where we found some pretty pink and reddish specimens. Next we found the Gary's Green site (some specimens were colorful bog and others were petrified wood). At Juniper Ridge we found more wood and some agate materials. At the last site we searched for, and finally found, black and white wood amongst the cow pies (and the cows).

Would you like to go to McDermitt? We only scratched the surface in this very rich area for rockhounds and would like to organize a field trip there next year. Any takers?

Ron and Jean Wise.

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Q) How Do Crazy People Go Through The Forest?
A) They Take The Psycho Path.

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LOUD & CLEAR,
From George Loud,
Conservation & Legislation Chair.

Last month I alerted you to an attempt to cut funding, and force the closing of the Arizona Mining & Mineral Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. I'm pleased this month to give you an update.

Immediately after learning of the pending cuts to the budget of the Museum I called Bob Jones, Senior Editor of Rock & Gem Magazine. Bob started calling friends, got many of the members of the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show organizing committee involved, and was able to almost single-handedly "fix" the problem.

I also contacted the Arizona Tourist people and the Arizona State Senate Office as well as the President of the University of Arizona, all of who offered to help, which they did.

By the time Bob got through with his calls, the major mining companies of Arizona were in the act as well.

Thanks to the efforts of Bob Jones and his friends, as well as the letters written by many of us in the "rockhounding" community, the museum will remain open, at least for this year.

AFMS Newsletter - June 2003.

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SUPPORT AND PRACTICE
THE AFMS CODE OF ETHICS.

ANOTHER ASSAULT ON COLLECTING
From Dave Fordyce,
Chesapeake Gem & Mineral Society.

I regret to inform you that another attempt at hindering fossil collecting in the U.S. has been introduced in the United States Senate. Introduced by Senator Akaka (D-HI) and co-sponsored by Senator Baucus, S-546, contains some of the same restrictions and guidelines on collecting fossils that the infamous "Baucus Bill" had several years ago.

The full text of the bill can be found at www.fs.fed.us/geology/s546.rtf.

Among other things, passage of the bill by Congress would create Class C and Class D felonies for certain offenses. It also declares any vertebrate fossils found in the U.S. to be the property of the "United States".

A.L.A.A. Director Peggy Blickfeldt is in the process of working with individuals on writing a counter proposal to this bill which will encompass the good points of this bill and the original bill introduced by A.L.A.A. at the time of the "Baucus Bill" legislation several years ago. We'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, it might not hurt to contact your legislator expressing your opposition to S-546 since it definitely would restrict your collecting and owning of vertebrate fossils.

AFMS Newsletter - June 2003.

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CFMS-AFMS BUSINESS MEETING,
Saturday June 7, 2003.

All officers and most committee chairmen were in attendance. There was a quorum. Several clubs are in arrears for dues but have not withdrawn from the Federation. One new club, Borego Rock Club from Borego Springs, California was accepted into CFMS.

The show committee reported over 200 exhibits, 47 competitive exhibits and a number of very fine museum exhibits. Attendance was good and the show was operating in the black.

The show in 2004 will be at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds in Mariposa May 28, 29 & 30.

Fred Ott, on insurance - Just about anything you need to know about our insurance policy and coverage can be found on the internet. He will be glad to answer any questions. The status of "honorary Member" was discussed, also what constitutes an honorary member. If an honorary member attends even one club activity--a meeting, or a field trip, or an event like the Christmas party the club must pay insurance on that individual.

Bill Gissler slide library - By January all slide library programs available will be posted on the internet. Many new programs have been added.

The BLM report follows: Environmentalists are doing their best to close as much as they can.

Florence Meisenheimer, Federation Director.

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PUBLIC LANDS ADVISORY
NORTH AND SOUTH,
Report for the June 7, 2003
CFMS Convention Meeting.

At the November 2, 2002, CFMS Directors' Meeting, it was announced that Jim Strain was stepping down as Chairman of the Public Lands Advisory Committee (PLAC). The PLAC was divided into two committees, PLAC-North (Frank Monez Co-Chair) and PLAC-South (Gary Palmer Co-Chair). It is hoped that dividing the Committee into North and South will permit better coverage of Government rules and interpretations of rules, as well as providing CFMS more interaction with Government agencies.

The United States Department of the Interior publishes a variety of documents with interpretations of current laws and rules that apply to environmental impact statements, scoping documents, access to wilderness areas, access to areas that may become wilderness, and other plans and programs relating to roads. Ideally, each and every one of these published documents should be reviewed by a member of CFMS and reported on to the membership, with requests to members to critique the respective documents. The Government agencies often have local meetings to review the plans and documents with the public, and receive comments and suggestions from the users that have an interest in the area under discussion.

Participation in these local meetings is an area we would appreciate help. Ideally, PLAC - North and - South can have members on the PLAC Committee living near key BLM, Forest Service, or other Government facilities where these meetings will be held. The PLAC Committee members can then attend some of these Government sponsored meetings as a member of CFMS, and identify their membership in other clubs and societies having an interest in the meeting's agenda. They are urged to actively participate in discussions of the documents, take notes, and send his/her review of the meeting to the respective PLAC Chairs, and review published documentation resulting from, or relating to the discussion topic. The respective PLAC Chairs can then insert a comprehensive report in an upcoming CFMS Newsletter.

The understanding we have now is for the President of those clubs with a member that would like to participate as a PLAC member, and has the blessing of his Society's Board of Directors, the President can then write a letter to CFMS, stating that _________ has been appointed by his Society to participate as a member of the CFMS PLAC, North or South, Committee.

There are two Bills that currently require review and comment, by CFMS members, to our Congressional Representatives and Senators.

Senate Bill S.546 is to provide for the protection of paleontological resources on Federal lands, and for other purposes. The actual bill has both Congressional Findings and Purpose. The following excerpts have been taken from the Bill.

     "The Congress finds the following:

(1) Paleontological resources are nonrenewable. Such resources on Federal lands are an accessible and irreplaceable part of the heritage of the United States and offer significant educational opportunities to all citizens.

(2) Existing Federal laws, statutes, and other provisions that manage paleontological resources are not articulated in a unified national policy for Federal land management agencies and the public. Such a policy is needed to improve scientific understanding, to promote responsible stewardship, and to facilitate the enhancement of responsible paleontological collecting activities on Federal lands.

(3) Consistent with the statutory provisions applicable to each Federal land management system, reasonable access to paleontological resources on Federal lands should be provided for scientific, educational, and recreational purposes.

The purpose of this Act is to establish a comprehensive national policy for preserving and managing paleontological resources on Federal lands."

Congressional Bill H.R.1153's short title is "America's Wilderness Protection Act". The actual bill have combined Congressional Findings and Purpose. The following excerpts have been taken from the Bill.

     "Congress finds the following:

(1) The designation of certain Federal lands as wilderness is beneficial to the American people.

(2) The Wilderness Act and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 provided for the study of certain lands for wilderness suitability. Areas undergoing such a study have been generally known as 'Wilderness Study Areas'.

(3) Wilderness Study Areas were intended to have interim management status pending completion of wilderness suitability studies. Wilderness Study Area status was not intended as a substitute for wilderness designation by Congress.

(4) It was not the intent of Congress that areas continue under Wilderness Study Area status indefinitely. Perpetuation of Wilderness Study Area status is undesirable and hinders the wilderness designation process. Lands that merit wilderness designation should be granted the full protection that such a status would afford and those lands that do not merit such a designation should be released so that they can be managed for the public good as accorded by law.

(5) The establishment of a timetable for the completion of wilderness studies would facilitate the wilderness designation process by supplying a timeframe within which Congress must act."

The full text of these Bills, along with other Bills before the Senate and House of Representatives, can be viewed on the Internet at http://thomas.loc.gov/.

A few federal web sites, with pertinent information of interest to members of the CFMS societies, are listed below for your information.

US Department of the Interior -- http://www.doi.gov/,
BLM California News Bytes -- CA_News.bytes@ca.blm.gov,
BLM California Home Page -- http://www.ca.blm.gov/,
USDA Forest Service -- http://www.fs.fed.us/,
USDA Forest Service-Pacific SW Region -- http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/.

Contributed by Florence Meisenheimer, Federation Director.

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P.L.A.C. Report South,
June-7-03.

The first half of the year is gone and for Frank and me as co-chairs of this committee with no standing rules or job descriptions it has been a learn as we go situation. We have large shoes to fill with the job Jim has done in the past. I have attended as many BLM meetings and hearings as possible and tried when possible to get the word out as to when and where they are to be held. The difficulty is with less then two to three days notice on some of the meetings and never more then two weeks it makes using the CFMS newsletter impossible and the website impractical to get a heads up to the local clubs. What I have utilized to date is emails but mostly postings on LAROCKS yahoo group to get the word out. I don't know how effective this has been, several group members have said they would try and attend when I have posted, but I never received word back or posting on their views of the meetings. All input by meeting attendees is welcome.

Through the work I have done at these meetings and the correspondence I have received one of our best allies in the fight to keep access to our public lands has become very clear. The off-road community is one of the most active groups in the fight to keep our public lands open. Over the last two decades the radical green groups have filled the courts with frivolous lawsuits to close off as much public land as possible and control the bills on public lands with as much wilderness as can legally or otherwise be included. In the last few years the off-roaders have used these same tactics to counter and recently reverse several previous court decisions in favor of public access. These off-road groups have been spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on these court cases and have even received positive press and public opinion for their efforts in giving the public a new perspective of what they are losing with all the land closures. Working with these groups and any and all others have been the most effective way I believe to achieve the goal of continued access to our public lands.

As far as PLAC south the most important things to keep watch on are the desert lands acts NEMO/ NECO, and WEMO. These bills are coming to the last of a long process and actually could be in the best interests of the access minded people if these bills came to a conclusion during the current administration as it is more pro-access then any administration in recent history. Having a president that is pro oil exploration, means that keeping our access has the best chance at this time. Another one to keep in mind is the land access permits, at this time they are mainly only on forest service and park service lands but in the future it will probably be required on BLM land as well.

The needs of the PLAC committee and the Federation as a whole cannot come to pass with only the help of the few that have stepped forward and joined this committee, but this element should be viewed by all federation clubs and members as a resource to help facilitate their involvement in protecting the rights of rockhounds and prospectors to continue our hobby as we have enjoyed for so long. What is needed is for each club to have someone to communicate to their clubs the current happenings and meetings of the BLM, forest service and any other lands they access and spread this word as fast as possible to its members. This could take place via e-mail, phone or club newsletters much quicker then on a CFMS level and if half of the clubs could perform this it would spread to more members faster then any other way. The PLAC committee could in effect, through e-mail contact with one member per club, contact a huge chunk of the members in a matter of days to attend meetings or write letters, a form letter could be included with contact and copied at the local level for signature and mailing.

These actions would have to be endorsed by the executive committee and must in themselves remain non-political in nature, per our standing as a non-profit organization. Your participation is easily done, when you attend one of these meetings, during the discussion portion be recognized, state which clubs, committees, and organizations you belong to and where you stand on the matter discussed. This sounds simple but has a far reaching effect, as your statements are recorded and become a part of the permanent record. For example: 10 rockhounds or prospectors attend a meeting and each of them belong to two groups with interest in open lands, this will show Washington that they can make twenty groups happy by voting with them. Multiply this 10 by half the clubs in the federation, and we just got a voice that will stand out when the numbers are counted, the same tactic used by land closure groups for years. As far as a form letter the same thing is possible by leaving space for each individual to list their groups and own credentials.

The main thing to remember is things are moving fast and though things look better now then in years past they can change in a heart beat if we are not diligent in keeping an eye on things. To close this report I would like to include some web information locations that each club should have a member join to keep current information at the club level.

For the BLM - California News.Bytes every other week e-mail from the BLM with all activities. To subscribe to News.Bytes, send an e-mail to: join-newsbytes@listca.blm.gov OR visit our News.bytes subscription page at http://www.ca.blm.gov/caso/getnewsbytes.html.

This is an excellent source of public land information across the country. Be warned that you may receive one or twenty different e-mails a day from this source. Most of it does not involve us but is extremely informative. Most of John's information regards offroaders but he is very good about sharing information about mining and ranching concerns also.

John Stewart,
  Director, Environmental Affairs,
  United Four Wheel Drive Associations,
  Recreation Access and Conservation Editor,
  Moderator, MUIRNet - Multiple Use Information Resource Network.


  To SUBSCRIBE, send email to; john@muiret.net.

Gary Palmer,
PLAC South.

Contributed by Florence Meisenheimer, Federation Director.

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VGMS MINUTES.

Minutes of the VGMS Board Meeting,
Thursday, June 5, 2003:
It was voted at the May meeting to not have a June Board meeting due to the AFMS/CFMS show that will be in progress with many members helping.


Minutes of the VGMS Regular Monthly Meeting,
Wednesday,May 28, 2003:
     The regular monthly meeting of the Ventura Gem & Mineral Society was called to order by President Ray Meisenheimer at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, May 28, 2003 in the Bijou Room of the Lexington, 5440 Ralston, Ventura, Ca. The group was led in the salute to the flag.
     The April regular meeting and board meeting minutes were corrected and then m/s/p as shown in the bulletin. Guest, Bob Monet was introduced and welcomed.
     Ray asked for but received no old business. New business: July 3rd is still on for the next scheduled Board meeting and the 10th of the month will again be the deadline for articles to the bulletin.
     Richard Bromser gave the treasurer's report.
     Nancy Brace-Thompson - The next show meet for our 2004 show will be sometime in August and Nancy reminds everyone to join in and offer to be a part of the upcoming AFMS/CFMS show next month.
     Emma Mayer has again offered to host this year's summer breakfast at her house - July 20.
     Steve Mulqueen next presented a slide show that he organized from the many slides that Bruno and Opal Benson took during their field trips with this club. It ranged from 1956 through the late sixties and was very enjoyable for everyone. This is just the first presentation of selected scenes that show the many locations, familiar faces and material found on these trips.
     Door prizes were awarded and refreshments were provided by Sharlyne Holloway and Shirley Layton.
     Ray mentioned the Federation show next month at Seaside Park and that display cases are to be set up on Wednesday the 4th, the Fair has been hired to tear down tables but all available hands will still be needed for the many other tasks. Enjoy this show....it doesn't get any better than this!
     There being no further business, Ray adjourned the meeting at 9:15 pm.
          Respectfully submitted, Greg Davis.

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HINTS & TIPS FOR ROCKHOUNDS
(Use at your own risk).

Need somewhere to store your 6" sanding and polishing discs? Use an inexpensive music CD case. They fit in the pockets perfectly, and you can label each pocket with a different grit number.

Flat Lapping tips: For best results, use graded abrasives for lapping. We recommend 220 grit for rough grind and 600 grit for fine grind. Final Polish with Tin Oxide.

Tumbling Hints for Apache Tears: When attempting to polish "Apache tears" we have heard of lots of personal "recipes". Here are some methods you may want to try.
1) In steps 3 & 4, add corn syrup to the load to slow down the action. This thickens the slurry and will keep the Apache tears from scratching themselves.
2) Use cerium oxide as a polish, and use it with oatmeal. Let it go for several weeks. Do NOT add water in this method. Polish dry.
3) Use a vibrating polisher. These type polishers do not have the harsh action a rotary polisher has.

From http://www.rocks4u.com/lapidaryhint.htm via MOROKS - May 2003.

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2003 CFMS CLUB SHOWS.

As part of our publicity campaign for our show, Jim Brace-Thompson had a great idea to share more complete show information with other clubs as an insert into their bulletins. The response we had to that was great. The Editors were happy to publish our information as an exchange for their show information. We are happy to reciprocate with the following show information.

JUNE 21-22; LA HABRA, CA - North Orange County Gem & Min. Soc., La Habra Community Center, 101 W. La Habra Blvd. Hours: Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4. Bill Burns (626) 288-2896.
JULY 19-20; ESCONDIDO, CA - Palomar Gem & Mineral Club, Escondido Army National Guard Armory @ 304 East Park Avenue. Hours: Sat. 9-6, Sun. 9-6. Don Parsley (760) 745-6181.
AUGUST 2-3; SAN FRANCISCO, CA - San Francisco Gem & Mineral Society, S.F. County Fair Building, Golden Gate Park, 9th Avenue at Lincoln Way. Hours: Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5. Ellen Nott E-mail: ellen_mptt@yahoo.com.
AUGUST 8-9; NIPOMO, CA - Orcutt Mineral Society, St. Joseph's Church, 298 S. Thompson Ave. Hours: 10-5 both days. Wayne Mills (805) 481-3495. E-mail: Rocks4u@prodigy.net.
SEPTEMBER 20-21; PASO ROBLES, CA - Santa Lucia Rockhounds, 12th Annual "Rockhound Roundup". Pioneer Park & Museum, 2010 Riverside Avenue. Hours: Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5. John McCabe (805) 464-0528. E-mail: mccabewest@aol.com.
SEPTEMBER 27-28; DOWNEY, CA - Delvers Gem & Mineral Society, Women's Club of Downey, 9813 Paramount Blvd. Hours: Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-4. Earl Liston (562) 865-1348.
OCTOBER 1-13; FRESNO, CA - Fresno Gem & Mineral Society "The Tradition is Back Celebrating 120 years of the Big Fresno Fair". Big Fresno Fair, 1121 S. Chance Avenue. Hours: 11 am-10 pm. Violet Wells (559) 673-3908. E-mail: fgms1@excite.com.
OCTOBER 11-12; TRONA, CA - Searles Lake Gem & Mineral Society, Searles Lake Show Building, 13337 Main St. Hours: Sat. 8-5, Sun. 8-4. Bonnie Fairchild (760) 372-5356.
OCTOBER 18-19; EL CAJON, CA - El Cajon Gem & Mineral Society "Treasure's of the Earth", El Cajon Valley Masonic Hall, 695 Ballantyne. Hours: 10-5 both days. Mikki Santens (619) 440-3201.
OCTOBER 12-19; SANTA ROSA, CA - Santa Rosa Mineral & Gem Society, Santa Rosa Veteran's Memorial Bldg., 1351 Maple Avenue. Hours: Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5. Pete Peterson (707) 833-2683. E-mail: Robert-Peterson@webtv.net.
OCTOBER 19-19; PLACERVILLE, CA - El Dorado County Mineral & Gem, El Dorado County Fairgrounds. Hours: 10-5 both days. Jackie Cerrato (530) 677-2975. E-mail: Jacbobcer@directcon.net.
NOVEMBER 1-2; CONCORD, CA - Contra Costa Mineral & Gem Society, Centre Concord, 5298 Clayton Road. Hours: 10-5 both days. Sam Woolsey (925) 837-3287. E-mail: sdwools@earthlink.net.
NOVEMBER 1-2; OXNARD, CA - Oxnard Gem & Mineral Society, "California Gems" @ Oxnard Performing Arts & Convention Center, 800 Hobson Way. Hours: Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-4. Lois Allmen (805) 483-6871. E-mail: allmenl@vcss.k12.ca.us.
NOVEMBER 8-9; YUBA CITY, CA - Sutter Buttes Gem & Mineral Society. "Festival of Gem & Minerals", Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds, 442 Franklin Avenue. Hours: Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-4. Barbara & Charles Brown (916) 652-4240.
NOVEMBER 15-16; PALMDALE, CA - Palmdale Gem & Mineral Club, Palmdale Elks Lodge @ 2705 E. Ave. Q. Hours; 9-5 both days. Gail Becker (661) 256-4689. E-mail: Gail1010becker@aol.com.
NOVEMBER 21-23; SACRAMENTO, CA - Sacramento Mineral Society (61st Show) "Golden Harvest of Gems". Scottish Rite Temple @ 6151 H. Street. Hours: Fri. 9-5, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-4. Tom (916) 729-1829 or Jim 685-4111.
NOVEMBER 29-30; BARSTOW, CA - Mojave Desert Gem & Mineral Society, Barstow Community Center, 841 S. Barstow Road. Hours: 10-5 both days. Bob Depue (760) 255-1030.
DECEMBER 6-7; ORANGEVALE, CA - American River Gem & Mineral Society, Orangevale Grange Hall, 5807 Walnut Avenue. Hours: 10-5 both days. Paul D. Daly (916) 725-6578, Cell phone (916) 849-5114.

  Table of Contents.

AMERICAN FEDERATION / REGIONAL
SHOW SCHEDULE - 2003.

SOUTHEAST FEDERATION,
To Be Announced.

EASTERN FEDERATION,
October 17-19, Poughkeepsie, NY.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN FEDERATION,
July 11-13, Casper, WY.

NORTHWEST FEDERATION,
August 1-3, Kennewick, WA.

MIDWEST FEDERATION,
August 15-17; Cottage Grove, MN.

  Table of Contents.

SUPPORT AND PRACTICE
THE AFMS CODE OF ETHICS.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

     Just for the record any unsigned articles are by the Editor. Anyone wanting to write up their thoughts about the show, vacations, rock collecting trips, Great Find or anything of interest, please do so as we are all interested. Contributions from you members keep the Bulletin interesting and I thank you for them.

Trili - The Editor's Pet Trilobite.

  Table of Contents.

Camp Paradise Application.

Earth Science Studies.

September 7 - 13,     September 14 - 20.

     Two earth science seminars will again be offered at Camp Paradise, approximately 45 miles east of Marysville on Highway E-21 (Clipper Mills). You may register for either or both. Various classes will be offered in both sessions, limited collecting trips, sightseeing and evening entertainment.
     The facilities are a rustic Church Camp, rooms with double beds and/or cots. Bathrooms and showers are communal and located in each building. Occupants are required to provide a cover for the mattress under your regular bedding. Housekeeping is the responsibility of each guest. Also available are individual cabins (very Rustic, electricity, but no plumbing). Bathroom facilities are nearby, RV space with electricity available. Since it is a Church Camp no alcoholic beverages are permitted.

Webmaster's Note: The above information has been left intact for its possible value to anyone thinking of attending a future session at Camp Paradise. The remainder, which includes the application itself, has been removed since it is now obsolete.

  Table of Contents.

VGMS PHOTO ALBUM.

We are in need of material for this page. Please check your photos for good collecting or field trip photos or any others that you would like to share with your fellow rockhounds. Bring to the meeting or mail them to Shirley Layton, Editor.

  Table of Contents.

EDUCATIONAL CORNER.

Definition of the Month.

Industrial minerals:
     Any rock, mineral or other naturally occurring substance of economic value, a non-metallic natural resource extracted from the Earth through the mining process. Some examples of industrial minerals: limestone, dolomite, clay, sand & gravel, aggregate, barite, gypsum, sulfur, fluorspar, soda ash, borax, potash and salt.

The "Definition of the Month" features words related to geology, paleontology, mining and desert history. - Written by Steve Mulqueen for the VGMS, June 2003.

Illustration of the Month.


"Hard Rock Mining."

An enlarged portion of the mining stock certificate of the Ogden-Nevada Mining Company, issued February 8, 1905, Ogden, Utah. The original print measures 11" X 8 1/4" while the actual size of the image is 3" X 1 1/2".

Stock certificates are printed from engraving plates. Most certificates have a great degree of printed complexity. For the potential investor, the stock certificate must look impressive and resemble an "official" document. It also should have sharp detail in order to prevent counterfeiters from easily printing and selling their own worthless certificates.

In the early years of the history of the United States, mining stocks were an important part of the economy. It allowed common citizens to share in the successes of mining ventures in this country and throughout the world. This is still true today.

As with all stocks, there were risks that went along with the investments. In the early years of the mining industry, the risks associated with these mining stock investments were often moderate to high. Fraud was also a fairly common occurrence which led to many hardships for the investors.

Originally, U.S. currency was backed by gold and silver, commodities derived by mining. We no longer have a gold or silver standard for U.S. dollars. However, the strength of our economy is still based directly on the development of our nation's natural resources.

The mining industry in the United States plays an essential role in maintaining a high standard of living for everyone. Our standard of living is based to a great extent on the continuous supply of great quantities of mineral and energy resources. Most of the raw materials for these resources which include metallic ores, industrial minerals and solid forms of fuel are extracted from mines.

The "Illustration of the Month" features a drawing, sketch, pen & ink rendering or an engraving print rediscovered in books, maps, and manuscripts related to geology, paleontology, mining and desert history.

Written by Steve Mulqueen for the VGMS, June 2003.

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COLORBOOK.

Q is for Quartz
(only quartz, and nothing but quartz!).

Quartz is one of the most common minerals in the earth's crust. It is found in well-formed and often very large crystals. It comes in a variety of colors including colorless (Rock Crystal), purple (Amethyst), brown (Citrine), black (Smoky Quartz), white (Milky Quartz), and pink (Rose Quartz).

     

     

  Table of Contents.

SUPPORT AND PRACTICE
THE AFMS CODE OF ETHICS.

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