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The Ventura Gem & Mineral Society, Inc. (VGMS)
Rockhound Rambling
July 2009.

This is a very abbreviated bulletin since the editor is on vacation.

Table of Contents.

• PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE;
• UPCOMING VGMS EVENTS;
• BIRTHDAYS;
• CHIPS AND BOULDERS;
• REFRESHMENT SCHEDULE;
• FIELD TRIPS ARE FUN;
• LET'S GO TO A SHOW 2009.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.

Greetings, fellow VGMS'ers! With our bulletin editor Mary Polacek still enjoying her 15-state vacation trip to celebrate her daughter's graduation, once again I'm sending an abbreviated "e-letter" in lieu of a formal newsletter. I'm emailing this to everyone whose email address I have and mailing copies to everyone else. Watch your email and your mailboxes in August for the return of Mary's award-winning editorial skills. Meanwhile, I hope to see you at our "Rockhound Rendezvous" on July 18, at our next monthly meeting on the 22nd and at the County Fair! Have you prepared your entries for the Fair, contacted Richard to volunteer as a floorwalker in the Gem & Mineral Building during the Fair? It's fun and a great way to promote the hobby to our community at large!
     Jim Brace-Thompson,
     VGMS President.

  Table of Contents.

UPCOMING VGMS EVENTS.

If omitted, time, location or address can be found on the VGMS Info Page. (Close the new window to return here.)

  Table of Contents.

BIRTHDAYS.

We wish all of you good health and hope you have a very, very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

  Table of Contents.

CHIPS AND BOULDERS.

LAPIDARY EQUIPMENT DEMO & ROCKHOUND RENDEZVOUS.
     Saturday, July 18, at 9 am, you are invited to join us at the "New" VGMS facilities at Camp Comfort near Ojai. Don Depue will be demonstrating some of Diamond Pacific's excellent equipment. You will be able to have a hands-on examination of equipment you might be considering purchasing for yourself or your club. Bring your checkbook if you are considering a purchase.
     The following are the machines he will be demonstrating: Titan, Genie, flat laps for Titan or Genie with polishing pads, Wizard 6" trim saw, 12" flat lap, Gryphon band saw, Torres 3 ring saw, Foredom, Multiplex (cabbing, trim saw, carving, flat lap), Tumblers (to show only).
     In addition we will offer a chance to share some of your great field trip finds and lapidary work. There will be plenty of space for you to set up a table to display your wares for viewing and trading. Who knows, someone may want to buy something you display?!
     Jim Brace-Thompson is considering offering activities for pebble pups. If you are interested in bringing your kids, let us know by the end of June (ages, how many, and activities they are interested in). Possible activities (depending on demand) are AFMS badges on mineral identification, fossils & how they formed (including making a fossil cast), earth processes (how rocks formed & the 3 rock types), earth resources (mineral sources of everyday items), and lapidary arts (learn shop safety & make 1 project).
     With the Camp Comfort just across the road from our shop, this is a great place for a picnic. We will provide coffee and hot water for tea and cocoa. To find the VGMS facilities across from Camp Comfort take the 101 Freeway to Highway 33 then turn right on Creek Road at the sign for "Camp Comfort." Continue until you see Camp Comfort and the VGMS facilities are on the left. Be careful with the left turn and if you get to Ojai you missed us. If you need more information contact me (Ron Wise) at 805-647-4393 or clintwise@hotmail.com.

VENTURA COUNTY FAIR:
ENTER & ALSO VOLUNTEER!
     Richard Bromser reports the Ventura County Fair runs Aug. 5-16, with a theme of "Purebred & Home Grown." Entry dates for gems & minerals are Fri.-Sun., July 24-26 (10 AM-5 PM) with judging on Tues, July 28. (For anyone also interested in entering hobbies, models, and non-rock-related collections, entry dates are Fri.-Sun., July 31-Aug. 2, 10 AM-5 PM, with judging on Aug. 4.) To retrieve your entries at the conclusion of the Fair, pick-up day is Mon., Aug. 17, from 9 AM-7 PM. Check the following web site for entry categories, rules, and an entry form: http://www.venturacountyfair.org/pages/3455/.
     Richard will start setting up the Gem & Mineral Building at the Fairgrounds on Wed., July 1, at 10 am. Volunteers are needed and welcomed to help! Volunteers are also needed to take exhibitor entries during the entry dates and to help clerk for the judges. If you can commit to 4 hours or more, it would be greatly appreciated! Lunches will be provided for volunteers. During the Fair itself, we'll also need volunteers for "floor walking," and Richard will have sign-up sheets with dates and times.
     All VGMS members are encouraged to enter either whole collections or just single, individual specimens (or both!). If each and every club member entered just 1 mineral or fossil or lapidary project, we would quickly fill up over 75 spots in the fair from our club alone! And it can pay to enter. In addition to ribbons and trophies, the Fair pays cash awards. You should let Richard know ahead of time if you will be bringing in a display case or if you need to borrow a case (the supply of cases available to borrow is limited and is first-come / first-served) so that he can plan and prepare the table layout. Please call Richard Bromser (805-649-9065) to offer your help!
          Richard Bromser & Jim Brace-Thompson.

CFMS ZZYZX EARTH SCIENCE SEMINARS.
The annual California Federation of Mineralogical Societies' Zzyzx Earth Science Seminars, scheduled for November 15-22, 2009, still has openings for anyone wishing to attend weeklong classes that include Lapidary, Silver Fabrication, Soft Stone Carving, Wire Wrapping, Enameling, and Field Trips. Cost for the full week is $300, which includes quarters or RV space, 3 meals a day, and classes. Some classes may have extra materials fees. If interested, call Marion Roberts for details: (209) 538-0197.

CFMS CAMP PARADISE AT A BARGAIN PRICE!
The California Federation of Mineralogical Societies sponsors seminars offering classes on cabbing, faceting, wirewrapping, and all other manner of lapidary arts, as well as field trips. These are offered twice each year, in the spring and in the fall. In 2010, classes will be in Northern California, at Camp Paradise, with one session running May 16-21 and the second running May 23-28. Cost is $350 per person and includes classes, room, and food - a great deal! But here's an even greater deal! This year, to help raise funds for the CFMS Endowment Fund, the CFMS is offering raffle tickets at just $5 for one ticket or $20 for a set of 5 tickets. The winner gets a $350 week of classes at Camp Paradise! Deadline for sending your entry is October 31, 2009. The drawing will be held at the CFMS Directors' Meeting on November 7. With this article is a ticket; you can make as many copies and enter to win as many times as you like. Simply cut out, or copy the ticket, fill in the info, and send it with your check to my address located on the ticket. Make the check out to "CFMS Endowment Fund", or simply "CFMS."
     Ray Quitoriano,
     CFMS Endowment Fund Chair.

  Table of Contents.

REFRESHMENT SCHEDULE.

  Table of Contents.

FIELD TRIPS ARE FUN.

GREAT WESTERN FIELD TRIP REPORT.
     June 12th-28th, Road Trip, 17 days, 7 collecting sites: Utah - Topaz crystals, trilobites; Wyoming - Blue forest petrified wood, Green River Formation fish fossils; Montana - Sapphires; Oregon - Glass Butte obsidian; CA - Davis Creek obsidian.
     We had a great turnout, throughout the trip we had different amounts of people collecting. When we were at Warfield Fossils, collecting fish fossils in WY, we had everyone at one site. Each day was different, and we sure had weather changes.
     We rendezvoused at Topaz Mtns. It was nice when we arrived at Topaz Mtns. We had a book about Topaz Mtns, which helped. The next day we went collecting; it rained off and on, but not too much. The last day was sunny, which tended to be the same at each site: first day rain, second day sunny, hot. We collected on the northern and western areas and close to camp, digging out pockets of crystals. We also sifted gravel and sand, looking for the crystals. Everyone found some. Jeff Miller found 2 red beryl crystals.
     We then headed to U-Dig fossils for trilobites. When we arrived, Jeff Miller got a flat, quickly changed then we collected for 4 hours, and went through 2 showers of rain, scrambling for shelter, then going back and digging when it ended. The rest of the day was nice and we collected some nice trilobites.
     We then headed to Salt Lake City and stayed at a hotel. I locked my keys in my truck and had AAA unlock it. I don't have keyless.
     The next day we headed to WY, Blue forest. When we arrived I drove in and found our site, then everyone joined us. No trees - only short scrub brush. We were in a great spot for the wood. The next day we started digging, through 4 inches of dirt, 12" or more of hard shale, it was like digging through thick ceramic tiles layer after layer; some places we dug had hardly any shale, others more. After the shale, it was dirt again, and limbs, there was caleche, a fossilized algae coating on the wood, some of it was 5" thick. It was a good sign seeing the caleche - it meant wood could be in the center of it. Some of it would break off with a tap of the rock pick, and you could see the limb, agate, other times the caleche is still on mine to be removed in the future. We all dug in the same area for most of the day; we really dug a lot; each of us had holes 4'x5' or bigger. We found a lot of nice wood. From limbs 5" long, and 5-6" wide, to limbs 1-3" across, 1 foot long. It was harder to find long limbs. We would find limbs 5' long, but they were broken into pieces 5" long. That night we went through a serious storm. We were on a small bluff, you could see 50 miles or farther 360 degrees around us, and we watched the thunderstorms farther out, some coming our way. At one point we were all in our autos, lightening hitting within a mile and we were hailed on several times. Sitting in my truck hearing the hail like a drum on our roof. Luckily the pieces were about pea size, so no damage. The next day we dug more out in a really sunny, hot day!
     We then broke camp headed to Warfield Fossils near Kemmerer, WY. We met Jaunie and Jacob who were already there and digging. We dug for 4 hours, finding many nice fish fossils, some mirror pieces on each plate. Just before our time was up and the mine was getting to close, it rained, hard. I had on my poncho as I gathered up my fish fossils and stored them in my truck bed. I had a tarp over my bed so nothing would get wet. I was the last one to leave the quarry, the others went as soon as they could since the road up to the site was not very good - slippery, muddy, and most of it downhill. Even with my 4x4 truck I broke traction in a few places for a couple of seconds. We all made it down the hill, and our autos were really dirty, caked on mud.
     We had lunch in Kemmerer and for half of us this was the end of their field trip. Half of us headed north to Montana, Yogo Gulch. We arrived there the following day. It was nice out, a little cool, damp at night. We camped next to a small river with lots of pine trees in the area. The down side is there was no access to collect sapphires in the area. We then headed west to Helena where Larry Knapton suggested there would be sites, which there were. When we were leaving the Yogo Gulch camp, we were driving on a gravel road, a truck going the other way picked up a rock that hit my windshield and cracked it. I have a 7" crack and will have to replace the windshield. We camped by the Missouri river, with nice warm days. We went to Spokane Sapphire Mine near Helena, and all bought bags to sift for sapphires, and paid $10 a bucket to dig on the mine face. It was not the primary one with slim to no chance of finding sapphires. Larry, Kevin and Diane, Joel, and Cy found 3 sapphires total, all at least 1 carat. They found the slim; I found the none. I still have my 3.5 lb bag to sift. I didn't have time to sift it there. We all took our main bag home, so at this time I don't know what I have or the others.
     At this point of the trip we just had Glass Butte and Davis Creek for Obsidian. It would be just Joel, Cy, Deb and I. We went to Glass Butte, Oregon, from central Montana. We drove for some time, and stayed overnight at a hotel. I printed an updated map of the site. We met some people near Glass Butte, who helped get us to the exact spot. This site was new to me. I had the CFMS information from the field trip a few months ago. There were trees, shade and hot sun for our stay. We drove around to many dig sites, some not dug for some time, others recently, Joel and I were the primary rockhounds looking for the obsidian, Cy and Deb picked up a few. For two days we dug, we found Mahogany, Rainbow, Banded, Pumpkin, Tomato Soup, Green, Solid Black, and some with a smoky band running through it. We also might have found some fire obsidian, a few pieces I can see it, but not spectacular. It was tricky; you had to chip it just right and hold it up to the sun so you could see the fire, or rainbow in the rainbow obsidian. I did find a mahogany piece about 8"x 8" or so. If it doesn't have fractures, I'm going to try to contour polish it with my wet angle grinder.
     We then headed south, parting with Joel and Cy. It was now just Deb and I; we stopped in Davis Creek, got the collecting permit. Headed to road 30, Modoc Natl. Forest, and I dug for rainbow obsidian. I found some nice pieces with color that is very visible when the sun hits it just right. I also found banded obsidian. We then headed home.
     It was a great trip, much adventure, with nice specimens found. We saw deer, antelope in many states, had mostly cool good digging weather, campfires almost each night, great group of rockhounds. All of us shot lots of photos; I'm going to try to put together a Power Point presentation in the upcoming months and will make it a program for an upcoming club meeting for the Tri-Clubs - Conejo, Oxnard, and Ventura. There will be another out-of-state field trip next year. There were 16 people on this trip, for 3700 miles total driven. I'm already looking forward to the next one, but for now it will be cleaning, polishing what I've found. I'll bring some to the July and future meetings. I hope all of you who attended will bring in what you found and share it with the members of the club. I'd like to see them!
          Robert Sankovich,
          VP/Field Trip Chair.

Tri-Club Field Trips 2009. *
     The field trips listed below are tentative, they might change. All are Tri-Club field trips (exceptions noted) with either Conejo, Oxnard or Ventura leading.

* Please call your field trip leader to confirm that there is a field trip scheduled in the event of changes.

Regarding Field Trips:
Please let us know if you're going on a field trip. The weather can change; if we don't know whether you were planning to attend, we won't be able to contact you if the trip is cancelled. There will be maps and flyers at club meetings. Some show up for field trips without notifying Mike or me. We realize plans can change and you may suddenly find yourself with a free weekend, so while you can still be part of any of our posted trips, we highly prefer that you please let us know in advance if you're going to attend. I have a new truck, a white Ford F250 four-wheel drive, crew-cab; if you're looking for me, look for my truck. Contacts: Robert Sankovich, Conejo/Ventura Clubs, 805-494-7734, rmsorca@adelphia.net; Mike Miller, Conejo, 805-498-9586; Ron Wise, Ventura/Oxnard, 805-794-0737, clintwise@hotmail.com.
     Rob Sankovich.

Saturday, July 11: Oak Park.
Field trip: Our July field trip will be to Oak Park. We will be looking for petrified wood, float and buried. Some of it is on the surface and all you have to do is pick it up. Most of it is golf ball size and smaller, but I have seen larger pieces found there. We will be walking up a hill. Light brush on the hill. The hill is not very high or big, so this is a good field trip for all ages.
Directions: From Ventura head South on 101, past Thousand Oaks, to Kanan Road (6.2 miles East of 23 Freeway in Thousand Oaks). Exit at Kanan Road, turn left/North on Kanan Road. Drive 2.5 miles to Deerhill Road. Turn right/North. Drive 0.5 miles to Deerbrook Road. We will meet there at 9:00 AM. You will see my white Ford truck. We will walk about 50 yards on Deerbrook Road, then go up a hill to collect. There will be a short briefing before the field trip. There will be a map at the meeting, or e-mail me.
Meeting: Saturday July 11, 9 AM-2 PM. We will meet site at 9:00 am. There will be a short briefing of the site. Please remember to sign a release form to participate in the field trip.
Tools: Collecting bags, buckets, day pack, digging tools, rock pick, pry bar, eye protection, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, sturdy shoes, pants recommended, drinking water, lunch or snacks.

Saturday, August 1-2: Jade Cove, Big Sur area.
Meeting: 10 AM.
What to collect: nephrite jade, serpentine, actinolite, soapstone, abalone shells.
Details and map will be provided at the July regular meeting.

NOTE: Tri-club field trip information can be found on the Conejo Gem and Mineral club web site: www.cgamc.org. (Close the new window to return here.)

FIELD TRIPS ANTICIPATED FOR THE FALL.
Field trips listed below are tentative and may change. All are Tri-Club trips, with either Conejo, Oxnard, or Ventura leading. Each month there will be information in the bulletin, and a flyer/map at the club meeting.
     September - Pine Mountain sand dollar fossils or Ammonites fossils, Bishop area.
     October - Trona Gem-O-Rama, Pink Halite, Hanksite.
     November - Somis Fossils, Sand dollar, Clams, Gastropod fossils.
     November - Wiley's Well, Geodes, Nodules, Chalcedony, Petrified Iron Wood, Agate.
     December - Ant Hill, Shark Teeth Fossils.

The Field Trip E-mail List.
     The Field Trip e-mail list is working; members have current, new information as I finish it. I get field trip info from other clubs at different times during the month, some with too short of notice for me to put in our bulletin. I will send direct monthly info, maps on club trips, and updates on weather or other last-minute factors that can affect field trips. If you want to sign up, no e-mail addresses will be printed, posted anywhere. Send me your e-mail addresses to mine (rmsorca@adelphia.net). I also updated the field trip info on the Conejo web site: www.cgamc.org. (Close the new window to return here.) The info is current and I'll update as I add field trips.
     2009 has started nice, with good weather. Now is a good time to go on field trips; it will get hotter as the weeks go by. There's going to be a field trip for everyone; we'll have close-to-home and out-of-state trips; easy and harder field trips requiring chisels, sledges. Something for everyone hopefully!
     The June road trip was fun - 14 people joined Deb and me. We collected many nice specimens and got to know other rockhounds and make friends. July's Field trip to Oak Park is a good trip for everyone; its not far to drive and an easy hike up a hill. We should have good weather, but not too hot. Jade Cove is a good trip, even for non-rockhounds. We'll be up near Big Sur, where it's beautiful. I'm open to any places members are interested in. I'm always researching sites. Most of the time I make sure I check out the sites, so when it finally becomes a field trip, it can take time. This time of year the weather can change, so make sure I know you will be going; this applies to all field trips. Check out the web site for updates.
     We've been getting good turnouts of rockhounds for our field trips, and the upcoming ones offer a diversity of collecting. As the weather warms up, we will be heading out closer to home or to the beach for collecting. Field trips are fun and you will find some nice specimens and make new friends. I find most people on field trips are friendly and nice - willing to share in their knowledge and experiences. See you there!
          Rob Sankovich,
          VP Field Trips,
          Conejo/Ventura Clubs.

  Table of Contents.

LET'S GO TO A SHOW.
(If you go to a web site close the new window to return here.)

2009 Shows.
August 1-2; San Francisco, CA - San Francisco Gem & Mineral Society, San Francisco County Fair Building, Ninth Ave. at Lincoln Way. Hours: Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5. Website: www.sfgms.org.
August 7-9; Nipomo, CA - Orcutt Mineral Society, St Joseph's Church, 298 S. Thompson Ave. Hours: 9-5 daily. Wes Lingerfelt (805) 929-388, Email: Rocks4u@prodigy.net., Website: www.omsinc.org. Webmaster: Bad telephone number. Try the other links.
August 14, 15 & 16; Tehachapi, CA - Techachapi Gem & Mineral Society, St. Malachy Catholic Church, 407 West E. Street. Hours: Fri. & Sat. 8-7:30; Sun. 8-5:30. Chuck Overall (661) 821-4650, Email: Luckydog5433@aol.com.
August 22-23; Orangevale, CA - Treasure Trove of Gems, Orangevale Community Center, 6826 Hazel Ave. Hours: Fri. & Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5. John Moulder Email: gbcorp@surewest.net, Website: www.treasuretroveofgems.com.
September 4-7; Fort Bragg, CA - Mendocino Coast Gem & Mineral Society, Town Hall, Corner of Main & Laurel. Hours: Fri. to Sun. 10-6, Mon. 10-4. Don McDonell (707) 964-3116.
September 12-13; Vista, CA - Vista Gem & Mineral Society, Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum, 2040 N. Sante Fe Ave. Hours: Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4. Fred Wilson (760) 433-8464, Cherie Wilson (760) 941-7073, Lois Harr (560) 724-0395
September 19-20; Redwood City, CA - Sequoia Gem & Mineral Society, Redwood City Community Activities Bldg., 1400 Roosevelt Ave. Hours: 10-5 daily. Carol Corden (650) 248-7155, Email: coorden@comcast.net, Website: sgms.driftmine.com/home.htm.
September 19-20; Paso Robles, CA - Santa Lucia Rockhounds, Pioneer Park & Museum, 2010 Riverside Ave. Hours: 10-5 both days. Richard Smith (805) 467-2966, E-mail:jonme2@wildblue.net.
September 19-20; Stockton, CA - Stockton Lapidary and Mineral Club, Scottish Rite Masonic Center, 33 West Alpine Ave. Hours: 10-5 both days. (209) 946-0113, E-mail: footsey1@yahoo.com, Website: www.stocktonlapidary.com.
September 26-27; Downey, CA - Delvers Gem & Mineral Society, Womens Club of Downey, 9813 Paramount Blvd. Hours: Sat.10-6, Sun. 10-4. Nancy Bird (562) 697-0636, E-mail: nancyjbird@verizon.net.
September 26-27; Monterey, CA - Carmel Valley Gem and Mineral Society, Monterey Fairgrounds, 2004 Fairgrounds Road. Sky Paxton (831) 262-2492, E-mail: sky@familystones.net, Janis Rovetti (831) 657-1933, E-mail: Janis12@sbcglobal.net, Website: www.cvgms.org.
October 3-4; Fallbrook, CA - Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Society, Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Museum, 123 W. Alvarado Street. Hours: 10-4 both days. Mary Fong-Walker (760) 728-1130, Email: ikonmiming@gmail.com.
October 3-4; Oroville, CA - Feather River Lapidary & Mineral Club, Oroville Municipal Auditorium, 1200 Myers St. Hours: 10-5 both days. Connie Rossetto (530) 59-1840, Email: crossetto@aol.com, Website: www.orovillerocks.com. Webmaster: Bad telephone number. Try the other links.
October 10-11; Grass Valley, CA - Nevada County Gem & Mineral Society, "Earth's Treasurers", Nevada County Fairgrounds, 11228 McCourtney Road. Hours: 10-5 both days. Kim Moore (530) 470-0388, Email: kmoore160@comcast.net, Website: www.ncgms.org.
October 10-11; Trona, CA - Searles Lake Gem & Mineral Society, Searles Gem & Mineral Show Building, 13337 Main Street. Hours: Sat. 7:30-5, Sun. 7:30-4. Jim & Bonnnie Fairchild (760) 372-5356, Email: slgms@iwvisp.com, Website: www1.iwvisp.com/tronagemclub.
October 17; Woodland Hills, CA - Woodland Hills Rockchippers, First United Methodist Church, 22700 Sherman Way, West Hills. Hours: Sat. 10-5. Email: show@rockchippers.org.
October 17-18; Anderson, CA - Shasta Gem & Mineral Society, Shasta District Fairgrounds, Near Redding off Hwy 273. Hours: Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4. Steve Puderbaugh (530) 365-4000.
October 17-18; Lakeside, CA - El Cajon Valley Gem & Mineral Society, Lakeside Rodeo Grounds, 12684 Mapleview Ave. Hours: 10-5 daily. Carolyn Boland (619) 561-7498, Email: bobpeggy99@aol.com, Website: www.ECVGMS.com.
October 17-18; Placerville, CA - El Dorado County Mineral & Gem Society, El Dorado County Fairgrounds, 100 Placerville Drive. Hours: 10-5 daily. Jackie Cerrato (530) 676-2472, Email: info@rockandgemshow.org, Website: http://www.eldoradomineralandgem.org, Show Website: http://www.rockandgemshow.org.
October 17-18; Santa Rosa, CA - Santa Rosa Gem & Mineral Society, Santa Rosa Veterans Building, 1351 Maple Ave. (Opposite Fairgrounds). Hours: Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5. Website: www.gem-n-i.org.
October 24-25; Los Altos, CA - Peninsula Gem & Mineral Society, Los Altos Civic Center Youth Center, One San Antonio Road. Hours: 10-5 daily. Dave Muster (408) 245-2180, Email: mustersgems@yahoo.com.
November 7-8; Concord, CA - Contra Costa Mineral & Gem Society, Centre Concord, 5298 Clayton Road (Corner of Ygnacio & Clayton Rd). Hours: 10-5 both days. Harry Nichandros Email: show2009@ccmgs.org, Website: http://ccmgs.org.
November 7-8; Lancaster, CA - Palmdale Gem & Mineral Club, Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, 2551 W. Ave. H & Hwy 14. Hours: 9-5 both days. Susan Chaisson-Walblom (661) 943-1861, Email: SLChaisson@yahoo.com, Website: palmdalegemandmineral.com. (Webmaster's Note: This is a change from last month's listing. First of all the club appears to be a 'Club', not a 'Society'. Next, this is, apparently, the proper address for the club's web site. That's the good news. The bad news is that the web site has not been updated for awhile and that I could find no mention of a show.)
November 7-8; Ridgecrest, CA - Indian Wells Gem & Mineral Society, Desert Empire Fairgrounds, 520 S. Richmond Rd. Hours: 9-5 both days. John DeRosa (760) 375-7905, Email: schiller@ridgecrest.ca.us.
November 14-15; Yuba City, CA - Sutter Buttes Gem & Mineral Society, Franklin Hall, Yuba/SutterFairgrounds, 442 Franklin Ave. Hours: Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-4. Bruce Roberts (530) 675-2864.
November 21-22; Livermore CA - Livermore Valley Lithophiles At the "Barn", Pacific Ave. at South Livermore Ave. Hours: Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4. Email: info@lithophiles.com, Website: www.lithophiles.com.
November 21-22; Oxnard, CA - Oxnard Gem & Mineral Society, Oxnard Performing Arts Center, 800 Hobson Way. Hours: Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-4. Norb Kinsler (805) 644-6450, Email: info@oxnardgem.com, Website: www.oxnardgem.com.
December 5-6; Barstow, CA - Mojave Gem & Mineral Society, Community Center, 841 Barstow Road. Hours: 10-5 daily. Gene Haines (760) 256-0595, Email: janetwentz@earthlink.net, Website: www.mdgms.org.

Source: http://cfmsinc.org/.

2010 Shows.
March 6-7; Ventura, CA - Ventura Gem & Mineral Society, Seaside Park, Ventura Co. Fairgronds, 10 W. Harbor Blvd. Hours: Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4. Andy Anderson (805) 987-0043, Email: vgms_editor@roadrunner.com, Website: vgms.org.
March 13-14; Spreckels, CA - Salinas Valley Rock & Gem Club, Veteran's Memorial Hall, 5th & Liano Streets. Hours: 10-5 daily. Ernie DeFever (831) 422-3422, Email: minimad64@comcast.net, Website: salinasrockandgem.com.
May 8-9; Reno, NV - Reno Gem and Mineral Society, Reno Livestock Events Center Exhibit Hall, 1350 N. Wells Ave., Reno, NV. Hours: Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4. Ann Johnson (775)544-4937, Email: ann.johnson@gmail.com, Website: renorockhounds.com.

Source: http://cfmsinc.org/.

AFMS REGIONAL SHOWS 2009.
(If you go to a web site close the new window to return here.)

Northwest Federation (NFMS) / AFMS,
July 30-Aug 2.
Combined Show hosted by Billings Gem & Mineral Club,
Holiday Inn Grand Montana,
5500 Midland Rd.,
Billings, MT.
Hours: 10-5 Daily.
Contact Person: Doug True (406) 670-0506, Email: dtruefossils@yahoo.com, Website: www.amfed.org/nfms,
NFMS/AFMS Show Website: www.amfed.org/nfms/nfmsshow.htm.


Rocky Mountain Federation (RMFMS),
October 2-3, Roswell, NM.
Website: www.rmfms.org.


South Central Federation (SCMS),
October 10-11, Temple, TX.
Website: www.scfms.net.


Eastern Federation (EFMS),
October 16-18.
Beals Communittee Center, Bristal, CT.
Website: www.amfed.org/efmls.


Southeast Federation (SFMS).
Website: www.amfed.org/sfms.

Source: http://cfmsinc.org/.

  Table of Contents.

SUPPORT AND PRACTICE
THE AFMS CODE OF ETHICS.

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