THE BACKBENDER’S GAZETTE

Click a Table of Contents Entry to jump to that article.

President’s Message

Nature’s Treasures New Space

Section News

Gem Capers

Education

Did You See It in Your Neck of the Woods?

Shop and Building News

Bench Tips

Volunteering

SCFMS Convention Highlights

Minutes of Board Meeting

Minutes of General Meeting

Upcoming Shows

Links for HGMS and Regional/National Societies

The Slate of Officers for 2026 was presented at the October 2025 General Meeting.

• We will vote on that slate at the November General Meeting.
• Nominations may also be made from the floor.
• Rules for elections can be found in Bylaws of the Houston Gem & Mineral Society.

Beading – Second Saturday, 12:00 PM  

• The November Beading Section Meeting will occur on the 3rd Saturday because of the Humble Civic Center Show on our regular meeting date. We will meet on November 15th from Noon to 3 PM. The project will be a Brick Stitch Christmas Tree broach. A supply list will be sent to those on the Beading Section E-mail list.
• On December 13th we will have a Christmas pot luck luncheon and we will finish the Christmas broach project.

NOTICE: Do you have a bracelet or necklace that needs restringing?  The Beading Section will carefully restring your piece at an hourly rate of $15.00 + materials.  Contact Beading @HGMS.org to make arrangements.  All funds will go to the Beading Section.

Always bring beading mat, scissors, wire, wire cutter, round nose and needle nose pliers, thread, and beading needles if you have them.  

Find out more about the Beading Section!

Gemstones and Faceting – Third Thursday, 6:30 PM

Our next meeting will be November 13th at 6:30 pm.

• Topic to be announced

Learn more about the Gemstones and Faceting Section here.

Mineral – Third Wednesday, 7:30 PM 

• The next meeting is Wednesday, November 19 at 7:30 pm. The topic of this meeting will be a discussion of the Annual Show and what we saw and what we bought.
• Bring specimens! Also, what did you think of the minerals on offer?
• No December meeting – we will have a Christmas Party instead.

Zoom link for the meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86053771923?pwd=ek5lNlk5SGFYNjN6U29ONU4xVElyQT09

or

Meeting ID: 860 5377 1923
Passcode: 826994

If you’d like to join the Mineral Section email list, send an email to mineral@hgms.org and ask to be added.

Paleontology – Third Tuesday, 7:30 PM 

The next meeting is Tuesday, November 18that 7:30 pm. Topic to be announced.

Zoom link for the meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86053771923?pwd=ek5lNlk5SGFYNjN6U29ONU4xVElyQT09

or

Meeting ID: 860 5377 1923
Passcode: 826994

If you’d like to join the Paleo Section email list, send an email to hgmspaleosection@gmail.com and ask to be added.

Youth, First and Third Saturdays, 10:00am – 12:00pm

Mostly we will be working on cabochons. Children must be accompanied by parents.

September meetings will be on Saturdays,  November 1st and 15th.

Yes, we are still accepting volunteers! Come work a shift at the show! It’s fun and you can spend some time browsing the many offerings of our varied and successful Annual Show!

The success of Earth Science Week was a strong testimony on the importance of Earth Sciences in our daily lives.

The Texas Geology and Fieldtrip station stayed very busy all day and gave out 200 Texas Geology map postcards and 100 Stone City Bluffs-Whiskey Bridge fieldtrip informational brochures.  Hand specimens of Texas rocks illustrated Texas geology. Participants discussed aspects of oil and gas exploration and production.

At the Giveaways and salt station, Elsa Kapitan-White and other volunteers handed out 150 samples each of granite, limestone, rock salt/halite, marble, and shark’s teeth, plus 165 salt informational brochures and 200 diamond octagon craft pages.

At the Everyday Uses of Common Rocks and Minerals station, people played a matching game between the raw rock and/ or mineral and a finished product. The message is that geology affects all aspects of our lives and some minerals are critical for future energy needs.

Microscopes were a big hit at the Micropaleontology station; the kids loved them.  Thanks are due to a number of volunteers associated with paleontology who offered to help at this station.

Fossil Wood is always popular; Scott Singleton and others worked this station and showing his gorgeous examples of petrified wood.  To look at pieces under a microscope is always fun, and many pieces of petrified wood were given.

The Meeting was called to order by Don Shurtz at 2:10pm. The Pledge was given by Don Shurtz and the Invocation by Walter Beneze.

There was a meeting packet prepared with reports from representatives and committee heads, and representatives were present for Districts 1,2,4, 7 and 8. Steve Blyskal gave a report for District II, which includes HGMS and CLGMS in the Houston area.

Susan Burch, Executive Secretary, says 24 clubs have paid dues as of the Convention date.

Mike Smith, as the new website admin, has revamped the SCFMS website. He has introduced email forwarding for security and ease of role changes.

Susan Burch reports Editors and Website awards were presented at the Saturday morning. The deadline for next year’s contest is January 12^th. Susan is requesting new content that will not be submitted for contests for the SCFMS newsletters.

The Treasurer’s Report was submitted.

SCFMS Convention hosting sites are needed. Conventions are typically held in conjunction with a Club Gem & Mineral Show. This Convention was sponsored by the Austin Gem & Mineral Society at their clubhouse in Austin.

Don Shurtz introduced the President of the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies, J.C. Moore, and his wife Donna Moore, Secretary of the AFMS.

J.C. Moore mentioned that the 2026 AFMS Convention will be in St. Charles, Illinois over the Memorial Day weekend, 2026.

President LT Wilcox called the Zoom meeting to order at 7:31 p.m. A quorum was present.

PRESIDENT’S COMMENTS – LT Wilcox: introduced and welcomed Al Robb as the new Paleontology Board Representative. For the record, on behalf of the HGMS Board, Nancy English thanked Mike Dawkins for more than 12 years of service as the Paleontology Board Representative. LT welcomed Randy as the new Chairman of the Gemstone and Faceting Section.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES – Secretary Nancy English

The August 5 Board meeting minutes were emailed to the Board on September 1, 2025, asking them to review to approve them on September 2. We did not have a quorum, so the minutes could not be approved. She sent an email request for the Board to vote on the minutes via email. She still did not get enough answers. Since there was no quorum in the meeting, there was no quorum to review and vote on them. Since there were no changes suggested, Nancy sent them to the BBG Editor on October 6, 2025.

The September Board meeting minutes were emailed to the Board on October 6, 2025. We did not have a quorum on September 2 either. So, all I am asking for is suggestions to make the minutes correct and reflective of the meeting discussions. Nancy amended the September minutes already. She fixed LT’s last name to Wilcox in the grid, and added Mike Dawkins, Jeanean Slamen, and Ray Kizer to the Paleo Section line in Section reports. She will update the discussion about the new Sam Houston Rock Club.

TREASURER’S REPORT – Treasurer Rhett Cooper sent the July and August 2025 Financial Report to members on October 4, 2025. Nancy English asked about a negative $945 on page one of the August 31, 2025, Statement of Financial Position in the Section Bank Accounts list labeled 736 SFCU Paleo. Rhett will research it and let us know in November. Rhett borrowed the $12,000 from the Paleo Section account (the Chairman’s permission) to make the payment the last payment to rent the Humble Civic Center for the Show in November. He will return the money to the Paleo account as soon as he makes sure the transfer from Live Oak posts to the Chase main account. The insurance on the HGMS clubhouse is due November 1, 2025. Rhett will be making another transfer from Live Oak to the main Chase operating account to cover that.

Lapidary and Silversmithing Section: Steve Wilkerson was confirmed as the new Lapidary Section Treasurer at the September Lapidary Section meeting. Michele Marsal asked the Board to approve the changes described in the motion below. The Board added the Treasurer to the account as determined earlier in the year to have the Treasurer sign on all the HGMS accounts. Secretary Nancy English and Treasurer Rhett Cooper will be available to go with Stephen Wilkerson to a Chase Bank.

Motion: Nancy English moved to update the Lapidary Section’s Chase checking account ending in 7337 as follows:

Add Stephen Wilkerson as an Authorized Representative and signer on the account.

Remove Richard Good as an Authorized Representative and signer on the account.

Add Treasurer Rhett Cooper as an Authorized Signer.

Rhett Cooper seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously via email vote on October 13, 2025.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Donations, Sales, Auction Committee (DSAC) – Ray Kizer: At the Auction, September 20, 2025, ten bidders spent $1827.00 minus PayPal fees. Ray is working on the Holiday Party Auction. The latest donation was equipment that went into the shop.

Education Committee – Maggie Manley: There are 3 Silver Smithing classes and 2 wire wrapping classes available now. The classes are filling up. Ray may come to the Beading Section to sell some of the beaded donations.

Safety/Policy Committee – Rhett Cooper Shared a proposal with the Board from “Captain Cool 2 Star.” The contractor told Rhett that the ducts were covered in mold and dust. He commented that the ductwork we have has not been used in decades. They only provided a dollar amount without any details. They told Rhett the $14,899.05 included vents and A/C for the Air Abrasive room. There was no mention of the Lapidary shop. Nancy English and Ray Kizer told Rhett that the Board could not approve a proposal without specific details of the expenses. Secretary English will send Rhett an example of the proposals from Wood and Stone Remodeling, who did our rebuild of the Lapidary Shop and Silversmithing Shop in 2023. She suggested that Rhett ask them to look at the project. Nancy suggested that Rhett call Wood and Stone Remodeling.

Al Robb suggested that once the ducts are changed and improved, HGMS should be sure they are maintained. Nancy English agreed that our current HVAC company does not change the indoor filters and is unreliable about the quarterly maintenance visits.

Ray Kizer provided air conditioning for the Air Abrasive Room. It has a dehumidifier but needs a drip pan. Elliot Payne requested some dolomite. Rhett picked up the dolomite for the Air Abrasive equipment. Rhett Cooper picked it up for him because the company charged 3 times the price to ship it to HGMS.

Membership Committee: Sarah Metsa reported new and renewed memberships effective October 27, 2025.

Single Adult – 209

Couples – 60

Families – 21

Youths – 14

Students – 4

Lifetime members – 69.

Overall Members: Adults – 441 and Youths – 54.

Total membership 495

Volunteer Committee – Nancy English and Daniel Rodriguez

            Nancy English is resigning as the Volunteer Coordinator. HGMS will be advertising for a new Chairman. Nancy is writing a job description/task list calendar to help explain the job to interested volunteers. We are looking for someone who has better technical savvy than Nancy. Someone who can improve the volunteer sign-up process to make it less tedious. Scott Singleton and Nancy are approaching people. Nancy said she will miss the social aspect of the position: seeing so many repeat volunteers for the Show, working closely with the Show Committee leaders, and working with the dedicated HGMS people who make the Show run smoothly.

Scholarship Committee – Mike Sommers, Daniel Rodriguez, and Nancy English

• Nancy reported that she is resigning from the Scholarship Committee.
• Mike Sommers has 2 new members joining the Scholarship Committee.
• Ray Kizer asked if any of the scholarship winners were giving a program. Nancy said yes, although she does not know who.
• Nancy reminded the Board that we had enough money for five $2,500.00 scholarships in the fund. But we did not vote for the extra 2 until it was too late in the year. Next year we will give away five.
• For Al Robb’s benefit, Nancy explained where the extra scholarship money came from this year.
  • Al Smith authored a book dedicated to his wife and assigned the royalties to HGMS. The Board, at the time, decided to use the money when it reached $2,500. It did in 2025.
  • In 2024, a donor of a family rock collection donated $6,000 to the Scholarship fund.
  • It was difficult to verify the funds, so it was August before the Board voted to add two more scholarships. Too late for the fall semester.
  • Hopefully, those of you who will be on next year’s Board will remember this and add 5 scholarships to next year’s three permanent scholarships.

Show Committee – Scott Singleton: Nancy English, a member of the Show Committee, made the report.

• There are at least 90 shifts still to be covered out of 283 shifts at the Show. Nancy is surprised by the number of volunteers who have signed up so early. She is grateful to the people who have signed up for the whole weekend, like LT Wilcox, Frano Jacoby, Julius Albonetti, Sharon Halton, Matthew Sklar, and Sam Trelatsky, to name a few.
• The Dealers are all set. The Paleo Section turned in the new configuration for their booth, and the Show floor plan is ready.
• The movers need their $250.00 deposit to guarantee the move dates. Rhett Cooper will take care of it.
• Twelve volunteers attended the Postcard Labeling Party. Some volunteers arrived before 10:00 a.m. Maggie Manley suggested that the event be on Saturday next year to get more volunteers. Nancy complimented Beverly Mace on her meticulous routine of having all the labels in zip code order and cards counted out in exact numbers to match the number of labels. She makes sure the postcards are delivered to the post office in bulk mail order. We finished labeling at 12:15 p.m.
• Debbie Seid provided delicious Mexican food and brownies. This is Debbie’s last Postcard Labeling Party. She is resigning as Social Chairman for 2026. We will miss her good food and reliability. We are looking for a replacement as well.
• Ray Kizer will put the donated sifters to be used in the Dino Dig in the white cabinet in the office.

SECTION REPORTS

Beading Section – Maggie Manley, in person: second Saturday, noon to 3:00 p.m., October 11, November 8, December 13.

• Maggie will decide whether to cancel or reschedule the November meeting, since it conflicts with the Show.
• The Beading Retreat field trip to Camp Allen in Navasota, on September 11, 12, and 13, turned out great. Ten people attended. Everyone enjoyed it and were very complimentary about the event. The food was good. Next year, they will try to get fifteen to attend.
• Ray suggested that he go to a Beading Section meeting to sell the donated beaded jewelry he has for them.

Day Light Section – Linda Krzywicki, in person: first Wednesday, noon to 3:00 p.m., October 1, November 12, December 3 Holiday Party.

• Nancy English reported that Linda rescheduled the November 5 meeting for the 2^nd Wednesday on November 12, because the Show Committee needs to set up supplies for the movers in the main hall on the first Wednesday.
• Nancy English is the Treasurer of the Day Light Section. She is resigning from that position as well.

Gemstones and Faceting Section – Randy Carlson Zoom Hybrid: third Thursday, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., October 16, November 20, No December meeting.

• The Austin Gem and Mineral Society show, called Gem Capers, is having its 75^th Anniversary event on October 17, 18, and 19, 2025. They contacted Randy Carlson and asked if the Houston Gemstone and Faceting Section could do faceting demonstrations at their show. Randy and John Lee will be their guests over the weekend and demonstrate for them.
• The Section had 6 V-2 UltraTech machines. After realizing they were not using them all, Randy decided to sell 2 of them. He sold one to a new member. He found a buyer for the left-handed machine. After the sale of those, they will have $5,000. In their account.
• He has ordered $1,400 for parts to upgrade and repair the other 4 machines, which he will charge the club (plus shipping and handling).
• He will order a $1,025 digital head conversion unit for another machine (plus shipping and handling) and charge it to the club.
• Nancy will forward the sales tax exemption paperwork to Randy.

Lapidary and Silversmithing Section – Tony Lucci in person: third Monday, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., October 20, November 17, No December meeting.

• The new Treasurer, Stephen Wilkerson, was voted in during the October meeting. A new Board Representative is needed.
• We are all glad to see Richard Good at the meeting. He is still in isolation, healing from a liver transplant. He highly recommends the Methodist Hospital in the Houston Med Center.
• Richard Good is delivering tumbled stones to the club on October 8 for the Show.

Mineral Section – Steve Blyskal Zoom program planned: third Wednesday, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., October 15, November 19, December Holiday Party to TBD.

• Ray Kizer told Nancy English he would put the donated sifters for the Dino Dig in the white cabinet in the office.
• The next meeting will be about fluorite.

Paleo Section – Mike Dawkins, Jeanean Slamen, Ray Kizer in person: third Tuesday, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., October 21, November 18, No December Meeting.

• At the last meeting, they determined the configuration for the Paleo Booth at the Show.
• They will be selling Paleo books at the Show at a reduced price to reduce the inventory.
• They are also offering a free book to any new members who join HGMS at the Show.
• Ray will give a short program on the Ginkgo Petrified Forest in Washington state.

Youth Section– Beverly Mace in person: first and third Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. to Noon, October 4 & 18, November 1 & 15, December 6 Holiday Party.

OLD BUSINESS

Outreach for Rice University

• Sarah Metsa is not in attendance tonight, and this is her presentation. So, we will postpone it until next month.
• On Friday, September 12, 2025, she asked, “I’m not sure who to contact on this, but a new member is a student at Rice University, and he is keen to get more students enrolled at the club. Do we have anyone who visits college campuses for outreach?”

See his email below….

Hello – thank you again for giving me a tour of the HGMS lab! I’ve been thinking more about what I can do on campus now that I’ve settled into classes, and I was wondering if I could ask a quick question. I had a chat with the leadership of the current geosciences group, and I learned that they mostly just do social activities, so I’d likely want to start my own group. I’m thinking of maybe trying to purchase some simple hardware to use on campus for small lapidary projects, while encouraging students to join HGMS, to take larger projects to your lab, and to take your classes. Can I ask if the HGMS might have any outreach or student initiatives that could support this goal? I’m super busy this semester with other projects, but I thought I’d reach out and ask before I commit to starting a group on campus. In the meantime, I look forward to continuing to drop by the workshop myself and to attending HGMS meetings when I am able.

• Scott Singleton emailed: Thanks for the input, Sarah. Personally, my general opinion is that we should pursue any possibility of outreach to younger people due to the basic reason that they are the ones who will end up replacing us when we die off. Thus, I am more than happy to work with anyone in this regard, and I would suggest that others be open to this possibility as well. And as you know, I do have some contacts at Rice, so that is not entirely out of my area of interest.
• LT said once we get a layout for Rice, he could start talking it up to Houston City College (formerly Houston Community College) with expectations of an enthusiastic response. The students would be members of HGMS but could meet at HCC and have access to our shops.

SHU Affiliate club:

• Randy Carlson started a Rock and Gem Club at Sam Houston University with Dr. David Moss at the request of the curator of the Museum. Dr. Moss is a Geologist who did a program for HGMS at the 2024 General Meeting. Randy thought the club would be run by the university, but as it developed, there were too many bureaucratic, liability, and security issues for the university since it is for students and the local community of Huntsville. So, the curator asked that it be run as a separate organization. Randy assumes it would need 501c3 status.
• Randy thought maybe the Rock and Gem Club could become an affiliate Section of HGMS, taking advantage of the HGMS 501c3 status. The students would operate out of the SHU Nature Center on campus but would be paying members of HGMS starting in January 2026. The shop has 4 slab saws, a Covington grinder, vibrating laps, and faceting equipment donated by Pat Cockrell. Dr. Moss asked to limit the membership to 8 people to see how it works out.
• The equipment and building belong to SHU. Photo ID and contact information are required from anyone going into the museum. They sign in and out. Houston HGMS members would not be allowed to use the SHU shop. The university will cover the cost of the equipment and maintenance. The Rock and Gem Club will cover the cost of the consumables.
• SHU is offering to do this for a year on a trial basis. If it does not work out, HGMS can quit.
• Dues would start on January 1, 2026, at HGMS rates. Nancy English mentioned the new Student membership dues of $35.00 for people 18 to 26 years old.
• Nancy wanted to verify that SHU is liable for the building and equipment. Randy agreed.

Nancy also said that any member or person is covered by HGMS liability insurance when they enter the property at 10805 Brooklet. But we would not be covering members on the SHU property.

• Randy Carlson prepared a document explaining all this with the proposal for the Board to review before the November 4 Board meeting. He asked the Board to give him any feedback or questions before then.
• Al Robb asked how the Rock and Gem Club would pay for their consumables. Randy explained that the group is working on the Lone Star cut on stones to sell at local fairs on the campus to save money for consumables.
• Randy asked if HGMS would consider supporting the off-site Section with consumables. Rhett said that consumables for equipment owned by HGMS makes sense. But not for equipment owned by SHU. Randy agreed that it was fair.
• Nancy suggested that the SHU club members are paying dues to HGMS, don’t we owe them something? Ray said they are paying dues to use our shop and have all the other amenities available as a member. And the use of our 501c3.
• Nancy will forward Randy’s proposal to the Board. She encouraged the Board to diligently review it before the November 5 Board meeting.
• Al Robb said this University Section format could work well with Rice and HCC.
• Randy Carlson suggested a Board position that represented the university outreach.
• Rhett Cooper commented that establishing a Texas Educational network would allow students of geology and paleontology exposed to HGMS to have a broader understanding of what else can be done with their earth science degrees besides working in the oil and gas business.
• The SHU Club meets once a month on the 4^th Monday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The Nature Center is open 8:00 to 5:00 Monday through Friday. Randy was made an employee of SHU as a research analyst, so he is assigned a key to use the shop on weekends. Another student is applying for a key. Members sign up to use equipment for 4-hour stints.
• The main interest is faceting, but they have lapidary equipment, and the club is for both.
• Randy invited any Board members to visit the SHU location. LT expressed interest in a field trip to Huntsville.
• Ray Kizer suggested taking pictures of the HGMS shops for the other club to see.
• Moss asked for the club to be called the Huntsville Rock and Gem Club. Once approved, it will be called the Huntsville Rock and Gem Section of HGMS.

NEW BUSINESS

SCFMS Convention: Sigrid asked LT if Steve Blyskal could serve as the HGMS delegate, and he said yes. Steve can attend the meeting and speak about the state of the club. HGMS subsidizes some of the expenses. President Wilcox has signed the required approval for Steve Blyskal to represent HGMS in 2026.

Nominating Committee: Ray Kizer, Sigrid Stewart, Jeanean Slamen. Ray Kizer said they need more time. They sent emails to as many active members as they could find, explaining the need for the 3 officers. They included the Bylaws section explaining the Officer responsibilities. They are recruiting members to fill these Officer positions in 2026: President, 1^st Vice President, and Secretary. The goal is for the slate to be presented at the October 28 General Meeting and voted on in the November General Meeting.

Problem with General Meeting programs. Nancy English expressed her concern for the General Meeting programs and advertising. There were only 9 people at the August General meeting. By the time we got Zoom set up in September, only one person was online. Programs have been spotty and not advertised. Zoom connections are unreliable. After the September meeting, Nancy English reminded the 1^st Vice President that the programs and setup were the 1^st Vice President’s responsibility. No solutions.

2025 Holiday Party: Join HGMS members for the

HGMS Annual Holiday Potluck Dinner and Auction at the

Unitarian Fellowship of Houston Hall, 1504 Wirt Road, Houston, TX 77055

Saturday, December 13, at 6:00 PM

The meat, sodas, water, tea, and coffee will be provided.

You get to show off your favorite side dish or dessert.

The food is always good. You can bring food at 5:30.

This year, the Auction will be especially good due to some excellent donations.

We need volunteers to set up tables at 5:00 and decorate before the party.

 And after the party, people to re-set the sanctuary for Sunday’s service.

Contact Nancy English to volunteer and name your dish.

nancyjodi@aol.com

Scholarship Thank you letter: Skylin Bromonsky, a winner of a $2500 HGMS Scholarship, wrote a heartfelt Thank-you letter to HGMS. Rhett Cooper read it to the Board. Rhett will scan the letter for Sigrid Stewart to add to the BBG, for the Scholarship Chairman, Mike Sommers, to read, and to add to the minutes. Nancy English will ask Mike Sommers to encourage Skylin to apply for next year’s HGMS Scholarship, as well.

Meeting Calendar:

• The next Board of Directors Zoom meeting will be on the first Tuesday, Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m.
• The next General Meeting will be on the fourth Tuesday, October 28, at 7:30 p.m.

Adjourn: Nancy English moved to adjourn the meeting. Ray Kizer seconded the motion, and it passed. The meeting adjourned at 9:27 p.m.

1st Vice President Moffitt called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m. He welcomed 19 attendees: 18 in person and 1 online.

One guest introduced herself, Mari Vega, and her service dog, Dirk. She is interested in Lapidary.

Approval of Minutes: Secretary Nancy English was unable to get into Zoom to get the recording of the August meeting. She was on vacation during that meeting. She said she would get them done.

COMMITTEE/SECTION REPORTS

1st Vice President Moffitt invited Section Chairs and Standing Committee Chairs to make any additional announcements.

Donations, Sales, Auction Committee (DSAC): Ray Kizer reported that at the September 20, 2025, Auction, ten bidders spent $1827.00.

Show Committee: Scott Singleton/Sigrid Stewart: Met on September 9. Discussed floor plans, mailings, and got updates from each area.

Nancy English announced the need for volunteers for the Show POST CARD PARTY: The volunteers label 7000 postcards on Sunday, October 5, 10:00 to 12:00. Our own Debbie Seid will feed us. Volunteers should contact Nancy English at nancyjodi@aol.com.

Steve Blyskal reported that the Mineral Section had assembled 25 Rock Cycle Kits for teachers attending Kids Day at the Show.

The Paleo Section spent its meeting designing a new footprint for its booth at the Show.

Website Committee: Scott Singleton/Sigrid Stewart Nancy English reported that the issue with the @hgms addresses has been fixed. However, the links on the Contact Us page are not working.

The Paleo Section has been invited to make a presentation at the Clear Lake Library next summer.

OLD BUSINESS: No Old Business was discussed.

NEW BUSINESS

Nominating Committee

Ray Kizer announced the names of the 2025 Nominating Committee: Jeanean Slamen, Ray Kizer, and Sigrid Stewart. They will have a 2026 slate of officers for the October General Meeting. They will be looking for a new President, 1^st Vice President, and Secretary.

OUTREACH for Rice University

The Board is investigating an Outreach program for HGMS speakers to go to local colleges and universities. If anyone here would like to join this project, please contact Nancy English or Sarah Mesta.

The next Zoom Board of Directors meeting will be on Tuesday, October 1, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.

The next Hybrid General Meeting will be on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.

Show-n-Tell: 1st Vice President Moffitt asked presenters to limit items to three.

Steve Blyskal described Clyde McMean’s Barite specimen from Missouri, south of St. Louis. It is as dense as lead. Steve showed a leopard skin agate from Mexico.

Mari Vega showed a piece of calcite that has been in her family for generations. It displayed white, grey, clear, and red shades. Steve Blyskal said it was probably from Chihuahua, Mexico. It lights up under short-wave light.

Drawing: David Pawek won the amethyst plate.

Ray Kizer reminded everyone to make their final bids on the Silent Auction Items during the break. He will take payments after the program.

Steve Blyskal announced that Terry Smith is running rock hunts this fall. You must be a member of the Rolling Rock Club to sign up. Membership costs $10.00

Debbie Seid provided refreshments.

Feed the Kitty! Your donations go to offset the cost of the snacks.

Thank you to the volunteers who made tonight possible.

Thank you to the volunteers who make all of what HGMS has available.

Adjourn: James Eleckel moved to adjourn. Ray Kizer seconded it. The motion passed. The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.

NOVEMBER

November 1-2, Paleontological Society of Austin, Old Settler’s Heritage Association, https://www.austinpaleo.org/fest.html

November 1-2, Midland Gem & Mineral Show, Bush Convention Center, https://www.midlandgemandmineral.org/

November 7-9, Houston Gem & Mineral Show, Fri 9-6, Sat 9-6, Sun 10-5, Humble Convention Center, https://hgms.org/

November 8-9, Golden Spread Gem, Mineral and Treasure Society, Sat 9-6, Sun 10-5, Amarillo Convention Center

November 15-16, Fort Worth Gem & Mineral Club, Sat 9-5, Sun 10-4, Will Rogers Memorial Center,

https://www.fortworthgemandmineralclub.org/show.html

November 22-23, Dallas Gem & Mineral Society, Sat 9-6, Sun 10-5, Mesquite Convention Center, Mesquite, TX.  https://www.dallasgemandmineral.org/

DECEMBER

December 6-7, DeRidder Gem & Mineral Society, Sat 9-5, Sun 10-4, West LA Forestry Fair Grounds, Leesville, LA.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064473110778

Remember to check references for dates and details:

Local Shows, https://www.scfms.net/local_shows.htm

https://www.rockngem.com/ShowDatesFiles/ShowDatesDisplayAll.php?ShowState=ALL