THE BACKBENDER’S GAZETTE
Volume LV ----- Houston Gem & Mineral Society ----- April 2025
Older than Bones
Table of Contents
Click a Table of Contents Entry to jump to that article.
Permission to use material originating in this newsletter is given freely providing that credit is given to the author and the source. Articles published in the BBG is may be edited for grammar and content.
BACKBENDER’S GAZETTE SUBMISSION DEADLINES
Articles are due on the 15th day of the month before the posting of the BBG.
Email content and comments to editor@hgms.org
Club Information
Houston Gem & Mineral Society
Regional and National
American Federation of Mineralogical Societies
(AFMS) https://www.amfed.org
South Central Federation of Mineral Societies
(SCFMS) https://www.scfms.net
President's Message
by LT Wilcox
There is a lot going on behind the scenes and we have a lot planned for the next few months.
Vice-President's Message
by John Moffatt
The topic for the General Meeting talk will be posted when available.
Older than Bones
by Sigrid Stewart
“Life is old there, older than the trees”
From Take Me Home, Country Roads, by Taffy Nivert, Bill Danoff, and John Denver
The Appalachian Mountains are the some of the oldest mountains on Earth, dating back to the Mesoproterozoic era 1.2 billion years ago. Two or more ancient continental cratons, relics of an even earlier supercontinent, collided as a result of continental drift, and formed the theorized supercontinent Rodinia. Pieces of these cratons, lighter continental crust floating on oceanic crust, remain as identifiable terranes from Laurentia (the ancient North American craton) and at least one African craton in the Appalachians. As Rodinia was “assembled” from these pieces, a mountain-building event called the Grenville Orogeny began to raise the Appalachians. The oldest formations are Precambrian rocks, and include metamorphosed igneous and sedimentary rocks formed during this orogeny. According to the ROCKD App, one of these formations is a Megacrystic Biotite Gneiss, with megacrysts of microcline and quartz, mica schist, and amphibolite, between 1 billion and 485 million years in age
Sometime before 540 million years ago, biogenic limestone formation began and added its contribution to the existing inorganic erosion of rocks into sandstones, shales and mudstones. All these sediments began to build up along both sides of the Appalachians as the mountains were worn down. These geologic formations, more than 500 million years old, were added to the crystalline core of these mountains, and are older than the evolution of bones in animals, older than trees.
Rodinia broke up about 540 million years ago, and between 325 million to 260 million years ago, another supercontinent, Pangea, began to come together. Pangaea is a hypothetical protocontinent proposed by Alfred Wegener in 1912 as part of his theory of continental drift. He noted that if you considered North America, South America, Europe, and Africa as puzzle pieces, they could be moved to fit together. Researchers today continue to attempt to piece together the geological evolution of the Earth by matching geologic formations and fossils across continents and by radiometric dating of geologic formations. Generally, geologists agree that supercontinent formation and breakup is cyclic and controls major climate variations like ice ages.
The collision of the North American craton (which was then part of a combination Europe and American supercontinent) and the African craton (then part of a supercontinent called Gondwona) resulted in the Alleghenian Orogeny; the vast pressures caused folding and faulting that compressed North American rocks and made the Appalachians rise again and also created the Allegheny Mountains. Once they were probably as tall as the Rockies, but with time have again been reduced by erosion.
https://carnegiescience.edu/news/one-supercontinents-different-others-its-rodinia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alleghanian_orogeny
https://volcano.oregonstate.edu/pangaea-present-lesson-2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiometric_dating
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of_the_Appalachians
Section News
Beading – Second Saturday, 12:00 PM
- At the April 12th meeting, Joanne Koonce-Hamar will teach us to make Tubular Bead Crochet Focals with your beads in the size and pattern of your choosing using C-Lon thread. This focal can be incorporated into bracelets or necklaces. Most important is to bring a crochet hook between 1mm and 1.4mm (sizes vary by brand so look at the mm). Bring your own 8/0 or 6/0 seed beads for this project. You will need a large tube of 2 or 3 colors. Accents can be 3mm or 4mm bicones, round beads or fire-polish beads in contrasting colors. The beads need to have a hole big enough to fit on the C-Lon thread, which is why we are using 8/0 or 6/0 size beads in lieu of 11/0 ones. We have a huge selection of colored threads for your creations that will coordinate with any of your beads for this project.
- Check out this video by Ann Benson. Drag it forward to minute 2:25 where she starts showing how to do the stitch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXpXqde-PKY&list=PLsMvzUMH-euXpxB_902MV270gzbWEztMN&index=1 - At our last meeting, we held a session to finish up old projects.
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 – Second Thursday, 6:30 PM
Our next meeting will be April 10th at 6:30 pm.
- Topic to be announced
Learn more about the Gemstones and Faceting Section here.
Lapidary and Silversmithing – Third Monday, 7:00 PM
The next meeting will be on April 21st starting at 7:00 pm.
- We will be exploring dinosaur bone. This will be a Hands-On Workshop I will have enough for everyone -we will be cutting and polishing. also -we will show repairing, epoxy sealing and working using the vacuum method to get the glue to pull into the Rock . Make sure you bring your pieces, slabs or work that you’ve done to show the group. Last month we did a silversmithing flower in which we had a big turnout and a lot of fun. See the photos. We will also have jade to work on.
- Last month we made silver flowers.
Email Lapidary@hgms.org if you have questions, and check out the Lapidary and Silversmithing Section page.
Day Light – First Wednesday, 12:00
The next meeting of the Daylight Section is Wednesday, April 2nd at Noon.
- The April project is a beaded necklace using beads from the Daylight cabinet. I have pulled out some of the good stuff from our bead supply- a selection of silver, stone and freshwater pearl beads. The fee is $5.00.
You will have the opportunity to design your own necklace from the beads available. If you have a cabochon, pendant or dangle that needs a necklace, bring it with you. It can be a starting point for your project. ecklace, bring it with you. It can be a starting point for your project. (As with the finished design). There are a limited number of silver wire wrap clasps available. - Last month, the section met to create silver, stone and pearl necklaces. Whether working from a kit, or creating their necklace from a large selection of beads, everyone had a good time.
Paleontology – Third Tuesday, 7:30 PM Topic to be announced.
The next meeting is Tuesday, April 15th at 7:30 pm.
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.
Mineral – Third Wednesday, 7:30 PM
The next meeting will be on April 16th starting at 7:30 pm.
- We will continue our series of reviews of common minerals which people can collect on their own. In April we will discuss Pyrite, its common forms and locations, and show lots of examples.
- There will be snacks and a door prize. We will also show recently acquired minerals from North Carolina.
- In March we showed many specimens of calcite, and covered the principal properties of calcite.
Email mineral@hgms.org if you have questions, and check out the Mineral Section page.
Youth, First and Third Saturdays, 10:00am – 12:00pm
This month’s meetings will be April 5th and 19th.
Mostly we will work on cabochons. Children must be accompanied by parents.
Education
Class: CABS 101
Location: HGMS Clubhouse, 10805 Brooklet Drive, Houston, TX 77099, Center Classroom/Lapidary Shop
Instructor: Sharon Halton
Cost: Member Cost $65.00; Non-Member Cost $85.00
Minimum: 3-students; Maximum: 5-
NOTE: Students must be at least 15 years old (exception with approval of instructor ONLY)
TWO DATES AVAILABLE IN APRIL AND MAY:
· Monday, April 21 from 10 to 2pm
· Monday, May 19 from 10 to 2pm
This class includes a discussion of how to create cabochons and examples of cabs in various stages of development. Sharon Halton, Shop Manager, will provide each student with a pre-cut, preformed, and dopped cabochon to shape while their chosen slab is curing from the dopping process. Students will select a slab and learn how to use a template to outline the cab shape and use the trim saw to roughly shape the cabochon outline. Each student will leave with 2-cabochons and the knowledge to finish them, if they have not completed them in class. Students will learn the best way to use the equipment in the Lapidary Shop so that they can work semi-independently and confidently in the shop afterwards with oversight from Shop Managers. This class is highly recommended for those wishing to utilize the Lapidary Shop.
Registration will open on our website this week.
To register go to: wwww.HGMS.org; Click on Education Tab; Click on Classes and current classes will be listed. Pay online with PayPal or any credit card.
BEGINNING ENAMEL PENDANT – April 16th – April 17th
Deborah Kirkpatrick will teach the fundamentals of vitreous enameling in this two-day class. Skills
include metal preparation, sifting, wet-packing and counter enameling. We will be transferring the
image of a simple sunflower and filling it with colors using both transparent and opaque enamels. We
will also cover attaching glass balls to the enamel and applying a black outline to refine the piece.
DATES: This is a 2-day class starting on Wed., April 16th continuing on Thurs., April 17th
TIME: from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM with a short break for lunch each day
LOCATION: HGMS METALSMITH SHOP AT CLUBHOUSE
COST: Member cost $225.00; Non-Member Cost $250.00
MINIMUM class size is 4; MAXIMUM class size is 6
MATERIALS INCLUDED: Enamels, copper blank, a very small liner brush and all other equipment
will be provided, along with an inexpensive bezel setting for the finished enamel.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
1. Students must wear cotton clothing and closed-toe shoes
2. Students must bring an N-95 particles mask
3. Students must bring small craft paint brushes such as:
https://www.michaels.com/
necessities-10171138?com_id=
https://www.hobbylobby.com/
set/p/64228?queryId=
Deborah Kirkpatrick is a former Artist in Residence at the Center for Contemporary Crafts, SNAG, HMAG,
Textured Stacking Rings – April 6
Learn to make and texture a set of stacking rings from scratch. This class is appropriate for the
beginning silversmith or for expanding one’s knowledge of basic ring making. The class will
cover creating rings and the fundamentals of finishing a piece (the key to making it look
professional). Each student will leave with 1-2 rings.
- 5 hour class (12:00 – 5:00pm)
- Max 6 students, min 3
- Cost – $96/student (member); $120/student (nonmember)
- Students will learn to
o Calculate length needed for ring size
o Form & solder ring band
o Polishing & finishing
o Texturing using various tools - Materials provided by instructor; tools provided by HGMS
- Class is to be held in clubhouse Jewelry Studio. Will overlap open studio hours but will
extend into after hours. - Students must bring a mask (N95 or KN95) – this is to protect your lungs from metal
dust
Twisted Hoop Earrings – April 27
Learn to make a pair of twisted hoop earrings from scratch! This class is appropriate for the beginning silversmith or for expanding one’s knowledge of basic silversmithing.
The class will cover the fundamentals of creating twists in square wire, forming hoops, andsoldering earring posts. All pieces will be in sterling silver. Each student will leave with a pair of
hoop earrings in the size of their choice (up to 5.5” length total).
- 4-hour class (12:00 – 4:00pm)
- Max 6 students, min 4
- Cost – $98/student (HGMS members); $120/student (non-members)
- Tool rental is included
- Class is to be held in clubhouse Jewelry Studio
- We will discuss how to use these techniques to make other hoop earrings (simple or
with twisted wire)
In addition to our formal classes, some sections have additional training for members. The Gemstones and Faceting Section has classes to learn to use faceting machines, and members of the section can arrange to check out a machine to work on. Most lapidary skills need a combination of “book learning’ and hands-on training, and then you must practice the skills you have gained to reinforce your familiarity with the faceting machine or cabbing grinding machine in order to really get into the hobby.
Here, Quentin Boyer is shown working in the clubhouse on one of the Section’s machines. The photo shows a dopped amethyst pre-form that he is faceting.
Other training is more informal. In the Mineral Section, we bring in specimens of different minerals to give people the ability to handle minerals and crystals, weigh them in their hands and see them up close. Sometimes we demonstrate testing protocols to identify minerals. The Paleo Section does the same thing with various fossils, and the Lapidary Section alternates between lapidary and silversmithing projects. Beading and Day Light Sections also have hands-on projects.
Road Trip to Hickory, North Carolina
by Sigrid Stewart
A couple of months ago, Don Shurtz, President of the South Central Federation of Mineral Societies, of which HGMS is a member, suggested I attend the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies Convention in Hickory, North Carolina, March 28-30. I asked my husband Steve if he would like to go with me, and he responded with a smile, “Road Trip!” We mapped it out; while I had driven through Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia as a child, I had never been to Tennessee or North Carolina. Time to correct that!
We allowed 3 days to get to Hickory in time for the AFMS meeting on Thursday afternoon. We thought we would take the southern route first, driving to Slidell and then heading north to Jackson. Baton Rouge nearly defeated us with a terrible traffic jam during rush hour and we ended up staying in Slidell instead. The next day, to make it in time, we needed to make put in more hours on the road. On through Louisiana and Mississippi. In the northern half of Mississippi, we started see red bud trees blooming, and after that they were everywhere. After Birmingham, Alabama, we were into the Appalachian Mountains, where there were even more red buds and also maple trees blooming. We cut through the northwest corner of Georgia into Tennessee. Once again, we managed to hit a city with difficult traffic patterns at rush hour, and as we twisted and turned our way through Chattanooga to avoid another huge traffic jam, I began to feel nostalgic for Houston traffic, which is spread over 3 loop systems and sensible diagonal freeways! Chattanooga reminded us of Austin.
Leaving Knoxville early the next morning we headed east on I-40 and observed first-hand the terrible destruction wrought by flooding of the Pigeon River when Hurricane Helene struck the area last September. Only one lane each way was open in the worst-hit areas with construction equipment everywhere. Giant rocks and logs still filled some parts of the river. We passed quickly through Asheville, which was devastated by the flooding, to reach the Hickory Convention Center in time for the AFMS Convention meeting on Thursday.
There is a report on the AFMS Convention meeting held on Thursday afternoon later in this issue. I also attended a meeting for the Scholarship Committee. On Friday evening we had dinner with Chris and Theresa Peek, former members of HGMS and vendors at our show, who were vendors at the Catawba Valley Show. The Catawba Valley is in the western Piedmont area of North Carolina and the Catawba Valley Gem & Mineral Club, organized in 1969, is in Hickory, North Carolina north of Charlotte. Due to their location close to the Appalachian Mountains, they are blessed with numerous opportunities for field trips. They can hunt for ruby at Probst Farms nearby, for garnets at the Little Pine Garnet Mine in Madison County, for emeralds at the Ray Mica Mine in Yancy County, and for Kentucky Geodes and Arkansas quartz. I learned that the town of Hickory is famous for furniture! The hardwoods of the Appalachians probably played a starring role in that industry.
Their show is smaller than the HGMS show, but still quite interesting, with 38 vendors. We found some terrific North Carolina specimens there – beat T-shirts for souvenirs! During their show, they hosted the annual conventions of both the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS) and the Eastern Federation of Mineral and Lapidary Societies (EFMLS).
On Saturday there were other activities for the AFMS Convention, notably the Editors’ Breakfast and the Juniors Cracker Barrel. I did not attend the EFMLS meetings; probably should have!
On the return leg of our North Carolina trip, we left Hickory and drove west through rain toward Asheville, North Carolina. On the outskirts we stopped at the Appalachian Folklore Center to look at fascinating handmade craft items. At the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitors center south of Asheville, NC, a volunteer told Steve about some of the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene and showed him pictures illustrating the damage caused by 30 inches of rain. There were 100 mph winds on top of Mt. Pisgah nearby; over a million trees were lost; all the roads blocked by downed trees. On the Blue Ridge Parkway alone there were over 3000 landslides. Many sections remain closed today. The road to the local reservoir was destroyed, so that they had no water in the immediate area for a month. The winds took out the cell towers so that people had no immediate way to know how bad the destruction was or how far the damage extended, except for AM and ham radio.
After touring the Visitors Center, we drove a short open section of the Blue Ridge Parkway into Asheville for lunch and a look at the town. We had planned to drive up into Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but the rain started up again, making driving in the Park look like a bad idea. I also had the thought that the park probably deserved a more than a passing glance.
Instead, we took Highway 74 south with a short detour into the town of Cherokee. There were (I thought) too many billboards, but many other signs were in both English and the Cherokee Script invented by Sequoyah, a Cherokee American polymath. The drive through the mountains was beautiful all the way back to Chattanooga.
Crossing the flood plain of the Mississippi from Vicksburg to Monroe.
The next day we drove to through Alabama to Vicksburg, Mississippi, on the banks of the Mississippi River. When we left in the morning, we drove through the flood plain of the river for an hour. After passing through Shreveport on the Red River we turned south to travel through East Texas to return home. What a wonderful big country we live in!
Shop and Building News
On Wednesdays the shop hours will be extended to 10am to 8pm until further notice. This gives people a chance to come in after work in the middle of the week! Thanks to Sam Trelansky.
David says don’t break anything! Right now, he’s caught up on needed maintenance.
David Pawek rebuilt the Highland Park 20-inch saw, replacing all the worn and broken parts.
John Cooper fixed the carriage on the Texaco saw, then David cleaned out the tub, poured the oil in a filter to clean it for reuse, but putting clean new oil in the Texaco.
In normal operation, all the gunk settles to the bottom, so the blade essentially passes through clean oil. The oil in your car is filtered by the oil filter and doesn’t settle. Eventually it breaks down from heat. Not the mineral oil in our saws, although it must be filtered occasionally, and eventually, the rock flour must be cleaned out.
On the cabbing grinders, David has replaced bearings, and some of the worn-out soft resin wheels.
On the trim saws, he has replaced blades, bearings and one motor.
Our machines are old, so they need constant maintenance. We also need people to be careful with the equipment we have. David is still experimenting with resurfacing and has done one 8000 grit wheel the way that Neal Immega did, but he did say some wheels must be replaced because they are too torn up to repair. And they are expensive! So don’t push hard on the resin wheels, folks, and don’t stick sharp rock corners into them, either. Let the wheel or the saw do the work. Too much pressure will break things.
Bench Tips
See More of my Smart Solutions for Jewelry Making Series
http://amazon.com/dp/
TAPERED REAMERS
A tool you don’t see often these days is a tapered reamer. It’s not a tool you’ll use everyday, but they’re particularly useful for making an irregular hole round or for enlarging a hole to an exact diameter. For example, the small set in the yellow pouch is for holes in the range of 0.3mm to 2.5mm. They are great for sizing a tube to fit a hinge pin. Other times when I’m drilling a hole for riveting and can’t find the exact size drill, I simply drill the holes with a slightly smaller bit and enlarge them with a reamer until the wire just fits.
For larger hole sizes in sheet metal up to 14 ga, I really like the reamer with the black handle. It makes quick work of sizing holes from about 3mm to 12mm. You can find them in well-equipped hardware stores.
You may never use the large diameter reamers, but when sawing out some rings from 4mm thick sheet, I found they worked well for rounding and sizing the hole.
It’s important to understand the risks in using a torch to make jewelry inside the home. For fuel gasses, my preference is to use only the small disposable Propane tanks. That avoids any possible problems with the fire marshal, with your landlord, or with your insurance company. Note that you can get an adapter to refill these tanks outside from your BBQ propane tank.
For oxygen, I used to use the high pressure tanks, but I don’t like the risk of transporting them for refills. My gas supplier wouldn’t even load them into the car for me because they didn’t want the liability.
A better choice is to get an oxygen concentrator. Search the want-ads for a good bargain. Got mine for $300. The units put out about 5psi and will run a Smith Little Torch very nicely. No regulator is needed. Look for units with under 5-7000 hours of operation.
Auction and Sale May 17th
On May 17th at 2:00pm, we will have another Donation Auction at the clubhouse. Ray Kizer will be sending photos of specimens, so be on the lookout.
Field Trip News
Short notice! PALEO FIELD TRIP Saturday, April 12, 2025
EMERALD RIDGE MINERAL HUNT Sunday April 13th, 2025
Frank Roberts, owner of Baringer Hill Minerals has announced a mineral dig date at his Emerald Ridge prospect in Mason County. These are the best opportunities currently available to hunt for Topaz and many other minerals, including the site’s namesake green fluorite. Bring all your own digging and sifting equipment, sun protection, food, and drink. Frank is very knowledgeable and will help you ID your finds.
Meet at 8am on the Mason Square to sign in and pay. $50 per digger.
Depart via caravan at 8:30 am sharp!
There will be no one to wait for stragglers and cell service is non-existent at the dig site. If you miss the caravan you miss the dig.
Willow Creek Cafe and other restaurants are available for pre-dig and post-dig dining.
Plenty of lodging too if you would like to make it a weekend of exploring. Need more visitor info? Check here:https://masontx.org
AFMS Convention
President J. C. Moore worked with the Treasurer and President Elect on the preparation of the budget and reports that all seven regions have scheduled their own conventions. President-Elect Ronna Watkins has served as president-elect alongside J.C. Moore and is in the process of reaching out to each chairperson and getting to know them better. Secretary Donna Moore reports that the minutes of the 2024 AFMS Annual Meeting held in Ventura, California, were included in the September issue of the AFMS Newsletter.
CFMS has almost a hundred (98) Societies/Clubs, with approximately 7,534 members. Earth Science programs continues at Camp Paradise in Northern California. It is a great program where Rockhounds and Artisans alike can go and learn new Lapidary Art skills.
Several of the Regional Federations reported that some clubs have not paid dues. They also report that they are switching to or planning to switch to digital newsletters, as is the AFMS.
The Rocky Mountain Federation, which includes Kansas and Oklahoma, reported that they had a great Convention in Oklahoma City this year and are planning this year’s convention in Grand Junction in September.
The Eastern Federation reports strong interest and better insurance for members hunting in mines and quarries. Their federation donated to the recovery process for the Wildacres retreat, a great place for lapidary programs.
The Southeast Federation is doing well; one of their Georgia clubs has over 1000 members.
Don Shurtz reported that the South-Central Federation of Mineral Societies (includes HGMS) was struggling, but things are looking up As of January 1, 2025, we have 28 clubs with 3194 adult and junior members. We are still working with 5 clubs to determine if they would like to rejoin the SCFMS. We need to emphasize the advantages for remaining with SCFMS.
The 2024 SCFMS convention was held in conjunction with the Dallas Gem & Mineral Society at the Mesquite Convention Center in November last year. Our officers were in the middle of their two-year term so that no election of officers was required. We discussed whether our annual meeting should be changed to electronic rather than in-person, assuming that if we changed to an electronic meeting, we would still designate a yearly club show for competitive case competitions. We must of course encourage competitive case competition – this year, there were no competitive cases, and competitive case remain a big issue for the HGMS. District II Vice President (SE TX) is still vacant; can we get anyone in our area to serve in this important position?
The SCFMS endowment fund received a boost; The Pine Country Gem and Mineral Society closed operations in December 2023 and elected to donate the proceeds from the sale of their clubhouse to the SCFMS Endowment Fund and the AFMS Scholarship Foundation. The Scholarship program is in good shape, but we need more participation. For 2025, the Austin Gem and Mineral Society (G&MS) will host the SCFMS convention and annual meeting. The Austin Gem and Mineral Society is celebrating its 75 th anniversary. Their show (Gem Capers) will be on October 17 -19, 2025.
Junior Programs are doing well. There is a new 21st badge, for the AFMS Future Rockhounds of America (FRA) badge program. More on that below. The website, www.juniors.amfed.org, continues to spread the word about the FRA programs. The goal is to reach clubs that already have a junior’s program but are not signed up with FRA and to encourage clubs without a junior’s program to start one. A newsletter, Crack the News, has had 5 issues. They recommend turning the juniors loose on some Club activities and problems! Harness that youthful energy!
There are many other activities like training for Judges for competitive cases. Former member Ron Carmen, now an Austin GMS member, and upcoming 4th VP for the AFMS, participates in case judging. Programs Competition is for developing new educational activities. The resources of the AFMS are available to help our clubs!
After the Editors Breakfast, we had a Juniors Cracker Barrel. What’s that, I asked? It is modeled on the old General Stores where people sit around and talk by the pickle barrel and pot-bellied stove. More talks and presentations! There was an excellent one on the 21st badge, Sand and Sediment, with an explanation on collecting sand, with a cool way to store and display specimens. There was also an Earth Science Dessert exercise, where participants used Oreos to demonstrate tectonic plates, pudding for landslides, other tasty items for sediment or lava or meteorites or precipitation, and occasional shouts of “Earthquake” to mix it all up.
All in all, the convention experience was very positive and I came away determined to use our AFMS resources to strengthen all our clubs in the SCFMS.
HGMS Board of Directors Meeting
Meeting Minutes for March 25, 2025 - no meeting!
| Board Member | Section Board Member | ||
| X | President – LT [Logan] Wilcox [LT} | X | Beading – Maggie Manley [MM] |
| X | 1st Vice President – Jeanean Slamen [JS] | X | Day Light – Fred Brueckner [FB] |
| X | 2nd Vice President – Sarah Metsa [SM] | X | Gemstones & Faceting – Randy Carlson [RC] |
| X | Treasurer – Sharon Halton [SH] |
X | Lapidary & Silversmithing – Richard Good [RG] |
| X | Secretary – Nancy English [NE] | X | Mineral – Ray Kizer [RK] |
| X | Paleontology – Mike Dawkins [MD] | ||
| X | Web & Show – Scott Singleton [SS] |
There was no Board meeting in March.
HGMS General Meeting Minutes
Minutes for March 25, 2025
by Nancy English
Vice President, John Moffitt called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m.
Eighteen people attended in person.
MOTION: Nancy English moved to suspend the business meeting until after the Program. Sarah Metsa seconded the motion, and it passed.
Vice President John Moffitt introduced new member and speaker, Jerome Ramone. His program: “View from Beginning of Rock Hounding.” Jerome is a former military person. He
works for the US Postal Service now. He joined HGMS because he found interesting rocks in the river near his home on the Brazos.
After the program, John Moffitt introduced Show-n-Tell.
Nancy Fischer described her urban field trip to Whiskey Creek with Dean Wix and Matthew Sklar. She found palm wood and a large fusulinida fossil – a fossil of many small animals. She
also showed two cabs Bob Fischer polished years ago, an agate and a copper mineral. Recently, Dean Wix did the silver work on them.
David Fitzhugh showed his collections from Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa. Many of the African pieces were mined by individuals on their own property. Now the
government insists on buying all the rocks and minerals at the government’s price. He also had specimens he and his kids collected from mines in Mexico. He offered all for sale. He left
giveaways on the free table.
Secretary, Nancy English called the business meeting to order at 8:15 p.m.
Approval of Minutes:
MOTION: John Moffitt moved to approve the minutes of the February 25, 2025, General Meeting as published in the March 2025 BBG and posted in the March 23, 2025, weekly Event
Blast. Sarah Mets seconded the motion, and it passed.
Membership: Sarah Metsa did not have new membership numbers for us. She was ill before and after her trip to Paris, so she was unable to complete the report.
Donations, Sales, Auction Committee (DSAC): Ray Kizer The next auction is tentatively set for Saturday, May 17, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. at the HGMS Clubhouse.
OLD BUSINESS
Library News: LT will bring back the books on gold mining in April, so members have a second chance to pick from the ones taken out of the library last year before going with Clyde to their
forever homes.
Bylaws: The Board did not meet in March, so the Bylaws did not get finished. We will work on them in April.
Shop News: We need shop foremen for the 3rd and 4th Saturdays in April. We always need people to fill in. John Moffitt said if you want to volunteer for any shifts, even one, contact him.
NEW BUSINESS
Shop News: David Pawek said he has been repairing the shop equipment for months. As of right now, everything is working! Thank you, David.
Thank you, James Eleckel, for the new HGMS sign on the door. He made it.
The next Zoom Board of Directors meeting will be on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
The next Hybrid General Meeting will be on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. Chris Garvie will present information on the Complete History of Paleontology.
Drawing: John Moffitt won the tiger eye dish.
Nancy English asked for new members to introduce themselves. She pointed out Kaleb Kaufman, He is not a new member, but this is his first General Meeting.
Secretary English reminded attendees:
Debbie Seid provided refreshments, be sure to thank her.
Feed the Kitty! Your donations go to offset the cost of the snacks.
Please thank the volunteers who made tonight possible. Thank the volunteers who make all of what HGMS is available.
Adjourn: Sarah Metsa moved to adjourn. Nancy Fischer seconded the motion, and it passed.
The meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m.
Upcoming Shows
Southwest Gem & Mineral Society
63rd Annual Fiesta of Gems
04/05/2025 – 04/06/2025, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-4
Morris Center @ Joe Freeman Coliseum
475 AT&T Center Parkway Gate E
Contact Kitty via email: Kitty.swgms@gmail.com
Chihuahuan Desert Gem & Mineral Club 34th Annual Show
04/18/2025 – 04/20/2025, Fri. 9-6, Sat. 9-6, Sun. 10-4
Alpine Civic Center, 801 West Holland Ave
Showcasing Jaspers & Agates of the Big Bend!
Contact Lisa Nix via email: rocksofalpine@gmail.com
Texas Mineral and Fossil Show
04/25/2025 – 04/27/2025
Fort Worth Gem and Mineral Club Annual Show
05/24/2025 – 05/25/2025, Sat. 9-5, Sun. 10-4
Will Rogers Memorial Center/Roundup Inn, 3401 W Lancaster
Contact Glenda Bradley via email: fwgmc.info@gmail.com
fortworthgemandmineralclub.org