THE BACKBENDER’S GAZETTE

About Us

Upcoming Meetings and Events

Calendar

Officers and Contact Information

Happy New Year! I wish everyone the healthiest, happiest, and most prosperous year ahead.

I appreciate the opportunity to serve HGMS as President in 2023. I realized long ago that I am only as good as the people I work with. I want to tell you about what the 2022 Board has accomplished.

The 2022 Board of Directors consisted of the officers: Nancy English—President; Sarah Metsa—1^st Vice President; Beverly Mace—2^nd Vice President (and Youth Section Chair); Michele Marsal—Treasurer; Sharon Halton—Secretary; Sigrid Stewart—Past President; and the Section Representatives: Maggie Manley—Beading; Fred Brueckner—Day Light; Randy Carlson—Gemstones and Faceting; Richard Good—Lapidary and Silversmithing; Ray Kizer—Mineral; Mike Dawkins—Paleo.

Accomplishments by the Board of Directors:

—We put Covid in our rearview mirror and opened the shops and Clubhouse for classes and in-person Section meetings We set up hybrid General Meetings with Zoom attendance as well as in-person.

—Our 2022 Treasurer implemented our first Annual Report.

—We updated our Bylaws to add a Dog policy and better define our rules of conduct section. We updated the Bylaws in November to redefine the quorum requirements and to let the President vote on all issues.

—We had the building painted.

—We hired C & S Janitorial to clean the public areas once a week.

—The parking lot lights got fixed and the outdoor camera was fixed.

—We had new electric EXIT signs for the clubhouse installed.

—We established the Safety and Policy Committee to make improvements to the building and the way we use it.

—We established the Clubhouse Committee to absorb some of the many jobs Neal Immega has taken care of for 25 years. In September, Neal officially relinquished his responsibilities for the Lapidary Shop equipment repair and Clubhouse maintenance. At the 2022 Annual Holiday Party we honored Neal’s 25 years with a 10-inch bowl etched (by James Eleckel) on the bottom with the HGMS logo and this sentiment: In honor of 25 years of maintaining the shops and libraries while educating, training, and mentoring HGMS members.

Neal will continue to be the Librarian for the General Library and the Paleo Library.

Accomplishments by the Committees:

—Clubhouse Committee: Now our members can leave a note on the dry mark boards or email “maintenance@HGMS.ORG”. FOR Anything that needs replacement, repair, or supply purchases for the clubhouse or shops and the central classroom. Logan Wilcox and Richard Good repair equipment. Dean Wix takes care of all other things at Clubhouse.

—Donations, Sales, Auction Committee (DSAC): Chairman Michele Marsal and her committee Richard Good and Fred Brueckner did a stellar job in 2022 netting $8,000 after expenses for their hard work. Michele is stepping away in 2023. Please contact me if you are interested in chairing this committee.

—Education Committee: Maggie Manley has guided several returning teachers and some new teachers to run successful classes this year. Her innovative ideas to have classes at the Show and the Santa’s Workshop classes in December have expanded the education footprint. Maggie implemented bi-level pricing for classes in 2022 for a one-year trial period. Non-members can take our classes but pay a higher fee.

—Safety/Policy Committee: I am the Chairman of this dynamic committee. Thanks to Michele Marsal, our project manager, and her tireless work we have the momentum to tackle the hard stuff. The easy things we completed this year include the EXIT signs, cleaning company, interviewing contractors, defining the scope of the project, and organizing the first step toward starting the work.

—Publicity Committee: Sarah Metsa has produced our Sunday e-blasts all year long and has agreed to continue in 2023. Send your requests to put info in the weekly e-blast to NEWS@HGMS.ORG

—Scholarship Committee: Mike Sommers successfully campaigned for three $2500 scholarships given this year and going forward. With the help of Daniel Rodriguez, they solicited twelve applicants in 2022. That’s a record since I joined the Board 10 years ago.

—School Collections Committee: Steve Blyskal spearheads this group that prepares mineral sample kits to give schools. This year he and other members of the Mineral Section put together 25 new Rock Cycle kits for the Annual Show.

—Show Committee: Scott Singleton and his committee of 11 dedicated members worked all year long to create the foundation for our successful Show in November creating the major portion of the HGMS annual Revenue.

—Website Committee: Also chaired by Scott Singleton meets monthly to upgrade and create our Web Site, hgms.org. Sigrid Stewart is the award-winning editor of the Back Benders Gazette, and she will continue that in 2023. She was awarded first prize for the BBG newsletter by the SCFMS.

2023 Officers, Bod Members, Committee Chairmen changes

—Heidi Shelley is our new Secretary. Heidi brings organization and leadership to this position.

—Debbie Seid is the new Social Chairman. She will provide the refreshments for the General Meetings starting in February. At the Holiday Party, I mentioned that I needed a Social Chairman to organize the parties she volunteered to do that and the monthly refreshments.

—Clyde McMeans: Our accomplishments would not be complete without acknowledging Clyde McMeans for all the unsolicited work he does for the club. I am grateful for his willingness to run any errand, for his ideas, and for work to improve the Clubhouse and the Show. He will continue to haul our trailer to and from Porter, and repair anything that he decides, “just needed it.” Thank you, Clyde.

—Michele resigned as Treasurer and Donations Chairperson. Contact me at president@hgms.org to visit about those positions. Michele will continue to do the bookkeeping for the Club to support the new Treasurer.

We have a lot happening next year. I welcome anyone interested in joining the Board and the Committees. There are always opportunities to give some time or a lot of time to the Club.

I am the Volunteer Coordinator. I need help with the Show volunteer scheduling in October and November. I also answer the phone for the Club. I direct calls to the correct sections and committees through email and text. I need a well-informed person to take this over in 2023.

We always need program ideas or speakers for our General meetings. Travel logs about vacation/field trips are always well received.

Come be a part of this great society in 2023. Volunteer or take advantage of the equipment and training that are available.

Sincerely

Nancy English,

President and Volunteer Coordinator

Tuesday January 24, 2023 – the General Meeting presentation by Sarah Metsa will be about the fossils, gems, minerals that were discovered in 2022

·       Business Meeting starting at 7:30 pm.

·       Program begins 15 minutes after Business Meeting ends.

This is a hybrid meeting. To join virtually, please click this Zoom link:

Zoom Link – Join us Virtually

Life is all about change and although the pace of change can leave you dizzy, new opportunities and technology must be embraced. In the past couple of years we have gone to an online only newsletter, and now our newsletter is changing again.

Many organizations now produce a blog- or post-style newsletter. This allows for greater integration with the parent websites and streamlines writing by avoiding duplication of information. For instance, rather than printing Club Officers’ names in the newsletter, we include a link to that information. The Calendar is a link to our Google calendar that saves a lot of time reformatting meeting and class information to fit into a print-style format.

We have also been adding articles to series of posts called Featured Articles. This will make searching for information on our website easier, as the PDF format is not easy to search. Larger articles in the Backbender’s Gazette will be published in Featured Articles with a link provided to the article.

What about a Table of Contents? Well, page numbers are a print-style artifact, and are not really needed in an online publication. The new Table of Contents will allow you to jump to an article you are interested in.

We hope for greater integration between the eBlast and the Backbender’s Gazette too. The eBlast is focused on what’s happening in the next couple of weeks; the Backbender’s has information about future plans, events in the next couple of months, and a report on what we have been doing. That includes minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting and the General meeting every month.

Finally, we hope that this format will make it easier for the Web Team to manage the Backbender’s Gazette using website software, and allowing more people to contribute and update information. We are still working out the style for the post-style newsletter and you can expect additional changes in the future. Please let us know what you think!

Beading – Third Saturday, 12:30 PM  

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

January 21st meeting: new project to be announced

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.

Gemstones and Faceting – Second Thursday, 6:30 PM

Zoom meeting begins at 7:30 pm.

On December 8th we sifted mine gravel from the comfort of our very own clubhouse, after a short presentation about the Gem Mountain Sapphire Mine located near Phillipsburg, MT. A limited number of mini-bags of dirt were available for purchase that evening. You can order dirt shipped directly from the mine ( https://gemmountainmt.com/ ).

Helpful tools when sifting sapphires:

-Flower water container
-Tweezers
-container to take home left-over dirt to sift further
-small bags to hold any sapphires

After the meeting:

We successfully found a number of sapphires while sifting the Gem Mountain bags.

Contact Faceting@HGMS.org with any questions.

Lapidary and Silversmithing – Third Monday, 7:00 PM

Lapidary did not meet in December

January 16, 2023 at 7:00 pm – Beginners are welcome to this free program. We will have slabs for participants to learn to cut a preform using the Shop’s trim saws, attach it to a dop stick, and shape and polish a cabochon. You will leave with a finished stone! Refreshments will be served, and we will choose programs for the next several months.

Day Light – First Wednesday, 1:00 PM

The Daylight Section meets the first Wednesday of the month from 1 to 3 PM.
The final meeting on December of 2022 was our Annual holiday party, pot-luck lunch, gift exchange, and planning meeting for the 2023 sessions.

January 4^th: We will be making and polishing a lepidolite mica cabochon.

February 1^st: we will be wire wrapping the cabochon to be used in a piece of jewelry.

The lepidolite specimen cost $28 and is a beautiful lilac/pink color. It will make a beautiful piece of jewelry. I’m not sure how much the wire will cost. If we do the piece in copper, and we already have enough of the right gauge and type of copper wire (we have a lot of copper wire already), then there will be no charge for the February session.

Please register in advance to make sure we have enough materials for everyone. A $5.00 fee is necessary for each class to pay for materials. Register by sending an email to Nancy Searle at daylight@hgms.org. All programs are $5.00 and the fee is paid at the meeting.

Mineral – Third Wednesday, 7:30 PM

Mineral held their Christmas party on Dec. 18 at the Blyskal/Stewart home. Members brought potluck dishes and wine and exchanged gifts in a white elephant game.

January 18^th: Topic to be announced

Paleontology – Third Tuesday, 7:30 PM 

No Paleo meeting in December

We’ve started hybrid Zoom meetings that include members attending remotely via Zoom; if you’re intrigued by dinosaurs, trilobites, field trips to collect Texas fossils and all other paleontology-related topics we’d love to have you attend a meeting in one way or another and see what we’ve got going on. 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

Youth held their Christmas party on the First Saturday of December. While waiting for pizza, they were entertained by speakers Neal Immega and Steve Blyskal.

That was a BIG FREEZE we had. Thanks to Neal Immega for insulating the outside pipes on the Thursday morning prior and setting the hot and cold water to dripping in the shop.

Air Tools – I finally cleaned the dust collector. I had not done it in ages, and it needed it. I am going to have to put this job on a schedule since we are using MUCH more dolomite than before, because the ProBlast machine works so well. This is in contrast to the SwamBlaster which I could not keep working.

Tig Welder – I finally started grinding the tungsten tips in the fashion suggested in the manual and shock of shocks – it works much better. This news tip probably does not mean much because I have not had many people wanting to learn the tool, but I am ready when you are. I have had more industrial uses around the shop than jewelry.

I want to show you what Debbie Kirkpatrick made for me to give to my wife. She is the only person I personally know that does hard stone carving. She made this flower out of albite, one of the feldspars that is called moonstone and set it in enameled silver. You can see the moonstone shimmer in the petals. It will be a Christmas present for my wife. The stone is about an inch across. BTW – note that the stone shows both blue and white shimmer in different orientations – uncommon.

I am collaborating with Debbie on her project to make iridescent glazes for a series of enameled silver bugs. I supplied her with chemicals, and she tried them out in exhaustive experiments. Maybe we will have a success and Inda will get a marvelous bug!

We had a wonderful day at the Santa’s Workshop held before Christmas! 

Registrants attending Michele Marsel’s class learned how to polish a pre-dopped cabochon.

Neal Immega introduced people to Fossil Preparation.

Jeanean Slamen taught Shibori Dyeing of Tea Towels and Sterling Silver Soldered Ring classes.

Susan Burch taught two Wire Wrapped Earrings & Pendant classes.  Susan intends to present a number of intermediate to advanced level wire wrapping classes in the future.

Maggie met a wonderful new member who intends to teach a Kumihimo bead weaving class and to join the Beading Section.  The Beading Section sold almost all of the remaining beaded spiders and restrung a pearl necklace for an attendee at the Gem & Mineral Society Show

Thank you to participants and teachers who attended this event.

Link to Featured Article: Display Bases for Your Specimens

Are you curious about using specialized display bases for your specimens to improve the appearance of your collection? Whether you are featuring minerals or fossils (or something else), the right base can make a huge difference in presentation.

A memorial service for Joan Riley, a member of HGMS, was held on December 29th at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Houston. In addition to the many family members and friends, four Past Presidents of HGMS (John and Jill Moffat, and Steve Blyskal and Sigrid Stewart) and long-time member Nancy Fischer helped to celebrate the life of a committed rockhound and adventurer. The memorial service was lovely and the church, which I had never visited before, was beautiful.

Here’s what I’ve been up to recently – – – Announcing my latest book “24 Easy Metal Textures – With No Rolling Mill Required. ”

It details twenty-four different techniques for adding texture to your jewelry and metal work without the need for heavy equipment like a mill. The techniques make use of more common tools and materials around the shop – like hammers, stamps, punches, and tool bits for the Dremel or Foredom.

Each technique is explained in detail with:
> Description and pictures of the technique
> Procedures for creating the texture
> List of tools and supplies needed
> Options for modifying and personalizing

These methods are both useful and practical. I use them in my own work, and I teach them to others in classes and workshops. What’s more is they’re practical. None should put a dent in your budget.

Copies are available now at https://amazon.com/dp/B0BPGPTBNH/

Smart Solutions for Your Jewelry Making Problems
Amazon.com/author/bradfordsmith

A group of 23 distinguished geoscientists from around the world have been approved by the AAPG Executive Committee as recipients of AAPG honors and awards, which recognize individuals for achievements and service to the profession, the science, the Association and the public.

And two of this year’s AAPG honorees for the PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD are: Neal and Inda Immega, for their work with the Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston.

Congratulations to Neal and Inda!

Verify details before traveling.

53rd Hill Country Gem & Mineral Show

Presented by Fredericksburg Rockhounds

1/21/23 Saturday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm

1/22/23 Sunday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park, Pioneer Pavilion

432 Lady Bird Drive, Fredericksburg, TX 78624

Contact: (325) 248-1067

https://fredericksburgrockhounds.wordpress.com/

East Texas Gem & Mineral Show

1/27/2023 Friday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

1/29/2023 Saturday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

1/29/2023 Sunday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Tyler Rose Garden Center

420 S Rose Park Dr, Tyler, TX

https://www.etgms.org/index.html

Sites to check for Texas shows:

https://www.rockandmineralshows.com/location/mineral-shows/texas

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

https://xpopress.com/show/state/Texas

President Nancy English called the Zoom meeting to order at 7:32 p.m. A quorum was present.
Non-voting members in attendance: Heidi Shelley & Sigrid Stewart.

PRESIDENT’S COMMENTS

Welcome, Heidi Shelley. Heidi has agreed to be the HGMS Secretary for 2023. She joined us tonight to see how it works.
Approval of Minutes: On 11-8-2022 Fred Brueckner moved via email to approve the minutes of November 1, 2022, Board of Directors ’Meeting. Michele Marsel seconded the motion. It was voted on via email and passed on November 9, 2022.

Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer Michele Marsel sent the Treasurer’s Report to members on December 6, 2022. Ticket revenue was better, and it was a successful show. Due to other issues, we were not able to have as much profit this year. But we are in “the black” after the show.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

BBG Notice: Beverly Mace notified members on December 1, the online version of the December BBG is available on the HGMS Website.

Donations, Sales, Auction Committee (DSAC): Michele Marsel – No one has stepped up to take over the chair position. There will be a live auction at the Holiday Party, featuring items from donations.

Education Committee: Maggie Manley President English complemented Maggie on a successful Santa’s Workshop. Sharon asked if she has thought of teaching a “restringing” class. Seven or eight classes were filled and enjoyed.

Safety/Policy Committee: Michele Marsel: reported that the ballpark estimate the committee was given earlier in the year was understated. Since then Michele and Richard met with a general contracting firm that provided more realistic information.

1. The Board needs to agree to move forward with the engineering drawings. Jim Burrell will take all the measurements at no charge by year-end. After the measurements are complete they will be presented to two professional companies to quote the cost to produce the basic industry standard engineering drawing package of the existing building: elevation, section, and floorplan. Maggie Manley will assist Jim. Maggie and Jim know professionals that will produce an as-is basic drawing package. We cannot go forward with any work without engineering drawings. They are required to file a work plan and obtain a permit.
Much of the contents of the loft need to be cleared out. The contents of the club must be examined to see if they meet the needs of the club. Extra unrelated items should be removed. The loft may need to be roped off to keep extra people from going up. Woodworking equipment should be removed because our club is primarily a lapidary and silversmithing club. Concerns were raised about the need for handicap changes if renovations are being performed. We may need to apply with the City for a three-year renovation plan while we make our design changes.
Richard Good made a motion to proceed with the CAD-base drawings of the existing building plan, elevation, sections, and floorplan, not to exceed $20,000. Sharon Halton seconded the motion, and three people abstained. Eight people approved and the motion passed. Those Board members who abstained did so because $20,000 seemed too high and it was unclear whether Richard would obtain bids from multiple companies before any work contract was awarded.
Any excess cost would require a return to the Board for a vote.

2. Clean up and clear out; Richard Good is willing to spearhead an ongoing effort to get rid of all of the junk the club has been hanging onto for years that no one uses. Some of it is not even related to what we do as a gem and mineral club. The lathe is used by the faceting group, but is not usable for making repair work for currently owned sanders or cutting saws. Two sanders, the drill press and the bandsaw in the classroom may be used by Tony and/or Neil. Richard will check with both individuals before discarding any of these.
Richard made a motion to sell the 2 sanders, the drill press, and the bandsaw in the classroom. Michele seconded the motion and the motion passed with no abstentions.
3-Board needs to figure out how to do some serious fundraising because it’s highly likely that the cost of all of the work that will need to be done is more money than we have. Discussion is postponed until we have the base drawings.

Membership Committee: Beverly Mace reported new and renewed memberships in November 2022.

Show Committee: Wrap-up meeting scheduled for January 13, 2023. Read after-show details in the November 22, 2022, General Meeting minutes posted in the December BBG.

SECTION REPORTS

President English asked Section Chairmen or Representatives to limit their comments to news about the Section and problems the BOD needs to know about since the meetings are posted on HGMS.org under programs and the calendar is posted on the weekly eblast.Beading Section in person: third Saturday, 12:30 p.m., December 17, 2022, January 21, and February 18, 2023.
Day Light Section in person: first Wednesday, 1:00 p.m., December 7, 2022, January 4, and February 1, 2023.
Gemstones and Faceting Section Zoom Hybrid: second Thursday, 6:30 p.m., December 8, 2022, January 12, February 9, 2023. Pot luck dinner. Two new members who have been cutting for about a year have both placed in the US Faceter’s Guild.
Lapidary and Silversmithing Section in person: third Monday, 7:00 p.m., No meeting in December, and January 16, February 20, 2023.
Mineral Section Zoom program planned: third Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., Holiday party on December 18, 2022, January 18, 2022, and February 15, 2023.
Paleo Section in person: third Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., January 17, and February 21, 2023. The Paleo Section held its first Zoom Meeting on October 18. It went well.
Youth Section in person: first and third Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. to Noon, December 3, 2022, January 7 and 21, February 4 and 18, 2023.

OLD BUSINESS

Award for Neal Immega: James Eleckel is ready to do the etching on the ten-inch glass bowl for Neal’s gift. The Board chose the wording to be etched with the club logo. After the meeting, President English changed it slightly to read “In honor of 25 years of maintaining the shops and libraries while educating, training, and mentoring HGMS members.”
Steve Blyskal will be asked to present the gift to him.

Display Cases status: No report.

Bylaws changes: The Motion to change the bylaws passed at the November 22 General Meeting. President English asked the secretary to update the document. Once it is updated, Sharon will send it to Sigrid Stewart to post it as a .pdf on the website and update the last edited date to November 2022.

Holiday Potluck Dinner and Auction, Saturday, December 10, 2022, at the Unitarian Fellowship Hall 1504 Wirt Rd. Houston, TX 77055. HGMS provides the meat.
We will need volunteers to help set up the tables, set out the food, and put it all back the way we found it.
Contact Nancy at volunteercoordinator@hgms.org”

NEW BUSINESS

Maggie Manley sent a request to the Board to investigate clearing out the main hall of extraneous shelving. She would like to make better use of the libraries and middle classroom. President English sent her a request with this updated agenda. Rolling shelves, cabinets, ice chests, and other items will be moved from the Meeting Room providing additional room for classes. Maggie’s request aligns with the Safety and Policy Committee’s decision to clear unrelated equipment out of the middle classroom.
Appoint Heidi Shelley as 2023 Secretary: Sharon Halton moved to appoint Heidi Shelley as Secretary for 2023. Ray Kizer seconded and she was appointed unanimously.
The next Board of Directors Zoom meeting will be on the first Tuesday, January 3, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. In place of the December General Meeting, we will have our Annual Holiday Party.

The next Hybrid General Meeting will be on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
Adjourn: Mike Dawkins moved to adjourn. Ray Kizer seconded the motion and it passed. The meeting adjourned at 9:16 p.m.

Thank you to those who came early to set up, brought food, and stayed to clean up afterward.

Thirty-five HGMS members came to the Unitarian Fellowship Hall Saturday night to celebrate the Holidays. Many came for the first time. Amidst tables decorated with handmade Christmas trees made by Karen Burns, we enjoyed excellent food. Clyde McMeans picked up the beef and chicken from Hickory Barn and brought sodas, water, and ice. Members brought tasty side dishes.

After dinner, we adjourned to the sanctuary for a brief speech from President Nancy English; followed by the distribution of 30 door prizes, and the auction of 25 items selected by the Donations Committee.

Nancy said she realized long ago that a leader is only as good as the people she works with. She listed the 2022 Board of Directors and said Heidi Shelley will be the secretary in 2023. We are still looking for a 2023 Treasurer. These eleven people make the decisions that govern the Club. Nancy is confident in the 2023 Board of Directors. And proud to have worked with most of those same people in 2022. She listed a few of the things that were accomplished this year, then spoke about the nine committees that make so much more happen.

President English complimented John Cooper on his continued work in the shop helping Neal Immega repair the equipment in the lapidary shop. Earlier this year Neal told her that Cooper has collaborated with him and donated his expertise and muscle to keep the saws and grinders working for years.

After a brief explanation about Neal Immega relinquishing his responsibilities for the Lapidary Shop and Clubhouse maintenance, Nancy called on Steve Blyskal to present a thank-you gift to Neal. Neal will continue to head the Paleo Section and oversee both Libraries.

Steve shared some anecdotes about Neal’s years as Shop Supervisor. Then presented Neal with a 10-inch bowl etched on the bottom with the HGMS logo and these words: In honor of 25 years of maintaining the shops and libraries while educating, training, and mentoring HGMS members. Neal appreciated the gift and said he plans to fill it with rocks and fossils.