President’s Message

Vice-President’s Message

Section News

Shop and Building News

The Tale of the Titan – So Far

Notes from Neal

Education

June Birthstones: Pearl, Alexandrite and Moonstone

Popocatepetl Eruption Increases

Federation News

Notice to All SCFMS Clubs

Minutes of the May 2nd Board Meeting

Minutes of the May 23rd General Meeting

Upcoming Shows

About Us

Upcoming Meetings and Events

Calendar

Officers and Contact Information

The renovation is finally really going to happen!

I am quoting a long-time, hardworking member who said, “This Clubhouse is an inheritance from all those members who worked to pay off the mortgage and build the shops we take for granted. We are stewards of its future.” The members who worked to create this renovation are dedicated to that stewardship.

The contractors from Wood and Stone Remodeling start rebuilding the north wall of the Lapidary Shop on July 3, 2023. This project includes new plumbing and a new sink in the silversmithing Shop and an additional quad outlet in the middle classroom. But the bulk of the work will be in the Lapidary Shop: relocating the sink along the north wall; establishing the trim saws on the west wall; and moving the plumbing out of the electrical closet.

So, check your calendars and sign up for these opportunities to help. “No experience required.”

• Volunteers are needed to move show supplies from the north wall in the attic during the afternoons of June 3 and June 17.
• The big work to empty and rearrange the Lapidary Shop will start June 24 and June 25.
• The final preparations are on July 1 and July 2.
• Ten volunteers could make quick work of clearing the Shop. We will move the grinders, polishers, and trim saws out of the way to another room. The supplies under the tables and sink have to be relocated and the walls cleared off. The floors will need to be swept and maybe mopped. Please contact me at president@hgms.org to let me know if you can and will help.
• When the contractors are finished, the room is painted; plumbing and electrical are working; HGMS volunteers will be asked to mobilize again to move the equipment back into the Lapidary Shop onto new tables. This will be in late July or early August.

This is a lot to ask of our volunteers, but your help will save us thousands of dollars. Perks to you will be coupons for the free use of the shop for every hour you worked on this project AND an invitation to the Annual Volunteer Appreciation Party in November. Not to mention the satisfaction of being part of the biggest improvement since the shops were built over 25 years ago.

The Clubhouse will be closed to members during the renovations in July due to safety issues. Sections may have meetings via Zoom or take the month off. Day Light Section is taking the whole summer off. No classes will be scheduled.

I speak for all the members when I say we are grateful to the people who have helped us get to this point. And we thank in advance all those who will help us with the final stages.

Once again, we are awaiting verification of the  June 2023 General Meeting speech topic. Stay tuned.

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.  

On Saturday, June 17^th we will make beaded spiral chains in multiple colors as taught by Maggie Manley.  On July 15^th we have planned a field trip to some local beading stores.

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

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86161221552?pwd=aGpUNnZFdHdoai9yR2ZsazF5Y25Edz09
Meeting ID: 861 6122 1552
Passcode: 225678

 

Lapidary and silversmithing – Third Monday, 7:00 PM

For the June 19th, meeting the subject will be Annealing, Work Hardening and how to use the Rolling Mill.  If you want to learn how to turn scrap silver into workable metal again, please join us for this program. Tony will explain annealing and work hardening  — what it is, why it’s important, and how to make hard metal soft. He will also show proper use of the Club’s rolling mill to turn prepared silver scrap into silver sheet to use in a new project. Participants will practice annealing. There is no charge for this program.

Lapidary Section meetings are in person at the Clubhouse. We alternate Lapidary and silversmithing projects each month. Each month also features a Stone of the Month lapidary project – participants will receive a piece of rough material and the group will choose the size and shape to cut. Cut stones may be turned in at the following month’s meeting for review and improvement suggestions.

Email Lapidary@hgms.org if you have questions.

 

Day Light – First Wednesday, 1:00 PM

The Daylight Section normally meets the first Wednesday of the month from 1 to 3 PM.

However, due to Nancy Searles’ absence and renovations at the Club, Day Light Section will not meet again until September 6th.

 

Mineral – Third Wednesday, 7:30 PM

On June 21st we will meet via Zoom. Subject to be announced.

The link for the Zoom meeting is:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4517997588?pwd=SnZjckZBTnRMbHRxZitScE9WU3RWUT09

 

Paleontology – Third Tuesday, 7:30 PM 

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.

Bob Wagner will be the speaker for the June 20th meeting. He will give a Fossilzed Baleen Whale Presentation.  He has 4 cases of specimens for viewing!

 

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

We will be meeting June 3^rd & June 17^th.  It is official that the shop will be closed during July for repairs.  We will have no youth meetings at the clubhouse during July. Please check the Sunday evening club eblast for any updates.  We might be able to do a field trip during July (youth members & family only).  No promises yet.

The BIG NEWS is that the Clubhouse and the shop will be closed in the month of July (and possibly some of August) for some needed renovation. Please see this month’s President’s Message.

The Jewelry Studio will have a supervisor, Carmen Fraticelli, available to assist you with using the space on June 14 and 21. Please remember you must bring your own consumable tools & materials (files, burs, polishing bits, hammers, etc). Class materials are not available on open studio days.

Neal says: One of the shop foremen had a problem with Texaco and filled the shop with smoke. First – everyone needs to keep a eye on the saws and if they start smoking – TURN THEM OFF. Second – even Texaco can stall and possibly burn a belt if the machine is trying to cut a rock too fast. Let me tell you how to know. If the saw starts bogging down (cutting slower and slower) then reduce the pressure of the feed. I had to cut caliche limestone at 25 pounds rather than 30 and then it was fine. You can hear when the saw slows down.  I am going to put on the counterweight for the lid. All fixed. Took me about 10 minutes.

May 6th: I am trying to get the Titan apart so that I can replace the bearings. I am having serious problems getting the wheels off the shafts. It seems that the stainless steel on this Chinese-made machine is not up to US standards for the word “stainless”. We bought the machine new and have had to replace the bearings twice. The Titan on the table is a 25-year-old US-made machine and it has not needed repair.

May 14th: Cooper did his part and we got the other bearing off the shaft and maybe Clyde will be able to extract the twisted off bolt (my fault). More news tomorrow. I consulted the experts and bought the suggested motor quality bearing from Titan for about twice the price of the lowest cost one. I hope never to have to fix this piece of junk again. The quality difference between our two Titans is night and day.

May 27th: On Thursday I got the Titan back together and grease on everything I could coat. So quiet you could run it in your bedroom. Saturday I will get it wheeled and  watered. I certainly hope I never have to do this again.

Reconstruction note: I am rather proud of the shrink fit I did to put the end bells on the bearings. The bearings have a 63 mm OD, and the end bells that close off the motor and support the bearings are 62.75 mm ID. To make everything fit, I heated the end bells on the heater for the cabs until it was hot and it slipped on easily over the bearings because the aluminum end bells expand (when hot) much more than the steel bearings. This is called a shrink fit. Piece of cake.

And then, in Saturday shop, I got the Titan together but it made a funny noise and I did not have time to diagnose it before everyone went home and I could not work in the shop. Rats

Rock Identification – I have been discouraged by YouTube videos where some rockhound finds jade in a creek without any testing at all. However, I just found one where the HGMS members Natalie and Paul Brandis talk about the rocks they are finding on a Lake Superior beach. Real information.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_t4LC13utM

The birthstones for June are similar to the moon. The moon is white and seemingly iridescent as are pearls and moonstones. The moon is also known for color changes – white for a full moon, black for a new moon, red or orange for a harvest moon, and there is always the blue moon which is not really a description of the moon’s color. The third June birthstone, Alexandrite, is also known for color changing, or at least having a different color depending on the type of illumination.

June has 3 birthstones, or perhaps only 2 birthstones and pearls. Pearls have an organic origin; they are not a mineral. Similarly, Pearls are not stones as stones are composed of one or more minerals. Thus, by logic, the pearl is not a stone, and therefore cannot be a birthstone. However, the American Gem Society recognizes pearls as one of the June birthstones, and although I disagree on technical grounds, who am I to argue?

References:

American Gem Society, http://www.americangemsociety.org/june-birthstones

mindat.org, http://www.mindat.org/min-2774.html

Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Pictures:

Wikimedia, http://commons.Wikimedia.org/wiki/,licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

According to CENAPRED, Mexico’s Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres or National Disaster Prevention Center, in recent days magma has been gradually rising through conduits inside the volcano, as indicated by seismic activity. In the week of May 25^th, great plumes of ash containing hazardous sulfur dioxide began erupting. Many nearby towns reported ashfall. Schools in many nearby towns canceled classes beginning May 18^th, and operations at Juarez International Airport and Felipe Angeles Airport were temporarily shut down May 20^th. The next day, CENAPRED raised the alert level of “Yellow Phase 3”, meaning be alert and prepare for possible evacuations due to intermediate to high activity. They urge people not to approach the volcano. The National Guard of Mexico is patrolling the area, helping to clear ash from roads and offering advice, such as wear a mask and have a bag packed for possible evacuation,.Shelters and evacuation routes have been identified and prepared, even though the eruption was a little calmer in the last days of May. Whether all this activity is a continuation of Yellow Phase 3 or the precursor to a major eruption, remains to be seen.

During the current cycle, lava domes have grown and been destroyed repeatedly within a summit crater 1000 feet wide and up to 450 feet deep. Monitoring devices are in place on and near the volcano, to detect earthquakes which can indicate magma movement and changes in the shape of the mountain, and the mixtures of volcanic gases present. There is also a man named Nefi de Aquino, who has the job of watching the volcano and has reported on it for many years. Read about his work at https://www.sltrib.com/news/2023/05/27/onetime-utah-meatpacker-is-now/.

According to Oregon State University, https://volcano.oregonstate.edu/popocatepetl:

“At least three previous major cones were destroyed by gravitational failure during the Pleistocene, producing massive debris-avalanche deposits covering broad areas south of the volcano. The modern volcano was constructed to the south of the late-Pleistocene to Holocene El Fraile cone. Three major Plinian eruptions, the most recent of which took place about 800 AD, have occurred from Popocatepetl since the mid Holocene, accompanied by pyroclastic flows and voluminous lahars that swept basins below the volcano. Frequent historical eruptions, first recorded in Aztec codices, have occurred since pre-Columbian time.”

From: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/Plinian-eruptions.htm

“Plinian eruptions are extremely explosive eruptions, producing ash columns that extend many tens of miles into the stratosphere and that spread out into an umbrella shape. These large eruptions produce widespread deposits of fallout ash. Eruption columns may also collapse due to density to form thick pyroclastic flows.”

These eruptions take their name from a description by Pliny the Younger of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, which destroyed Pompeii and nearby towns. His uncle, Pliny the Elder, who was commander of a fleet based in Naples, sailed to Stabiae, close to Mount Vesuvius, to investigate the eruption and was overcome by volcanic fumes and died.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popocat%C3%A9petl

https://volcano.oregonstate.edu/popocatepetl

A great Youtube video (complete with foreboding music) can be found on this NOAA site:

https://volcano.oregonstate.edu/popocatepetl

https://www.wsj.com/video/popocatepetl-volcano-drone-footage-shows-close-up-view-of-the-crater/2E73B1B2-EC58-4D55-A1C1-68E3C1A4A409.html

https://www.britannica.com/science/stratovolcano

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-latin-america-65642959

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/Plinian-eruptions.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plinian_eruption

https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=341090

Crater photograph: By Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center, ISS Expedition 18. Derivative work including removal of dust spots, grading.:

Julian Herzog – http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/sseop/photo.pl?mission=ISS018&roll=E&frame=28898, Public Domain, https://commons.Wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25233109

Photo of Popocatepetl, from Wikipedia

By Jakub Hejtmánek at Czech Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.Wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2066635

Volunteering includes giving of time, knowledge, energy, and at times money. Why volunteer?

I am sure many of you have very busy lives and believe there is little time to volunteer for a position within your club or federation. However, for both clubs and federations to succeed, we need volunteers. The stronger the volunteer base, the stronger the club and/or federation.

There are benefits to volunteering!

You can form new friendships. You have the opportunity to network with others and learn new skills. I recently read that it is also possible to protect your mental and physical health through volunteering.

How is that possible? Doesn’t meeting deadlines increase stress levels? (i.e.: writing a report, creating monthly bulletins/newsletters, juggling everything you do) On the other hand, meeting deadlines keeps you mentally stimulated (ah, those new skills?) and provides a sense of purpose. These are things that may reduce stress, combat depression, and boost your self-esteem.

What is sense of purpose? It is what you believe in, what you value in life, and what motivates you. There is evidence that having a sense of purpose maintains health and well- being throughout your lifetime (a study documented in BMC Public Health, online version, July 11, 2017). The study concluded that a positive sense of purpose was associated with “better mental and physical health, life satisfaction, self-esteem, happiness, and lower depressive symptoms, …”

Volunteering does not necessarily involve long-term commitments. Many club and federation positions require a commitment of a year. Once you accept a position you may feel the rewards of the position and may want to stay on if your bylaws allow consecutive terms. How would you know this? Simply volunteer and find out what it is all about. I don’t encourage anyone to resign from a position without at least trying it for a year, but if you become unable to afford the time to continue or you develop health issues, I am sure there is no real harm done.

I want people to volunteer!

I do not want them to volunteer if not willing to perform the responsibilities of the position. When I was growing up, my parents gave my sisters and me chores to perform, and each week we rotated. It may sound funny to hear that we had four different chores for after dinner. The first was to clear the table; the second was to wash the dishes; the third was to dry the dishes; and finally, to put the dry dishes away. (Nowadays, there are dishwasher appliances to handle the second and third tasks). Anyway, my sisters called me the general because as the oldest of the girls, I would say let’s get going – especially if that week I was supposed to put away the dishes. I did not want to wait for them and miss out on other things I wanted to do! I like to consider it time management. Today, I believe in the “voluntold” concept. That is what my daughters call it when I ask if they will help and then tell them they will be helping. This concept does work! I have recruited many people to volunteer under a bit of pressure; they find out they do enjoy the tasks and have volunteered to either stay on or move on to another position. I also find that many people will not volunteer, but when asked, they do step up to the plate! A home run for them and for their club/ federation! Both the individual and the club can become healthier!

There are many positions within clubs and federations that are open – do you need a nudge? I would be glad to volunteer to be the person to provide that nudge!

Hope to see and hear from you at the National Show in Billings, Montana!

Meeting Statistics:

The Zoom meeting was called to order by President Nancy English at 7:35 PM. A quorum was present and there were no non-voting members in attendance.

President’s Comments:

President English explained that the Safety/Policy Committee just received the bids from the contractors that day. There would be no vote on the bids during the meeting because she wanted time for the committee members to review the bids before they are presented to the board. However, an update would be offered to the board later in the meeting.

Treasurer’s Report:

President English commented that she read the April treasurer’s report and did not see anything out of the ordinary. Neither did other members of the board. However, President English informed the board members that Clyde McMeans bought a UPS battery for the library computer in January as a gift to HGMS. President English recently told Clyde to submit an invoice for the cost of the battery at $226 and HGMS would reimburse him for it. Because of this, the library budget will be over budget by $75 for the rest of the year.

FYI – Approval of Minutes:

On April 24, 2023 Board Member Fred Brueckner moved via email to approve the minutes of the April 4th, 2023 Board of Directors’ Meeting.  Secretary Heidi Shelley seconded it. The motion passed with a majority vote via email on Saturday, April 30, 2023 with 7 approvals, 1 abstain, and 2 no-responses.

Committee Reports

• BBG Notice – Beverly Mace notified members on May 8, 2023 via email that the online version of the May Back Bender’s Gazette (BBG) is available on the HGMS Website.
• Donations, Sales, Auction Committee (DSAC): HGMS is still looking for a chairman for this committee. No other update was given.
• Education Committee (Maggie Manley): Sharon Halton will be teaching a Cabochon 201 course (advanced cabochon class). Board Member Maggie Manley has put in a request to the Website Committee and they will post Sharon’s class soon. Maggie Manley reported that Carmen Fraticelli would like to teach some classes, but does not know when due to the potential construction. Maggie will let her know all of May is an option.
• Safety/Policy Committee (Nancy English): President English gave the board members updates on the progress for the Lapidary Shop North Wall rebuild. The committee met again with the contractors and received bids for electrical, plumbing and for FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic) to be added to the West Wall where the trim saws will be located. The contractors will also paint the walls and ceiling in the room as well as add retractable plugs for the electrical outlets running down the center of that room. The middle classroom will receive another 4-plug outlet on the ceiling and it will also have a retractable pull-down plug. Tony Lucci was planning to get a new stainless steel sink for the silversmithing Shop and so installation for that sink will be included in this project. Also, a sand trap (settling tank) and sump pump will be added to the silversmithing room and the holes on the outside wall repaired. All water in the Lapidary room will be moved from the closet with the electrical breaker box. Two new enclosed sand traps and a new sump pump will be installed to handle waste water from the lapidary sink and grinders. The current sink will be reused in the lapidary room. There will be two 2×10 boards running the length of the north wall and west wall to mount plumbing and electrical to the board. This way HGMS can avoid multiple holes in the FPR for plumbing and electrical installation. Voting on this new scope will take place one week from the date of the Board Meeting during an Emergency Board of Directors meeting to take place on Tuesday, May 9^,
• Membership Committee (Beverly Mace): During the month of April, there were 3 new adult memberships, 4 new couple memberships as well as 5 renewed single memberships, 2 renewed couple memberships, 1 renewed family membership and 2 renewed youth memberships.
• Scholarship Committee (Mike Sommers): There are two more days until the deadline for scholarships from HGMS (Deadline is May 5, 2023). President English emailed the board members the flyer that Daniel Rodriguez created. She plans to use the flyer to hand out to student volunteers during the HGMS annual show.
• Show Committee (___): Working on the new PayPal Readers – The Show Committee and the Web Committee finalized what they are going to use. They will buy them soon and start working with them. This will change will affect card readers for in-person sales, not web transactions.

Section News/Problems to Report:

• There were no problems or news to report from the section representatives.

Old Business

February 2023 Meeting Items for Discussion Follow-up –

• Equipment Schedule for insurance – There has been no update on this. President English suggested that while the equipment is moved during the North Wall Rebuild project, it may be a great opportunity to get the necessary numbers on the machines to complete this equipment schedule for insurance purposes.
• New Annual Dues Fee Schedule – This new fee schedule was not voted on during the April General Meeting because President English would like the Board to consider allowing members to prepay dues for 2024 using the current fees for any memberships or renewals that are purchased by December 31, 2023. Members of the board discussed this idea and presented their opinions. The board decided the dues increase was not liability and that a discount on 2024 dues would complicate the process and is not necessary. All dues purchased for the 2024 year will use the new fee schedule once the schedule is approved by members during an HGMS General Meeting.
• Facebook/Instagram E-Blast Class Advertising: 1^st Vice President Sarah Metsa has been advertising via Facebook. HGMS is still looking for someone to help post to Instagram.
• Volunteer Incentive/Volunteer Coupons – Secretary Heidi Shelley emailed the board members a copy of a potential HGMS Coupon handout for those volunteering to help move equipment for the construction project. Board Member Fred Brueckner suggested that the coupons be business card size rather than post card size in the example Secretary Shelley presented. The board liked the coupon example with the change to business card size.

Report Back on Items from the April Meeting – for your Information

• There has been no news on whether the Unitarian Fellowship Hall may be used on December 9, 2023 for the HGMS annual Christmas party.
• New Kiln with Lock – The new kiln donation has not yet arrived at HGMS.
• Jewelry Room Rules Documentation: President English and Jeanean Slamen met together to discuss creating a liability document for students to sign when taking classes. This document will remove HGMS from liability for use of the casting or torch equipment, enameling ovens, silversmithing tools, and other equipment at HGMS. President English said that the new D&O Insurance Policy protects teachers as well as directors and officers. If a lawsuit should come against these personnel, the D&O Policy will cover that lawsuit.

New Business

• Repaint Outside Wall: A Dunn SW HOA request – When the roofers re-caulked the seams in the tilt-walls of the building, there was a small section about 18 inches wide at the top of the building that the roofers repainted. Unfortunately, the paint color was not the exact color as the rest of the building. Dunn SW HOA noticed the difference in paint color and request HGMS repaint that section. Due to a kind business neighbor who shared with HGMS their extra paint, the roofers came and repainted that section of the building for free. All outside paint now matches per the HOA request.
• Daniel Rodriguez sent a volunteer appreciation letter via the weekly E-blast. It included a two-question free survey. President English shared the responses from this survey with the board of directors and a discussion ensued.
• Three new members joined the General meeting Tuesday, April 25. Counting 6 people online there were a total of 26 people attending the meeting.
• President English needs help finding a treasurer/bookkeeper. 2022 Treasurer Michele Marsel emailed President English a list of duties and things she currently does as treasurer. Member Marsel told President English if a new treasurer is not found within the next month or so, the board will need to start looking at small business accounting services to handle financials for HGMS. President English She is wondering if other board members who are not involved in the Lapidary Shop North Wall Rebuild project can help call members to see if anyone would be interested and willing to serve as Treasurer for HGMS for the rest of 2023 and moving forward.
• Secretary Heidi Shelley asked if HGMS could contact local libraries to see if they have meeting rooms such that sections could still meet during the Lapidary North Wall Rebuild project. Section representatives on the board liked that idea and each offered to suggest other ways for their sections to meet off site when construction begins.
• President English mentioned that Carmen Fraticelli asked to take the TIG welder home to figure out the settings for silver and gold while the HGMS building is closed for the rebuild. Carmen wants to teach a class on permanent jewelry and wanted to use the TIG Welder for that class. Because the TIG welder is a “loaner” piece of equipment while HGMS waits for the company to fix the HGMS TIG welder, the board members decided it is best to keep the TIG Welder onsite for liability purposes.
• President English informed the board that while construction is going on, HGMS plans to have a representative from the Board or from the Safety/Policy Committee present onsite while contractor workers are present.

Adjourn

Richard Good moved to adjourn the Board of Directors Meeting. Maggie Manley seconded the motion and it passed. The meeting adjourned at 8:46pm.

 

Emergency Board of Directors Meeting

Minutes –  May 9, 2023

 

On May 9, 2023 the Board of Directors met via Zoom to review, discuss and vote on the Lapidary North Wall Rebuild Add-On scope of the project. All aspects of the construction, plumbing and electrical bids were discussed.  A consensus was reached and a motion made.

 

	Board Member		Section Board Member
X	President – Nancy English	X	Beading – Maggie Manley
X	1st Vice President – Sarah Metsa	X	Day Light – Fred Brueckner
X	2nd Vice President – Beverly Mace	*	Gemstones & Faceting – Randy Carlson
	Treasurer –	X	Lapidary & silversmithing – Richard Good
X	Secretary – Heidi Shelley	X	Mineral – Ray Kizer
		X	Paleontology – Mike Dawkins

*Note: Gemstones & Faceting Representative Randy Carlson was not in attendance via zoom. However, prior to the Zoom meeting during the day of May 9, 2023, Board member Randy voted via an email he sent to all Board members that he approved the construction bids minus the $4550 for replacing the Lapidary Room light fixtures with new LED fixtures. His emailed vote was noted as part of the voting process after President English asked to entertain a motion to approve the construction cost.

Meeting Statistics:

The Zoom Emergency Board Meeting was called to order by President Nancy English at 7:37 PM. A quorum was present and there were no non-voting members in attendance.

Decisions Included in the Motion Below:

The Board of Directors removed the LED light fixture replacement from the electrical scope of the project. The option to add retractable plugs in the ceiling outlets was approved to be part of the scope. A $5,000 buffer allowance was added for unexpected costs found during construction and a budget of $2000 was approved for new furniture to be purchased for the lapidary room. All other estimates of the project were included as written.

Motion

Richard Good moved that HGMS move forward with the bid of $42,000 with all the things agreed upon during the Emergency Board Meeting. Ray Kizer seconded the motion. A vote was taken and was unanimous. The motion passed.

Assignment

Within the next few days, the Safety/Policy Committee will schedule a final meeting with the contractor to finalize work request and schedule the construction start date.

Adjourn

Secretary Heidi Shelley moved to adjourn the Emergency Board of Directors Meeting. Ray Kizer seconded the motion and it passed. The meeting adjourned at 8:15 pm.

Meeting Statistics:

The meeting was called to order by President Nancy English at 7:32 pm. There were 20 participants in person and 5 online. There was one guest in attendance, Marshaun Green, who arrived later and thus was not introduced during the meeting.

President’s Comments:

President English gave a special thanks to the hard working Committee who have shepherded the reconstruction of the north wall in the Lapidary Shop and renovations to both shops that will update those work areas. President Nancy English, Heidi Shelley Richard Good, Maggie Manley, and Theo Glanton are the most recent members of that committee. Former members who worked to get these projects initiated are Michele Marsel, Maggie Manley, Randy Carlson, Sharon Halton, and James Burrell. Tony Lucci has been working on the updates in the Silversmithing Shop all along.

Approval of Minutes:

The minutes of the April 25, 2023, General Meeting were published in the May edition of the Back Bender’s Gazette on HGMS.org.  Members were notified via email on May 8, 2023, that the May BBG was available online.

Motion Club Member Sterling Dietz moved to approve the April 25, 2023, General Meeting Minutes as published in the May Back Bender’s Gazette. Sandy Cline seconded the motion and it passed.

Committee Reports/Section Reports

• Donations, Sales, Auction Committee (DSAC): Still looking for a chairman for this committee.
• Education Committee:
  • Sharon Halton taught another Cabochon 201 course (advanced cabochon class) in May.
  • Carmen Fraticelli will teach a Textured Stacking Rings Class On Saturday, June 17.
  • HGMS is still looking for volunteers to teach classes. If you know of anyone who can teach one of the classes on the HGMS website wish list (https://hgms.org/education/hgms-classes/), please contact Maggie Manley at classes@hgms.org.
  • Science Olympiad– Neal Immega posted pictures in the Sunday May 21, e-blast of the Zang brothers who won the Texas competition for Rocks and Minerals. Next, they will compete at the national level. They have done 3 sessions at the clubhouse with Neal Immega. Really smart kids.
• Safety/Policy Committee:
  • As requested in the last General Meeting, the Committee met via Zoom with shop supervisors to agree upon a layout for equipment in the lapidary room once the rebuilding of the wall is completed.
  • The Add On scope of work for plumbing and electrical was created and given to the contractor for final estimates on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. These additions included a new sink that feeds into new plumbing for the Silversmithing Shop, an additional quad outlet in the ceiling of the middle classroom, retractable outlets down the center of the Lapidary Shop, and moving the settling tanks out of the closet.
  • The Original and Add-On contracts were briefly reviewed by the Board of Directors during their May 2, 2023, meeting. The Board Scheduled a follow up Special Board meeting on May 9, to give the Committee an opportunity to review the newly received contracts and meet with the contractors one more time.
  • Based upon emails with Wood and Stone Remodeling and in-person conversations with the contractors on May 8, the contracts’ descriptions were made more specific, downpayments for each contract were reduced from 50% of cost to 30% of cost ($13,550), final payment approvals were spelled out, and the start date of July 3, was determined.
  • The Board approved the updated contracts at the May 9, Special Meeting. The Treasurer issued a check for all the downpayments, and Nancy English delivered it to a Wood and Stone Remodeling representative on Thursday, May 11, 2023.
  • Volunteers are needed:
    • On Saturdays June 3 and June 17, after the Youth Section meeting. Beverly Mace will be available to oversee the rearrangement of the Show supplies in the attic. As she and Nancy English agree, it is best to error on the side of caution and move the Show supplies away from north wall flooring.
    • On Saturdays and Sundays, June 24 & 25, and July 1 & 2, Volunteers are needed to move equipment out of the Lapidary Shop and rearrange the saws to give the contractors plenty of room to replace the north wall. Our plan is to arrange equipment so that we can have the June 27 General Meeting in-person. July 1 & 2 will be the final days to move whatever is left in the way in both shops.
  • The Clubhouse will be closed to members from July 3 until tentatively August 3. Most Sections are able to meet on Zoom. For those that cannot I recommend a field trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science or skipping July meetings altogether.
  • HGMS Policies and Procedures: Jeanean Slamen has agreed to be the facilitator of baseline discussions of a draft of Shop Rules for the Clubhouse team and Board to collate and hone for approval. She is also creating specific liability release forms for shop use, class participation, and field trips.
  • Air Quality– Neal Immega is going to use the time the grinder room is closed to rebuild the air filter. President English thanked Neal.
• Membership Committee: There were 3 adult single memberships, and 4 couple memberships added as well as a total of 5 single memberships, 2 couple memberships, 2 family memberships and 1 youth membership renewed during April 2023.
  • Scholarship Committee: Mike Sommers who has been Scholarship Chairman for 9 years, reported via email. Entries for the three scholarships offered by HGMS were due on May 5, 2023. By May 3 we had zero applicants. Mike encouraged some folks to prod their students resulting in a few a few applications on May 5. HGMS ended up with 5 applications received.
  • President English announced that if you are willing to assist in reviewing and choosing the winner this year, please let Mike Sommers know. Scholarships@hgms.org. For those of who can participate, Mike is compiling the applications and will send them for review. Neal Immega volunteered to evaluate the candidates. He will contact Mike Sommers.

 

• Show Committee: no report.

Old Business

Increase in Membership Dues

The Board of Directors agreed that the new dues prices for 2024 will be sold at the 2023 Annual Show for the remainder of 2023 and all of 2024. She reminded the members that half-price dues starting in July will be based on 2023 prices. President English asked for a motion to approve the proposed increase in annual dues for 2024.

Current Annual Dues:	Proposed Annual Dues:
Single Adult:   $40	Single Adult:   $50
Couple:    $60	Couple:   $70
Youth:   $25	Youth:   $30
Family:   $75	Family:   $85
Individual Adult Lifetime:   $500	Individual Adult Lifetime:   $750

 

Motion Club Member James Eleckel moved to approve the increase in HGMS Annual dues as described above. Member Sandy Cline seconded the motion.

All those in favor in-house 19 and on-line.3 All those opposed in house 1. Two on line abstained.

The motion passed.

Social Media

A volunteer is needed to post classes and events on Instagram. Please let Sarah Metsa or Nancy English know if you are interested in helping in this way.  If you would like to join HGMS on either or both of these platforms, you may follow us @hgms.org on Facebook or @hgms.org_tx on Instagram. Links to each are also found in the top right corner of the Home page on the HGMS.org website.

New Business

• President English attended the Dunn SW Quarterly Board meeting. She reported the following: They hired an attorney to rewrite their “Restrictive Covenants,” aka By Laws. I have copies of the old and new documents and need to vote yay or nay by May 26. Owners have written detailed objections to some of it. I will let you know what happens. I told the Dunn SW Quarterly Board members that we are doing some remodeling and there will be a dumpster in the drive way. The dumpster is fine for a week or two. They do not need to approve any changes we make inside the building.
• John Mitscherling is living in an assisted living facility. He is not expected to return home. Mary Ann, his sister, is liquidating his possessions and selling his house. Watch for the dates of his Estate sale in the Sunday e-blasts. She will provide pictures as well. President English will ask Mary Ann for Johnny’s contact information so members can call or write to him.

Section Announcements

Please look for reports of future Section meetings and programs in the BBG calendar, on the Website https://hgms.org/events, or by reading the weekly Sunday, e-blast from Houston Gem and Mineral Society.

Any additional announcements?

• Beading Section (Maggie Manley): The Beading Section is taking a Field Trip to beading shops in the Harwin area and having lunch.
• Day Light Section (Fred Brueckner): The Day Light Section is taking June, July, and August off.
• Gemstones/Faceting (__): Faceting Section can meet via Zoom, instead of a Hybrid meeting.
• Lapidary/Silversmithing (Richard Good):
• Mineral (Ray Kizer): The Mineral Section always meets on Zoom.
• Paleo (Mike Dawkins):
• Youth (Beverly Mace):

Upcoming Dates

The next Board of Directors meeting is on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at 7:30pm via Zoom. If you would like to attend, please send an email to President@HGMS.org. The Board always meets via Zoom.

The next General Hybrid Meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 27, at 7:30 pm.

Show and Tell

Would anyone like to share something for show and tell?

• Steve Blyskal has 500 flats in storage. He brought two flats to show the Botryoidal Chalcedony from the Singleton Ranch in Presidio county.
• Sterling Dietz showed petrified wood, sodalite, and another unnamed rock.
• Susan Burch brought two orange vests which were donated by the daughter of long time former members of HGMS. Since no one wanted to buy them, she will keep them to find out who the members were, then return with them.

Door Prize

Club Member Tom English won the petrified wood.

Final Comments

President English once again thanked Debbie and William Seid for the refreshments.  She thanked the volunteers who made the General Meeting possible and all volunteers that make HGMS possible.

Adjourn

Neal Immega moved to end the General Meeting. Sterling Dietz seconded the motion. A vote was taken, and the motion passed. The General Meeting was adjourned at 8:15 pm.

Arlington Gem and Mineral Club Show

06/17/2023 – 06/18/2023

Sat. 9:00am – 6:00pm, Sun. 10:00 – 4:00pm

Grapevine Convention Center, 1209 S. Main Street

Grapevine, TX 76051

Adults $10 – Kids 15 and under are free

Contact Rick Allen at rickallen57@sbcglobal.net

https://www.agmc57.org/

 

August 2023

08/03/2023 – 08/06/2023

Thu. 10-5, Fri. 10-5, Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4

2023 American Federation & Northwest Federation Gem & Mineral Show

Hosted by Billings Gem and Mineral Club

Billings Hotel and Convention Center, 1223 Mullowney Ln

Billings, Montana 59101

Contact Doug True at (406) 200-8778

https://billingsgemclub.com/contact-us; Website: BillingsGemClub.com