THE BACKBENDER’S GAZETTE
Volume LIII ----- Houston Gem & Mineral Society ----- November 2023
Photo: Stephen Richardson, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Diamonds and the Breakup of Supercontinents
Club Information
Permission to use material originating in this newsletter is given freely providing that credit is given to the author and the source. Every article published in the BBG is edited for grammar and content. No flaming is allowed.
BACKBENDER’S GAZETTE SUBMISSION DEADLINES
Articles are due on the 15th day of the month before the date on the BBG issue.
Copy is due for the next issue by the 15th of this month. Email content to editor@hgms.org
President's Message
President’s Message November 1, 2023
While the euphoria of the Shop improvements and celebration fades, the Volunteer Coordination takes over. This is our 70th HGMS Annual Gem, Mineral, Jewelry, and Fossil Show. The Show Committee is excited about the coming event on November 10, 11, and 12; and the Volunteer Appreciation Party will be the following weekend.
I regret that I have not been as quick to respond to the volunteer forms as years before. Being President/Treasurer does not leave much time for anything else. But members and students are patient, and I am catching up. Thank you to all.
That brings up the most difficult part of my message. During the November General Meeting, we will vote on the new slate of officers for 2024. Four elected officer positions need to be filled: President, 1st Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. No One has offered to fill them. Only Sarah Metsa will remain, assuming the 2nd Vice President’s responsibilities for Membership. Officer responsibilities can be found in HGMS Bylaws on the website: hgms.org.
I spent time wading through the 501 c3 requirements online. Most of that is IRS reporting info. But we have to be established as an organization. We were established as a corporation in 1957. We must have a Board of directors. “The Board makes significant decisions ensuring the corporation’s goals align with the [members’] interests. ” As a 501 (c) (3) corporation we must have an elected Board of Directors: President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. Without those officers, we lose our Corporate Non-Profit status. Without the Board of Directors to oversee the Club operations we will have to shut down.
I know there are members who are capable of filling these positions. Will you please come forward and be part of the administration of this dynamic organization we all love and take for granted?
On a happier note. Come enjoy the 70th Annual HGMS Show. Members can buy discounted tickets online or Volunteer for a half-day shift to get in free.
Take the opportunity to thank the volunteers who make the Club and the Show the great places they are.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving.
Sincerely,
Nancy English
President/Treasurer, Volunteer Coordinator
REMINDER!!
HGMS Clubhouse will be CLOSED Thursday through Sunday, November 9, 10, 11, 12, 2023, during the HGMS 70th Annual Gem, Mineral, Jewelry, & Fossil Show at the Humble Civic Center.
Vice-President's Message
For the November 28th General Meeting, Sarah Metsa will give a talk about buying and selling precious metals. She will cover what is meant when they say “spot” and “premium”, and where to buy and sell, what to expect, etc She will also cover the difference between bullion coins and numismatic coins, so that listeners will understand the difference, and why buying slabbed bullion coins doesn’t add real value.
AFMS / SCFMS News
Roger Burford, our new AFMS President, is also the SCFMS Past President, having served multiple times as SCFMS President.
The new SCFMS officers will assume their positions on January 1, 2024. President-Elect is Don Shurtz (Pleasant Oaks G&MC), the new Executive Vice President-Elect is Sigrid Stewart (Houston G&MC), the Treasurer-Elect is the incumbent, Henry Rojas (Gulf Coast G&MS), and the new Executive Secretary (appointed position) will be Liz Burford (Baton Rouge G&MS). Many of the District vice presidents will be returning, but several of the positions are currently empty and will need to be filled. The major open position is the SCFMS Secretary.
The Dallas G&MS will be hosting the next SCFMS Convention in November 2024. Let’s all support our new national and Regional Officers.
Section News
Beading – Second 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.
Beading Section will meet at Noon on Saturday, November 11th at the HGMS Annual Gem, Mineral, Jewelry & Fossil Show in Humble, at the Beading Section demonstration table, to practice making several types of chains that can be used to create necklaces and bracelets. Techniques may include spiral chain, herringbone chain., and beaded Kimihimo. There is no cost for this lesson; but seating is very limited. You must pay for show entry, unless you have a volunteer pass.
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.
Lapidary and Silversmithing – Third Monday, 7:00 PM
November 20th, 2023 – Everyone bring your show and tell from what you bought at the show this year. We will be doing a a demonstration on turquoise; cutting it and what to look for in a good piece.
October 16th, 2023 Presenting Soldering 101 – Tony presented a program on soldering. Learn the differences between paste, wire and sheet solder and when to use each type. Participants will get hands on experience learning to solder a bezel. This is a technique program and will help participants develop skills to move on to making finished jewelry pieces in future meetings.
Refreshments will be served and we will choose programs for March and April. Email Lapidary@hgms.org if you have questions.
Day Light – First Wednesday, 1:00 PM
The Daylight Section meets the first Wednesday of the month from 1 to 3 PM.
On October 4th, we
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
On November 15th we will discuss the Show and any new minerals that we saw or acquired. (Personally, there are a lot of minerals I would like to acquire, but it would blow out the budget!)
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.
Part 2 of Scott Singleton’s series will be presented at our November meeting.
Youth, First and Third Saturdays, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Mostly we will be working on cabochons.
Shop and Building News
Learn to Repair – would anyone like to know how to repair grinders and/or saws? I would be happy to show you how, help you repair your own, or whatever. I suspect that nearly everyone got a grinder during Covid to avoid the shop because the shop is now EMPTY even on Saturday or nearly so. We used to have EVERY grinder and trim saw and slab saw running at the same time. Running all the shop machines and the AC put us very close to the 200 AMP maximum for our building. Hello, hello, is anyone out there?
Are you tall enough? I think you all have noticed that we have a grinding shop that should have a sign on the door: “Do not enter if you are less than 6 feet tall.” I am personally delighted but some people have a problem reaching the machines. The wooden platforms in front of the grinders are from the old shop and are not tall enough. They need to cover the space in front without gaps and be taller. If the design team would give specifications, new platforms would appear. I would start knocking up new platforms but the design team has made it known that they want to plan this. Ok, plan it.
We also need some new signs. “Safety glasses REQUIRED for the supergrinder” and “Use this grinder on big rocks”.
Shoe Boxes to prevent oil drips – The floor in the shop is dangerously slick when oil is on the floor. Please use the plastic shoe boxes to carry cut slabs and rocks to the sink so they do not drip oil on the floor. Boxes are on the sink.
Toilet Disaster – Saturday, one of the ladies toilets was found with a broken tank and water everywhere. We are going to see if the security system can help us figure out who did this. It was a substantial pain to clean up. How about we all follow the golden rule and tell someone when something is broken? Or, at a minimum, turn off the valve on the toilet!!!!!
Sharon Halton mentioned that she heard a toilet tank crack at home one time and went to see what caused the noise, finding water everywhere.
Immega is giving up on Thursdays – My primary job on Thursdays was to reinstall or repair machines. We have not had much business. The only machine needing work is the bubble top saw and it is waiting on a new motor. I will still manage the shop on Saturdays. I still have to build the air filter but I will do that at home in my garage.
Pull down power cords – Logan the Younger found the secret for the pull down power cords. There is a set screw that can be loosened and the whole unit can be removed! So, we removed the cord reel for the power cord that interferes with Texaco. If you have an idea where it should go, let us know.
Weather Stories
From Neal Immega: This is a story about the weather in Seymour while a museum crew was digging Dimetrodons. The crew was having breakfast in the New Maverick Cafe. All the ranchers favor that place and the museum crowd stood out. Apparently people had been telling stories about me, likely true ones, and one of the ranchers come over to our table, pulled up a chair and spoke to me “If you bring a quarter of an inch of rain when you come, you can dig on my ranch anywhere you like.” I thanked him and said that I did not have much control over the weather but that I would try.
Your turn. Send in a weather story to editor@hgms.org. Mike Dawkins – How about a story about how much better the collecting was at Wilson’s clay pit after a light rain?
From Mike Dawkins: Ok, I remember that story! We were hunting for fossils in Wilson’s Clay Pit, which has several reddish zones. The fossils in that formation are lighter than the matrix. I was working my way through one of those and suddenly, a light rain began to fall. Those fossils lit up making them much easier to see. I found a 2-inch Petalodus species shark tooth that 2 other people passed by before the rain started. Sometimes the weather helps you out!
From Sigrid Stewart: It doesn’t always help you out! On one of our club trips to Jasper to collect petrified wood, Pat Smith, a former member now deceased, wore a pair of plasticized canvas pants to protect against bugs (and snakes, probably). It was a warm and humid day, and after a few hours of searching for specimens, Pat collapsed and said she couldn’t go on. She was close to heat stroke! We helped her out of there and carried out her rocks too. No rockhound left behind!
And one more: Husband Steve Blyskal and I went on a weekend camping trip to the Kokernot o6 near Alpine, Texas. Out there in West Texas it is often windy, and sometimes it is REALLY windy. The day we arrived was pretty breezy, maybe 20 mph, and we could not stake and tie down our overly tall tent enough to keep it from wobbling and leaning over in the breeze. Not only was that not going to work, the next day was predicted to be much windier. Luckily, there was a large shed in which a tractor was stored, and we set up our tent in there.
The next day was a LOT windier, with gusts up to 60 mph, and we went to a site where we had to climb down a ridge of rock overlooking the canyon. We were warned not to get to close to the edge as you could literally be blown off. After collecting, I began to climb back up with a pack full of agate pieces. Just as I was stepping up to another rock, I was hit by a blast of wind that blew me over to the rock to the right. I landed on my knees. OUCH. Those bone bruises lasted for months.
Notes from Neal
Polishing Shootout – Richard is going to spend the money to buy new wheels for the Highland Park machine because he says that the Immega coated wheels are “garbage”. Well, I take that as a challenge. I propose that every person or section see me for a agate blank and polish it as they see fit. The agate is Black Skin Agate from Richard. I will only use shop equipment. We can all examine the results to see which is best. Mark each blank with a code known only to you. Steve Wilkerson judges the youth section lapidary creations and I will ask him to evaluate our polishing samples. Let’s see who is best.
Resistance welding silver – I finally found a site that tells me that argentium silver has 57% the electrical resistance of pure silver. Sterling is 96%.
This means that there is a good chance that the TIG welder will work using Argentium silver (germanium containing).
If anyone has some Argentium silver sheet and/or wire, I will be delighted to assist with the testing. Scrap is fine. I will give the test pieces back. Please contact me. nealimmega@gmail.com
Microscope – I think that a computer connected digital microscope would be a good addition to the meetings and help with zoom. I was thinking about a 0 to 20x zoom magnifier. I have not found one like this on the web. Does anyone have a suggestion? Clyde may have one that works.
Education
No classes are currently scheduled for November.
Diamonds and the Breakup of Supercontinents
Diamonds are found most often in special deposits called kimberlites. These odd deposits seem to be carrot-shaped, creating very narrow ore bodies which do not spread out very much. The diamonds and accessory minerals such as olivine, serpentine, pyroxenes, garnet, magnetite, eclogite, and hematite, came from great depths in the mantle to the surface very quickly and probably exploded at the surface. Careful dating of these features suggest that kimberlite emplacement is most likely to happen during the breakup of massive supercontinents. But how? Continental crust is thick and hard.
One researcher, Thomas Gernon, a professor of Earth Science at the University of Southampton, and some colleagues, noted a pattern where kimberlite eruptions peaked some 22 to 30 million years after the breakup of a supercontinent. In Africa and South America, once joined together as part of the supercontinent Gondwana, experienced kimberlite eruptions around 25 million years after Gondwana broke up 180 million years ago. North America saw kimberlite eruptions after the supercontinent Pangaea split apart some 250 million years ago. The eruptions seem to begin at the rifts at the edges of continents and through time move to their centers.
To begin to understand this pattern, the researchers built computer models of the crust and mantle movements. Those models indicated that as tectonic plates are pulled apart, continental crust thins, allowing hot rock to rise and contact the base of the crust, melting some of it. Subsequent cooling and sinking of rock created a pattern of circulation, with more hot rock rising and sinking and leading to zones of instability where mantle and crustal rock can mix. Water and carbon dioxide trapped in rock were released like soda from a shaken bottle.
References:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fountains-of-diamonds-erupt-as-supercontinents-break-up/
https://www.britannica.com/place/Gondwana-supercontinent
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gondwana
What did Pangaea look like?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKq0pr4rbRs
Look up “Theory of Continental Drift” on Youtube
Cover Photograph :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Garnet_inclusion_in_diamond.jpg
Stephen Richardson, University of Cape Town, South Africa – Deep Carbon Observatory: A Decade of Discovery p. 12, CC BY-SA 2.0
Diagrams: Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gondwana
Gondwana at 420 Ma. View centred on the South Pole.
Fama Clamosa, CC BY-SA 4.0
The continents Laurasia-Gondwana 200 million years ago.
Pink Diamonds from Australia
The Argyle Mine in Western Australia is famous for pink diamonds. From its opening in 1983 to its closing in 2020, more than 865 million carats of rough diamonds were produced. Most were pale yellows or brown, but a small portion were pink, purple, or red. Scientists now have linked the creation of the colored diamonds to tectonic activity.
Once they were colorless diamonds, says Hugo Olierook, a geologist from Curtin University in Perth, and the lead author of a new study published in Nature Communications. The incredible pressure created by the collision of western Australia and the northern Australian plate in the creation of the supercontinent “Nuna” warped the crystal lattice of the crystals buried in the mantle below the colliding pieces of continents, causing damage that modified the color of the diamonds.
They were later carried up to the surface when the supercontinent Nuna began to break up, enabling a volcanic eruption, not the kimberlite type where most diamonds are found, but an olivine lamproite pipe like the less-productive Crater of Diamonds Park in Arkansas.
In the case of the site of the Argyle Mine, this eruption apparently took place at a beach, where the lamproite lava reacted with sand and seawater. To determine this, researchers made thin sections of the volcanic rock and were able to identify sand grains from the ancient beach, and to date them based on the ratios of radioactive elements they contained. They were able to use laser probes to determine the age of titanite minerals formed by magma reacting with quartz from the sand. This resulted in an estimate of the age of the eruption between 1.26 and 1.3 billion years ago, which surprised everyone on the research team. Overall, the study has hinted that such eruptions may have occurred at other continental boundaries around the world.
References:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pink-diamonds-erupted-to-earths-surface-after-early-supercontinents-breakup/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-40904-8
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_diamond
Photo by RoyFuchs, Public Domain
Bench Tips
Raising a Cabochon
When a cabochon sits too low in a bezel, the bezel hides a lot of the stone. The solution is to either sand down the bezel height or boost up the stone. But if you choose to to raise it up, the question is what is the best material to use ?
I was taught to use fine sawdust but now think that might be a problem when used in rings. I reason that rings will frequently get wet, which would cause the sawdust to swell in size and push the stone against the bezel. Then when the sawdust dries out, the stone would be a little loose.
In any case, I now prefer to insert a flat sheet to boost up my stones. It can be a scrap of metal or some plastic from product packaging or old credit cards. In either case, just cut a piece to loosely fit into the bezel and drop in the stone (with some dental floss) to check it’s height.
Transparent Cabs
When bezel setting a transparent cabochon in silver, I usually cut out the back of the bezel to allow background light to show off the colors and patterns in the stone. If this is not possible or appropriate, I worry that the silver bezel will tarnish under the stone and will ruin its brilliance. What to do?
My solution is one extra step before setting the stone. I place a piece of thin silver Mylar plastic under the stone to act as a mirror that will never tarnish. Mylar is readily available in craft and gift wrap stores, or in a pinch from a party balloon supplier. You may even want to experiment with using colored or patterned Mylar (i.e. diffraction pattern) under some stones.
Smart Solutions for Your Jewelry Making Problems
Making jewelry involves a multitude of skills, intricate hand work, and a lot of problem solving. Books in this series help to::
- Broaden your metalworking skills
- Improve productivity at the bench
- Save money on tools and supplies
You’ll find hundreds of low cost and really practical tips and techniques that the author uses in his work and teaches in his classes and workshops.
https://amazon.com/dp/B0BQ8YVLTJ
Dating Ancient Rocks
How do we know the age of something like the breakup of Gondwana, a supercontinent that broke up to produce South America, Africa, Madagascar and India? Many types of information are used to date such geological claims, and something that gives geologists a powerful insight into the age of the formations in question is the mineral zircon. Crystals of zircon are very durable and resist weathering and chemical degradation, so that they survive many epochs of erosion. Additional rings of the mineral may grow around the original crystal, while the core of the crystal is unchanged and gives clues about the igneous rock in which it originated.
The element uranium is a component of zircon and acts as an internal clock because uranium is converted to lead at a steady rate. The half-life, the time it takes for half of the uranium isotope 238 to change to lead, is 4.5 billion years, enabling the dating of the oldest rocks on Earth and even of the age of meteoric material older than the Earth. Contrast that with the half-life of carbon-14, a radioactive isotope of carbon, which is 70,000 years. The appearance of zircons in rocks means that geologists can use zircon dating to reconstruct the circumstances under which a rock was created.
Relative dating is also important, knowing which formation or rock unit was formed first. Pieces of older rock (xenoliths) may be found within other rocks, so the xenoliths must be older. Then the zircons, denser than most other minerals, must be separated by grinding the rock, putting the slurry in water, and letting the zircons sink. Thin sections are made of the crystals and studied to see whether they have undergone multiple episodes of growth.
Microanalysis with an electron microprobe causes atoms within the sample to give off x-rays in the characteristic wavelengths of the different elements of which they are composed, and which can then be compared to standard samples of known composition. Individual grains can also be dissolved in hydrofluoric acid and then analyzed with a mass spectrometer, to give ratios of the uranium and lead isotopes, which will tell the time on the “clock.”
And how do we know where the boundaries of the continental pieces in the great dance of plate tectonics are and when they joined or broke apart? If you view a video of the creation and breakup of supercontinents like Pangaea and Gondwana, chunks of the world seem to spin around like balls in a pinball machine. Some information about past continuity of land masses and their ages can be derived from paleontological work. By studying the fossils of various species such as the seed fern Glossopteris, marine reptile Mesosaurus, and theraspids Cynognathus and Lystrosaurus, it can be demonstrated that the range of these species of Gondwana cut across the constituent “pieces” of the supercontinent.
Similar work has been done with stratigraphy, showing that the same formations can be found across the rifts where North America and Europe separated and where South America and Africa separated. Much of that work was conducted by oil companies, looking for potential hydrocarbon reservoirs.
References:
Encyclopædia Britannica:
https://www.britannica.com/science/supercontinent#/media/1/441211/172046
Encyclopædia Britannica:
https://www.britannica.com/place/Gondwana-supercontinent#/media/1/238402/218500
Zircon: Gilgit District, Northern Areas, Pakistan, photograph by Robert M. Lavinsky,
http://www.irocks.com/db_pics/pics/dtn1a.jpg
Videos of continental movement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-ng6YpxHxU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLahVJNnoZ4
Kimberlite vs Lamproite
Kimberlite and Lamproite pipes are both the result of violent eruptions of deep-origin volcanoes. Their origin is much deeper than that of regular volcanos, possibly from the mantle, and the magma is rich in magnesium and volatile compounds such as water and carbon dioxide. As the magma rises to the surface, the release of pressure causes the water or carbon dioxide to change to the gaseous phase, powering a rapid supersonic Plinian eruption. Most kimberlite pipes were formed during the Cretaceous, but the most recent kimberlite pipe eruption may have happened 11,000 years ago in Tanzania.
Kimberlites
CO2-dominated regime
Localized with cratons
Low-heat flow regions
Volcanic pipes with no lavas
Silica-undersaturated minerals
Diamond a common accessory mineral
Pipes are narrow and carrot-shaped
Lamproites
H2O-dominated regime
Restricted to adjacent Proterozoic belts
High-heat flow regions
Small subvolcanic bodies with lava flows
Priderite and wadeite not found in kimberlites
Diamonds only in olivine lamproites
Pipes are wider than kimberlite pipes
References:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1134/S0869591111010024
https://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/pic16/pic16_2.html
Diagram: Volcanic pipe {{User:Asbestos/GFDL|8 June, 2005}} Category:Volcanoes
Just for Fun
This great convenience store is in Denton, Texas! Love the petrified wood.
Energy Day 2023
On Saturday, October 21st, HGMS representatives attended the Annual Energy Day at Sam Houston Park. Here in the energy capital of the world, #STEM career opportunities are endless for those equipped with the right education and passion. We were honored to partner with the @Consumer Energy Education Foundation to introduce @Energy Day. This free family-friendly event was held at Sam Houston Park to showcase over 60 engaging and interactive exhibits that emphasize the importance of a STEM education. Many attendees visited our booth to help us support the next generation of #STEMLeaders!
HGMS Board of Directors Meeting
Meeting Minutes for October 3, 2023
| 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 | X | Gemstones & Faceting – Randy Carlson |
| Treasurer – | X | Lapidary & Silversmithing – Richard Good | |
| X | Secretary – Heidi Shelley | X | Mineral – Ray Kizer |
| – | Paleontology – Mike Dawkins | ||
Meeting Statistics:
The Zoom Meeting was called to order by President Nancy English at 7:34 PM. A quorum was present and there were no non-voting members in attendance.
President’s Comments:
President English shared that she is pleased with the work of the new bookkeeper, Noor Lakhani, thus far. Lakhani dug into the reporting issues HGMS has and made some changes to processes that will make Tax time easier.
Treasurer’s Report:
September Financial Report Discussion: The report was emailed to the board members by Michele Marsel on 10-2-23. The board did not have any concerns with the monthly report; however, concerns were discussed about the 2021 and 2022 taxes for HGMS. Those have not been filed yet. As a non-profit 501 (c) (3) HGMS does not have to pay taxes. But there are penalties for late filing. Former Treasurer Marsel offered to pay the 990 late filing fees/penalties for the 2021 taxes.
Last month President English was concerned about HGMS losing its 501(c)(3) status because the 2021 taxes are late. According to an IRS document emailed to President English on Sunday, October 1, 2023, from former Treasurer Michele Marsel,
“An organization that fails to file the required information return (Form 990, Form 990-EZ, or Form 990-PF) or e-Postcard (Form 990-N) for three consecutive tax years will automatically lose its tax-exempt status.”
HGMS is not in imminent danger of 501(c)(3) revocation because HGMS filed the 2020 taxes. Although 2021 taxes will be late, the penalty will be paid; and as long as 2022 taxes are processed by the extended due date of November 15, HGMS can continue as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Former Treasurer Marsel already filed for an extension for 2022 taxes. Michele Marsel and Noor Lakhani are working on different aspects of preparing the documentation for a CPA to finish and submit the taxes for 2021 and 2022.
The Board of Directors discussed what options are available and how to proceed from here forward.
Tax Withholding on HGMS Bank Account: President English reported that since November 30, 2021, one HGMS bank account has been charged a monthly Federal Withholding tax payment equaling an overall total of nearly $1800.00. On September 28, 2023, the bank’s Customer Service Representative said the account was opened with the wrong Tax EIN number, and it took the bank months to identify that the opening Tax ID does not qualify as a 501 (c)(3). It is unclear who initiated the debits for withholding or how the money will be returned. President English updated the Tax ID at the bank and is working with the bank to turn off the option for automatic withholding. First Vice President Sarah Metsa is a former bank auditor and is familiar with banking forms and required notices. She offered to follow up with the Bank to get this matter cleared up.
FYI – Approval of Minutes:
- On September 28, 2023, Secretary Heidi Shelley moved via email to approve the minutes of the September 5, 2023 Board of Directors’ Meeting. Board Member Fred Brueckner seconded it. There were 5 emailed approvals and 4 non responses. Since the minutes were emailed, President English added two corrections. A new vote was taken during the Board of Directors Meeting. Secretary Heidi Shelley moved to approve the corrected minutes of the September 7, 2023 Board of Directors Meeting. Ray Kizer seconded the motion. A vote was taken and passed.
Committee Reports
- BBG Notice – Beverly Mace notified members on October 1, 2023 via email that the online version of the October BBG is available on the HGMS Website.
- Donations, Sales, Auction Committee (DSAC): President English announced that Ray Kizer has volunteered to be the Donations Chairman. He reported to the Board of Directors that he is reviewing past donations and will try to hold a medium-sized auction to sell a portion of the items before the annual HGMS Rock and Gem show in November, or possibly after the show. President English reported that Neal Immega and others have been retrieving items from an estate donation to HGMS. This is an on-going project as the donation is a large one includes fossilized wood, jaspers, agates, and much, much more.
- Education Committee (Maggie Manley): There are no new classes posted. President English reported that a member, who was at the club one day looking at the kilns, said she could teach a Slump Glass class. President English doesn’t remember who that individual was, but thinks it could have been Charlie Holden. Board Member Maggie Manley said that would be fantastic if Charlie wanted to teach a class.
- Safety/Policy Committee (Nancy English): The North Wall Rebuild Committee is finished. Wood and Stone Remodeling and have been paid. General Contractor Alex Hinojosa said to call him if we have any issues with the work.
- Load Limit of Loft: Randy Carlson has started gathering data. He has asked for pictures of the North Wall and ceiling joists exposed during construction. He reported that he may need to remove some floor boards in the loft to allow engineers to view the wood construction. Secretary Heidi Shelley reported that David Hawkins, an HGMS club member, told her he framed he air-abrasive room himself. The walls are 2×4’s at 16 inches on center with 2×6’s framed in the ceiling. The 2×6’s are double-up (two nailed together for each ceiling joist) to span the room. And all four walls of that room have 2×4 cross braces near the top and bottom of each vertical stud in the wall. Board Member Randy Carlson asked if a member of the North Wall Construction committee could be present to answer questions when he takes the engineering company through the shop to assess what it would take to find the load limit of the loft. Randy said he may need to open up a wall to show construction depending on what the Engineer says during the visit, but that he would let the Board of Directors know.
- Membership Committee (Beverly Mace): Board Members Maggie Manley and Randy Carlson asked second Vice President Beverly Mace if any of the Beading section or Gems and Faceting Section members is not current in their HGMS membership. Beverly informed them there is an updated list of current members in the Lapidary Shop of current members to verify against the Beading section and faceting section email list.
- Statistics Report for September: During the month of September, there were the following new memberships added: 11 single adult memberships, 3 couple memberships, 5 youth memberships, and two Individual Adult Lifetime memberships. There were no membership renewals added in September.
- Scholarship Committee (Mike Sommers): There is no news from the scholarship committee this month.
- Show Committee (NJE): Committee members are working on coordinating the PayPal payment systems for credit card payments through PayPal’s new program Zettle. Members of the committee are also starting their bi-weekly meetings to prepare for the HGMS annual rock show in November. The next meeting will be October 10, 2023. Preparations are beginning for the 2023 HGMS Annual Rock, Gem and Mineral show.
- Postcard Party: President English reported that the Post Card Labeling party was a success. 21 volunteers put mailing labels on 7,000 postcards advertising the HGMS Annual Rock Show. Afterwards, lunch was provided by Debbie Seid. According the President English, the party was a success.
Section News/Problems to Report:
- Beading Section (Maggie Manley):
- Day Light Section (Fred Brueckner):
- Gemstones/Faceting (__):
- Lapidary/Silversmithing (Richard Good):
- Mineral (Ray Kizer):
- Paleo (Mike Dawkins):
- Youth (Beverly Mace):
Old Business
- Bookkeeper/Treasurer:
- Noor Lakhani, our new Bookkeeper has started working with Michele and Nancy. President English thanked the Board members for responding to the Urgent emailed requests to approve Noor and changing the signatures at the banks.
- Until someone volunteers to be the Treasurer, President English will be the Treasurer liaison to the Bookkeeper.
- Many things are going to change as HGMS gets used to a working with a professional, hired Bookkeeper instead of a member-volunteer. Some changes include:
- The Bookkeeper insists that all sections provide her with a copy of the monthly statements for there HGMS accounts starting with the September 30, 2023, statements.
- All reimbursement requests go to the Treasurer email and should be cc’d to the Approver of that budget account. No requests will be forwarded to the Bookkeeper until the purchase is approved. Exceptions to this have already been noted.
- Shop Supervisors Update: During the September Board of Directors meeting, the Board agreed that couples working as shop supervisors should both be allowed to work for free, though no motion was made to this effect. Nancy has notified Jeanean Slamen of this decision so she can add it to her document, but wondered if an official motion was needed from the Board.
Motion
Maggie Manley moved to allow an approved pair of supervisors to be shop supervisors together. Richard Good seconded the motion. A vote was taken and passed.
- Equipment Schedule for insurance – During the August Board meeting, Richard Good offered to engrave an equipment number on then grinders and make a list for the Insurance Schedule. No updates on this item.
- Rent HGMS For Other Groups: This topic was readdressed by the Board. Options of suggested costs for rental were discussed, but no change was made to the September 2023 Board of Directors Meeting motion. Cost to rent the space for groups not sponsored by HGMS will continue to be $25 an hour for a Board Approved event with a Board Approved HGMS member in attendance that will be responsible for that event. First Vice President Sarah Metsa offered to write down rules and procedures for event rental at HGMS and present it to the Board of Directors before the November meeting. Maggie Manley offered to help Sara with input.
- School Class Collaboration: During the September Board of Directors meeting First Vice President Sarah Metsa presented an idea via email to Board members about working with a local school to hold classes at the HGMS facility to help bring more interest of and exposure to HGMS. The board discussed this, and agreed it could be an option. First Vice President Metsa will start with an invitation to key employees from the school to visit HGMS for a tour. There have been no further developments on this item.
- Classes Targeting Homeschoolers at the Club: No progress.
- Facebook/Instagram E-Blast Class Advertising: No developments have been made on getting someone to advertise via Instagram President English asked the Board if this item can be removed from the Board of Directors agenda due to lack of interest. The Board agreed.
- Annual Party – Scheduled for December 9, 2023 at the Unitarian Fellowship Hall.
- Changes in Board for 2024 –There been no volunteers to head up the nomination committee? First Vice President Sarah Metsa encouraged the board to talk to members to see if anyone will be willing to fill the other positions on the Board for 2024. As of right now, 4 out of 5 titled positions on the Board of Directors will be vacant in 2024. Volunteer Leadership help is needed or HGMS will need to close down and dissimilate. A Board is needed to run HGMS. Sarah Metsa serving as Second Vice President in 2024 will be the only current member of the named positions on the board still serving next year.
New Business
- By-Laws Motion:
Secretary Heidi Shelley moves that we change the By-Laws to reflect the proposed new Lifetime Membership Fee amount as follows:
By-Laws Section Changes:
Section: – Original script paragraph followed by new paragraph.
Section 2 – Membership Designations The designations of membership in this Society and their requirements are as follows:
SENIOR MEMBERSHIP: for persons 18 years of age or more. Senior membership has all privileges and the right to vote and hold office, subject to the provisions of Article II, Section 1.
JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP: for persons under 18 years of age. Junior membership has all privileges except the right to vote and hold office.
HONORARY LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP: this membership may be awarded by the vote of the Board of Directors for outstanding service or meritorious achievement. Recipients will have all rights and privileges of Senior membership including the right to make motions, vote, and hold office. Honorary Lifetime Members pay no dues.
LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP: this membership can be purchased for $500.00 and has all rights and privileges of Senior membership including the right to make motions, vote, and hold office. Lifetime Members pay no further membership dues after the initial $500.00 payment.
Changed:
LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP: this membership can be purchased for $750.00 and has all rights and privileges of Senior membership including the right to make motions, vote, and hold office. Lifetime Members pay no further membership dues after the initial $750.00 payment.
Secretary Heidi Shelley will create an email special notice to be sent to all Senior Members of HGMS notifying them of the change to the By-Laws. This will be given to First Vice President Sarah Metsa to be emailed before the October General Meeting. An official vote will be taken during the November 2023 General Meeting.
New Dues for 2024 Reminder: President English reminded the Board of the approved dues to take place in January 2024. The new membership prices will be: $50 for single adult, $70 for couples, and $ 30 for youth, and $85 for family. The Adult Individual Lifetime membership will be $750 in 2024 if approved by majority vote during the November General Meeting.
Filed By-Laws need Updated? Secretary Heidi Shelley informed the Board members that she noticed in the By-Laws that it says if any major changes are made to the by-laws that a new copy needs to be filed with the State. First Vice President Sarah Metsa questioned if that is currently the requirement or whether it was just stated in our by-laws alone. She asked Secretary Shelley to look into it further and report back to the Board of Directors during the November meeting.
Dates of Note
| Description |
| Board of Directors Meeting via Zoom (1st Tues) @ 7:30 pm = Next meeting November 7, 2023 |
| General Club Meeting (4th Tues) Hybrid @ 7:30pm = Next meeting October 24, 2023. |
| Description |
| Beading (2nd Sat) @ 12:00pm |
| Day Light (1st Wed) @ 1:00pm |
| Gems/Faceting (2nd Thurs ) Hybrid
In person @ 6:30pm; Zoom added 7:30pm. |
| Lapidary/Silver (3rd Mon) @ 7:00pm |
| Mineral (3rd Wed) @ 7:30pm |
| Paleo (3rd Tues) Hybrid @ 7:30pm |
| Youth (1st and 3rd Sat)
from 10a – Noon |
Adjourn
Board member Ray Kizer moved to adjourn the Board of Directors Meeting. Secretary Heidi Shelley seconded the motion and it passed. The meeting adjourne
HGMS General Meeting Minutes
by Heidi Shelley
Meeting Statistics:
The meeting was called to order by President Nancy English at 7:31 p.m. There were seven (7) online participants. There were nineteen (19) in-house attendees. There were three (3) new members: Lou and Lana Yelich and David Pawek.
President’s Comments:
President English emphasized the Annual Show coming up in September: the show, the show the show!
Approval of Minutes:
President English asked for a motion to approve the September 23, 2023, General Meeting minutes.
Motion Club Member Steve Blyskal moved to approve the September 23, 2023, General Meeting Minutes as published in the September Back Bender’s Gazette and in the Sunday e-blast October 22, 2023. Ray Kizer seconded the motion and it passed.
Committee Reports/Section Reports
Donations, Sales, Auction Committee (DSAC): Ray Kizer volunteered to be the chairman of this important committee. He is reviewing past donations and is putting together an auction to sell a portion of the items before the annual HGMS Rock and Gem show in November. Neal Immega, Richard Good, Foster Kneeland and Clyde McMeans have been retrieving items from an estate donation to HGMS. This is an on-going project as the donation is a large one, 10,000 pounds. It includes fossilized wood, jaspers, agates, and much, much more. Neal thanked members for donating boxes, wrapping, and containers to bring the rocks back to the Club.
E-Blast Reminder: For the benefit for new members present in the meeting, President English explained the HGMS has a weekly “e-blast” email sent to members. The e-blast contains information about club activities, news, and up-coming events. She also gave information about the monthly Back Bender’s Gazette newsletter produced by HGMS.
Education Committee: No Classes scheduled for November and December yet.
Safety/Policy Committee:
- HGMS Policies and Procedures: Jeanean Slamen reported that she is working with the California Gem and Mineral Society published safety and policy manual. Jeanean has received permission to use their manual as a guideline for HGMS. She is working with a member of HGMS who is a lawyer who is reviewing this document and they can modify it to apply to releases forms for field trips, use of shops of any kind and classes taught at HGMS; and making sure this document is in accordance to Texas law. This will be an ongoing process.
- Pathfinder LL&D Insurance Group, representatives are coming tomorrow October 25, to see our progress for the issues they identified in December of 2021.
- Sharon Halton needs her garage back. She would like some people to come and get the tables for the Rock City out of her garage. Sharon had offered to store the rock village during the North Wall Rebuild project and would like them to be returned to HGMS now. President English asked for volunteers to help with this.
Membership Committee: During the month of September there were 11 single adult memberships, 3 couple memberships, 5 youth memberships, and two Individual Adult Lifetime memberships added. There were no membership renewals added in September.
Show Committee:
The magnetic car signs were ready to be picked up. They can be placed on the car door of members starting on Sunday, November 5, 2023. The sign says the Show starts Next weekend at Humble Civic Center.
HGMS was at Energy Days this year! It was held on Saturday October 21.
In the energy capital of the world, #STEM career opportunities are endless for those equipped with the right education and passion. This FREE family-friendly event at Sam Houston Park showcased over 60 engaging exhibits, offering interactive exhibits that emphasize the importance of STEM education. Including the HGMS exhibit Elsa Kapitan-White, Jeni Menendez, and Sarah Metsa manned the HGMS table.
HGMS Clubhouse will be CLOSED Thursday through Sunday, November 9, 10, 11, 12, 2023, during the HGMS 70th Annual Gem, Mineral, Jewelry, & Fossil Show at the Humble Civic Center.
Postcard Party: President English reported that the Post Card Labeling party was a success. 21 volunteers put mailing labels on 7,000 postcards advertising the HGMS Annual Rock Show. Afterwards, lunch was provided by Debbie Seid.
Saturday November 4, Beverly Mace will oversee moving the supplies out of the attic into the garage. President English said members can come and help anytime on Saturday.
Wednesday, November 8, about 5:30 movers will pick up Show supplies. Volunteers are welcome.
Thursday, November 9, from 8:00 to 12:00 and 2:00 to 5:00 Volunteers will distribute HGMS supplies to the HGMS stations throughout the Humble Civic Center. And help set up the displays and tables.
Sunday, November 12, volunteers help tear down the HGMS venues, pack them up, and move them to the Dock for the movers. Some volunteers come back to the Club and help the movers unload the truck. We eat Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Old Business:
- Annual Party – Scheduled for December 9, 2023, at the Unitarian Fellowship Hall.
- Shop Supervisors Update: During the September Board of Directors meeting, the Board agreed that couples working as shop supervisors should both be allowed to work for free, though no motion was made to this effect. Nancy has notified Jeanean Slamen of this decision so she can add it to her document, but wondered if an official motion was needed from the Board. Neal Immega will no longer be at the Shop on Thursdays. He went on Thursdays to repair equipment. But there is not that much to do.
- Changes in HGMS DUES FOR 2024: President English reviewed the results at the October 24, 2023, General Meeting.
According to The HGMS Bylaws, Article I, Section 3
“The Board will make recommendations for changes, if any, of the annual dues. After notice in the newsletter, the changes in the dues will be voted on at the October General Meeting. If approved, the changes will take effect for the following year.”
During the May 23 General Meeting, the senior members in attendance passed a motion to approve the new dues.
.
| 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 |
On October 16, 2023, an e-blast was sent to all members to notify them of the Bylaws changes that will be voted on in the November 28, 2023, General Meeting.
Original By-Laws Section to Be Affected (only the amounts will be changed. Original amounts underlined below):
Section 2 – Membership Designations The designations of membership in this Society and their requirements are as follows: . . .
. . . . LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP: this membership can be purchased for $500.00 and has all rights and privileges of Senior membership including the right to make motions, vote, and hold office. Lifetime Members pay no further membership dues after the initial $500.00 payment.
If approved, the By-Laws will read (changes underlined):
LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP: this membership can be purchased for $750.00 and has all rights and privileges of Senior membership including the right to make motions, vote, and hold office. Lifetime Members pay no further membership dues after the initial $750.00 payment.
We will vote on this change during the November 28, General Meeting.
Changes in Board for 2024 –There been no volunteers to head up the nomination committee. As of right now, 4 out of 5 of the elected officer positions on the Board of Directors will be vacant in 2024. Volunteer Leadership help is needed or HGMS will need to close down. A Board is needed to run HGMS. Sarah Metsa serving as Second Vice President in 2024 will be the only current member of the officer positions on the board still serving next year. Nancy is considering being Secretary. Bur will not be President.
Volunteers still needed for critical positions:
- Treasurer to interface with Bookkeeper and the Board NOW
- Secretary
- 1ST Vice President
- President
New Business:
Toilet Disaster– Saturday, October 21, one of the ladies’ toilets was found with a broken tank and water everywhere. Neal Immega and Clyde McMeans used our new shop vac to clean up the water in the kitchen. Second Vice President Beverly Mace helped to clean up water as well. Dean Wix came to the Club to finish the cleanup in the office. He returned on Monday to meet the plumber provided by Wood and Stone Remodeling. The toilet was replaced with an ADA height commode.
Neal asked in the Sunday e-blast, “How about we all follow the golden rule and tell someone when something is broken? Or, at a minimum, turn off the valve on the toilet!!!”
Nancy English punctuated Neal’s request with another request. If you see something, Say Something.
Sharon Halton mentioned to Nancy English that her toilet tank cracked spontaneously while she was home in another room. This may be that kind of issue.
SCFMS met via Zoom on Saturday October 14, 2023. Sigrid Stewart and Nancy English both attended. Sigrid was elected to be the SCFMS Vice President in 2024.They handed out awards for best newsletter, best article, best poem, and more. Sigrid Stewart will announce them at the Christmas Party.
Grinding Wheels Challenge- Neal Immega announced that there have been some comments made about the quality of the wheels he has recoated on the grinders in the past. Thus he is issuing a challenge. He has free agate for anyone who would like to grind a cabochon. Then he will present these cabochons to compare to ones polished on new wheels. This will allow a good comparison of the quality of different types of grinding wheels: new verse recoated.
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):
- Day Light Section (Fred Brueckner):
- Gemstones/Faceting: (Randy Carlson)
- Lapidary/Silversmithing (Richard Good):
- Mineral (Ray Kizer):
- Paleo (Mike Dawkins):
- Youth (Beverly Mace):
The next Board of Directors meeting is on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. 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 (Zoom and In-person) will be held on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
Show and Tell
Steve Blyskal showed rocks and minerals he purchased at the Austin Gem and Mineral Show: Calcite pseudomorph after glauberite – California; Doubly terminated quartz (tessin habit) with hematite from Badakhshan Province Afghanistan; Calcite from Santa Eulalia Mining district, Chihuahua, Mexico; Chalcedony from Graham Co., AZ
Sigrid brought back a rich purple charoite slab that she showed to those present.
Door Prize
Jeanean Slamen won the green amazonite in white felspar softball size specimen.
Final Comments
Nancy English brought the refreshments. Debbie Seid will be back in November.
Please feed the kitty.
President English once again thanked the volunteers who made tonight’s meeting possible and all volunteers that make HGMS possible. Looking around the room, everyone except the new members were volunteers for HGMS.
After the refreshments President English would introduce the program:
THE YELLOWSTONE SUPERVOLCANO WE MONITOR AND THE GEYSERS WE LOVE BY Joann Socash.
Adjourn
Nancy Fischer moved to end the General Meeting. Fred Brueckner seconded the motion. A vote was taken, and the motion passed. The General Meeting was Adjourned at 8:15 p.m.
Upcoming Shows
Golden Spread Gem, Mineral & Treasure Society
11/5/2023 – 11/6/2023
Sat. 9-6, Sun. 10-5
Amarillo Civic Center Complex
401 South Buchanan, Amarillo TX
Roger Wells, (806) 626-4895
Email: Gooseaa88@yahoo.com
goldenspreadgemmineraltreasuresociety.com
Houston Gem & Mineral Show!!
11/10/2023 – 11/12/2023
Fri. and Sat. 9-6, Sun, 10-5
Humble Civic Center
8233 Will Clayton Pkwy, Humble, TX
Hgms.org
Dallas Gem & Mineral Show
11/18/2023 – 11/19/2023
Sat 10-6 and Sun 10-5
1700 Rodeo Drive
Mesquite Convention Center
Mesquite, TX 75149
http://www.dallasgemandmineral.org/