THE BACKBENDER’S GAZETTE
Volume LIII ----- Houston Gem & Mineral Society ----- September 2023
The Crown of the Andes
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
After working tirelessly on the planning and implementation of the Shop Renovation, and preparing for the Grand Re-Opening Party on August 19th, your president is taking a little break.
Vice-President's Message
The talk for our next General Meeting on Tuesday, September 26th, will be on Michigan’s Copper Country, presented by Paul Brandes.
Paul just completed a new book, Michigan Rocks: A Guide to Geologic Sites in the Great Lakes State, available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Paul earned a BS in geology from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and an MS in geology from Michigan Technological University.
Section News
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.
The September 16th meeting project will be a beaded bracelet with macrame over leather. Bring your bead mats, magnifiers, and scissors. All other materials will be included in kit form, if reserved in advance. Beading Section members will receive additional information via E-mail regarding this project. Kits will be provided at a cost to be determined and an RSVP will be required.
At our last meeting we had a visitor from the Houston Bead Society (HBS). HBS also meets on the 3rd Saturday of each month. Beading Section members agreed that we will change our meeting to the 2nd Saturday of each month, in lieu of the 3rd Saturday of each month to allow members to participate in both HGMS and HBS meetings. This change will be effective in October.
Thirteen members (3-visitors) met for the August meeting to fabricate the Flabellum Earrings designed by Kelly Dale of Off the Beaded Path Bead Store. Kelly authorized use of her pattern for this project. We are grateful for her generosity.
OfftheBeadedPathBeadstore.com is a great source for seed beads and other jewelry making supplies. Kelly regularly teaches classes on YouTube, specializing in seed bead projects.
Six Beading Section Members attended the Grand Opening of the Clubhouse after our meeting.
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.
Day Light – First Wednesday, 1:00 PM
The Daylight Section meets the first Wednesday of the month from 1 to 3 PM.
Our next session will be on Wed. September 6, at 1 PM. We will be making multi-colored polymer clay beads, baking them in the oven, and then making a bracelet with the beads we have made. I hope all members will be able to attend. The cost for the materials for this session is $5.00.
Please send an email to daylight@hgms.org to register for the class. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU REGISTER FOR THIS CLASS SO THAT THERE CAN BE ENOUGH MATERIALS ON HAND FOR EVERYONE.
Gemstones and Faceting – Second Thursday, 6:30 PM
Zoom meeting begins at 7:30 pm. Subject to be announced.
We’ll see everyone again at the Sept. 14th meeting! Remember now is a good time to start your HGMS competition stones as the deadline to turn them in is at our Oct. meeting.
Note: I plan to bring the Facet section material to the Sept. meeting if anyone is interested in picking it over.
We had a good meeting in August to welcome us back to the renovated clubhouse! Everyone enjoyed seeing the finished Lapidary room!
Heidi and I have been working on getting the faceting machines to tip-top shape, and we talked about what we’ve had to do in order to make that happen. John Lee presented us with a presentation on how Judges score your stones when submitting to Faceting competitions.
We’ve had a number of new member’s excited to join the section and jump right into Faceting! Randy and Richard have been awesome with helping train new members.
Lapidary and Silversmithing – Third Monday, 7:00 PM
Our next meeting is on September 18th. We will explore casting which will be a Hands-On Workshop. We will be working with waxes and setting them on their bases making the molds for doing vacuum casting. Hope to see everyone there. Tony
The August meeting was a lot of fun; we tested out the new equipment in the shop and the watering system works rather well. You have to be very careful adjusting to be able to carve fire agate.
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.
Mineral – Third Wednesday, 7:30 PM
Please note: our September meeting will be cancelled.
Normally 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.
The August meeting was postpones, but the September 19th meeting will on Petrified Wood and we will learn how to identify the common types of wood. If I can get a saw ready, we will have samples to give to you.
Youth, First and Third Saturdays, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Mostly we will be working on cabochons.
Shop and Building News
Shop Power – It turns out that the pull-down electrical service down the center of the room has its own 10 amp circuit breaker, reset button, and indicator light. I will need to show all the shop supers (and anyone else that is interested ) the details when you encounter me. If fact, all the section leaders who use the power above the center table in the center classroom should get a briefing also.
TIG welder – reinstalled as before.
Lost Pipe Wrenches – Does anyone know where our two pipe wrenches have gone or were they liberated by the plumber? Fred needed a new diamond blade on his personal 4 ” saw and my usual method is to put a pipe wrench on the fitting so that I can take off nut on the arbor. Fortunately, he had used a spray on lub and the nut came off easily.
Piling stuff in front of the garage cabinets – We have had a lot of fun piling stuff in front of Beverly’s cabinets in spite of her plea that we do not do it. Well today I encountered Tony. He said that ANYTHING in front of the cabinet closest to the garage door would be transported to the DUMP. I wish I had known this earlier, and we could have gotten rid of lots of stuff. I am thinking about the pipe wrench thieves. Be warned, I personally would not test him on this subject! Maybe I could move the useless rock on the porch to in front of his cabinets, but that would be a lot of work.
Education
Tree of Life Wire Wrapped Pendant
September 13 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm $45.00 (members) – $55.00 (non-members)
Cabochon 101 (Sept 15, 2023)
September 15 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm $45.00 (members) – $60.00 (non-members)
Cabochon 101 (Sept 22, 2023)
September 2 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm $45.00 (members) – $60.00 (non-members)
Textured Rings Class (Sept 16, 2023)
September 16 @ 12:30 pm – 5:30 pm $85.00 (members)– $100.00 (non-members)
Taught by Carmen Fraticelli.
Beaded Bezel Cabochon (Sept 27, 2023)
September 27 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm $45.00 (members) – $55.00 (non-members)
Learn to create a beaded bezel on on one of your own cabochons. You will use Peyote stitch with small seed beads to surround your cabochon in colors designed to complement individual cabochons. This is a beginner to moderate level class. Beads, needles, and thread, bead mats and tool usage are included. Bring your own cabochon; or, you may purchase one at the class (prices vary). Bring magnification. This simple and fast method creates beautiful and unique settings for your cabochons in just a few hours. Examples of Peyote projects will be available for understanding the versatility of this popular beading stitch. Oval cabochons are recommended for beginners; however, this technique can be used on many shapes with a little experience.
Jewelry Design (Sept 29, 2023)
September 29 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm $35.00
This course will introduce you to the toolbox of ideas and workflow that allow you to transform your inspiration into jewelry that reflects your personal taste and style. You’ll have more confidence in your designs and will be able to solve design issues before you start fabricating.
During the four-hour class we’ll learn about design principles, look at a lot of jewelry designs and practice the kind of activities you can use to create your own designs at home. Students should bring a pair of scissors, a 12” ruler and a fine line black marker like an ultra-fine Sharpie. A class handout will be provided online after class but feel free to bring note-taking materials with you.
These principles are applicable to all areas of jewelry making: beading, wire wrapping, metalsmithing, lapidary and mixed media.
Cost: $35
Location: Middle Classroom or General Meeting Room, depending on enrollment
The Crown of the Andes
By Don Shurtz, Pleasant Oaks Gem and Mineral Club of Dallas
Chips and Chatter Newsletter, May 2023
I started looking for some background material about Emeralds, the May birthstone, for a May newsletter article. I must have mucked up my original Internet search and ended up on the Crown of the Andes page. The Crown of the Andes weighs 4.8 lbs. and is made from 18 – 22 carat gold with 443 Columbian emeralds (I did find emeralds after all). The Crown is 13.1 inches tall, and the diadem (base) is 13 inches in diameter. The largest emerald, known as the “Atahualpa Emerald”, weighs 24 carats. Legends say that the Atahualpa Emerald belonged to the last Emperor Atahualpa, the last of the Inca emperors.
The Crown was believed to have been built in stages. The cross and orb at the top are believed to be from the 1500s. The diadem was finished about 1660, and the arches (four of them – see picture insert) were added about 1770. The crown was originally fashioned as the headpiece for a statue of the Virgin Mary in the cathedral of Popayán, Columbia. The Crown was used in many celebrations of Holy Week in the cathedral. In 1914 the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception was granted papal permission to sell the Crown.
In 1935 an American syndicate purchased the Crown. The syndicate planned to disassemble the Crown and sell the emeralds and gold. Fortunately, that did not happen. The Crown was intermittently displayed, including in Detroit in 1937 at the unveiling of new Chevrolet models, the 1939 New York World’s Fair, the Royal Ontario Museum in 1959, and from October 2009 to January 2010 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art for an exhibition named Sacred Spain: Art and Belief in the Spanish World. The Crown was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2015 and, after restoration, placed on exhibit.
View of the Crown’s Arches at left
The Internet has many interesting articles about the Crown of the Andes including my favorite slide show that details the restoration of the Crown undertaken by the Metropolitan Museum of Art after it acquired the Crown in December 1995. The slide show is part of an article that can be found at here. If you are even slightly interested in gold work or jewelry repair, I would highly recommend viewing the slide show.
References:
Crown of the Andes, New York Metropolitan Museum, https://www.metmuseum.org/
Crown of the Andes, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Title Photograph, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/, picture in Public Domain
Restoration: https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/conservation-and-scientific-research/conservation-stories/2020/crown-of-andes
For a video:
https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/videos/2016/2/metcollects-crown-of-the-andes
Crowns Revisited
By Don Shurtz, Pleasant Oaks Gem and Mineral Club of Dallas
May Chips and Chatter Newsletter
While looking for the Crown of the Andes background material, one of the things that struck me as strange was that the Crown of the Andes was not just a crown, but it was a Votive crown. And here I thought a crown was just a crown. So, what is a Votive crown? It is a crown, normally fabricated from gold and other precious metals and adorned with precious jewelry that is given, without the intent of recovery or use, to a sacred place – normally a church. Originally, they were intended to be suspended by chains and hung from an altar or shrine, but later they were also used as headpieces for sacred statues.
In the case of the Crown of the Andes, it was designed to fit the head of a larger-than-life statue of the Virgin Mary. The Crown would swamp the head of the average adult – the Crown is 13 inches in diameter while, according to Wikipedia, the human head is around 7 to 7.5 inches in diameter.
St. Edward’s Crown, the centerpiece of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, used to crown British monarchs since the 13th century:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Edward’s_Crown
Coronet worn by the 17th Earl of Devon at the coronation of Elizabeth II,
By Lobsterthermidor, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
What other types of crowns are there? The base of the Crown of the Andes is referred to as a Diadem. A diadem is, technically, a part of the crown (the base, the arches, and the jewelry would be a diadem). However, a crown without arches is generally referred to as a diadem and often referred to as a circlet.
Then there is the coronet, probably the most common type of crown. It is generally a precious metal ring with ornaments attached. A coronet rarely has arches. The type of coronet that a person wears signifies his or her ranking in the heraldry. In British heraldry, the coronet of the heir apparent is the only coronet with arches. The symbols attached to the base are all prescribed so that one can recognize the standing of an individual, much as the sleeve stripes on the military officer, police officers, cruise ship officers, and airline pilots signify their rank.
Closely related to the coronet is the Tiara. A coronet is generally a circlet, while the tiara is generally open in the back. Before the 18th century, the tiara was worn by both men and women. The name tiara originally referred to the high peaked head-dress of Persian kings. In Greek history, men are often depicted as wearing a metal tiara shaped like leaves or branches. Excluding the Papal Tiara, the tiara became exclusively a women’s head-dress ornament in the 18th and later centuries. In the 19th century, the wearing of a tiara was basically limited to noble and titled women. The popularity of the tiara eventually extended to ladies of wealth throughout the world. Today, tiaras remain popular for formal wear, and plastic tiaras have become popular with kids for costume occasions thanks to many Disney movies.
Historically, religious leaders have often been known for their crowns. In the Catholic Church, Popes from the 8th to the 20th century wore a tiara. However, that type of tiara is actually 3 stacked tiaras and appears more as a crown than a tiara. In addition to crowns for religious leaders, there have also been many votive crowns fabricated and used. One such example brings us back full circle to the Crown of the Andes.
Papal Tiara worn by Pope Paul VI at his coronation, the last to do so.
Flickr, January 2009 photo by John Stephen Dwyer.
Kotinos: The Olive leaf crown worn by winners of the ancient Olympics
By FocalPoint – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49566840
Not all crowns are gold!
Crowns are not unique to Western civilization. The emperors in China, Japan, and other Eastern regions have worn crowns. Some were simple, distinctive hats; others were elegantly crafted headpieces made of gold and precious gems that often made one wonder how they could be worn without crushing the wearer. It seems the more formal the occasion, the larger and more elegant the crown appeared.
Reference: Various topics, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Columbian Emeralds
by Sigrid Sewart
The lovely and desirable medium to dark or slightly bluish-green of emeralds has made them one of the most coveted and valuable gemstones in the world. And in all the world, no nation mines more or finer emeralds than Columbia. Emeralds are found in other countries, of course, particularly Zambia, 2nd highest producer, and North Carolina, unfortunately not a major producer.
During the formation of the Andes, minerals were precipitated in Cretaceous black shales by hydrothermal fluids leading to the crystallization of emeralds. Emeralds, a variety of the mineral beryl, owe their color to trace amounts of chromium and vanadium.
beryl var. emerald, Muzo Mine, Vasquez-Yacopí Mining District, Boyacá Department, Colombia
By Géry PARENT – Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12830226
A 5-carat emerald from Muzo with hexagonal cross-section
By Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10141159
Emerald is the traditional birthstone for May and emblematic of the astrological sign of Cancer. Alchemists believed that emeralds could counteract poison, prevent epilepsy, cure leprosy, and strengthen sight and memory. These gemstones were mined by the Egyptians on Mount Smaragdus in the Wadi Sikait in Egypt’s Eastern Desert beginning in 1500 BC. After 1400 AD, they were also mined in India and Austria. Natural emeralds, while certainly beautiful, have a reputation for needing treatment and being difficult to facet successfully. Since the 1960’s, synthetic emeralds have been created by the hydrothermal and flux-growth methods.
Reference: Wikipedia, Columbian Emeralds
South Central Federation of Mineral Societies News
You can read their news and articles at http://www.scfms.net/newsletter.htm
The Oldest Story in the World
The Pleiades are an open star cluster dominated by hot blue luminous stars that have formed within the last 100 million years. This cluster of stars, also called the Seven Sisters, is approximately 444 light years from Earth and six of its stars are apparent to the naked eye. It is something that would have drawn the eye of primitive man, and given its Spring rising time, one to which they would have assigned great importance.
In the northern hemisphere we can see the Pleiades in the night skies of December. Observe them and you will probably count six stars. So why do we call them the Seven Sisters?
The name may come from an ancient Greek word meaning “to sail”, because the early Greek navigation season began with the heliacal rising of the Pleiades. Astronomically speaking the heliacal rise is when a star – or other object – first becomes visible above the eastern horizon at dawn.
In Greek mythology, seven divine sisters, the Pleiades, were the daughters the Titan Atlas, who held up the sky, and of Pleione, herself daughter of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. Because Atlas could not put down the sky, he could not protect his daughters from the depredations of the Hunter, Orion. The constellation of Orion appears close to the constellation of the Pleiades. To save them from Orion, Zeus transformed them into stars. The story continues that one sister fell in love with a mortal and hid herself and that’s why we can’t see her.
Similar stories are found many different cultures from Europe, Africa, Asia, North and South America and Australia. They also include references to the lost Sister that can no longer be seen.
To Aboriginal groups in Australia, the Pleiades were a group of young girls, and they were associated with women’s stories and ceremonies and important is astronomical lore and the calendar. In parts of Australia, the rising of the Pleiades also marks the beginning of winter. Orion was thought to be a hunter or group of hunters chasing the young girls, but that one of the girls is hiding or dead or has been abducted.
How can these stories from so many different places be so similar? The Australian Aborigines were isolated from the rest of humanity for perhaps 40,000 years. All humans are thought to have originated in Africa at least 100,000 years ago before dispersing to all parts of the globe.
In Greek mythology, the Pleiades were the seven daughters of the Titan Atlas. He was forced to hold up the sky for eternity and was therefore unable to protect his daughters. To save the sisters from being raped by the hunter Orion, Zeus transformed them into stars. But the story says one sister fell in love with a mortal and went into hiding, which is why we only see six stars.
For more pictures, see the link about global myths, below.
A similar story is found among Aboriginal groups across Australia. In many Australian Aboriginal cultures, the Pleiades are a group of young girls, and are often associated with sacred women’s ceremonies and stories. The Pleiades are also important as an element of Aboriginal calendars and astronomy, and for several groups their first rising at dawn marks the start of winter.
Close to the Seven Sisters in the sky is the constellation of Orion, which is often called “the saucepan” in Australia. In Greek mythology Orion is a hunter. This constellation is also often a hunter in Aboriginal cultures, or a group of lusty young men. The writer and anthropologist Daisy Bates reported people in central Australia regarded Orion as a “hunter of women,” and specifically of the women in the Pleiades. Many Aboriginal stories say the boys, or man, in Orion are chasing the seven sisters—and one of the sisters has died, or is hiding, or is too young, or has been abducted, so again only six are visible.
Stars move, both actually and apparently due to the precession of the equinoxes. With time the shapes of constellations and positions of stars are altered. With calculation of celestial mechanics (made so much easier by computers) we can determine the position of stars in the past. Polaris was not always the Polestar. During the 1st millennium BC, Beta Ursae Minoris (“Kochab”) was the bright star closest to the celestial pole, but not that close. In the Roman era, the celestial pole was about equally distant between Polaris and Kochab. At other periods in the 25,770-year cycle around Earth’s rotational axis, stars in other constellations have been closer.
If we take that stellar computer and determine the positions of stars 100,000 years ago, before humans spread to every continent, two stars of the Pleiades cluster, Atlas and Cleione, were much farther apart than they appear to be today, when they are perceived as one star. This could be one explanation for the fact than the constellation is known as the Seven Sisters, but we can generally see only six stars. Have people remembered a story that helps them make sense of the world? Could this really be the oldest story in the world?
Note: as you drive around Houston you might see a Subaru Outback or Forester. Look at the logo. Yes, those are 6 stars. Subaru is the Japanese name for the Pleiades.
References:
https://theconversation.com/the-worlds-oldest-story-astronomers-say-global-myths-about-seven-sisters-stars-may-reach-back-100-000-years-151568
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pole_star
Collecting Rocks
Submitted by Hazel Hillmer in the January 1962 edition of the newsletter.
Reprinted Feb. 11, 2021 in Throwback Thursday #45
https://www.esconi.org/esconi_earth_science_club/
I think that there will never be
An ignoramus just like me,
Who roams the hills thoughout the day
To pick up rocks that do not pay;
For there’s one think I’ve been told
I take the rocks and leave the gold.
O’er deserts wild and mountains blue
I search for rocks of varied hue.
A hundred pounds or more I pack
With blistered feet and aching back,
And after this is said and done
I cannot name a single one.
I pick up rocks where e’re I go,
The reason why I do not know,
For rocks are found by folks like me
Where God intended them to be.
HGMS Board of Directors Meeting
Meeting Minutes for August 1, 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 |
| X | Paleontology – Mike Dawkins | ||
Meeting Statistics:
The Zoom Meeting called to order by President Nancy English at 7:36 pm. A quorum was present and Theo Glanton was the only non-voting member in attendance.
President’s Comments:
- President English had no special comments to share.
Treasurer’s Report:
The HGMS Financial Report was emailed to the board members by Michele Marsel on July 31, 2023. The Board reviewed and discussed financials for July as well as what was spent on the North Wall Rebuild project thus far. A few monetary donations were discussed and will be added to the rebuild project budget after the August Board Meeting. With these donations, the rebuild project is over budget just over $400.
FYI – Approval of Minutes:
- On July 24, 2023 Secretary Heidi Shelley moved via email to approve the minutes of the July 11, 2023 Board of Directors’ Meeting. Board Member Ray Kizer seconded it. An email vote was taken and passed on July 30, 2023.
Committee Reports
- BBG Notice – Beverly Mace notified members on ______ that the online version of the ____ BBG is available on the HGMS Website.
- Donations, Sales, Auction Committee (DSAC): HGMS is still looking for a Donations Committee chairman. Ray Kizer said he had an idea of who may be able to do it and would talk to President English about it after the meeting.
- Education Committee (Maggie Manley): No classes are posted for August until the construction project is finalized. President English informed Maggie that classes can be scheduled for September.
- Safety/Policy Committee (Nancy English): The Board discussed shop progress, new lighting, new bases for grinders, first aid kits and safety items and putting things back into the shop. President English informed the Board that Sigrid Stewart offered to remake the signage that is tattered and dirty. Secretary Heidi Shelley will make signage to identify the contents of cabinets and drawers in the shop. Other items discussed by the Board related to the rebuild project include the following:
- Volunteers have been called out this coming weekend to clean the saws and grinders before they are put away.
- Casters and table tops need to be added to repurposed tables and cabinets.
- Items removed from cabinets and shelves that have not been sorted still need to be gone through and arranged to be stored or disposed of.
- Jewelry Room Rules Documentation: Jeanean Slamen and Nancy English are meeting via zoom on Thursday at 3:00 to work on this project.
- Grand Opening party. August 19, 2023, 4:00 to 6:00 or 7:00. President English wants invite our neighbor businesses to join us for our Grand Opening. She will also ask if HGMS members can park in the neighbor’s parking spaces for our grand opening event.
- Membership Committee (Beverly Mace): During the month of July, three new single memberships and one new family membership were added. There was one lifetime renewal membership added as well as one single renewal membership.
- Show Committee: Scott Singleton reported via email to President English: The HGMS Annual Show has registered for Energy Day 2023 at Sam Houston Park on Saturday, October 21, 2023, from 11am-3pm. 1st Vice President Sarah Metsa reported that the show committee is also representing HGMS in another Homeschool event in September. President English said that this year is the 70th year of the HGMS show. She asked Sarah Metsa if the show committee was planning anything special for this 70th 1st Vice President Sarah Metsa was not aware this was a signature year of the show and will pass that information along to the Show Committee in their next planning meeting.
Section News/Problems to Report:
- Beading Section (Maggie Manley): Board Member Maggie Manley asked the Board if there were any problems should the Beading section decide change its monthly scheduled meeting date to the second or fourth Saturday of the month. This way they won’t conflict with the Youth Section or the Houston Beading Society meetings. The Board did not see an issue should the Beating Section members take a vote and decide to change which day of the month they meet.
- Day Light Section (Fred Brueckner): The Day Light Section is taking June, July, and August off. They will resume meetings in September.
- Gemstones/Faceting (__): The Faceting section held a Zoom meeting in June but will skip its meeting in July. They plan to hold their scheduled meeting in August.
- Lapidary/Silversmithing (Richard Good): The Lapidary Section plans to meet in August.
- Mineral (Ray Kizer): The mineral section will continue to meet at their scheduled date and time via Zoom. This month Steve Blyskal will discuss several mineral specimen sources from Namibia.
- Paleo (Mike Dawkins): The paleo section plans to meet at their scheduled time in August.
- Youth (Beverly Mace): The Youth section plans to meet on August 19th as long as the building is open and ready before the party.
Old Business
- President English needs help finding a treasurer/bookkeeper. She asked if Board members will help contact people with financial or bookkeeping experience to see if anyone would be willing to be Treasurer for the club.
- Equipment Schedule for insurance – President English asked Board members if they can help write down equipment at the club for this Insurance Schedule. Richard Good offered to do it for the grinders. He suggested we take a picture of the machine and assign a number to it. He offered to engrave the number onto the machine.
- Facebook/Instagram E-Blast Class Advertising: Sarah Metsa has been advertising via Facebook. She will be learning Membership duties from 2nd Vice President Beverly Mace for next year. Sarah suggested HGMS contact Daniel Rodriguez to see if he would be willing to cover the publicity for HGMS. He and Sarah Metsa could work together. Fred Brueckner suggested Sarah ask club member Libby if she is interested in helping because he thinks she just retired. Sarah Metsa said she would take care of contacting people to help with social media and HGMS publicity.
- Holiday Party is scheduled for December 9, at the Unitarian Fellowship Hall.
- Changes in Board for 2024? For the 2024 calendar year, HGMS will need a new First Vice President (Sarah Metsa will become second vice president over membership), a Treasurer (right away), and a new Secretary. President English will relinquish her position if there is someone else interested in taking it over.
- 2021 and 2022 Taxes: These have not yet been completed. President English is hoping to find a new Treasurer very soon to help Michele Marsel with HGMS taxes. Club member Theo Glanton gave President English the name of a CPA we can hire to take care of the Treasurer position and maybe taxes. However, going this route will add cost to the annual HGMS maintenance budget. Michele Marsel has a thorough list of all responsibilities of the Treasurer position. Rodney Linehan, who has helped HGMS with their taxes in the past, is not available to help anymore so a new person needs to be found.
- HGMS Trailer and contents: The HGMS Trailer (which belongs to the club) needs to be removed from its current location by January 15, 2023. Clyde McMeans suggests selling the trailer and removing contents (which belong to the Mineral Section). An official letter from the Mineral Section written by Steve Blyskal relinquishing ownership of the old booth was received By Present English. She read the letter to the Board. This letter gave permission to sell and/or recycle the old florescent booth framework and black cloth surround. Scott Singleton said the Show Committee will take the responsibility to sell the old florescent booth contents and HGMS trailer. Board members Ray Kizer explained to the Board that the trailer will need to be unloaded first before the contents of the trailer can be sold. Ray volunteered to help unload the trailer if the trailer is emptied around the time of the show. Only four display cabinets, UV lights and fossils for the display will remain with the club.
New Business
- President English said “Thank you!” to all the Board Members who voted to paint the floor through the emergency email request I made on Sunday. Because of their prompt responses she was able to give the painter the okay to paint on Monday. President English stated that she requested an emergency vote July 23, 2023 and by the end of the day July 24, 2023 she had received one abstain vote, one no-response, and everyone else on the Board voted in favor to increase the North Wall Rebuild project budget by $2,500 and use the $1,000 donation to the club from Trisha Pollard to cover the cost to paint and texture the Lapidary Room floor.
- Load Limit of Loft: Board Member Randy Carlson asked the Board if they were still going to have an engineering company look at the second floor mezzanine to determine if it is capable of holding the load that is stored in the loft at HGMS. The Board members noted that with what has been done with the North Wall Rebuild project, the floor in the loft is now solid. Randy still believes that HGMS should have an engineer to look at it. He offered to get three different bids to see what it would cost to get an official Load Rating for the mezzanine. Randy offered to be in charge of getting bids if the Board approves.
Motion
Secretary Heidi Shelley moved that HGMS have some professionals come to the clubhouse to give a bid to see what it would take to give a load capacity for the mezzanine (Then the Board can decide what to do moving forward because they will know the cost to have it professionally assessed). Randy Carlson seconded the motion. The motion passed with a majority in favor and one vote opposed.
Adjourn
Mike Dawkins moved to adjourn the Board of Directors Meeting. Ray Kizer seconded the motion and it passed. The meeting adjourned at 8:48 pm.
HGMS General Meeting Minutes
by Heidi Shelley
August 22, 2023 General Meeting Minutes
Meeting Statistics:
The meeting was called to order by First Vice President Sarah Metsa at 7:43p.m. There were four online participants and thirteen people present in person. There were no guests in attendance.
President’s Comments:
President English reported for First Vice President Sarah Metsa to read, “I will never get tired of praising the volunteers who worked so industriously to make the renovated Shop happen.” Sarah Metsa added, “It was really a fantastic. Polling together from efforts from everybody and our reopening party was amazing and very well attended to the point where there weren’t enough seats for everybody, which I don’t think has ever happened.”
Approval of Minutes:
The July General Meeting was cancelled due to the North wall Rebuild Project. Minutes from the June General Meeting did not appear to be posted on the Back Bender’s Gazette on the HGMS website. Therefore, there was no motion to approve the June General Meeting minutes during the August General Meeting. Instead that motion will be covered in the September General Meeting. [Side note from Minutes: The June General Meeting Minutes were posted on the website at time of the July General Meeting. However, after the July General Meeting it was discovered that there was a link error in the Table of Contents of the BBG that when clicked made it appear the June Minutes had not been posted.]
Committee Reports/Section Reports
- Donations, Sales, Auction Committee (DSAC): We are still looking for a chairman of this committee. If anybody is interested in helping out, that would be greatly appreciated and is really, really needed.
- Education Committee: There are a number of classes that have been posted to the website and advertised during the weekly e-blast. Examples include the following:
- A WIRE WRAPPING – TREE OF LIFE PENDANT class taught by Maggie Manley.
- Two CABS 101 classes taught by Sharon Halton, a Shop Manager.
- Two TEXTURED RING classes taught by Carmen Fraticelli.
- A new BEADED BEZEL CABOCHON classes taught by Maggie Manley.
- Two JEWELRY DESIGN classes taught by Jeanean Slamen, which basically introduces attendees to the toolbox of ideas and workflow that allow them to transform inspiration into jewelry that reflects a person’s own style.
- Safety/Policy Committee: There is nothing new to report. The HGMS clubhouse is open again after the official grand reopening party on August 19, 2023. All access codes have been reactivated. If you had a code before the renovation, it should be working now. And HGMS is still working on updating the HGMS policies and procedures to get them in writing.
- Membership Committee: During the month of July there were 3 adult single memberships and 1 family membership added, as well as 1 adult membership renewed and 1 member renewed with a lifetime membership.
- Scholarship Committee: 2023 Scholarships were awarded to students and announced in June. If you would like to help out with the scholarship committee next year, please talk to the President of HGMS about it sometime in February of 2024.
- Show Committee: Committee members are working on coordinating the PayPal payment systems for credit card payments. Members of the committee are also starting with their bi-weekly meetings to prepare for the HGMS annual rock show in November.
Old Business:
- Volunteers are still needed for the following critical positions:
- Post classes and events on Instagram
- Treasurer/Bookkeeper – First view President Sarah Metsa said that a new treasurer/bookkeeper is needed NOW! If anyone knows anybody who would like to get nonprofit hours under their belt or volunteer hours under their belt and they have treasurer or bookkeeper knowledge, please let a HGMS Board member know immediately. Or if a person doesn’t have experience with book keeping and really wants to learn, HGMS could really use help in this regard.
- Donations Chairman
- Secretary for 2024
- First Vice President. [Note: 2023 First Vice President Sarah Metsa will be taking over the position of Second Vice President over membership in 2024].
- The annual Holiday Party is scheduled for December 9, at the Unitarian Fellowship Hall.
- All Dealer Slots for the HGMS Show have now been filled. All dealer entries have paid either the full amount or the required 50% down to participate.
New Business
Bylaws: In October we will present the updated Bylaws to the General Meeting assembly for you to review and vote on in November. The new bylaws will record the changes in the annual dues for 2024.
The Annual Show will be held November 10, 11, and 12 with set up for the show on November 9, 2023. Please put it on your calendar and start planning what day you can volunteer. Volunteers shifts are half days and HGMS will provide any training needed. There are also special door prize drawings for volunteers each day.
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): Will start up again in September.
The next Board of Directors meeting is on Tuesday, September 5, 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 In-Person/Zoom Meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 26, at 7:30 pm. The program topic will be announced during the weekly e-blast.
Show and Tell
Steve Blyskal shared two boxes of agates he got in July form the Kokernot Ranch in Texas, west Texas agates and a few other recent agate acquisitions.
Another member shared a new book that was written by an HGMS member and is now published and available for purchase on Amazon. This book describes 56 stops in Michigan that anyone can visit and look and the geology there. This member also announced that they are currently working on a similar book but for the state of Texas. The new Texas books should be released October of 2025.
Door Prize
Mark Siegel won the elephant in an amethyst crystal.
Final Comments
President English once again thanked the volunteers who made the renovation possible and all volunteers that make HGMS possible.
Debbie Seid once again brought food for the meeting. Please be sure to pay the kitty [metal can to hold donations] to help cover the cost of refreshments.
Program: After our snacks, the program will be presented by Sigrid Stewart on the Minerology of the Asteroid Belt.
Adjourn:
Steve Blyskal moved to end the General Meeting. Richard Good seconded the motion. A vote was taken, and the motion passed. The General Meeting was adjourned at 8:01 pm.
Upcoming Shows
Remember to check details before traveling!
Lubbock Gem & Mineral Show
9/23/2023 – 9/24/2023
Sat 10:00 – 6:00 Sun 10:00 – 5:00
1501 Mac Davis Lane
Lubbock Memorial Civic Center
Lubbock, TX 79401
http://lubbockgemandmineral.org/
Rock Gem & Jewelry Show
Southwest Gem & Mineral Society
9/23/2023 – 9/24/2023
Sat/Sun10:00 – 5:00
I-10 and Loop 410 on Fredericksburg Rd
Wonderland of the Americas
San Antonio, TX
Gem & Mineral Society of Louisiana
———And————
SCFMS Convention
10/13/2023 – 10/15/2023
Fri, Sat, Sun 10-6
Alario Event Center
Westwego, LA
Tri-City Gem & Mineral Society Show
10/14/2023 – 10/15/2023
Sat 9:00-6:00 Sun 10:00-5:00
3303 N Third Street
Frank W Mayborn Civic & Convention Center
Temple, TX
Artisans by the Trinity Gem, Mineral and Glass Show
10/14/2023 – 10/15/2023
Sat 10:00-5:00 Sun 10:00-4:00
3300 Bryant Irvin Rd
CERA Recreation Complex
Fort Worth, TX 76109
http://www.facebook.com/groups/CowtownGMG
Gem Capers 2023 – Minerals of India
10/20/2023 – 10/22/2023
Fri/Sat 9:00-6:00 Sun 10:00-5:00
900 Barton Springs Rd
Palmer Events Center
Austin, TX 78704
https://www.agms-tx.org/
Fossilmania
Start Date: 10/27/2023 – 10/29/2023
Fri 8:00-6:00 Sat 9:00-6:00 Sun 9:00-4:00
202 Bo Gibbs Blvd
Somervell County Expo Center
Glen Rose, TX 76043
https://www.dallaspaleo.org/
Dallas Gem & Mineral Show
11/18/2023 – 11/19/2023
Sat 10:00-6:00 Sun 10:00-5:00
1700 Rodeo Drive
Mesquite Convention Center
Mesquite, TX 75149
http://www.dallasgemandmineral.org/
Houston Gem & Mineral Show!!
11/10/2023 – 11/12/2023
Humble Civic Center
Hgms.org