Author: Alan Molineux

The bulletin
Newsletter of victor valley
Gem and mineral club
May 2007

I dropped by the clubhouse on Wednesday evening, (April 18th), hoping to take some pictures for this upcoming newsletter. Instructor Jim Fosse was there with no one to instruct. Lloyd Guilliam was there but he had no-one to help. Bob Menelly was there to offer his expertise but the place was empty. As I was about to leave, Chris Koch came in and started grinding a piece of Spiderman Jasper he had sent away for. Here is Chris pictured in the grinding room.

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Your officers for 2007
2007 Executive Committee
President……………………..Tom Laszlo……………………...247-5369
1st V.P (Membership)..Jim Fosse………………………..245-8644
2nd V.P (Education)…….Mary Lou Flecher………...949-9347
Recording Secretary….Patti Deer……………………...553-6550
Treasurer…………………….Janet Flecher………………..949-9347
Board Members
Cyndy Mandell………………...244-7169
Don Buhr………………………….244-9512
Joe Kosik………………………...241-0894
Virgil Melton……………………948-2849
Past President……………..Nick Beall…………………..……246-7117
CFMS Representative..Bob Harper……………………..947-6383
Standing Committee Chairmen
Wagon Master…………..Janet Flecher…………………..949-9347
Historian…………………….Faith Harper…………………….947-6383
Maintenance……………...Chuck Forsyth………………….949-0204
Librarian…………………….Ralph Powers…………………….951-2937
Newsletter/Editor….Alan Molineux…….……………..951-7064
Sunshine Lady………….Carol Laszlo……………………….247-5369
Displays………….………….Kate Waterman………………..946-5881
Raffles……………………...Francis Gramata……………...245-3775
Scholarships…………….Andrew Turner….……………..962-0095
Legislative Rep………..(Vacant)
Photography…………...Bob Harper………………………...947-6383
Hospitality……………...Jeannie Moll……………………...948-8076
Parliamentarian……..Dennis Harbison………………….247-5559
Gem Show & Tailgate
Co-ordinator…………..JoAnn Beall………………………….246-7117
Instructors
Nick Beall, Janet Flecher, Jim Fosse, Gil Gilbert, Dennis Harbison, Tom Laszlo, Virgil Melton, Oscar Delgado, Joe Kosik, and Kate Waterman

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The victor valley gem and mineral Club
was organized in 1947 and has been the focal point of High Desert rock hounds for the past 60 years. The club takes active roles in various civic activities. Membership is open to all persons interested in the gem and mineral hobby and lapidary arts. Meetings are held at the clubhouse located at 15056-B, 7th Street (behind Kaman Bearing) in the center of Victorville.
Visitors are always welcome.
For further information, call (760) 243-2330.
Meeting dates
The April general meeting was held on Tuesday, 24th at 7:00p.m. and the May meeting will be held on Tuesday the 22nd.
County Fair
The club will be operating a booth at this year’s San Bernardino County Fair at Victorville. The fair dates are May 11th through May 20th. Weekdays the fair opens at 4:00p.m. and closes at 11p.m. On weekends the fair opens at noon and closes at 11p.m. We still need members to sign up to work at the fair and Cyndy Mandell has drawn up a work schedule which can be viewed at the clubhouse. If you are interested in helping then please call Cyndy Mandell at (760) 508-1080 or E-mail her at cynmandell@yahoo.com

Where have all the members gone?
As I mentioned on the front cover, I picked a bad night to take photos around the shop. I couldn’t resist taking this picture of the empty shop and asking—”Where is everyone?” We have first class facilities and a caring and experienced instruction staff. Come down to the club, bring those rocks you’ve collected and get started on a project. We’re ready—all that’s missing is YOU!
Did you know?
Chuck Forsyth is now the shop foreman and Charles Toles is his helper. Kate Waterman has just been made an instructor. Congratulations to you all and thank you for all your good work and dedication….Ed

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Victor Valley Gem and Mineral Club
Field Trip
Rainbow Ridge
Date: May 12, 2007
Time: 9:00 AM
Meeting Location: Burger King on Route 395 at Kramer Junction.
Wagon Masters: Scott Naples
For additional information Scott at 760-249-4745
This trip is for Rainbow Ridge Agate/Jasper. The trip will be to an open claim owned by the Ridgecrest Gem and Mineral Society and open to anyone wanting to collect.
The meeting place is approximately 50 miles from the VVGMC. From the meeting place the drive will be approximately 40 miles of paved roads and an additional 10-12 miles of desert roads. Access to the bottom of the site is suitable for all high clearance vehicles. Access to the top of the site is strictly limited to high clearance 4x4’s with all terrain or off-road tires. No exceptions for vehicles for this trip. This is not a place you want to breakdown or get stuck. The material is located both on the surface and in seams. This trip is rated between moderate and difficult for walking/hiking. Material gathered at the top of the site will be ferried to those vehicles not capable of reaching the top. An age limit of 12 years has been requested by the trip leader. All exceptions to this age limit must be cleared by the trip leader PRIOR to the scheduled trip date.
Middle of May can be very hot and dry. Please dress accordingly and pack plenty of non-alcoholic beverages. Also, this trip is to a private claim; all participants are required to obey all rules posted at the site by the host club. No exceptions.
There are no known mine shafts in this area. Remember, snakes may be present. The open pits include unstable working faces that require due caution. NO TUNNELING IS PERMITTED.
The trip leaders recommend that you bring gloves, spray bottle (water), rock hammer, pick, shovel, pry bars, lunch, safety glasses, and adequate drinking water.
No alcoholic beverages will be permitted on this trip.

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For sale
This tank comes complete with fittings, valves and gauges. It is 18” high and is $75.00 O.B.O
Contact Connie Weinberg at (760) 242-5238.
If you have anything to sell, or if you wish to buy or trade something then please call me, Alan Molineux at (760) 951—7064 or you can E-mail me at amolineux@gmail.com
I will place an ad in the Bulletin at no charge for members.

New members
We would like to welcome Kristina and Elizabeth Clark of Victorville, Duane Ridge of Apple Valley, Ray Navarro of Wrightwood and Don Pomerenke of Phelan as new members to the Victor Valley gem and Mineral Club.

Education night for April saw Andrew Turner speaking on nuclear waste in Nevada. There is a talk or presentation on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00a.m.

Quote of the day

God could not be everywhere..and therefore he made mothers….A Jewish Proverb from Worldofquotes.com

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May 2007

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
		1 May Day / Board Meeting / 7p.m.	2	3 Workshop / 12—9p.m.	4 / Space / Day	5 / Workshop / 12—9p.m.
6 Workshop / begins at 12 noon.	7 / Instructor’s / Meeting 7p.m.	8 Workshop 6—9p.m.	9	10 / Wagon Master’s Meeting. 7p.m. / Workshop 12-9p.m.	11	12 Workshop / 12—9p.m. / Field Trip / to Rainbow Ridge
13 Workshop / begins at 12 noon. / Mother’s Day	14 / Lewis & Clark leave St.Louis / 1804	15 / Education / Meeting 7p.m.	16 / Frog jumping / Angel’s Camp / California.	17Workshop / 12—9p.m.	18 / Pope / John Paul II / birthday 1920.	19 Workshop / 12—9p.m.
20 Workshop / begins at 12 noon.	21	22 Pot Luck 6:30p.m. General / Meeting 7pm	23 / World Turtle Day.	24 Workshop / 12—9p.m.	25	26 Workshop / 12—9p.m.
27 Workshop / begins at 12 noon.	28 / Memorial Day.	29 Workshop / 6—9p.m.	30 / First daily / American newspaper published 1783	31Workshop / 12—9p.m.

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March field trip for white agate

White Agate Field Trip
By Cyndy Mandell
Saturday, March 24, Janet Flecher led a field trip to a newly explored site off of Hector Rd on I-40. This site had a huge amount of almost pristine white agate available as float material. Many of us loaded our buckets to the brim with large chucky rocks. Though the road is rocky and sandy in spots it was accessible by two wheel drive to a large parking area where most of us parked. Those with four-wheel drive were able to drive the last one-fourth mile to the spot with the larger rocks and then haul out buckets for the ones who couldn’t drive in.
This was a nice area and not far from the freeway. The second spot we visited was in Ludlow, where I had attended a trip sponsored by the club a few years ago. This area has Fluorite in veins near the white L sign on the hill. A couple of our members found some nice chucks of this green gem.
A break was taken at the Ludlow Dairy Queen.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Cyndy Mandell for taking the time to record pictures of club field trips. Cyndy is not only very handy with her digital camera, she also sends me a journal of each trip.
Thanks, again Cyndy, you keep the membership informed and you also make my job a little easier…..Ed.
Remember, this is your newsletter and if you have any articles, photographs, jokes, quotes or poems then please forward them to me, Alan Molineux, (760) 951-7064 or E-mail me at amolineux@gmail.com

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Field trip to the himalaya mine

Himalaya Mine Hunting for Tourmaline by Cyndy Mandell
On Saturday, March 31, Lois Papner and I went on the Himalaya Mine field trip in San Diego County. This was the day before April Fools day which might explain a few things. The mine was recently featured on the Travel Channel and is now attracting more rock hounds and fortune hunters than ever before. The fee is $50.00 a person and is led by Simon King and his wife, Gladys. Approximately a dozen people attended our field trip. The mine is located up in the foothills and is quite different from any of our field trips. The area is shaded with trees and has a beautiful view. There are two mine shafts, which are both inoperable and boarded over. The dump area is vast and offers a huge area from which we could pick a spot to dig and sift our material. Simon hauls in water to wash the material after it is sifted and there are tables to dump your rocks on to look through. Much of the material is quartz and one teenager found a nice quartz crystal that was double terminated. The work was hard and on uneven ground and the sifting made our backs and arms ache. One of the men attending found a large piece of green tourmaline within the first hour very close to where we parked our cars. Later another man found a nice small piece of watermelon tourmaline. Most of us found a few small pieces of tourmaline that was the size of our pinky fingernail. In the afternoon the mine owner Chris Rowe came down to show us some samples of what he recently dug out. They were huge pieces from a vein he had hit. This is the second vein he has hit in the nine years he has owned the mine. He calculated the tri-color piece to be worth $5,000.00. The experience was worth the price of the field trip, however I would warn those who are contemplating going on this trip to be ready to dig and move a lot of material if they expect to find anything. We were tired and sore by 2:00 p.m. and decided we had had enough, though some kept digging until the sun went down around 4:30 p.m. Some of the people who went had been there more than a dozen times and really knew what they were doing and some like us were first timers and hadn’t a clue.

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Support your sponsors

Some of our sponsors are club members and others are vendors that you might find useful. In any case, support these vendors if you can. The club benefits from the advertising.

Wanted—Rocks, Lapidary Materials
and Equipment.
Call Charles Toles
Home (760) 242-9240 or Cell (760) 220-6748.

Select Rocks & Slabs for Sale!
A huge selection of both local and “imported” rocks and slabs.
Call for details—
Janet Flecher
(760) 949-0796.

Rocks, Rocks, Rocks,
Buy slabs, cabs & rough from Joe!
Brazilian, Moss Agate, Wood, Jasper,
and Obsidian.
There is a sale on Bolo cords.
Club members (any club) 20% off at my house or 10% off at gem shows. I sell crushed Agate, Wood & Jasper for tumbling at $1.00
per pound. Call Joe Kosik (760) 241-0894.

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Desert River 21810 Hwy 18, #6
Apple Valley,
CA 92307.
(760) 961-2743
Cindy Hinojosa
Semi-precious gemstones, You can find us on the northern glass, metal, wood and side of Hwy 18.
bone beads. Freshwater East of Navajo Road, and a little pearls, seed beads, east of Rite-Aid. Come find usfindings, stringings, tools, we’re worth look. There’s plenty supplies, of parking in
classes the rear.
and more.

BEADS

Micky Coats
Assistant
Loan Officer
(760) 900-1846

Bob Coats
Loan Officer
(760) 912-9989

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Coast Cities Financial
Refinance and Reverse Mortgage Specialists

Snail
Mail
Stamp

Another
bulletin
Expressly for

Victor Valley Gem & Mineral Club
15056-B Seventh Street
Victorville, CA 92395-3811.
bulletin is the official monthly newsletter published by victor valley gem & mineral club and is distributed free of charge to both members and non
members.
Views expressed by authors in the articles which appear in the bulletin do not necessarily reflect those of victor valley gem & mineral club. Responsibility is taken by the editor alone.
Articles from this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part in other lapidary news-letters if proper credit is given to the author and the bulletin.

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