Author: Alan Molineux

The
bulletin
Newsletter of the
victor valley
Gem and
mineral club
Ph. (760) 243-2330
february 2009

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Your officers for 2009
2009 Executive Committee
President……………………...Gil Gilbert……………………...868-6900
1st V.P (Membership)..Gaylan Graves………………..245-8644
2nd V.P (Education)…….Val Costello…………………...963-3974
3rd V.P (Gem & Mineral Show chairman)
Virgil Melton……………………………………………948-2849
Recording Secretary….Alan Molineux……………….951-7064
Treasurer…………………….Carole Mc Michael .……..949-9347
Board Members
Vacant……...………………………………………..
Lloyd Guilliam..………………..962-6844
John Printz………….…………..957-7414
Charles Toles……………………951-0372
Past President……………..Tom Laszlo…………………..….247-5369
CFMS Representative...Pat Estes ……………..………..961-7659
Standing Committee Chairmen
Wagon Master…………..(Vacant)
Historian…………………….Joe Kosik…………………………..241-0894
Maintenance……………...Charles Toles.…………………..951-0372
Librarian………………….…Dwayna Barron
Newsletter…………...…..Alan Molineux…….…………....951-7064
Sunshine Lady…………..Marie Gramata………………………………….
Displays………….………….Andrew Turner………………...962-0095
Raffles……………………...Charles Toles…...……………....951-0372
Scholarships……………..Andrew Turner….…………....962-0095
Photography………….....Alan Molineux…………………...951-7064
Hospitality……………..…John Prinz…………………………..957-7414
Tailgate……….…………….Brett Ward…………………………948-1232
Virgil Melton………………………948-2849
Training Coordinator..Lloyd Guilliam……………………962-6844
Instructors
Ben Weiden, Jim Fosse, Gil Gilbert, Tom Laszlo, Virgil Melton, Joe Kosik, Pat Estes, Gaylan Graves, Charles Toles and Lloyd Guilliam
Club Website—www.vvgmc.org

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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 61 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.
Club Dues
Gaylan Graves is now our 1st V.P and he’s responsible for membership, dues and keeping records of all our members. Incidentally, if you’ve changed your e-mail address since last year, then give Gaylan a call so that he can make the appropriate corrections.
Memberships dues were due on January 1st and they are of course, $20 for a single and $30 for a family. Dues paid late are generally subject to a late fee—however, in consideration of our recent economic downturn, the deadline to impose late fees has been extended (with board approval) to February 15th. Because dues are a considerable part of the club’s revenue, we would ask that you get them in soon.

On the front cover
The Victor Valley Gem and Mineral club finished off the year in style with a Christmas dinner followed by an auction at the Golden Star Buffet in Main Street, Hesperia.
The party took place on Tuesday, December 16th at 6:30p.m. and the auction finished at about 9p.m.
Carole Mc Michael, Cyndy Mandell and Lois Papner were just a few I remember who made the evening a success. I’m sure there were many others and I apologize if I haven’t mentioned your name.
I received a card from Carole Mc Michael saying we raised $540 towards next year’s party—which I’m really looking forward to.
Michael Fosse took many photos of the event and I put a couple of them on page 9 of this issue.
Carole e-mailed me to pass on thanks to everyone who brought donations to be auctioned and a special thanks to Bob Menelly for his generous donation of items for the tool bag that was auctioned off.
Once again. Thank you to all who helped make this end of year party a success and I’m sure next year will be even better!
Meeting dates
The January meeting was held on Tuesday, January 27th at 6:30p.m. and the February meeting and pot luck will be held at the clubhouse on Tuesday, 24th at 6:30p.m.

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33rd annual Tailgate
March 13th,14th & 15th, 2009
This Year's Tailgate along Stoddard Wells Rd is shaping up to be one of the club's best ever.
We have several new members who are as excited and involved as our Longtimers!
This year the club plans to expand on the very successful Silent Auction spearheaded last year by young Michael Fosse and his Uncle, Jim and Charles Toles. Our club is acceptingauction donations. These can be dropped off
inside the new front office. Bins and buckets will be made available. PLEASE label the materials you
donate!
The Tailgate committee and board are also responding to requests to expand our club booth menu offerings. Please note that this year home baked goods are preferred, but we realize not all can, well, cook... so store bought baked good items will be accepted.
As always, we will post sign up sheets in the clubhouse for members new and seasoned to participate. We need help in the kitchen booth, our club's info and membership table, and especially the Silent Auction. We hope you will be generous in your donations and in your time at the Tailgate.

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(Tailgate continued…)
We also plan to move our club's booth and auction a little lower down the hill to secure better visibility and make it easier for members, vendors and the public
to stop by and BUY!
The field trip will be on SATURDAY from 9am to 1 pm.
Members with 4x4 high clearance vehicles are needed to ensure that all that wish to go have a seat by car pooling. Depending upon committed interest we may bring back our club's Saturday night pot luck and bonfire.
My first encounter with our club was attending the 1996 Tailgate after seeing pictures and an article in the Daily Press. As many of you know, this is my favorite club function which I am devoted to ensuring all enjoy the fun, fellowship and fantastic deals our
Tailgate offers.
Brett Ward, Tailgate Co-Chair
The month of
February
The birthstone for February is the Amethyst and the flower of the month is the Violet.

Rock of the month
By Gaylan Graves.
The rock of the month for this month is SMOKEY QUARTZ.
Smokey Quartz occurs in many igneous and metamorphic rocks, particularly in granite and gneiss. It is often found in Quartz veins and granite dikes. It also often occurs in granitic rocks that have small amounts of radioactivity.
While the cause of its color is not known for certain, it is believed that Smokey Quartz is brown to gray because it has been exposed to radiation. It can be made in a laboratory by exposing clear rock crystal to low grade radiation, and you can reverse this process by heating the stone. Most Smokey Quartz is treated in today’s markets. Excessive uniformity of color is an indication of color enhancement particularly in very dark colors. Like other varieties of quartz, it is easy to cut as a gem and equally easy to shape for ornaments and other practical application. Smoky Quartz is also known as Raccoon-Tail Quartz, Cairngorm and Morion. These being the regions that they come from. Cairngrom Mountains of Scotland, and the very dark to black crystal are know as Morin. Crystals weighing as much as 650 lbs have been found in Brazil.

(Rock of the month continued…)
In many cultures crystals have many healing properties attributed to them, smokey quartz is known for deflecting negative energy which makes this a protective crystal.
Chemical Composition SiO2
Color Brown, Grey or Black
Refractive Index 1.5
Specific Gravity 2.65
Hardness 7
Luster—Glassy to Vitreous
Crystal Group Hexagonal
Location—World wide.
From the editor
As this issue draws to a close, I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the newsletter. Many of the new officers gave me articles ands I even had to rearrange existing pieces to fit everything in.
Remember, this is not my newsletter—it’s yours. If I have contributions to put in the newsletter then I know that I have made something you want to read. Otherwise I will be publishing what I think you want. I have a deadline for all articles and it’s always on the calendar page. I welcome all articles and contributions. Remember, there are some who are not club members who read this newsletter...Ed

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February 2009

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1Columbia / Space shuttle disaster—2003.	2 Instructor’s meeting 7p.m.	3 Board / Meeting 7p.m.	4 Workshop / 1—9p.m.	5 Workshop / 1—9p.m.	6 Ronald / Regan’s / Birthday—1911.	7 Ballet / introduced to the U.S in 1827.
8 Workshop / 12noon—5p.m.	9	10	11 Workshop / 1—9p.m.	12 Workshop / 1—9p.m.	13	14 Valentine’s / Day.
15 Workshop / 12noon—5p.m.	16 President’s / Day.	17 Education / Night—7p.m.	18 Workshop / 1—9p.m.	19 Workshop / 1—9p.m.	20 Ansell Adam’sBirthday in 1902.	21 First Steam / Train goes 10mls. / in 1804.
22 Workshop / 12noon—5p.m.	23 Dolly the sheep is cloned in 1997.	24 Pot luck 6:30pm—General Monthly Mtg. 7:30pm	25 Workshop / 1—9p.m.	26 Workshop / 1—9p.m.	27	28 D.N.A / discovered in 1953.

Deadline for the March issue of the Bulletin is Monday, February 16th. Ph. (760) 951-7064 or email amolineux@gmail.com

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Upcoming events
These are two of the upcoming events that were sent to me to present to the membership.
If you know of any others the members might enjoy then please call me,
Alan Molineux (760) 951-7064 or you can e-mail me at
amolineux@gmail.com
The deadline for each issue is in the middle of the Bulletin on the calendar page….Ed

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From the December Board Meeting.
Janet Flecher, last year’s treasurer went over the financial reports and passed the mantle to Carole Mc Michael for 2009.
Carole Mc Michael said the club officers will need to change signatures at the bank..
Carole will buy a copy of the Quickbooks software for the office.
The new board members were introduced and spoke a little about themselves.
Gil Gilbert announced that the Wagon Master will coordinate the club outings but not necessarily lead them. The first club field trip will be announced shortly.
Gil Gilbert proposed we increase the budgetary item for the Education/Librarian and Historian from $600 to $900.
It was voted on the separate the Christmas Party Fund from the General Fund.
It was voted to postpone dues late fees until February 15th.
New silversmithing classes will start in March.
Alan Molineux will take photos of board members for the notice board at the next meeting.

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From the December general meeting.
There was not an official meeting in December. There was a brief meeting held at the club Christmas party at the Golden Star Buffet on Main Street, Hesperia. It was held on Tuesday, December 16th. (There was a flyer about it in the last issue of the Bulletin .)
Club officers from 2008 were thanked for their time and effort by outgoing club president, Tom Laszlo and the officers for 2009 were introduced to the membership present.
After dinner we had an auction where donated items were bought. We went home around 9p.m.
2008 club
Christmas party

2nd V.P
Val Costello is taking on the duties of the 2nd V.P this year and she wrote…
Dear Friends and Members,
I am the 2nd V.P of Education for 2009. I have not been active in the club activities for the past couple of years but I would like to see more participation in the club activities so I would like to tell those of you who might be interested what my intent is at least to begin with. If we are successful in the beginning 3 months, we will continue the program.
For new members, the instructors will be certifying members on shop equipment. The project you make performing your certification will be displayed and at the General Meeting the members will vote on the best piece made and that person will be given a certificate of accomplishment.
A telephone committee has been established to inform you of what the education program will be about and any other information pertinent to the month’s activities.

(2nd V.P continued)
If you do not want to be contacted then please let us know and we will remove you from the phone list. Our telephone committee at this time consists of Dwayna Barron, Marie Gramata, Dorothy Oberg and myself.
Occasionally we will have outside speakers, speaking on subjects related to Earth Sciences.
Education programs will consist of members proficient in the various arts and will give a talk on their
particular area of expertise, such as cabochons, wire wrapping, silver smithing, intarsia etc. We will then have a class on that subject the following week or weeks. Members can place their work in the club display case to be voted upon at the General Meeting and will be given a certificate for workmanship.
If you decide to participate in this endeavor, and you commit to classes, and if for some reason you cannot make the class please, please, call the club and let the instructor know. You need not give an explanation, merely that you cannot make it. The club number is (760) 243-2330. My number is (760) 963-3974.
Sincerely,
Val Costello (2nd V.P Education.)

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Wanted—Rocks, Lapidary, Materials & Equipment.
Call Charles Toles.
Home (760) 951-0372 Cell (760) 220-6748.

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.

Tailgate 2009—march 13th, 14th & 15th
I spoke to some club members recently and here are some suggestions for this year’s Tailgate menu. I would like your opinion. Is this too much or did we miss something that would be a good seller?
There will be a sign up chart at the February General Meeting.
The tailgate is from 9a.m. to 5p.m. each day but we will need people to put up the food tent on Thursday, March 12th—starting at 10a.m.
There will also be a need for a crew to take the food tent down on Sunday, March 15th—probably at about 2p.m. We need everyone’s support. Don’t let a few carry the club!
Thank you in advance for your support—John Printz (Club Host)

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Snail
Mail
Stamp

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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