Author: Alan Molineux

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

1 2

Glass
Fusing class

Your officers for 2009
2009 Executive Committee
President……………………...Gil Gilbert……………………..868-6900
1st V.P (Membership)..Gaylan Graves………………..902-3249
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 .……..961-7659
Board Members
Don Pomerenke………………868-5264
Lloyd Guilliam..……………….962-6844
John Printz………….………….957-7414
Charles Toles………………….951-0372
Past President……………..Tom Laszlo…………………..…247-5369
CFMS Representative...Pat Estes ……………..……….948-7324
Standing Committee Chairmen
Wagon Master…………..Blaine Witte…………………….244-8211
Historian…………………….Joe Kosik…………………………..241-0894
Maintenance……………...Charles Toles.…………………..951-0372
Librarian………………….…Dwayna Barron………………...963-3974
Newsletter…………...…..Alan Molineux…….…………....951-7064
Sunshine Lady…………..Marie Gramata…………………245-3775
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
Ed Deren, Jim Fosse, Gil Gilbert, Tom Laszlo, Virgil Melton,
Joe Kosik, Pat Estes, Gaylan Graves, Don Pomerenke and
Lloyd Guilliam
Club Website—www.vvgmc.org

2 2

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.
Meeting dates
Our August meeting was held on Tuesday, 25th at 6:30p.m. and the September general meeting will be held on Tuesday the 22nd.
Upcoming lapidary events
August 22-23rd. Orangevale
Orangevale Community Center
6826 Hazel Avenue,
Orangevale, CA 95662.
Hours:Sat. 10—6p.m. & Sun. 10—5p.m.
See David Moulder (916) 290-3193
www.treasuretroveofgems.com
Although not a club show, members of El Dorado & Stockton societies are participating, and the proceeds are supporting the non-profit
Sierra Family Services.

Rock of the month
By Gayland Graves.
jasper
Opaque, fine-grained or dense variety of the silica mineral chart that exhibits various colors, but chiefly brick red to brownish red. Long used for jewelry and ornamentation, it has a dull luster but takes a fine polish; its physical properties are those of quartz Jasper is common and widely distributed, occurring in the Ural Mountains, North Africa, Sicily, Germany, and elsewhere. For thousands of years, black jasper was used to test gold-silver alloys for their gold content. Rubbing the alloys on the stone, called a touchstone, produces a streak the color of which determines the gold content within 1 part in 100.
The name jasper is from the Greek, iaspis, of Semitic origin; in ancient writings the term was chiefly applied to translucent and brightly colored stones.
Thought for the day
Happiness is like a butterfly, the more you chase it, the more it eludes you. But, if you turn your attention to other things, it comes and sits softly on your shoulder.
Anonymous.
Worldofquotes.com

3

Lapidary in Tenino, washington

Kerry shows her lapidary efforts. Hard at work grinding cabs on the Genies.

Looking over a member’s shoulder. Table set up, they were working hard.

Bob Blake, a member, selects a slab One of the members brought snacks from a box of projects that one of for the membership. the members brought in.

4

Lapidary in Washington (cont.)

Kerry showed the club members what she had made so far and they were fascinated by her wire-wrapping.
Here is a trim saw and some templates ready for use.

A buffing wheel made by one of the members.

Sunshine report
Marie Gramata reported that Claude Williams recently had surgery. If you know of a member who could use a card from Marie, call Marie Gramata on 245-3775.

While Kerry and I were on summer vacation in Washington state, we visited the Tenino Rock Cruisers Lapidary Club. It had been two years since we had been there and we were warmly received. We wore our name tags and tried to explain to the members where Victorville was.
The club meets in the ground floor of the Masonic Hall in the small town of Tenino, about fifteen miles from Washington’s capital, Olympia.
Kerry took her cabs and finished items with her and gave some of the members a quick class in wire wrapping. Meanwhile I circulated around the room taking photographs for our Bulletin.
Visiting other clubs I’ve come to understand that although everyone does things differently, they all share a love for the lapidary arts. Getting past the superficial differences, everyone chats with fellow members who have become close friends and is proud to show off work they have done.
We were well taken care off and the club members treated us very well. I’m very happy to have renewed our relationship with the Tenino Rock Cruisers and will continue to send them our Bulletin to show them that here in Victorville, we love lapidary too!......Ed

5

September 2009

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
National / Honey / Month	National / School / Success month	1 Instructor’s / Meeting at 6p.m. / Board Meeting / At 7p.m.	2 / Workshop / 1 - 9p.m.	3 / Workshop / 1 - 9p.m.	4 / Crocodile / Hunter—Steve Irwin / died in 2006.	5
6 / Workshop / 12noon—5p.m.	7 / Labor / Day	8 Northern / Pacific / Railroad / Completed in 1883.	9 / Workshop / 1 - 9p.m.	10 / Workshop / 1 - 9p.m.	11 / Patriot Day	12
13 / Workshop / 12noon—5p.m.	14	15 / Education Night / 7p.m.	16 / Workshop / 1 - 9p.m.	17 / Workshop / 1 - 9p.m.	18 / U.S Air force / established in 1947.	19 / Rosh Hashanah
20 / Workshop / 12noon—5p.m.	21 Houdini / premieres / his great escape / in 1912.	22 Pot Luck / At 6:30p.m. / General Mtg. / At 7:30p.m.	23 / Workshop / 1 - 9p.m.	24 / Workshop / 1 - 9p.m.	25 The first / U.S newspaper / in 1690.	26 Johnny / Apple seed—John / Chapman was born in / 1774.
27 / Workshop / 12noon—5p.m.	28	29	30 / Workshop / 1 - 9p.m.	National / Piano / Month	Library / Card / Sign-up / Month	National / 5 a day / Month

Deadline for the October issue of the Bulletin is Monday, September, 14th.Ph.(760) 951-7064 or email amolineux@gmail.com

6

7

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

White Buffalo & other turquoise
From various states.
Priced per piece
Contact Virgil Melton (760) 900-0507

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.

8

July general Meeting minutes
Val Costello announced that the contest had been reestablished for cabochons in the beginner, intermediate and advanced categories.
Virgil Melton announced that rental spaces are selling well at the upcoming Gem and Mineral Show. We still need grab bags and volunteers to put them together.
Joe Kosik volunteered 20lbs of tumbled rock for the grab bags.
Pat Estes (our CFMS Rep.) mentioned that there will be no more CFMS field trips till September—due to the harsh weather.
Tickets are selling for $5 each to provide a scholarship to Camp Paradise.
Pat Estes held (3) silver smithing sessions for 18 people. She will probably hold more in the fall.
Our club will be offering a field trip to the Katie Mountains on 09/19—see Blaine Witte for details.
Due to his improved health, Joe Kosik is returning to the Historian position as of this month.
Charles Toles will do the club displays in September.
The shop fees have been dropped for instructors.
Gil Gilbert said the election of officers will be mentioned at the August General Meeting.

9

August Board
minutes
Lease contract with Kaman Bearing would stay the same or now but we would reassess it after a year.
Don Pomerenke and his wife would speak at the September Education Night on the CFMS rules for displays.
Andrew Turner volunteered to help the Boy and Girl Scouts earn their Geology Merit badges at the upcoming Gem and Mineral Show.
Pat Estes announced an upcoming CFMS show in Visalia in September.
Tom Laszlo is fixing the casting machine. We need supplies for the silver room.
Carole Mc Michael & John Printz volunteered to be on the Election Committee. We will have another member on it from the upcoming General Meeting.
We have a lot of used equipment that needs to be catalogued for sale.
Club picnic will be coming up soon. Watch the Bulletin for details.
We are looking at resealing the parking lot and possibly re-striping it and outlining the fire lanes.
Carole Mc Michael volunteered to take notes at the club general meeting as our club secretary now has other commitments the night of board meetings,

Around the shop

Rocks—before they become projects. Blaine Witte works at a Genie.

Frank Gerny is working on an all Instructor—on-duty, Tom Laszlo talks
-you-need. to Frank Gerny and Kerry Molineux.

Brett Ward patiently works on one Virgil Melton shows one of his
his projects. pieces to Jonathan Van Der Loop.

10

Glass Fusion Class photos—by Cyndy Mandell.

Dwayna Barron works in the Glass Barbara Minnard chats with Charles
Fusion Class. Toles.

Glass Fusing Class
By Cyndy Mandell
On two consecutive Thursday evenings, July 30 and August 6 a glass fusing class was held at the Victor Valley Gem and Mineral Club. Attending the class were: Gil and Ellen Gilbert, John and Chico Printz, Dwayna Barron, Charles Toles, Sara Arnold, Barbara Minard, Johnathan Vanderloop, and Edelina Elizaide.
Class Fusing is the art of taking several layers of similar art glass and melting them together until they form one piece of glass. The patterns and colors of the class available are extensive and the participants enjoyed looking through all the available pieces for that special one they would make into a pendant. Many shapes and styles were artistically put together using the class, confetti, stringers, and frit to create some very unique pieces.
We are using our new Paragon Kiln to fire the glass with great results. Certification in the use of the kiln is now being conducted by Cyndy Mandell.
Future classes will be offered in November if our club members are interested in learning this wonderfully creative art.
Please contact Cyndy Mandell, 244.7169
if you are interested in participating.

11

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.

Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31