Author: Alan Molineux

The
bulletin
Newsletter of the
victor valley
Gem and
mineral club
Ph. (760) 243-2330
march 2010

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Your officers for 2010
2010 Executive Committee
President……………………...Cyndy Mandell……………..244-7169
1st V.P (Membership)..Gayland Graves……………..902-3249
2nd V.P (Education)…….Val Costello…………………..963-3974
3rd V.P (Gem & Mineral Show chairman)
Lois Papner……...…………………………………………………… 244-7169
Recording Secretary….Alan Molineux……………….951-7064
Treasurer…………………….Kerry Molineux .…………...951-7064
Corresponding Secretary..Lynn Hallock…………...951-1736
Board Members
Don Pomerenke………….…868-5264
Lloyd Guilliam..………….….962-6844
John Printz….…………...….957-7414
Carole Mc Michael..……..961-7659
Past President……………..Gil Gilbert………………….…868-6900
CFMS Representative...Pat Estes ………….…..……948-7324
Standing Committee Chairmen
Wagon Master…………..Blaine Witte…………………….244-8211
Historian…………………….Joe Kosik………………………….241-0894
Maintenance……………...Ed Deren .………………….252-7009
Librarian………………….…Dwayna Barron………………..963-3974
Newsletter…………...…..Alan Molineux…….…………...951-7064
Sunshine Lady…………..Pat Coleman……………………..985-2388
Displays………….………….Andrew Turner………………..962-0095
Raffles……………………...Ellen Gilbert..…...……………..868-6900
Scholarships……………..Andrew Turner….…………...962-0095
Photography………….....Alan Molineux…………………..951-7064
Hospitality……………..…(Vacant)…….………………………………………..
Tailgate……….…………….Brett Ward………………………948-1232
Virgil Melton…………………….948-2849
Training Coordinator..Lloyd Guilliam…………………962-6844
Instructors
Ed Deren, Jim Fosse, Gil Gilbert, Virgil Melton, Joe Kosik,
Pat Estes, Gayland Graves, Don Pomerenke, Charles Toles, Cyndy Mandell and Lloyd Guilliam, John Printz, and Ed Skidmore
Club Website—www.vvgmc.org

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february Board
Minutes
Kaman Bearings have renewed their lease—but only for 1 year.
We have formed a committee to come up with a 5 year plan.
Gayland Graves or Membership VP has sent out late notice to those who have not yet paid their dues.
It was decided that hardcopy newsletters will only be sent out at the member’s request after May.
Pat Estes has purchased a roll of large Rock hound stickers.
The tailgate food prices will be kept the same as last year.
Exclusion of dues for officers and board members will be brought to the membership at the February General Meeting.
The club financial books will be audited by the Financial Committee on February 6th.
It was proposed that Education night be combined with the monthly general meeting. This will be brought before the general membership at the next general meeting.
Ed Skidmore was made an instructor.
Charles Toles will fix a leak in the club’s roof.
Alan Molineux thanked the board for financing his trip to Quartzite in January for the SCRIBE convention.
Workshop is now open on Saturdays.

january general Meeting minutes
Finance Committee was formed—a club member volunteer is needed for the committee.
The next field trip will be on February 20th to the North Edwards Onyx Claim.
Andrew Turner said the scholarship deadline has been extended.
Charles Toles will exhibit a club display for March.
We need a person to fill the vacant Hospitality position.
The auction at the Christmas Party raised
A slab donation (in addition to the regular shop fee of $3 will be levied on those who use the club saw.
Brett Ward said we need people to take a food handlers class to run the food booth at the Tailgate.
Club will advertize the used equipment for sale in two club Bulletins.
Lois Papner is now the 3rd V.P (Gem Show)
Apologia
My apologies to Cyndy Mandell—I did not have room for the Ed Night Photos.
My apologies to Val Costello, I did not have room to put in the recent Education Night news.
My apologies to Blane Witte. I did not have room to talk about the upcoming field trip…..Ed

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President’s Message
February 2nd, 2010
February has been a busy month with some important committee meetings being conducted and preparations for the annual Tailgate, March 12 through 14 taking place. Brett Ward spoke to the board on February 2nd about preparations and everything seems to be in place for another spectacular gathering. Hopefully, the rains will be over and the desert will be in full bloom with spring flowers.
The Financial Advisory Committee met to review the books for the year 2009 and found everything to be in order and ready for this year’s treasurer Kerri Molineux to take over. A special thanks of appreciation goes out to Carole McMichael for her skills and abilities to maintain our clubs treasury in good order last year. A new committee met twice this month to discuss the possibilities of establishing a 5 year plan for the club. This group faces many challenges some known and some unknown that will greatly affect our club. There is concern among the members that as a club we want to be prepared for the unexpected and also prepared for growth and expansion in the future. They are looking at the current trend among companies with brick and mortar stores to close their businesses or close their stores and sell their products on the Internet thereby avoiding the expense of a store front. This is something that might be possible in our future with our renters, Kaman. This years rental contract was only accepted as a one year contract by Kaman as they were taking a serious look at closing all of their stores last year because of a revenue decline. In the past the rental fees have sustained us as a club. If this income should change in the coming year we need to be prepared with a plan in place. We are working on that now and will be reporting back our findings to the general membership in the near future. We have also embraced a plan to establish a Purchasing Agent within the club to help with purchases and with keeping those purchases in tune with our budget. A special thanks needs to be extended to Blain Witte for conducting the first field trip of the year to the Boron Area. Another thanks goes once again to Ed Deren, John Printz, and Charles Toles for their extraordinary efforts to clean up the tool room, identify storage items needing to be made available to members to buy and for fixing the storage doors on the kitchen island to swing out rather than lift straight up. Jim Fosse has worked hard in the background to update and improve our web site and he reports that we have gone over the 6,000 mark on hits to our site.
Cyndy Mandell, President

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Upcoming events

Gem Faire
Costa Mesa—OC Fair & Event Center (Bldg. 10—88 Fair Drive)
February 26th, 27th and 28th.
Friday, noon—7p.m. Saturday, 10—6p.m. and Sunday, 10—5p.m.
www.GemFaire.com
Gold & Silver *Jewelry * Beading * Gems * Crystals, Rocks & Minerals.
Classes and Demonstrations—bead stringing, wire wrapping, cab making and lapidary arts.
Free Hourly door prize drawings.
World renowned dealers and exhibitors.

BAKERSFIELD CA—9TH ANNUAL ROCK AND GEM RENDEZVOUS
Saturday and Sunday March 20 & 21st. 2010—Saturday and Sunday March 20 & 21 - 9:00 A.M - 5:00 P.M
Kern County Shrine Club—700 South P. Street, Bakersfield Ca 93304
(Corner South P and Bell Terrace).
Indoor/out door show
Rocks ,fossils, beads, lapidary supplies New & used. Jewelry, rough material to finished gems.
Free hourly drawing, silent auction, Spinning Wheel Free demonstrations throughout the show and an end of show drawing for wonderful prizes. FREE ADMISSITON- FREE PARKING
For further information, contact Lewis or Lynne Helfrich at (661)323-2663
FREE ADMISSITON- FREE PARKING
Come join us for a fun filled weekend that the whole family will enjoy. And best
of all , it’s FREE!
For further information , or to become a vendor please contact ;
Lewis M. Helfrich or Lynne G. Helfrich at (661)323-2663

WEST COAST SHOW MOVES TO FAIRPLEX AT POMONA
The West Coast Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show, at Fairplex Buildings 7 and 9, will include demonstrations, speakers, door prizes, special exhibits and much more to see. The May 2010 show will include about 80 retail dealers and 15 wholesale dealers. Speakers will include Rock Currier and Marty Zinn. There will be a $5/adult admission charge and one free admission is offered with each parking receipt. Parking is $9/day.
For more information, visit www.mzexpos.com/westcoast_spring.htm.
Mark your calendar NOW
And plan to visit the show May 14-16, and Nov. 12-14, 2010.

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March 2010

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
	1	2 Instructor’s / Meeting 6p.m. / Monthly Board / Meeting 7p.m.	3 / Workshop / 1p.m—9p.m.	4 / Workshop / 1p.m—9p.m.	5	6 / Workshop / 12 noon—5p.m.
7 / Workshop / 12 noon—5p.m.	8	9	10 Workshop Closed / due to the upcoming / Tailgate	11Workshop Closed / due to the upcoming / Tailgate	12 / 2010 Club / Tailgate	13 / 2010 Club / Tailgate
14 / 2010 Club / Tailgate	15 / Workshop Closed / due to the recent / Tailgate	16 / Workshop Closed / due to the recent / Tailgate	17 / Workshop / 1p.m—9p.m.	18 / Workshop / 1p.m—9p.m.	19	20 / Workshop / 12 noon—5p.m.
21 / Workshop / 12 noon—5p.m.		23 Monthly / Potluck—6:30p.m. / Monthly General / Meeting 7:30p.m.	24 / Workshop / 1p.m—9p.m.	25 / Workshop / 1p.m—9p.m.	26	27 / Workshop / 12 noon—5p.m. / Club clean up day—9a.m. / Club clean up day 9a.m.
28 / Workshop / 12 noon—5p.m.	29	30	31 / Workshop / 1p.m—9p.m.

Deadline for the March issue of the Bulletin is Monday, March,15th.Ph. (760) 951-7064 or email amolineux@gmail.com

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Rock of the month
By Gayland Graves
This months rock is CHRYSOCOLLA.
Chrysocolla (meaning "golden lime" in Greek) is an opaque blue to blue-green mineral sometimes used in jewelry. It is usually cut as a cabochon. Chrysocolla (hydrated copper silicate) is found embedded in rock crystal in copper mines in the USA, Russia, Chile, and the Congo. Although Chrysocolla has been used in ornaments since the time of the ancient Greeks, it was only described mineralogically in 1968. Its hardness varies from 2 to 4. The name was first used by Theophrastus in 315 B.C. and comes from the Greek chrysos, meaning "gold," and kolla, meaning "glue," in allusion to the name of the material used to solder gold.
A mineral of secondary origin, commonly associated with other secondary copper minerals, it is typically found as glassy botryoidal or rounded masses or bubbly crusts, and as jackstraw mats of tiny acicular crystals or tufts of fibrous crystals. Copper-bearing allophane can look similar.
Chrysocolla is a very beautiful stone with many beneficial energies.
It is known as a healing stone among Native American Indian cultures where it was used for strengthening the body's resistance and bringing about calm feelings where there is upset.
It promotes level headedness, encouraging clarity of thought and a neutral, cool attitude during turbulence. It can be used to decrease nervousness and irritability.
Chrysocolla can be placed directly on the affected body part. Laying it on the forehead as a 'third eye' offers spiritual benefit.
Help with infections (especially the throat area)
Used by healers to detoxify the liver, lower blood pressure
Has a cooling effect for fever reduction
Can assist in speeding up recovery from burns
Alleviates cramps
Use with copper to increase the power of chrysocolla.
It is found in copper mining areas, particularly Chile, the former USSR, and Zaire.

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Wanted—Rocks, Lapidary, Antiques,
Collectibles, Tools & Clean Outs 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.

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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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