Author: Alan Molineux

The
bulletin
Newsletter of the
victor valley
Gem and
mineral club
Ph. (760) 243-2330
April 2012

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Your officers for 2012
2012 Executive Committee
President……………………...John Printz….……(951) 255-9158
1st V.P (Membership)..Corey Beck…….….…………242-3366
2nd V.P (Education)…….Terry Booth…..…(909) 223-1386
3rd V.P (Gem & Mineral Show chairman)
Jonathan Van DerLoop…………….245-2313
Recording Secretary….Alan Molineux……………..951-7064
Treasurer…………………….Ed Berresford .…………388-4229
Corresponding Secretary..Debbie Savacool….(720) 620-9845 Board Members Don Pomerenke………….……………..868-5264 All ‘phone numbers have Jim Fosse.……...………….……………...245-8644
(760) area codes unless George Kawasaki…..…………………..247-4121
otherwise indicated. Gayland Graves……...………………...902-3249
Past President……..……..Cyndy Mandell………………………...244-7169
CFMS Representative...Debbie Berresford ……………..388-4229
Standing Committee Chairpersons
Wagon Master………….Blaine Witte…………………….244-8211
Historian……………………Jonathan Vanderloop…….245-2313
Maintenance………………Terry Booth…………(909) 223-1386
Librarian….…………….….Lois Papner…….………………..244-7169
Newsletter…………...…..Alan Molineux…….………….951-7064
Sunshine Lady…………..Bobbie Kaufman.…………....868-5120
Displays………….………….Don Pomerenke......………...868-5264
Raffles……………………….Cyndy Mandell....…………….244-7169
Scholarships……………..Vacant……………………………………………….
Photography………….....Alan Molineux…………………951-7064
Hospitality………………..Vacant……………………………………………….
Webmaster……………….Jim Fosse……………………….245-8644
Tailgate……….…………….Brett Ward…………………….948-1232
Jonathan VanderLoop……245-2313
Training Coordinator..Gayland Graves…………….902-3249
Instructors
Bill Woody, John Hill, Cyndy Mandell, John Printz, Debbie Savacool, Don Pomerenke, Steve Hendrix, Ed Berresford, Pat Estes, Virgil Melton, Scott La Fond, Chieko Printz, Tina La Bau, Jessie La Bau and Terry Booth. 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 62 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 April general meeting was held on Tuesday, 24th at 7:00p.m. and the May general meeting will be on Tuesday the 22nd.
On The Front Cover
This was one of the photos I took during a recent rainstorm. I suspect the wet weather will put a “damper” on outside collecting.
Our Club
Our club has been around for many years now and it has been a gathering place for lapidary enthusiasts throughout the years. We are very fortunate (as those who have travelled will tell you) that we can drop by the club at just about any time and work on our pet projects.

Minutes of the February
General Meeting
Terry Booth said the April Education night will be “How Local Opals Form.”
May Education night will feature the Women in Mining “How Rocks in the Area are Formed.”
Brett Ward reported on the recent tailgate which was quite successful.
Francis Gramata said the meeting minutes should be read at each meeting.
There will be a volunteer sign up sheet in the club house for the San Bernardino County Fair. The Petrified Pups will probably have a booth at the fair.
We need donations of office cubicle partitions to help insulate our booth at the upcoming fair.
We are working on getting a Fall tailgate at the Lyon’s Park in Apple Valley.
Our next field trip will be in the Ludlow area for pink and green Thulite. There will be Chalcedony and Rhyolite nearby.
Lois Papner said there are some books “missing” from the library and they need to be returned.
John and Printz are taking care of Bobbie Kaufman’s Sunshine job until she gets better.
We need a display’s person and (2) Hospitality people to work in the kitchen. Mike and Marilyn Stafford can no longer do it because of ill health.
Raffle tickets are still being sold for the 16” saw. See Past President, Cyndy Mandell.
Francis Gramata will set up a phone tree.
The BLM is holding an advisory meeting at Ridgecrest on April 20th and 21st.

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Proposed By-law changes for 2012.
Article IV Section 1a (Title) Membership
Any adult may become a member by making written application and attending (3) consecutive regular meetings (extenuating circumstances considered), shall be introduced at each of the regular meetings by the membership chair, upon the acceptance of an initiation fee is payable which will pay the dues for a fiscal year plus a nametag. If the applicant has complied by the attendance rule (as stated above), and is accepted for membership at the June regular meeting or thereafter, the dues for the balance of the current fiscal year shall be reduced to (50%) of the normal fee. Dues for Junior members (10—18years) shall be ($5) per year.
Proposed change
Any adult may become a member by making written application and being approved by the board, will pay the dues for a fiscal year plus a name tag. If the new member is accepted for membership at the June regular meeting or thereafter, the dues for the balance of the current fiscal year shall be reduced to (50%) of the normal fee. Dues for Junior members shall be ($5) per year.
Article IV Section 2a (Title) Membership
All applications shall be in writing and shall be signed by the applicant and (2) members of the organization who shall certify that the applicant is personally known to them and in their judgment, be a valuable member of the organization. The application must be approved by the membership committee before it is presented to the membership for final action. Upon being accepted, the applicant will become a member.
Proposed change
All applications shall be in writing and shall be signed by the applicant and submitted to the board. Upon approval and acceptance by the board, the applicant will become a member and will be presented at the next general meeting to the membership.
Article IV Section 2b (Title) Membership
The minimum age for membership is (10) years. Those between (10) and (18) years of age will be Junior members without voting privileges.
Proposed change
Age: Any kids up to the age of (18). Junior members will not have voting privileges. Upon reaching the age of (18) the person is eligible for full adult membership.
AFMS requirement link http://www.amfed.org/fra/fut_rock.htm
CFMS requirement link http://www.cfmsinc.org/forms10/appfra/apfra.pdf
Article V Section 3 (Title) Dues
Members who have not paid their dues after the November business meeting shall be notified in writing. If payment of the dues is not made by the close of the December meeting the member will be automatically dropped from membership and the Federation will be notified of this fact.
Proposed change
Members who have not paid their dues after the November business meeting will be notified in writing. If payment of the dues is not made before December 31st, they will be dropped from club
membership.

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Article V Section 4 (Title) Dues
If a member is dropped from the rolls for non-payment of dues he may re-enter the organization after approval of the membership committee and final vote of the membership or by payment of all back dues and a $5 late fee.
Proposed change
If a member is dropped from the rolls for non-payment of dues, he/she may re-enter the organization with payment of the current year dues and a $5 late fee.
Standing Rules Proposed Changes
#1 Scholarships
Establish (2) $1,000 scholarships to be given annually.
Proposed change
Establish (1) $1,000 scholarship to be given annually.
Policies and Procedures Proposed Changes
#9 Mileage reimbursement
A formula for mileage reimbursement was adopted by the board of directors on March 2nd 2010. Mileage will be reimbursed (i.e. for the Federation Director or the Field trip Wagon Master) using the following formula. The number of miles traveled divided by 17 mpg. The number of gallons is then multiplied by the average cost of gasoline per gallon at the time. (i.e. 170 miles travelled divided by 17 mpg = 10 gallons of gasoline @ $3/gallon would equal $30 which the member would be reimbursed.) All mileage requests must be approved by the board.
Proposed change
A formula for mileage reimbursement was adopted by the board of directors on March 2nd 2010. Mileage will be reimbursed only for the Federation Director or the Field trip Wagon Master (exploratory or scouting trips) using the following formula. (i.e. 170 miles travelled divided by 17 mpg = 10 gallons of gasoline @ $3/gallon would equal $30 which the member would be reimbursed.) Anyone else needing mileage reimbursement must get prior approval from the board.
New Policies or Procedures.
#13 Active Instructors
Instructors must work a minimum of (2) shifts per month to be an active instructor. (Extenuating circumstances shall be considered by the board.)
#14 Instructor Club Use
Active Instructors can use the club on Mondays and Fridays. They can also use the club before or after their duty shift.
#15 Hiring Club Members
For the good of the club, the organization can hire club members only under the following conditions. (a) A specialized person is needed.
(b) The member must meet all legal requirements. (i.e. license, bond etc.)
(c) (75%) of the board members at the board meeting must approve the hiring of the individual.
(d) All hiring will be considered on a case by case basis.
New Policies and Procedures is continued on p. 11

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April 2012

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1 / Workshop / 1—5p.m.	2	3 / Instructor’s / Meeting 6p.m. / Board Mtg.-7p.m.	4 / Workshop / 1—9p.m	5 / Workshop / 1—9p.m	6	7 Workshop / 12 noon—5p.m. / Petrified Pups / 9—2p.m.
8 / Workshop / 1—5p.m.	9	10	11 / Workshop / 1—9p.m	12 / Workshop / 1—9p.m	13	14 / Workshop / 12 noon—5p.m.
15 / Workshop / 1—5p.m.	16	17 / Education/Demonstration / Night 7p.m.	18 / Workshop / 1—9p.m	19 / Workshop / 1—9p.m	20	21
22 / Workshop / 1—5p.m.	23	24 Pot Luck / 6:30 p.m. / Monthly General / Meeting 7:30p.m.	25 / Workshop / 1—9p.m	26 / Workshop / 1—9p.m	27	28 / Workshop / 12 noon—5p.m. Club Clean–9a.m 9999am—
29 / Workshop / 1—5p.m.	30

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

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Buy, sell or swap
I am a professional artist represented by the Seyhoun Art Gallery of West Hollywood. I am planning a trip to Mexico to study ruins for an art project that will turn into a traveling exhibit, with museums in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco showing interest. I have come short of funds for my trip and am offering my art for sale. I have stone sculptures, assemblages, and paintings. The value of my work will increase as more attention is gained through this exhibit and further work. Please contact me at 760.508.6726 or stonegardenpaths@yahoo.com to set up a time to view my work. Many thanks, John Hill
John Printz asks for donations of office cubicle partitions for our booth at the upcoming San Bernardino County Fair.
They say April showers bring May flowers—well we certainly are having a wild and wooly April with one storm after another. Still, it won’t be long before we’ll be saying “Gosh! It’s hot!”

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

HMC Co.
Victorville, CA 92392
(760) 245-2313
Jonathan P. Vanderloop
B.S Ch. E; M.S Met. E.
(25 years experience) Metallurgy & Mining Consultant

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A Light in the Sky
To All Members: when I was a boy of three, back in the late 1960's and living in Lenwood, CA there was a very large celestial object that passed overhead one night. It could have been well over 50' in diameter. Here is a link for a person in Stockton who also saw this object: www.ufosoveramerica.com Look under Sightings and Encounters then scroll to the UFO Sixties Sighting in Stockton. A few years ago, I was able to talk with people from Edwards and NASA and they said it was a spent US Spy Satellite coming down from orbit over Soviet Russia. I wanted to know if any desert old timers remember this sighting.
Contact me at stonegardenpaths@yahoo.com.
Thanks, John Hill, Club Instructor

Attention all Newsletter Editors
and Prospective Editors
There is a society devoted to helping you with your monthly newsletter—both content and grammatical
construction.
S.C.R.I.B.E is the Special Congress Representing Involved Bulletin Editors.
Members have years of editorial experience and are only too willing to help you.
Dues are just $6 a single or $8 for a couple.
See Doug Arnold at (760) 885-7409.

Sunshine Club
Bobbie Kaufman is our Sunshine Lady. She works quietly behind the scenes, comforting those who need it.
If you know of a member who is ailing or needs cheering up, give Bobbie a call on (760) 868-5120.
Until Bobbie is back on her feet, John and his wife Chieko Printz are doing the job. See p.2 for their phone number.
Voting on the upcoming bylaw changes.
Pages 4, 5 & 11 are4 devoted to the bylaw changes we’ll be voting on at this coming meeting. It’s Monday evening, April 16th 2012 and we’ll be having our monthly general meeting next Tuesday, April 24th. I’ll try and get this newsletter finished early so that you’ll have time to go over the by-law changes before the meeting…..Ed.

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Recent Ludlow Thulite field trip
G
v

I reported on this field trip in the last edition of the Bulletin. The members were collecting rocks in pretty rough terrain!

The Club Members and guests alike collected some rough from the area and despite the weather, everyone seemed to find what they were looking for.
Thanks to Cyndy Mandell for sending me these photographs.

New Policies or Procedures. (cont. from p.5)
#16 E-Mail Addresses Kept Current.
To reduced postal expenses, this organization will utilize e-mail addresses as much as possible to notify club members of all club events. Therefore it is each member’s responsibility to keep the V.P of Membership notified of their current e-mail addresses.
#17 Written Notifications.
Written notification as required by the bylaws, standing rules and policies and procedures requirements will be met in the following order (a) E-Mail notification. (b) If the member has no e-mail (on the list of members to receive a hard copy of the monthly newsletter) then that member will be notified by regular Postal Mail. If the letter is returned, a phone call will be made and notification will be considered complete.

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Bits and Pieces
There is a 3-day Gem Show in Vista, CA on April 13th 14th and 15th.
Well, Easter is now behind us and the weather is starting to improve. Spring is a funny season, hot one moment and cold the next. Still, here in the High Desert we know it won’t be long before the children are all out of school and the dog days of summer will be upon us!
In this club there are a lot of volunteers helping in many areas. Any successful club of like minded individuals contains people many people who step up to the plate in many different areas. The Bulletin is a communicative device that reaches out to the membership each month but it is so much easier for me to put it out when I have so many contributors who e-mail me articles and pictures and who physically help me reach all those members who need to be kept up to date. There are times I make a mistake, a wrong time, a misspelled name or I may have placed the wrong interpretation on something—let me know (nicely) and of course I’ll be happy to fix it.
Our next big event is the San Bernardino County Fair. It’s in May and of course as a club we’d like you to volunteer to help out in some way. That’s not always possible and of course we all realize that—however, maybe you can show your support by attending the fair and saying, “hello,” to those working the fair booth.
Each club president, and board has it’s—his/her own “flavor” and each one wants to get certain things accomplished. Try to help them out—of course they make mistakes (they’re only human) but they have the club’s and the membership’s best interests at heart and they’re trying very hard and so help them out and say positive things around them whenever you can.
If you want to know something or want to master a technique ask an instructor. They usually have the right answer—but occasionally even they are caught scratching they’re heads. If they don’t know, I’m sure they know someone who does and so they will be happy to point you in the right direction.
Lastly, it’s your club—get involved….Ed

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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.