Author: Alan Molineux

The
bulletin
Newsletter of the
victor valley
Gem and
mineral club
Ph. (760) 243-2330
March 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………………..Mike Stafford……………….248-7404
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 and Jessie La Bau. 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 March general meeting was held on Tuesday, 27th at 7:00p.m. and the April general meeting will be on Tuesday the 24th.
On The Front Cover
This was one of the photos I took at our recent Tailgate. It ran between March 9th and the 11th. Good weather was enjoyed by all and everything seemed to be running as planned.
Our Club
Our club is dynamic, not static. Things are always happening and changes are always taking place as the board tries to make things better for it’s members. Come on down and enjoy the atmosphere and the fellowship. There’s always something going on here.

Minutes of the February
General Meeting
John Printz—club president introduced board members and then guests.
Voting on the bylaw changes would take place at the next meeting (they are in this issue of the Bulletin.)
Gary House of Apple Valley addressed
the membership about possibly having a tailgate at Lyon’s Park in A/V at the Farmer’s Market on Nov.11th & 12th.
Blaine Witte spoke of the March field trip at the tailgate on Mar. 9th,10th and 11th.
April field trip will be past Ludlow for Rhyolite and Chalcedony. Wait for more details.
Jonathan VanDerLoop told of a rock carving class on Sunday 03/04/’12, 1-4p.m.
Our Sunshine Lady—Bobbie Kaufman is presently in hospital.
We need a maintenance person to helop Terry Booth.
We are still raffling off the 16”saw at $5 per ticket. We need to raise money for a saw oil filter.
Mike and Marilyn Stafford are both in hospital at the moment. Ceci Kawasaki and Chieko Printz are taking over their duties.
Brett Ward spoke about the upcoming Tailgate and said a volunteers sign up sheet is now available.
The last Saturday of every month is club clean up day from 9a.m till noon.

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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	3Instructor’s / Meeting—6p.m. / Board Meeting / 7p.m.	4 / Workshop / 1-9p.m.	5 / Workshop / 1-9p.m.	6	7 Workshop / 12noon—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 / 12noon-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	21Workshop / 12noon—5p.m. / Petrified Pups / 9—2p.m.
22 / Workshop / 1-5p.m.	23	24 Potluck / 6:30p.m. / Monthly General / Meeting 7:30p.m.	25 / Workshop / 1-9p.m.	26 / Workshop / 1-9p.m.	27	28 Workshop / 12noon—5p.m. / Club Clean-up / 9a.m.—
29 / Workshop / 1-5p.m.	30

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

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CFMS Gold and Gem Show
Hosted by the Valley Prospectors
We Look forward to seeing you in Riverside, California
July 13 – 15, 2012
Hours: Fri & Sat. 10:00to 5:00
Sunday: 10:00 to 4:00
Riverside Municipal Auditorium
3485 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside

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

Up to 25% off retail—
See the Sports Memorabilia Man
Jonathan Vanderloop at (760) 245-2313
B.S Ch. E; M.S Met. E.
(25 years experience)
We specialize in hard to find teams!
NBA, NASCAR, NFL, UFC
COLLEGE, NHRA, & NHL
sportsmemman@yahoo.com

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CFMS News
Marion Roberts requested that I send this out to everyone in the group in the hopes that you will all pass this information along to your club members via email and/or your newsletters.
The Earth Science classes in Zzyzx for 2012 still has 8 vacancies for single students. The class runs from April 1st to April 8, 2012 and costs $375 per student. If you bring and RV you are guaranteed a spot, and the cost is $325 per student!
Please pass this along and forward to all groups that you know.
For you out of state folks in the LA Rocks, this is a Earth Science Studies Seminar that the CFMS in California puts on every year. If you are interested in more information, please feel free to send me an email…...CJ Quitoriano
Thanks!
CJ Quitoriano

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.

Spring started on Tuesday, March 20th at 3:14a.m (PCT)—the earliest in over a century. Incidentally, this equinox is called the Vernal Equinox.

Editorial
I covered my first Tailgate in the first issue I ever did for the Victor Valley Gem and Mineral club back in March 2006 that was the 30th Tailgate. I covered the 36th Tailgate last weekend. At the end of the year I am retiring and it will be time for a new editor to take the reins. I still have a few Bulletins to go before I finish up and will be glad to train someone if there is a volunteer….think about it.

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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.
I don’t have space to list all of the upcoming lapidary events—but if you have the opportunity, check out the CFMS newsletter at the information desk.

V.V.G & M.C Tailgate #36
G
v

We held the 36th Annual Tailgate off Stoddard Wells Road on Friday, March 9th through Sunday, the 11th. We hope everyone enjoyed it!

The Club Members worked really hard to make this tailgate a success. Many were vendors but they also worked in many other capacities also!

Here are a couple of members, one is helping the public and vendors and another is selling his wares. Thanks to all who helped over that weekend to make this a successful tailgate.
More tailgate photos are available on the club website—see page (2) for the web address and thanks to Jim Fosse for making the photos available.

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April Field Trip
First a brief note of thanks to Jim Fosse for leading the Tail Gate field trip out to the tri-color marble. I tagged along and brought up the tail and saw that we had quite a crowd show up. I'll have to find out from Jim just how many. Seemed like most were happy with their finds. I managed to chisel out a few fair size pieces that I hope will turn out nice myself.
Now on to April. The April field trip will be out to the Thulite outcroppings near Ludlow. Thulite is a pink rock that in hardness and appearance resembles a marble. It also works similar to marble. It is considered a type of Zoisite which is often carved like marble. This should be a great material for those of you that are getting into carving. It could also make nice spheres. The Thulite near Ludlow I have seen doesn't show as much pink as other samples I have seen. The material there tends to be green to gray-green with pink running through it. Sometime you find a dark green with pink dots or pink streamers. Some times its a lighter green with pale pink blotches. It can be a little tough to get a good polish on but still a lot of people like it.
Nearby I have found a site that has abundant chalcedony and gem grade Rhyolite that resembles jasper in float. We can hit that on the way out. These can be in fairly large pieces. The highest concentration of chalcedony I have seen.
We will be going out on Saturday, April 14, We will meet first at the club house at around 8 AM. We will swing by to pick up the Barstow crowd after that (about 8:50). The Diamond Pacific parking lot has been suggested as a meeting spot and that sounds good to me.
You will probably want to bring hammers and gads for the Thulite but that's not completely necessary. Bring your bag and hammer. The weather can be a little tricky so dress in layers. Bring your lunch and water. Bring sunscreen and protective glasses or goggles. We have already seen snakes so be on the look out for them.
Blaine Witte
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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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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