November 2021 Meeting Minutes
Minutes of the Meeting of Shenandoah Valley Gem and Mineral Society
Meeting date: November 9, 2021
Intro:
This meeting was held on a special night to allow us to visit the new JMU Mineral Museum.
New Business:
We had a great time at the meeting last night. The new Mineral Museum at JMU is truly awesome. If you didn't get a chance to go, check out this link:
https://www.jmu.edu/mineralmuseum/planning-visit.shtml
It is free and open to the public Tue/Thur 11 am to 3 pm.
We presented a certificate of "good faith" to Drs. Lance and Cindy Kearns. The club voted to donate items as needed to the JMU Geology Department. Both Lance and Cindy were very appreciative of all the donations and work from clubs in VA who have helped make this museum come to fruition. They will work with the head of the geology department to approve items. Scott Gregory suggested we give high quality loupes for the geology students to use. Thank you to Lance and Cindy for allowing us to visit the museum.
There was a motion made by Cindy Schroer and seconded by Karen Pabst to limit the amount to $3000. These funds come from our show. One of the purposes of our club is to further the education of the public about rocks and minerals, and profits from the show are used for this purpose.
Our show next year will be Sept 16-18, 2022. It will be at EXPO in the large room, giving us more space and room for more vendors and tables.
Mike Pabst also discussed the possibility of donating some funds to the Friends of Mineralogy Virginia Chapter group. This group is working on publishing a book about the minerals and mines of Virginia. The last book published about this was in the 1970s. Thomas Hale of the Virginia Mineral Project is working hard on this endeavor in cooperation with club members and collectors from across the state.{I sent this out on Nov 4th, but I am attaching the VMP newsletter again to read the details}
Mike also stated that some upgrades are needed on the lapidary shop, so some of the funds will be designated toward that project. The shop is open this Saturday, Nov 13th, 9 am to noon at the Waynesboro Church of the Brethren. As the shop is so small. only attend if you are vaccinated, and you are required to wear a mask.
Larry Kerston suggested that we think about donating money for the upgrade of Camp Wildacres or perhaps giving a scholarship to a club member who attends the Wildacres Conference that is held yearly in NC. The member would be reimbursed for the conference fees only and would be asked to do a presentation to the club afterward.
For more information about Wildacres go to this link:
https://efmls.org/wildacres/
The fall conference was held in September, but there are 2 held every year.
If you haven't gotten a chance to pay dues - $10 per family - good until Dec. 2022 - check payable to SVGMS - send to:
SVGMS Treasurer PO Box 324, Waynesboro, VA 22980.
Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! 🦃🍁🍂
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Program Report:
Marcia Morris gave us a wonderful presentation about her 2 week trip to Namibia. She went with the tour group from GeoWorld.com. There were 4 people plus a guide in her group. They were studying the geology of the area, but she also thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the plants and wildlife in this barren desert area. She got to cross the Tropic of Capricorn.There are no opportunities to collect specimens, but she was allowed to purchase several beautiful native pieces. The pictures were spectacular.
She has a youtube link which shows the same presentation we saw: (You can also search various links on the internet to get more information about the area, the culture and wildlife) Thank you, Marcia, for this wonderful virtual trip!
https://youtu.be/RPaZmQRFJPc
From Mike:
For a Professional Talk about the new Mineral Hall at the American Museum of Natural History, go to the Mineral Talks Live archives on YouTube.
Here is the link: Mineral Talks LIVE - Episode 51 - Dr. George Harlow - Curator Emeritus; American Museum, NY, USA
Next meeting:
We discussed having an informal get together for our December meeting. We will meet at Wood Grill in Harrisonburg on Monday Dec 13 at 6:30 pm just to chat and visit. There will be no gift exchange, and it will be purely voluntary. I have reserved the central section of the restaurant where we usually meet. I will let you know more details later.
FYI - If Waynesboro City Schools are closed on a meeting day, our meeting will be canceled. The club secretary will try to send out an email ASAP that day, and an announcement will be posted on the club’s Facebook page and web site.
Thanks for your understanding; we want everyone to be safe!
Field Trips: NOTE: All previously announced field trips have been canceled due to the restrictions on travel and non-essential activities. Please do not go to the sites on your own that were sent out.
Doing so may prevent the club from visiting a particular area. Trips must be organized by the club.The club secretary will send information about scheduled/rescheduled trips once they are again feasible.
Looking ahead:
November 13 – 29th Annual Fall Swap sponsored by the Richmond Gem and Mineral Society. At Ridge Baptist Church Meeting Hall, 1515 East Ridge Road, Richmond, VA. 9:00AM – 3:00 PM. Free Admission.
Roanoke Valley Gem & Mineral Show at Salem Civic Center
Friday, Nov. 26: 2:00 pm- 7:00 pm Saturday, Nov. 27: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm Sunday, Nov. 28: 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Admission: Adult $5.00 good for all 3 days! Ages 14 and under FREE with paying Adult. Tickets sold at the door. For more details visit ROANOKE VALLEY MINERAL & GEM SOCIETY on Facebook.
With pandemic restrictions lifted, the lapidary shop will be open the Saturday following a regular meeting. (See Events At A Glance for a calendar view). Leo, Charlie & Jack can assist you. Open from 9 am to noon. COVID-19 vaccinations are required, since this is a small enclosed space.
There are several slab saws and trim saws. Keep in mind that safety is a priority, and wear closed toe shoes, safety glasses, with no loose hair or long sleeves. Children must be supervised and closely monitored to insure they are safely using the equipment. Check this page to see what you can learn to do!
If you’d like to present a program, please talk to an officer at a meeting.
Be sure to keep up with our website www.shenandoahvalleyrockclub.org and our Facebook page Shenandoah Valley Gem and Mineral Society for updates and information.
Deborah Grimm, Secretary
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Club Officers and Staff 2016-2021
President – Michael Pabst
Vice President – Leo Cloutier
Show Co-Chairs – Dean Hostetter/Scott Gregory
Educational Outreach -- Deborah Grimm
Secretary/Newsletter -- Deborah Grimm
Field Trip Coordinators - Scott Steele
Co-Treasurers – Scott Gregory/Deborah Grimm
Web Site Coordinator – Jack Glenn
Club web site: shenandoahvalleyrockclub.org
Club Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ShenandoahValleyGemMineralSociety
Club email: svgem-min-club@live.com