November 2022 Meeting Minutes
Minutes of the Meeting of Shenandoah Valley Gem and Mineral Society
Meeting date: November 14, 2022
Intro:
We had 17 members and 1 guest at our monthly meeting in Bridgewater. Thanks to Charlie for providing snacks and drinks.
New Business
—We got an update on our 2022 Gem, Mineral & Jewelry show outcome. More recently, several contracts have been signed for next year already and many vendors have committed to returning. Some new vendors may also be accommodated.
Next year the show will be Sep. 22-24, 2023. One of our popular vendors, One piece of news - Woody’s Rock Shop, proprietors of the Keokuk geode booth, have decided to retire from doing shows at the end of this year. They are offering the show business for sale - the asking price is $38,000 for his 5000 pounds of geodes and materials. Let me know if you are interested!
—We are donating some money to the Friends of Mineralogy and new supplies for the shop are being delivered soon.
--Show Proceeds: Mike Pabst has ordered 50 books from the Friends of Mineralogy and these will be delivered to him after the 3rd printing is completed. We will donate some of the books to students and offer some to club members. We also will work with Dr. Liz Johnson, a member of the club and a faculty member at JMU, to arrange a $2500 stipend for the geology department. We are asking that the stipend be used to supplement fees/materials for students to attend conferences and field trips that are focused on minerals. We would ask that the students present a program to the club afterward.
--Members brought some of their newest acquisitions.
- Larry brought lots of brachiopods, crinoids and gastropods from Indiana.
- Cindy brought some clam fossils from Surry County that she recently collected.
- Marcia brought some igneous rocks from her trip to Iceland to include spar and ropey lava, as well as obsidian.
- Deborah brought some rough diopside and a piece of trolleite.
- Sarah had samples she collected from Boxley Mine, Willis Mt and Dale, VA.
- Mike was very excited to show some of his micros and we enjoyed looking at them under the scope. He was thrilled to share his new short wave UV light with us and demonstrated its power by showing us some brilliantly colored samples.
We are still collecting dues for 2023. You can bring the $10 to the meeting, or mail a $10 check payable to SVGMS to: SVGMS, PO Box 324, Waynesboro, VA 22980. You must be a paid member to utilize the shop, and go on field trips when we are able to have them again. Please notify the club secretary if you NO LONGER wish to receive these emails.
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Program Report:
Marcia went to Iceland the last week of August and the first week of September with GeoWorld Travel group. There were 18 people from the UK, Australia, and America who went to study the geology of the country.
She presented an awesome travelogue that she prepared from pictures she took on the trip. The video included photos of birds, plants, insects and geological formations.
The group used part of the Ring Road, which is an 850 mile route along the coastal areas. (Go to this link to see some internet photos about Iceland: https://www.visiticeland.com/article/the-ring-road )
They visited Tpingvillir National Park, the Eyjafallajokull volcano, Jokulsarlon lake; the deepest in Iceland, the Krafla geothermal plant (85% electric is from these plants), and saw many lava fields, mud pots and geysers to name a few features.
The southern part of the country is actually growing by 3 cm a year due to lava flows. Since the weather is brutal, it is hard for plants to grow (it takes 25 years for a tree to grow one foot), but she had pictures of many types.
Fresh water is abundant, and 96% of potable water is straight from the ground. Iceland is on the border of the North American & Eurasian geologic plates where they are spreading apart very slowly. Around 370,000 people live in the country.
Thanks, Marcia, for our virtual field trip!!
Next meeting:
Our next meeting is December 12th, 2022 at Bridgewater Baptist Church in Dayton VA. Christmas dinner!
FYI - If Waynesboro City Schools are closed due to inclement weather 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: We are not planning any field trips any time soon, but if anyone knows of places to collect in small groups, let the club secretary know and they can send out the info.
Looking ahead:
The lapidary shop will be open the Saturday following a regular meeting. (See Events At A Glance for a calendar view). Charlie & Jack can assist you. Open from 9 am to noon. This is a small enclosed space; please follow whatever COVID protective guidelines you think appropriate.
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 2016-2022
President – Michael Pabst
Vice President – Leo Cloutier
Educational Outreach -- Deborah Grimm
Secretary/Newsletter -- Deborah Grimm
Field Trip Coordinators - TBD
Co-Treasurers – Scott Gregory/Deborah Grimm
Show Team Leaders – Scott Gregory/Jack Glenn
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