October 2019 Meeting Minutes
Minutes of the Meeting of Shenandoah Valley Gem and Mineral Society
Meeting date: October 14th, 2019
Intro:
There were 29 members and 5 visitors present at the meeting held at 7 pm at the Waynesboro Public Library. Mike Pabst called the meeting to order and thanked everyone for helping with the show.
Old Business:
Jack Glenn gave a PowerPoint presentation review of the 2019 Gem, Mineral & Jewelry Show.
A huge thank you to EVERYONE who helped to make the show a success!
- “We Did It!” There were 1410 tickets sold/given to children, not counting the 40 or so members who came to volunteer.
- 100+ kids enjoyed the gem mining sluice, a new attraction this year
- Our overall profit was close to $2900.
- 90% of the vendors want to return, with some new ones that have already asked to be added to next year’s show. Most of the vendors were very happy with their sales.
Special thanks to:
- All members who took the time & put forth the effort to set up an educational exhibit for our attendees to enjoy
- Mike Pabst for the microminerals display
- Thomas Hale for the Virginia Minerals info table
- Charlie Rhoads & Cara Mayo for the cab making activity
- Michelle Jascot for the wire wrapping demo
- Mike Herrick for his sphere-making & flat lap demos
- Larry Kersten, Natalia Dubrovskaya, & Leonard Lantz for running the gem mining sluice
- John Isak and Joyce Smals for the sandbox treasure hunt
- All who assisted with these and the dinner for the vendors
- We appreciate every person who helped set up, clean up, sell tickets and otherwise keep things going!
Promotional activity summary:
- 35,200 event ad deliveries on Face Book & over 1000 clicked “interested”
- Nearly 1000 flyers were distributed, along with 100 50- or 25-page memo pads
- The Expo Yard Sales team put up 70 yard signs & picked them up after the show
- Marcia Morris put an ad on the Staunton radio station (thanks!)
- Marcia also contacted numerous community bulletin boards to have our event listed on their sites
- 16 magnetic car signs were displayed
- Scott Gregory sent press release kits to 40+ media outlets around the region
- Promotional kits were sent to area B & B’s, caves & caverns, and rock & mineral shops around the region
For our ticket query – how did you hear about the show?
- 26% was Facebook
- 19% word of mouth
- 14% flyer/notepad
Until next time . . . .
- Next year’s show is scheduled for Sep 18 – 20, 2020. A Bridal Show will be the co-event.
- We had 101 tables this year, may have 120 next year if we can re-arrange the space.
- Scott Gregory and Jack Glenn (thanks!) will remain as show chairs, but they will still need lots of help!
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New Business:
- Dues can be paid for 2020 at any meeting. ($10 per family annually.) Reminder that you must be a paid member to attend field trips or to use the lapidary shop.
- Deborah Grimm has agreed to be a co-treasurer with Scott Gregory.
- Our annual holiday meal will be on Monday, Dec 2nd at the Wood Grill in Harrisonburg. Again, this is a change from the usual second Monday of the month.
Program Report:
Thomas Hale, a graduate of Virginia Western Community College, is organizing a state initiative called the Virginia Mineral Project (VMP) in cooperation with George Mason University, Virginia mineral clubs, and people who have professional ties with collecting minerals, as well as amateur collectors.
The impetus of the project is to “collect, preserve, and educate”.
The last major publication about VA minerals was in 1990 (Mineralogy of Virginia by R.V. Dietrich). Previous publications have included only black & white photos and/or sketches of minerals.
There are over 400 known varieties of minerals in VA and many of them have only been recently discovered so there is much information to be updated. Thomas envisions a new publication with colorful modern photographs and in-depth details about the minerals & their locations.
Thomas is traveling around VA promoting this project and has a Facebook page where people can share information or just browse. It is here: “Virginia Mineral Project”.
He is especially interested in logging information about minerals that were collected from mines that are now closed – he is compiling photos of these, as well as stories about people who have been to these mines to preserve their history.
He mentioned that as collectors we must be respectful of the land owners, and to never collect on private land without permission.
Thomas is very excited and is willing to dedicate many hours to the VMP. If anyone has information to share – stories, photos, or even collections – please email him at virginiamineralproject@gmail.com.
A sideline of this project is “ROCKS”:
- Recognition – it is important to recognize the preservation of stories and information about minerals.
- Outreach – engage others, especially youth and individuals.
- Communication – share information with clubs and community.
- Knowledge – what do I know, or what information do I have to share.
- Sharing – providing photos, stories and collections with others.
We’d like to thank Thomas for his enthusiasm and for working on this project so that we and future generations can gain an appreciation of what Virginia has to offer to the wonderful world of minerals!
Field Trip Info:
Please refer to “SVGMS Field Trips News” documents you receive from the club secretary for a description of the current status of field trips and details about upcoming trips.
If you are a club member with paid-up dues and you do not receive the “Field Trip News” document when they are emailed, please contact the secretary at loverocksandminerals@gmail.com or at a monthly meeting to correct this issue.
This will be the principle way information about field trips are distributed to members, so we want to insure everyone is correctly addressed.
Scott Steele will give an update at the next meeting.
Next meeting:
January 2020 - to be announced
Looking ahead:
FYI - our November has been cancelled - the Waynesboro Public Library is closed for Veterans Day on the second Monday of the month and on the alternative date of November 4th, they preempted our meeting space to prepare for elections.
We will have our Annual Christmas Dinner on Monday, December 2nd at the Wood Grill in Harrisonburg at 6:30 pm (NOT the second Monday in December, due to conflict at the restaurant).
Remember that the lapidary shop is open the Saturday following a regular meeting and on the second Saturday after that. Leo, Charlie & Jack can assist you. Open from 9 am to noon.
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 2016-2019
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: www.shenandoahvalleyrockclub.org
Club Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ShenandoahValleyGemMineralSociety
Club email: svgem-min-club@live.com