Most Recent Meeting Minutes


Minutes of the Meeting of Shenandoah Valley Gem and Mineral Society
Meeting date: October 9, 2023

There were 28 members present at our meeting on Monday night. We had a great informative meeting, and Eva G won the fabulous door prize.

The club rock shop will be open on Saturday, Oct 21st from 9 am to noon due to the auction this Saturday.

1- Jack G gave a slide presentation summary of our very successful 55th Gem and Mineral Show.
  • 191 tables sold; 270 tables set up to include displays, dinner & back tables
  • 38 vendors were contracted (12 new ones) - all showed up. All want to return. "The best show I've done." "Better than the Denver show I did before this one & there were 160 vendors there." "Twice as many sales as last year."
  • Our dinner is the highlight of our show for the vendors. Ruth M was one of our volunteers during show hours and heard remarks - "You treat us better than any other show." "We love having your members give us breaks and snacks."
  • 76,422 FaceBook ads. 5500 responded. 221 new "likes". We now have 2215 followers. "Fun and educational." "We'll be back next year." "The sluice volunteers made sure our kids were treated well and ensured they got a stone."
  • 2200 tickets sold. (attendance was 2297 with free admission & our members)
  • 40 members volunteered with a total of 663 man-hours. Eight of our members worked more than 40 hours. THANK YOU!
  • $7,713.50 profit once all expenses were paid. We have 3 times that amount in our treasury. As a club, we need to decide where to donate our money. The club sponsors 5 pages on Mindat. Some will be used to purchase/upgrade equipment for the shop. Suggestions are welcome. We are considering becoming a 501.3c non-profit status, so we may need to hire a lawyer.
  • We're getting ready for SHOW #56 - Sept 20 - 22, 2024. Mark your calendars now!!! We have all 3 buildings again.

2- Cindy S and Charlie R gave an update about the upcoming Herrick auction on Saturday the 14th.
  • They went to the site & worked 8 hours daily for more than 6 days. They sorted, identified as best they could, filled milk crates, moved heavy equipment and rocks, labeled, made a bidding list, arranged for parking, and much more. WE OWE THEM A TON OF THANKS!
  • There are 8 pages of items listed, with 47 crates, 74 single lots, 68 miscellaneous lots, and around 100 pieces of equipment/parts.
  • The auction will be held unless there is a total downpour - a light rain is expected, so raingear is advised. It will be from 11 am to 4:30 pm.
  • No parking at the house as there is no space, but parking will be available at the nearby dentist's office and the fire department.
  • The family has an additional 150+ larger pieces that must be sold. (Some take 2 or 3 people to lift!) There will be another auction to sell those at a later date.

3- Marcia M took a trip to Greenland for 2 weeks with an international geology group. She presented a beautiful slideshow set to music for us to enjoy. See further details here

4- Debbie G showed some photos of her summer vacation trips. {You can search these sites on the internet if you are interested.} The USA has some unique places. See further details here.

5- Kelly L had some unique items to share.

I think we all had a wonderful time this evening and learned lots of interesting facts, as well as places to visit to get smarter!! 😊 Hope you can come to a meeting soon when we might travel to CA on a trip on the Pacific Coast Trail! Or visit Yellowstone, or travel virtually across the big pond. Adventure awaits!

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:
Our next meeting will be on Monday, November 13th at 7:00 pm at the Bridgewater Baptist Church. Hope you can come to a meeting soon when we might travel to CA on a trip on the Pacific Coast Trail! Or visit Yellowstone, or travel virtually across the big pond. Adventure awaits!

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 2016-2023
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


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