nlfeb2005
Sunsites Gem and Mineral Club
P.O. Box 87
Pearce, AZ 85625
::: Finding and Grinding Rocks in Cochise County Arizona Since 1962 :::
FEBRUARY 2005 Newsletter
February Meeting and Field Trip
We have an exciting meeting coming up on Monday, February 14 and a great field trip planned for Saturday, February 19. See the enclosed flyers. Remember, Club meeting at 7, public meeting at 8.
January Field Trip Report
While New England was getting buried under 2-3 feet of snow on January 23rd, about 10 vehicles and probably 20 people came out for our field trip to the American Mine north of Benson led by Ed Fenn. That counts one vehicle with two people who didn’t make it to the meeting spot on time, but had the presence of mind to conduct their own field trip to the Benson Safeway. Two members who had planned to go were hit with last-minute illness and could not attend.
We found copper minerals next to and within granite. Lots of blue stuff, green stuff, red stuff, and some shiny stuff. Nice large-particle granites. Carol Thomas found a nice Turquoise specimen.
We gathered rocks at two locations: near the mine shaft, which was active around 1906, and near what appeared to be an ore dumping and loading area. The temperature rose above 60 during the trip. Beats New England for sure.
When we left the mine we went to the rock warehouse of Gary Mattausch in downtown Cascabel. He has large piles of many varieties of rocks. Many of us bought rocks or rock slices from him at excellent prices. Gary was a member of the Club a few years back and has developed some excellent skills in the area of Field Trips. He rejoined the Club at the end of the Field Trip. Welcome to the team, Gary!
Gary and Ed were both very helpful in answering questions and identifying finds.
Excerpts from the newsletters of neighboring clubs:
“Eighty plus club members and guests enjoyed turkey, ham, and ALL the trimmings at the annual Thanksgiving dinner at our club house on November 18th. What a variety of dishes the members brought! Even with extra large plates a person couldn’t sample them all, but judging by all the guys with swollen tummies…several did try.”
From ROCK CHIPS, the newsletter of the Deming Gem and Mineral Club.
“Dinner was a knock out. Everyone brought their best and I left stuffed. The gift go-round was fun, especially our esteemed club President, Bill Jaeger, who modeled his gift, a lovely pair of earrings. He was stunning. The earrings complimented the color of his eyes and he really enjoyed showing them off; so did we.”
From The Huachuca Diggers, the newsletter of the Huachuca Mineral and Gem Club
“I think that the most useful stone for December is coal. It makes a great gift for Christmas as well as a great stocking stuffer. It reminds people, especially children, to be polite and good to each other. Coal is also a very practical gift. When the newness and excitement wears off, coal can provide heat when burned and if the weather stays this way we could all use it.”
From The Huachuca Diggers, the newsletter of the Huachuca Mineral and Gem Club
Upcoming regional events
March 10-13 40th annual Deming Gem and Mineral Society Rockhound Roundup, SW New Mexico State Fairgrounds.
Don’t forget the Tucson shows this month!
We hope to have an arrangement with the Huachuca Club where members of each club are invited to the Field Trips of the other Club. Check the web site for the latest news.
Name this newsletter
The editor (Paul McKnight for this issue) was thinking of calling this newsletter The Cochise County Rock. Anyone have any other ideas?
Lapidary Classes
Almost twenty members have expressed an interest in participating in a Lapidary Class. Don Hammer is polling them about possible days and times. Be sure to tell him when you can attend. By the February meeting he will have signup sheets.
Help wanted
Anybody want to be the Club Librarian and take charge of our books and magazines and make them available to members at Club meetings?
Don Hammer is polling the members as to who has skills and talents that can be incorporated into demos and presentations for those Club meetings not followed by a publicized public meeting.
Thanks to everyone who brought drinks and snacks to our January meeting. Call Retha Brouhard if you would like to help with this on a regular basis. 826-1684
Looks like we’re going to have more of a potluck for the holiday party in December this year. Vice-President Curt Kelly has volunteered to be the chief cook. Call him if you have ideas or want to assist him.
The 1969 minutes of the Club that are posted on the web site show that members would pay a buck or so (1969 prices) and a volunteer would use the bucks to buy hot dogs and hamburgers and cook them on site during Field Trips. Anybody want to try this?
Anyone want to help with transcribing the historical minutes of the Club to computer files? Contact Paul McKnight.
List of Club Officers for 2005
President Paul McKnight 520 824-4054 paulmc@vtc.net
Vice-President Curt Kelly 520 826-1136
Secretary Don Hammer 520 384-3105
Treasurer Larry Edgett
Board Member at large Marie Sherman 520 826-4004
Club Calendar
February
12 Board Meeting
14 Regular Meeting – Randy Stewart talk on his gold mine
19 Field Trip to Randy’s gold mine in the Dragoons
March
12 Board Meeting
14 Regular Meeting – wire wrap demonstration
19 Field Trip – Black Hills Rockhound Area and Mule Creek
April
9 Board meeting
11 Regular Meeting – archeology – early Chiricahua Apaches, as in the 1400s
17 Field Trip – possibly near Apache Nitrogen possibly led by Ed Fenn
May
7 Board Meeting
9 Regular Meeting – demo of
14 Field Trip – Johnson Camp Mine by Clive Bailey?
June
Picnic
September
10 Board Meeting
12 Regular Meeting – public meeting on
17 Field Trip
October
8 Board Meeting
10 Regular meeting - demo
15 Field Trip
November
12 Board Meeting
14 Regular Meeting – elections, no speaker
19 Field Trip
December
5 or 12 Christmas Party – potluck
General Meeting Minutes January 10, 2005
Attendees: Larry and Ilse Edgett, Paul and Beth McKnight, Patsy Wagstaff, Liz Hagewood, Susan and Curt Kelly, Don and Joan Hammer, Retha Brouhard and Marie Sherman.
Lacking officers, Paul McKnight called the special continuation “committee of the whole” to order at 7:04 pm and explained that some members had attempted to dissolve the club during the November general meeting and had not elected officers during that meeting. Our first task was to elect a slate of officers and he called upon Retha Brouhard, as the sole remaining member of the nominating committee, for a slate of candidates. Retha nominated Paul McKnight as President, Curt Kelly as Vice President, Don Hammer as Secretary, Larry Edgett as Treasurer, and Marie Sherman as Member-at-Large. Retha explained that the various committee chairs and memberships were appointed positions. Paul called for nominations from the floor; there being none Beth McKnight moved that nominations be accepted, Joan Hammer seconded and the vote was unanimous.
Paul thanked the nominating committee and outlined some of the activities he had in mind for the upcoming year including reviving lapidary classes, wire wrapping, creating a Web site and digitizing the old minutes of the club to preserve them for posterity.
Marie Sherman moved that Don Hammer be designated Parliamentarian, Curt Kelly seconded and the vote was unanimous. Don Hammer moved that Paul McKnight head the Speakers Committee, Marie Sherman seconded and the vote was unanimous. Beth McKnight moved that Don Hammer lead the organization of the lapidary classes, Marie Sherman seconded and the vote was unanimous.
Paul discussed the field trip on Sunday, January 23 to be led by Ed Fenn to the old American Mine (copper) along Three Links Road northwest of Willcox. The group will then visit some Indian ruins or a rock shop along the San Pedro. Meet at 10 am at the Benson Feed and Supply Store – directions: take the Pomerene exit at the river, go South ¼ mile, turn right and go almost to the underpass. The Feed Store is on the right. Bring sun protection, rock hammer and eye protection, bucket, lunch, water and perhaps a portable chair. You must have signed the Field Trip Release form to go on Club field trips.
Paul presented a proposed budget for 2005 (attached) that included an honorarium for Amerind, a geology grant to the Bookmobile and a scholarship, explaining those items were part of the agreement with the previous officers for the continuation of the Club. The amounts listed for various items are the maxima and we expect to come in below budget for each. Discussion ensued on the amounts for various items, possible additional expenditures, lapidary class fees, participation of non-members, insurance concerns and liability issues for lapidary classes and field trips. The Board will explore the efforts of the Chamber of Commerce’s offer to provide an umbrella insurance for all the clubs in Sunsites as well as the insurance situation with the Rocky Mountain Federation. Liz Hagewood moved to accept the budget as proposed with the condition that dollar amounts could be shifted between categories during the year, Marie Sherman seconded and the vote was unanimous.
Don Hammer moved for adjournment, Beth McKnight seconded and the vote was unanimous at 7:41 pm.
Paul McKnight introduced our speaker, Mr. Robert Mortimer, who gave a very informative and stimulating discussion of Pacific Plate tectonics and its relationship to the geology of the Sulphur Springs Valley region, illustrated with excellent slides. The program was attended by 52 persons and 28 applied for membership in the Sunsites Gem & Mineral Club for 2005.
Respectfully submitted,
Donald A. Hammer, Secretary
Sunsites Gem & Mineral Club Budget for 2005
PO Box Rental $ 36
Lock changes $100
Stamps, postcards $ 80
Copying, general supplies $ 75
State Corporation Com. Fee $ 30
Refreshments & supplies $ 50
Picnic $ 50
Christmas Party $ 400
Regional affiliation & insurance $ 150
Speaker honoraria $ 300
Web site $ 300
Lapidary supplies $ 700
Misc. $ 100
Amerind honorarium $ 250
Bookmobile grant $ 250
Scholarship $1000
Total $3871
Owning and Operating a Silver and Gold Mine in Cochise County Today
The Sunsites Gem and Mineral Club presents a short talk by Randy Stewart, who, with his wife Jaclyn, owns a mining claim encompassing an old mine within a few miles of Sunsites. The mine has produced ore assayed as containing substantial amounts of Silver along with some Gold, Pyrite, Galena, and several other minerals.
Randy has a degree in Natural Sciences and has lived in the Sunsites area for 2 years.
The presentation will be followed by a Question and Answer period.
Monday, February 14, 2005
8:00 p.m. at the Sunsites Senior Center
The talk will be preceded by a 7 pm business meeting of the Club.
The following Saturday Randy will conduct a Field Trip to the mine for Club members.
Field Trip Notice for Saturday, February 19, 2005:
Randy Stewart's Silver and Gold mine is about 3 miles from the Sunsites Senior Center as the crow flies, or about 7 miles by road. Randy will conduct a tour of the mine.
Meet at the Senior Center Parking lot at 10 am.
Those with passenger cars will be able to leave them at the bottom of the hill and get ferried up by those with high-clearance vehicles and heavy duty tires.
Bring boots for the muddy tunnel floor and a jacket for the cold tunnel air.
We'll be able to pick through the tailings for Pyrite and Galena, but Randy reserves the right to retain any Gold that we find on his claim.
Stuff to bring:
Boots and jacket
Flashlight or lantern for the tunnel
Rock hammers and eye protection
A bucket
Lunch
Water
Camera
A portable chair if desired