The Cochise County Rock

Monthly Newsletter of the Sunsites Gem & Mineral Club

www.cochisecountyrock.org

“Finding and Grinding Rocks in Cochise County, Arizona Since 1962”

JUNE 2005

This issue edited by Paul McKnight

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June Field Trip / Picnic

On Saturday, June 11 we have two activities scheduled in sequence. Members can attend one or both.

Meet at 8:15 am at the Sunsites Senior Center for the Field Trip. We will leave at 8:30 for Randy and Jaclyn’s Gold Mine, where we will get a guided tour and pick up some rocks from the tailings

We will then proceed to the noon Picnic at the Cochise Stronghold Campground. Details follow.

Always check the web site for breaking news on planned field trips.

Field Trip Details

Meet at 8:15 am on Saturday, June 11, 2005 at the Sunsites Senior Center. We will depart at 8:30 am for the mine. It is estimated that we would arrive at the mine at 9:15, spend a couple hours there, and depart around 11:15 for the picnic at Cochise Stronghold. It is cool inside the mine tunnel, but you may not need a jacket in June. 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.

Here is the list of stuff to bring:

Boots (the floor of the tunnel may be wet)

Flashlight or lantern for the tunnel

Rock hammers and eye protection

A bucket

Drinking water

Camera

A portable chair if desired

Picnic Details

In consultation with her picnic committee, Retha has designed the perfect picnic. It starts at noon on Saturday, June 11, 2005 at Cochise Stronghold. Go west on Ironwood to Cochise Stronghold Park, continue to the end of the road at the campground. No fires are permitted, but there are picnic tables and shade.

The club will supply ham and a roast turkey as well as drinks and table service (that’s plates, cups, napkins, forks, etc. for those of you who, like your editor, are unfamiliar with the term).

Retha developed an ingenious plan for the rest of the menu based on the first letter of your last name:

A through H - bring salad for eight people

I through N - bring vegetables for eight people

O through Z – bring dessert for eight people

(If you will be going to the earlier field trip to the mine, your editor suggests keeping these items in an ice chest protected from the heat and sealed so that the melting ice won’t invade them.)

Bring a chair if you don’t like sitting on picnic table benches.

Retha will mark the route with yellow plastic ribbons or streamers so you don’t get lost on the way to the site.

For any picnic questions, call Retha Brouhard at 826-1684

May Field Trip Report

Twenty to twenty-five members participated in the May 24 field trip to Johnson Camp Mine. We found lots of nice blue Crysacola. Pictures taken by members are on the web site under field trips after the May Field Trip Notice.

Thanks to Clive Bailey and Nord Copper Corporation for this successful trip. And thanks to rock shop proprietor Rolf Luetke of the Sunshine Gallery and Gifts located 2.5 miles south of Benson on Highway 80 for assisting Clive and answering all those questions like “What’s this?” and “What’s this?” and “What’s this?” and even a couple of “What is this?” questions.

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Club Calendar

June

11 Collect rocks at Randy Stewart’s gold mine -meet at Senior Center 8:15 am for an 8:30 departure. Then proceed to the Stronghold for our annual picnic at noon.

July

Field Trip

August

Field Trip

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

You might be a rockhound if…

Your kids bring you a "pretty stone" they've found, and you contrive to steal it. And you know you've done it. Don't lie.

You are convinced that buried deep in some secret government archive is a document that will conclusively prove that the entire US Apollo space program was conceived and developed for the sole purpose of getting a moon rock for a certain Presidential rock collection... The truth is out there!

You care more about what happened to the diamond in the movie "Titanic" than the people.

You sob uncontrollably watching "How the West was Won" at the part where the farmers are clearing rocks and casting them off.

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Sunsites Gem & Mineral Club

P.O. Box 87

Pearce, Arizona 85625

General Meeting Minutes May 9, 2005

Attendees: Paul McKnight, Jeannine Paterson, Richard & Barbara Yeager, Larry Strout, Jack & Cindy Weller, Irvin Pontius, Larry and Ilse-Rose Edgett, Curt and Susan Kelly, Don Hammer, Retha Brouhard, Jack Light, Irma Andrews, Bob & Barbara Fenner, Barbara and Richard Yeager and Walter & Hanni Sigel.

President Paul McKnight called the meeting to order at 7:10 pm and asked if there weren’t any changes to the minutes of the previous meeting as published in the newsletter that they be approved as published. Approved.

Larry Edgett reported that as of April 11 we had a balance of $4948.57 and he had deposited $50 Amerind check and $50 in dues and disbursed checks as follows: Dr. Seymour $100, Larry Strout for lapidary supplies $221.45 and bank charges were $9 leaving a balance of $4774.16. Approved. Larry Edgett showed the new name badges and asked that everyone wear them at meetings and field trips.

Larry Strout reported that the lapidary classes were doing well and both had openings. If you’re interested call him. The classes may continue through the summer. He passed around a sign up sheet for silver smithing to be taught by Keith McRobert.

President McKnight reviewed the jasper and desert tortoise finds on the April field trip with one 10-12” Tehran Wash blue jasper specimen found by Jack & Cindy Weller. The field trip on May 14 will meet at 8 am at The Thing and proceed to meet Clive Bailey at the office of the Johnson Camp Mine at 8:30. The picnic will be on June 11 at Randy Stewart’s gold mine in the Dragoons. He passed around a sign up sheet for an organizing committee and indicated the club would do the meat if every one else brought a covered dish and their own serving materials. A canopy will be provided for shade and we’ll bring a large water jug and first aid kit. Paul explained that the Board was reviewing a set of draft By-Laws and planned to present them to the membership in the fall.

Jack Light announced that he would be teaching a geology class at Cochise College in Willcox on Tuesday and Friday evenings from 6-8:50 pm starting in August. Casey Dennis will teach an archeology class on Thursday evenings from 6-8:50 pm. Barbara Yeager moved and Richard Yeager seconded the motion to adjourn at 7:35 pm.

Following refreshments we watched a video on flint knapping.

Respectfully submitted,

Donald A. Hammer, Secretary

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Lapidary Classes!

Anyone who would like to get started with lapidary training should contact Larry Strout at 826-3991

Upcoming Regional Events

Tombstone Gem and Mineral Show

June 17^th – 19^th, 2005

Tombstone Holiday Inn Express

1001 N. Highway 80 in Tombstone

www.tombstonegemshow.info

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 dahammer@vtc.net

Treasurer Larry Edgett

Board Member at large Marie Sherman 520 826-4004