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”

NOVEMBER, 2005

This issue edited by Paul McKnight

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November Meeting

Our November meeting will take place at the Senior Center on Monday, November 14 at 7 p.m. Our annual election will be held. If you have any last-minute advice for the nominating committee, please call Retha Brouhard at 826-1684.

Our after-meeting education will be provided by Larry Strout. He will discuss mineral identification.

November Field Trip

Meet at the Willcox Safeway Parking lot Saturday, November 19^th at 8 a.m. We will leave by 8:15. This field trip will be lead by Susan and Richard Bishop. The target area is a Chalcedony and Fire Agate site at Joy Valley near Bowie.

Holiday Party Update

Our date for the party has been changed back to our regular second Monday spot. The dinner will begin at 7 pm Monday, December 12 at the Senior Center. This year is pot luck, so we have the following guideline.

If your last name begins with A through H, bring a salad.

If your last name begins with I through P, bring a vegetable dish.

If your last name begins with Q through Z, bring a dessert.

3 Club members are cooking Turkey and the plates and utensils are provided.

Feel free to dress up, but it is not required.

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October Field Trip Report

By Don Hammer

A gorgeous day, wonderful scenery, abundant rock specimens and great camaraderie. That was the Club field trip on Sunday October 23, 2005. Bob and Barbara Fenner led 16 other members and three guests to the old marble quarries on the north end of the Dragoon Mountains. We were pleasing astonished by the varieties of marble – green banded, black, red and of course white marble were readily available for members to merely pick from the ground. And the frosting was a vein of banded, almost lacy, and bulls eye agate lying between the marble deposit and bedrock.

The group assembled at 10:00 am along Lizard Lane about a mile east of Dragoon. After the usual renewing acquaintances, introduction of guests and visiting, Bob Fenner explained where we were going, what we would find and how we would reach the site. We then loaded up and follow the Fenners up the canyon on a rocky but readily negotiable trail and even one of the cars made it right into the first quarry. After getting all the vehicles parked, Barbara Fenner showed us Roadside Geology of Arizona (an excellent reference work) and explained the formation of green, black and red marble that was lying all around us. Bob made a few scrapes with a garden trowel and held up a beautiful specimen of banded agate that fired the enthusiasm of the group. The miners had blasted out the agate vein in mining marble but ignored it and agate pieces were lying all over the ground or just below the surface downstream from the vein. Members easily collected various colors and sizes of marble specimens and many then just sat down and either picked up agates from the ground or by shallow digging, collected numerous agate pieces. Some got almost 30 pounds of agate with a few specimens large enough to slab. Most were smaller and appear that they would tumble very nicely. And most of us have enough to keep our tumblers going for the winter. Some members found specimens with embedded hematite cubes and others collected scaly pieces with dendritic manganese formations.

After a couple of hours most members had all the specimens they desired and even some large yard rocks were collected since the vehicles were close at hand. Many then simply enjoyed the beautiful views of the Little Dragoons and Texas Canyon from our elevated vantage point and visited. Our thanks to Bob and Barbara Fenner for a well planned outing to an excellent collecting site.

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Minutes of the October 10, 2005 Meeting of the Sunsites Gem and Mineral Club

The meeting was brought to order by President Paul McKnight at 7:05 p.m. In the absence of a volunteer to take minutes, the President took notes. Unfortunately these notes did not include a list of attendees.

Two visitors, Ken and Debbie, were introduced by Irma Andrews. Two new members, Richard and Maureen Nitz, introduced themselves.

There were no additions or corrections to the minutes of the September meeting so they stand approved as published.

The Treasurer’s report was given by Larry E.

The balance at the September meeting was $4926.16

Newsletter expenditures: $50.34

Current balance: $4875.82

The Treasurer’s report was approved.

Larry S. reported on the lapidary class and preparation for the Silver class. The Board has given the go-ahead to use approximately $180 from the lapidary budget to purchase supplies for the silver class. It is expected that income from class fees will replenish that money. There are about 8 individuals who have signed up for the class.

The report of the nominating committee was given by Retha. She has chosen Irma and Jeannine as her committee members. She reported that their preliminary work has resulted in 3 selections: Don Hammer for President, Paul McKnight for Vice-President, and Larry Edgett for Treasurer. They are still working on the Secretary and the at-large Board member. Their work is not finalized and input from the members is welcome.

Paul McKnight reported for the Board of Directors:

There was a motion from the Board to add $10 to the Budget for a building use contribution for October, $10 for November, and $40 for December. The motion passed. A jar or hat will be set out at each meeting to offset this expense.

There was a motion from the Board to appoint Don Hammer as acting President for the months of November and December as the President will be out of the country. The motion passed.

The December dinner/party will be Monday, December 5 due to the schedule of the Senior Center. The major organizing for the dinner will take place at the November meeting, but so far Barbara Fenner and Carol Pontious have volunteered to cook Turkeys and Retha will cook a turkey breast. Jeannine Paterson has volunteered to help.

Per the Constitution, the Board has approved all applications for membership received by October 9.

Connie will be contacting the Rocky Mountain Federation of Gem and Mineral Societies for some concrete information about what our insurance covers.

The October field trip will be to the Marble Quarry led by Bob and Barbara Fenner. Meet at the foot of Lizard Lane Sunday, October 23 at 10 a.m.

The November field trip was organized spontaneously during the Board Report. It will be lead by Susan and Richard Bishop. The target area is a Chalcedony and Fire Agate site at Joy Valley near Bowie. Meet at the Willcox Safeway Parking lot Saturday, November 19^th at 8 a.m. We will leave by 8:15.

We whizzed through old business, new business and announcements, adjourning at 7:35

The program consisted of 2 movies on the California 49ers and the Gold Rush, shown by Richard Bishop, who also presented a rock and Arizona-oriented movie trivia quiz.

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Club Calendar

November

14 Regular Meeting – elections for 2006 officers

19 Field Trip Meet at Willcox Safeway 8 am

December

12 Christmas Party – potluck

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Lapidary Classes! Silversmithing Classes!

Lapidary workshop 1-4 pm on Saturdays. Silver Soldering Class Tuesday morning and Thursday evening starting November 10. Contact Larry Strout at 826-3991

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You're probably a practicing rockhound if…

You associate the word "saw" with diamonds instead of "wood".

You begin wondering what a complete set of the Mineralogical Record is worth.

When you find out, you actually consider paying it.

You've fabricated a backpack for your dog.

You've installed more than one mineralogical database program on your computer.

The baggage handlers at the airport know you by name and refuse to help with your luggage.

You receive a letter from the county informing you a landfill permit is required to put anymore rocks on your property.

Your Internet home page has pictures of your rocks.

They won't give you time off from work to attend the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show and you go anyway.

You begin fussing because the light strips you installed on your bookshelves aren't full spectrum.

The polished slab on your bola tie is six inches in diameter.

You find yourself compelled to examine individual rocks in driveway gravel.

You've ever purchased an individual, unfaceted rock, regardless of the price.

You've ever spent more than ten dollars for a book about rocks.

Upcoming Regional Events

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3 the Tucson Gem and Mineral Society (TGMS) presents its second annual Mineral, Fossil, and Craft Sale from 9 am to 4 pm at the TGMS Clubhouse, 3727 E. Blacklidge Dr. (2 blocks south of Ft. Lowell and ½ block east of Dodge.) Free Refreshments! Free Admission! Free giveaways for kids! For those who can’t wait until February and want to do something before Christmas. Call 884-5109 for more information.

List of Club Officers for 2005

President Paul McKnight 520 824-4054 paulmc@vtc.net

Vice-President Curt Kelly

Secretary Don Hammer 520 384-3105 dahammer@vtc.net

Treasurer Larry Edgett

Board Member at large Marie Sherman