NLoct2010

The Cochise County Rock

Monthly Newsletter of the Sunsites Gem & Mineral Club

http://sites.google.com/site/cochisecountyrock/

The Cochise County Rock

Monthly Newsletter of the Sunsites Gem & Mineral Club

http://sites.google.com/site/cochisecountyrock/

http://picasaweb.google.com/cochisecountyrock/

“Finding and Grinding Rocks in Cochise County since 1967”

October 2010

This issue edited by Paul McKnight

_______________________________________________________________

October Meeting

Our Meeting will be Monday October 11, 2010 at 7 pm at the Sunsites Community Center.

This is one of the two remaining meetings of 2010. The other one is the November meeting, where we elect officers for 2011. In December we have our annual Christmas dinner.

Thanks to Robin Gibbons, Diane Brower and Zoe Schnabel for providing the refreshments for the September meeting!

Nominating Committee for 2011 Officers

Our Nominating Committee of One has made a lot of progress in coming up with a slate of nominations for the election of 2011 Board Members and Leaders which is scheduled for the November meeting. Zoe Schnabel at 520-826-0100 is still open to input either for officers or for the unelected positions that do much of the work to keep the club going. Do you have suggestions or want to volunteer for Social Coordinator, Newsletter Editor, Program Coordinator (to make sure we have interesting programs after our business meetings) or to someone to help organize field trips? Call Zoe.

The current Board is wisely looking into the Constitutional aspects of enlarging our leadership body by adding vice –presidents for activities that are currently handled either by the Board itself, such as arranging the programs for each meeting, and activities currently handled by members who are not part of the formal leadership. These would include activities like field trips and social activities (Picnics, December dinners, meeting refreshments, etc.) We have a lot of talent in the club and it is possible that we may be able to find ways to incorporate more of that talent into the official leadership.

October Field Trip

Our October Field Trip will be to Six Mile Mountain for crazy lace agate. Meet in Pierce at 8:30 near the old store for an 8:45 departure. There are several Gold claims on Six Mile Mountain, but we won’t be looking for Gold. Amethyst outcroppings also occur there.

Advance notice: There is a good possibility that a special December trip will take place on December 4th to the Johnson Mine, so keep your calendar open for that Saturday also.

September Field Trip

Our September trip began near Hardin Cienega in the Mule Creek area on the AZ-New Mexico border. Apache Tears are small chunks of Obsidian that are usually dull on the outside from wear and tear but glassy and shiny on the inside. We walked the forested area there and then drove down to Mule Creek itself where it crosses the highway. Plenty of Tears had been shed by the creek during the Monsoon and were lying there beside the highway waiting for us to pick them up. Bob and Henri took advantage of the location to investigate possibilities for a future Amethyst trip in the area south of the town of Mule Creek.

Lapidary and Silversmith Classes

We have a valuable resource in our lapidary lab, ready for activities and classes, so if you’re interested call Larry Strout at 826-3991.

Club Calendar:

October

11 General Meeting

16 Field Trip

28 Board Meeting

November

8 General Meeting and election

13 Field Trip

December

4 Possible Johnson Mine trip

13 Christmas Party

Interesting Facts:

http://arizona.hometownlocator.com/features/Cultural,class,mine,scfips,04003.cfm lists 88 mines in Cochise County. Your editor has seen other lists that name over 1100.

Club Officers for 2010

President: Paul McKnight 775-434-8395

V-President: Jack Light 520 824-4774

Secretary: Jim Brower

Treasurer: Walter Sigel

Delegate at Large: Glen Wirshing

Hospitality Coord: Zoe Schnabel

Field Trip Coord: Henri vanden Bos

Past President: Don Hammer

Thanks!

Thanks are due to our Hospitality Coordinator Zoe, our Field Trip Coordinator Henri, and our newsletter editor Don Hammer (who is backed up by Paul McKnight during snowbird away season). These are the folks who make club membership rewarding for the rest of us.

Regional Events

Sedona

The Sedona Gem and mineral Club will hold its show on Saturday (10 to 5) and Sunday (10 to 4), October 16th and 17th. Location: Sedona Red Rock High School at the corner of Highway 89A and Upper Red Rock Loop. It will feature hundreds of specimens and art and jewelry pieces to admire and add to your collection. They expect over 35 dealers and many exhibitors and demonstrators. There will be a Kids Corner, raffle prizes, food, refreshments, and the opportunity to visit with many rock hounds from across the state. Their web site is http://www.sedonagemandmineral.org/

Payson

Annual Gem & Mineral Show Hosted by Payson Rimstones Rock Club. Tonto Apache Mazatal Recreation Center, Highway 87, Milepost 251, (1/2 mi. So. of Payson), Payson, AZ. Oct.14-15

Sierra Vista October 9-10, 2010

36th annual show, Huachuca Mineral & Gem Club, Elks Lodge, Wilcox Ave., Sat. 9-6, Sun. 9-4; free admission, live demonstrations, educational displays, dealers, jewelry, gems, fossils, equipment, lapidary supplies; contact Maudie Bailey, PO Box 1596, Sierra Vista, AZ 85636, 520-378-6291

SUNSITES GEM AND MINERAL CLUB

P.O. Box 87

Pearce, AZ 85625