www.cochisecountyrock.org
“Finding and Grinding Rocks in Cochise County, Arizona since 1962”
April 2007
This issue edited by Don Hammer
_________________________________________________________________
Larry Strout has selected a video on “The Making of a Continent – Yellowstone” for our program.
March Field Trip
On Sunday March 18 thirty members (and one new member) assembled in the Gas City, Benson, parking lot and after a few minutes socializing we loaded up and proceeded swiftly south on Highway 90 to the Dry Canyon turnoff. From that point the going was a bit slower due to a rough and rocky road. And unfortunately only a half mile from the site a combination of a small hill, several holes and loose gravel and rocks proved more than Joan’s little Tracker could negotiate. Most of us parked and walked the remaining distance but a few vehicles made it in to the site. Though the day was warm a brisk breeze helped a great deal. Our collecting targets were not nearly as abundant as indicated by Bob Fenner and Don Hammer’s scouting trip. In fact only two pieces of criniods were found on the field trip in exactly the same location Hammer and Fenner found them earlier. But we all got pieces of corals and several other unidentified forms of marine life that fell to the muddy bottom of an ocean many millions of years ago. We thank Bob & Barbara Fenner for locating a unique collecting site for us.
We will go to the Swisshelms for jasper and other interesting rocks. Meet in the parking lot of Mustang Mall (intersection of Highways 190 and 181) at 8:00 am on Saturday April 14 and plan to leave promptly at 8:15 so we can arrive at the site by about 9:15. You won’t need high clearance or a 4WD vehicle. If we have heavy rain, the field trip will be postponed to the next Saturday since we do not want to tear up the rancher’s road. We will be collecting red, yellow & black jasper from piles of broken up jasper left by miners extracting lead deposited in jasper. There is also a large outcrop of jasper that will require heavy rock breaking or extracting tools for the more ambitious. Bring light digging tools, bags or pails, lunch, water, lawn chairs, hats, shade and sunscreen. As a reminder our field trip rules prohibit open toed shoes and short pants or shorts. Wear long trousers and boots. For those interested the 2nd annual Elfrida swap meet and craft show runs from 9 – 2 pm the same day and we will not be far from Elfrida.
Gem and Mineral Club Meeting Minutes
March 12, 2007
President Paul McKnight called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. New members, guest and visitors were introduced.
Paul checked to make sure everyone received a copy of the February minutes. Since everyone had seen them, Don Hammer made the motion to accept the minutes. Ernie seconded the motion, motion carried. Walter then gave the Treasurers report. He reminded us that the new dues policy of dues being paid by this meeting to be considered an active member. Irvin made a motion to accept the report, Carol seconded the motion, motion carried.
Don gave us an update on the upcoming field trip to be held on Sat. We will be heading to Whetstone for fossil rocks. We meet at Gas City in Benson at the truck parking lot at 9 a.m. We will leave at 9:15 a.m. High clearance vehicles will be needed, along with the usual digging tools, buckets, lunch, and chairs. There are samples on the pool table.
Carol reported that it was noted that the next month’s field trip would be the same day as the festival in Elfrida. Don assured us that we would return early as this was going to be “easy picking”. It is also on private land and cannot be on Sunday. We should have time to go to Elfrida from the Rucker Canyon area with plenty of time.
Paul announced that we still need someone to sign up for refreshments for the May meeting. We only have one person for the April, and no one for May. May will be our last meeting until fall. Plans for the summer picnic have been started. After intermission, we will hold the raffle, and our speaker Bill Burton from Tucson will speak. With no other announcements, the meeting adjourned at 7:30p.m.
Respectfully,
Carol Pontious. Secretary
We welcome new members John & Janie Van Beezooyen, Myrl & Lou Kidd, Bernice Phillips, Dolores Vliet, Doug Bundy and Gail Sparrow.
Wanted: Rocks. Bring one or more of your favorite rocks to the meeting to be included in the rock raffle. We thank the Fenners, Blandins, Henri vandenBos, the Edgetts and Paul McKnight for donating rocks for our highly successful raffles.
Anyone with suggestions for speakers or program topics or field trip sites please contact one of the officers.
Please bring your name tags to the meetings and wear them. We will re-institute the procedure of keeping name tags in our locker, bringing them out before each meeting and storing them in the locker after each meeting. We have many new members and we need to facilitate getting to know each other.
Interested in lapidary? We have a 12 noon on Monday and a Saturday afternoon session – call Irvin Pontious – 824-0110. Silver smithing meets at 3 pm Monday – call Don Hammer 384-3105.
April
9 Regular Meeting – Host – Rosita Pontious
14 Field Trip – Swisshelms for jasper and ?
26 Board Meeting
May
14 Regular Meeting – Host – Cindy Weller – Program: Janie Van Bezooyen “Mimbres Apaches”
20 Field Trip
31 Board Meeting
June
16 Picnic
July
Field Trip
August
Field Trip
30 Board Meeting
September
10 Regular Meeting – Host Ilse-Rose Edgett
15 Field Trip
27 Board Meeting
October
8 Regular Meeting
14 Field Trip
November
1 Board Meeting
12 Regular Meeting
17 Field Trip
29 Board Meeting
December
17 Christmas Party
Upcoming Regional Events
April 21-22, 2007 Patagonia Gem & Mineral Show, Stage Stop Inn, 303 W. McKeown Ave. 520.394.0125 or dek1934@msn.com
June 7-10, 2007. Rocky Mountain Federation Annual Convention & Show. Roswell, NM. Hosts: Chaparral Rockhounds. Chairman: Frank Whitney 505.623.3236 Fdw@direcway.com This is a joint convention with the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies and being this close, a real opportunity for us to see what these organizations are all about.
President Paul McKnight 520 824-4054
Vice-President Jack Weller 520-826-0625
Secretary Carol Pontious 520 824-0110
Treasurer Walt Sigel 520-826-1009
Delegate at Large Jack Light 520-384-4774
Hospitality Coordinator Hanni Sigel 520-826-1009
Dues are due. $10 for individual and $20 for family. Please mail your check to Sunsites Gem & Mineral Club, PO Box 87, Pearce, AZ 85625. Members with dues unpaid by March 15 will be dropped from the membership rolls.
By Dick Gillespie
(A long time member of Sunsites Gem & Mineral Club)
Be mannerly and perlite. Look gneiss. To eat pyrite, please use your fork. Don’t let your apatite for things that come in quartz show; she might think it a cinnabar to serve anything stronger than coke. Don’t try to be tufa or as hard as flint. If you must be a wulfenite, go find yourself an amber and don’t gypsum poor fellow out of his precious opal. Willemite but jasper never would. Schist remember, swim on your own worthite or you will zinc. Follow these hints and you can take your pick and win a lot of praise; but don’t take too much for granite not jet. Augite, so it does take a lot of brass, just remember, they stilbite.