BRECCIA. Santa Clara Valley Gem and Mineral Society All American Club

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BRECCIA All American Club Volume 65 Number 2 February, 2018 President s Message Webmaster Opportunity Our webmaster, R.K. Owen, is retiring and leaving the area later this year.

1 BRECCIA All American Club Volume 65 Number 2 February, 2018 President s Message Webmaster Opportunity Our webmaster, R.K. Owen, is retiring and leaving the area later this year. The sooner we can get a new webmaster, the more time R. K. will have to train him or her. Thank you R. K.! You have done an excellent job. Communication via a good website is critical to our organization. It is our main contact with the general public. I know there is the talent and skills among our membership for this very rewarding position. Who would like to take this on? Please volunteer your wonderful skills. We need you! Thank you. Frank Mullaney-SCVGMS President Festival - Fun for All March 17-18: SAN JOSE, CA Santa Clara Valley Gem & Mineral Society Santa Clara County Fairgrounds 344 Tully Road 10-5 daily Contact: Sonia Dyer, sonia.dyer@sbcglobal.net Website: 1

2 2017 SCVGMS Calendar What s in this issue? February 9-Smithies workshop 11AM to 2 PM at Pat Speece s home. February 13-Cabbers 6 to 9 PM at Victor Gassmann s home. February 17-Cabbers 10 AM to 2 PM at Victor Gassmann s home. February 27-General Meeting Panel Discussion on Quartzite and Tucson, led by Rick Kennedy March 1 - Board Meeting at Frank Mullaney s March 2 - Smithies workshop 11 AM to 2 PM at Pat Speece s home. March 9 - Smithies workshop 11AM to 2 PM at Pat Speece s home. March 15 - Festival setup March Festival March 13 - Cabbers 6 to 9 PM at Victor Gassmann s home. March 27 - General Meeting March 29 - Board Meeting at Dean and Karen Welder s home. Page 1 Page 2 Page 3-4 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8-9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 President s message Festival Advertisement SCVGMS Calendar Changes Gem Festival Update Field Trips CFMS Show Calendar Bragging Rights Show and Tell Smithies Cabbers Sunshine Article on Earthquake Safety General Meeting Minutes Board Meeting Minutes SCVGMS Information Changes in the Jo Borucki- Editor The is changing. You will find, for example that only one page of the CFMS shows are included in the, To get a full listing of shows, go to the CFMS shows website by clicking the following link: CFMS Society/Club Shows While I have included one article from the CFMS bulletin in this, you can access the CFMS bulletin and read all its articles by clicking on the link below: 2

3 2018 GEM FESTIVAL UPDATE by Sonia Dyer Our next Gem Festival (show & sale) will be held March 17 and 18, 2018, 10:00AM to 5:00PM at the Pavilion Building of the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose. The profit the club makes from this one single event provides most of our club funding for the coming year, so EVERYONE in the club needs to pitch in and help, even if you re new. We will have plenty of guidance available for new volunteers. Signup sheets will be available again at the February club meeting, or you can me at The jobs are pretty simple, and direction will be provided: setup, teardown, ticket sales, room monitors (watching for shoplifters, lost kids, etc.), helping in the Hospitality Booth and Scholarship Booth. For every hour you volunteer, you get one chance to win one of three prizes. Folks who put in 25 or more hours are eligible to win another, even nicer prize. If you are interested in helping with setup, we will set up the tables on Thursday morning, so that in the afternoon our setup team can come in and add shims, table skirting, power cords, etc. The vendors/exhibitors will come in with their goodies on the Friday before the show. Security will be provided Friday and Saturday night, as well as during the Festival operating hours. The vendors have received their invitation letters and contracts, and most of the signed contracts have already been returned with their booth fees. We are currently inviting a few more vendors from our waitlist. This year, since we won t be having a special Kid s Area, our Festival brochure that customers will receive with admission, will show areas of the show floor that are designated Kid Friendly, including the Scholarship Booth, Touch Table, exhibits, demonstrators, and certain vendors. Kid Friendly means that gentle touching is allowed. Vendors have to Opt-In to being designated Kid Friendly. We re looking for more club members to fill exhibit cases with their own specimens. The number of people doing that has been declining the last few years. The club has loads of exhibit cases you can borrow for free. Contact Stephen May (Home Phone , Cell Phone ) to sign up. Walt Wright has agreed to return with his fabulous petrified wood collection that was so popular at last year s show. Jim Herbold has lined up several folks to show off their best fluorescent specimens in our popular fluorescent tent. This tent is going to be set up closer to the front door this year. Victor Gassmann and Frank Mullaney have lined up a wonderful assortment of demonstrators. This year we will be awarding $1000 scholarships to the 5 San Jose State geology students who introduced themselves at the January club meeting. One of the requirements to 3

4 receive the scholarship is that they help at the Festival. They will be asked to help at the Scholarship Booth (where the money is raised for their Scholarships), explain to people what they re looking at the Touch Table being set up by Jim and Missy Fox, and identify any rocks brought in by customers. In addition, we will have a separate specialist providing gem IDs again. The following positions remain open for volunteering. If you have questions about what each job entails, please contact Sonia: Volunteer Coordinator of Worker Bees during the Festival Photographer (feeds photos to webmaster and Facebook Page Manager) Teardown Coordinator (mainly oversees that skirting is folded for re-use, club-owned electrical cords are removed, oversees trailer loading (especially trailer #1). We already have someone overseeing teardown of the Scholarship Booth and of the Exhibit Cases. We don t have to take down tables or put away tables and chairs. Fairgrounds personnel take care of that. We have two trailers filled with stuff that gets used during the Festival, or has been used in the past. Trailer #1, which contains the Scholarship Booth stuff, the former Kids Area stuff, and other items is currently in disarray, and needs to be thoroughly cleared out and reorganized. We will be having a Play Day to do this on Saturday March 3 rd at Frank Mullaney s house. Contact Frank for more information. Everyone come help, and it won t take long. We will also be having another Play Day AFTER the Festival, to make rock magnets to sell in the Scholarship Booth at future Festivals. Stay tuned for more information. Festival planning meetings are going to be held every two weeks between now and the Festival. They will be held every other Wednesday at 7pm at Sonia s house. The next meeting is on February 14th. Those holding leadership positions in connection with the Festival are requested to attend. Sonia Dyer, Festival Chairperson, sonia.dyer@sbcglobal.net 2018 Field Trips Stephen May is planning a trip to Topaz Mountain in Utah from on June, 11th 15. Details will be posted in subsequent s. Field Trip Coordinator: Stephen May: Cell: Home:

5 CFMS Club Show Calendar FEBRUARY 2018 February 16-25, INDIO, CA San Gorgonio Mineral & Gem Society Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival Highway daily Contact: Bert Grisham, February 17-18, ANTIOCH, CA Antioch Lapidary Club Contra Costa County Fairgrounds 1201 West 10th Street 10-5 daily Contact: Brenda Miguel, Website: February 24-25, VALLEJO, CA Vallejo Gem & Mineral Society Solano County Fairgrounds, McCormack Hall 900 Fairgrounds Drive 10-5 daily Contact: Dan Wolke, Website: MARCH March 2-11, IMPERIAL, CA Imperial County Gem & Mineral Society California Midwinter Fair & Fiesta 200 East Second Street Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: 12pm - 11pm Monday through Friday: 4pm - 11pm Saturday, Sunday: 12pm - 11pm Contact: John Pyle Jr., Website: March 2-4. NEWARK, CA Mineral & Gem Society of Castro Valley Newark Pavilion 6430 Thornton Ave. Fri & Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 10am-5pm Contact: Cathy Miller, showchair@mgscv.org Website: Bo- March 3-4, ARCADIA, CA Monrovia Rockhounds Los Angeles County Arboretum and tanical Garden 301 Baldwin 9am-4:30pm Daily Contact: Jo Anna Ritchey joannaritchey@gmail.com Website: March 3-4, TORRANCE, CA South Bay Lapidary & Mineral Society Ken Miller Recreation Center 3341 Torrance Road (Enter on Madrone) Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm Contact: Nancy Pekarek, Website: southbaylapidaryandmineralsociety.com March 3-4 VENTURA, CA Ventura County Fairgrounds 10 West Harbor Blvd. Sat 10-5; Sun 10-4 Contact: Diane Cook, info@vgms.org Website: 5

Bragging Rights Chairman-Alan Achor Participation in the January 23rd meeting was excellent with 11 entries.

Show and Tell Members Displays All members are asked to display at least one time per year, but you may display as many times as you like.

There are no displays in December because there is the installation dinner in lieu of our regular meeting. Don t know what to display?

6 Bragging Rights Chairman-Alan Achor Participation in the January 23rd meeting was excellent with 11 entries. Grant Talarico s entry got the most votes with his beautiful thunder eggs. February s theme is items that are orange. Show and Tell Members Displays All members are asked to display at least one time per year, but you may display as many times as you like. There are no displays in May and November because of the Silent Auctions. There are no displays in December because there is the installation dinner in lieu of our regular meeting. Don t know what to display? Any type of rock, mineral, or fossil (identified or not), your latest project, information on a field trip, ideas for a display case, anything to do with rocks is appreciated. Our speaker was Chuck Boblenz who gave us the history and other information about Jade. The talk was enhanced by the Jade items on the Show and Tell table. The Jade bowl carved by Jesus Ruiz, was particularly beautiful. All Bragging Rights Entries George Talarico s Thunder Eggs Items on the Jade Display Table 6

7 Check Out What Our Study Groups Are Doing. Smithies What s a Smithie? A Smithie is someone who creates jewelry using a variety of metals and tools. These are guided workshops, a perfect place for beginners to become comfortable with tools and techniques in a small, friendly atmosphere. No tests; no stress; no contracts. Tools and materials are supplied, but you are free to bring your own. If you would like to be on the Smithie list, or want more information, let me know via . There is a small lab fee. Thanks, Pat pat.speece@comcast.net Cabbers Cabbers With the two club Genies and my slab saw, I can show you how to safely use the equipment to make a cabochon. These are formed rounded and polished stones to incorporate into jewelry. There is a $7 shop fee. Beginners are welcome. WHEN: We meet on the second Tuesday and the third Saturday of the month. Tuesday hours are from 6:00 to 9:00 PM and Saturday hours are from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. WHERE: 2150 Almaden Road, San Jose. This is near Curtner and Almaden Road. CONTACT: You must call to let me know if you are coming. Victor Gassmann 1(408) If you would like to be on my notification list, me. gassmannv3@gmail.com Sunshine Kelly Van Vleck had carpal tunnel surgery on his right wrist. Luckily, he is left handed, but it does slow him down when he is making jewelry. Lifetime member Dick Hultquist died recently. He enjoyed woodworking and volunteering at San Jose History Park. Margo Mosher: margomosher@yahoo.com 7

8 SAFETY: TOOLBOX TALKS FOR THE ROCK AND MINERAL CLUB by Mark Nelson, Safety Committee Chair Note: In order to get my software to present this article in a readable form, I have done some reformatting. No content has been altered. Jo Borucki- Editor In addition to having a written set of safety guidelines we must be able to communicate these to our members in a way that will not overload them. This second in our series of toolbox talks is designed so that a society s president or safety coordinator can take it verbatim and give it to the membership. Alternately, it can be copied from the CFMS website and put on a society s letterhead and distributed or made a part of a series of annual safety talks. Improvements and other suggestions are welcome and should be addressed to me at <mnelsonair@aol.com>. It was just 3 ½ years ago that our president, Jennifer Haley, was caught at the center of the 6.0 Napa Earthquake and shared her experiences in the October, 2014 CFMS Newsletter. We are reminded that whether in California, Nevada or Hawaii, disasters can strike and we can survive easier until help arrives if we take some basic preparedness steps. Toolbox Talk #2 Earthquake Preparedness Stock up now on emergency supplies that can be used after an earthquake. These supplies should include a first aid kit, survival kits for the home, automobile, and workplace, and emergency water and food. Store enough supplies to last at least 3 days. First Aid Kit Store your first aid supplies in slide-lock food storage bags. Store the bags in an easy-tocarry container, such as the Craftsman 13' Ballistic Nylon Tool Bag ($7 at Sears or the combo with an 18" bag for $13). Inspect your kit every January and keep it freshly stocked. NOTE: Important medical information and most prescriptions can be stored in the refrigerator, which also provides excellent protection from fires. Hydrogen peroxide to wash and disinfect wounds Antibiotic ointment Individually wrapped alcohol swabs Aspirin and non-aspirin tablets Prescriptions and any long-term medications an extra 30-day supply (keep these current) Small bar soap Diarrhea medicine Eye drops Dressings Bandage strips Ace bandages Rolled gauze Cotton-tipped swabs Adhesive tape roll First aid book Scissors Tweezers Thermometer Tissues Sunscreen Paper cups Pocket knife Small plastic zipper bags Safety pins Needle and thread Instant cold packs for sprains Sanitary napkins Splinting materials LED flashlight and spare batteries For Home without power, water, cell, land phone or Internet service: Battery-operated LED lantern, extra batteries Gloves (heavy and durable for cleaning up 8

9 debris) 12 inch adjustable wrench for shutting off gas and water Portable radio (consider the crank type), and extra batteries LED flashlight by your bed and in your kit with extra batteries Prescription eyeglasses Fire extinguisher multipurpose, dry chemical type Canned food and water, for you and pets, for 14 days Toilet tissue Cash Duct tape 30 gallons of drinking water Portable camping toilet that fits a 5- gallon paint bucket, and extra liners (this bucket and lid can be a handy container for old towels and garbage bags!) Remove any heavy furniture or anything above your bed or at the head of the bed that, if it falls, can land on you Adhere furniture, televisions, etc., to walls with simple brackets or earthquake hardware. Old towels, paper towels and garbage bags. Expect floors to be slippery with spilled foodstuffs Keep your car keys in one place and always have a 2nd set somewhere else. When cell service is restored, text instead of calling. Text messages can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to get through. For Your Automobile you can t get home due to road conditions Assemble a survival kit for your automobile with the following items. Storing some of these supplies in a small bag with a shoulder strap or backpack will make them more convenient to carry if you need to walk: Foil space blanket Bottled water Change of clothes, walking shoes Coins for telephone calls LED flashlight with fresh batteries Food (nonperishable nutrition bars, trail mix, etc.) Gloves Prescription and sun glasses Local map and compass Battery-operated radio with fresh batteries Small mirror and whistle for signaling for signaling Toilet tissue Paper and pencils Pre-moistened towelettes Prescription medicines Collapsible walking stick Discussion Topics: What other items could be included in these safety preparedness kits? What are your immediate actions and priorities in the first minutes? Discuss the need to consider storing supplies in several locations, including your workplace and other places you regularly spend time. What has been your experience in similar situations? Who is responsible for identifying and notifying family members about injuries and potential fatalities? Identify an out-of-state contact, such as a friend or relative, to notify when they are safe. In some cases it may be easiest to use social media and post a They re OK message to many friends at once. 9

10 General Meeting Minutes January 23rd, 2018 The January meeting of the was called to order at 7:49 pm at the Cabana Club. There were no amendments to the minutes from the November meeting as printed in the. Announcements: None Correspondence: As the Secretary was not present, no correspondence was presented. New Members: 3 new members were announced, but were not present to receive their materials. Board Meeting: A brief Board Meeting will be immediately following the General Meeting. Bragging Rights: There were no bragging rights in November because of the silent auction. Tonight's bragging rights is something made, cut, or polished by you. There were many entries. Alternative Federation Director: Karen Welder has volunteered to fill this position. The vote to accept was unanimous. Festival: Sonia gave a progress report on the Festival. Requested volunteers. She announced the plan to grant entries into a two tiered raffle based upon hours worked at the Festival, which was received with a positive response. The next meeting will be January 31 st at Sonia s house. Business cards are available, and display cases can be signed up for. Sunshine: David Mosher s surgery was successful! He gave a rousing endorsement to everyone to see a hearing specialist to change their lives... for the better. Study Groups Cabbers: : Schedule in the. At Victor Gassmann s home. $7.00 shop fee, please RSVP if you are planning on attending. Always check the for details. Smithies: The Smithies meet the first two Fridays of the month from 11:00AM to 2:00PM. Hospitality: 32 members and 7 guests were in attendance. Field Trips: Stephen May announced the dates and partial itinerary for the Topaz Mountain fieldtrip to Utah, on June, 11th 15 th. The program was a PowerPoint presentation including audio on Jade, presented by Chuck Boblenz. The new sound system worked great. The show was informative and entertaining. Meeting was adjourned at 9:07p.m. Respectfully Submitted, Stephen May SCVGMS Federation Director 10

Reading of the Minutes from the December 7 th board Meeting was postponed. New Members: None Treasurers Report: Audit report was postponed. Bills were presented. A vote was held to pay the bills.

11 Board Meeting Minutes January 23rd, 2018 The January Board meeting of the was called to order at 9:15 pm at the Cabana Club. In attendance were Cal Hansen, Jim Fox, Missy Fox, Stephen May, Jo Borucki, and Alan Achor. Correspondence: As the Secretary was not present, no correspondence was presented. Reading of the Minutes from the December 7 th board Meeting was postponed. New Members: None Treasurers Report: Audit report was postponed. Bills were presented. A vote was held to pay the bills. MSP (Cal Hansen, Jim Fox) Committee reports: Show: Trailer Cleanup will proceed as scheduled. Three expenditures approved via . Geodes, 2019 Festival Business Cards, and Tickets. Field Trips: Stephen May announced the dates and partial itinerary for the Topaz Mountain fieldtrip to Utah, on June, 11th 15 th. Old Business: Trailer Card was procured. Cal Hansen is in process of obtaining a refurbished laptop for ~$ Expect completion by next month. New Business: New web master needed. RK Owens will be moving. A motion to begin reimbursing Michelle Smith for refreshments provided every month. MSP (Jim Fox, Missy Fox). Meeting adjourned, 9:25 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Stephen May SCVGMS Federation Director 11

12 SCVGMS ELECTED OFFICERS President: Frank Mullaney (408) Vice President: Sonia Dyer (408) Secretary: Rick Kennedy (408) Treasurer: Missy Fox (408) Editor: Jo Borucki (408) Federation Director: Stephen May (669) Alternate Fed. Director: Karen Welder (408) Board Members Jim Fox (408) Alan Achor (408) Louis Schuesler (408) Pat Schuesler (408) Cal Hansen (408) Historian: Parliamentarian: Dean Welder (408) Santa Clara Valley Gem and Mineral Society P.O. Box 54, Website: Phone Number (408) Like us on Facebook: santaclaravalleygemandmineralsociety An Invitation This society is pleased to invite guests to attend general meetings, study groups, and field trips. General meetings are normally held the fourth Tuesday of every month at 7:45 PM at 100 Belwood Gateway (the Cabana Club), Los Gatos, CA Belwood Gateway is just south of Blossom Hill Road between Leigh Avenue and Harwood Road. The next General Meeting is on February 27. The Board Meeting is on March 1 at the home of Frank Mullaney. SCVGMS COMMITTEE HEADS Bragging Rights Chair: Alan Achor Donation Receiving Committee Chair: Pat Speece, Missy and Jim Fox Festival Chairman 2018: Sonia Dyer Field Trip Committee Coordinator: Stephen May Founder s Day Picnic Chairman: Founder s Day Raffle: Founder s Day Bingo: Hospitality: Pat and Louis Schuesler Installation Dinner: Rick Kennedy Junior Chairman: OPEN Librarian: OPEN Member Displays: Rick Kennedy PLAC (Public Lands Advisory Committee): OPEN Program: OPEN Refreshments: Michele Smith Silent Auction: Michele Smith Social: Sunshine: Margo Mosher Trailer Custodian: OPEN Trophies: Frank Mullaney Webmaster: RK Owen Our Society s Purpose: The inculcation of a love of rocks and minerals by the furtherance of members' interests in the earth sciences and by education in all facets of related educational activities with the promotion of good fellowship, proper ethics, and conduct. Our Membership Requirements: Attendance at two general meetings within twelve months. This society is a member of the California Federation of Mineralogical Societies (CFMS) and is affiliated with the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS). Dues per year are $5.00 for Junior, $20.00 for an individual, and $30.00 for the household. Our Newsletter, the, is published ten times annually. The deadline for all articles is the Sunday after the general meeting. The editor is Jo Borucki who may be contacted by at joborucki@yahoo.com or by phone at (408) Leave a message if no one picks up the phone. The is proofread by Pat Speece. Exchange bulletins may be sent to Jo Borucki, 1196 Sesame Drive, Sunnyvale, CA Permission to copy is freely granted to American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS) affiliated clubs when proper credit is given. Study Group Leaders For information, please contact the leader listed below. Smithies Pat Speece pat.speece@comcast.net Cabbers Victor Gassmann gassmannv3@gmail.com 12

Volume 65 Number 1 CLUB'S ANNUAL FESTIVAL COMING UP IN MARCH

Volume 65 Number 1 CLUB'S ANNUAL FESTIVAL COMING UP IN MARCH President s Message We need volunteers! While we have filled most of our elected positions for the year, we need your help in some very important ways. Our club can not function without your help. Many