VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5 T H E I N F O R M E R DECEMBER 2005 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: MORE ABOUT FEATURED MEMBER RECENT SCENES UPCOMING EVENTS MIDLAND S SHOW 2 3 4 CLASSES 5 FIELDTRIP TO STILLWELL SECRETARY S REPORT PRESIDENT S MESSAGE POINTS OF INTEREST: 6 7 8 Rock Hound of the Year Featured Member Recent Scenes Celebrations ROCK HOUND OF THE YEAR 2005 CARLOS TALLEY When asked about when and how he became interested in rocks, Carlos responded, Growing up in West Texas, I always had rocks around me. I played with rocks and used rocks to kill snakes; rocks have always been a part of my life. Carlos, like so many of our members, found out about our gem and mineral club while talking with a club member at the spring show. He has been a member about 8 years. Carlos has mostly learned the rockhounding hobby by his association with other rock hounds on field trips and in lapidary shop. He has added a few other jewelry making skills along the way, by taking wire wrapping and level 1 and 2 classes of silversmithing. He has been on many field trips including 3 organized field trips to Big Bend area, New Mexico, Alpine once and Don Brenholtz farm several times. Carlos has been to the Big Bend area on his own many times. FEATURED MEMBER Carlos likes to use rocks in many ways, such as landscaping around their home, displays for shows, displays for their home, and in wind chimes. He says, I have had no training in this area at all. Carlos is always volunteering to help with building projects around the shop. When asked about the background that brought him to these talents, he said, Growing up on a farm and ranch, I used a welder and torch as a young person, that is the trouble I have with silversmithing, TOO MUCH TORCH! If you want to give Carlos a pat on the back, well, maybe a slap on the back, he has had a great deal of influence and effort in building the polishing machine for the silversmithing shop, the new additions to our building, installing air conditioner units. Watch out, he wields several precision tools such as an electric drill, hammer and saw. Because of Carlos energy, resourcefulness, influence with tax authorities, and general story telling abilities, he was appointed chairperson for building the new classroom and getting our storeroom moved. He had that job done before anyone could even start to argue about the decision. Carlos is currently president elect for the club. Some of his current projects are to make crosses from rocks and gravel, using rocks for home décor and using different shades of sand for sand art. Carlos does all his own lapidary work as needed. Carlos will be honored at our December meeting with the Rockhound of the Year 2005 award. The following was submitted to the South Central Federation by Jerry Davis through Dee Cable after a consensus of opinion of club members had been reached in favor of his nomination: Carlos Talley is always there for those who need help in our club. He shares his rock collection with anyone that shows an interest in rocks. He is friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable about the lapidary hobby. His smile, unique humor and embellished stories enliven all club events. Classes Working on new room 2005 Road to the Talley property President s Message & Mission Statement Silent Auction Herman s Report Big Bend Thanksgiving 2000
CARLOS TALLEY FEATURED MEMBER CONTINUED. Two of Carlos s favorite things: Ryan and his 1943 Tractor Carlos and Joyce on their own island with their yacht in the background. Looking for rocks on the beach. Carlos found a big rock to sit on at Lake Michigan in 2003. Carlos is building up speed on his not yacht on Talley Lake. Living their Fantasy in 1991. VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5 Page 2
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5 Page 3 RECENT SCENES Zack s projects Zack Stockton (right) receives the level 4 advanced silversmithing certificate from Jerry Davis. Charley gives Thomas and Judith Nicks a tour. Calvin Donaghey teaching his geology 99 1/2 class. Upcoming Events Christmas party Central Texas Gem and Mineral Society The Christmas party will be Dec. 5, at the club house. Be sure and bring a main dish and a dessert, and a gift for each person that attends. The gift needs to be rockrelated. Silent Auction Central Texas Gem and Mineral Society The Silent Auction will be the evening of Dec. 12 (7:30 till 9:00), at the club house. This is a workshop night. To be sold are the surplus items recently moved into the shop area, including arbors, motors, and tumbler parts. In addition to these things, there will be a water pump with a small pressure tank and some 4x4 posts. A beading class will be in progress but it should not be a problem to do both. Fredericksburg Rockhounds 37 th Annual Hill Country Gem and Mineral Show. January 21 and 22, 2006. Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park at the Pioneer Pavilion. Demonstrations will be cabochon-making, bead jewelrymaking and wire wrapping. Outside will be gold-panning, and tail-gating. Hours: Saturday 10am to 6pm and Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Admission and parking are free. Prizes will be awarded. Show chairman Jeff Smith (830) 895-9630. NOTICE Meeting time for January meeting has been moved to 7:00PM.
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5 Page 4 MIDLAND S 43RD ANNUAL SHOW Report by -- Herman Jones, Club Liaison, Midland Gem & Mineral Society. Our show attendance was up by one third over last year. Abilene's Central Texas Gem & Mineral Society contributed greatly to the total success of our show. Those attending from Abilene were Dee Cable, Bob & Helen Patterson, Tony & Judy Steele, and David & Beverly Vargo, Charley and Ann Harrison. David Vargo did stone carving demonstrations at our club demonstration booth where I was making the Venetian glass beads. We also had demonstrations of lapidary, faceting, wire wrapping and chain making at the show. Michael Anderson (left) and Steve DiTullio (right) manning the geode-cutting saws. Michael is shop chairman. Steve is a relatively new member now quite accomplished in some of the lapidary arts. Photos by Sam Stevens. Herman Jones demonstrates the making of Venetian Beads The special guest author was Doris McGookey, a retired elementary school teacher, who has written "Iggie, the Amazing Talking Rock," and "The Rock Family". (Both books are for first through sixth grade readers.) The Permian Basin Petroleum Museum had a booth at the show, promoting their exhibition of the traveling Duval Mineral Collection, which will be here in Midland through December 2005. I also saw it in Abilene during your 2005 show. Our "hats off to Central Texas Gem and Mineral Society for contributing to the success of one of our greatest shows.
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5 Page 5 WIREWRAPPING CLASS TAUGHT BY SALLIE LIGHTFOOT Work by Charley and Ann Harrison CARVING CLASS TAUGHT BY JUDY STEELE Watch for Zack Stockton s story in the next Informer Issue.
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5 Page 6 STILLWELL RANCH AND AREA FIELD TRIP STILLWELL RANCH FIELD TRIP Seven members of the Central Texas Gem and Mineral Society met at an intersection north of the northern entrance to the Big Bend National Park for the club s annual field trip. Tony and Judy Steele arrived first to check out the best roads on the Stillwell Ranch for hunting. JoAn Wilks, Irene Grant, Allen Dutton, Floyd and Nell Gee arrived later. The rock hounds found keepers such as beautiful red agate, yellow agate, green agate, jaspers, petrified wood, quartz, gypsum crystals, picture rock, moonstone, fossils and more. The weather was beautiful. The group was up early and hunted rocks until lunchtime. We went sight-seeing through Black Gap Wildlife Park, Boquillas Canyon and Persimmon Gap in Big Bend National Park. Rock hunting occurred again each evening before dark. Stillwell Ranch had cabins with kitchen cabinets stocked with groceries. They had full RV hook-ups, and a store supplied with ice, gasoline, groceries, a phone, (cell phones didn't have service there) books, and really nice people to talk to. Hallie's Hall of Fame Museum held all of the Stillwell's' early history. The ranch also had many interesting animals and birds to photograph. ---- Judy Pictures from the Big Bend area in Nov. 2000 during a field trip. Shown are Judy and Tony Steele. (Current pictures are not available yet. photos by Jerry) CLUB MEMBERS BRIEF NEWS ITEM The new classes moved right along. Sallie Lightfoot's wire craft class met on Thursday nights with 10 students: Marlene Bilberry, Bobbie Owens, Jack Mitchell, Betty Scarborough, Charles and Ann Harrison, Raymond Gutierrez, Calvin Donaghey, Lonnie Boggs, and Zack Stockton. They learned to make a ring, a cage for small stone, a cab wrapped into a pendant, and other projects before the class ended on November 17. On Monday nights, Judy Steele's carving class met in the new classroom. The students, Floyd Gee, Jack Mitchell, Betty Scarborough, and Zack Stockton did their best to make their selected projects look like they are supposed to look, and that wasn t easy. They were still carving on projects when classes ended Nov 14th. Beading began on Nov 21, and was taught by Allison Rowen from Friendze. Making Spirit Eyes by Betty Scarborough begins on Dec 1. Making Rocksicles by Ann Harrison was to begin on Dec 15 but was canceled due to difficulty finding sources for popsicle molds. If you missed these classes, we will have others after the first of the year. It's fun to learn something new. Let's all give a BIG THANK YOU to the teachers who volunteer their time and talent and make these classes possible. ---- Zack, chairman for organizing classes
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5 Page 7 SECRETARY S REPORT The November meeting was attended by 25 members with 3 visitors. Of the visitors, one joined the club and another said they would be back next week to join. Jerry Davis presented Zack Stockton with a Silversmithing level 4 certificate. Zack had some beautiful pieces to display. The Christmas party will be December 5, 2005 at the club house. Be sure and bring a main dish and a dessert, and a gift for each person that attends. The gift needs to be rock-related. Decorating the club and tables will be November 28, come out and help and have fun. Material and patches are now on hand for club vests, so anyone needing one needs to let Sallie Lightfoot know and she will get them made. If you have used equipment for sale contact Don Brenholtz; he announced that Dennis Wood wants to buy used equipment and has contact number. Calvin Dongahey gave an interesting program on Geology 99 ½. Classes for building Spirit Eyes with Betty Scarborough have changed. They will now be Dec 1, and Dec 15. Don't forget the Christmas party, come out and enjoy the fellowship, food and gift exchange, lots of fun will be had by all. Norma FOR SALE: 1986 ALLEGRO MOTOR HOME CONTACT: CHARLEY HARRISON 325 548-2199 Get Well Soon Bobbie Owens had surgery at Scott and White during November. CELEBRATIONS New Members Wes Netz, Abilene Allen Dutton, Killeen Tammie King BIRTHDAYS Tammie King Dec 5 Judy Steele Dec 8 Bobbie Turnbow Dec 10 Jim Owens Dec 13 Ann Harrison Dec 28 Travis Graves Dec 30 ANNIVERSARIES Martha and Lonnie Boggs Dec 24 Tammie King Dec 17
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5 Page 8 C T G M S PRESIDENT S MESSAGE MISSION STATEMENT PO Box 7343 Abilene, TX 79608-7343 Editor: Jerry Davis Email: jde@txol.net We are on the web: www.txol.net/rockclub CLUB OFFICERS FOR 2005 Did you ever worry about an up-coming event and then have every thing work out OK? That's how my job as president has gone. I was really worried about how to get some problems solved and then even before I took office everything had fallen into place. Thanks everyone!! From the reports I have heard, all of us who did not go on the field trip missed a good time and some good rock hunting. I have been to the Stillwell s several times and always enjoyed it. One thing I neglected to do at the last meeting was to bring up the starting time for the business meetings. All I have spoken to seem to agree that the staring time should be moved from 7:30 to 7:00 in order to have more time for the programs that will follow the business meetings. We will go ahead and start the January meeting at seven. At that time we can discuss it further if need be. The Central Texas Gem and Mineral Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study of rocks, minerals and fossils. We offer field trips and provide educational opportunities and instruction to members in a variety of areas related to the Lapidary Arts and Jewelry making. We also award a scholarship to a student enrolled at a local college in a field closely related to geology. We provide educational displays related to this hobby at shows of a similar interest. - Jerry President.. Don Brenholtz 325 554-7854 Vice President. Charlie Lightfoot 325 692 4642 Sec/Treasurer... Norma Ann Harrison 325 548-2199 Editor. Jerry Davis 254 643-4586 Committees/Chairpersons Show.. Sallie Lightfoot Field Trips Tony Steele Classes Zack Stockton Nominating. Ian Johnson Programs.. Ian Johnson Club House/Workshop.Charley Harrison Dealers for show. Tony Steele Budget Norma Ann Harrison Scholarship JoAn Wilks On Monday night Dec.12 we will have a silent auction. To be sold are the surplus items we recently moved into the shop area. There are some arbors, motors, tumbler parts and other things. In addition to these things, there will be a water pump with a small pressure tank and some 4x4 post. Most of these things have been taking up space in the shed for many years and are not needed by the club. Remember when you bid, all the money goes to the club. Thanks, Don Articles for the Next Month s Newsletter must be submitted by the 20th of each month.