september 2009 afms newsletter
TRANSCRIPT
Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage
PAIDBurley, ID 83318
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It is AFMS policy that its name and logos may not be used for commercial purposes.
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American Federation of Mineralogical Societies Serving Seven Regional Federations
Volume 62, Number 8 – September, 2009<www.amfed.org>
AFMS NewsletterCarolyn Weinberger, EditorPO Box 302Glyndon, MD 21071-0302
Also In this Issue Mega Thanks to the Billings Gem & Mineral Club
For being such Wonderful hosts!
Imagine.... ...160 displays - 60 of them entered in competition. ...akidscornercompletewitharaffle,spin-a-wheelandinteractivemineral identificationgame. ...scadsofdealersfeaturingjewelry,minerals,"oldthings(fossils)",lapidaryequipment,findings,tools and lots and lots of cutting rough. ...an active silent auction with a large variety of interesting things to bid on ...a very active demonstration area featuring suchcraftsasfiligree,wirewrapping,concaveand regular faceting, silversmithing, and fossilpreparation. ...lotsoffriendly,involvedmembersoftheBillings Gem and Mineral Club. ...a faceted stone auction that raised about $10,000fortheAFMSScholarshipFoundation. ...abanquetattendedbyabout250peoplethat featured excellent food! ...reasonablyshortAFMSandNFMSmeet-ings held in comfortable surroundings. ...excellentfieldtrips. ...thefamousRockFoodTable. ...thefirstevershowingofamoonrockinMontana. ...anattendanceofover3,000people. HadyouattendedtheNFMS/AFMSconven-tioninBillings,MTthisJuly-August,youwouldhave
experienced all of the above and much more. What a wonderful week everyone had.
Many,many thanksmust be extended to Doug and JeannetteTruewhoseemedto
be everywhere and doing everything. Many of the visitors fromAFMScommentedonhowseemlesseverything went. Other members of the Billings club handled the various other tasks - hosting the various mealfunctions,handlingtheseminarsandtalks,set-tingupanddismantlingshowcases,coveringdealertables,runningwiresetc.Itwasapleasuretoseeandmeetsuchwonderfulandhappypeople.Allofyoucanbevery,veryproudofajobwelldone.
IfyoumissedtheshowinBillings,youcanstillown a piece of the fun. Doug has produced a show poster which you can still purchase and have mailed toyou. Theposter,picturedabove is$9($5+$4postage). You can obtain it by contacting Doug at: Opening the show
Billings Gem & Mineral Club2622Broadwater
Billings,MT59102
Checks should be payable to the Billings Gem & Mineral Club.
We truly thank the mem-bers of the Billings club for being such wonderful hosts.
FromthePresident ..................................................... 2Uniform Rules Meeting .............................................. 2Ted'sSafetyCorner .................................................... 3Club Rockhounds of Year .......................................... 4Richard Glismann ........................................................ 4JuniorActivities ............................................................ 4Words of Caution ....................................................... 5Upcoming Regional Conventions ............................ 5QuickTipsforEditors ................................................ 6Web Master Contest Report ................................... 6Web Master Contest Results ................................... 7AllAmericanAwardWinners ................................... 8EndowmentFundDrawingResults ......................... 8WinningArticlesBooklets ........................................ 8EditorsContestResults ............................................. 9AFMSRecognitionAwards ......................................14CompetitiveExhibitTrophies .................................14AFMSCommittees ...................................................15A.L.A.A. ........................................................................ 16AFMSCodeofEthics ............................................... 16
Address Seervice Requested
The AFMS
Proudly ServingSeven Regional
Federations
Officers:
Page 2 AFMS Newsletter -September, 2009
PresidentJoy Bourne
President-ElectEmerson Tucker
1st Vice PresidentBob Miller
2nd Vice PresidentLauren Williams
3rd Vice PresidentAnn Monroe
4th Vice PresidentRichard Jaeger
5th Vice PresidentColleen McGann
SecretaryAnne Cook
TreasurerPat LaRue
NewFriendsAreSilver,buttheOthersAreGold!” ThisoldroundwassungaroundmanyaGirlScoutcampfirewhenIwasmuchyounger,anditjustpoppedbackintomindasIwaspreparingthis message to my Rockhound friends.
Bythetimeyoureadthis,the2009AnnualMeetingandConventionwillbehistory.IwanttothanktheBillingsGem&MineralClub,theNorthwestFederation,thevariousmembersinvolvedinputtingontheconventionandespeciallyDougTrue,conventionchair,forhostingsuchawonderfulevent.Weweretreatedtooutstandingspeakers,wonderfulslideprograms,excitingcompetitiveandnon-competitivedisplaysandthewarmhospitalitythatMontanahastooffer.Mytravelingcompanionandgoodfriend,SueMacinnisandIwereespeciallypleasedtomeetsomanyofyouandmakelotsofnewrockhoundfriendsduringourtime together. NowI’mlookingforwardtonextyear’sAFMSshowinCaliforniaandthenthefollowingyearinSyracuse.It’sgratifyingtoseeclubsofferingtohosttheseshows.IknowthereisacertainreluctanceamongmemberswhenthequestionofhostingaregionalorAFMSshowarises.Yes,itinvolvesworkandexpenseoverandabovetheeffortofproducingthenormalannualshow,butwithpropermanagementandplanningitcanbedonewithoutlosingmoney.Ihaveseenshowsheldinagreatvarietyofplaces,fromfancyconventionhallstofairgroundsbuildings(whichoftenworkoutquitewell),evenalocalhighschool!Themostimportantitemsarethewilltogetthejobsdoneand,ofcourse,enoughwillingmemberstodothework.
Youwillfind,atthepost-mortemevaluationofyourShowcommittee,thatitwasreallyagreatexperi-encetohavemadesomanynewfriendstoaddtoyourlistof“old”friends.Youwillbeenrichedwithbothsilverandgold-how'sthatformakingaRockhound'sDay?
Joy
"Make New Friends, but Keep the Oldby Joy Bourne, AFMS President
Uniform Rules Committee Newsby Barbara Jacobsen, URC Chair
AttheannualmeetingoftheUniformRulesCommittee,aproposalfortheestablishmentofanewDivi-sionforBeadingandBeadwork,DivisionI,wasconsideredandadopted.SeveralproposalsregardingCC-7,CreativeCabochons,werealsoconsidered. TheURCCommitteedecidedtodeletethecreativeclassdefinitionandchangetheModerndefinitionto"ModernandCreative",thusallowingtheminallclassesthatallow the Modern cabochons.
ProposedchangestoS-I-P-II-2-2009wereadopted,includingthetimingofregionalsubmissionsofpro-posals for changes to the Uniform Rules and the providing of such changes and an agenda to URC members. TheCommitteealsoapprovedaproposalforrewritingandcombininbofthefirstandsecondsectionsof
the Uniform Rules to reduce repitition and confusion aboutregionalandAFMScompetition.
TheCommittee examined editorial revisions to theAFMSReference List for Fossils. TheAFMSMineralCompetition Listwas discussed and its scoringwasclarified.Finally,severalchangestotheAFMSMineralClassificationListwereapproved.
AllchangeswillbeavailableandtakeeffectasofJanuary1,2010.
Members of the Uniform Rules Committeefront: Josie Middleton, Barbara Jacobsen, Barbara Sky,
Anne Cook, Betty JamesBack Row: Bob & Kathy Miller, Joe Slouber,
Tom Burchard, Jay Bowman, Dee Holland, Bob Carlson
AFMS Newsletter -September, 2009 Page 3
Purpose of the AFMS: To promote popular interest and education in the various Earth Sciences, and in particular
the subjects of Geology, Mineralogy, Paleontol-ogy, Lapidary and other related subjects, and to
sponsor and provide means of coordinating the work and efforts of all persons and groups interested therein; to sponsor and encourage
the formation and international development of Societies and Regional Federations and by and through such means to strive toward greater
international good will and fellowship.
The A.F.M.S. Newsletter is published monthly except January,
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Any communication concerning the content or format of the Newsletter should be
sent to the Editor:Carolyn Weinberger
PO Box 302Glyndon, MD 21071-0302
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Radioactivity and You
ItaughtmilitarystudentsaboutnuclearweaponeffectsanddefenseagainstsameformytwoyearsUSArmyactivedutyservicemanymoonsago.Myfeelingat the time was that few outside the nuclear physics or health physics world had anymeaningfulunderstandingofthistopic.Ifearthatthegeneralknowledgehasnot improved much since then.
Whentheterm‘radioactivity’isusedingeneralconversation,IfeelmostthoughtsfocusonThreeMileIslandandChernobyl.Iknowscoresofpeoplewhowouldtakeawidebertharoundanoperatingnuclearpower plant (out of safety concerns) rather than take one of the fascinating tours some of them offer.
Radioactivityandfluorescencearesomewhatrelated,inthatneithercanbedetectedbyanyofthefivesenses;specificelectronicdevicesarenecessarytoknowtheirexistence.However,fluorescencecan’thurtyou,whileradiationcanbeahazard.
Therearethreetypesofradioactivitythatmaybeemittedbytheunstablenucleiofcertainminerals.BorrowingontheGreekalphabet,theyare:
•Alpha:structurallyaheliumnucleus.Thisformofradiationhasverylowpenetratingpower(canbestoppedbyasheetofpaper),thusisnohazardoutsidethebody.Internally,however,itposesariskifanalphaemitter would be inhaled or ingested. •Beta:structurally,astreamofelectrons.Betahassomepenetratingpower,thoughcanbestoppedbyathinpieceofaluminum.Itismoreofanexternalhazardthanalpha–prolongedskincontactwillproduceasunburn-likeeffect.Internally,it’soflowerhazardthanalpha,buteatingisnotadvised. •Gamma:essentiallysimilartoX-rays.These,dependingonenergylevel,havegreatpenetratingpower,andcanbestoppedonlywithgenerousamountsofhigh-densitymaterialssuchasLead.Theymaypassthroughthebodywithoutdoingdamage,ormaychipelectronsoffatomsandcausegreatdamageiftheenergyishigh and the exposure time is long.
Howmayoneidentifysuchspeciesintheircollection?Tostart,someofthemorecommonradioactivemineralsare:Uraninite,Torbernite,Autunite,andGummite–alluraniumcontainingspecies.Todetectthem,aGeigercounter(militaryRadiacinstrument)isneeded.eBaylistsquiteafewdevicesinthe$20-$60range,mostareCivilDefenseitems.ManyofthemmeasureGammadoserateanddetectBeta,suchastheCDV700deviceusedbyCivilDefense.Alphadetectorsareunusual,andhardertofind.IfyouhavealocalCDunit,theymaybewillingtolendyouadevice.Inanyevent,youneedoneusedforpersonnelmonitoring(lowerdose rate) rather than one for survey.
So,youdeterminedpartofyourcollectionisradioactive…whattodo.Commonsensetakesover.Don’teat,drink,orsmokewhilehandlingthesematerials.Washyourhandsafterhandling.Storethemfurtherawayfromyourlivingareas(doseratedecreaseswiththesquareofthedistance).Avoidmechanicalprocesseswhichmayputfinedebrisintheair.ConsiderthatLead-linedboxforfairlystrongGammaemitters(butnotfor Beta).
Likemanyotherhazardsinlife,onecangenerallycontrolthemwithknowledge.Handledsafely,you’llgetmoreradiationinaCTscan,fromnormalbackground(alwayspresent)radiation–cosmicraysandnaturallyoccurringradioactives,andfromtheradioactivePotassium40presentinyourownbodiesthanyouwillfromyour mineral collection.
FreesafetyP.S.:TheUSDeptofH&HSoffersahouseholdproductsafetysite,whichmaybereachedathttp://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/index.htm.Thissiteincludesmanyspecificallynamedcommercialproductscommonlyfoundaroundthehomeanddiscussestopicssuchashealtheffects,symptomsofexpo-sure,firstaid,physiciannotes,andmanyothers.
Additionalinformationmaybefoundat<www.hedegaard.com/Minerals/Groups/Radioactives.html>.Thislinkisfairlywellwrittenandmaybeincludedforthosewhowishtodoadditionalreading:
[I’veenjoyedsharingsafetythoughtswithAFMSpeopleoverthispastyear;hopefully,youfoundthesearticlesdifferent,interesting,andinformative.-TJR]
Ted's Safety Cornerby Ted Reith, AFMS Safety Chair
Page 4 AFMS Newsletter -September, 2009
Richard "Dick" GlismannJanuary 12, 1930 – July 12, 2009
DickGlismann,apastpresidentoftheNorthwestFederationandGoldenSpikeGem&MineralSocietypassedawaythispastJuly.afterashortbattlewithcancer.Atthetimeofhisdeathhewas79yearsold.
Aretiredtoolmaker,Dickspentover50years inthehobby. Dickdidn'tjustjoinaclubtobeamember,hejoinedtoparticipate!Hejoinedthe IntermountainFacetersGuild andbecameoneof it's famed "DareDevil"faceters.DickalsowasamemberoftheGoldenSpikeGem&MineralSocietyandtheRockArtisansofUtahandinadditiontoholdingnumerousofficesandchairmanships,heultimatelywaselectedpresidentofeachofthegroups.ThisofcourseledtohiselectionaspresidentoftheNorthwestFederationin1996.Healsoservedas5thand4thRegionalVicePresidentfortheAFMSin1999and2000.
DicklikedtoshowoffhisfacetedstonesatshowsacrosstheNorthwestandoccasionallyatAFMSConventions.ThisledhimtobecomeinterestedincompetitionandinworkingontheUniformRules.HeservedontheURCcommitteeforthreeyears,ultimatelybecomingitschairman.
Many people outside theNorthwest knewDick and hiswife Bonnie fromAFMS conventionsthroughouttheUnitedStates.Itwasrareforthemtomissattendingwhethertheconventionwasontheeastorwestcoast....orsomewhereinbetween.HeandBonniewouldalwaysattendtheTucsonshowseachFebruaryandDickcouldbeseenpurchasinggoldmountingsforthevariousfacetedstonesthattheDareDevilgroupauctionedoffeachyearateithertheNorthwestorAFMSConventiontobenefittheAFMSScholarshipFoundation.
DickissurvivedbyhiswifeBonnie(formerAFMSClubRockhoundoftheYearchair),asonanddaughter and four grandchildren. He is also survived by two brothers and a sister.
ThosewishingtomaymakecontributionsinDick'smemorytotheAFMSScholarshipFoundation% of your local federation coordinator.
Carolyn Weinberger
The50StateChallengeRevisited
Oneyearago,Iposedthequestion:Whatdothefollowing stateshave incommon? Alaska,Arkansas,
Delaware,Georgia,Hawaii,Idaho,Illinois,Iowa,Louisi-ana,Massachusetts,Minne-sota,Mississippi,Montana,Nebraska,NewHamp-shire,New Jersey,NorthCarolina,NorthDakota,Rhode Island, SouthDa-kota,Utah,Vermont,WestVirginia,andWyoming.
Answer: Not a singleclubfromthose24stateshadenrolledevenasinglechild intotheAFMSFutureRockhoundsofAmericaprogramwhileI’vebeenoverseeingitthesepastseveralyears.Thus,Iissued“The50StateChallenge”toseekidsallacrossAmerica,ineachandeverystate,wearinganAFMSFRAMembershipbadge.Iaskedthatifyouresided in one of those states and if you had even a single childinyourclub,pleasecontactme(805-659-3577,[email protected]),sowecouldsignthemupandsendthatchildanFRAMembershipbadge.
I’mverypleased tonoteandwelcome the fol-
Having Fun: Junior Activitiesby Jim Brace-Thompson, Jr. Activities Chair
lowingstatesintothefold:Alaska,Idaho,Illinois,andUtah.That’sbetter—butwestillhave20statestogotoachieveourgoalofanFRA-affiliatedgroupofkidsineachandeveryoneofourglorious50states.Here’smylogic:I’mprettysuretherearerocksineachofthose20remainingstates,andI’venoticedwherevertherearerocks,therearerockhounds.Andthroughourclubsandsocieties,rockhoundsoftenmeetotherrockhounds.Undertherightcircumstances,pebblepupsresult.Ergo,I’mprettysuretherearepebblepupsineachofthoseremaining20states,andwouldn’t itbegreattogivethemaFutureRockhoundsofAmericabadge?!
Asofthiswriting,nationwidewenowhave79clubswithanFRAaffiliation,with1,558Membershippatchesdistributed,2,636activitybadgesawarded,and93kidswho have earned at least 6 of the activity badges and thushaveearnedtheirRockhoundbadge,symbolicallygraduatingfrompebblepupsor“future”rockhoundstotrue-blue,full-blownrockhounds.TheAFMSFRAprogram is intended to cultivate interest within the next generation of rockhounds by giving them a sense ofbelonging,bothwithintheirindividualclubandwithintheirbroader federation,with the long-termgoalofsustainingourhobbywellintothefuture.Sohere’stospreadingtheword,spreadingtheFRAprogramintoeachandeverystate,andspreadingthefun!
AFMS Club Rockhounds of the Yearfrom Loretta Ogden, AFMS Chair
Eastern Federation
TheGem,Lapidary&MineralSo-cietyofMontgomeryCounty,MDis proud to recognizeHeather
Felsen asourRockhoundoftheYear.Shedoesanexcellentjobchairingourannualshow,managingamultitudeofdetails:venue,dealercontracts,floorplan,andmore.Fewissuesrequirefirefightingattheshow,duetoHeather’sexcellentplanning.HeatherenlistsSocietyvolunteerstopresentawiderangeofactivities,educationaldisplays,andexhibitsatourshow. Her leadership shines and she gets results alwaysremainingcalm,cool,andcollected!
submitted by Mark Dahlman, president
Midwest Federation Iwouldliketonominateaverydeserving member as Rockhound of theYear –Tom Dilworth.A
memberoftheBruknerGem&MineralClub,TomistheShowChairmanandhasbeenthatformanyyears.Hehasheldtheofficesofpresidentandvicepresident for the club.He took faceting lessons,wirewrapping,andcabochons.Heisnotonlyahardworker but is very active in all aspects of the club.
submitted by Yvonne Owen, president
Northwest Federation TheMt.HoodRockClub(Or-egon) is proud to nominate Lamar
and Merlia Tilgner for Rockhounds of the year 2009.Memberssince1972,theyhavetaughthun-dredstheartsofCabbing,Silversmithing,Beading,Wire-wrapping,Displaying, Judging, Earrings, BeadKnotting,andHigh-speedSanding. LamarwasthefirstPresidentofthePortlandRegionalGem&MineralShowAssociationandcre-atedtheNorthwestRockhoundRetreat.HealsonegotiatedadisplaycaseforourclubintheNorth-west Rice Museum of Rocks and Minerals. Merlia sews400grabbagseachyearandhasbeenhelpingwithMembershipforover20years.Togethertheyare invaluable to our club.
submitted by Stephen Petkovsek, President
It'seasytorecognizeamember(orcouple)fromyour club!
Just tell us in about 75-100wordswhy yourclubhonoreesovaluabletoyourgroup.EachAFMSaffiliated clubmay submit information about onemember (or couple) per year and have it published in this newsletter.
SendyourinformationtoyourregionalACROYchairpersonor,ifyourfederationdoesnothaveone,directlytome.Thenwatchthisspace!
AFMS Newsletter -September, 2009 Page 5
Words of Cautionby John Wright, RPG, AFMS Conservation & Legislation Chair
for recreational activities like rockhounding.)This“Act” is going to affectboth“public and pri-vate” lands.Notonlyisthisgoingtolimitalotofdesirablematerials,itisalsogoingtolimitalotofprimeareasforoutings.Thebillisoutofcommitteeand on a fast tract for passage this fall. By the time you read this article it will probably be too late for contactingyourRepresentatives,butwestillhaveanopportunitytowriteourSenatorsandstopthisinsane legislation.
2. Clean Water Restoration Act (S787) (Wetlands). ThisbillisstillincommitteeasIwritethisarticle,butrememberI’mworkingalittlemorethanamonthin advance and it may well be on fast tract for passage bythetimeyoureadthisNewsletter.Inmyopinionthis bill is one of the largest power-based and mas-sivelandgrabsindecades.Thesheerscopeofthisproposed legislation ismindboggling. Every bodyofwaterfromlittlestreamstotheGreatLakesandboundary lands “public and private” are going to be placed under government control. Millions of acres considered to be seepage areas that replenish subsurfaceaquifersaregoingtobeseverelyrestricted.“Wetlands” are going to be significantly expandedto include massive areas considered marginal under previous criteria. Evenmountain, high plains, anddesert runoff areas are going to be controlled and protected.ThefewthingsI’vementionedherearejust the tip of the iceberg so to speak.
Inthepastsixmonthsseveralimportantpiecesof legislation were bundled into a couple of major packages and passed by Congress that is going to haveadrasticimpactonourhobby.Thereseemstobe a lot of apathy and lack of interest on the part of ourmembershipaboutlegislativematters,butthemain problem is that our members are just not well informed.Pendinglegislativemattersthatcould adversely affect recreational activities on public owned lands have been covered by articles in the AFMSNewsletterformanyyears.Thenewslettersareavailableonlineandcopiesaresenttoofficersineverymembersocietyandareafederation,butthatis where the information seems to stop. Most of our membershaveneverseenanAFMSNewsletterortheirFederation’sBulletinsandimportantpendinglegislative matters are seldom mentioned at meetings or published in bulletins.
Thereiscurrentlymorelegislationpendingthatcould affect our hobby and their sponsors are work-inghardtobringthemtotheflooroftheHouseandontotheSenateforavotepriortothe2010mid-termelectioncycle.TherearethreeinparticularthatIthinkweneedtobeawareof:
1. Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009. This isamassivebill (justthesummary isa100 pages) that is going to be devastating to many rural areas and small communities that depend on mining for their livelihood. Most of the problems for activities like rockhounding are going to be the resultofcollateraldamage.(Thismeanswearego-ingtogetzappedeventhoughthebilldoesprovide
3. Antiquities Act of 1906: Ma-jor Acts of Con-gress and Act 58 of 1967. Efforttoup-datethis law is in the very early stages of com-mitteework.Thissit-uation could change quicklyasithasalotof bi-partisan support. Don’t pick up anyarrowheads,potteryshards,oranythingelsethatlooksoldandmanmade,particularlyonanystateorfederallands.Ifthislawisup-dated,itwillmorethan likely include private property also.
Therewasnotmucheffortmadebyourmem-bers to stop the recently passed legislation and while there seems to be some growing concern, thereprobably will not be much opposition to the pend-ing legislation on our part in the near future unless therearesomedramaticchanges.Alotofefforttoresearch and glean the information needed by our membersisbeingdoneatalllevelswithinAFMSandALAA,butifthisinformationisnotpassedontothemembership,wewillnevergetthegrass-rootsup-portneededtopromote,change,ordefeatlegislativematters that affect our hobby.
CaliforniaFederation
Eastern Federation
MidwestFederation
NorthwestFederation
Rocky MountainFederation
South CentralFederation
SoutheastFederation
2009April 17-19San Jose, CA
Oct. 17-18Bristol, CT
May 16-17Berea, OH
AFMSJuly 30 - Aug. 2
Billings MTOct. 2 - 3
Roswell, NMOct. 10-11Temple, TX
Sept. 18 – 19Jacksonville, FL
2010 AFMSJune 18–20La Habre, CA
March 6–7Newark, DE
Nov. 13 - 14DeRidder, LA
2011 AFMSJuly 7–10
Syracuse, NY
Upcoming Regional Federation Conventionsfrom Bob Livingston, Show Coordinator
HereisalistingoftheupcomingRegionalFederationConventions.Pleaseremembertoinformmeonceyourfederationselectsitsdatesothatwecanavoidconflicts.YouwillnoticethattheAFMSmeetingsfor2010and2011havealreadybeenscheduled.andthesedates therefore should be avoided when scheduling your own federation convention.
High bidder in the "Dr Bob" scholarship foundation auction.
Page 6 AFMS Newsletter -September, 2009
Quick Tips for Editorsby Linda Jaeger, Bulletin Editors Advisory Chair
If you have a question (or sugges-tion) about editing or writing or the bulletin contest or something related, send it to me by email: <[email protected]> or at home address: 3515 E. 88th St., Tulsa, OK 74137. If I cannot find an answer to your question, we’ll publish the question and ask the read-ers for their answers.
Congratulations to all ourwinningeditors,authors,andwebmasters!Lookforthelistofwinners elsewhere in this edition of the AFMS Newsletter.Thentakea little breath and start looking at entries for the next contest.
Remember that you can find sample score sheets onlineattheAFMSwebsite,<www.amfed.org>,as well as good information on editing a newslet-ter.
WHICH or THAT – How do you know? As I read judges comments on this year’sentries in the articles and features categories,I noticed several comments about using” that”insteadof“which”andviceversa.So how do you know when to use each one?
Let’slookatacoupleofexamples: 1 - “We found limestone and sand-stone, which are sedimentary rocks.” Thephrase“which are sedimentary rocks”de-scribes all limestone and allsandstone.Inotherwords,limestoneandsandstonearemembersofa group called sedimentary rocks. When nouns that are members of a group are being described bynamingthegroup,weuseaphrasebeginningwith“which.”
Ifweleftthe“which”phraseoutofthesen-tence,itwouldnotchangethemeaningofwhatitwaswefound.The“which”phrasejustgivesextra information about all sandstone and all limestone (they are sedimentary rocks) – thisinformation could even go in parentheses.
2–“We found a geode that was filled with amethyst crystals.” In this example,notice we cannot say that all geodes have am-ethystcrystals.Inotherwords,notallgeodesaremembers of the group that has amethyst crystals. Only some geodes have amethyst crystals. When the descriptive phrase is a group that contains only someofthenounsbeingmodified,weusea“that”phraseandnocomma.
Considerthequestion,”which one (of the noun beingmodified)?” If the answer is“that one (referring to themodifier phrase),” thenusea“that”phrase.Iftheanswerdoesnotmakesense,it’stimetousea“which”phrase.
Okay. Test yourself with these sen-tences: A.WehavesapphiresthatcamefromHelena,
Montana. B.Wehavesapphires,whichcamefromHelenaMontana. C. Oklahoma is one of the states that has dinosaur remains. D.Oklahomaisoneofthestates,whichhasdinosaur remains.
E.OurclubbelongstotheRMFMSthatisaregionalfederationoftheAFMS. F.OurclubbelongstotheRMFMS,whichisaregionalfederationoftheAFMS.
G.A collection of petrified wood that hasabsorbed iron during petrifaction is inside the front door. H.Acollectionofpetrifiedwood,whichhasabsorbed iron during petrifaction, is inside thefront door.
How’d you do? A.yes – only some sapphires come fromHelena,Montana;which sapphires? – the ones from Helena B. no – to use“which,” all sapphiresmustcomefromHelena,Montana
C. yes – only some states have dinosaurremains; which states? – the ones with dinosaur remains D. no--touse“which,”allstatesmusthavedinosaur remains
E.no–touse“that,”onlysomeoftheRM-FMScanbearegionalfederationofAFMS;which RMFMS? – this sounds like there is more than one RMFMS and does not make sense! F.yes–allofRMFMSbelongstoaregionalfederationofAFMS
G. yes–onlysomepetrifiedwoodhasab-sorbed iron during petrifaction; which petrified wood? -- the wood that absorbed iron H. no – to use“which,” all petrifiedwoodmust have absorbed iron during petrifaction
References: Lica,Lorraine,PhD.“TheDistinctionBetween‘Which’and‘That’.”The Distinction Between “Which” and “That” with Diagrams Especially for Scientists.Lor-raineLica.25May2009.<home.earthlink.net/~lica/wichthat.htm>.
Stewart, Jennifer.“UsingWhich and that.”Write101.com.JenniferStewart.9February2001.25May2009.<www.write101.com/W.Tips115.htm>.
Well,it’salloverexceptfortheshouting—andthere definitelywill besome shouting going on in the upcoming months. All theregional federa-tion contestants have had the Web sites of theircontestantsjudged,and the results have been returned to the Webmaster Contest Committee Chairpersons for eachregionalfederation.Threeofthesevenfedera-tionshavealreadyheldtheir2009annualshows—California Federation, Midwest Federation, andNorthwestFederation—andtheCFMS,MWF,andNFMScertificateshavebeenpresentedalongwiththe and 1stand2ndplaceanimatedGIFs(imageswitha moving part) that are to be placed on the top two regionalWebsitesasasymbolofthequalityofthesite.TheSFMSshowistentativelysetforSeptember18–19,andtheRMFMS,SCFMS,andEFMLSshowsareallscheduledforOctober,sotheresultsoftheircontests will be announced then.
TheNFMS/AFMSshowwasJuly31–August2inBillings,Montana.Thesevenregionalfederationfirst-placeWebsiteswerejudgedbyWesLingerfeltandBobKeller(ofBob’sRockShopfame),andtheAFMSresults were announced at the Breakfast with the EditorsandWebmastersonSunday,August2.TheAFMSfirst-placewinnerreceivedaplaque,andthetopthreeplacesreceivedanimatedGIFsforinclu-sionontheirWebsites—asymbolofexcellence.Allentrantsreceivedcertificatesfortheirachievement.TheAFMSWebmasterContestwinnersarelistedon the next page of this newsletter.
TheAFMSannualmeetingwasheldJuly29dur-ingtheAFMS/NFMSShowandConvention.Anamechange for the Webmasters contest was proposed to the attendees.
Everyone involvedwith theAFMS2009Web-masters Contest has been very pleased with the enthusiastic response the new contest received in spite of its sudden and unexpected appearance into thecontestworldduringthefinalmonthsof2008.Atotalof46Websiteswereenteredintothecontest.California had the highest number of entries with 12,andtherestofthefederationshadfourtoeightentries. I expect thateach federationwill receivemoreentriesforthe2010contest.
TheContestCommitteeMembersandallthejudgeshavethoroughlyreviewedthe2009contestScore Sheet, theGuidelines for a goodWeb site,andtheEntryForm.Thecontestfor2010willbeevenbetterthanthecontestfor2009.Thegoalofthe contest is for every club to have a Web site that makes viewers want to learn more about the club and about rockhounding, provides clubmemberswithcurrentclubactivityinformation,andgetsnewmembers for the club.
AFMS Webmasters Contest Report by Phyllis George, Ad Hoc Webmasters Contest Chair
continued on page 7
AFMS Newsletter -September, 2009 Page 7
AFMS 2009 Webmaster Contest Reportcontinued from page 6
Forty-fivewebsiteswereenteredinourfirsteverAFMSWebmasterContest.ThesewerefirstjudgedattheregionallevelwiththebestthenforwardedtoourtwocrackAFMSjudges-WesLingerfeltandBobKeller-forre-evaluation.Basedonthecommentsofallthejudges,wewillbemakingafewrevisionstothescoresheetfor2010,andyourAFMSBoardofDirectorshasjustapprovedrenamingthecontestthe"Website"sincejudgesaren'tlookingatthewebmaster,butratherthecontentofthewebsite.
Herearetheresultsofthe2009competition.Congratulationstoallwhoentered.
Region Webmaster Club Club Location Website1 CFMS TerryYoschak RosevilleRockRollersGem&MineralSociety Roseville,Ca www.rockrollers.com2 SFMS Mike Baldwin MemphisArcheological&GeologicalSociety Collierville,TN www.memphisgeology.org3 NFMS SusanAppleby WillametteAgate&MineralSociety Salem,OR www.wamsi.org4 SCFMS PhyllisGeorge HoustonGem&MineralSociety Houston,TX www.hgms.org5 RMFMS BobLoeffler NorthJeffcoGem&MineralClub Arvada,CO www.peaktopeak.com/njeffco/6 EFMLS JoeMulvey MicromountersofNewEngland Nashua,NH www.micromountersofnewengland.org7 MWF Milton"Mike"Bamfield ParmaLapidaryClub Cleveland,OH www.parmalapidary.com
Duringthescoresheetanalysisbythejudges,several pointed out that the webmaster was being judged on items over which he or she has no control. Theyrecommendedthatthenameofthecontestbechangedfrom“WebmasterContest”to“WebSiteContest.”ThisproposalwasvotedonandapprovedattheAFMSannualmeetingduringtheAFMS/NFMSannual showand convention, so thenameof the2010contestisnow“WebSiteContest.”
The new and improved 2010 Score Sheet, EntryForm,andGuidelinesforWebSiteswillbeavailableasPDFdocumentsontheAFMSWebsiteandonalltheRegionalFederationWebsitessometimeinSeptember.ThesefilescanbeopenedwithAdobeAcrobatReader®.FreeAcrobatReadersoftwareisavailable at <www.adobe.com/products/reader/>.Contestinformationcanbefoundat<www.amfed.org/web/webmasters_contest.htm>.
Oncethe2010formsareavailable,anywebmas-ter wanting to enter his or her club Web site in the 2010contestshoulddownloadthethreefiles.BesuretoreadtheGuidelinesdocumentcompletely—it provides good information on how to improve
your Web site and discusses how your Web site will bejudged.TheEntryFormandtheScoreSheetwillbefillableandsaveablePDFfiles,andBOTHdocu-mentsareneededtoenterthecontest.Youcanfillthem out online and save them to your hard drive. OnlythetopportionoftheScoreSheetshouldbefilledout.E-mailyourcompletedEntryFormandthepartiallyfilled-outScoreSheet totheCommitteeMemberforyourfederation.Remember—waituntilthe2010formsarereadyandontheAFMSWebsiteandthevariousFederationWebsites.Donotsendin2009forms.
All formsare inPDFformat,andtheycanbeopenedwithAdobeAcrobatReader®.FreeAcrobatReadersoftwareisavailableat<www.adobe.com/products/reader>.Important:BesuretodownloadAdobeReaderVersion9sothedocumentsyoufillinandsavecanbemodifiedifnecessaryafteryousavethem.Versionspriorto8donotallowmodificationofthefilled-indocument.
Thecontestinformationcanbefoundat<www.amfed.org/web/webmasters_contest.htm>.
Members of the Web-masters Contest Commit-tee are as follows:
Cal i forn ia Federat ion(CFMS) MerryanO’Neill<[email protected]>
EasternFederation(EFMLS) DanImel <[email protected]>
MidwestFederation(MFMS) CindyRoot<[email protected]> NorthwestFederation(NFMS) CheriGeorge<[email protected]>
RockyMountainFederation(RMFMS) DaleWatts <[email protected]>
SouthCentralFederation(SCFMS) DonShurtz<[email protected]>
SoutheastFederation(SFMS) JimFlora <[email protected]>
2009 Webmaster Contest Resultsfrom Phyllis George, Contest Chair
2009-10 AFMS Officers: Sec'y Anne Cook, VP's Ann Monroe, Judy Beck, Marion Roberts, Matt Charsky, Pres-Elect Bob Miller, 2009 Pres. Joy Bourne and Pres. Emerson Tucker. Not pictured: Rocky McCall, Pat LaRue
Page 8 AFMS Newsletter -September, 2009
2009 All American Club Award Winnersby John Washburn, Chair
The2009AllAmericanClubAwardCompetitionisnowhistoryandIwasdelightedtobeabletoan-nouncetheresultsduringthebanquetatBillings,MTonAugust1.ThejudgesandIwereveryimpressedwiththeentrieswereceivedanddelightedtoseethemanyactivitiesinwhichtheseclubsandtheirmembersareengaged.Ihopethatthiscomingyear will see more clubs compile a yearbook of their activities and enter. Guidelines andscoresheetswillbeavailableinanupcomingAFMSNewsletter.
Thecompetitionthisyearwasforclubactivitiesduringthe2008calendaryear.Andthe winners are:
Club Federation AwardSmall ClubsWacoGem&MineralClub,Woodway,TX SCFMS BronzeMedalAwardLincolnGem&MineralClub,Lincoln,NE MWF SilverMedalAwardSutterButtesGem&MineralSociety,Marysville,CA CFMS SilverMedalAwardWestCentralIllinoisRock&MineralClub,Macomb,IL MWF SilverMedalAwardWisconsinGeologicalSociety,WestAllis,WI MWF SilverMedalAward
Large ClubsClackametteMineral&GemCorp.,ofOregonOregonCity,OR
NFMS SilverMedalAward
TulsaRock&MineralSociety,Tulsa,OK RMFMS SilverMedalAwardElDoradoCountyMineral&GemSociety,Placerville,CA CFMS GoldMedalAwardMotherLodeMineralSociety,Empire,Ca CFMS 1stPlaceGoldMedal
Endowment Fund Drawing Resultsby Dee Holland, Chair
Prize Donor Winner Federation
1-CrystalVase B.JayBowman SkeeterKish MWF2-OpalPendant JoyceSpeed SteveFordham EFMLS3-AmethystClock GulfCoastGem&MineralSoc. FredSchaefermeyer EFMLS4-Sikhote-AlinMeteorite David Gheesling Manuel Garcia CFMS5-BrazilianAgatew/stand ElleryBorow RobertArtis MWF6-IntarsiaBola JerryBlimka T.Kapta MWF7 - Oval Carving JamesGaddey LakesideG&MClub NFMS8 - Dogwood Carving KenNeaves IdaAnderson NFMS
9-FacetedCitrinePendant SteveWeinberger Daleen Caldwell RMFMS10-MeteoriteSlab CarlShugart BerylFerguson SFMS11-JadeitePendant DallasGem&MineralSoc. AnnFrench EFMLS12-Wire-wrappedSmokyQtz JenniferRhodes PWGMS SCFMS13-BeadedPendant MiaSchulman SeanBranigan SFMS14-DolphinCarving KenNeaves Don Ogden CFMS15-Agates&JasperBook Ron Gibbs FredOtt CFMS
16-Agates&JasperBook Ron Gibbs Russell Oliger MWF
17 - Obsidian Bear Carving Costigans Minerals LamarTilgner NFMS
18-BeadedPendanat Cheri George Water-OakG&MSoc. EFMLS
19-PalmWoodSlab EugenePowell InezBerg CFMS
TheAFMSEndowmentFundDrawingfor2009isnowhistory. Iwanttothankthosewhodonatedthevariousprizesaswellasthosewhosoldthetickets.TheinterestearnedfromthefundsraisedovetheyearsfortheEndowmentfundhelpsprovideforvariousAFMSprogramsincludingthebadgesforourJuniorsprogramanddigitizingmanyofourslideprogramsinordertopreservethem.
Andthewinnersare...
Ifyouwouldlikeyourowncopyofthewinningarticlesandpoetry(includinghonorablementions),youcanpurchasetheWinningArticlesbooklet ineither hard copy or on CD.
There are a limited number of hardcopies, so reserve a hard copy by emailing me first <[email protected]>.Iwillsendareplyemail letting you know your copy is reserved - then youcansendachecktome(LindaJaeger)for$8.50.Thepricecoversprintingandmailing.
If you would like to purchase the CD version (all articles and poems are in both pdf formatandMicrosoftWord,or.docform),justmailachecktome(LindaJaeger) for$3.50.Thepricecovers the cost of producing the CD and mailing.
Orders should be sent to me at:
LindaJaeger3515E.88thStreet
Tulsa,OK74137-2602
Marion Roberts accepting the All American Award for his club from All American Chair John Washburn
Winning Articles Availablefrom Linda Jaeger
AFMS Newsletter -September, 2009 Page 9
Original Adult Articles, Top 10
1. Belemnites of the Chesapeake, A Look at the Delaware State Fossil
by Bruce HargreavesMarylandGeologicalSocietyFrom:The Rostrum, 1/08
2. Coalby Brett Whitenack
McPhersonGem&MineralClubFrom:The Post Rock, 11/08
3. Herb BastuscheckAmerican Master of an Ancient Japanese Art
by Denise BicknellHoustonGem&MineralSociety
From:The Backbender’s Gazette, 10/08
4. Visit to the Black Hills Institute – Home of Stan and HMNS’s Wyrex
byPhyllisGeorgeHoustonGem&MineralSociety
From:The Backbender’s Gazette, 8/08
5. Field Trip Do’s & Don’ts – Things to Think About
by Bill CainColoradoSpringsMineralogicalSociety
From: Pick & Pack, 10/08
6. Why Micromounts? by David Brand
NewYorkMineralogicalClubFrom: Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, 7/08
7. QuartzitebyLoisLarson
McPhersonGem&MineralClubFrom:The Post Rock, 9/08
8. A Blast from the PastThe Iron Age of Bartow County
byTomBatcha,GeorgiaMineralSocietyFrom:Tips and Trips, 3/08
9. Hunting Apatite at the Ray Mica Mines
byEdwardJ.Wagner,TheSouthernAppalachianMineralSociety
From:Mountain Mineral Monthly, 5/08
10. Can a Lake Be Dry?byMaryCrosswhite,GemLapidaryandMineral
SocietyofMontgomeryCo.,MDFrom:The Rockhounder, 1/08
Honorable MentionFunk’s MuseumbyKathyAnane
LincolnOrbitEarthScienceSocietyFrom:LOESS Bulletin, 12/08
It Makes a Gneiss PaperweightbySteveMorse
LincolnOrbitEarthScienceSocietyFrom:LOESS Bulletin, 9/08
The Care and Feeding of Diamond Sawsby Wayne Barnett
TheHoustonGem&MineralSocietyFrom:The Backbender’s Gazette, 4/08
Oldest Turtle Footprints Found in Colorado Rocks?
byTerryBehColoradoSpringsMineralogicalSociety
From:Pick & Pack, 6/08
Jane the Mystery Dinosaurby Mary Bertram
LincolnOrbitEarthScienceSocietyFrom:LOESS Bulletin, 2/08
Try a Club Awareness ProjectbyJohnEichhorn
SantaClaraValleyGem&MineralSocietyFrom:Breccia, 2/08
Credibility & Character,A Necessary Aspect of Our Hobby and Our FuturebyJenniferHaley,NapaValleyRock&GemClub
From:NAPA GEMS, 12/08
Thundereggs & Geodesby Robert Rose
SweetHomeRock&MineralSocietyFrom:Nuggets & Pebbles, 7/08
Rock Club Outing to Saddle Mountain as
experienced by Ralph TretheweybyRalphTrethewey
MarcusWhitmanGem&MineralSocietyFrom:The Rock Licker, 5/08
Rockhounding with the ObermeyersbyEdandDianeObermeyerOregonCoastAgateClub
From:Coastal Waves, Fall 2008
How Not to Go on a Field Trip, A Fairy Tale
byDebbieHood,OrcuttMineralSocietyFrom:Ore-Cutts, 8/08
III. Original Adult Articles Advanced, Top 10
1. Evidence Supporting the Existence of an Island in the Late Cretaceous
PeriodbyBenW.Vrana,Ph.D.
TheLoupValleyGem&MineralSocietyFrom:The Loup Scoop, 5/08
2. A Walk in the Mountains: Horseshoe Cirque
byMikeNelsonColoradoSpringsMineralogicalSociety
From:Pick & Pack, 10/08
The2009AFMSBulletinEditorsCompetitionisnowhistory.Theresultsareprintedbelow.
I'dliketothankthehardworkingregionalBEACchairsandourAFMSjudgesforhelpingtomakethecontest so successful.
RegionalFederationBulletinEditorsChairs: CFMS-DougArnold EFMLS-NatalieDarling MWF-CeliaTiffany NFMS-DarleneDenton SCFMS-DonSchurta RMFMS-LindaJaeger SFMS-EdJohnson
AFMS judges. These folkswere responsible forevaluating the bulletins and articles submitted from the regional federations.
Mini Bulletins TerryYoschak,Rocklin,CA
SmallBulletinsDanImel,Fairport,NY
LargeBulletinsDianeDare,Holiday,FL
NewEditorsCarolynWeinberger,Glyndon,MD
AdultArticlesJudithWashburn,Rochester,IL
AdultArticles,AdvancedClaudeBolzeandRichardJaeger,Tulsa,OK
JuniorArticlesKayAtkinson,Claremont,OK
FeatureArticlesBarbaraFenstermacher,,Aiken,SC
The 2010 contest rules will be announcedshortly by your regional federation chair. Be sure to follow the guidelines established for your federa-tionand,ifyourentryearnsahighenoughscoreattheregionallevel,itwillbeforwardedfortheAFMScompetitionwithresultsannouncednextJuneduringtheAFMS/CFMSconventioninLaHabra,CA.Ifyoudidnotenterthisyear,doconsiderdoingsoforthiscomingyear.Allentriesmusthavebeenpublished(orwritten)duringthe2009calendaryear.
And now,without further ado, here are theresults...
Bulletin Editors Contest Resultsby Linda Jaetger, Bulletin Editors Advisory
continued on page 9
Page 10 AFMS Newsletter -September, 2009
3. A Rockhound Visits a Museum of Ancient Artby Walt Kubilius
AikenGem,Mineral,&FossilSocietyFrom:Hound’s Howl, 1/08
4. Neogene Sharks Teeth from Along the Texas Gulf Coast
byAlbertJ.RobbIIIandGeorgeWolfSr.,HoustonGem&MineralSociety
From:The Backbender’s Gazette, 8/08
5. Cache Creek Park: A Chaffee County Gold Rush
byStevenVeatchColoradoSpringsMineralogicalSociety
From:Pick & Pack, 8/08
6. Diamond WrongsbyDr.BillCordua,St.CroixRockhounds
From:St. Croix Rockhound’s Leaverite News, 5/08
7. WitheritebyDavidHess,WestCentralIllinoisRock&Min-
eralClubFrom:Rock Chatter, 5/08
8. Mining the Deep SeabyDr.VivienGornitz
NewYorkMineralogicalClubFrom:The Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, 2/08
9. The Spectroscope in MineralogybyDavidBabulski,TheGeorgiaMineralSociety
From:Tips and Trips, 2/08
10. Lapis LazulibyChuckBoblenz
SantaClaraValleyGem&MineralSocietyFrom:Breccia, 3/08
Honorable Mention Ask Your Gemologist – The Perfect
DiamondbyMarkVillaneuva
HoustonGem&MineralSocietyFrom:TheBackbender’sGazette,1/08
Sandstoneby Dr. Wesley DeCoursey
McPhersonGem&MineralClubFrom:The Post Rock, 4/08
Identify Those Unknowns – Cleavage and Fracture, Part 3
by Dr. Hal D. MahanTheSouthernAppalachianMineralSocietyFrom:Mountain Mineral Monthly, 1&2/08
Carbonate Minerals and Rocks including Calc-Silicate, Skarn, and CarbonatitebyDaveWoolley,Gem&MineralSocietyof
Lynchburg,VirginiaFrom:Gem & Mineral Journal, 9/08
Venus de RefugiobyRalphBishop,OrcuttMineralSociety
From:Ore-Cutts, 8/08
MeteoritesMeteors, Asteroids, & Comets
byJohnM.Wright,RegisteredProfessionalGeologist(MS#555)Retired
MississippiGulfCoastGem&MineralSocietyFrom:Snoopy Gems, 4/08
Another Dinosaur Discovered This Summer!
PhotosandarticlebyBobSimonRichmondGem&MineralSocietyFrom:The Collecting Bag, 7/08
So You Think You and Your Right to Collect Fossils and Minerals Are Safe?
byTerryProctorHoustonGemandMineralSocietyFrom:The Backbender’s Gazette, 11/08
V. Junior Articles – Under 12, Top 10
1. Treasure!byJocelynRegehr(10)
McPhersonGem&MineralClubFrom:The Post Rock, 4/08
2. Our Trip to Sharktooth HillbyCaseyLong(11)
MotherLodeMineralClubFrom:MLMS Ghost Sheet, 2/08
3. Ancient Egyptian JewelrybyAlexMiller(9),WestSeattleRockClubFrom:West Seattle Petroglyphs, 6&7/08
4. Adventures at the County Fair DisplaybyJayKahling(8)
ElDoradoCountyMineral&GemSocietyFrom:Petroglyphs, 9/08
5. Petrified Wood!byJasonHodge(7),StamfordMineralogicalSociety
From:The Vug Examiner, 9/08
6. CabochonsbyKathyJenkins(11)
ThreeRiversGem&MineralSocietyFrom:The Strata Data, 5/08
7. Ammonite FactsbyJordanTinsley(8)
Gem&MineralSocietyofLynchburg,VirginiaFrom: Gem & Mineral Journal, 1/08
8. A Short Guide to ScrimshawbyAsherKemp(10)
ThreeRiversGem&MineralSocietyFrom: The Strata Data, 9/08
9. Saufina’s Scrimshaw ReportbySaufinaKemp(11)
ThreeRiversGem&MineralSocietyFrom: The Strata Data, 9/08
10. Junior Report -- MalachitebySamAnguiano(9),LakesideGem&Mineral
ClubFrom: Geode, 9/08
VI. Junior Articles – 12 to 17, Top 10 (8 entries)
1. Rockus Collectralus: A Case StudybyChrisLee(17),GeorgiaMineralSociety
From:Tips and Trips, 1/08
2. Of Whales and NeedlesbyEliyahKemp(16)
TheThreeRiversGem&MineralSocietyFrom:The Strata Data, 11/08
3. Uncovering Kansas – Interesting Facts About the Eleven Geological
Sections of KansasbyKatherineVasper(17)
McPhersonGem&MineralClubFrom:The Post Rock, 12/08
4. First CabochonbyMaryBoesdorfer(15)
LincolnOrbitEarthScienceSocietyFrom:LOESS Bulletin, 3/08
5. From Trash to TreasurebyElizabethSiegfried(17)
TheGem&MineralSocietyofFranklin,NCFrom:The Mountain Gem, 11/08
6. A Day With the Gemtreesby Michael Kuhn
ThreeRiversGem&MineralSocietyFrom:The Strata Data, 4/08
7. Thanksgiving at Lavic SidingbyRodneyDuncan(12)
MotherLodeMineralSocietyFrom:MLMS Ghost Sheet, 1/08
8. Pizza Blast for Juniorsby Morgan Graham (16)
MississippiGem&MineralSocietyFrom:Rocky Echoes, 11/08
VII. Written Features, Top 10
1. Lake Texoma 2008 – Ammonites, Urchins, and Oysters on
Memorial WeekendbyNealImmega,HoustonGem&MineralSociety
From:The Backbender’s Gazette, 7/08
2. KunzitebyErikSpande,WestSuburbanLapidaryClub
From:The Opal, 3/08
Editors Contest Resultscontinued from page 8
continued on page 11
AFMS Newsletter -September, 2009 Page 11
Writing Directions for Rockhound Digging SitesbyRandyVandehey
SouthDouglasGem&MineralClubFrom:Rock Scoop, 8/08
Our Tonopah Field TripbyFranWolff,
SouthWashingtonMineralogicalSocietyFrom:Carny Hound, 11/08
More Mine VisitsbyGailNotestine
TheGem&MineralSocietyofFranklin,NCFrom:The Mountain Gem, 8/08
New Rock Nameby Mike Wheat
ColoradoSpringsMineralogicalSocietyFrom:Pick & Pack, 2/08
IX. Drawn Features (2 entries)
1. Indian Artifactsby Marie Zigler
ThreeRiversGem&MineralSocietyFrom:The Strata Data, 8/08
2. NavettebyJimHoeschen
Columbia-WillametteFacetersGuildFrom:FACETS, 12/08
X. Adult Poetry, Top 10
1. The Collecting CyclebyBettyThompson
MineralogicalSocietyoftheDistrictofColumbiaFrom:Mineral Minutes, 3/08
2. Hard RockersbyVernRicker,AnokaCountyGem&MineralClubFrom:Hidden Treasures, 5/08
3. A Rock Is a Rock Is a RockTo Rockhound Friends -- Everywhere
byTerryProctor,HoustonGem&MineralSocietyFrom:The Backbender’s Gazette, 11/08
4. StonesbyMaryO.Lisby
EastAlabamaGem&MineralSocietyFrom:Boulder Bouncer, 12/08
5. Collectorby Rosie Miller
ThreeRiversGem&MineralSocietyFrom: The Strata Data, 2/08
6. Ode to Rose Bud CreekbySandyGrych
NorthMississippiGem&MineralSocietyFrom:North Mississippi Gem & Mineral Society
Newsletter, 2/08
7. Have You Seen My Mind?byJackieSullivan
WestCentralIllinoisRock&MineralClubFrom:Rock Chatter, 12/08
8. False Cluesby Betsy Oberheim
CentralPennsylvaniaRockandMineralClubFrom:Rock Buster News, 4/08
9. Installation of 2008 OfficersbyBillStonecipher
MarcusWhitmanGem&MineralSocietyFrom:The Rock Licker, 1/08
10. Earth AngelbyWayneMills,OrcuttMineralSociety
From:Ore-Cutts, 6/08
Honorable MentionMy Love of Rocks
by Mary OwensEastTexasGemandMineralSociety
From:Rock-n-Rose, 12/08
A True Tale of the Morefield Mine on Christmas Eve Eve Eve
byDaveLinesSouthernMarylandRockandMineralClub
From:Rock Talk, 1/08
The SearchbyScottMayeaux
ARK-LA-TEXGemandMineralSocietyFrom:Rock Rattler Special Edition, 12/08
My GrandmabyBettyHicks,MagicValleyGemClubFrom:Magic Valley Gem News, 9/08
Tick Tock. We Rock!byFloyHawkins
NorthMississippiGem&MineralSocietyFrom:North Mississippi Gem & Mineral Society
Newsletter, 12/08
From Atop the Rock PilebyMalcolmWheeler,Sr.
BoeingEmployeesMineralSocietyFrom:The Tumbler, 12/08
XII. Junior Poetry (5 entries)
1. Christmas RocksbyAustinReeves(11),MotherLodeMineralSociety
From:MLMS Ghost Sheet, 12/08
2. Amazing AgatebyBlakeSullivan(9)
WestCentralIllinoisRock&MineralClubFrom:Rock Chatter, 12/08
3. Faux Pas, uhh, Rather Palm, ‘Faux Palm,’ that is
byOwenMartin,HoustonGem&MineralSocietyFrom:The Backbender’s Gazette, 4/08
4. President’s Message – Review of ‘Water’exhibit at the AMNH
byAnnaShumate,NewYorkMineralogicalClubFrom:Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club, 3/08
5. Web Sites: Spy on ThesebyWendellMohr,Gem,Lapidary,&MineralSociety
ofMontgomeryCo.,MDFrom:The Rockhounder,10/08
6. This is My QuestbyJaneOwen,RichmondGem&MineralSociety
From:The Collecting Bag, 9/08
7. New York Field Trip – June 9-16, 2008byChetPerkins
TheThreeRiversGem&MineralSocietyFrom: The Strata Data, 8/08
8. President’s MessagebyBillWaggener,GeorgiaMineralSociety
From: Tips & Trips, 9/08
9. LaFarge Quarry Field TripbyRosie&TerryMiller
ThreeRiversGem&MineralSocietyFrom: The Strata Data, 6/08
10. From the President’s PenbyJimHutchings,RosevilleRockRollers
From: The Rollin’ Rock, 11/08
Honorable MentionThe Gold Bug
byJimBarton,RosevilleRockRollersFrom:The Rollin’ Rock, 11/08
Be a SHOW-OFF!byTerryYoschak,RosevilleRockRollers
From:The Rollin’ Rock, 11/08
WAMS Coast Trip Feb. 16-17byEmilyStart,WillametteAgate&MineralSociety
From:WAMS Rockhound Rumblings, 3/08
I Always Need to Dig!byJohnCasto
ColoradoSpringsMineralogicalSocietyFrom:Pick & Pack, 2/08
Staurolite Field Trip to Taos, NMbyRogerPittman
ColoradoSpringsMineralogicalSocietyFrom:Pick & Pack, 8/08
Karnes County Field Trip RecapbyAlanCherepon,AustinGem&MineralSociety
From:The Stone Chipper, 5/08
Editors Contest Resultscontinued from page 9
continued on page 12
Page 12 AFMS Newsletter -September, 2009
3. RealgarbyEliyahKemp(16)
TheThreeRiversGem&MineralSocietyFrom:The Strata Data, 2/08
4. SimilarbyToriLaster(11)
ARK-LA-TEXGemandMineralSocietyFrom:The Rock Rattler, 12/08
5. The Journey of KatebyAnneHoffman(7)
ThreeRiversGem&MineralSocietyFrom:The Strata Data, 12/08
XIII. New Editors, Top 10
1. No first place winner
2. Diablo Diggings, 12/08 Bonnie Eichler, Editor
ContraCostaMineral&GemSocietyWalnutCreek,CA(CFMS)
3. The LOESS Bulletin, 12/08 Ed Wagner, Editor
LincolnOrbitEarthScienceSocietyRochester,IL(MWF)
4. The Crystal & Gem News, 9/08Vi Jones, Editor
NorthPugetSoundFacetingGuildMarysville,WA(NFMS)
5. The Conglomerate, 10/08 Barbara Hardman, Editor
RenoGem&MineralSociety,Sparks,NV(CFMS)
6. Rocky Echoes, 11/08Janie Hand, Editor
MississippiGem&MineralSocietyFlorence,MS(EFMLS)
7. Cabber Grabber, 8/08Bonita L. Harris, Editor
MobileRock&GemSociety,Mobile,AL(SFMS)
8. Rock Chips, 10/08Dorothy Tonnecliff, EditorStocktonMineral&LapidaryClub
Stockton,CA(CFMS)
9. Rock Talk,2/08Jessica Thomson, Editor
SouthernMarylandRock&MineralClubClinton,MD(EFMLS)
10. El Gambrisino, 10/08Maxine Wyman, EditorGemcrafters&ExplorersClubLasCruces,NM(RMFMS)
Honorable MentionStone Age News
10/08, Bill Moser, EditorMarysville Rock & Gem ClubMarysville,WA(NFMS)
Shawnee Slate, 8/0Llewellyn Alspach, EditorShawneeGem&MineralSociety
Shawnee,OK(RMFMS)
The Official Publication of the Star CityRock & Gem Society, 8/08
Kerry Barnett, EditorRoanokeValleyMineral&GemSociety
Roanoke,VA(EFMLS)
XV. Mini Bulletins, Top 10 (7 entries)
1. Rock Rollers, 10/08Erma Riese, Editor
RockRollersClub,Spokane,WA(NFMS)
2. Rock Chatter, 10/08Donna Moore, Editor
WestCentralIllinoisRock&MineralClubMacomb,IL(MWF)
3. Greater Cincinnati Lapidary & Faceting Society Newsletter, 9/08,
Jim & Judy Budnik, EditorsGreaterCincinnatiLapidary&FacetingSociety
Cincinnati,OH(MWF)
4. Rock Scoop, 3/08Randy Vandehey, Editor
SouthDouglasGem&MineralClubMyrtleCreek,OR(NFMS)
5. The Nugget, 3/08, Sandy Grych, EditorMississippiGem&MineralSociety
Mathiston,MS(SFMS)
6. The Lake Rocker Newsletter, 9/08Kitt Kitterman, Editor
Osage Beach Rock & Mineral ClubOsageBeach,MO(MWF)
7. Dusty Rocks, 6/08Amanda Newnham, Editor
Rock&ArrowheadClubKlamathFalls,OR(NFMS)
XVI. Small Bulletins, Top 10
1. The Stone Chipper, 3/08Laura & David Dow, EditorsAustinGem&MineralSociety
Austin,TX(SCFMS)
2. Ore Cutts, 5/08Deborah Hood, Editor
OrcuttMineralSociety,SantaMaria,CA(CFMS)
3. Rock Buster News, 6/08Maxine Nicholas, Editor
CentralPennsylvaniaRock&MineralClubHarrisburg,PA(EFMLS)
Editors Contest Resultscontinued from page 11
4. The Strata Data, 12/08Michele Yamanaka, Editor
TheThreeRiversGem&MineralSocietyFt.Wayne,IN(MWF)
5. High Country Gleamings, 12/08Margaret L. Johnson, Editor
HendersonCountyGem&MineralSocietyHendersonville,NC(SFMS)
6. Hound’s Howl, 5/08Barbara Fenstermacher, EditorAikenGem,Mineral&FossilSociety
Aiken,SC(SFMS)
7. The Rockhounder, 7&8/08Wendell Mohr, Editor
Gem,Lapidary,&MineralSocietyofMontgomeryCo.,MD,Gaithersburg,MD(EFMLS)
8. Crack ‘N Cab, 3/08Loren Patterson, Editor
Gem&MineralSocietyofSyracuseSyracuse,NY(EFMLS)
9. The Quarry,8/08Jim & Judy Budnik, Editors
CincinnatiMineralSociety,Cincinnati,OH(MWF)
10. Canaveral Moonstone, 5/08David Jacobson, Editor
CanaveralMineral&GemSocietyMelbourne,FL(SFMS)
Honorable MentionThe Hard Rock News, 6/08
Kathy Reimers, EditorKitsapMineral&GemSociety
Silverdale,WA(NFMS)
The Opal, 3/08Mary Prosek, Editor
WestSuburbanLapidaryClub,Lyons,IL(MWF)
Rock Writing, 5/08Jeanne Boone, Editor
NevadaCountyGem&MineralSocietyNevadaCity,CA(CFMS)
Coastal Waves, Spring-08Carol Willey, Editor
OregonCoastAgateClub,Newport,OR(NFMS)
Snoopy Gems, 6/08Billie G. Wright, Editor
MississippiGulfCoastGem&MineralSocietyOceanSprings,MS(SFMS)
Rockhound Special, 11/08Karen Hinderman, EditorMt. Baker Rock & Gem ClubBellingham,WA(NFMS)
continued on page 13
AFMS Newsletter -September, 2009 Page 13
The Pineywoods Rooter, 6/08John D. Nash, Editor
PineCountryGem&MineralSocietyJasper,TX(SCFMS)
Chips and Chatter, 12/08Anita Dresner, Editor
PleasantOaksGem&MineralClubofDallasRichardson,TX(SCFMS)
XVIII. Large Bulletins, Top 10
1. Petroglyphs, 5/08Merryan O’Neill, Editor
ElDoradoMineral&GemSocietyPlacerville,CA(CFMS)
2. Pick & Pack, 12/08Betty Cain, Editor
ColoradoSpringsMineralogicalSocietyColoradoSprings,CO(RMFMS)
3. The Mountain Gem, 7/08Linda Behr, Editor
TheGem&MineralSocietyofFranklin,NC,Franklin,NC(SFMS)
4. T-Town Rockhound, 8/08Mary Watts, Editor
TulsaRock&MineralSocietyTulsa,OK(RMFMS)
5. Gem Cutters News, 1/08Carolyn Weinberger, EditorGem Cutters Guild of Baltimore
Baltimore,MD(EFMLS)
6. Breccia, 11/08June Harris, Editor
SantaClaraValleyGem&MineralSocietySanJose,CA(CFMS)
7. Pebbles, 3/08
Shawn van der Putten, EditorEverettRock&GemClub,Everett,WA(NFMS)
8. Ghost Sheet, 5/08Chris Whittier, Editor
MotherLodeMineralSocietyofCaliforniaModesto,CA(CFMS)
9. Tips and Trips, 9/08Tom Batcha, Editors
TheGeorgiaMineralSociety,Atlanta,GA(SFMS)
10. Mountain Mineral Monthly, 8/08Sylvia Forward, Editor
TheSouthernAppalachianMineralSocietyAsheville,NC(SFMS)
Honorable MentionPick & Shovel, 2/08Jim Atkins, Editor
LincolnGem&MineralClub,Lincoln,NE(MWF)
The Hot Springs Bulletin, 9/08Raymond Lynch, EditorTheHotSpringsGeologyClubHotSprings,AR(SCFMS)
The Vug Examiner, 6/08Edward Mattson, Editor
TheStamfordMineralogicalSocietyStamford,CT(EFMLS)
Editors Contest Resultscontinued from page 12
Rock-A-Teer, 8/08Dana James, Editor
PuyallupValleyGem&MineralClubPuyallup,WA(NFMS)
The Conglomerate, 10/08
Dawn Niedermiller, EditorMichiganMineralogicalSociety
Redford,MI(MWF)
News from Jasper, 10&11/08Patty Amos, Editor
Columbia Gorge RockhoundsCorbett,OR(NFMS)
XX. Special Publications (3 entries)
1. October 2008 Field Trip to Wabaunsee County
byLoisLarsonMcPhersonGem&MineralClub
McPherson,KS(RMFMS)
2. Junior Rockhound Meetings: Let’s Take a Closer Look at Rocks
byBonitaL.HarrisMobileRock&GemSociety
Mobile,AL(SFMS)
3. Michiana Gem and Mineral Society 1987-2008
byEdMillerMichianaGem&MineralSociety
Southbend,IN(MWF)
Bon Apetite! The Rockfood Table
Bill & Lois Pattillo brought their fabulous Rock Food Table to Billings
Page 14 AFMS Newsletter -September, 2009
AFMS Recognition Awards Presentedfrom Dr. Bob Carlson and Shirley Leeson
Withthecancellationofthe2008AFMSmeetinginHouston,TXduetoHurricaneIke,thepresenta-tionoftheRecognitionAwardwasdelayeduntilthisyear.Asaresult,boththe2008and2009awardswere presented at theAwards Banquet held onAugust1.
AFMSPastPresidentShirleyLeesonpresentedtheawardfor2009withthefollowingcitation:
"Tonightwewillhonornotone,buttwopeople.Thefirsthonoreeissoftspokenandlikestokeepthingsmoving along smoothly. ThispersonmovedthroughtheofficerchairsinbothherregionalfederationandAFMS,andhasbeenanexhibitor,judge,parliamentarian.UponreachingtheloftystatusasAFMSpresident,shedidn;tretiretositonherlaurels,butcontinuedtoworkfortheAFMSanditssisterorganization,theAFMSScholarshipFoundation. Askhertodoajob,evennow,andshestepsintohelp. Today sheholds theofficeof Secretaryof theScholarshipFoundation,Treasurer for theAmericanLandsAccessAssociation,andduringthisshowserved
as a judge of competi-tive displays.
Joinmeaswehon-or none other than
Ruth Bailey."
"Oursecondhonoreeisold,reallyold!Hetalkswithauthorityandhe'sbeeninvolvedintheAFMSsince Methusela was a pup! He'sheldmanyregionalofficesandgonethroughtheAFMSchairs. Our honoree has been a money maker for the AFMSScholarship Foundation for24 years. He'sbeen an exhibitor and judge, an honoree for theAFMSScholarshipFoundation,wasoneofthefound-ersoftheAmericanLandsAccessAssociationandpromotedthepurchaseoftheGoldenTopazfortheSmithsonianInstitution. He'ssodedicatedthatheflewinfromAlaskajusttobewiththegrouptoconducttheScholarship
Foundation auctionat the show!
Pleasejoinmeinrecognizingthe
contributions of Ed Romack"
Dr.RobertCarlson,AFMSPastPresidentpre-sented theRecognitionAward for 2008with thefollowing citation:
"TheAFMSRecognitionAwardisaverypresti-giousaward.ItisawardedbyPastPresidentsoftheAFMSforserviceanddedicationthatisoutstanding.there are only a few people that can meet these requirements. This year's selection cannot be hiddenwhenaccomplishmentsareenumerated.Therefore,Iwishto announce that this years award goes to a couple: Steve and Carolyn Weinberger. StevewasAFMSPresidentin2001-02.HetookovertheCentralOfficein2004,andhasdoneayeo-man'sjob. Carolyn be-cameAFMSEditorin1999andcontin-ues to serve in that position today. Together, thiscouple has provid-edtheAFMSwithCommunicationandOrganization;withoutwhichtheAFMScouldnotexist.
Competitive Exhibt Resultsfrom Dee Holland
With 60 competitive exhibits to judge at the convention,allthejudgeswerekeptbusy.Theas-sembleddisplaysweresomeofthefinesteverseenat a show and the exhibitors are to be commended for their work. Here are the trophy winners:
A-7OpenMixed AlexMoedl,JuniorExhibitor IdahoFallsGem&MineralClub
A-1Open,Minerals GaryBuhr,EverettRock&GemClub
BU-1 Minerals AlexanderCarrington,Junior EverettRock&GemClub
BU-1 Minerals JoeSlouber,ButteMineral&GemClub
BU-7XMinerals LarryHulstron,LakesideGem&MineralClub
BC-1 Minerals Sue&AlLiebetrau,LakesdieGem&MineralClub
BS-6XMinerals PaulOtto,NWArkansasGem&MineralClub
BT-1Minerals AlexanderSchauss PuyallupValleyGem&MineralClub
BT-7XMinerals AlexanderSchauss PuyallupValleyGem&MineralClub
CC-7Lapidary SteveGustafson,Mt.HoodRockClub
CC-1Lapidary SteveGustafson,Mt.HoodRockClub
CC-1Lapidary RansomCutshall,Junior EverettRock&Gem
CC-2Lapidary LauraCimolino,EverettRock&Gem
DST-6JewelryWirewrap CharJorgensen,EverettRock&Gem
EGC-Educational LauraCimolino,Junior EverettRock&Gem
EGC-1Educational VIJones,NorthPugetSoundFacetingGuild CW-6Intarsia LinnEnger,HellsCanyonGemClub
EIC-5Educational ChrisBlickfeldt,IdahoGemClub
UV-1Fluorescent Al&SueLeibetrau,LakesideGem&Min.Club
CA-7Carving DickFreisen,LivermoreValleyLithophiles
AFMS Junior Trophy Winners!!!
AFMS Newsletter -September, 2009 Page 15
AllAmericanClub JohnWashburn <[email protected]>
AFMSClubRockhoundoftheYear LorettaOgden <[email protected]>
AFMSNewsletter Carolyn Weinberger P.O.Box302,Glyndon,MD21071-0302 410-833-7926<[email protected]>
Boundaries JohnWright <[email protected]>
BulletinEditorHallofFame KittyStarbuck <[email protected]>
BulletinEditorsAdvisory LindaJaeger <[email protected]>
Bylaws Revisory SteveWeinberger P.O.Box302,Glyndon,MD21071-0302 410-833-7926 <[email protected]>
CentralOfficeAdministrator SteveWeinberger(seeBylawsRevisory)
CommemorativeStamps Wendell Mohr <[email protected]>
ConservationandLegislation JohnWright(seeBoundaries)
EndowmentFund Dee Holland <[email protected]>
FinancialInvestment LaurenWilliams <[email protected]>
2009 AFMS Committees
Here is the listing of the people who have agreed to serve as Committee Chairs for 2008-09. Please feel free to contact these people if you need information, have questions or would like to share ideas with them.
Historian ShirleyLeeson <[email protected]>
InternationalRelations BobJones <[email protected]>
JudgesTrainingSeminar DeeHolland(SeeEndowment)
JuniorPrograms JimBrace-Thompson <[email protected]>
LongRangePlanning ShirleyLeeson(SeeHistorian)
NameBadges FrankMullaney <[email protected]>
Nominating ShirleyLeeson(seeHistorian)
Parliamentarian DeeHolland(SeeEndowment)
PastPresident’sAdvisory ShirleyLeeson(seeHistorian)
Photography SteveWeinberger (see Bylaws Revisory)
ProgramCompetition Marge Collins <[email protected]>
Publications B.JayBowman <[email protected]>
PublicRelations FranSick <[email protected]>
Safety TedRieth <[email protected]
ShowConsultant BobLivingston <[email protected]>
Uniform Rules BarbaraJacobsen <[email protected]>
URCEligibilityFiles AnneCook <[email protected]>
Ways and Means MarveStarbuck <[email protected]>
Website/Webmaster Marty Hart <[email protected]>
AdHocWebmasterContest PhyllisGeorge <[email protected]>
AdHocCompetitionStudy Ron Carman <[email protected]>
AdHocInter-RegionalFieldTrip DickPankey <[email protected]>
AFMSScholarshipFoundation DeeHolland,President (seeEndowmentFund) JoyBourne,VicePresident RuthBailey,Secretary ArleneBurkhalter,Treasurer
Page 16 AFMS Newsletter -September, 2009
TheOmnibusPublicLandsBillpassedtheHouseand the Senate,was signed by the President andisnowthelaw.However,theexacteffectonthepublic,onrockhounds,onourrightstoaccessourPublicLandsisstillnotknown.AnditwillnotbedetermineduntileachBLMDistrict/office,eachFor-estServiceDistrict/office,eachoftheotheraffectedgovernmental agencies interpretstheselaws,andincorporatesthemintotheirspecificManagementPlan.Thisiswherewecanstillhaveasay.Thisiswhere we can still have a voice and have affect on the finalimplementation.How?Bybecominginvolvedin the process. By talking with the managers of our PublicLands;byparticipatinginthemeetingscalledfor public input; by providing our ideas and wishes withletters,e-mailsandtelephonecalls.Bybeinginvolved in the process. Howdowe,howdoYOUgetstarted?Allofuslivelessthan100milesfromaBLM,FSorotheragencyoffice.Betteryetgototheofficethatman-ages the land where your favorite collecting site is. Thefirststepistogetacquaintedwiththeofficeandthe personnel. Get signed up to receive notices of publicmeetingsand/orgetontheirgeneralmailinglist.Nextgetinvolved–attendmeetings,learnhowthatofficeimplementsthecurrentlawsandhowtheyproposetoimplementtheOmnibusLaws,providecomments and get others involved with your efforts. More on this topic in future articles. Newlegislationthatwillaffectushasbeenin-troducedinCongress:S796HardrockMiningandReclamationActandHR699HardrockMiningandReclamationActof2009whichproposesignificantchangesintheMiningLawof1872,andS868TheFeeRepealActandExpandedAccessActof2009whichwouldrevokeauthoritygiventotheFStochargenewandhigheruserfees.Nowisthetimetolearnabout and comment on this developing legislation; now is the time we can be proactively involved. TheAmerican LandAccessAsso-ciation held its annual meeting during the NFMS/AFMSconventionatBillings,MT.onAugust1.Duringthemeetingnewofficersanddirectorswereelected,afewchangesto the bylaws and operating procedures were adopted and variousofficer andcommittee reports were read.
Joyce Hanshu has been carrying adoubleloadforALAA–SecretaryandTreasurer.Andsheisreadytogiveupherjobs.ThankyouJoyceforpitchingin anddoing this very important job afterNormpassed away. Ann Cook has been elected as Secretary.AnnisalsothesecretaryfortheAFMS.Ihavealsoappointed Ruth BaileyasTreasurer.Wearecur-rentlytransitioningthefilesanddutiesfromJoycetoRuth.RuthisalongtimeactivememberofALAAandmanyAFMSandCFMScommittees. MyinitialfocusaspresidentofALAAismember-
What's Happening with ALAAby dick Pankey, President, ALAA
ship.TheAFMShas633societieswithover49,000individualmembers.CurrentlyALAAhaslessthan100 individual members and less than 30 society members.Ourgrowthpotential,ourmembershippotential,ourfinancialsupportpotentialisGREAT. ThepotentialofourVoiceisgreat.Werepresentandadvocateforover49,000AFMSmembersplustheirfamilies.Wearesignificant.However,torepresentthemadequatelyweneedtheirsupport.Andhowdowecalculate/estimatethenumberofunaffiliatedrockhounds.Andhowdowecalculate/estimatethenumberofkidsandfamilies,teachers,andpeoplethatjustliketopickup“prettyrocks”orparticipateinsome other form of recreation on our public lands. Werepresentandadvocateforthesepeople,too.Shirley Leeson has volunteered and will be focus-ingonhereffortsonmembership.Irequestthatallcurrent members join the membership committee. Thatisbecomeanadvocate,apromoterofALAAand our mission. Keep your society and its members informedwith the news fromALAA. Encourageparticipation in our calls to action for response to legislationandmanagementplans.Beinvolved,bean advocate and participate in the legislative and regulatory process. Ifyou'renotalreadyamemberofALAA,pleaseconsider joining us! Membership for individuals (orhusbandandwife)is$25peryear.Clubscanalso join,butso manymorepeoplearecovered,themembershipfeeis$50peryear.YoucanreadmoreabouttheAmericanLandsAccessAssocation(ALAA)onourwebsite<http://amlands.org>whereyou can also download a membership application.
Treasurer Ruth Bailey, VP Shirley Leeson, Secretary Anne Cookat the A.L.A.A. meeting
Iwillrespectbothprivateandpublicpropertyand will do no collecting on privately owned land withouttheowner’spermission.
Iwillkeepinformedonalllaws,regulationsofrules governing collecting on public lands and wil observe them.
Iwilltothebestofmyability,ascertaintheboundary lines of property onwhich I plan tocollect.
Iwillusenofirearmsorblastingmaterialincol-lecting areas.
Iwillcausenowillfuldamagetopropertyofanykind-fences,signs,buildings.
Iwillleaveallgatesasfound.
Iwillbuildfiresindesignatedorsafeplacesonlyand will be certain they are completely extinguished before leaving the area.
Iwill discard no burningmaterial -matches,cigarettes,etc.
Iwillfillallexcavationholeswhichmaybedanger-ous to livestock.
Iwillnotcontaminatewells,creeksorotherwatersupply.
IwillcausenowillfuldamagetocollectingmaterialandwilltakehomeonlywhatIcanreasonablyuse.
Iwill practiceconservationandundertake toutilizefullyandwellthematerialsIhavecollectedandwillrecyclemysurplusforthepleasureandbenefitof others.
Iwill support the rockhound projectH.E.L.P.(Help Eliminate Litter Please) andWill leave allcollectingareasdevoidoflitter,regardlessofhowfound.
Iwillcooperatewithfieldtripleadersandthosein designated authority in all collecting areas.
IwillreporttomycluborFederationofficers,BureauofLandmanagementorotherauthorities,anydepositofpetrifiedwoodorothermaterialsonpublic lands which should be protected for the en-joyment of future generations for public educational andscientificpurposes.
Iwillappreciateandprotectourheritageofnatural resources.
Iwillobservethe“GoldenRule”,willuse“GoodOutdoorManners” andwill at all times conductmyself in a manner which will add to the stature and Public“image”ofrockhoundseverywhere.
AFMS Code of Ethics