MGMS Newsletter

June 2012 Part 1 P.O. Box 5043 Midland, Texas 79704 - Shop: (432) 687-6467

Midland Gem & Mineral Socie ty

A New Mexico

& Colorado

Rock Hunt

Show & Tell

Website: MidlandGemAndMineral .org E-mai l: mgmstx@gmail .com

Pebble Pups/ Geology 00Pebble Pups/ Geology 0011 atat

Midland College Kids’ CollegeMidland College Kids’ College

CLASS NEWS

June Program

If you can instruct or assist in

teaching a class, please con-

tact Jacqueline Darby at 432-

553-4032 and leave a message

on the voice mail.

Make sure to attend the gen-

eral meeting to sign up for all

the classes we offer. If you

can’t attend the meeting, and

have questions, would like to

suggest a class or would like

to sign up for a class, call Jac-

queline Darby 432-553-4032

and leave a message on the

voice mail.

Upcoming Events

GENERAL MEETING:

Thursday, June 28 at 7:00 pm-

Sibley Learning Center at

1307 East Wadley Avenue

BOARD MEETING: Tues-

day, July 3 at 7:00 pm-the

New MGMS Shop at 602

South Main Street

MONDAY NIGHT OPEN

SHOP: Mondays at 6:30 pm

to 9:00 pm - New MGMS

Shop at 602 South Main

Street. ALL MEMBERS AND

VISITORS ARE WELCOME

Class instructors Bill Halepeska (above left) and David

Edens (above right) share their knowledge with the kids.

Above: It’s always “hands-on” teaching

in the Pebble Pups/ Geology 001 class!

At left: Bill Halepeska always brings a

big selection of rocks, minerals and fos-

sils for the kids to work with and they

are always a big hit with the kids (with

coprolite being a surprise favorite). All photos this page: Herman Jones

“Explore, Discover and Craft the Wonders of Nature” Affiliations: South Central & American Federations of Mineralogical Societies

MGMS Genie Lapidary Machine Raffle: Midland Gem and Mineral Society received a donation of a Genie

lapidary machine from Bill Halepeska and declared it surplus. Com-

plete and operable since 6 months ago. Wheels are usable, but well

worn. The Genie is being offered to all current paid MGMS members

through a raffle, with tickets at $5 each. The drawing will be held at

our July 26, 2012 Summer Social. You can purchase tickets from

David Richardson at any meeting or Monday Night Open Shop.

This month’s meeting

will focus on all of the

experiences that members

had on the rock hunts in

New Mexico and Colo-

rado and the finds they

made in the Deming and

South Fork/Creede areas.

If you went on any of

these rock hunts and

would like to participate

in this month’s program,

please call Thomas Bauer

at 432-438-3470 so you

can be placed on this

month’s program docket.

Show & Tell: If you have

something that you have

made, collected, or need iden-

tified, please bring those items

to the general meeting.

PAGE 2 MGMS NEWSLETTER

Welcome New Member!

Welcome to new member

Dr. Andrew Kerr… Welcome!

Celebration of the Arts report: Quite a few people who stopped at

our booth took a l-o-n-g look at our

displays. After telling prospective

members about the classes we offer,

we gave them show flyers, mem-

bership applications and informa-

tion about our MGMS Scharbauer

House project.

Thanks goes to Thomas & Jennifer

Bauer, Emil Beck, Katrina Cornell,

Herman Jones, David & Anna

Richardson and Craig & Mary

Tellinghuisen for supplying

materials for display.

Thanks to Thomas Bauer, Gary

Fitzpatrick, Daniel Jones and

Herman Jones for setting up the

booth and the tent.

Thanks also goes to Thomas,

Jennifer, Mackenzie & Sydney

Bauer, Bill Halepeska, Herman

Jones, David & Anna Richardson,

Cris Shaw and Tom Wurster for

staffing our booth during this event.

Visitors are always welcome

at Midland Gem and Mineral

Society’s monthly general

meetings, held at the Sibley

Center in Hogan Park (1307

E. Wadley Ave.) from 7:00-

9:00pm on the 4th Thursday

of each month except July,

November and December.

The July meeting is the Sum-

mer Social, and this year it

will be held at St. Barnabas’

Episcopal Church Social Hall

in Odessa. (see details in the

July newsletter).

MGMS Membership List The 2012 Midland Gem and Min-

eral Society membership list has

been sent out to all currently paid

members by e-mail. This is being

done to reduce the cost to our or-

ganization of having to spend over

$1.00 a piece mailing it out by

snail mail to each member.

If you did not receive a member-

ship list by e-mail:

(1) Make certain that you check

your “Junk Mail” or “Spam” folder

of your e-mail program. The e-

mail containing the membership

list was sent by Daniel Jones from

mgmstx@gmail.com.

(2) Make certain that we have your

up-to-date, correct e-mail address.

Send your e-mail address to Daniel

Jones at mgmstx@gmail.com.

(3) The list was sent as a PDF at-

tachment. If you do not have

“Adobe Reader,” you can

download it, free of charge, from

http://get.adobe.com/reader/

2012 MGMS Scholarship Award Recipients

MYSTERY PHOTO

Did you guess who it is? It’s an

MGMS member in the photo that

was taken in his junior year of high

school. If you guessed that it was

Herman Jones you’re right!

Herman will be 90 in July, but we

will have cake at the June 28 gen-

eral meeting.

Midland Gem & Mineral Society’s

50th Annual Gem & Mineral Show

will be held Saturday and Sunday,

November 3 & 4, 2012 in the Mid-

land Center at 105 N. Main Street.

Midland Gem & Mineral Society is a non-

profit organization recognized under Sec-

tion 501 C (3) of the Internal Revenue Code

as an educational entity. No other organiza-

tion controls or directs its activities. Al-

though membership dues are not tax de-

ductible, donations in any form are tax de-

ductible as outlined by the IRS.

Midland Gem and Mineral Society recently

awarded two local students, Savannah Blanton

and Jake Taylor, with scholarships of $1,000.00

each.

Savannah, daughter of Gary & Christy Hobbs,

is a senior at Lee High School. She is active in

National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society,

Honor Band and Senior Girls.

Savannah plans to attend Texas A&M University

and major in Geology.

Jake, son of Mark & Dana Taylor, is a senior at

Midland High School. He is active in Texas

Scholars, National Honor Society, Junior Classi-

cal League, and Latin Club. He has received four

academic letters and has been named AP

Scholar, Physics Student of the Year and Na-

tional Merit Commended Scholar.

Jake plans to attend Texas A&M University and

major in Mechanical Engineering.

Savannah Blanton re-

ceives a check from

Scholarship Co-Chair

Mary Tellinghuisen.

Scholarship Co-Chair

Linda Bryant presents

Jake Taylor with a check.

PHOTOS: Herman Jones

MGMS NEWSLETTER PAGE 3

We regret that this information was

left out of last month’s news-letter:

The Spanish Stirrup Rock Shop

is located 2 miles west of Rock-

hound State Park, easily accessed

from I-20 at 6355 Stirrup Road SE

in Deming, New Mexico. Their

phone number is (575) 546-4078,

and, once again, their website is

www.ssrockshop.com/

Pictured above is one of their

famous “Eggzilla” geodes where

you can see the head of a bird. Photo © Spanish Stirrup Rock Shop.

WANT TO PURCHASE:

Medium to large capacity rock tumbler in good working condi-tion. Also interested in purchas-ing a Genie lapidary machine or rock saws, also in good working condition. Interested parties may contact: Michael Burns, 5804 Sterling Place, Midland, Texas 79707, telephone num-ber: (801) 427-3165, e-mail ad-dress: mustangut@yahoo.com

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Thanks goes to Stephen & Cindy

DiTullio, Bob Price, Connie Staton,

Love SwimmingBear and Craig &

Mary Tellinghuisen for donating

used computer ink and toner car-

tridges.

Didn’t see your name listed here?

PLEASE put your name on the bag

or box when you turn in your ink

and toner cartridges. Thanks.

South Fork/Creede, Colorado Rock Hunt

Seventeen members of Midland Gem and Mineral Society were

in attendance for the South Fork/Creede, Colorado 7-day Rock

Hunt, running from Sunday, June 3 to Saturday, June 9. Hunt-

ing rocks in beautiful Colorado was great fun and there were

also some outstanding cook-outs shared by the members. The

viewing of Colorado scenery and the wildlife was awesome! The

Rio Grande River was filled to the banks because of the snow

which was still melting and was visible all over the tops of the

mountains. Bobbie Hutson, Cynthia Gallagher’s mother &

Jerry Gallagher's mother-in-law, was a perfect guide and

showed us all the super places to hunt rocks. She is a real char-

acter, a fun person to be around, and her love of rocks and rock

hunting was very apparent!

Some of the places where rocks were found: Aqua Ramon,

where chalcedony, pyramid-shaped crystals & chert were

found, Cactus Hill & Twin Mountains, where agate, barite, ge-

odes, thunder eggs and more chalcedony & crystals were found,

and the Pool Table, where red jasper, chalcedony & agate were

found. Some large yard rocks were also gathered.

A visit to the Last Chance Mine outside of Creede, Colorado

was an interesting side trip. The owner of the mine, Jack Mor-

ris, entertained the members with an interesting story of the

history of the mine and how he was able to become the owner.

(You can read about this historic mine, how Jack Morris be-

came the present owner/caretaker, and what he is doing with

it– not only for rockhounds, but also for educating the public–

by going to www.lastchancemine.com/). Some terrific rocks and

minerals were purchased there.

The movie set of “The Lone Ranger,” starring Johnny Depp as

Tonto, was set up at the end of the main street in Creede, and

blocked one of the really good places to hunt rocks. (No, we did-

n’t get to see Johnny Depp, either).

All the people who were able to attend would like to say a big

“THANK YOU” to Jerry & Cynthia Gallagher and Bobbie

Hutson for all they did to make the 2012 Colorado Rock Hunt a

great success! —Anna Richardson, MGMS Rock Hunt Field Trip Chair

WANT TO SEE WHAT THEY COLLECTED? HEAR SOME OF

THEIR STORIES? ATTEND THE JUNE 28 MEETING!

WANTED: USED INK & TONER CARTRIDGES

You help our organization save money every time you donate

your used computer ink and toner cartridges. We now accept

ALL BRANDS of used ink and toner cartridges, including

store brands and “off brands,” too. Just bring the used cartridge

to any meeting or Monday Night Open Shop. Please put your

name on the bag or box when you turn in your cartridge. Have

questions? Call Daniel Jones 432-694-2142 or 432-520-7313 or

e-mail him at mgmstx@gmail.com

Monday Nights are Open Shop Nights!

All members are welcome to stop by our new shop at 602

South Main Street on Monday nights to socialize, or to

volunteer to work on items for the show, or to work on

your own items. Any member who has satisfactorily

passed any of the classes is qualified to use any of the

equipment and tools he or she has used in the classes. In

addition, a qualified member wishing to use shop equip-

ment must pay an annual fee of $12.00 plus an hourly fee

for each piece of equipment used.

“BARGAIN NIGHT” is on Monday nights, with use of

ALL equipment (except 24” saw) only $1.00, from 6:30-9

pm. The Monday night shop supervisor opens the shop by

6:30 pm; with equipment shut-off at 8:50 pm, and clean-

up to follow, so as to vacate the shop by 9 pm.

MGMS NEWSLETTER PAGE 4

May 24 General Meeting Vice President Winchester called the meeting to order, as

President Bauer was in absentia. Since there were no cor-

rections or additions, the minutes of the April 26 meeting

stood approved as published in the newsletter. David

Richardson gave the Treasurer’s report. Guests Kristen

Wagstrom, David Chabak, Lonny Fox, Jake Taylor, Mark

& Dana Taylor, Savannah Blanton, Gary & Christy Hobbs

and new member Andrew Kerr were recognized. Pebble

Pups/ Geology 001 Chairman, Bill Halepeska, reported

that they did not need any more instructors. Building

Committee Chairman, Bill Halepeska, said that one point

he wanted to bring up about our endowment fund was that

it was started with $50,000.00 (3 or 4 years ago –Ed.) and

it continues to grow to the amount we presently have.

Daniel Jones said that members who want to donate to our

endowment fund need to check “Other” on the special do-

nation envelopes and write in “Midland Gem and Mineral

Society” to make certain that it goes to our organization.

Herman Jones gave the Sunshine Chairman report. Vice

President Winchester then turned the floor over to Schol-

arship Committee Co-Chairs Linda Bryant and Mary Tel-

linghuisen. They introduced the two 2012 MGMS Schol-

arship Award winners, Savannah Blanton and Jake Tay-

lor, to the members present and awarded them with the

first of two installments of their $1,000.00 MGMS Schol-

arship. Vice President Winchester told the members pre-

sent that if they wanted to buy raffle tickets for the Genie

lapidary machine to see David Richardson. Field Trip

Chair, Anna Richardson, said that Jerry Gallagher had

brought examples of the material you can find on the rock

hunt in the South Fork & Creede areas of Colorado. Vice

President Winchester said that we will have a Slab Swap

and Cookout at the New Shop on Saturday, June 23. Show

Committee Co-Chair, Bill Halepeska, reported that the

Show Committee is meeting monthly and invites all

of our members to send suggestions for our 50th an-

niversary show by phone, snail mail or e-mail to him

building@midlandgemandmineral.org or to Tom

Wurster finance@midlandgemandmineral.org. For

Show & Tell, Andrew Kerr brought some of the ma-

terial that he and his sons found on a rock hunt at

Woodward Ranch near Alpine for identification. The

members present thanked Love SwimmingBear,

Ellen Adan, Karol Mayo, Jerry Gallagher, Mary Tel-

linghuisen and Sharon Winchester for bringing re-

freshments. After the refreshment break, Dr. Andrew

Kerr led the members and guests into the planetar-

ium’s theater and presented the program, “Dawn of

the Space Age,” followed by “The Night Sky over

Midland.” After a question and answer session the

meeting was adjourned.

Scholarship recipient Jake Taylor (center),

with parents Mark & Dana Taylor.

Scholarship recipient Savannah Blanton

(right), with parents Gary & Christy Hobbs.

Show & Tell: Examples of what can be

found in the South Fork/Creede areas of

Colorado, displayed by Jerry Gallagher. All photos this page by Herman Jones