June 2015 Del Air Calendar of Events

June 2015 
04: General Meeting: 7:30 pm in our regular meeting room. 
12, 13 & 14: 76^th Annual CFMS Show & Convection – Lodi, CA (see last page) 
18: Board Meeting: 7:30 pm at the Chris Ward’s home 
21: Father’s Day: Remember Dad on his Special Day. (No Neckties)  
21: First Day of Summer: Same day as Dad’s Day…..Here’s to a cool summer!
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Del Air General Meeting: Thursday June 04, 2015 
The meeting begins at 7:30 pm in our regular meeting room at:

Northridge United Methodist Church - 9650 Reseda Blvd, Northridge, CA 91324 Guests Are Always Welcome At Our Meetings & Events.
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 June 2015 Program: "Gypsum: Not Just Wallboard Ore"  presented by Steve Hardinger

Steve Hardinger, has been a mineral collector since 1976 and a mineral dealer since 2003. In addition, he has been a full-time organic chemistry instructor since 1990 and a senior lecturer at UCLA since 1997. Steve is going to entertain and educate you with his knowledge on gypsum. Gypsum is an under-appreciated mineral that deserves more respect. In this talk he will explore the interesting properties, classic localities, and other aspects of this mineral and demonstrate why gypsum really is fascinating and a highly collectable mineral.  Emmy Silverman-Program Chairwoman
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It was May 2nd & the Del Air Club was Really Busy!

We had 2 club booths going at the same time, same day but at two different schools. We cut geodes, had the spin a wheel going, played educational games and talked about rocks.

At the Our Community School Faire, were I was, we had Bob & Leilani Backus,

Keri Dearborn, Julie Marin and Bob & Maxine Dearborn setting up, running and taking down the booth. We saw lots of people, children and their parents, and they took many of our club fliers. We hope to see some at our meetings. Our new gold rock bags were very popular as was the spinning wheel, grab bags and geodes. Bob Backus had very soggy hands from cutting all the geodes.

At the El Oro Way Spring Festival we had Jim & Shellie VanWinkle, Chris Ward, Bob Knox and Marilyn Murata on site to set-up, run the booth and take down. We had Jim cutting geodes the entire time while Shelly and myself manned the spin a wheel, gumball machine and grab bags, both premium Gold and regular. Marilyn hosted a mineral match up game where every player won a free polished stone. Bob Knox manned a great touch and feel table and shared and spoke with hundreds of people.  Bob Dearborn-Secretary & Chris Ward-Editor
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SUPPORT OUR HOBBY....ATTEND A LOCAL SHOW 
 

June 6 - 7: GLENDORA, CA Glendora Gems & Mineral Society Goddard Middle School 857 East Sierra Madre Hours: Sat. 10 - 5; Sun 10 - 4 Contact: Bonnie Bidwell, (626) 963-4638	California Federation of Mineralogical Societies 2015 SHOW & CONVENTION "Rocks & Vines" June 12 –14 2015 Hours: Friday & Saturday 10-5; Sunday 10-4 Contact: Margaret Kolaczyk, markolaczyk@gmail.com
June 27 - 28: CULVER CITY, CA Culver City Rock & Mineral Club Veterans Memorial Auditorium 4117 Overland Blvd  (@ Culver Blvd, near the 405 &10 Freeways) Hours: Sat 10 - 6; Sun 10 - 5 Contact: Janice Metz Email: janicemtz@yahoo.com Website: www.culvercityrocks.org	August 22 - 23: SAN FRANCISCO, CA San Francisco Gem & Mineral Society San Francisco County Fair Building 9th Avenue & Lincoln Way Hours: Sat. 10 - 6; Sun. 10 - 5 Contact: Ellen Nott Email: ellen_nott@yahoo.com Website: www.sfgms.org
August 29 -30: CONCORD, CA Contra Costa Mineral & Gem Society Centre Concord 5298 Clayton Road (near Ygnacio Valley Rd.) Hours: 10 - 5 daily Contact: Harry Nichandros, (925) 289-0454 Email: show-c@ccmgs.org Website: www.ccmgs.org	September 19 - 20: CHICO, CA Feather River Lapidary & Mineral Society, Oroville Silver Dollar Fairgrounds 2357 Fair Street Hours: Sat 9:30 - 5 daily John Scott, (530) 343-3491 Email: jweazel@sbcglobal.net Website: www.featherriverrocks.org
September 19 - 20: REDWOOD CITY, CA Sequoia Gem & Mineral Society Community Activities Building 1400 Roosevelt Avenue Hours: 10 - 5 daily Contact: Carol Corden Email: cordencarol@yahoo.com Website: www.sequoiagemandmineralsociety.org	September 26 - 27: DOWNEY, CA Delvers Gem & Mineral Society Elks Lodge 11233 Woodruff Avenue Hours: Sat 9 - 5; Sun 9 - 4 Contact: Dale Hardwood (310) 217-0551 Email: nancyjbird@verizon.net

 

Go to www.cfmsinc.org for more show information. 
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June 2015: State Rock of the Month “Ohio Flint”
Ohio flint was designated the official state gemstone of Ohioin 1965. Large quantities of this stone can be found in Ohio, especially in the eastern and central parts of the state. Used to make jewelry and highly prized by collectors, Ohio flint comes in a variety of color combinations that include red, pink, green, blue, yellow, gray, white, and black.

Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Flint was used in the manufacture of tools during the Stone Age as it splits into thin, sharp splinters when struck by another hard object such as a hammer stone made of another material. This process is referred to as knapping. Native Americans used flint to make a wide variety of tools, weapons, and ceremonial pieces such as knives, arrowheads, and pipes. Early European settlers of Ohio also used flint for objects like millstones and rifle flints.

Flint Ridge, in Licking and Muskingum Counties, was a major source of flint for Ohio's Indians, who traded flint with other Native Americans across the continent. Archaeologists have discovered artifacts made from Flint Ridge flint as far west as the Rocky Mountains and south to the Gulf of Mexico. 
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Fossil Collecting 
Fossil collecting in US National Forests is taking a big turn starting May 18, 2015. The USDA and the USFS has released the final rule on collecting fossils on USFS managed lands. The rules allows “Casual Collecting” of plant and invertebrate fossils where collecting is allowed. There have been several definitions clarified by the rules just released. To be considered casual collecting, the activity means all of the following: Collecting of a reasonable amount of common invertebrate or plant paleontological resources for non-commercial personal use, either by surface collection or the use of non-powered and tools, resulting in only negligible disturbance to the Earth’s surface and other resources. Consequently, the Department considers that casual collecting would generally be happenstance without intentional planning or preparation. Development of criteria for reasonable amount and negligible disturbance reflects, in part, the view of casual collecting as an activity that generally occurs by chance without planning or preparation. All of that double talk mostly means that while walking or hiking through the forest you may stumble on a fossil and you may pick it up and take it home with you for your own personal collection. The amount of material that can be collected has been defined as 25 pounds per day and 100 pounds per year. The new rule also requires a permit to collect any fossils that are not collected under the Casual Collecting Rules. Included in the Final Rule are definitions important to Rockhounds and Casual Collectors of fossils on USFS Managed Lands. It has been reported that a similar rule is in the final stages for Public Lands managed by the BLM. The complete rule can be found at the American Lands AccessAssociation Website http://www.amlands.org/409534.html. Become familiar with the new rulsbefore collecting in your National Forest.
 (reprinted from the May 2015 Hill & Gully Paydirt –Palmdale Gem & Mineral Club) 
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