Monthly General Meeting

7:30 pm Monday, May 7, 2012
Georgia Mineral Society Building
4138 Steve Reynolds Blvd.
Norcross, GA. 30093-3059

Show Business!

We will be discussing and working on preparations for our upcoming Mother's Day weekend Jewelry, Gem, Fossil and Mineral show.

Please join us for our May meeting!

Carl Ziglin,
VP of Programs

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER: SPECIAL EVENTS
Trailer Unloading - May 14
June Picnic & Auction- June 2
Fall Workday - Oct. 20

Thanks,

Kim Cochran
Special Events Chair
770-979-8331

GMS Workshop News

"Do you still need to be certified on the GMS lapidary equipment? Call George Libby, Martha Brown, John Iacullo or Anita Westlake and make an appointment. Certification entails learning to use and care for the equipment, and make a calibrated cabochon. Proficiency will come with practice.

"Once you're certified, you can make future appointments to use the equipment. You won't want to miss this opportunity to learn a new lapidary skill from teachers who know their stuff!"

Anita Westlake,
Cabbing Instructor to the Stars

As of October 1, 2011, effective upon on member renewal date, member renewals that request to have a mailed hardcopy of Tips & Trips, will be charged an extra $10, along with the regular dues of $20. Electronic delivery is still free.

Respectfully submitted,
Dylan Porter, T & T Editor

GMS Treasurer Search

We have a vacancy in the Treasurer position. Richard Graveline has resigned as Treasurer. Thank you, Richard, for closely watching over our finances. Your efforts have benefited GMS greatly. Now, we need someone to complete Richard’s term in office. If you have some accounting background and/or are a good money manager, please consider serving the Society in this capacity. We need to fill the vacancy as soon as possible. If you are interested or know a member who is qualified and interested, please let me or any Executive Board member know at your earliest convenience.

Respectfully submitted,

Bill Waggener, President

The Gembox

If you have ever attended the Gem Section meetings or some of the Mineral Section meetings, you will be familiar with the Gem box.

I took over the Gem box in the late 70's. There were 30 stones, which came to each meeting. People looked at them, but there were few sales. With the permission of the Executive Board, I changed the manner in which it operated. I found better sources for material and instead of 300% markup I added only 20%.

The Gem box became a source for the membership to purchase items at inexpensive prices. The Gem box paid back to the GMS Treasurer the initial investment of $30 and all the proceeds were reinvested back into the Gem box.

Soon, it began to grow. In a few years, it was to large to bring to each meeting. The Gem box was divided into three parts: loose stones, jewelry and beads, and specimens. Each month the stock was rotated out.

When GMS left Emory University, the Gem box was restricted to section meetings, due to the ban on sales at the Chamblee Library. Now, with GMS owning a building, the Gem box will again be accessible to the full membership. I hope that you will take a look to see what the Gem box has to offer.

Kim Cochran

Friends, Romans, Rockhounds, Lend me your Photos!

I'm attempting to put together a computer slide show about GMS. One use for this presentation may be to help explain what a great group we are and why folks should become members. Our May show is one place this might be used. To create this presentation, I need to borrow your photos of GMS activities, field trips, finds, etc. Please let me copy the most interesting of your prints, slides and negatives. I would like to highlight the most fun aspects of GMS, particularly those involving juniors. If you have older photos I would also like to capture images of members from 'yestermillenium'.

Let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions about what should be included in the presentation.
If you have images already on computer disk, all the better (less work for me . . .).

Thanks!

Carl
programs@gamineral.org