Next Meeting
Our next Meeting will be Saturday, June 26th, 2010 at 9:30AM
at the meeting room of the Gem City Rock & Mineral Society
in the basement of the Renaissance Centre building at
1001 State Street, Erie, PA
on the south east corner of 10th and State Streets downtown.
Yes, it's not July yet, but since so
many people have other plans for the July 4th weekend that's a bad time, and by July 10th we're only a week away
from the Gem Show -- so we're trying this out instead. We'll have at least a Work Session on July 10th to finish
packing up everything that needs to go to the Show the following week.
There is a parking ramp next door on the south side of 10th Street between State and French, which should be free
on Saturdays and Sundays.
To find the club, go in the State Street revolving door and look for the stairway down to the basement on the
right side of the lobby, or look for the elevators to the right of the lobby and take the third elevator to the
basement level. From there you should be able to see the door to our area.
We will be working on preparing for the Gem Show next month.
July 17 & 18, 2010
See Gem Show page for more details.
Next Work Sessions
Our next Work Session will definitely be Saturday, June 12th at 9:00AM
(NOT 9:30!) to make Discovery Blocks.
In general, check back here Saturday morning around 9:00AM or call Bob (454-6770) or Harriet (868-8422) to be sure.
We usually stay until at least 12:30, sometimes past 2:00.
Field Trips
We went back to the Batavia, NY area to collect Staghorn Coral Fossils on Saturday, April 17th, 2010 --
the weather wasn't great, but the company was good, and the fossils plentiful!
We'll probably choose a date in late September to go again if you missed it.
We are also planning to choose a date to go see the
DINOSAURS! at the
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, sometime after the Gem Show in July --
we'll choose a date at the show.
AND -- we are planning to go back to Herkimer County, NY to collect Herkimer Diamonds
(a special form of Quartz crystal) over Labor Day Weekend (see a 2005 trip report
for a better idea of the trip). We will once again plan to camp at
Crystal Grove Diamond Mine & Campground, since the people there are very nice,
and so are the ameneties -- and the crystals!
We will be making more specific plans at the Show, and at the August meeting.
Minerals Display - Year-Long Project
We have decided to put together a permanent collection of Minerals and Their Everyday Uses to be a part of
whatever displays we create in future. We are looking for both "mineral specimens" and massive / industrial grade
samples of maybe up to a dozen minerals, along with examples of things we use that are made from them. There
are many more than a dozen minerals that contribute to modern life on a daily basis, so we have some flexibility
in what we use, and we've created a chart on the Mineral Display Project page to keep
track of which items we have, and so what to concentrate on to complete a set. Check out our progress!
And as you look around you, remember - if it's not grown, then it's mined!
Pebble Pups
We are still looking for a new Youth Activities Coordinator, so the Pebble Pups are on hiatus until we find one.
Until we do, young people are still welcome to come to the regular adult meetings.
Library Display Window
Our 2009 Library Display is history now. Our theme this year was "From Rocks
to Gems" -- the lapidary processes involved in taking rough rocks, and cutting them in slabs, cabs, faceted gemstones, and other
decorative objects. Photos will be coming soon.
Our 2008 Library Display is now is now a memory, but you can still check out some photos on
the 2008 Library Window Display page.
Thanks to all the many club members who contributed
material to the display -- combining the best items from a dozen or so private collections turns out to be pretty
impressive! And if the comments of those who passed by while I was putting in / taking out / re-arranging etc.
are representative, lots of people were pretty impressed!
Club Mailing Address
The Club's Mailing Address is:
Gem City Rock & Mineral Society
P.O. Box 475
Erie, PA 16512-0475
updated 10 June 2010
