MARCUS WHITMAN GEM AND MINERAL SOCIETY

2014 Officers  President

Jim Brain 509-522-2261  Vice-President

Jack Edwards 509-529-3673  Secretary

Kathleen Weston 509-540-6174  Treasurer

Sandy Kinsfather 509-529-1455  At Large Board Members

Vern Young

509-200-6939

Rick Magnaghi 509-522-2772

Lauren Page 509-529-3245

Lisa Stearns 509-386-0584  Federation Director

Olan Long 509-525-4640  Federation Delegate

Norma Long 509-525-4640  Immediate Past President

Keith Bacus 509-529-1248

Other Support  Programs Ralph Trethewey 509-529-9209

 Field Trips Janel Lacey 541-427-5394

 Gem and Mineral Show Lisa Stearns  Refreshments Lauren Page  Lapidary Shop Mgr Vern Young  Newsletter Editor Jim Brain

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President’s Message—Jim Brain  Please join me in congratulating War-

ren Rood on his election as President of the Northwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies for the 2014-15 term. We will hear more about what his goals and emphasis as president will be at our September club meeting.  I want to pass on the thank you we received from Judi Allison, for our club’s help with the Federation Show in Hermiston a couple of weeks ago. I wasn’t there all the time but know of at least a dozen members who helped out at one time or another.  Mark your calendar—The next Federation show will be in April, 2015 in Ogden, UT. There will be a lot of field trip opportunities associated with it.  I want to thank all those that participated in the lapidary skills competition at the August club meeting. Also congratulations to Ashton Huntley (juniors) and Norma Long (adult) winners of the President’s award judged by Warren Rood.  The club purchased two amethyst cathedrals for grand prizes in the daily door prize raffles during our show.

 Did you know that most rock

clubs post their club newsletters on their club website, including us. They can be easily accessed through the Northwest Federation of Mineralogical Society web site. Click on Clubs then on their newsletter link.  I want to thank Lisa Stearns and Carol Knobel for all the work they have done organizing things for this years Gem and Mineral Show. It is now getting down to crunch time. They need all the help we can muster to bring it all together. It starts at 0800 on Friday, September 12th with the setting up of vendor tables, display cases and the other facilities needed for the show. I hope to see everyone there. (Note: If you have signed up for a display case, please wait until everything is set up on Friday before you place your items in the display case. This will probably be around 3:00. Thank you.)

From the NFMS Newsletter There is a very thorough article submitted by Andy Johnson, the Public Lands Advisory chairperson of NFMS, regarding the BLM planning effort. You are urged to become famil-

iar with the process and take the opportunity to provide input if you see something that you feel strongly about. The planning effort could affect a lot of the very popular rockhounding

areas on BLM land. The offices that manage the BLM land in Eastern Oregon are in Vale or Prineville, OR. Washington lands come under the Spokane office jurisdiction.

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Show Update by Lisa Stearns Hello Rock Club Members, We are looking forward to a great show this year and I want to thank all those who are already signed up to help and those planning to help!! We’ve got some awesome vendors, beautiful displays, and great demonstrations planned for this year’s show!!! I hope to see all of you there. I need to remind everyone of a few things:  If you won a 1st or 2nd place ribbons at the lapidary completion at last month’s meeting, please bring the items to the meeting on the 9th with your name and the category entered attached. If you are unable to make the meeting, you can bring the items to the fairgrounds Friday morning, Sept 12th, when we are setting up.  Also, don’t forget that the lapidary shop will have its own display case so if you have made something at the shop please let me or your shop foreman know if you plan to display

items in that case.  We could use some more volunteers to put on demonstrations if anyone is interested.  If you are going to donate specimens for the School Contest case please make sure Bob Henkle gets them. Bob also needs someone to help put up the banners on the fairground fence along 9th street the week before the show. It is my goal to have a tentative schedule (not set in stone) for those volunteering to help at the show. At the September club meeting we will have a chance to get things finalized. I’m really excited about the show and hope you are too! Thanks and Good Cheer Lisa Stearns [email protected] 509-386-0584

There are a lot of wonderful rockhound related web sites on the internet. Here are a few. Web Sites

www.gatorgirlrocks.com/ (Describes rockhounding sites across the country.)

http://www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/ rockkey/index.html

Face Book Sites (on most sites you ask to join the site and they approve you to access the site.)  Amazing Geologist  Agate Collectors Worldwide  Rock Hounds

(Links to a good rock identification key.)

September Refreshments If your last name starts with the letters N thru Z please bring a plate of Cookies or Cheese and Crackers for the refreshment break at the meeting.

September Show ‘N Tell I have to say I'm getting a very nice collection of cab's that Harold has been creating in the club's lapidary shop. I have also been wondering what lovely jewelry and lapidary pieces other club members might have designed and made. I know we have several very talented members so bring a piece or two to SHOW YOUR HANDY WORK to others. Lauren Page

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Safety Corner by Will Self Eye Protection Will is vacationing on the Oregon Coast so I am re-running the article that appeared in the April Rock Licker. Editor.

Every rockhound will experience some sort of injury in almost every trip they take to bring home another load of treasures. Those injuries may be as small as a cut, bruised fingers or as large as a broken finger. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is a must and is part of the club recommendations for a safe field trip. The one that scares me the most is the eye injury. You have one set of eyes. There are precautions you can take to minimize those potential eye injuries. Speaking from someone who has experienced an eye injury it is not something to be taken lightly. The injuries are costly and painful. In many cases you could be 100 miles or more or several hours drive time from the nearest medical facility. Before heading out on that next trip, or going into your shop,

check your eye protection to make sure it is the proper kind. Just grabbing a pair of sunglasses or a pair of dollar store glasses may not be good enough to protect yourself. Last week a friend told me he had lost several days work because he was spalling a piece of obsidian and a large flake hit him in the eye, he was not wearing proper eye protection. There was potential there for loss of an eye. An approved pair of safety glasses can cost as little as $3. In order for your eye protection to be deemed safety glasses they will have been stamped or etched in some way with the numbers Z87.1 or ANSI Z87.1, look for the numbers on the edge of the lens or on inside of either of the arms. If those numbers are not there those are not safety

glasses. So many times I have seen people with safety glasses on and still not be protected because there is no side shield to prevent chips from entering from the sides. In my personal and professional opinion( retired safety consultant) the ultimate eye protection is a pair of safety goggles with a face shield, we all know that’s not going to happen most of the time, if ever. The biggest complaint most people have about eye protection is they fog up, most of them do indeed fog up. Some glasses are anti-fog or you can buy anti-fog wipes for your glasses which will work to some degree. Nor- mally just taking a break and removing your glasses for a few seconds will clear that up. So be as safe as you possibly can, wear your APPROVED eye protection and always watch out for the other person who might be close to you. Will Self

Club News Lapidary Shop Schedule Below is the shop schedule for the next two months. Also, I am looking for more members to be shop foreman. Interested parties, please call me. Vern Young 509-200-6939

Upcoming shows in our area: Sept 20-21 Southern Washington Mineralogical Society. Castle Rock, WA Oct 4-5 Springfield Thunderegg Rock Club Springfield, OR Oct 10-12 Portland Regional Gem & Mineral Show Association, Hillsboro, OR

Ask not Lapidary Shop hours are 6:00-9:00 on the dates listed below with the foreman’s name. Sept 4 Kathleen Weston Sept 18 Jack Edwards Sept 25 Tom Hargrave Shop will be closed Sept 11. Oct 18-19 Hells Canyon Gem Club Lewiston, ID Oct 25-26 Clackamette Mineral and Gem Club Canby, OR Oct 24-26 Bellevue Rock Club, Bellevue, WA For more information about these shows and others check out the most recent NFMS newsletter.

what the club can do for you but what you can do for the club.

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Club News The following individuals have joined our club. Please welcome them. Rhonda and Charles Nosler and son David of Walla Walla Chris Russell of Walla Walla Bud Rupe of Milton-Freewater (rejoined) David and Crystal Walk and son Carl of Walla Walla (rejoined)

Lifetime Club Members Bill Stonecipher Linda Stonecipher Jack Edwards Charlene Edwards Richard McCann Marilyn McCann Jerry Nielson Janice Nielson

Future Programs and Activities 

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The next field trip will be to the John Day Fossil Beds and Paleontology Museum on September 20. The October program will be a members swap meet where you will be able to buy, sell, trade, or whatever items you have made with other members of the club. We will also be having election of officers. November is our annual members only rock auction. This year we will be upgrading the material offered by including some of the material the club has purchased this past year. December will be our annual holiday potluck and rock related white elephant gift exchange.

To be eligible for a free lifetime membership an individual must be 65 years or older and been a member of the club for at least 10 consecutive years.

Elections will be in October Club elected officers serve two year terms that are staggered to maintain continuity on the Board of Trustees. Individuals may serve two consecutive terms in their position. With that as background, this year we will be electing a new Vice President (currently held by Jack Edwards) and a new Treasurer (currently held by Sandy Kinsfather) both of whom, according to our club by-laws, are not eligible to run for a third consecutive term. In addition, we will be electing two At-Large trustees (currently held by Lauren Page and Lisa Stearns, both of whom are eligible to be reelected though Lisa has indicated she will be unable to run for a second term.) A nominating committee will be announced at the September club meeting. They will canvas the membership for candidates and present them to the membership prior to the elections in October. In the meantime, please consider becoming a candidate for one of the vacant positions. In addition to the elected positions that serve on the Board of Trustees, there are several other places you can volunteer to help the club. There are several critical vacancies on the program committee, the field trip planning committee, and the membership committee. Two other important positions in the club will have new faces in 2015. Jack Edwards has agreed to serve as the Gem and Mineral Show Chairperson and Lisa Nosler has agreed to give it a shot as Rock Licker Editor. Both of these are activities that need a lot of support from the rest of the club membership to be successful. Let’s all help them out.

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Field Trip Report This space had been reserved to insert any field trip report or other material I might receive. At the time of printing nothing had been received so the space is empty.

Pictures of the Month—

Pacaya Volcano, Guatemala 2010 Photos by unknown photographers taken from the internet

Save Your Canceled Postage Stamps Members are encouraged to save canceled postage stamps and give them to Norma Long, our Federation Director, who will forward them to the Federation which in tern sells them to a stamp broker. Proceeds from the stamp sale are donated to organizations that support cancer research. The most desirable stamps are the commemorative stamps, not the American Flag or Liberty Bell forever stamps, so save commemorative stamps whenever possible.

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Mineral of the Month—Hematite Hematite is one of several forms of iron oxide (Fe2O3). It crystallizes in the rhombohedral lattice system, and it has the same crystal structure as ilmenite and corundum. Hematite is a mineral, colored black to steel or silver-gray, brown to reddish brown, or red. It is mined as the main ore of iron. Varieties include kidney ore, martite (pseudomorphs after magnetite), iron rose and specularite (specular hematite). While the forms of hematite vary, they all have a rust-red streak. Hematite is harder than pure iron, but much more brittle. Huge deposits of hematite are found in banded iron formations. Gray hematite is typically found in places where there has been standing water or mineral hot springs, such as those in Yellowstone National Park in North America. The mineral can precipitate out of water and collect in layers at the bottom of a lake, spring, or other standing water. Hematite can also occur without water, however, usually as the result of volcanic activity. Clay-sized hematite crystals can also occur as a secondary mineral formed by weathering processes in soil, and along with other iron oxides or oxyhydroxides such as goethite (pronounced gur-tite), is responsible for the red color of many tropical, ancient, or otherwise highly weathered soils. The name hematite is derived from the Greek word for blood αἷμα haima because hematite can be red, as in rouge, a powdered form of hematite. The color of hematite lends itself to use as a pigment. Ochre is a clay that is colored by varying amounts of hematite, varying between 20% and 70%. Red ochre contains unhydrated hematite, whereas yellow ochre contains hydrated hematite (Fe2O3 • H2O). The principal use of ochre is for tinting with a permanent color. The red chalk writing of this mineral was one of the earliest in the history of humans. The powdery mineral was first used 164,000 years ago by the Pinnacle-Point man possibly for social purposes. Hematite residues are also found in old graveyards from 80,000 years ago. Near Rydno in Poland and Lovas in Hungary, palaeolitic red chalk mines have been found that are from 5000 BC, belonging to the Linear Pottery culture at the Upper Rhine. Rich deposits of hematite have been found on the island of Elba that have been mined since the time of the Etruscans. Hematite's popularity in jewelry was at its highest in Europe during the Victorian era, and has since seen a strong resurgence in North America, especially in the western United States. Certain Hematine is a synthetic material sold as magnetic hematite Information taken in part from Wikipedia.

Hematite with small quartz crystals from China. Jim Brain Purchased from Granite Mountain Nature Gallery—McCall, ID

Hematite Sphere Photo take from the internet

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Board Meeting Highlights August 5, 2014 Meeting called to order: 7:00pm Announcements: Jim 

Mail needs to be picked up more often, 3 times a month; before each meeting and at the end of month.

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Rock Licker has a new format. Designed to be more visually appealing to the internet users.

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Hermiston NFMS show still needs help. Anyone willing to volunteer please let Jim know.

Reports: 

Treasurer : Annual Report is completed. Gave secretary a monthly financial report.

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Secretary : Received Dan Waddle show space rental payment, a $150.00 money order given to Sandy.

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Lapidary Shop : Vern gave Sandy $55.00. All is good at shop and the polish wheel is fixed thanks to Vern. Juniors Program : We need help getting more juniors to the club and and interesting programs for them. Talked about a group going to schools with displays and information about our club activities. Norma suggested contacting the elementary school principals at one of their meetings do discuss ideas and activities that would also stimulate interest in cub. Need to get copies of the Diamond Dan idea book. Badge program was talked about. Federation Director : Olan-Informed all to be aware of a scam to renew Rock & Gem magazine. Only respond to solicitations received directly from the magazine.

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Federation Delegate : Norma-Is working on Rockhound Of The Year award plans and would like any suggestions or helpful ideas.

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New Display Cases : Keith-Still planning. There will be no new cases ready yet.

Field Trip Planning : Suzanne, Olan and Jack prepared a field trip planning guide for 2015. Jim's goal is to post trips by January 2015. August Programs : August will be our competition for members, 3 items only or groups of 3 alike specimens. Juniors will be talked to to see interest and have a general list of categories. Warren was asked to judge competition. Show Chairperson : Lisa will not be able to be chairperson for the show next year. Discussed a few changes for show layout. Jim will make a handout listing vendors and activities to pass out at the door. The demonstrators will be throughout the show in different locations. Bill needs help with the show trailer. He needs someone to supervise the loading and unloading. He is comfortable to pulling the trailer. Will contact Bud Rupe. Olan donated a gold pan kit for the show raffle. Banners are at Kathy Hassler's and Lisa will pick up when finished. City has been contacted for cost and date to place signs. Olan will follow up with Baker Boyer Bank who has allowed a show case in each branch promoting the show. Carol got ok from schools for publicizing school competition. Bob offered to put signs up but needs help any volunteers. Please contact him soon. Show food vendor confirmed. Show fliers need to be distributed by all please take a few and place in appropriate areas. Discussed show tailgating. New signs will be made. Jim asked for help with Rock Licker, article's regarding Rocks or Gems, hiking, digs, etc. Jim can no longer be both president and editor. Meeting adjourned 9:10pm.

General Meeting Highlights August 12, 2014 Over 50 members and guests attended the August meeting. (Announcements made at the meeting are the same as those listed in the section above.) The main feature of the meeting was the annual club lapidary competition. Individuals entered examples of their lapidary work. Approximately 40 items were entered. Members voted to determine the best entry in each of 9 adult and 3 junior categories.

First, second and third place ribbons were given to the respective finishers in each category. In addition each person was asked to select the best entry in each division to identify the “People’s Choice” award recipients. NFMS president Warren Rood was invited to pick best of show within each division. First and second place winning items will be placed in the club display case at the show.

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THE ROCK LICKER is the official monthly publication of the Marcus Whitman Gem and Mineral Society, Inc. (NFMS Club # 719), PO Box 338, Walla Walla, WA 99362. The objective of the Society is to encourage the study of earth science through suitable programs, field trips, exhibits and other educational activities. People of all ages are welcome to join us. There are junior club activities for youth aged 18 and under. Regular club meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month (except July and December) at the Lions Club Field House on the corner of SE 8th St and SE Larch Ave. in College Place, WA. Both the Juniors club activities and general club meeting start at 6:30 pm. Note: July is reserved for a club picnic and December is reserved for the Christmas party and potluck.

The Rock Licker Editor Jim Brain 509-522-2261

We are on the WEB https://sites.google.com/site/mwgemandmineral/

The Marcus Whitman Gem and Mineral Society is affiliated with the: American Federation of Mineralogical Societies Northwest Federation Mineralogical Societies Your business tag line here.

American Lands Access Association

Marcus Whitman Gem and Mineral Society PO Box 338 Walla Walla, WA 99362 Return Service Requested Remember to save your stamps

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