A Note from your President, Steve Hart

November 2008

Many of you remember our first public meeting in the Oroville Municipal Auditorium back on May 20, 2008, where we outlined our plans for a brand new Rock Club in Oroville that would eventually have a Shop and lapidary equipment for our members use. That probably seems like a long time ago, but I am excited to report that “eventually” has finally arrived. We have persevered, climbed some pretty steep hills and beginning in December, we will begin having our “open shop” hours for members, just like we promised. We took all but $170.00 of the money you (and many others) gave us, and spent it on insurance first, and machinery second. We presently have 3 trim saws, 3 grinder-polisher units and an 18-inch slab saw up and running. We have begun the process of certifying our lapidary instructors in the process of building Specification-Grade Cabochons, and in December, we will host our first open shop schedule to certify our members in proper cabochon construction. We will also be open for business to slab your bigger pretty rocks so you can make even more stuff. Classes? I’m glad you asked! We have published a full schedule of public classes to be sponsored by the Feather River Recreation and Parks Department (for a fee) and we are working on providing our members other classes as well. Check our website for details.

And people are still signing up as Charter Members. If there are any more of you out there who wish to say you were in on the ground level of the famous Feather River Lapidary and Mineral Club, be advised that the last day to become a Charter Member is midnight on December 31^st, 2008. We’ll stay open as long as there are checkbooks being waved at us!

Then, all 2008 Charter Memberships expire at 12:01 AM on January 1, 2009, and dues for 2009 are due again. They will be the same as they were in 2008--$30.00 for individuals 18 and over, $50.00 for a couple, and $10.00 for those aged 11 through 17. We sincerely hope you will rejoin the club and continue having fun with us. We appreciate those of you who can pay in January, but we will be collecting 2009 dues right up to the February 17, 2009 membership meeting. Then, we have to turn around and pay our insurance policy and CFMS dues--for 2009, those costs have been raised from $7.50 to $8.00 per person.

Finally, I want to personally invite all Members and their families to share a potluck meal (our very first) with us at the December meeting. Here is our official announcement:

All Members of the Feather River Gem and Mineral Society--and their Families--are cordially invited to our First Annual Christmas Potluck Dinner, which will be held on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 at the Rock Shop (852 Mitchell Street) at 6:30 PM. You need not dress up, but please dress warmly!

The goal of this meal is to provide a relaxed environment where we can review our first six months of operation as a club, meet fellow members and get to know what aspects of lapidary and jewelry making they like. There is nothing like finding a kindred soul in a crowd! Feel free to come early and help us set up the coffee and drinks.

In the time-honored tradition of potlucks, please bring a dish according to your last name as follows:

Last Name Begins With Bring this Dish

A through H Meat or Hot Dish

I through P Salad

Q through Z Dessert

We will say the blessing and begin the food line promptly at 6:45 PM. Don’t be late!

Website

Don’t forget to check out our website (orovillerocks.com )--you don’t even have to type the “www.” any more! The website is where Becky puts all the juicy stuff that rockhounds need to read. Schedules, announcements, CFMS information--you name it, it’s there. Incidentally, Becky is moving to Sacramento, but has agreed to continue to be our “charter” Webmaster. Thank you for your many contributions, Becky!

Becky had to resign her post as Refreshment Committee Chairperson. We are looking for someone who would agree to coordinate our meeting refreshments and make sure we have cups and spoons. Please call me at 589-3899 if you can possibly volunteer for this position. We need you!

Field Trip Information

There is no field trip planned for December. We will have information on the January trip at the Christmas Dinner on December 16^th.

Rock Club Staff

We still need member volunteers in the following positions: Shop Foreman, Scholarship Chairman, Librarian, and Historian.

We need people to step up and say “Yes, I’ll do that for a year or two”

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Sincerely,

Steve Hart

November 19, 2008

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