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ROCKWOOD ROCKHOUND NEWS for SEPTEMBER 1999
Welcome back to another year and a NEW
meeting Place!
Comments, Etc.
We hope everyone had a great summer and are all ready to start back to our regular
routine. Since Gordon Kummer has been sent to Colorado for a year, we needed to find a new
meeting place. Therefore, we will be meeting at Parkway Central
Middle School in room 705. The school is on Hwy 141 between Ladue and Olive. It may be
confusing because it is on the same campus as the high school and the Administration
Building. If coming from Hwy 40, go past the high school and turn into the drive that goes
by the Administration building. The middle school is at the end of that drive. We hope
everyone finds their way and we will see you at the meeting.
New Members!
Christine Baird
&
David & Janis Miller
Meet us in St. Louis
August 18, 19, & 20, 2000!
The Association of Greater St. Louis Earth Science Clubs is busy planning for the Year
2000 Midwest Federation Show. Keep this in mind when planning calendars for next summer.
We will need lots of volunteers. Contact Bob Morse, Show Chairman, at 462-4424 or e-mail him.
THANKS TO THE PARROTT'S
The June picnic out at the Parrott's new home was fantastic. There was a large turnout,
the food was great and the day was fun and relaxing for all. Thanks, Mary and Alan, for
being such fine hosts.
Internet News
Since more and more of our members are getting on-line, your editor feels that it might be
fun to have a computer section. Let us know of any good web sites so we can pass them
along. Here are a couple that might be of interest:
Midwest Federation Website http://www.commean.com/rocks/mwf/
We recently visited the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory site recommended in the June
1999 Rock Lore. This has every thing anyone could ever wish to know about volcanoes--even
information on hiking a volcano. This is great for kids who have to do reports for school.
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/home.html
Caution: Sometimes information on the internet is not always correct.
Politics?
Rockhounds and fossil hunters should be interested in hearing that the Feb. 1999 deadline
for Dept. of Interior's report, '"A Unified Federal Policy on Fossils" has been
extended. If you have not already written a letter expressing your concern, now is the
time to do it.
Comments should be sent to
The Honorable Bruce Babbitt Secretary of Interior U.S. Dept of Interior 1849 C street,
N.W. Washington, D.C. 20240
News From Other Clubs
STONES FOR EVERYONE:
For laundresses, the Soapstone.
For architects, the Cornerstone.
For cooks, the Puddingstone.
For politicians, the Blarneystone.
For borrowers, the Touchstone.
For policemen, the Pavingstone.
For stockholders, the Curbstone.
For shoemakers, the Cobblestone,
For burglars, the Keystone.
For tourists, the Yellowstone.
For beauties, the Peachstone.
For motorists, the Milestone.
For editors, the Grindstone.
via: SAN DIEGO MINERAL 7 GEM HY GRADER, ET. AL
Gem City Rock News
When two service station attendants in Lonia, Michigan refused to hand over the cash to an
intoxicated robber, the man threatened to call the police. They still refused, so he
called the police and was arrested.
AFMS
Tired of using good old bathroom tissue to wrap your specimens? Try SARAN WRAP, it cuddles
right up around your delicate specimens, and makes them much easier to handle.
Kitty MFW
How Geodes are Created
Geodes begin as bubbles in volcanic rock or as animal burrows, tree roots or mud balls in
sedimentary rock. Over time the outer shell of the spherical shape hardens and water
containing silica precipitation forms on the inside walls of the hollow cavity within the
geode. The silica precipitation can contain any variety of dissolved minerals, the most
common being quartz, but amethyst and calcite are also found. Over a period of thousands
of years, layers of silica cool, forming crystals of different minerals within the cavity.
Different types of silica cool at varying temperatures thus creating layers of different
types of mineral crystals. Each geode is unique in composition and can truly be discovered
when cracked open or cut with a rock saw. The size and formation of crystals and different
shades of color within the crystal make a each geode special. The rough exterior of the
geode gives no indication of the secrets held within its core. The anticipation never
fades for those who curiously collect buckets full of round geodes and eagerly expose
these secrets of each individual sphere-shaped rock. The most prized contain rare amethyst
crystals or black calcite crystals.
Editors note: The previous article concerning geode formation pertains not to the
geodes of Indiana. The Hoosier ones were all at one time animals The geodization process
actually starts inside the animal, grows and eventually splits the animal apart. Sometimes
leaving enough shape and/or remains of shell for the original animal to be identified...
Rock Pickings
DID YOU KNOW? .
The deepest canyon in the U.S. is not the Grand Canyon, but a gorge along the Idaho-Oregon
border called "Hells Canyon". Cut by the winding Snake river Hells Canyon is
7,900 feet deep at its deepest point, or 2200 feet deeper than the deepest part of the
Grand Canyon.
via: MONTEREY PENINSULA HERALD SCRIBE, THE NUGGET ROCK RATTLER - 12/92
Gem City Rock News
O-U-G-H; A Fresh Hack at an Old Knot
"I'm taught PLOUGH s' all be pronounce' "Plow.'"'
"Zat's easy w'en you're know," I'm say,
"Mon Anglais, I'll get THROUGH"
"My teacher laugh; 'e say to me,
"O-U-G-H is "OO!""
"Mon Dieu!" I cry "Mais nom d'un chien!!"
Zees Anglais make me COUGH!!!"
"'E say, "Again mon frien' is wrong;
"O-U-G-H is "OFF!""
"Oh, Sacre' Bleu! such varied sounds
Of words makes my HICCOUGH!"
"My teacher laugh; an 'zen 'e say,
O-U-G-H is "UP!""
"I say, "I try to speak your words,
I cannot speak them THOUGH!"
My teacher say, "Oh, no, oh, no -
"O-U-G-H is "OWE!""
"I learn no more! I s'all go mad!
I'll drown me in ze LOUGH!!!!!"
"But ere you drown yourself," says 'e,
"O-U-G-H is "OCK! ....
"'E taught no more; I 'eld 'im fast,
and killed 'im wiz a ROUGH."
Author unknown (to me)
IA caveat; pay careful attention to the rhyme scheme!] Ted Robles, Editor
Mountain Gem, Franklin, NC
DID YOU KNOW? Lincoln's Marble Leaks
Did you know that the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., is sprouting stalactites and
stalagmites ill its basement? This phenomenon is caused by water seeping through the
marble. Though the Memorial is a little over 55 years old, the formations have. grown
several feet in length. When the Memorial was built, engineers
sank 122 cylinders to bedrock 50 feet underground. The base of the Memorial is set high
above ground on a rectangular platform, thus forming a cavernous space beneath the 'floor.
This is where the stalactites and stalagmites are growing.
via: YAKIMA G & M NEWS ~o.
QUARRY QUIPS - 1/99
T-TOWN ROCKHOUND - 5/99
Gem Rock
USEFUL FACTS?
The first Ford cars had Dodge engines.. Leonardo Da Vinci invented scissors.. Camels: milk
does not curdle..
Since 1896, the beginning of the modern Olympics, only Greece and Australia have
participated in every Game..
Via Crystal Cluster Oct 1998
THINGS TO PONDER
Why isn't there mouse flavored cat rood?
What do you do when you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?
Would a fly without wings be called a walk?
Why don't sheep shrink when if, rains?
Why do they put Braille buttons: on the drive-through ATM?
Why do they sterilize the needles for lethal Injections?
Via Michigan Gem News, October 98
Rockwood Gem and Mineral Society Minutes May 21, 1999
The meeting was called to order at 7:35 by Bob Morse. We met at Sachs Electric for the
last time as host employee, Gordon Kummer, will be working in Colorado and we will need to
change locations. Many thanks to Gordon for the terrific meeting place which we have all
enjoyed.
Minutes were read and the treasurer's report given as follows: income- savings
interest.58, silent auction $1.60, dues $35.00 expenses - newsletters $139.44, speaker,
Bill Theis, $25 balance in treasury, $3830.02
Gordon reported on the road field trip that we did with Peggy Nuske and also mentioned the
Arkansas Memorial Day trip our club had been invited to join. Bob reported on the August
show. A sign-up sheet went around to cover the ticket table for which our club is
responsible; Dianne and Andy will take over Gordon's responsibilities for the show. A
meeting will be held on May 20th to continue organization for the 2000 show to be held at
Queeny next August.
Mary Parrott will host the club picnic at her new location on June 6th at 1:00. Sign up to
bring part of the meal, bring chairs and fishing rod and swim wear if so desired. Mary
will set up the Fall programs. Bob and Mary both shared about their experience doing
school programs. They mentioned giving rock specimens as gifts to the school kids and the
club voted to do this.
A new meeting place is needed for the Fall. Several suggestions were given and Claudia,
Andy and Mary offered to look into this matter. The club voted to authorize Bob Morse to
spend $50 for door prizes for the upcoming club year. He mentioned that Boeing club
members are going to form a club in St. Charles as Boeing is no longer interested in
sponsoring such. It was suggested that we use ticket stubs from the August show to mail
out postcards about out meetings to attendees in our area. Mary made a motion to this
effect and it was passed. The goal is to send them out in early Sept. Bill Miller won the
door prize and the formal meeting adjourned at 8:15 for a time of refreshment. The
following program was on Union Road Agate with Bill Theis presenting
Respectfully submitted by Dianne Larson, sec.
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