Board Meeting March 5, :00 PM St. Bernard s Catholic Church, 226 Wicks Lane All are welcome!!

Transcription

1 Yellowstone Deposit Billings Gem & Mineral Club P.O. Box 477 Billings, Mt, Board Meeting March 5, :00 PM St. Bernard s Catholic Church, 226 Wicks Lane All are welcome!! Club Meeting St Bernard s Catholic Church 226 Wick s Lane Thursday, March 5, :00 PM Yellowstone Deposit March, Our Club Objective: Sharing the enjoyment and education of all earth science related activities. 1

2 From the President We re back from Arizona!!! It was too hot for us while there, in the 80 s. We re having trouble readjusang to normal weather, but it feels more normal for this Ame of year. Deb and I made it to one day of the Quartzite Powwow and several days of the Tucson shows. They never fail to amaze us with the number and variety of fossils, rocks and gems on display and for sale. We were also able to make a special side trip to visit Karchner Caverns State Park and Chiricahua NaAonal Monument just southeast of Tucson. A couple of amazing places. Well back to business. I hope everyone has had a good winter so far and are gemng ready for a busy spring. We have only two months to go before the show and quite a bit to get organized. Have you signed up for the areas of the show you are going to help with? Also what you want to put in a showcase? There is sall Ame to figure out both of those important items before May. See you at the meeang March 5 th!!! Mark L. Petrified wood table Chiricahua panorama 2

3 Visit Our Website! 3

4 Please take note! Due to the pre Easter ac.vi.es at St. Bernard s, the April 2nd meeting has been changed to Thursday, April 9th!! The March mee*ng program has been adjusted to HOBBY NIGHT!! All members are encouraged to bring your special hobby to share with the club. Be it a collec*on, a skill to show off, or anything you feel will interest the club, please feel free to par*cipate and make it a fun night! See you there and thanks! - Janey Haburchak Dear Billings Gem and Mineral Club, My brother and I have our parents Gem and Mineral CollecAon for sale that dates from the early 1960's through the 1980's. Please send an address where I can send you a inventory list and photos of the collecaon. I would love to hear if anyone is interested. Sincerely, AnneZe Yates ph: yates.annie@hotmail.com Note from the editor: I have the list and pictures. If anyone wants, I can them. The Yellowstone Deposit would like to publish your story! Do you have a favorite collecting spot, or a story about rockhounding? Please send it to the editor with any pictures. Publication deadline is the 20th of the month. 4

5 Have you paid your 2015 Club Dues? Dues are $10 for individual, $15 for Families Accepted at monthly meeting or mail to: Billings Gem & Mineral Club PO Box 477, Billings, MT, Birthstone for March is Bloodstone Who in this world of ours their eyes In March first open shall be wise, In days of peril firm and brave, And wear a bloodstone to their grave. 5

6 Rockhound Soapbox by John Martin, AFMS Conservation & Legislation Chair New House Commi,ee Chairs With the mid term elecaons over and the ending of the 113 th Congress, the leadership in the House of RepresentaAves is changing. This change is because of the elecaon, Term Limits and rearement of some of the RepresentaAves. What does this have to do with Rockhounds and Rockhounding? There are at least three new commit- tee chairs on commizees that have direct impact on your public lands where most Rockhounds pursue the hobby of collecang Rocks, Minerals and Fossils. What happens in these commizees has a direct bearing on how collecang on you public lands will be affected. Three House commizees are of paracular interest to us: The House Natural Resources CommiZee; the House Agriculture CommiZee; and the House Over- sight and Government Reform CommiZee. Rep. Rob Bishop (R- Utah) will become the new Chairman of the House Natural Resources Commit- tee. The House CommiZee on Natural Resources, chaired by Rob Bishop of Utah, considers legislaaon about American energy producaon, mineral lands and mining, fisheries and wildlife, public lands, oceans, NaAve Americans, irrigaaon and reclamaaon. The CommiZee is comprised of 47 RepresentaAves, 26 Republicans and 21 Democrats. To read more about the CommiZee s specific jurisdicaon, go to natural resources.house.gov/about/about/jurisdicaon.htm> about the CommiZee s specific jurisdicaon. Rep. Mike Conaway (R- Texas), will become the next chairman of the House Agriculture CommiZee. The Agriculture CommiZee is important to us be- cause it has jurisdicaon over the U.S. Forest Service. Your US Forests are a major factor in the Hobby of Rockhounding in many parts of the country. The decisions of this commizee will have a major effect on how Rockhounding in your NaAonal Forests is conducted. To read more about the CommiZee's specific jurisdicaon, go to: <agriculture.house.gov/ about/ jurisdicaon- commizee. Finally, the House Oversight and Government Reform CommiZee will have a new Chairman, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R- Utah). Of paracular interest to us is the fact that Rep. Chaffetz will be establishing an Interior Oversight working group, possibly a subcom- mizee, to focus on the Bureau of Land Management and the NaAonal Park Service, as well as the U.S. Forest Service. Chairman Chaffetz will be coordinaang closely with 6

7 Chairmen Bishop and Conaway similar efforts. To read more about the commizee go to <oversight.house.gov/>. To read the rules and the CommiZee's specific jurisdicaon, go to <oversight.house.gov/ wp- content/uploads/2013/12/ogr- CommiZee- Rules- 113th- Congress.pdf>. Every Rockhound who reads this should become familiar with these 3 CommiZee Chairs and the commizees. All Rockhounds whether an individual, member of a Club or Society or a FederaAon needs to contact these elected RepresentaAves and let them know you are here and you enjoy RecreaAonal Rockhounding on your Public Lands. Let them know your concerns about Access to your collecang areas and you want to preserve these collecang areas for RecreaAonal Rockhounding for future generaaons of Rockhounds. Let them know that you are but one of millions of Rockhound in the United States of America who use these Public Lands for RecreaAonal Rockhounding. Let them know that Rockhounds are good Stewards of Public Lands. Tell them about the AFMS Code of Ethics and Land Use Policy. Without the voices of Rockhounds all speaking in unison, lemng your government know you are here and that you really do care about the recreaaonal usage of the Public Lands of America, the Rockhound will become exanct within a few decades. ContacAng your elected officials as an individual or a club or society with commits, concerns or ques- Aons will not have an adverse effect on your 501(c) (3) or (4) status. Senate CommiZees and CommiZee Chairs will be discussed in future aracles. For quesaons, concerns, comments or assistance, please contact the AFMS LegislaAon and ConservaAon CommiZee at afmsclc@antelecom.net. Reprinted from Feb 2015 Rock & Gem the AFMS Newsletter Yellowstone Deposit Editor: Chris Channell 10 Shoe String Rd Lavina, Mt, cchan22@midrivers.com DON T FORGET TO BRING YOUR POSTAGE STAMPS TO THE MEETING! THEY ARE USED TO SUPPORT CANCER RESEARCH. 7

8 Code of Ethics I will respect both private and public property and will do no collecting on privately owned land without permission. I will use no firearms or blasting material in collecting areas. I will take all garbage home or deposit it in proper receptacles I will leave all gates as found. I will cause no willful damage to materials or take more than I can reasonably use I will build fires only in designated or safe places only. I will discard no burning material - matches, cigarettes, etc. Friendship News by Cathy Pickham Our best wishes were sent out to Larry Field, Earl and Verda Moos, Ray and Bob Jackson, Chris Channell, Janey and Bob Haburchak, and to Juliana Stevens. Our Club is a group of wonderful caring people with so much knowledge to share and when one is not so good or lost a loved one we have heart felt concern for them. Please call me if you would like a card sent to one of our members. I will fill all excavation holes which may be dangerous to livestock. I will not contaminate wells, creeks, or other water supplies. I will not damage or tamper with signs, structural facilities or equipment. I will leave all collecting areas devoid of litter, regardless of how found. I will appreciate and protect our heritage of natural resources Officers President : Mark Lent Vice Pres: Tom Thayer Secretary: Penny Clifton Treasurer: Julie Peden Board Members Leroy Pickham Kathie Burke Steve Newstrom, Cora Azpeitia, Janey Haburchak Committee Chairmen Field Trip: Bob Miller Friendship: Cathy Pickham Web: Janice Hergenrader Show Chair: Doug True NFMS Rep, Doug True NFMS and AFMS Field Trip Chair: Doug True TALL amethyst cathedral Photo by Mark Lent 8