— August 2020 —
Table of Contents
- Prez Says
- Our Sympathies
- Wishing Everyone Well
- Club Membership Forms
- Fredericksburg Rockhounds Minutes
- This Month’s Events
- Birthstone & Flowers
- Birthdays
- Newsletter Hard Copies & Mail-Outs
- Ads
- Club Info
- Club Officers and Committee Chairs
- Monthly Meeting Map
- Newsletter Articles and Club Info
- Print This Newsletter
Prez Says
Well here we are at month 5 of the pandemic. No meeting again this month and no guarantee we will see the end of this by fall. I have continued talking to a number of the membership about this and there doesn’t appear to be a problem taking care of club obligations. If you have anything to ask, you can call me at 325.248.1067; I’m here most of the time.
Vendor applications will be going out next month. At this time, the gem show is still scheduled to take place in January. Again, if anyone would like to include a note in the newsletter please send it to hcgms20@gmail.com. So far, I have not received any response. I hope everyone is well and I am looking forward to a time when we can all get together at the Hub. Until then, stay safe and keep thinking about rocks.
—Frank Rowell
Our Sympathies
Mary Jean Moreno, wife of long-time Rockhounds member Dan Moreno, passed away on July 11th. She had been a resident at a Knopp long-term care facility in Fredericksburg for a number of years. Our sympathy is extended to Dan and his family during this difficult time.
Wishing Everyone Well
As you all are no doubt aware, we are under a global pandemic brought upon by a coronavirus named COVID-19. We want everyone to stay safe during this crisis and since it is ever-changing (even by the hour!) here some places you can go online to keep up to date regarding COVID-19.
This first link is for the World Health Organization’s advice for the public:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public
Next up is a link for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html
The last two links are specifically relevant for us Texans and they go directly to Department of State Health Service on the Texas.gov website:
https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/
https://dshs.texas.gov/news/updates.shtm#coronavirus
May we all gather soon and hunt rocks. Be safe everybody!
Club Membership Forms
Membership application forms for the Fredericksburg Rockhounds are now available to download and print from our website. Please navigate to the new Resources Page located at this address:
http://fredericksburgrockhounds.org/resources/
Once there, simply click the link for the 2018 Membership Form to download or print a PDF copy.
Fredericksburg Rockhounds Meeting Minutes
There are no minutes for this month’s meeting as it was cancelled due the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
This Month’s Events
*** With health guidelines issued concerning the COVID-19 virus, most shows and events are being cancelled and rescheduled. Before making your plans, please use the information provided in each listing to contact the presenters to verify the status of the event. As always, BE SAFE! ***
August 2020
1-2—LUBBOCK, TEXAS: Annual show; Lubbock Gem and Mineral Society; Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, 1501 Mac Davis Lane; Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; Adults $4, seniors $3, children age 6-12 $2, and free admission for children age 5 and under; Vendors selling loose stones, rough, cabochons, geodes, beads, jewelry, mineral specimens, crystals, and fossils, silent auctions, and activities for children; contact Walter Beneze, PO Box 6371, Lubbock, TX 79493; Email: walt@lubbockgemandmineral.org; Website: www.lubbockgemandmineral.org
22-22—SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: Show and sale; Southwest Gem and Mineral Society; Wonderland of the Americas Mall, I10 and Loop 410 at Fredericksburg Road; Sat. 10-5; free admission; contact John Speck, 9515 Potters Point, Helotes, TX 78023, 2105961611; Email: jspeck2@att.net; Website: http://www.swgms.org/
29-30—FORT WORTH, TEXAS: Annual show; Fort Worth Gem and Mineral Club; Will Rogers Memorial Center, 3401 W Lancaster; Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4; Adults $6, seniors, military, and students $5, free admission for children 12 and under; Annual Gem, Mineral, Fossil, Bead and Jewelry Show and Sale (Rescheduled from earlier date, due to restrictions related to COVID-19 pandemic), silent auction, and activities for children; contact Janice Craddock, PO Box 123975, Fort Worth, TX 76121; Website: http://www.fortworthgemandmineralclub.org/show.html
- For more shows at later dates, or outside Texas, visit www.rockngem.com
August’s Birthstone & Flowers
The August birthstone is the peridot; the flowers are the gladiolus and the poppy.
 Peridot |
 Gladiolus |
 Poppy |
The peridot is a symbol of strength. It is light green in color and as such is sometimes called the evening emerald. It can be found in the volcanic lava of Hawaii as well as in meteorites.
The largest peridot found to date weighs in at 319 carats and is on display in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
The gladiolus, also known as the sword lily, stands for remembrance and calm.
Poppies come in different colors and have various meanings. Red poppies are for pleasure; white for consolation; and yellow for wishes of wealth and success.
- Majoros, Martie. “August Birthstone: Color and Meaning.” Almanac.com. Yankee Publishing, Inc. n.d. July 17, 2018.
- “August Birth Flowers.” Alamanac.com. Yankee Publishing, Inc. n.d. July 17, 2018.
Happy Birthday!
- Judy Carswell — August 1
- Bonnie Dietrich — August 8
- Thomas Mitchell — August 10
- John Farmer — August 15
- Tony Steele — August 16
- John Roup — August 18
— Please note: If we missed your birthday or have listed it incorrectly, please let us know so we can correct it! fbgrockhoundsnews@gmail.com
Newsletter Hard Copies & Mail-Outs
The club will no longer mail out hard copies of the newsletter to members. Those who have provided the club with an email address will continue to receive notifications via email when the newsletter is published for viewing online.
To print your own copy of this edition of the newsletter, go to the section titled “Print This Newsletter” and follow the simple directions.
If you need a hard copy of the newsletter each month and cannot access the online newsletters — http://fredericksburgrockhounds.org/newsletter/ — to print your own, then please let an officer of the club know and arrangements can be made to assist you.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask us.
— Josh Hazer, fbgrockhoundsnews@gmail.com
Your ad here for $25/year
For more information, please contact the newsletter editors by emailing us at:
Club Info
- Purpose of the Fredericksburg Rockhounds:
To share knowledge and appreciation of gems, minerals, fossils, and other natural wonders, and the art of jewelry making. We do this through educational monthly meetings, field trips, an annual gem, mineral, & fossil show, and donations to schools. We’re affiliated with the American Federation of Mineral Societies, and the South Central Federation of Mineral Societies. - Membership and Meetings:
We meet at 7:00 P.M. on the first Monday of each month at the Golden Hub Senior Center, 1009 N Lincoln, Fredericksburg, Texas (except in June, when we have our annual picnic). See map, below. - Annual dues are $3 for juniors (under 19 years), $8 for individuals, and $15 for families; due in January.
- Newsletter correspondence and newsletter advertising: fbgrockhoundsnews@gmail.com
- All other correspondence: Fredericksburg Rockhounds, 412 S. Adams St, Fredericksburg TX 78624
- Visit our website at fredericksburgrockhounds.org for more club info, field trip news, club photos, resources, and previous newsletters.
Club Officers and Committee Chairs
Club Officers for 2020:
- President: Frank Rowell
- 1st Vice President: Steve Perez – (817) 404-9789
- 2nd Vice President: Joe DeHoyos
- Past President: Lee Adams – (830) 796-8890
- Treasurer: Jim Gedeon – (830) 456-5419
- Secretary: Brenda Smith – (830) 895-9630
Committee Chairs:
- Programs: Joe DeHoyos
- Field Trips: Patti Felts – (325) 247-6040
and Sam Rodgers – (210) 240-7721 - Hospitality: Susan Olson – (830) 997-8516
- Membership: Virginia Adian – (830) 755-6105
- Historian: Sara Verstuyft – (830) 998-7350
- Media Equipment: John Crone – (830) 990-9823
- Annual Show: Vacant
- Newsletter: Josh Hazer
Monthly Meeting Map
Newsletter Articles and Club Info
Articles for each month’s newsletter must be received by the 15th of the month.
Send them to your newsletter editor via email: fbgrockhoundsnews@gmail.com
You may also use the form on our Contact Page to submit your articles:
http://fredericksburgrockhounds.org/contact-us
A copy of the Club MEMBERSHIP LIST is available TO MEMBERS ONLY, via email (or paper mail if necessary). Contact Virginia Adian at v.adian@gvtc.com or 830-755-6105
The Club CONSTITUTION & BY-LAWS are posted on our website: fredericksburgrockhounds.org/constitution
Print This Newsletter
To print this newsletter, click the following link to open the Print Dialog of your browser.
If you have any questions, just drop us a line and we’ll be happy to help you.