— January 2021 —
Table of Contents
- Prez Says
- From Our Secretary
- January Field Trip
- 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
I will start by wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. We will be missing another meeting this month. With the vaccine coming to most of our members in early 2021 we hope to be able to resume a more regular schedule of meetings. For now, this will have to do.
The executive board has approved a request to contribute to Dinosaur George. He has done a lot for our club with the presentations he has put on at the pavilion here in Fredericksburg. We felt it would be a good way to use our education grant. I would encourage anyone else in the club that can to go to his Go Fund Me page (https://www.gofundme.com/f/dinosaur-george?) and donate if you can.
I would also like to invite all club members to a field trip in Mason Co. on the 16th of January. (Please see January Field Trip) If the weather causes a delay, we will go on the 17th. This will give us a chance to shout at each other from a distance. This will have to do as a meeting. Hope to see you there.
One last thing, all officers will remain the same for 2021.
—Frank Rowell
President
From Our Secretary
On December 3, 2020, the officers unanimously approved sending $2,000 to “Dinosaur George” in honor of his efforts to help the Fredericksburg Rockhounds in its educational outreach activities.
The spike in COVID-19 cases in the Hill Country continues to make it necessary for us to cancel monthly meetings.
—Brenda Smith
Secretary
January Field Trip
On January 16th at 10am, we will meet at the confluence of the James and Llano Rivers. The 16th would have been the first day of our annual show. This location is large enough not to be crowded.
To get there, turn south on Co. Rd. 1723 from US 87 just as you reach the Mason city limits 1.4 miles from the square. Then turn west on Co. Rd. 2389 for 4.7 miles to the Llano River. There is a large area west of the crossing to collect in. Be aware of soft sand if you get off the shoulder of the road on that side. The ground is much harder on the east side.
Another location to visit is on the Camp Holland Rd. off of Co. Rd 1871 on the west side of Mason follow the road south to the Llano River bridge. There is a giant Stromatolite in the side of the cliffs on the south side of the river. Looking east down the river from the bridge is the cliff that the stromatolite is in. Camp Holland Rd. is just north of the bridge. Proceed slowly down that road looking across the river and you will get a good view of the cliff.
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! ***
January 2020
16: Please see the section January Field Trip for details.
- For more shows at later dates, or outside Texas, visit www.rockngem.com
January’s Birthstone & Flowers
The January birthstone is the garnet; the flower are the carnation and the snowdrop.
 Garnet |
 Carnation |
 Snowdrop |
The garnet, is thought to keep the wearer safe during travel. Garnets form in layers of rock deep underground where they withstand extreme temperature variations. Geologists study garnets to understand the effects of temperature and pressure on surrounding rocks. Although the garnet is commonly associated with a range of red hues, it also sometimes forms in other colors, including greens, yellows, and even blues.
The carnation comes in several different colors, which convey different meanings, much like roses. A pink carnation means affection, while a red carnation means ‘I love you.’
The snowdrop used to be considered bad luck because it always seemed to grow in graveyards, but nowadays, this delicate flower signifies hope and beauty.
- Majoros, Martie. “January Birthstone: Color and Meaning.” Almanac.com. Yankee Publishing, Inc. n.d. December 16, 2018.
- “January Birth Flower.” Alamanac.com. Yankee Publishing, Inc. n.d. December 16, 2018.
Happy Birthday!
- Virginia Klenzing — January 3
- Sarah Johanson — January 7
- Tom Carswell — January 8
- Michael Egger — January 13
- Yvonne Starr — January 13
- Callie Weaver — January 15
- Sandra White — January 15
- Patti Felts — January 16
- Tom Moyes — January 16
- Carolyn Roup — January 21
- Patricia (Trish) Wilson — January 30
— 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
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If you have any questions, just drop us a line and we’ll be happy to help you.