(NOTE: "Conejo" pronounced 'kon-a-ho (n) is the Spanish word for "rabbit", hence the logo design at left, and was the name given by the early Spanish explorers in the early 1700's when they came through the valley and noticed the thousands of jack rabbits that lived here, thus designating this area the "Conejo Valley")

Serving Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Moorpark, Simi Valley and neighboring communities in and near the Conejo Valley area of Ventura County in Southern California

Choose a Page on this List - Club Membership - Annual Show - Pebble Pups - Links to other Clubs - Meetings & Programs - Show Pictures - Field Trips - Lapidary Shop - Code of Ethics

The Conejo Gem and Mineral Club (CGMC) is a non-profit organization run by volunteers.  The Club promotes and extends the knowledge of minerals, geology, fossils, lapidary arts and associated fields. Click here for a map to our Club Meetings & Lapidary Shop The CGMC was founded in 1971, and is a member of both the California Federation of Mineralogical Societies and the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies.

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Happenings:

Here are some current & upcoming things involving our club. If you read this or have something to say let me know. My e-mail is below. If you e-mail me things I can probably copy paste and add to the "Happenings" Don't expect photos yet, unless I post a link.

March 2010:

Club Meeting-March 11th Thursday. 7:30pm Hillcrest Art Center, 403 Hillcrest Drive. Thousand Oaks Click here for a map to our Club Meetings & Lapidary Shop

Youth programs start at 7pm, starting in March, 30 minutes before the regular meeting.

The Board of Directors meeting will be March 18th at the Hillcrest Arts Center.

The Prez Sez: Dick Weber

For a geologist and mineral collector Tucson is like heaven on earth. Mary Pat and I have been going to Tucson for several years and we are more amazed every year. Rocks, minerals, and fossils from every part of the world. It is a great opportunity to see the spectacular minerals from India, China, Australia, Argentina or some other exotic locale that you may never get the chance to travel to yourself.

Even the finest museums and national mineral collections cannot compare to what you can see in an afternoon in Tucson. That is why the museums send their buyers to Tucson to acquire material for their collections. It also offers something the museums can never offer. In many cases the person who mined or developed the deposit is right there and eager to tell you all about the material. Some of these people are mining in some very remote areas and are always willing to pull out photos and samples to show us.

I have told Mary Pat several times I could spend a week in Tucson just looking and talking to people and never buy a thing and still have a great time. OK, I have to admit that has never happened. We added “a few things” to our collections. It is a good thing our new Tiguan has so much cargo space.

I always worry when a dealer gets a big smile on their face upon seeing my wife and greets her as his longtime good friend (a.k.a. customer) and tells her in his best English “for you very special price”. When he pulls out a box of things he knows she collects I don’t have to be psychic to know that I will soon be making a trip to the car with another big box of rocks.

Tucson is always a time to see our friends from around the world that we have collected from over the years. A special surprise this year was seeing three of our friends from Australia. It was their first time being dealers, bringing over 40 barrels of material including the Rainforest Jasper that they mine in Queensland. Their showstopper piece was a polished slab of Tiger Iron formation, the largest in the world. Awesome! It was like Christmas for us as they brought large specimens of material we could never have hoped to carry back on the plane from Australia. We also enjoyed showing them around Tucson and the Gem & Mineral Show after the wonderful hospitality they showed us Down Under.

Programs: Mary Pat Weber, V-P March: Highlights of the 2010 Tucson Gem & Mineral Show
If you cannot find it in Tucson, Mother Nature probably didn’t create it. Once a year dealers from all over the world sell gems, jewelry, rocks, minerals and fossils in more than 30 different hotels and venues throughout the city. There are plenty of great buys and bargains whether you have 50 cents or a few million dollars in your pocket.
When the wallets are nearly empty and the ATMs well used the Tucson Gem & Mineral Club hosts the grand finale at the convention center. Display booths, lectures, more dealers, display cases, and special exhibits make this show the great granddaddy of them all. Special exhibits of priceless specimens from both private and public collections such as the Smithsonian add to the highlights of this event.
This month Mary Pat Weber will show photos depicting some of the highlights of this outstanding show and why Tucson in February is the place to be if you have an interest in this hobby. She asks club members to bring a couple of their “steals and deals” from either Quartzite or Tucson for a display table.

OPPORTUNITY TABLE
While in Tucson last month Mary Pat does what she loves best...shopped ‘til she dropped. In other words, there will be lots of great prizes for the raffle this month.

Pebble Pups: Youth Program Coordinator Christine White: New time 7pm for youth programs.
We have a new Youth Program Coordinator, Christine White, a recently joined member, congratulations and thanks for participating in our club, this was a much needed position and all the club members will give you support with the programs for the youths. There is a new time for the youth program, starting in March, 7pm. This gives members with kids to have the youth program, then have time for the social time with the raffle, and then they can all watch the monthly program.

COMMUNITY EDUCATION
I attended another “Family Science Night” event on Feb.18 at Walnut Elementary school in Newbury Park. In addition to showing rocks, I distributed flyers about our upcoming show. “Family Science Night” is sponsored by the Discovery Center for Science & Technology in Westlake Village. The Discovery Center is an educational nonprofit organization whose mission is to create excitement about learning science & technology. It is funded by Baxter Biosciences, CLU, and Time Warner Cable. In addition to “Family Science Night”, the Discovery Center also sponsors Science Speakers Series and Museum without Walls, which provides school programs. The next FSN is at my local elementary school, CONEJO, on April 15.
Respectfully submitted,
Mitty Scarpato .

Annual dues are due this month. Please mail to Camille Van Ast or bring to the General Meeting on March 11th. Dues are $20 per individual and $30 per family.

Annual dues are now overdue.
Please pay now or you will miss all the exciting news in our monthly newsletter! If we have not received your dues by the end of the month, this will be your last Rocky Review.
Camille Van Ast is our Membership Chairman.
Please give her a call to let her know that you will be bringing your dues to the meeting, or you will be mailing your dues or, sadly, you will not be rejoining our club this year. Thank you!
Camille Van Ast
Phone: 805-498-7421
3798 San Marcos Court
Newbury Park, CA 91320

The following members will serve as elected officers for 2010
President: Dick Weber
Programs: 1st Vice-President Mary Pat Weber
Field Trips: 2nd Vice Presidents Mike Miller & Robert Sankovich
Membership: 3rd Vice-President Camille Van Ast
Editor: 4th Vice-President Becky Williamson
Treasurer: Sat Scarpato
Secretary: Mitty Scarpato
Federation Director: Robert Sankovich

Appointed officers for 2010
Art Council: Camille Van Ast
Community Education: Mitty Scarpato
Historian: To be announced
Librarian: Mike Miller
Parliamentarian: Roy Foerster
Publicity: Deb Sankovich
Refreshments: To be announced
Shop Foremen: Robert Sankovich, Manny Valdez
Show Chairman: Robert Sankovich
Ways & Means: Mary Pat Weber, Linda Demangelaere, Nick Duncan
Website: Robert Sankovich
Workshop Coordinator: To be announced
Youth Program Coordinator: Christine White

Welcome:
To our new members!
Marc, Tristen, Marcus and Tyler Condon
Kenneth L’Heureux
Carl Betz

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
March
3/6 Mariam Tetreault
3/13 Barney de Simone
3/14 Roy Foerster
3/15 Lee Anderson
3/20 Giancarlo Fox
3/20 Linda Duncan
3/20 Steve Douglas
3/21 Nick Duncan
3/21 Lisa Syring
3/22 Dennis Bianchi
3/23 Lizz Burford
3/27 Cyndy Treutelaar
3/28 Woodrow Walker

OUR UPCOMING SHOW
2010 Show April 24th, 25th, set up Friday 23rd: The show's going to be here before we know it, pick up flyers at the club meeting to hand out. Publicity is the most important thing and each member should hand out some flyers. Tell a friend, co worker, family. We’re going to need help with this years’ show. There are several positions open and in need of someone to take over. Sal Scarpato will be the Kitchen Chair, thanks Sal!! We will need a cook, cashier, and helper. We'll need a couple people to do the electrical. It’s time to start tumbling rocks for the show, the grab bags, and the youth room. Camille asks that you get started on plantings for the sale. Even if you are a new member any help you can give is appreciated, there is something for everyone to do to participate in our show. We’re going to need material for the silent auction, the gem jars. Here’s what’s left in our timeline:
Getting the Word Out: Today through April 25th Tell friends, family, co-workers, and people you don’t even know about the Show. Pick up Show flyers at our March meeting or call me to get some now, and begin posting them on public bulletin boards, leaving them on local business counters, giving them to acquaintances, and otherwise doing all you can to get folks to our show at Borchard Park. In addition to quarter-page flyers, we’ll have colorful posters that can be taped to a car window to create movable billboards.
Set-up: Friday, April 23rd (1pm – 10 PM) Please: everyone who is able, take a day or half-day off work on Friday to assist in set-up. It’s important that many share the work so it doesn’t fall on few shoulders. Some jobs are physically demanding, but most are not, and we need all the hands we can get. We need help setting up tables, adjusting tables and chairs, skirting tables, assembling display cases, arranging the plant sale area, youth room, kitchen, etc. We’ll circulate a sign-up sheet at March meeting. We’ll officially open the doors to dealers, demonstrators, and exhibitor set-up at 3pm, but we will be setting up the tables, and skirting at 1pm.
If you haven’t yet signed up to enter a display, please fill out an exhibitor form and mail it right away or call or email Nick Duncan (498-4185, nick.duncan@verizon.net) and/or fill out an exhibitor form at our March meeting. Since we have a limited number of club cases, it’s essential we get an accurate count of exhibitors, and we also need exhibitor info in advance to include in the Show program. You don’t need a huge collection to make an attractive display, so if you’ve never displayed before. We can help with ideas. (Some pointers on what to bring for setting up your case: liners or cloth, risers, masking tape, duct tape, your specimens, labels identifying your specimens, a name label so people will know whose display it is, and lots of enthusiasm—it’s contagious!) Then we’ll have our
Show dinner, between 6 and 7 PM. If you’d like to assist in preparing and serving, call Sal Scarpato, 818-707-9972. The club will provide the main course, bread, salad, and drinks.
Show Time! April 24-25 (9 AM – 5 PM Sat.; 10 AM – 4:30 PM Sun.) We’ll circulate Show job sign-up sheets at the March meeting, and we’re depending on volunteers to help upon arrival during the Show. See what hours are open at each station and help fill in where needed. Or pick an activity that most interests you, then call the committee chair today to offer your help.
We need help with:
• Hospitality. Welcome folks to the show, give them the Show Program and tell a bit about our club, invite give them a opportunity ticket, and tell them about our aspects of the show; sell T-shirts.
• Youth Room. Help Mitty Scarpato, 818-707-9972, run activities for kids: the spinning wheel, grab bag sales, sand sifting for prizes, , etc. We’ll also be distributing free rocks to teachers from the Kids Booth. This booth can become especially hectic, so we need at least 2-3 people running it at all times.
• Silent Auction. Open position, welcome help running our hourly silent auction. We’ll need people to announce the auction each hour, hand out prizes, set out new prizes and price them for minimum bids.
• Plant Sale. Call Camille Van Ast, 498-7421, to help sell plants and cuttings, another popular source of revenue for us.
• Security. Throughout the Show, we ask members to circulate among the crowd in orange security vests to present a visible presence. We also need volunteers to spend a night or two providing overnight security. It’s the cheapest hotel room in town!
Dismantling: Sunday, April 25th, 4:30 PM It not over till it’s over. So please don’t pack up your own goodies and run at Show’s end. We’ll need a lot of strong arms and backs to reverse what we did on Friday in order to pack everything and return it to our store room and Lapidary shop. To thank everyone, we’ll have a free dinner, once all is packed away and the final floor swept clean.
Robert Sankovich Show Chairman 2010 805-494-7737 rmsorca@adelphia.net

Field Trips:Field Trips Upcoming: Please let us know if you are going to go on the field trip. The weather can change, if we don’t know your going we won’t be able to contact you if the field trip is cancelled. There will be maps and flyers at the club meetings. There are still people who show up for the field trip without notifying Mike, Ron or Robert, you can still be part of the field trip, but it is important that you let us know your going to attend. Please let us know if your going to attend, e-mail or call us. I have new truck, it's a white Ford F250 four wheel drive, crew cab, if your looking for me, look for my truck.
Contacts Tri Clubs: Robert Sankovich Conejo/Ventura Clubs 805-494-7734, rmsorca@adelphia.net
Mike Miller Conejo Club 805-498-9586, rockfndr@att.net
Ron Wise, Ventura/Oxnard Clubs, 805-794-0737 clintwise@hotmail.com

Victor Valley tailgate March 12-14 2010 The 34th annual tailgate will be held March 12 through March 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and it is free to vendors and visitors. It is a great outdoor adventure for the entire family. Attend the family field trip from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday for various marble material. Shop for "rough" rocks, fossils, gems, finished jewelry, equipment and more. A snack bar will be provided. The tailgate takes place along Stoddard Wells Road (graded road) cars and RVs are OK though it may be bumpy, seven miles east of the Dale Evans Pkwy intersection. Green "Tailgate" signs will be posted along the route. For those of you that will be camping, just a reminder that although there are port-a-potties available there is no water available. You are best advised to haul your own. Spaces can not be held for anyone they are on a first come, first serve basis. Hotels are available in Victorville approx. 15 miles from the site. Last year we had nearly 100 vendors and the weather was beautiful. The show will go on rain, snow, or shine. Call 760.243.2330 or go to www.vvgmc.org for maps and more information.

March 14, 2010 Tajiguas Beach Santa Barbara, CA Tri-club fieldtrip Ron Wise, Ventura/Oxnard Clubs, 805-794-0737 clintwise@hotmail.com Fieldtrip: Enjoy a winter day at the beach! On Sunday March 14, our fieldtrip will be to Tajiguas Beach North of Santa Barbara, about two miles beyond Refugio Beach. We will be hunting for petrified whalebone and concreations with petrified wood or whalebone enclosed in rock. Stop at the first turn out space along the highway and look for the tri-club signs in the parking spot along the highway. Note the distance from California Street in Ventura is 54.1 miles. Meeting: On Sunday morning March 14, we will meet at the trail leading to the beach at 10:00 a.m. Low tide is at 2:33 p.m. and after a couple hours of running up and down the beach it should be a great spot for a picnic lunch, if the weather cooperates. Plan to leave around 3:00 p.m. Tools: You will need a bucket or pack to carry back your finds. Do not forget hat, sunscreen, water and lunch. Bring a variety of clothing for everything between sunny and hot too windy and cool. Pray for oceanic storms to wash the sand away and expose the rocks and whale bones.

March 20th Sat. 10am Jalama Beach, Lompoc Calif. Tri Club Field Trip-Conejo, Oxnard, Ventura Field trip: Our March field trip will be to Jalama Beach. We will be looking for Agate, Jasper, Petrified Whale Bone, Travertine Onyx, and Fossils. They can be found along the shoreline. You can come up for the day or camp overnight. Day use $6.00, camping $18.00, with electric hookup $25.00. Campsites are assigned on a first come, first served basis, one site to one vehicle. There are 98 campsites, all overlooking the ocean or beach front. Each site has a picnic table and BBQ, with hot showers, restrooms and water nearby. 29 sites offer electrical hookups, and dump stations are available. I will not be camping. The weather can be windy, cold, wet, or sunny, so plan for all. Meeting: Saturday Afternoon, March 20th. 2010, 10am-4pm. We will meet in the parking lot. I will be driving a white Ford truck with a CGMC sign in the window. There will be a short briefing of the site. Please remember to sign a release form to participate in the field trip. We will then walk along the beach south of the parking lot, approximately 2.5 miles, to an area that has cement on the side of the hill. The Shale in the area is a good place to look for fossils. Along the beach you can find agate, jasper in shades of brown, honey, gold, and clear. Travertine Onyx can be found north of the parking lot approximately 1.5 miles. Tools: Collecting bags, buckets, day pack, digging tools, rock pick, pry bar, eye protection, trowels, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, sturdy shoes, newspaper for wrapping fossils, layered clothing, towels, change of clothes/shoes in case you get wet. Drinking water, lunch or snacks. camping gear if you plan on spending the night. Contacts above: CGMC/VGMS/OGMS

Jalama Beach County Park Star Route, Jalama Road, Lompoc, CA 93436 Recorded Information (805) 736-6316, Park Office(805)736-3504Links:http://www.sbparks.org/docs/jalama.html http://www.santabarbara.com/activities/camping/jalama_beach/movies/MOV00362.MPG

April 17-18, 2010 CFMS Field Trip to Cady Mtns North Adam Dean and Shep Koss, CFMS Field Trip South Co-Chairs - 2010 WHERE: North Cady Mtns near Afton Canyon area, off Basin Road exit by I-15 about 45 miles east of Barstow WHEN: April 17-18, 2010 MATERIAL: Adam Dean's favorite spots for agate, jasper, calcite, green and purple fluorite, sagenite, opalite and much more. SPONSOR: California Federation of Mineralogical Societies (CFMS) PARTICIPANTS: Open to all CFMS members and guests. This trip is an overnighter with dry camping near the railroad side tracks off Basin Road. DIRECTIONS: Take the Basin Road exit off I-15 about 45 miles east of Barstow and turn right (south) for 1.3 miles to fork in road. Take the left road for 3.8 miles to the railroad tracks and cross the tracks to the campsite. USE CAUTION. The campsite can accommodate RVs and tents. This is dry camping with no facilities whatsoever. BRING: Water, firewood, clothing for any type of weather hot or cold wet or dry, food and a full tank of gas. HIGH CLEARANCE: and 4WD recommended for all sites. 2WD ok to the camping area if driven with care as many spots may have windblown sand. Roads to some sites may have deep sand. POTLUCK DINNER: Saturday night - bring a contribution. You must observe CFMS/AFMS Code of Ethics and sign a consent and assumption of risk waiver of liability form. Be aware that this is a remote and undeveloped area. Collect responsibly. REMINDER: Please help preserve our deserts and pack out what you pack in. Let’s leave it clean for future rockhounds. For further information, please contact: Adam Dean (909) 489-4899 theagatehunter@verizon.net or Shep Koss (661) 248-0411 (Home Phone) theshepster@webtv.net or freudonetoo@yahoo.com

April 16th Marble Mountains, Trilobite fossils. Deb and I are going on the CFMS Cady Mtns field trip; we will probably go Thursday April 15th. We will set up our tent at the above campsite and then check out the area. I will have a field trip Friday April 16th to the Marble Mountains looking for Trilobites fossils. contact: Robert Sankovich Conejo/Ventura Clubs 805-494-7734, rmsorca@adelphia.net Tools: Rock pick/hammer, gad pry bar, hand sledge, large pry bar, shovel, pick, eye protection, newspaper to wrap your fossils in, collecting bags, wide brimmed hat, suntan lotion, lots of water, lunch, Camping gear if your going to stay overnight. Please let us know if you are going to go on the field trip. The weather can change and if we don’t know you are going we won’t be able to contact you if the field trip is cancelled.

Field trips done:
February 27th Sat Ant Hill Area, Bakersfield, CA: Rained out, I will add another Ant Hill field trip in a couple of months.

Robert Sankovich
VP Field Trips Conejo/Ventura Clubs
rmsorca@adelphia.net
805-494-7734

CFMS http://www.cfmsinc.org/
2010 Show June 18-20th Fri-Sat 10am-5pm Host North Orange County Gem & Mineral Society
Contact: Don Warthen 626-330-8974 odwarthen@verizon.net
This will be a CFMS and AFMS show, it's a good time to plan on your exhibits. I am going to enter 2 cases, my jade and my lepidolite. I also plan on demonstrating wet angle grinder polishing.
You can get the rules on the CFMS website listed at the top.

Camp Paradise Earth Science Studies When: Week 1 - May 16-22, 2010 Week 2 - May 23-29, 2010 Where: Camp Paradise 12725 Laporte, Clipper Mill, CA 95930 (530) 675-2689 (Emergency Ph. No.) Cost: $350 per person per week. Registration form http://www.cfmsinc.org/forms10/paradise/campparadisereg2010.pdf Camp Paradise is a rustic church camp, located approximately 50 miles east of Maryville, CA on Hi-way E-21 (Clipper Mills) at an elevation of 3500 feet. Facilities - Rooms have double beds and/or bunk beds. Bathrooms and showers are communal in each building. Housekeeping is the responsibility of each guest. Also available, on a limited basis, are cabins for 4 persons (bathrooms and showers are located nearby). Room assignments will be made by staff. RV Space with electricity and water for most spaces is available. Animals will only be allowed in the RV area, and must be on a leash, and be picked up after. Any violation could result in adherence to their no pet rule. Food - Three meals a day will be provided. Due to the lack of dietary knowledge and the various interpretations of different needs, we ask that you bring your special food items and we will do our best to prepare them for you. Since it is a church camp, no alcoholic beverages are permitted. Classes •Beg. Faceting •Ming Trees •Lapidary •Soft Stone Carving •Silversmithing •Lost Wax and Silver Casting •Beginning thru Advanced Wire Art •Copper Enameling •Lampwork Bead Making and Beading •PMC3 Clay & Glass Fusion (Dichroic) & Intarsia Please note - there will be some classes with limited space, preference will be given to first time students. ** Changes may be made as necessary. ** A list of items that you might want to bring with you and a list of supplies the instructor would like you to bring will be sent. For information contact: Marion Roberts(209) 538-0197 mvroberts@bigvalley.net or John and Anna Christiansen (209) 538-0197 achrist361@sbcglobal.net

American Lands Access Association (ALAA) A joint meeting of the CFMS Public Lands Advisory Committee (PLAC) and the American Lands Access Association (ALAA) was held following the Directors’ meeting in Visalia on Nov. 7. The meeting was open to everyone who is interested in and uses our public lands. We had very good attendance: 23 people, including 6 officers and directors of ALAA.Norvie Enns (PLAC chair, ALAA director, and member of the Northeastern California RAC committee) gave an update of RAC and BLM activities affecting Nevada and northern California. Not much is happening at this time except discussion of feral horse problems. Dick Pankey, ALAA President, presented and led discussion on ALAA activities and proposed legislation, including 1) more Wilderness (some examples: California – adding over 400,000 acres; Montana – adding 677,000 acres; Utah – 9.1 million acres; America's Red Rock Wilderness); 2) Hard Rock Mining & Reclamation Act (introduced in House and Senate; eliminates patenting; increases fees; royalties imposed; requires permit for any mineral activity except casual collecting); and 3) the proposed Desert Conservation & Recreation Act (affects several areas, for example, the Mojave National Monument, a 20-mile wide corridor along Old Route 66 from Needles to Barstow, affecting 1.6 million acres).A proposed Rock & Mineral Specimen Collection Act, drafted by ALAA Past-Pres. Jon Spunaugle, was presented and discussed. This is a proactive approach to legislation. The purpose of this Act is to secure, for the present and future benefit of the people of the United States, the opportunity for educational and recreational rock and mineral specimen collection on the public lands of the United States. Jon would like people to review this bill and send him their comments and suggestions. Anyone wishing to help with this project and/or wishing to see a copy of this bill, please e-mail me. I will glad to e-mail you a copy.Effects of the Omnibus Public Lands Bill will not be determined until each BLM District office, each Forest Service District office, each of the other affected governmental agencies interprets these laws and incorporates them into their specific Management Plan. This is where we can still have a say. This is where we can still have a voice and affect the final implementation. How? By becoming involved in the process. By talking with the managers of our Public Lands; by participating in the meetings called for public input; by providing our ideas and wishes with letters, e-mails and telephone calls. By being involved in the process.How do we, how do YOU get started? All of us live less than 100 miles from a BLM, FS, or other agency office. Better yet go to the office that manages the land where your favorite collecting site is. The first step is to get acquainted with the office and the personnel. Get signed up to receive notices of public meetings and/or get on their general mailing list. Next get involved – attend meetings, learn how that office implements the current laws and how they propose to implement the Omnibus laws, provide comments, and get others involved with your efforts.ALAA’s membership currently was 44 societies and about 95 individuals. At the close of the meeting 11 more applications were submitted to ALAA Treasurer Ruth Bailey. I extend my personal invitation to all CFMS societies and members to join ALAA and participate in saving access to our public lands. ALAA will hold its next annual meeting at the AFMS/CFMS convention next June in La Habra. We hope you will attend.
- Dick Pankey ALAA President,

Robert Sankovich
Federation Director

Lapidary Shop:
All equipment is operational. If you want to use the shop, contact: Robert Sankovich 805-494-7734 rmsorca@adelphia.net Manuel Valdez 805-492-1609 mvaldez2@netscape.com The time is flexible, You call us and we can set up a time that works for you and the shop foreman. I bought a Gripper tool at Quartzsite, it fits into our 24" saw clamp and using a 3 prong type arms it can grip rounded and odd shapped roacks, I plan on using it on my uncut geodes and nodules. I won't have put them in plaster to cut them. Jeff Miller and I have tried the gripper and it works great, grabs the nodules and makes it a lot easier to cut them in the saw.

Robert Sankovich 805-494-7734 rmsorca@adelphia.net
Manuel Valdez 805-492-1609 mvaldez2@netscape.com

The club has bought a used 18" Rociprolap made by Rose Enterprises. It's cast iron and heavy. The whole thing probably weighs 100lbs. There are two parts, the pan, and the base. We will now be able to polish larger stones, slabs, geode/nodules. It will need to run through several grit stages and polish, that will take time so we will make it so you will check it out and use it at your house. Dick Weber is using it now, if your interested, contact him. We'rehave to make a user manual.

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Conejo Gem & Mineral Club Information:

Members typically have an interest or involvement in mineralogy, geology, paleontology, rock cutting, faceting, polishing, making cabochons, collect rocks, minerals or fossils specimens. Come to the Conejo Gem and Mineral Club and become a member of one the largest hobby groups in the United States

Club Meetings: The 2nd Thursday of every month, 7:30pm, at the Hillcrest Arts Center, 403 West Hillcrest Drive in Thousand Oaks, CA. Across from the Oaks Mall. These 2-hour get-togethers involve a brief business announcements portion followed by a 20 minute social time serving cookies, juice, coffee. You can check out what was found on the last field trip and what you can find on the next. There is a monthly raffle, Then a 45 minute program given by a guest speaker sharing their knowledge on geology, jewelry making, rock, mineral and fossil collecting, volcanology, paleontology and many other fascinating subjects. There are many different interests for members to check out at our club, we’re not just rock hounds. Members are involved in jewelry, wire wrapping, bead making, geology, fossils, minerals and lapidary arts. During the business section, youths are invited to attend a separate program where they can learn some science or a craft. We have programs for younger members to further their knowledge of earth science, geology and rock/mineral/fossil collecting. Let us know what interests you have and we will introduce you to members with similar interests. We print a monthly bulletin for our members to keep them up to date on club happenings. There is also a modest library for members to freely expand their interests.

Summertime we have a Picnic/BBQ at the park, Ice Cream social in August, Silent Auction in November and in December a Christmas party, they are a lot of fun. Our club is very family orientated so the whole family can participate in a fun hobby together and get some exercise in the out doors. Operating funds are generated from membership fees and proceeds from our annual show held every April called the Pageant of a Thousand Gems, (follow the link for more details).

We put on an annual Gem and Mineral show, participate in the Gem and Mineral Department exhibits at the Ventura County Fair, and support other Gem and Mineral Clubs by displaying when we are invited. We are members of the Arts Council of the Conejo Valley, the California Federation of Mineralogical Societies (regional) and the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (national).

Lapidary Shop: Available for members who would like to cut and polish rocks and minerals. We have a 24” saw, a Trim saw, 2 Genie polishing machines, a fine polish wheel, 18" Rociprolap, Large Gripper.

Field Trips: Each month we have field trips, some local day trips, others overnight camping/motel. At the club meeting you can check out the rocks, minerals and fossils that have been collected on field trips. To give you an idea of the rocks, minerals and fossils you might find, check out the specimens brought in to each monthly meeting. You don’t have to be very experienced. There are many members willing to share in their knowledge of collecting rocks, minerals and fossils. We have many different types of field trips for all ages, so there is always something for everyone.

Please send us an e-mail if you have any questions or would like further information not found in this site. Webpage related concerns may be directed to the same e-mail. Contact information is below.

 

You can write us at;

Conejo Gem and Mineral Club

P. O. Box 723

Newbury Park, CA  91320

 

or you can contact

Robert Sankovich

805-494-7734

rmsorca@adelphia.net

 

 

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