Meetings & Programs 2010
All monthly General Meetings are held the second Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Hillcrest Center (or Arts Council Cultural Center), in the Large Dance Room or the Parks Department Board Meeting Room between the small fountain and the stairs, at 403 Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA (building is at the top of the hill).
ENTRANCE OFF McCLOUD STREET - FOLLOW SIGNS TO NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
(PLEASE NOTE: This is the old City Hall Bldg. on the hill just above the Fire Station and across the street from and north of the T.O. Mall
The entrance is marked with a large sign, but it is not lighted at night. This building also houses the Conejo Valley Arts Center and the Santa Monica Mountains National Park Service Headquarters and Visitor Center. (Click here for a map to Club Headquarters and Shop)
NO APPOINTMENT OR RESERVATION NEEDED - MEETING ATTENDANCE IS FREE FOR ANYONE YOUNG OR OLD!!
Board Meetings are held the third Thursday of each month at the Arts Council Center (usually in the Small Dance Room adjacent to the bottom of the stairway) at 7:30 P.M. 403 Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks unless circumstances dictate otherwise. Guests are welcome.
Buy your raffle tickets! Money generated from the raffles goes toward scholarships, field trips, etc. to promote the advancement of Geosciences. Raffle tickets are sold at the sign-in table (5 tickets for $1.00)
UPCOMING PROGRAMS for 2010: Mary Pat Weber VP Programs, 805-529-2524
| Month | Speaker | Subject or Title of Program |
|
January |
Roy Foerster | Is it real? Can you believe everything you see? This month our guest speaker will be our own club member Roy Foerster. Always one of our most popular speakers, he will present a program with great photos of “Fakes, Frauds, and Fantasies”. You won’t want to miss this timely topic, especially if you are a mineral collector headed for Quartzite or Tucson. |
|
February |
Cynthia Baumgartner | Making Dichroic Glass and its uses in creating Jewelry |
| March |
Mary Pat Weber |
Highlights of the 2010 Tucson Gem & Mineral Show |
| April | Fred & Charlotte Ward | This month we welcome MR. FRED WARD as our guest speaker along with his wife CHARLOTTE. Known as a respected authority on gems and gemology, Mr. Ward will present a program on Phenomenal Gems, the latest in his series of books. He is a Graduate Gemologist (GIA) and has traveled extensively producing articles and photographs for National Geographic Magazine. You won’t want to miss this fascinating program on some of nature’s most unique gemstones. Note: Autographed copies of his book will be available for purchase. |
| May | Mary Pat Weber | STROMATOLITES OF SHARK BAY, AUSTRALIA How far into the past can you trace your family tree? The stromatolites of Shark Bay, Australia can trace their ancestry back 3.5 billion years. This month, Mary Pat Weber will show living examples of the oldest life form on earth and explain why you would not be reading this notice without them. She will also bring fossilized specimens of stromatolites from Australia, Bolivia, Russia, and the United States. ∗Special Note∗ Because we will be working on our show setup and display cases on Friday, and working at the show on Saturday and Sunday, this program will be limited to approximately 30 minutes in duration. And for the pebble pups there will be a few kangaroos and maybe even a shark or two! |
| June | Dr. Randii Wessen | ROCKHOUNDING YOUR WAY THROUGH THE SOLAR SYSTEM Earth is not the only place in our solar system to explore for exciting geologic discoveries. Our guest speaker this month will be Dr. Randii Wessen of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. He will bring us up to date on how NASA and JPL are overcoming the unique challenges posed by conducting scientific exploration in outer space. His program will feature some of the latest photos from current JPL missions as well as the future of U.S. robotic exploration. Join us as Dr. Wessen takes us on the “ultimate field trip” into this vast frontier. |
|
July |
John, Karla Bouck | THE GEOPHYSICAL WONDERS OF ICELAND” This month we welcome club members John & Karla Bouck as our guest speakers. While living in Europe they took advantage of the opportunity to take a trip to the island of Iceland. Discovering how the geothermal activity has created an array of surprising sights from hot pots to fumaroles, to geysers, finding it so fascinating they returned to this island a second time. These heat driven fissures are in stark contrast to the northern location of the island and cold temperatures. Coupled with man’s impact on the island, these geological extremes have created the stunning and often barren landscape of Iceland, known as the “land of fire and ice”. Don’t miss this program as they share what they have learned about the wonders of this land where the earth is so visibly active. Mary Pat Weber Note: I have received many positive comments with respect to our speaker, Dr. Randii Wessen, from JPL, last month on “Rockhounding Your Way Through the Solar System”. Dr. Wessen brought several handouts, including cards with interesting geologic facts of the planetary moons of Mimas, Enceladus, and Hyperion as well as an outstanding photomap of Saturn. If you did not get a chance to pick these up last month they will be available at our July meeting. You are also welcome to pick these up for your who are interested in astro-geology. |
August  |
Our Annual
Ice Cream Social & Meeting |
Our
Annual Ice Cream Social
- Choose from
several flavors
and toppings - no time for any lecture, and no limit on how much ice cream and toppings you eat! |
| September | Jim Brace-Thompson | Western Geology from 35,000 feet” If you don’t like heights or have a fear of flying just sit back, relax, and enjoy this program. When our guest speaker, Jim Brace-Thompson goes flying on business he packs a camera and requests a window seat. As a result he has amassed a large collection of photos. This month you will get a whole new view of such classic geologic features in the Western U.S. such as Meteor Crator, the Grand Canyon, Shiprock and Monument Valley, Yosemite, Mt. St. Helens, our own Channel Islands, the Transverse Ranges and the San Andreas Fault. Jim is a member of our sister club in Ventura and is actively involved in the A.F.M.S. (American Federation of Mineralogical Societies). You’ll also get a bird’s-eye view of some popular rockhounding sites in California such as the Calico Mountains and Mule Canyon. On a clear day you can see forever, so we welcome you to come see what forever looks like. |
|
October |
Scotty MacLeod | "Meteorites" Rocks form on this planet in various ways. Igneous rocks are formed by volcanic activity, sedimentary rocks are built layer by layer over time, and rocks are reformed via metamorphic processes under high temperatures and pressure. But rocks from outer space are not formed by these terrestrial processes. This month Scotty MacLeod from Moorpark College will share his enthusiasm and extensive knowledge of meteorites with us, bringing examples of his outstanding collection. You won’t want to miss this fun presentation of these rocks that “dropped in” and decided to stay. |
November |
Our Annual
Club
Silent Auction |
Silent Auction -NOVEMBER SILENT AUCTION READY! SET! GO! It’s time for our annual silent auction. Break open your piggy banks, put on your track shoes and prepare to dash to the auction tables to make your bids. This month our silent auction promises to be better than ever. No matter what your interest in our hobby we will have both polished and unpolished rocks and minerals, fossils, jewelry, used lapidary equipment, books, and more. Pick up something for your next project, think ahead to find a holiday gift or bring home a special treat for yourself. And don’t forget… you will need sustenance to keep up your stamina during this crazy and fun event so save room after your dinner for some delicious pumpkin pie. This event has become so popular over the past few years that we get several members of the general public attending each year. So be sure to invite your friends so they won’t miss the fun. We will also have a lot of great items for the kids. Both cash and checks accepted. |
| December
|
Combined Annual
Christmas Party & Annual Incorporation Meeting
(Gift Exchange) |
December Christmas Party Dec 00th 12-4pm Sunday This is a potluck, if you haven't signed up at the Nov meeting, contact Dick Weber to be added to the list. rewnews@sbcglobal.net 805-529-2524 About our Holiday Party - Our December meeting will be replaced by our annual Christmas and Holiday Party. It will be held on December 00th Sunday at the Conejo Arts Council (the same location where we have our monthly meetings). The party will run from 12:00 to 4:00 PM, beginning with appetizers to start and the buffet dinner served about 1:00 or 1:30. Bring your own silverware (or plastic), and a salad, dessert, or side dish to share. Club provides the meat, drinks, and entertainment. Free food, friendship, desserts, mineral prizes, drinks, fun ... and more! After we eat we will have the gift exchange. (Oh, and we formally vote in Club Officers at this time too). Holiday gift exchange. This exchange involves chance, surprises and a bit of strategy and planning. Everyone who wishes to participate is asked to bring a wrapped gift (hobby related or not) worth about $15.00. It does not have to be something you go out and purchase. Handmade items such as polished specimens and jewelry pendants made by some of our members were some of the most popular gifts last year. Robert Sankovich
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