Borrego Rock and Gem Club
Minutes for meeting held on Saturday, February 23, 2008
Location of meeting: Nature Center
1. Equipment news:
a. 8 inch rock saw has been refurbished by Bob. It needs one part and ablade to be fully functional.
b. Al Pentis has an 18 inch saw that he is willing to donate to the club.
c. Bob is working on obtaining unused lapidary equipment from the park. (Post meeting note – Bob was successful in this endeavor – more at the next meeting.)
d. Jim added some Maricopa “opal” to the supplies.
e. Rocks only on the polishing machine – NO soft materials like copper.
2. Two new books have been added to our library – Gems of the World and Roadside Geology of Arizona.
3. Current balance in our account is $60.
4. A suggestion was made that we add a “rock cutting cabochon” display to our cabinet in the Nature Center. Pam offered to help with this.
5. A suggestion was made that we investigate whether or not the Nature Center would be willing to sell stones that our group has polished (as a fundraiser for the club).
6. The Himalaya Mine as a potential field trip was discussed. It was noted that it is no longer possible to visit the actual mine due to local access issues. As an alternative, the mine owners have set up a site at Lake Henshaw Resort. Mary Anne and Al will investigate.
7. Mary Anne gave us a report on a field trip to Gem Hill that they participated in. Common opal, black agate and rhyolite were rocks/minerals of interest in the area.
8. Upcoming field trips for 2008:
a. March 8th: Garnet Wash
b . April 12th: Wiley Wells-Pebble Terrace
c . October 11th: McCain Valley
8. The next meeting is Saturday March 29th at 10:00 AM at the Nature Center. Immediately after the meeting, we will head out on our batholith geology hike. Bring water, snack/lunch and hiking shoes.