THE 779th MEETING
OF
THE MINERALOGICAL SOCIETY
OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

ANNUAL INSTALLATION BANQUET

Saturday,  January 18,  2003
at the
Oak Tree Room
1150 East Colorado Blvd., Arcadia, Ca.

Featuring a Talk by

Dr. George Rossman

on

Minerals Named After Persons 
who Lived in the Los Angeles Area

ANNUAL BANQUET

by Cathy Casey

The Annual Banquet of the Mineralogical Society of Southern California will be held on Saturday evening, January 18, 2003. The location will be The Oak Tree Room, at 1150 East Colorado Blvd., in the City of Arcadia. It is located in the same building as Coco's Family Restaurant, on the SOUTH EAST corner of Colorado and Michillinda, in the first block South of the 210 Freeway. The Oak Tree Room occupies the East end of the building, and has aseparate entrance from Coco's Restaurant. There is ample self parking at no additional charge.

The Banquet begins with a social hour from 5:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., where beer, wine and nonalcoholic beverages will be served by a waitress if desired.  The serve-your-self Buffet dinner begins shortly after the social hour. The cost of the entire meal is $30.00 per person which includes all tax and gratuity.  The meal will include an all you can eat full salad bar, and buffet dinner that includes Prime Rib, Salmon, Chicken Breast, Rice and Potatoes, Vegetables and Dessert

Bar, as well as coffee, tea or soft drink.

Reservations can be made by calling [(626) 484-2774]  or emailing Cathy Casey (caseyscurios@earthlink.net) NO LATER THAN Monday January 13, 2003. Reservations may be left on my voice mail, and I will return a confirmation message to you.

You may pay at the Banquet or mail me a check made payable to M.S.S.C. (SEND TO: Cathy Casey P.O. Box 1012  Duarte, CA 91009-4012) PLEASE make your reservations by the 13th!

I look forward to seeing you all there. The privacy of the location, and high quality of the food served last year were prime considerations in the decision to again have the Banquet at this location.

After dinner there will a brief business meeting, the installation of

officers, and the presentation of awards, followed by the program."

BANQUET SPEAKER

Our Banquet speaker will be Dr. George Rossman, and his topic will be “Minerals Named After Persons who Lived in the Los Angeles Area.”

Several persons who have lived or are still living in the Los Angeles area have been honored by having minerals named after them. Some we may know, but a number of surprises are hidden in the list of mineral names. The earliest person so honored attended high school in the local area before the end of the 19th century. The most recent is living in Los Angeles County today. These minerals and the contributions of the namesakes will be reviewed.

Let's make a contest out of this. Try to anticipate the list of names before the meeting. Mail or e-mail your list of candidate minerals to our speaker (grr@gps.caltech.edu). The winner will be announced at the banquet.

2002 Gem and Mineral Show

Exhibit Winners

Trophy Winners

Stan Hill Trophy - Jesse Fisher & Joan Kureczka

Gus Meister Trophy -  Jesse Fisher & Joan Kureczka

Institutional

Theme -  California State Mining and Mineral Museum

Non Theme -  Fallbrook Gem and Mineral Society

Dealer

Theme -  Gochenour Minerals

Non Theme -  Rock Currier

Non Dealer

Theme -  Jesse Fisher & Joan Kureczka

Non Theme - Co-Winners:  Al Ordway; Bill and Elizabeth Moller

MSSC Officers and Board Members for 2003

President: 

Joanna Ritchey

Vice President: Jim Kusley

Secretary: Robert Housley

Treasurer: Janet Gordon

CFMS Director: Larry Bruce

Past President: Dave Smith

Directors 2002-2003

Larry Bruce
Bob Griffis
Charlie Freed

Directors  2003-2004

Ron Thacker
James Imai
Dave Smith
Open

Greetings to you all

Carolyn Seitz

Thank you for everything each of you did to make the MSSC's 55th annual gem and mineral show a success.

Some of you handled little details and some of you worked tirelessly for months to make this show happen.  Some of you popped in at the last minute to help and some of you extended yourselves for months, no task too great a challenge.

Doing a show in a new venue is always a challenge, but you carried it off very well.  The dealers were very happy and expressed their satisfaction repeatedly.  The usual cast of characters who are never happy made sure we knew that too.  Their comments and criticisms were the same as always and were far over-shadowed by the enthusiastic response from the dealers and exhibitors.

I saw email postings on some of the mineral related e-groups raving about the show and have been receiving messages this morning from attendees, from the Museum and from the dealers expressing their delight with the show.

It wouldn't have happened and wouldn't have been the success it was had it not been for your efforts, the little ones and the big ones.  Sometimes the little ones at just the right time make all the difference.

Job well done to all of you!!

Kids Activities Succeeded Splendidly

Janet Gordon

Thanks to all of you who made the kids' activities at our show a great success.  More than 950 kids plus their parents participated in the activities even though they seemed hidden away on the second floor.  The "Minerals in Your Life" touch table was almost as popular as the Kid Rocks, and it has an invitation to reappear at the California Federation Show in June.  This display was constructed using mineral education funds donated to the Society in the last several years.  The kids also enjoyed assembling and decorating about 500 crystal models and colored lots crystal drawings.  About 450 copies of "Crystal Quest" were distributed for use in the museum's mineral hall, and the crystal hunters reported back that they greatly enjoyed this "treasure hunt."

Many parents and members of the museum staff complemented us on kids' activities, and they couldn't have happened without the MSSC members and others who volunteered to help.  Special thanks goes to the kids who helped: Spencer Smith, Sonja Ritchey, Ashley Martin, April Martin, Justin Gainer, and JingMai O'Connor.  Thanks also to the students and faculty from PCC, CSUN, and UCLA who participated.  Those MSSC members who patiently collected, glued, and cut Kid Rock may be assured that their efforts are appreciated.  Kristalle generously donated extra pyrite to give out, and Dan Krawitz provided fluorescent mineral samples plus black light demonstrations.  Rock Currier is graciously storing the many boxes of materials for this effort.

On a personal note, I would like to especially like to thank all those involved in the show who made the show committee work easier by making their commitment to participate in a timely fashion, by remembering the badges and permits mailed to them, and following the instructions and museum rules so well.  Congratulations to all for a job well done!

Member Missing

While checking the Membership signup list from the recent show our Treasurer found that someone paid $20 dollar dues in cash, but no name was written on the receipt and no form was filled out.  If you are that person please contact Janet Gordon so we may know who you are.

MSSC Board Meeting

The next MSSC Board of Directors meeting will be held on January 19, 2003, at 1:00 p.m. at the home of Janet Gordon in Pasadena.  All members are welcome to attend, and a light lunch will be served.  Please contact Janet at jggordon@pacbell.net or 626-441-6715 if you plan to attend and to get driving instructions

CFMS Scholarship Committee Names Sugar White 
as 2003 CFMS Scholarship Honoree

Reprinted from the December 2002 Microbits

At its meeting in Visalia in November, the CFMS Scholarship Committee named Sugar White as one of two 2003 CFMS Scholarship Honorees.  As such, she is entitled to name a college or University to receive a $2000 scholarship for a Junior or Senior student Registered for the Fall 2003 semester.  Sugar chose U. C. Santa Barbara and has enlisted the assistance of Dr. Bill Wise to coordinate the process. 

 Sugar was nominated by Pat LaRue, CFMS Executive Secretary/Treasurer, a former SCMM member and currently a member of Northern California Mineralogical Association.  Sugar’s photographic work on mineral slide presentations and her volunteer work with the San Bernardino County Mineral were cited in the nomination.  Congratulations, Sugar!

Small Packages

Walt Margerum

On October 27, 2002 The Southern California Chapter of the Friends of Mineralogy held a field trip to the Cryo-Genie mine in northern San Diego County.  While most of us were busy digging in the main dump hoping to find any tourmaline left over by the miners, Bob Housley was silently breaking rocks off to one side.  One specimen he found contained small stibnite looking crystals several millimeters in length.  When analyzed using the SEM Bob noticed that in addition to Antimony and Sulfur there was a strong spike of Arsenic.  A sample was sent to Tony Kampf who had it tested using the X-ray powder diffraction method.  The results were Pääkkönenite (Sb2AsS2) a rare mineral named in 1981 for Viekko Pääkkönen a Finnish geologist, and reported from only four locations (Seinäjoki, Vaasa, Finland (type locality); Pribram, Czech Republic; Hemlo gold deposit, Ontario, Canada; Lavrion, Greece).  We can now add another location for this mineral, the Cryo-Genie mine, San Diego County.  Thus proving that great things really do come in small packages, and that it pays to be observant.

The Blue Chihuahua Mine.

Where art thou?

Al Ordway

The Blue Chihuahua Mine is listed in Mineralogical Record, Vol: 33, #5 (California Pegmatite’s) as being in Chihuahua Valley. The caption, under the herderite photo, places the location in Chihuahua Valley in the County of San Diego. This mine is also listed in MR, Vol: 8, #6, as being in San Diego County. Minerals of California, by Pemberton, has this herderite occurrence so fouled up that I wouldn't buy the book. Essentially, the Blue Chihuahua Mine continues to be erroneously listed as being in Chihuahua Valley and/or San Diego County.

This pegmatite was located by a Mr. Staley in the late 60's. He brought some specimens to Josie Scripps and asked for the identity of one item (hydroxlyherderite). She became partners with Staley and named the pegmatite the Blue Chihuahua Mine (aka. Blue Dog). She then incorporated the help of some of her friends to work this deposit. Bob Bartsch and I were amongst the lucky ones to be taken to this pegmatite in order to assist Josie with the work. A week or so, after being introduced to this fabulous, but small pegmatite, Bob and I were clearing off overburden when approached by Staley. Apparently, there were conditions involving his partnership with Josie that did not include "helpers!" Staley was irate and stated that he had too much business in Arizona to be a watch dog at his claim. To calm him down, and to alleviate his problem, Bob and I bought out his claim and became, unofficially, partners with Josie (not to mention all of the phantom partners that came there during the week!). Legally speaking, it wasn't even Staley's claim since he had filed it as being in San Diego County. Bob rectified this situation by filing it promptly and properly with the County of Riverside. The Blue Chihuahua "Mine" lies approximately 800 feet north of the Riverside -San Diego County line in Riverside County. This mine is not in Chihuahua Valley, but three miles north of there. I believe the naming of this pegmatite had no relation to Chihuahua Valley, nor do I know why it is "blue." Any reference to this "mine," outside of the location I just described, is wrong!

I also noted, in the Mineralogical Record’s XXV Index, that hydroxylherderite is listed as occurring at the MGM (Marion Godshaw Memorial "quarry," is also listed in San Diego County. The MGM, and its neighbor, the Li’l Frenzy are slightly over a half mine north of the Blue Chihuahua "Mine" placing them even deeper into Riverside County.

Minerals List

The International Mineralogical Association (IMA) Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names (CNMMN) has published on its web site (www.geo.vu.nl/users/ima-cnmmn) a list of the 3,500 or so mineral species designated as approved, discredited or redefined by the  CNMMN since its establishment in 1959.  The list contains the mineral name, chemical formula, and in some cases a reference to its first description. The minerals are arranged alphabetically. To access this list go to the web site, click on 'IMA list of minerals' in the left menu frame.  The list can be downloaded in .pdf format, and takes about 2 minutes to download using a dialup modem.  When you open the .pdf document it asks for a password; just click done to access the document. Without the password you can see and print the list but cannot copy it.  To open a .pdf document you need Acrobat Reader.  If you do not have Acrobat Reader you can download it free from the Adobe website.

Minutes of the November Meeting

The meeting was called to order by president Dave Smith at 7:40 pm, who immediately turned the floor over to Janet Gordon to introduce James Shigley, the evenings speaker.  Dr. Shigley is director of research at the GIA and began his talk by telling us a little about that organization and inviting any of us to visit them when we are in the Carlsbad area.  He then talked about the red beryl mine in Utah and about the red beryls themselves.  He showed examples of some fine specimens and some fine gems.  A fact I did not know before is that many of the crystals are sector zoned in color and sometimes go from almost clear in the center to deep red in the outer portions.  He also described the history of the mine. 

To those of us who had been to the mine as part of a Gem and Mineral Council trip or who remember Rex Harris’ talk at the MSSC several years ago the recent history was quite interesting.  Kennecutt leased the property form the Harris’s and tried to operate it as a gem mine form 1994 through 1997.  They finally gave up largely because they could not project the value of the stones if mined on a large scale.  Then a company named “Gemstone Mining International” was formed and tried to mine the property from 1997 until 2001.  They marketed their output under the name “red emerald”.

Currently the mine is inactive and has been back filled.  The ownership has reverted back to the Harris’s who are reported to be negotiating with several prospective firms to reopen the mine and continue to produce this unique and beautiful stone.

Following the program the nominating committee was ask to read the nominees for next years officers.  They are:

President   Bob Grifis

Vice president   Jim Kusley

Secretary   Bob Housley

Treasurer   Janet Gordon

Board Member 2003:   Dave Smith

Board Members 2004:  Ron Thacker, JoAnna Ritchey, Bill Besse, James Imai.

The meeting ended with a discussion of Show preparations and a call for volunteers to help with the many necessary jobs.  It was adjourned at 9:05 pm for refreshments and discussions.

Respectfully submitted by the Secretary, Robert Housley

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

January

January 31 – February 2   The Southern California Micro-Mineralogists Proudly Present the 38th Pacific Micromount Conference at the  San Bernardino County Museum, 2024 Orangetree Lane, Redlands, CA (Exit north on California St. from I-10)

FRIDAY

3:00-6:00 PM            Registration, Greeting friends and microscope time.

6::00-7:00 Famous Potluck Buffet Dinner.

7:00-10:00 PM “What's New in Minerals” by  Sugar White.  

Short Contributed Talks and member slides.

SATURDAY

8:00-9:00 AM Doors Open, Registration.  Setting up scopes, filling “Give-away” and "Sales" Tables and greeting friends.

10:00 AM Welcome, Introductions and Special Announcements.

10:15 AM "Vanadium Minerals: Part III - Origin of Vanadium Minerals with Emphasis on the Vanadate Group" by Dr. William Wise, Professor of Geology, Emeritus,  University of California Santa Barbara

NOON LUNCH. Subway sandwiches (pre-selected). Served at  Museum.  (No cost)

1:30 PM Verbal Auction, followed by silent auction of member donated materials.

3:00-4:00 PM            Short Contributed Talks

6:00 PM Buffet Dinner.  Served at Museum. 

7:30-10:00 PM “New Finds from Majuba Hill and Phosphates from the Willard mine, Pershing County, Nevada” By Paul Adams

Short Contributed Talks and member slides.

.

SUNDAY

FIELD TRIP: To be announced at the Conference.

9:00 – Noon Microscope time at the Museum.

Registration Fee is $10.00 before Conference, $15.00 at door. 

Friday night Potluck – Each family, please bring an hors d’oeuvre, salad, hot dish, dessert, etc.

Saturday night Buffet dinner is $5.00.  Advance reservations necessary.

It's time to renew your MSSC membership for 2003!

Cut it out this form and follow the mailing instructions below to renew.  Please fill out all information so that we may check our data base.

PRINT CLEARLY!

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Check amount of payment for membership category:

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____$5 Student under age 21.

Make checks payable to MSSC and mail with this form to

MSSC Treasurer
P.O. Box 41027
Pasadena, CA 9114-8027

Questions?