Petoskey Stone February 2012  www.OCES.COMMeeting Feb. 1st 7:30   Board Meeting 6:45   Refreshments Debbie Rathburg, Linda WhiteheadHi Club Members,         So we're off and running in this New Year.  I would like to thank Mike and Pam Brady for the informative program on coal.  Every program that they have presented has been super interesting.  Would also like to thank Cathy Roller and Nancy Mathura for putting together the refreshments.  And to Nancy Mathura for the Baklava.  It was good tasting and sticky.  Good thing I used my Polident!      And a big Thank You goes out to Tony West for the Beading Class that he's putting on, and to Eleanor Snyder for her Silversmithing Class.  Thank You two for sharing your talents with the rest of us.      Another Thanks goes out to Leon Pearson for keeping the Rock Room running and showing all of those that attend how to take a rock, in the rough, to a finished piece fit for wearing.      Linda Whitehead is putting together a showcase in the Rochester Library and she's looking for specimens to display there.  If you have anything that you'd like to have displayed, contact Linda. It's a "Great" way to promote our club and it doesn't cost us a dime.  Helps get our name out there!      Thanks to the new Board for keeping the club running smoothly and keeping me on the straight and narrow.        Dwight Keith, President   A request for Your Help from the  Board of DirectorsThe Board of Directors of you Club would like to solicit Membership help solving two ongoing issues. Neither one is a life or death issue, but both come up regularly.The first issue is that we have not become incorporated and a charitable organization. Getting these two designations could improve our ability to receive donations as a Club and limit any liability to Club Members. Considerable work and thought has gone into this, but what your Board would like is some professional help in reviewing and filing the paperwork to be sure we don't shoot ourselves in the foot. If anyone in the Club has a relative that is either a CPA or Lawyer who might help us at a reasonable cost, please contact Leon Pearson or any of your Board members. We are prepared to pay a reasonable fee, but the costs we have heard so far are steep.The second issue is making the rooms in the basement at the CAI building more accessible. If we had an electric chair lift, we know there are members who would take advantage of the classes that are offered in these rooms. Chair lifts periodically become available when an elderly loved one passes. Leaving them in the house of the loved one does not appreciably increase the value of the house. Again, if any of you knows of such a condition, and the lift might be available for sale, please let us know so we can negotiate with the owner. Contact Leon or any of the Board members. All the phone numbers you need are listed each month in the [printed version of the] "Petoskey Stone."				Leon Pearson (248 673-5479)Upcoming Events   (events can be found at www.rockngem.com or www.amfed.org/mwf/Calendar/) For detailed information, please visit individual club's website. March 3-4: 40th Annual Silent & Verbal Auctions, Roamin Club, Schoolcraft College, Visatech Center Bldg, 18600 Haggerty Road, Livonia MI, Sat 11:00-6:00, Sun 12:00-6:00, Contact Don Brown (734) 421-8159 or Todd Gall (248) 348-5093.March 11- Bead Bonanza 10- 5 PM, Southfield Municipal Complex Pavilion in Southfield, MI, 26000 Evergreen Road Over 50 vendors. Admission $5, free parking. Over 50 vendors*** February Birthdays ***2	George Landino3	Deborah Lowmaster16	Brooke Keith20 	Dennis Barlow24 	Roberta Thomas26	Patricia CareresBelated Happy January Birthdays to our members- Edward Schroeder, Amy Hiller-Sawickyji, Aditya Eswarra, and Laurie Wilkins Trivia QuizFrom Kitty Starbuck's "So you think you know all the answers..."Answers are found in this newsletter„	What homemade solution can you make to separate amber from imitation?„	What rock's name means "stone which strikes fire?"„	What mineral is found in the mine in Grand Rapids MI? Meeting Address: OAKLAND COUNTY EARTH SCIENCE CLUBc/o Christ Lutheran Church5987 Williams Lake RoadWaterford MI 48329						Club Web Site-www.OCESC.comEditor: Laura Sheffer, e-mail: LSHEFFER1@COMCAST.NETMidwest Federation Library: see http://www.amfed.org/mwf/resources/geologyprograms.htmlRentals are open to all club members- contact Pat Powers, e-mail SLCNewsletter@aol.comGeneral Meeting: First Wednesday each month, September through June at 7:30 PM Board Meeting: Same day as General meeting, at 6:30 PM General and Board meeting are held at Christ Lutheran Church. Purpose:  To associate the member families, to promote activities that help families learn about Earth sciences and lapidary arts, and to cooperate with other similar organizations.Grinding classes and workshops are held at the C.A.I. building- 5640 Williams Lake Rd.Open hours in the grinding room- $1.00/person/day payable to the C.A.I. Building.Officers - 2012        President: Dwight KeithVice-Pres: Tony West Secretary: Chris Shull Treasurer: Leon Pearson         DirectorsBob Albertson (11-13)Nancy Mathura (11-13)Edward O'Neil (10-12)Nancy Pfauth (11-13)Tom Pierson (11-13)Gerry Runkle (12-14)Eleanor Snyder (Emeritus)Roberta Thomas (11-13)Katherine Van Hoy (Emeritus)Linda Whitehead (10-12)Membership Dues: Annual Membership dues (due each February): $20.00 per family unit or individual. Students pay $7.50 if not covered by family membership. Club name tag is $5.00 per person. ALL adults are required to wear their name tag. Contact: Eleanor Snyder.OCES BOARD MINUTES FOR  Dec. 2011 and Jan. 2012:OCES BOARD MINUTES FOR DECEMBER 14, 2011: The meeting was called to order at 6:10 pm.  Attending: President Dan Woerner,  Bob Albertson, Nancy Mathura, Tony West,  Kathryn Van Hoy, Eleanor Snyder, Tom Pierson, Gerry Runkle, Roberta Thomas, Leon Pearson.  The November Minutes were approved; Treasurer's Report was also approved.   Leon will need two volunteers to audit the books.  Grinding Room-Should we charge an additional fee to cover the replacement of supplies and equipment.  We also would like to investigate purchasing a used chair lift for the Grinding Room.  Tony will be starting a beading class in January.  Both raffles will be held tonight.  We will be installing our new Board after the dinner.   Meeting adjourned at 6:20 pm.OCES  GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING DECEMBER 14, 2011:  Meeting called to order at 7:55 pm by President Dan Woerner.   The November Minutes were approved. The Treasurer's Report was also approved.    Tony West will start Beading Classes in January.  Leon needs two volunteers to audit the books.  We also need someone to check into purchasing a chair lift for the CAI building. Eleanor will be starting her Silversmithing Class in January.  Jim Rives may be going on a field trip to Kentucky this summer.  Tom Pierson gave the oath of office to our new Board members:  Pres.-Dwight Keith, Sec.-Chris Shull, Treas.-Leon Pearson,  and Board Member-Gerry Runkle.  Our program, after our fantastic Christmas Banquet, will be author Patty Rice speaking about her book on amber.  The January meeting will have Pam and Mike Brady's talk about coal.  Meeting adjourned at 8:15 pm for the program.  Respectfully submitted, Chris Shull, Secretary.OCES  BOARD MINUTES FOR JANUARY 4, 2012:  Tony West started the meeting at 6:45 pm.  Leon Pearson, Gerry Runkle, Bob Albertson, Katherine Van Hoy, Eleanor Snyder, Roberta  Thomas, Nancy  Mathura, Dwight Keith attending.  Treasurer's Report was approved. We will need to pay our dues to the Michigan Federation ($500) was approved.  March 3-4 will be the Schoolcraft Show.  The Rochester Library wants us to do the March display.  We will need a committee and members to put their specimens on display.  See Linda Whitehead for details.  Do we want a special project for Earth Day on April 22?  Our get well wishes to Monica and Jackie.  Beading classes will be on Saturdays at 1:00 and 3:00 at the church.  Silversmithing starts next Wed.(1-11-12).  Sorting for the Auction will be starting on Jan.26 and continue on Thursday afternoons -talk to Katherine Van Hoy.  Church needs to be paid their $400; this was approved.  We will need to find a reasonably priced attorney to help us with our incorporation and tax-exempt status.  We hope to investigate and purchase a used chair lift for our members to use at the CAI.  Meeting adjourned at 7:10 pm.OCES GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING JANUARY 4, 2012:  Call to Order at 7:30 pm by President Dwight Keith.  Treasurer's Report was approved.  The Rochester Library would like us to put up a display for March; work will have to be done in Feb.  We wish Jackie and Monica to get well soon.  Tony's Beading classes will be on Sat. at 1:00 and 3:00 at the church.  Silversmithing will start on Jan. 11 at 7:00 pm.  Jim Reeves will be going to Kentucky to hunt for geodes this summer.  Arcadia, Canada trip will not be this year.  Auction sorting will be on Thursday afternoons.  Please sign up for refreshments or programs.  Our annual membership fee of $500 was approved to be paid to the Midwest Federation.  Would members know of any attorneys who could help us with our incorporation paperwork for a reasonable fee.  The Grinding Room has been a great asset for new members.  Members can get a discount from Kingsley North through the club.  If you are using the Grinding Room and blow a circuit, a janitor will be needed to unlock the utility area.  Our OCES dues are now to be paid.  Pam and Mike Brady will be presenting a very interesting program on coal.  Refreshments by Cathy Roller, Pat Rives and Nancy Lill.  Meeting adjourned at 8:00 pm.  Respectfully submitted, Chris Shull, Secretary.Answers to Trivia Quiz: 1) Pyrite, from the Greek "pyrites lithos", referring to pyrite's ability to produce sparks when struck with iron.  2) Amber will float in  a supersaturated solution of water and salt. Most imitations will sink.  3) Gypsum, a variety of selenite.Actions and Donations Needed for the Upcoming Rock Show and Rock AuctionAfter the Detroit Show, we did some considering on how it went.  Our auction is not that far away and we are thinking about it, as well.  We came to several conclusions:     1. Too many of the rocks that we took to the Detroit show had little sales appeal, were of low quality, and didn't sell and were darned heavy to carry home.    2 We may have sufficient specimens for Detroit, 2012, but the quantity of desirable specimens will likely be limited.  We are pleased to have donations from Jim Rives and Tony West and we thank them greatly.  3. Materials for this year's auction were set aside last year as we went through materials for the Detroit Show.  Before re-examining and counting, I believe we have ample desirable items for our 2012 auction. 4. On the other hand, some of the specimens set aside for the auction are better suited for the Detroit Show and will be boxed for that destination. 5.  No matter how you look at it, our supply for good quality material for both enterprises is diminishing and we need to plan ahead to be assured that we can continue with both of these enjoyable (and money-making) projects. 6. Please donate to the club any rock, mineral, fossil material that you don't need and someone else would enjoy.  7. Leon is working toward our club becoming a non-profit organization, which means we can accept and seek rock collections that are no longer wanted by families.  The advantage to the donor is that this can become a tax write-off for the family. 8.  Leon is looking for a lawyer or accountant, who has experience in this area, and could check over Leon's facts and figures to make sure our club request is done properly.   Let him know if you have a relative or acquaintance who could help us."*	*	*	*	* A word about donation items from us:  What is worthless to one of us may be "just right" for one of our customers." such as -* a crystal specimen with some broken crystals among the whole ones.  They see beauty.  We see a lowered price. * simple items such as coal, attractive granite, a fossil in limestone  ,etc.  A teacher sees exactly the sample pieces for her lesson * a tiny, but pretty piece of rock.  Some children like little things.  Some have only a penny or nickel to spend * an ugly, but interesting rock.  Some people like interesting, even if it's ugly. I confess I keep a box of ugly, interesting rocks. * We throw unwanted stuff in our driveways.  Someone else would pick some up and  pocket them. Many people like pretty things, so we'll have those, too.   In general, I'm trying to say:  Think what other people with all their varied interests, backgrounds, and perceptions might choose to buy.    We try to have a diverse selection for both the auction and for Detroit, so if in doubt about some items to donate, ask Leon, Eleanor, Nancy, John, Katherine, Jackie or any of us who have sorted specimens many times.		Katherine Van Hoy  The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's 1912-2012 Centennial-100 Years of Tracking Eruptions and Earthquakes USGS Newsroom Released: 1/17/2012 4:02:45 PM 	USGS.govHAWAI`I ISLAND, Hawaii - In 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory celebrates its 100th anniversary of studying the volcanoes' workings and disseminating cutting-edge volcano science throughout the world. Many public events are planned to celebrate the centennial of HVO, the first volcano observatory in the United States. Located on the rim of K_lauea Volcano's summit caldera within Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, HVO monitors the seismic and volcanic activity of six Hawaiian volcanoes including K_lauea and Mauna Loa, two of the most active volcanoes in the world. K_lauea has erupted 48 times on HVO's watch, with a nearly continuous flank eruption since 1983, and an ongoing summit eruption since 2008.  Mauna Loa, the largest volcano on Earth, has erupted 12 times in the same period, most recently in 1984, when lava flowed to within about 4 miles of the Hilo city limits."Volcanic activity and its associated earthquakes are responsible for Hawaii's fertile soil, rainfall, isolated habitat for unique species, breathtaking natural beauty, but also, unfortunately, its geologic hazards," offered USGS director Marcia McNutt. "The activities planned during HVO's Centennial are an engaging and stimulating way for residents and visitors alike to learn more about the fascinating processes that have formed and continue to shape these enormous volcanic features, and how to live safely in the vicinity of such powerful geologic forces." HVO's timely and effective warnings help protect the public from these volcanic and seismic hazards - a key mission since the start of the Observatory's work with the collaboration of Massachusetts Institute of Technology geologist Thomas A. Jaggar and pioneer volcanologist Frank Perret.For a century, HVO has also been an international leader in volcanological studies and a magnet for researchers from around the globe. Among other breakthroughs, HVO scientists confirmed that earthquakes and volcanic tremors are closely related to volcanic activity. They installed the first seismic network in the USGS, and they determined the composition of volcanic gases and their role in driving eruptions.  They also pioneered the measurement and study of small changes in a volcano's shape to get information about movements of vast quantities of magma within.