SEPTEMBER 2024                                                                                                                        VOLUME 64 ISSUE 9

Rockhound Roundup

OFFICIAL MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE ALABAMA MINERAL & LAPIDARY SOCIETY





Our Annual Gem Show is Here!

This Week

If you are a club member and have not signed up to volunteer for the show, you are running out of time. This is your best opportunity of the year to associate with other club members and get familiar with what your club does. Don’t miss out.

Follow this link to access the sign-up genie and claim your volunteer time and location in the show.

On-Line Club Member Volunteer Sign-up

If you are unable to follow the link to signup but would like to volunteer or find out more, email amlsgemshow@gmail.com.  But don’t wait; there are only a couple more days to get in on the fun.
 
 



Last Chance  - Vendor Opportunity for Club Members

There are a few tables vacant at this year’s gem show. If you have considered being a vendor, this might be a good opportunity.    Email amlsgemshow@gmail.com if you are interested.


Inside This Issue:

Meeting Information

September  Events

Minutes for approval

Announcements

Nomination Committee

2024 Gem Show Update

Junior Rockhounds

 Workshop News
Training Clases
Field Trips


Irondale Civic Center

Club Announcements!

Revisions to AMLS Bylaws Are Complete

Final revisions to Club Bylaws were approved by the members at the August meeting and the newly revised Bylaws have been posted to the Members’ Only area of the website. The Bylaws committee thanks the members for their participation in this necessary adjustment to keep the club functioning smoothly. Examination of the appropriateness of the bylaws is required every 10 years; however, members are urged to recommend this process any time club procedures and processes may need to be revised. 

Ivey Cook

Bylaws Committee Chair


2025 Club Officers Needed!

At the October meeting the Nominating Committee will announce the candidates for 2025 Officer Positions. The new officers will be voted in and the 2025 Committee Chairs will be appointed.  

 Click here to see the Nominating Committee Status.

An Important Email Has Been Sent to Non-Current Club Members!

Check your email inbox and spam box. If you did not fill out a renewal application for the 2024 year, you were sent an email to verify that you wish to remain a member. This email was sent from:  thelapidaryclub@gmail.com     Click here to find out more.

Be a Workshop Assistant!

Your workshop is growing. Your assistance is needed to help with some shop maintenance.  Contact Levan Foster at the workshop.

Welcome Our Newest Members!

     

DMC field trip announced



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Alabama Mineral and Lapidary Society Official Junior Rockhounds


(No New News Reported)

 

 

As always, send the Junior Rockhound information about meetings, projects and happenings to: newsletter@lapidaryclub.com

Be sure to include some pictures with description and any information you would like to include for club members to know about so we can be supportive of this very important part of our club.





September Calendar of Events

 September 4th Table setup
September 5th Booth Setup and Vendor appreciation meal
September 6 thru 8th the Gem Show takes place

No club meetings during our show month.

The workshop normally open Tuesdays and Saturdays will not be open during the show week


What is the Birthstone for September?

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  Meeting Minutes

AMLS Meeting Minutes August 9, 2024.

 

Levan Foster blessed our meeting and we enjoyed the pot luck. Reggie Bolton led our meeting and asked for visitors. We met Gene Musso and new member Rick Halbrooks. He then asked if anyone had corrections to the Rockhound Roundup. There were none so Don Hill moved that they be accepted, Rhea Proffitt seconded and the motion passed.

 The final section of bylaws changes was e-mailed to members. John Gaston moved that they be accepted. Jill Hill seconded and the motion passed.

Casey Faulkner talked about the sign-up sheet. There is one at the meeting and also on the website. You may also receive an e-mail. There are various jobs for 9-12, 12-3, or 3-6 shifts Thursday through Sunday.

The geode cracker and sand sifting are going to be in the kid's /club table area.
There will be no rock painting (too messy for indoors) but we will offer rock balancing in rice as a free activity.

A cabbing machine will be there for demos. The club table will be in this area as well.

 We hope this will streamline the entry table which will be at the front, behind the stairs, in front of the doors into the hall.

Our Facebook advertising is reaching people and there have been 10,000 impressions on Tik-tok. Jinger Glasgow is getting us live spots on Channel 6 and 33/40.

John Gaston has offered us a raffle prize if we want to sell tickets for that. He will be compensated for the item.

Casey Faulkner will do a QR code for the curious to put their info in. She will also work on the square and tablets.

John and Bonnie Gaston will be serving a mid-day meal for vendors and volunteers on Thursday.
They will go in Wednesday for set up. Members should bring cookies and drinks for this.
We will have bottled water and snacks for vendors for the week-end. Kristen Osborn will pick these up. 

Ben Beadore will put up directional signs.

          Respectfully submitted by Bunny Bolton recording secretary

 

If you notice any important  incorrect or missing information, please email the corrections to: newsletter@lapidaryclub.com so they may be recognized before the next meeting.




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2024 Gem Show Update

The show is this week! Hopefully you as a member of the club are involved with making it happen or you are signed up as a volunteer during the show. If not, what are you waiting on?

Members, sign up on-line to volunteer for the show.

Please share the Show Flyer with your friends and family on-line.
(right click on the flier image, copy and paste)

Thank you:

                Rhea Proffitt - Show Chairman

   On-Line Club Member Volunteer Sign-up            

                        

 You can email amlsgemshow@gmail.com for more details.

  2024 Gem Show Update

The show is this week! Hopefully you as a member of the club are involved with making it happen or you are signed up as a volunteer during the show. If not, what are you waiting on?

Members, sign up on-line to volunteer for the show.

Please share the Show Flyer with your friends and family on-line.
(right click on the flier image, copy and paste)

Thank you:

                Rhea Proffitt - Show Chairman

   On-Line Club Member Volunteer Sign-up            

                        

 You can email amlsgemshow@gmail.com for more details.

 

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2025 Nominating Committee

At October's meeting, the confirmed nominees you see below will be voted into office.

Who will be the future leaders of AMLS? Where will the club be in 2025?

It is important that every member serve in the club as an officer, committee chair or committee member.
When members choose not to serve, they are choosing not to have a club.

As you look at the schedule of nominees below, take note that there are (5) officer positions and (9) Committee Chair positions vacant.

If you asked the question: "What happens if no members step up to fill these positions and be the leaders in the club?" Click Here


Nominating Committee:

           Ivey Cook - committee chair
           Vicki Lais        


To get information on a specific position, volunteer to serve or ask a question:
email thelapidaryclub@gmail.com with Nominate as the subject.



2025 Nominations

Officer Position

Confirmed Nominee

President

 

Vice President

 

Recording Secretary

 

Corresponding Secretary

 

Treasure

 

Historian

 John Gaston

 

Committee Positions

Confirmed Nominee

Membership

 

Programs

 

Field Trip

 

Publications / Newsletter

 

General Show

 

Publicity

 

Website

 

Property

 

Hospitality

 


Is our Club in danger of shutting down due to lack of member participation as leadership?


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Club Membership

A Message from the Membership Committee Chairman

Hello, my name is John Cook and I became membership committee chairman in June of 2023. I am aware the club has been a little slow recovering from “The Covid.” Amongst all this we have been complacent about keeping our members current with dues. Our accurate membership records are an important part of a club charter. These records are verification for club insurance liability coverage as well as providing credentials for Southeastern and American Federation affiliation. Only current AMLS members can participate in club and federation sponsored events for these reasons.

If we do not have your renewal application for 2024 on file, you were sent an email last month asking if you wish to remain a member of AMLS.This is not a request for your renewal dues at this time, only to clean up our membership records.

If you haven’t seen the email, or do not know if you are a current member, please email to thelapidaryclub@gmail.com with AMLS membership in the subject.

Thank you for your cooperation in this and feel free to email any questions, comments or concerns about your club.

Sincerely,
John Cook


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Training Classes

If you are interested in taking a class, see Yvonne Foster.Yvonne will be at the Gem Show at Booth #31


Training Class 2

Send your pictures to newsletter@lapidaryclub.com  Be sure to add some text content so viewers will know who and what they are looking at.

Hey! If you have a particular skill and you would like to teach a class to the club, send an email to newsletter@lapidaryclub.com and tell us what you got.

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Workshop News


Robert Lorino usually opens the workshop on Tuesdays and Levan and Yvonne Foster are usually at the workshop Saturdays. Typically the hours are from 12-5.

Come and participate in your workshop. A shop foreman will be there to help you with the equipment. Bring a guest and introduce them to the processes of lapidary at our workshop in Leeds.

First time members to the workshop will receive basic training and instruction. No fee is charged this first day as you learn the proceedures of how to use and clean the equipment.

Members pay a fee of $5 an hour to help with the cost of wear and tear to equipment and supplies. This includes both saws and lapidary equipment. Use of equipment is restricted to Current Members Only due to insurance.

Children of family members are welcome at the shop when accompanied by their parent. Age and maturity is considered when using the equipment.

Members are needed to help in the workshop. Please talk to one of the foremen and see how you can become a workshop assistant.

8036 Parkway Drive in Leeds


 

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Field Trip Information

Dixie Mineral Council October 12 2024 Field trip to Southhaven MS

  Training Class 2

To get current fieldtrip information, login to the member’s only page of the website and follow the link.

 

Field Trips are a privilege for the club members of AMLS.

To attend a field trip your membership must be current and you will have to show your current year club ID to participate. You will be turned away if you cannot verify your membership. This is due to the rule of the federation and because of insurance liability requirements.

If you are not sure of your membership or you need a membership ID, you must email membership@lapidaryclub.com

 




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