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HELL’S CANYON GEM CLUB Serving the Valley for

P.O. BOX 365 66 YEARS

LEWISTON, IDAHO 83501

PURPOSE OF HELLS CANYON GEM CLUB, INC. The purpose of this nonprofit, social club is to promote the rock hound hobby by providing opportunities for the collection, working and displaying

of gems and minerals, as well as educational programs in the field of geology.

MEETINGS: 2nd Friday of each month Business Meeting: 6:45 pm VISITORS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME

Dues: Adult (per person) $15.00; Junior (under 18) Free with a responsible adult membership.

2018 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President Randy Squires 208-743-8812 1st Year Trustee Ryan Galantuomini 208-xxx-xxxx Vice President Steve Carlson 423-584-2808 2nd Year Trustee Joe Schacher 208-743-9238 Secretary Lola Collinsworth 509-254-7482 2nd Year Trustee Darron Tolman 208- Treasurer MaryLou Northrup 208-743-6944 Federation Director Jerry Northrup 208-743-6944 Past President Bruce Borgelt 208-935-0806 Federation Delegate MaryLou Northrup 208-743-6944 1st Year Trustee Teresa Stephenson 509-758-3880 WSMC Representative

HELLS CANYON WEBSITE: http://www.hellscanyongemclub.com WEBMASTER: Rick Westerholm: hcgemclub@yahoo.com

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--HOW TO FIND OUR MEETING PLACE--

To get to the meeting location for the Hells Canyon Club, go south on 15th Street in Clarkston. 15th turns into Scenic Way and goes up the hill. Scenic Way turns into Appleside Rd. Continue south on Appleside Rd to where it turns and becomes Reservoir Rd. The Grange Hall is located at 2220 Reservoir Rd, at the junction of Reservoir Rd, 6th Avenue and 22nd Street. Additional parking is available in the Church parking lot across 6th Avenue.

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February meeting minutes

Minutes HCGC meeting Executive meeting 6:30p.m.2/9/2018

▪ President Randy Squires opened the meeting.

▪ Treasurer's report passed. Show flyers were discussed so anyone going to area shows could take some to the shows.

▪ Hells Canyon Gem Club cards were talked about so we could pass them out to any prospective members.

▪ The acceptance letter from the federation was talked about for the 2019 show.

▪ Mary Lou Northrup had an ink pen advertisement (pens cost $.59each) that we could personalize with HCGC name and address. She was given permission to order 250 pens.

▪ executive meeting closed.

Main Meeting opened 7:00 p.m.

▪ Guests attending were Jim & Bev Finley, Jessee Nicole & Kirsten.

▪ Minutes from January were approved as written in the Boulder Buster.

▪ Treasurer's report was given. Permission was given to pay outstanding bills to Hartford Insurance, Idaho Department of Lands, Lewis Clark State College, & deposit at Nezperce County Fairgrounds for our show.

▪ Darron Tolman was appointed to replace Nate Reade as a trustee for our club.

▪ Randy Squires gave brief talk about the safety of working with fumes and chemicals. The acids we work with and the rock dust from cutting, etc. can be very harmful to our lungs. Wear respirators and rubber gloves. Also goggles to protect your eyes.

▪ Field trips were discussed. Rick will lead a field trip to opal dig on McCann land Feb.24, 2018. Anyone interested meet at Walla Walla Community College in Clarkston at 9:00 a.m. Feb. 24.

▪ We are still working on getting a large trailer to use as a club house. This would create a place to develop skills & knowledge.

▪ An opportunity to buy rocks and rock equipment from Bert Henriksen's estate. The total price would be $3000.00. A discussion of pros and cons followed with a vote of 19 yes to 6 no votes to buy the equipment and rocks.

▪ Signup sheets were placed at the door for various club jobs. Think about what you can do to get involved and sign up.

▪ Mary Lou read the acceptance letter from the federation board to accept hosting the 2019 show. We will need lots of help to make this show a success. Think about what you would like to do.

▪ Ryan and Sara will be the new care takers for our crystal and garnet claims. Anyone going to the claims make sure and let them know.

▪ Club auction will be held at Lewis Clark State College on April 14. Doors open at 9:00a.m., room 112 at Sacajawea Hall for set up. Auction will start at 12:00 noon. If you have something rock related to sell you can either donate all proceeds to the club or use a 30% club/70% owner cut of the selling price. We will also have a silent auction this year. Come have a fun day of rock sharing. Anyone interested in being an auction clerk that day, we welcome your help.

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▪ Teresa Stephenson gave a presentation on the Northwest Rockhound Retreat held in the John Day area of Oregon. It will be held Sept. 3-10, 2018. Anyone interested contact Teresa for more information. The retreat fills up fast so don't wait if you are interested.

▪ Bruce Borgelt gave a talk on silicates, agates, jaspers & Opals.

▪ Show & Tell---- Ciara showed a necklace and ring, Bruce Borgelt showed a large thunderegg.

▪ Anyone who hasn't paid their yearly dues, they are now overdue. Please pay if you want to continue being a member and receive the newsletter.

▪ Door prizes were awarded.

▪ Silent auction netted a total of $84.00. Meeting adjourned.

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Photo Quiz--- What is this mysterious dark stone?

(answer on last page)

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-----I think Congressmen should wear uniforms, you know, like NASCAR drivers, so we could identify their corporate sponsors. -----The reason politicians try so hard to get re-elected is that they would 'hate' to have to make a living under the laws they've passed.

TUMBLER TIPS ▪ Vaseline can be used around the rim of a tumbler before anchoring the lid to get a tight seal and an easily removable lid.

▪ Use enough filler materials to keep the rocks from knocking together. Suggested filler materials are whole grain oats purchased from any feed store, ground up corn cobs, rubber bands (which can be used and re-used), and plastic pellets.

▪ Be sure to have a lot of small stones and a variety of sizes for good abrasive action among the stones. The smaller stones help abrade the centers of larger materials.

▪ When finished with polish let the stones soak in a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water.

Ever since I crossed a shamrock with poison ivy, I've had a rash of good luck.

Dues are past due!

2018 dues must be paid by Feb. 15th to avoid being taken off the membership list. Please fill out the form below and bring it with you to the March meeting or mail to P.O. Box 365. A new card will be issued at that time. Dues are $15.00 per person.

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How’s this for a little jade rock art??

(I wonder if there was any glue needed on the chain links?)

AFMS Endowment Raffle Hi Just wanted to make a last offer of tickets for the AFMS Endowment drawing to be held at the AFMS Show in Raleigh, NC on April 5-8. Tickets are $5 apiece or $20 for 5 tickets. Prizes are listed on the AFMS site and in the AFMS newsletter. You can contact me via: --this email jms46@outlook.com, --phone 541-720-4950 --mail: Judi Allison, 1701 NW 11th ST, Hermiston, OR 97838. I will need any purchases to be returned to me by April 1 so I can take them to the convention Thanks Judi Allison, NFMS Representative for AFMS Endowment Raffle ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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Coldest Volcano in the World So let's be clear: the "coldest volcano" is still pretty freaking hot. The crackling black lava that erupts from Ol Doinyo Lengai runs about 510°C (950°F) — well below the melting point of most lava (1,000°C/1,832°F), but still a bit warmer than a comfortable jacuzzi. Ol Doinyo Lengai's one-of-a-kind lava forms thanks to its chemical makeup. Unlike the basalt that forms the lava of most volcanoes, the magma of Ol Doinyo Lengai are carbonatite. Carbonatite has a much lower melting point than basalt, which is also why the lava never heats up enough to gain a reddish glow (except one that's faintly visible at night). Otherwise, the lava stays an inky black color until it cools and hardens, at which point it turns white.

Image: Tom Pfeiffer / www.volcanodiscovery.com A Fast-Flowing Eruption It's easy to hear about the coolest volcano in the world and think it's not something to be taken seriously. But in some ways, Ol Doinyo Lengai is even more dangerous than much hotter volcanos. The glowing red lava that gets the most attention flows in a thick, pudding-like mass at about 6 mph — that's easily outrun (or out-walked) by any human bystander. But Ol Doinyo Lengai's lava rushes downstream as fast as water, thanks, again, to its unique chemical makeup. Carbonatites are magma that are full of alkali elements — calcium, sodium, sometimes potassium — along with abundant carbon dioxide. Why is that odd? Most terrestrial magma is silicate. Even what we’d call “low silica” magma like basalt has 45 weight percent silica (SiO2) and “high silica” magma like rhyolite can be over 70 weight percent silica. Now, these carbonatite magma are so saturated in alkali elements that they only have a few to less than a quarter percent silica! Instead, the bulk of the mass of this magma is composed on mainly calcium, CO2 (and in the case of Ol Doinyo Lengai, sodium). This has real consequences for the behavior of the magma. Those chains of silica in silicate magma are what give it some of its strength, where even the runniest basaltic lava is, in fact, quite viscous —However, without the chains of silica to give the magma structure, carbonatite magma can have much lower viscosity, allowing for the strange “garden hose” eruptions that exemplify activity in the crater of Oldoinyo Lengai. Carbonatite lavas even weather differently than silicate lavas. They are composed of carbonate minerals like calcite so when exposed to water or even humid atmosphere, they break down quickly. This gives Oldoinyo Lengai its unique coloration, where dark carbonatite lavas erupt black to grey but after cooling and weathering, appear stark white. The carbonatite ash spread over the surrounding grasslands leads to a uniquely succulent, enriched pasture. This makes the area a vital stage on the annual wildebeest beast migration, where it becomes the nursery for the birth of several thousand calves. Carbonatites are some of the strangest magma on Earth. Even their ultimate source isn’t well understood — one of the great mysteries in petrology. What makes carbonatites especially important to understand these days is they are one of the best sources of rare earth elements (REE), a key component for many modern electronics. Visit the complete articles and photo’s at the following links: curiosity.com wired.com

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2018 GEM SHOWS(Partial list, see--- AMFED.ORG/NFMS

Mar. 23 – 25, 2018 Fri, Sat – 10 – 6

Sun 10 - 4

Rock Rollers Club of Spokane, WA

Spokane Fair & Expo Center

N. 604 Havana at Broadway Spokane, WA

Mike Shaw 509-251-1574 showchair@rockrollers.org

April 21 & 22, 2018 Sat – 10 – 5 Sun 10 - 4

Lakeside Gem and Mineral Club

Benton County Fairgrounds 1500 South Oak Kennewick, WA

Mary Lou Omstead 509-783-2798 PO Box 6652, Kennewick, WA. 99336

April 27 – 29, 2018 NFMS Show and

Convention Fri – 10 – 6 Sat – 10 – 6 Sun – 10 - 4

Yakima Rock and Mineral Club

Central WA State Fair Park Modern Living Building and

Pioneer Hall 1301 South Fair Avenue

Yakima, WA 98901

Kurt Junt or Ronna Watkins Yakima_rockhounds12@yahoo.com

509-433-7841 Yakima Rock and Mineral Club PO Box 326 Yakima, WA 98907

yakimarockclub.com

June 2 & 3, 2018 Sat – 9 – 5

Sun -- 10 -- 4

North Idaho Mineral Club

Kootenai County Fairgrounds

4060 North Government Way

Coeur d’Alene, Id

Mike Rose Showchair2018@gmail.com

PO Box 1643, Hayden Id 83835

September 8 & 9 Sat – 10 – 5 Sun -- 10 -- 5

Marcus Whitman Gem and Mineral

Society

Walla Walla County Frgrnds.

Community Center Bldng., 363 Orchard St., Walla

Walla, WA

Jack L Edwards, cell 509-520-1182 Jcedwards1475@hotmail.com

Standing Committees Gemshow Committees

1. Membership Chairman --- Linn Enger 1. Show Chairman --- Rock Club Officers 2. Juniors Chairman -- David Dabritz 2. Show Treasurer -- Marylou Northrup 3. Fieldtrip Chairman -- 3. Dealer Chairman – Lynda Grebe 4. Program Chairman -- 4. Advertising Chairman -- Randy Squires 5. Show & Tell Chairman -- 5. Displays Chairman -- Joe Schacher 6. Claims Chairmen – Ryan & Sara 6. Demonstrations Chairman -- Travis Heath Galantuomini 7. Historian Chairman -- 7. Floorplan Chairman -- Rick Westerholm 8. Library Chairman -- 8. Silent Auction Chairman -- Jerry Northrup 9. Hostess Chairman.--. 9. Kids Corner Chairman – Charlie Sabin 10. Bulletin Editor --- Ed Shoemaker 10. Admissions Chairman – Lola Collinsworth 11.--Security Chairman –Bruce Borgelt and ? 12.--Raffle Chairpersons.-- Nate & Lynda Grebe 13.--Floater for show.-- Bruce Borgelt

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METEOR OF THE MONTH

China's Tiangong-1 space station will crash to Earth within weeks

Experts say it is impossible to plot where module will re-enter the atmosphere, but the chance is higher in parts of Europe,

US, Australia and New Zealand

The US-funded Aerospace Corporation estimates Tiangong-1 will re-enter the

atmosphere during the first week of April, give or take a week. The European Space

Agency says the module will come down between 24 March and 19 April.

In 2016 China admitted it had lost control of Tiangong-1 and would be unable to perform

a controlled re-entry.

The statement from Aerospace said there was “a chance that a small amount of debris” from the module will survive re-entry

and hit the Earth. “If this should happen, any surviving debris would fall within a region that is a few hundred kilometers in

size.

This is a map showing where the module is expected to re-enter, somewhere between

43° north and 43° south latitudes. The chances of re-entry are slightly higher in northern

China, the Middle East, central Italy, northern Spain and the northern states of the US,

New Zealand, Tasmania, parts of South America and southern Africa.

Re-entry viewing

According to CORDS, (The Aerospace Corp.'s Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies) it may be possible to see

Tiangong-1 re-entering depending on the viewer's location, the time of day, and visibility during re-entry, which will not be

known until a few days before the event.

A more detailed predicted re-entry region will be provided a few days before the re-entry time frame. Visibly incandescent

objects from this re-entry will likely last tens of seconds (up to a minute or more), in contrast with the vast majority of natural

meteors, which last mere seconds.

CORDS also notes that, depending on the time of day and cloud visibility, the re-entry may appear as multiple bright streaks

moving across the sky in the same direction. Due to the relatively large size of the object, it is expected that there will be

many pieces re-entering together, some of which may survive re-entry and land on the Earth's surface.

However, Aerospace insisted the chance of debris hitting anyone living in these nations was tiny. “When considering the

worst-case location … the probability that a specific person (i.e., you) will be struck by Tiangong-1 debris is about one million

times smaller than the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot. Every couple of years something like this happens, but

Tiangong-1 is big and dense so we need to keep an eye on it.

“It is only in the final week or so that we are going to be able to start speaking about it with more confidence,” I would guess

that a few pieces will survive re-entry. But we will only know where they are going to land after the fact.”

The space lab ceased functioning in March 2016, and to date the Tiangong-1 has maintained its structural integrity. The

vehicle is 34 feet (10.5 meters) long and sports a diameter of 11 feet (3.4 m). The lab has two solar panels, which measure

approximately 23 feet (7 m) by 10 feet (3 m).

Nasa’s 77-tonne Skylab space station came hurtling to Earth in an almost completely uncontrolled descent in 1979, with

some large pieces landing outside Perth in Western Australia.

Follow this link to see current orbit and when to view before re-entry--skyandtelescope.com

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Photo Quiz answer--- A $4000 hunk of rock……turns out to be a piece of jade when you shine a light on it to show its depth and quality. (Myanmar Jade Market.)

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What is your food birthstone?