Board Members 2019
President: Chuck Borchart
Federation Director: Mike Havastad
Field Trips: Co-chairs :Chuck Borchart and Kevin Grizzard
Membership and Website: Sandee Mahoney -sandramahoney7@gmail.com
Newsletter: Lawerence Killough
Programs: Kevin Lake -canyoudigitjewelry@gmail.com
Secretary: Mary Ellen Borchart
Treasurer: Dick Weber
About Our Club
Conejo Gem and Mineral club was founded in 1971, and is a member of both the California Federation of Mineralogical Societies and the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies.
NOTE: "Conejo" pronounced 'kon-a-ho (n) is the Spanish word for "rabbit", hence the logo design, and was the name given by the early Spanish explorers in the early 1700's when they came through the valley and noticed the thousands of jack rabbits that lived here, thus designating this area the "Conejo Valley".
The Conejo Gem and Mineral Club (CGMC) is a non-profit organization run by volunteers. The Club promotes and extends the knowledge of minerals, geology, fossils, lapidary arts and associated fields.
Operating funds are generated from membership fees and proceeds from our annual show held in April called the Pageant of a Thousand Gems.
We also participate in the Gem and Mineral Department exhibits at the Ventura County Fair,and we actively support other Gem and Mineral Clubs by displaying when we are invited.
We are members of the Arts Council of the Conejo Valley, the California Federation of Mineralogical Societies (regional) and the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (national). We serve; Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Moorpark, Simi Valley and neighboring communities in and near the Conejo Valley area of Ventura County in Southern California.
We are on Facebook!
Please check out our page, feel free to "Like us". We have a FANs of Page on Facebook for CGAMC. Any members that are on Facebook can become a fan and send the link to all of their friends on Facebook and so on... Any fan can then post whatever to the page that might be of interest. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/1CGMC/
Meeting Location and Times
Our monthly meetings are held the 2nd Thursday evening at 7:30 PM at Hillcrest Art Center --403 Hillcrest Drive (Off of Mc Cloud), Thousand Oaks (It is across from the Oaks mall) up on the hill.
Board Meetings are held the 3rd Thursday of each month at 7 PM at the Hillcrest Art Center
MEMBERSHIP
First year for a family is $45, (this includes 2 name tags) and renewal after this is $30 a year.
Single membership is $28 for the first year and $20 a year for renewal.
Please call Sandra at 805-384-1013, or sandramahoney7@gmail.com for membership or come to a meeting to join, we would love to meet you.
Field Trips
The Field Trip leaders from all three Ventura County Clubs had a meeting
in order to jointly plan trips for 2019. Hopefully, this will give us a nice selection of trip opportunities spread throughout the year. Don't hesitate to offer up suggestions for a trip at any time.
UPCOMING FIELD TRIPS
June 8: Himalaya Tourmaline Mine, fee dig, hosted by Adrian Ruiz.
October 4-6: Clear Creek for Plasma Agate, Serpentine, hosted by CG&MC.
October 12-13: Searles Lake, Trona Gem-o-rama for Salt Minerals, hosted by Searles Lake Gem & Mineral Society.
Remember that now we are asking everyone to sign up at the www.whoscoming.com/vgms site or let me know that you are coming.
Also, please, if you decide not to come, remove your name from the "whoscoming" site or let the trip leader know so we won't be waiting around for you to show up.
Of course, "waiting around" only means for about 5 minutes after the stated leaving time! We appreciate the communication. www.whoscoming.com/vgms Register, get a passcode, and then use that to sign in from then on.
Contact info:
Chuck Borchart
Luther Brown
Larry Knapton
Adrin Ruiz
2019 Meetings
Club Calendar
January 10th- Mike Haavstad
February 14th- Silent Auction
March 14th- Members Show and Tell
April 13th and 14th- Pageant of a Thousand Gems held at Borchard Park, Newbury Park, CA
(no meeting this month due to the show)
May 9th- Geology and minerals of the DeGrussa Copper and Gold mine., by Dick Weber
This months program will explore the geology and minerals of the DeGrussa Copper and Gold mine.
The DeGrussa deposit is the largest copper mine in Australia. Discovered in 2009 and put into production in 2012, the mine produces 45,000 ounces of gold and 200,000 tons of copper per year.
Shortly after the deposit was discovered, a geologist and mineral collection curator was hired to collect and preserve mineral samples during the development and production of this mine. This allowed thousands of rare mineral samples to be saved and made available to the research community and the general public. This material is usually destroyed by modern mining techniques would typically crush and destroy this material. This unique situation has enabled the fabulous copper minerals and beautiful lapidary material to be preserved.
Dick Weber, club member and retired exploration geologist, has traveled extensively in Australia and is personal friends with DeGrussa Mine geologist Murray Thomson. Dick will have on display his personal collection of DeGrussa minerals and additional material on loan from the DeGrussa Mine.
June 13th- Melissa Baffa A Day in the Life - Exploring the Deep Sea Aboard the E/V Nautilus" presentation by Melissa Baffa, Science Communication Fellow with the Ocean Exploration Trust
July 14- Annual BBQ and picnic on a Sunday 11 AM -4 PM noon at Old Meadows Park, 1600 Marview Drive, Thousand Oaks
Bring side dish, lawn chairs and plates and utensils. The club will provide the meat and beverages (soda and wine)
The picnic is open to all members and their families and guests.
This is in place of the July meeting!
Please feel free to join us for a enjoyable Sunday afternoon
Directions to the park; Take Erbes road north from Hillcrest or Thousand Oaks blvd and turn West at Marview Drive. Watch for a small sign on the side of the road for Old Meadows Park. Mareview Drive dead ends at the parking lot of Old Meadows Park... See you there!!!!
August 8th- Ice Cream Social & SALE of Members ONLY creations that are rock or mineral themed.
"Ice Cream Social & Indoor Tailgate"
It's Hot out, do you want to Cool off?
The August Program will be replaced by the club's Annual Ice Cream Social and Indoor Tailgate
It's a great time to socialize and get to know more about fellow CGMC members and their interests. Plus you get to enjoy some great Ice Cream with all the toppings, hot fudge and caramel YUM!
We are also adding a new event. We would like to invite members to participate in an 'Indoor Tailgate' where members can display and sell their own special creations.
This can include jewelry, cabochons, wood carvings, knife handles or any gems, minerals, fossils that you have found on field trips. All of this needs to be something you have made or have found, not something you have bought and want to resell.
If you want to participate in the Indoor Tailgate, please contact Kevin Lake
so that we can plan how many tables need to be set up.
All members please plan to bring cash so that you can purchase any of these items.
Be prepared for many treasured items.
Please bring cash, or some may be able to take credit card charges.
September 12th- Fluorescence minerals
October 10th- Mary Pat Weber, A Totally Off-the-Wall Guide to Putting Together an Exhibit Case
November 14th- Silent Auction
December Sunday 8th 11 am- Annual Dinner Get together -No meetings this month. Club will provide Ham, Turkey and drinks. Members to bring potluck for the sides and dessert.
Board meetings are normally the 3rd Thursday of each month at 7 PM at the same location of the regular meetings. Occasionally they are changed for dates due to conflicts.
About Us
We are a family orientated club
with activities for the younger rockhounds in your family
We have a variety of speakers throughout the year
About rocks, gems, geology
We participate and or host many
Field Trips throughout the year, most in California, but some in different states
Our Lapidary Shop
Lapidary Shop
We have a small shop located at the Hillcrest Arts Center
We have Genies for shaping and polishing rocks
A large flat lap
A large rock saw
Small trim saws
Polisher
We have shop foreman that have regular days and hours to open the shop and several who are on call.
Would you like to learn to make the rocks you have collected into something new and pretty?
Our shop foreman will be happy to teach you for free. This service is only for updated paid members of the Conejo Gem and Mineral club
Please contact Eric Stokes for any questions at 805-236-4076
THE LAPIDARY SHOP WILL BE CLOSED UNTIL THE END OF MAY.
Shop Schedule
The 1st and last Sunday of every month 12 PM to 3 PM- Eric Stokes
The 2nd Tuesday evening of every month 6 PM to 8 PM- Manny Valdez
3rd & 4th Wednesday of each month from 9 AM to 12 PM- Dick Weber Update( Shop will be closed December 26th)
Kevin Lake- On Call 805-384-1013