Announcements |
Page Last Updated: 10/31/2019
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Fall-Winter 2019
2020 Board Elections Soon!
It's that time of year again to elect the 2020 GMSVP club officers. The majority of the existing Board members are willing to serve for 2020. Please consider volunteering. There are additional positions available you may find of interest to you, other than what is listed in the Newsletter. Some of these positions are listed on the Contacts page and are noted with "Currently Vacant".
2020 Membership dues are now due.
Members have between October 1st and December 10th, 2019 to pay.
Paying before December 10th helps the club determine how many members we have for insurance in regards to field trips.
2020 Board Elections Soon!
It's that time of year again to elect the 2020 GMSVP club officers. The majority of the existing Board members are willing to serve for 2020. Please consider volunteering. There are additional positions available you may find of interest to you, other than what is listed in the Newsletter. Some of these positions are listed on the Contacts page and are noted with "Currently Vacant".
2020 Membership dues are now due.
Members have between October 1st and December 10th, 2019 to pay.
Paying before December 10th helps the club determine how many members we have for insurance in regards to field trips.
- 2020 Membership Dues: $15 Individual, $20 Couple, & $25 Family
- New Members: Join now and your 2019 dues cover the remainder of 2020!
Summer 2019
Above article copied from May 2019 newsletter
Spring 2019
Our annual club auction is coming up soon on May 2nd 2019. Here is a slide show of what is available for auction.
Our annual club auction is coming up soon on May 2nd 2019. Here is a slide show of what is available for auction.
Winter - Spring 2019
2019 has gotten off to an interesting start. We were unable to get our normal meeting times for some our monthly meetings at Sandy Bottom Park for this year. Please monitor the web site, watch for emails and the newsletter from our editor Dan Fountain for information on meeting places and times.
Also if you are interested in volunteering for any of the committee chairs that are vacant, please get in contact with President Vinton Feanny. This is a great opportunity to serve others with your skills and talents. You are never alone in these positions, there is always someone in the club will to assist when/if needed.
2019 has gotten off to an interesting start. We were unable to get our normal meeting times for some our monthly meetings at Sandy Bottom Park for this year. Please monitor the web site, watch for emails and the newsletter from our editor Dan Fountain for information on meeting places and times.
Also if you are interested in volunteering for any of the committee chairs that are vacant, please get in contact with President Vinton Feanny. This is a great opportunity to serve others with your skills and talents. You are never alone in these positions, there is always someone in the club will to assist when/if needed.
New Field Trip Chair Announced
Bo Mulcahy has volunteered to be our GMSVP Field Trip Coordinator! She has a couple of initial field trip thoughts and are listed on the field trips page. If you have some other suggestions, please send them to Bo at: [email protected].
Bo Mulcahy has volunteered to be our GMSVP Field Trip Coordinator! She has a couple of initial field trip thoughts and are listed on the field trips page. If you have some other suggestions, please send them to Bo at: [email protected].
Fall-Winter 2018
2019 Board Elections Soon!
Potential 2019 club officers will be discussed during the October Board meeting. Elections will be held during the November meeting. If you are interested in helping the club by being an officer, please come to the October 1st business meeting or let Vinton Feanny know ([email protected]) of your interest. The only requirement to serve on the board is to be a member in good standing and a willingness to serve. Current and former board members can mentor you.
Potential 2019 club officers will be discussed during the October Board meeting. Elections will be held during the November meeting. If you are interested in helping the club by being an officer, please come to the October 1st business meeting or let Vinton Feanny know ([email protected]) of your interest. The only requirement to serve on the board is to be a member in good standing and a willingness to serve. Current and former board members can mentor you.
2019 Membership dues are now due.
Members have between October 1st and December 10th, 2019 to pay.
Paying before December 10th helps the club determine how many members we have for insurance in regards to field trips.
Members have between October 1st and December 10th, 2019 to pay.
Paying before December 10th helps the club determine how many members we have for insurance in regards to field trips.
- 2019 Membership Dues: $15 Individual, $20 Couple, & $25 Family
- New Members: Join now and your 2018 dues cover the remainder of 2019!
April 2018 Auction
The GMSVP Club will be holding an auction on April 5th. Only cash or check will be accepted. Please check out our FACEBOOK page for pictures of the items being auctioned. The Event will be held in the Nature Center at Sandy Bottom Park in Hampton VA.starting at 7pm sharp.
The GMSVP Club will be holding an auction on April 5th. Only cash or check will be accepted. Please check out our FACEBOOK page for pictures of the items being auctioned. The Event will be held in the Nature Center at Sandy Bottom Park in Hampton VA.starting at 7pm sharp.
Winter 2017-2018
2018 Board Members
New board members were sworn in during the December 2017 meeting. Please see the contacts page for elected office and committee chair's contact information. Also on the contacts page you can see open positions that are available for anyone wishing to volunteer.
New board members were sworn in during the December 2017 meeting. Please see the contacts page for elected office and committee chair's contact information. Also on the contacts page you can see open positions that are available for anyone wishing to volunteer.
2018 Membership dues are now due.
Members have between October 1st and December 10th, 2017 to pay.
Paying before December 10th helps the club determine how many members we have for insurance in regards to field trips.
Members have between October 1st and December 10th, 2017 to pay.
Paying before December 10th helps the club determine how many members we have for insurance in regards to field trips.
- 2017 Membership Dues: $15 Individual, $20 Couple, & $25 Family
- New Members: Join now and your 2017 dues cover the remainder of 2018!
Fall 2017
GMSVP Annual Elections at November 2nd, meeting
Please consider serving as a club officer or committee chair. Open positions include:
• President - Leads the club and meetings.
• Hospitality - Pat will finish as hospitality chair at the end of this year.
• Pebble Pups Co-chair - Great opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the younger generation. This is a co-chair; you are not alone in this position. You would assist Christine Hempley in geology lessons.
• TOTE Show Coordinator - Lead the planning, volunteering, and club’s participation in gem and mineral shows.
• Silver Jewelry Instructor - Instruct club members in the techniques of silver jewelry fabrication.
• Club Librarian/Historian - Keep track of the clubs library books and the history of the club. Prepare and submit All American Club Yearbook
Please consider serving as a club officer or committee chair. Open positions include:
• President - Leads the club and meetings.
• Hospitality - Pat will finish as hospitality chair at the end of this year.
• Pebble Pups Co-chair - Great opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the younger generation. This is a co-chair; you are not alone in this position. You would assist Christine Hempley in geology lessons.
• TOTE Show Coordinator - Lead the planning, volunteering, and club’s participation in gem and mineral shows.
• Silver Jewelry Instructor - Instruct club members in the techniques of silver jewelry fabrication.
• Club Librarian/Historian - Keep track of the clubs library books and the history of the club. Prepare and submit All American Club Yearbook
Website & Newsletter Wins Awards in 2017
The GMSVP has placed 1st place in the Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies (SFMS) website competition for 2017, and 2nd Place in Large Bulletins. This is great national recognition for our club. What is also of great benefit is the comments from the judges on areas for improvements and recognition on areas done well.
The GMSVP has placed 1st place in the Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies (SFMS) website competition for 2017, and 2nd Place in Large Bulletins. This is great national recognition for our club. What is also of great benefit is the comments from the judges on areas for improvements and recognition on areas done well.
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Summer 2017
American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS) Announces Website and Newsletter Awards
The American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS) announced the website and newsletter awards at their recent annual conference. Winners were listed in the September AFMS Newsletter. As editor, I get a hard copy. The newsletter will be posted to the AFMS website (http://www.amfed.org/index.html) within the next few weeks.
GMSVP placed NATIONALLY for the following 2017 AFMS awards:
If you would like to see Larry’s winning article, it was included in the November 2016 GMSVP Newsletter.
We have a great club. It is nice to see the national recognition!
Dan Fontaine
GMSVP Editor
The American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS) announced the website and newsletter awards at their recent annual conference. Winners were listed in the September AFMS Newsletter. As editor, I get a hard copy. The newsletter will be posted to the AFMS website (http://www.amfed.org/index.html) within the next few weeks.
GMSVP placed NATIONALLY for the following 2017 AFMS awards:
If you would like to see Larry’s winning article, it was included in the November 2016 GMSVP Newsletter.
We have a great club. It is nice to see the national recognition!
Dan Fontaine
GMSVP Editor
Summer 2016
Geode Brochure
The club now has available a brochure containing information about the geodes that we sell at the Tote Shows. This document is a great training tool for the club members, and gives families information they can take home to educate them about their geode purchase.
The club now has available a brochure containing information about the geodes that we sell at the Tote Shows. This document is a great training tool for the club members, and gives families information they can take home to educate them about their geode purchase.
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2016 National Club Awards, by Holly Worsham - Webmaster
Website Competition Our GMSVP club website won 1st place in the 2016 American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS) Website Contest as well as 1st place in the Eastern Federation. The AFMS contest had 12 entries in the 2016 contest and winners were announced at the AFMS Editors and Webmasters Breakfast in Albany, Oregon. Bulletin Contests Michael Griffith placed 5th in the AFMS Bulletin Contest’s Written Features category. Michael’s winning article was titled: “On the Hunt for Fossil Shark’s Teeth” and appeared on pages 9 & 10 of our GMSVP November 2015 Newsletter. Other EFMLS bulletin contest winners for GMSVP included: Robert Mazzrillo 4th place for written feature, Dan Fontaine 4th place for large bulletin, Seth Hempley 5th place for junior article, Sara Phillips honorable mention for technical article, and Gary Bergtholdt and Barbara and Walter Priest honorable mention in the non-technical article category. |
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AFMS Club Rockhounds of the Year 2016, by Evelyn Cataldo
The Gem and Mineral Society of the Virginia Peninsula is pleased to announce that Robert and Kelly Mazzrillo have been selected as our 2016 Rockhounds of the Year. As Shows Committee Chair, Robert standardized and enhanced our club's participation in the local gem and mineral shows, provided training for booth volunteers, better assured related club revenue from the sale and cutting of geodes, and kept an inventory and replenished the geode stock as needed. He used numerous, precious days of vacation to ensure that our participation in the shows were a success. Robert shared his family field trip experiences in our club's newsletter and as a speaker at our meetings. Robert in his boundless energy also supported the club's Pebble Pups Program.
Kelly, as our Hospitality (Social) Committee Chair, provided a welcoming environment for our members and guests. She coordinated supplies and provided savory dishes for the meals at our meetings, picnics, and the holiday meeting. Kelly also used her skills as a graphic artist to redesign the club logo.
We are fortunate to have Robert and Kelly as club members. Their dedication and energy truly illustrates what it means to be rockhounds of the year. We congratulate them on a job well done!
Submitted by Sara B. Phillips, President
The Gem and Mineral Society of the Virginia Peninsula is pleased to announce that Robert and Kelly Mazzrillo have been selected as our 2016 Rockhounds of the Year. As Shows Committee Chair, Robert standardized and enhanced our club's participation in the local gem and mineral shows, provided training for booth volunteers, better assured related club revenue from the sale and cutting of geodes, and kept an inventory and replenished the geode stock as needed. He used numerous, precious days of vacation to ensure that our participation in the shows were a success. Robert shared his family field trip experiences in our club's newsletter and as a speaker at our meetings. Robert in his boundless energy also supported the club's Pebble Pups Program.
Kelly, as our Hospitality (Social) Committee Chair, provided a welcoming environment for our members and guests. She coordinated supplies and provided savory dishes for the meals at our meetings, picnics, and the holiday meeting. Kelly also used her skills as a graphic artist to redesign the club logo.
We are fortunate to have Robert and Kelly as club members. Their dedication and energy truly illustrates what it means to be rockhounds of the year. We congratulate them on a job well done!
Submitted by Sara B. Phillips, President
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Website Competition 2015 Awards – Holly Worsham - Webmaster
In 2015 I entered our (old) Website into the Southern Federation of Mineralogical Societies (SFMS) Website competition. One of the many advantages of do this is to get feedback on how well the website is put together. Our Website came in 2nd Place out of 9 entries in the SFMS. My entry forms were passed on to the America Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS) where the Website placed 6th out of 14 entries. The feedback from the judges has been great, and there have been many suggestions for improvements. I will implement as many as I can and I plan on entering our (new) Website into the 2016 Competition. My goal when taking on this position was to make our website informative. Whether you are a guest visiting the site, a prospective member or a current member my goal is that you will find the information you are seeking. Here are some examples of how our website has helped others in 2015:
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GMSVP Among Best of the Best in North America
The Gem and Mineral Society of the Virginia Peninsula (GMSVP) has been recognized by the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS) as being among the “Best of the Best in North America” for 2015.
Earlier this year, GMSVP competed in the Eastern Federation of Mineralogical and Lapidary Societies (EFMLS) bulletin completion. We also competed in the Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies (SFMS) website competition.
EFMLS submitted GMSVP entries in the Junior Article and a Large Bulletin categories into the AFMS bulletin contest. SFMS also submitted the GMSVP website into the AFMS website contest.
During their 2015 convention, AFMS recognized GMSVP with the awards below:
“Congratulations! You are among the BEST of our Editors, Writers, Poets, and Illustrators. Not only does your federation consider your work to be excellent, but good enough to be sent to be judged nationally!
I consider you to be THE BEST OF THE BEST IN NORTH AMERICA! Your accomplishment, that placed you as one of the Best in North America, is something that should be an example to other bulletin editors in North America!”
The Gem and Mineral Society of the Virginia Peninsula (GMSVP) has been recognized by the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS) as being among the “Best of the Best in North America” for 2015.
Earlier this year, GMSVP competed in the Eastern Federation of Mineralogical and Lapidary Societies (EFMLS) bulletin completion. We also competed in the Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies (SFMS) website competition.
EFMLS submitted GMSVP entries in the Junior Article and a Large Bulletin categories into the AFMS bulletin contest. SFMS also submitted the GMSVP website into the AFMS website contest.
During their 2015 convention, AFMS recognized GMSVP with the awards below:
- Seth Hempley, Junior Articles, 4th Place. Seth received a pin for his article: “The Machine of Faceting.”
- Dan Fontaine, New Editor, 3rd Place. Dan received a plaque and a pin for his work with the club’s newsletter. Dan became the GMSVP editor in March of 2014.
- Holly Worsham, Website 6th place. Holly received a Certificate of Excellence for her work on the club’s website. Holly became the GMSVP Webmaster in September 2014.
“Congratulations! You are among the BEST of our Editors, Writers, Poets, and Illustrators. Not only does your federation consider your work to be excellent, but good enough to be sent to be judged nationally!
I consider you to be THE BEST OF THE BEST IN NORTH AMERICA! Your accomplishment, that placed you as one of the Best in North America, is something that should be an example to other bulletin editors in North America!”
New Club Logo!
The current logo was designed some time ago. The small file size is inadequate for use on posters, shirt patches, etc. We are fortunate to have a graphic designer, Kelly Mazzrillo, in our club. She offered to create a new graphic of the current logo as well as to design an updated logo. We will be transitioning our website and documents to the new design over the next year.
The current logo was designed some time ago. The small file size is inadequate for use on posters, shirt patches, etc. We are fortunate to have a graphic designer, Kelly Mazzrillo, in our club. She offered to create a new graphic of the current logo as well as to design an updated logo. We will be transitioning our website and documents to the new design over the next year.
