Midwest Federation Calendar of Events-June

7: CHICAGO, IL. Chicago Rocks and Minerals Society INAUGURAL GEODE FEST, Salvation Army - Irving Park Corps, 4056 N. Pulaski. Sat, 1-5. This is the CRMS’s first ever geode-only show. It’s truly a family show, with an emphasis on things kids like. There’ll be a video presentation giving basic geode info and what minerals you can find inside, details on where to look for geodes in our area, how to recognize one when you see it, and how to open a geode. The main event will be the on-going geode cracking! Club members will have lots of geodes, opened and whole, for sale. Many unopened geodes will be on sale for as los as $1.00, so children can pick their own and get it cracked right at the show! Members will identify minerals found inside any geode, and will even identify rocks brought from home. What a great way to spend an afternoon! Snacks will be available. Admission: FREE, FREE parking. CONTACT: Craig Heinze, (847) 584-8637, cheinze@flash.net .

13-14: REDWOOD FALLS, MN. New Ulm Gem & Mineral Club 39TH ANNUAL SHOW, Redwood Area Community Center, 600 Cook Street. Fri. & Sat., 11-6. Held in conjunction with the Minnesota Inventor's Congress’s annual show. Club members will be selling jewelry, buckles, bolas, and amethyst specimens. There will be club display table, cabbing demonstrations, and door prizes. For kids, there will be the grabs bags that are always so popular. Admission: $5. CONTACTS: Russ Swigart, 36493 320th St., Redwood Falls, MN 56283, (507) 644-3604, or Ruth Hacker, PO Box 37, Morgan, MN 56266, (507) 249-3811.

14: FAIRFIELD, IA. Sac & Fox Lapidary Club ANNUAL ROCK SWAP, Howard Park, at the intersection of Hempstead Avenue and Main Street (2 blocks north of the town square.) Sat. only, 8 am -1 pm. The swap features 10 vendors offering rough rock, slabs, cabochons, lapidary equipment, Iowa geodes, minerals, fossils, beads and jewelry. There will also be flint napping. The swap is held in conjunction with a Framers’ Market and an Amish Bake Sale, so food will be fresh and delicious!! This is an outdoor swap, and will be held, rain or shine! Admission: FREE! CONTACT: Florence Stevens, 301 N. 6th Street, Fairfield, IA 52556, (641) 470-1517, flostevens@lisco.com, or Betty Morris, 618 N. Lincoln Street, Mt. Pleasant, IA 52641, (319) 385-8584 or (641) 472- 0149, emorris@lisco.com

14: OSSEO, MN. Anoka County Gem & Mineral Club SWAP & SALE MEET, Osseo United Methodist Church parking lot, 16 2nd Ave SE. CONTACT: Martha Miss, 8445 Grange Boulevard, Cottage Grove, MN 55016, (651) 459-0343, rockbiz8@cs.com .

18-22: LINCOLN, NE. >>> MWF ANNUAL Convention <<<, hosted by the Lincoln Gem & Mineral Club.

The Long Range Planning Committee (LRPC) will Meet in Lincoln

The LRPC will have an informal roundtable discussion at the convention in Lincoln. We will meet immediately after the delegates luncheon or the delegates meeting, whichever is the latest. We will meet in the same room as the delegates. The discussion will center around club leadership ( club presidents and other officers) and show chairpersons. All are invited to join us. Bring questions and share ideas to the meeting or if you can't attend the meeting e-mail the chair, with your questions or ideas. The results of the discussion will be included in the MWF newsletter under "You Asked for It."

20-22: LINCOLN, NE. Lincoln Gem & Mineral Club 50th Annual Show, together with the MWF ANNUAL Convention, Pershing Center, 226 Centennial Mall South. Fri. & Sat. 9-6, Sun. 10 5. Featuring: 14 dealers selling mineral specimens, cut and polished rocks, meteorites, fossils, bead and gemstone jewelry of all styles, and MUCH MORE! Demonstrations of bead making & bead artistry, silver smithing, metal casting, rock painting, wire wrap jewelry making, scrimshaw, rock sculpture, vertebrate fossil preparation, AND MORE! Club members and club friends will exhibit lapidary, fossils, jewelry, metalwork, and features of gold displays. Special exhibits will show Native American petroglyphs from the Midwest, vertebrate fossils & artifacts from Oklahoma streams, and lapidary specialties & agates from Missouri. There also will be a judged, competitive exhibit competition! Youth Activities include two digs (one for gems, the other for invertebrate fossils), both running all during the show. FREE Educational Programs include “New Zealand Geology & the Netherlands Antilles” (Bob Diffendal,) “Water in Nebraska” (Jim Goeke,) “Dinosaur Extinction” (Greg Snow,) “Petroglyphs” (Carl Wells,) and “Vertebrate Fossils” (Greg Brown & George Corner.) There will be a silent auction, door prizes, and food concessions. Enjoy a fun, educational day with friends and family, learning about the wonders of the natural world. Admission: Adult $5 (3-day pass $12), Children under 12 FREE with Adult admission. CONTACT: Roger Pabian, P.O. Box 5342, Lincoln, 68505, (402) 472-7564. rpabian1@unl.edu. For Competitive Exhibits information, contact Joyce Hanshcu, (734) 455-8596,
nwhanschu@prodigy.net

27-29: BLOOMINGTON, IN. Lawrence County Rock Club 43RD ANNUAL GEM, MINERAL, AND FOSSIL SHOW & SWAP, Monroe County 4-H Fairgrounds, Airport Road. (From the junction of IN 37 & IN 45 S, go south on IN 45 S for 1.2 miles, then right (west) on Airport Road for 0.7 mile ). Fri. 10-6:30 (8 a.m. set up), Sat. 9-6:30, Sun. 10-4. 70+ vendors (we expect 100+ by the time of the show) selling a wide variety of gems, jewelry, minerals, fossils, rocks, lapidary equipment & Supplies, rockhounding & prospecting supplies, AND MORE! 4-H Project Material and Science Project Material will be available. We will have exhibits, demonstrations, a fluorescent display, and silent auctions. For more information, see the club website at www.lawrencecountyrockclub.org. Admission: FREE! FREE parking. CONTACT: Dave Treffinger, 13101 E. 250 N, Loogootee, IN 47553, (812) 295-3463.

28-29: LAKE OZARK, MO. Osage Rock & Mineral Club 7TH ANNUAL GEM, JEWELRY, ROCK, MINERAL, AND FOSSIL SHOW, held at the Resort at Port Arrowhead, Room D, 3080 Bagnell Dam Road. Sat. & Sun., 11-5. 13 dealers with meteorites, geodes, fossils, minerals, gemstones, cabochons, and quartz crystals. There will also be cabbing demonstrations. Many gifted club members will offer "one-of-a-kind" jewelry pieces. The door prize will be a chunk of copper from the UP of Michigan. We have a great booth for kids, with games and prizes. To listen to a pre-recorded info tape, call (417) 532-4367. Admission: FREE! CONTACT: Roger Varvel, (417) 532-4367, rvarvel@fidnet.com (please put “GEM SHOW” in the subject line).

28-29: WYOMING (GRAND RAPIDS), MI. Michigan Geology & Gemcraft Society 34th annual SEMINAR (MGAGS), Godwin High School, 50 35th Street SW. Sat. 9-5, Sun. 9-4. Hands-on workshops, demonstrations, and lectures. More than 30 classes will be offered. Topics include faceting, wire wrapping, jewelry, beading, silver smithing, and lapidary. Admissions: Advance tickets: Adults $15 (2 day pass $25). At seminar: Adults $18 (2-day pass $30), High School $5. CONTACT: Donald Brown, 32832 Illinois St., Livonia, MI 48150, (734) 421-8159, or Bill Hapiuk, 26099 Dover Street, Redford, MI 48239, (313) 937-3228, .mgags2008@yahoo.com.

29: COLUMBUS, NE. Loup Valley Gem & Mineral Society ROCK SWAP, Izaak Walton Cabin, 1/10 mile west of the intersection of Hwy 30 and Hwy 81, on Highway 30. Sun. 9:00-5:00. BUY - SELL - TRADE! Fossils, minerals, agates, artifacts, display cases, gemstones, jewelry. Dealres and public welcome! Adult and Child Grand Prize drawings at 5:00 pm, spinning wheel, and silent auction. Admission: FREE. CONTACT: Mary Wemhoff, (402) 246-3955, wemconst@megavision.com.