NFMS JUNIOR ROCKHOUNDS "News Flash"

Gary Buhr gemnut@hotmail.com

FALL, 2008 Just after school was out for summertime, Ontario, Oregon was the epicenter of attraction for Northwest Rockhounds participating in the 2008 NFMS 68th Annual Show and Convention. We all extend a great big 'THANK YOU' to Show Chair Margaret Stallknecht for making that event happen in the heat of eastern Oregon at the Malheur Fairgrounds. Arriving early before set up, travel troupe LAURA, Carol, Mel and Gary headed south to Succor Creek for prospecting. We discovered an antique Rock Shop in Adrian and met Rockhound 'Miss Penny' pictured below and learned many 'pearls' from the owner about local names of agates.

Junior Rockhounds brought their experience and talents to ensure that the Show was buoyed by youthful participation and awards for Rockhounds under 18 that clearly represent our future. The Awards Banquet honored three 2008 NFMS Junior Achievement Award Winners, see their 'resumes' and pictures in this edition of Northwest Newsletter and on the NFMS Website. Please note that their outlines were converted into continuous text to save space. ZOE TOLBERT, Washington Agate & Mineral Society (Olympia, WA) won First Place in the Age 12 & Under Category; SIERRA SCHACKMANN, Kitsap Mineral & Gem Society (Bremerton, WA) won Second Place; and CLINTON A. SLOVARP, Rock Rollers Club, Inc. (Spokane, WA) won First Place. These three winners are true role models of achievement, please 'CONGRATULATE' them at your first opportunity. Eight Junior Rockhounds entered top quality displays that they designed and set up themselves. KIMBERLY VINCENT age 10, member of Idaho Gem Club, Inc. (Boise) and Owyhee Gem & Mineral Society (Caldwell, ID) displayed Mexican coconuts, Hog Creek geodes, and thundereggs from Richardson's Ranch on a 'bed' of polished Oregon beach agates. MICHAEL VINCENT age 6, member of Idaho Gem Club, Inc. (Boise) and Owyhee Gem & Mineral Society (Caldwell, ID) assembled a case full of carnelian agates from Oregon that are all self-dug! KAITLIN VINCENT age 15, member of Idaho Gem Club, Inc. (Boise) and Owyhee Gem & Mineral Society (Caldwell, ID) set up two huge 30+ pound meteorites from Campo del Cielo, Argentina and accented by a 'heavenly' array of green stars. Pictured is COLIN ROWE, Everett Rock and Gem Club (WA) with his Competition Display of quartz in natural crystal, obelisk-type and sphere formations. COLIN won a purple Rosette and First Level Blue Ribbon for his first entry with a competition case. Junior LAURA CIMOLINO, Everett Rock and Gem Club (WA) in pic by her Competition Display of pyrite in an Advanced Educational Category. LAURA won a purple Rosette and First Place Blue Ribbon. Next year she can enter this as a Master Level at the AFMS/NFMS Annual Show. ALEX CARRINGTON, Everett Rock and Gem Club (WA) is pictured by his first Competition Display case of mixed thumbnail and cabinet minerals (sphalerite, calcite, fluorite, epidote, apophyllite, copper, schorl, celestine, gypsum, pyrite, danburite, quartz, kyanite, mimetite). ALEX won a purple Rosette and First Level Blue Ribbon, plus the coveted Lester Zeihan Memorial Award for best mineral display of the Show! First time Competition Display by pictured NICHOLAS ERNSBERGER, Golden Spike Gem & Mineral Society (Ogden, UT) was filled with self-made jewelry in coordinated sets of earrings with necklaces using agates, jaspers, obsidian and glass or Swarovski beads. NICHOLAS won a purple Rosette and First Place Blue Ribbon. Photo of ALEX MOEDL by her very first display that she entered as a Competition Display with a title of 'My Rock & Gem Adventures'. Her display of petrified wood, trilobites, topaz, sunstones, opals, geodes, sapphire, wonderstone, fire agate, quartz, chrysocolla and garnets won a purple Rosette and First Level Blue Ribbon. ALEX is a member of Idaho Falls Gem & Mineral Society (Idaho Falls, ID). ROSE ROBERTS, granddaughter of Show Chair Margaret Stallknecht and her friend LIBBIE KLETTKE were constant 'runners-gofers-couriers' during the three day event, so their participation was mostly behind the scenes, please make it a point to give them mucho 'KUDOS' when you see ROSE or LIBBIE next, their help is much appreciated. JILLIAN BERG, Everett Rock and Gem Club (WA) won Second Place Award for her newsletter article titled 'Camp Delaney 2007'. NFMS Bulletin Aids Chair Darlene Denton (left in pic) presents the Award with help from President Patty Amos (pic center). Pictured is RANSOM CUTSHALL, Everett Rock and Gem Club (WA) with his First Place Award for authoring a newsletter article titled 'Thundereggs'. Pic shows LAURA CIMOLINO, Everett Rock and Gem Club (WA) who was our three day 'anchor' at the 2008 NFMS KIDS CORNER. Her customer Scott enjoyed winning prizes at the big Spinner Wheel of Fortune. Many kids and adults made Critters, Sand Panned for Gems and played FREE Mineral Bingo with Mineral Mogul Lorna Goebel, Everett Rock and Gem Club (WA) plus Friends of Mineralogy/Seattle Chapter. Lorna had her new laptop with the power point presentation of The ABC's of Minerals, if you missed it be sure to see it next year! Mel Buhr, Everett Rock and Gem Club (WA) set up the display case full of 22 quality prizes for the 2008 NFMS Junior Achievement Trust Fund Raffle. The KIDS CORNER and Raffle were 'fueled' this year by superb donations from these generous Rockhounds: Joe Slouber--Butte Mineral & Gem (MT); Kay Devonier--Idaho Gem Club, Inc. (Boise) and Owyhee Gem & Mineral Society (Caldwell, ID); Mel Buhr--Everett Rock & Gem (WA); Derek & Amy Whitmarsh--Everett Rock & Gem (WA), Skagit Rock & Gem (Mt. Vernon, WA); Margaret Stallknecht--Show Chair, Stallknecht-Morgan Museum Gem & Mineral Society (Letha, ID), Malheur County Rock & Gem (Ontario, OR); Mt. Hood Rock Club (Gresham, OR); Vi Jones--Skagit Rock & Gem (Mt. Vernon, WA), North Puget Sound Faceting Guild (Mt. Vernon, WA); Keene Clay--Mt. Hood Rock Club (Gresham, OR); H & I Lapidary (Tacoma, WA); Cleo Thompson (Payette, ID); Agate-Beach.com (Mike Wendt); Joan & Evan Day--Golden Spike Gem & Mineral Society (Ogden, UT), Intermountain Faceters Guild (Burley, ID); Facet Shoppe (John & Barbara Franke, Burley, WA); Roger Beck--Eureka Rock & Gem (Mountain Home, ID), Intermountain Faceters Guild (Burley, ID); Service Station Gems (Noyam & Tony, Marsing, ID); Rocks and Gifts (Joy & Gerald Scarrow, Jerome, ID); Susan Magnam (Twin Falls, ID); Rose & Orville McArthur--Hells Canyon Gem (Lewiston, ID); Coons Lapidary (Cecil & Emory Coons, Burns, OR); Lorna Goebel--Everett Rock & Gem (WA), Friends of Mineralogy/Seattle Chapter; Russ & Dorothy Pease (Junction City, OR); Pat & Don Snyder--Lakeside Gem & Mineral (Kennewick, WA). Yep, these are the great generous Rockhounds who make it happen at the NFMS KIDS CORNER, please send them all a heartfelt 'THANK YOU' for supporting our future!

ZOE TOLBERT, age 8, 2008 Junior Achievement Award Winner (Age 12 & Under Category).		SIERRA SCHACKMANN, age 15, 2nd Place Winner 2008 NFMS Junior Achievement Awards	CLINTON A. SLOVARP, age 17 First Place Winner 2008 NFMS Junior Achievement Awards
I'm Miss Penny, I'm a ROCKHOUND!		COLIN ROWE, Everett Rock and Gem Club (WA) with his Competition Display of quartz in natural crystal, obelisk-type and sphere formations. COLIN won a purple Rosette and First Level Blue Ribbon for his first entry with a competition case.	LAURA CIMOLINO, Everett Rock and Gem Club (WA) by her Competition Display of pyrite in an Advanced Educational Category. LAURA won a purple Rosette and First Place Blue Ribbon.

ZOE TOLBERT, age 8, First Place NFMS Junior Achievement (Age 12 & Under) My Resume/Outline of Achievements Section I. HOBBY RELATED--Club Involvement: I am a Member of Washington Agate & Mineral Society (Olympia, WA) since 2005; Participate in WAMS-led rockhounding field trips; Participate in rock show & tell for every club meeting since 2005 and with a rock that I collected! Hobby Craft Involvement: Co-author, "The Best Ever Rockhounding Gear Guide" (2007); Co-author, "The Best Ever Rock Tumbling Guide" (2007); Site contributor (and owner), www.GatorGirlRocks.com ; Provide rock collecting field trip reports; Rock polishing-primarily agates, jasper, petrified wood, chalcedony nodules, apache tears, etc.; Rock collecting-numerous collecting trips in Washington as well as the Pacific Northwest, but also including, Canada, Italy, and 17 different states; Regularly correspond with other rock collectors across the U.S. through my website; Donate rocks to students to increase awareness of rock collecting hobby. Competitive Involvement: Thurston County Fair, Best of Class (2007) for Polished Rocks Exhibit; Thurston County Fair, First Place (2007)-Polished Rocks; Thurston County Fair, First Place (2007)-Rock Collection. Section II. EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT--Scholastic: Student, Annie Wright School which has merit-based, high achievement admissions; Knowledge Bowl, First Place (2007), Second Place (2006); Contributor, AWS Writer's Tea (authored Kuddlekins, 2008). Extracurricular: Dancer, Tacoma City Ballet's professional theatre production of "The Nutcracker Suite" (2006 & 2007); Student, Creative Theatre Experience (Summer 2007 & 2008); AWS Gator Rock Club (2006- present), assist father in teaching after-school rock club course for grades K-3; Student piano (2005-present), student ballet (2004-present), student gymnastics (2008). Section III. COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENT--Events Involvement: Volunteer, Nisqually Wildlife Refuge (2003-present), volunteer, school-based charitable programs (2004-present) such as Starlight-Starbright Foundation, Jump for Heart, Nothing But Nets, St. Leo's Food Bank, and Penny Drive; Volunteer, City of Lacey, Adopt-A-Road (2006-present); Volunteer, Lewis County Flood Cleanup (2007-present). Community Involvement: Brownies (2006-present); Olympia Rose Society (2003-present), volunteer to tend the Washington State Centennial Rose Garden. Section IV. WORK RELATED--Co-owner and contributor, www.GatorGirlRocks.com (a rockhounding resource for children and families); Clean-up volunteer at school; Chores at home. My other interests and hobbies are mountain climbing (climbed to peak of Mount St. Helens in 2007), collecting flattened pennies, visiting state capitals (10 to date), arts (theatre, ballet, dance, music, painting, sculpture), crafts (beading & sewing), and reading, especially Harry Potter, American Girl and Magic Treehouse. ********************************************* SIERRA SCHACKMANN age 15, 2nd Place Winner 2008 NFMS Junior Achievement Awards My Resume/Outline of Achievements My name is Sierra Schackmann and I am 15 year old and a junior member of the Kitsap Mineral and Gem Society. I first became a member of the club when I was about eight years old, and my family and I had gone to the Kitsap County Fair in 2001. We saw the rocks and jewelry presented in the showcases and thought they were really fascinating, so we decided to join the club. Ever since that day, my family and I have gone to almost every meeting, and have been putting in a showcase at every Kitsap county fair, and KMGS show. I help put up and take down chairs and or supplies at the club meetings, help set up the shows, and fairs every year since I have joined. I have gone to so many field trips over the years, but these are the ones that were the most memorable: Saddle Mountain (petrified wood), Red Top Mountain (jasper and crystals), Twin Rivers (fossils and beach agates), Kalama (carnelian agate), Lucas Creek (carnelian agate), Ochocos, Oregon (agate, thunder eggs, jasper, moss agate, petrified wood, and limb casts), Rim Rock Lake (mammoth size thunder eggs and jasper), Wenatchee (soapstone, actinolite, garnets, and quartz), Spencer, Idaho (precious opal), Green Water (jasper, agate crystals, petrified wood, common opal, etc.). One of my talented hobbies is making ming trees (trees constructed of wire with rock beads and rock base) with rocks that I have found over the years. I have put my ming trees in my cases before along with my rock critters. I have attended the Port Townsend Gemboree, put a showcase in the Puyallup Show, and visited the Rice Museum in Oregon. I am currently a freshman at North Mason High School, and have a GPA of 3.95 or better. When I was in Middle School at Hawkins, I accomplished honor roll a number of times and have a certificate of seals that describe everything I have done. I have also gotten a certificate that shows I was a great student and that the teachers appreciated me being there. Since middle school, I have gotten straight A's so far and hope to keep that goal throughout high school. I am also currently on the high school softball team, and hope to keep playing that sport in the future. I have also been involved in choir and art as some of my other skills. My mother, Heather Schackmann, was the junior's leader at KMGS, and needed every bit of my help for getting the class ready, or making the rock critters and ming trees for the show, and sometimes help organize the games for the picnics that our club has. I have also helped teach the juniors to make ming trees and rock critters to put in the shows. I am a member of the Sunnyslope Improvement Association (SIA) and have been since I was old enough to remember. For the past years I have helped SIA with the parties and functions that go on, like the Huckleberry Social, the Christmas parties, the May Sale, and sometimes the Halloween parties. For the nights when they have potlucks there I go with my dad to help at the meetings and learn what's going on. After each event I help take down and clean up the hall for the next event. I have also donated items to the SIA for the May Sale, like toys or clothes to help benefit and raise money for the community. I am currently active in KMGS, the North Mason Bible Church youth group, and the SIA. At home I am very active with chores that consist of unloading the dishwasher, putting leftover food away into containers, and whatever else needs to get done in the house. I help my mom with a lot by folding the laundry sometimes, cleaning the laundry sometimes, cleaning the house when guests are expected, and sometimes organizing the pantry and keeping things up to date. I also maintain the birdfeeders and in the summer, baby-sit the neighbor's kids. I help trim and clear the huckleberry and salal brush on our property as well to keep it maintained. I am always happy to help anyone who needs it.

CLINTON A. SLOVARP, age 17 First Place Winner 2008 NFMS Junior Achievement Awards My Resume/Outline of Achievements Section I. HOBBY RELATED ACTIVITY: Membership with the Rock Rollers Club in Spokane, for four years. In good standing with the club as a Junior member; Attended the Rock Roller's Club Annual Gem and Mineral Show for five consecutive years. Have helped to run club operated booths and help with the show for all shows in tht duration; I have entered show cases into our club's show for the past four years as follows: 2005 Show--A display case of my favorite pieces in my collection. Non-competition case. 2006 Show--A quartz crystal show case. Non-competition. Received the People's Choice Award at the show. 2006 Show--An educational Igneous Rock Competition case. Entered at the Junior level. I earned first place and received 96/100. 2007 Show--An educational Igneous Rock Competition case. Entered at the Novice level, I received first place and received 97/100. 2008 Show--An educational Igneous Rock Competition case. Entered at the Intermediate level, I received first place and 98/100; I have my own very extensive collection of rocks, minerals, and fossils acquired through rock-hounding, purchase, and other means. My collection is thousands of specimens large; I own some of my own rock working equipment including a 12' table saw, 3 grinding wheels and a polishing wheel; With my equipment I work at home in my spare time at lapidary, becoming better at making cabochons. Also I have experimented with other creations using the saw and wheels. My latest completions include coaster sets made out of slabs, and I am planning to try and make a lamp as my next project; I haven't participated in any of the Club's digs, due to schedule conflict, but I have gone on digs independently or with friends. My last dig was at the Stone Rose fossil site in Republic, WA; I have been able to promote my hobby, club, and our show through informing my peers, teachers, and family and friends. Section II. EDUCATION/EXTRACURRICULAR INVOLVEMENT at SCHOOL: Centennial Middle School--Numerous achievements and involvements throughout, details available upon request; West Valley High School--ACADEMICS: Junior in high school taking zero hour band; I am a Running Start Student at Eastern Washington University where I take all of my other classes; 4.0 GPA (Transcript available upon request); I have earned my academic letter, and consistently made honor roll throughout high school; I have taken advanced courses including AP European History, Honors English I, II, III, and IV, was a year ahead in mathematics, and have two full years of Spanish as a foreign language. ACTIVITIES: 2nd year member of National Honor Society; Marching band, Wind Ensemble concert band, and pep band participant for three years; Currently I am Drum Major for high school band; Currently play piano and French horn, taking lessons in both; As a freshman earned the award for Rookie of the Year in Band; As a sophomore earned Sophomore of the Year in Band; Participated in our region's 2006 WMEA Solo and Ensemble receiving a II, or Excellent rating, on my solo. Also I earned a I, or Superior rating as part of a sextet, and was second alternate to state for that years competition; Participated in our region's 2007 WMEA Solo and Ensemble receiving a I, and awarded second alternate to state, for my French horn solo. Also I received a I, for my work as part of a Brass Quintet; Participated in our region's 2008 WMEA Solo and Ensemble receiving a II for my French horn solo, a II for my Brass Quintet group, and I and first alternate to state for my French horn duet; Two years of involvement in the FIRST robotics program, and the Electrics Captain for the 2007-2008 build and competitions; Member of Link Crew (Sophomore year); Golf Team (Sophomore year) earned the academic scholar award; Spanish club member freshman and sophomore year; Eastern Washington University, Cheney--Major, Biology, with a Pre-Med option, anticipated graduation June, 2011; I have earned 34 credits at EWU, maintaining excellent grades; Golf at EWU, Fall quarter of 2007; I have made the dean's list for two consecutive quarters, and the entirety of my time at the University. Section III. COMMUNITY ACHIEVEMENT ACTIVITIES: I do numerous chores around the house for my parents including baby-sitting my 3 year old brother and providing respite care for my fourteen year old brother with multiple disabilities; I played piano for a formal charity dinner to raise money, through donations from prominant community members, for the construction of a new local recreation/community center; I have volunteered at Spokane's Hoopfest the past three years, helping to clean up garbage, and other maintenance; The work I have mentioned for The Vox is donated time, to stimulate reading and literacy, instill the habit of reading a newspaper, and initiate deeper thinking from my teen peers; I have performed numerous times for volunteer work with music through band or on my own at such places as Park Place retirement home, and Vallyfest; With my acquired journalism experience, I am a Volunteer Reporter for my church's newsletter, the Zion Messenger; I received the Chase Youth Award for outstanding contribution to our community for my efforts with The Vox, the publication I work with; Help my grandfather work on his house, shovel snow, rake pine needles, chop wood, etc. Section IV. WORK RELATED ACTIVITIES: Employment--Work all posts at Dairy Queen, part-time during the school year, full-time in summer. Hired in January of 2007, Danna or Hollend, managers; Sports Editor at teen publication, the Vox, 11th grade and Sports Writer in 10th grade, Circulation of 30,000, Erin Daniels, Advisor; Leadership--Sports Editor at The Vox, a real teen publication, with circulation of 30,000; I am the Drum Major for my high school band for the Fall and Spring marching season, as well as leading the Pep Band at sporting events; I have attended numerous leadership programs including HOBY's CLEW workshop, EWU's Drum Major and Leadership Camp, Middle School Leadership conference, and many others; Head of Electronics for FIRST Robotics Competition team; Two year member of National Honor Society; Nominated for the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine.

ALEX CARRINGTON, Everett Rock and Gem Club (WA) is pictured by his first Competition Display case of mixed thumbnail and cabinet minerals		NICHOLAS ERNSBERGER, Golden Spike Gem & Mineral Society (Ogden, UT) His case was filled with self-made jewelry in coordinated sets of earrings with necklaces using agates, jaspers, obsidian and glass	ALEX MOEDL by her very first display that she entered as a Competition Display with a title of 'My Rock & Gem Adventures'.
JILLIAN BERG, Everett Rock and Gem Club (WA) won Second Place Award for her newsletter article titled 'Camp Delaney 2007'.		RANSOM CUTSHALL, Everett Rock and Gem Club (WA) with his First Place Award for authoring a newsletter article titled 'Thundereggs'.	LAURA CIMOLINO, Everett Rock and Gem Club (WA) who was our three day 'anchor' at the 2008 NFMS KIDS CORNER. Her customer Scott enjoyed winning prizes at the big Spinner Wheel of Fortune.