Message from the President
Hello, Members and Friends,
Those of us who joined the June 14 open house and tailgate had a fine time. Our tailgaters brought in enough income to make the day worthwhile, and all of us enjoyed fresh fruit and a variety of other snacks, along with refreshing iced tea.
Member Deanna Diamond won the rock-identification contest. The beautiful specimen that she won is shown below. It was donated by Terry Kaye.
Sincere thanks to Terry Kaye and Cynthia Benoit, who coordinated and hosted this event. They are already planning a bigger and better tailgate this fall. They also have suggested that we move our spring event to an earlier date than mid-June so the weather is more comfortable. Be sure to let us what you think about that idea. Remember, please: your ideas matter – a lot!
MoiraLynn Mefein
June 22, 2025 Meeting Agenda
AGENDA
St Lucie Rock & Gem Club BOD & General Meeting
La Buona Vita Club House
8601 S Federal Hwy, Port St. Lucie, FL 34952
June 22, 2025, 2:00 p.m.
SLC Rock & Gem Club is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: SLC Rock & Gem Club’s Zoom Meeting
Time: June 22, 2025, 2:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
(Every month on the fourth Sunday, excluding July and December)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82967519405?pwd=G9JLCSiEyIRnRMaQia0VJc7xV5CaG4.1
Meeting ID: 829 6751 9405
Passcode: 276960
(If you cannot be at the meeting and would like to offer input, please send an email to slcrockandgem@gmail.com with your comments or suggestions.)
CALL TO ORDER
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ROLL CALL/QUORUM
PROGRAM: Chainmaille, presented by Roni Welton
MINUTES APPROVAL – BOD & General Meeting 05-25-2025
TREASURER’S REPORT (Wendy Mathisen)
COMMITTEE REPORTS
- 2025 Show (Meri Jo Theobald)
- Southeastern Federation Report (Meri Jo Theobald)
- Registrar (Terry Kaye)
- Workshop & Building (Bob Hanson & Scott Turner) (sign requests on the yellow sheet so they can contact you with questions.)
- Membership (Kathy Jenkins) (Member packet and booklet revision status)
- Special Programs (Volunteers?)
- Newsletter (MoiraLynn Mefein)
- Webmaster (Wendy Mathisen)
- Volunteer Coordinators (Melinda Cunningham)
- Zoom Coordinator (Jennifer Wilkes)
- Policies and Procedures Manual (Kathy Jenkins, Bobbie Richards, MoiraLynn Mefein)
- Librarian (Cynthia Benoit)
- YouTube Status (Scott Turner, Sarah Macres)
OLD BUSINESS
- Cleaning up after class (please put things back where they belong)
- Field trips and special events – Gillespie Museum
- Fliers for the Club
- June 14 Tailgate/Open House (Terry Kaye)
- Coming soon to a Rock Talk near you (club sale of miscellaneous items) (Scott Turner)
- Condo sewer issues (Kathy Jenkins)
NEW BUSINESS
- Request for member suggestions – volunteer activities to help you earn a free class
- Member-suggested topics
Meeting Adjournment
Raffle and refreshments
May 25, 2025 Minutes
St Lucie County Rock & Gem Club
Meeting Minutes May 25, 2025
La Buona Vita Club, 8601 S Federal Hwy, Port St. Lucie, FL 34952
Combined Executive Board & General Meeting Minutes
The meeting was called to order at 2:05 p.m. and opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.
Our scheduled speaker, Roni Welton, was unable to attend because of a schedule conflict. Meri Jo Theobald provided an interesting program describing the various roles that volunteers play during our Annual Show. Show will include set-up on October 17, 8 to 12, including members who are vendors at the show. Non-member vendors will arrive for set up beginning at 12 o’clock. The show will be open on Saturday 18 and Sunday October 19.
One of the things that sets our Show apart and brings vendors back each year is the fact that we provide snacks, water, and other odds and ends to each vendor. These bags need to be set up about a week in advance. Two or three volunteers can easily assemble these bags and have them ready to be distributed as vendors check in at the Show.
Assisting with setting up and breaking down the Show include tasks such as: driving the trailer to the Mid-Florida Event Center, helping move displays and products off (and later on) the trailer, as well as organizing the displays, tables, and related areas of the Show that are specific to the Club.
Additional volunteer opportunities include admissions, selling tickets, tracking attendance, using Square and cash. Shifts of 10 to 12 people are needed. Raffle tickets will be sold for the raffle table. There will be 4 to 5 prizes. Vendor requests for donations are being sent out.
This year’s flyers will have one dollar off admission for this year’s admission’s price of six dollars.
Meri Jo reminded members that demonstrations of our activities are important to help attendees learn more about our Club and classes. She would like volunteers to demonstrate beading, wire wrap, faceting, cabochoning, and cold connections. In fact, she said, demonstrations of all our classes except those requiring flames. A group of about 6 to 8 volunteers are needed to present these demonstrations.
Volunteers also help in the display area of the show. These volunteers will stock and monitor the locked cases that showcase works by our members. These volunteers will also assist visitors who want to buy any of those items, though purchase must occur after the show closes.
Eight to 10 volunteers are needed to work our very popular Treasure Table. The shifts last 2 hours each, but volunteers who wish to stay longer are especially helpful. These individuals will organize and price items for sale at the Treasure Table and will accept both cash and payment by Square.
Hospitality and vendor care two volunteers are needed to check in vendors as they arrive, and to show he vendors to their table locations. These volunteers will also be responsible for sitting in booths when vendors need a quick break, so volunteer phone numbers will be provided on documents given to the vendors. That way, vendors can call for assistance when it is needed.
Another important volunteer activity is working the membership table. These volunteers provide information about the Club and our classes, provide application forms to visitors, and generally encourage people to become new members. Kathleen Schwartz has volunteered to help with membership. Feel free to touch base with her if you would like to participate.
All members are encouraged to assist with advertising the Show. Members can distribute our posters and rack cards. Meri Jo is already working with local media to broadcast information about the Show.
Finally, Meri Jo reminded us that Show volunteers are not required to be members, and we should encourage friends and family to join in our effort.
As the meeting continued, Denise Baker made a motion to approve the April minutes. Motion was seconded by Meri Jo and passed without objection.
Our Treasurer, Wendy Mathisen, reported that we’re up 20% in show income in year to date over last year. However, our expenses are about as usual, but revenue is down because of low class participation and membership renewals.
Mary Jo‘s reported that we have 18 vendors registered for the Show and there are 3 new ones. Six Club members have signed up so far, bringing our total to 63 tables. Our income at this stage is sufficient to cover our event security (the facility down payment was made earlier during the year).
The Southeast Federation is awarding tickets for two, worth $130, for a field trip in New Mexico. The winners will be required to provide their own transportation to and from New Mexico. Little interest was expressed by members who were present.
Registrar Terry Kaye reported that Saturdays are open for Session III. Workshop opportunities abound. We also are considering discussion regarding 4-week classes, with classes lasting 4 hours instead of three. There are 20 students enrolled for Session III.
Workshop and cleanup update was offered by Bob Hanson, who said the clean-up went great, and “thank you very much.” He said that the trailer is leaking and needs attention. The trailer ramp needs replacement due to rotten wood.
Our Membership chair introduced a prospective member Gary and mentioned returning member Martin. Thank you, Kathy Jenkins.
Moira Mefein requested help with the newsletter: please send photos, videos, and all the happy things that are going on with your Club membership and your projects. Thanks.
Webmaster Wendy Mathisen shared that we had 412 hits last week and 3600 views on the new web page. Some people seem to be having problems using PayPal to pay for classes on the new web page. If you encounter a problem, please take a screenshot and send to Wendy so that she can see what the problem is and get that fixed.
Zoom Coordinator Jennifer Wilkes said, “Hi, we’re here!” as a way of sharing the ongoing success of our Zoom meeting attendance.
Policies and procedures is a work in progress. MoiraLynn has not provided the draft to Kathy Jenkins and Bobbie Richards, working on it. She apologized and promised to get it to them.
Cynthia Benoit has been working to organize the library. She is soliciting books to be added to the library, and encourages all members to donate them.
Scott Turner has YouTube running but needs our help with videos and ideas on what to share.
New Business
Moira Mefein announced that the teachers are working on a program that would enable all members to earn free classes. Details will be announced as they program is clarified.
Kathy Jenkins made a motion to adjourn at 3:35 p.m. Ed Dedecker seconded. Motion passed, and the meeting was adjourned for refreshments and the raffle.
May 24, 2025 Teachers' Meeting Minutes
The meeting was called to order at 9:30 a.m. We began with a discussion of the fact that there were not formally teachers’ meetings in between every session, and asked if there needed to be so many meetings. A motion was made to the effect that there should always be a teachers’ meeting in January, as the new year begins. Additional meetings will be held on an as-needed basis. The motion was amended to specify that the permanently scheduled meeting would be held before the start of Session I each year and that additional meetings would be called as needed. The motion was made by Kathleen Schwartz, seconded by Denise Baker, and passed unanimously
A discussion of our current financial situation led the teachers to consider ways in which we can continue to provide free classes, but minimize budget impact. After detailed discussion, two major points became the focus for further action.
- Teachers and Club officers will continue to be eligible to take one free class each Session. A motion was made to this effect, then amended to include the Membership Chair, Show Chair, and Show Co-chair as eligible. The amended motion was made by Kathy Jenkins and seconded by Wendy Mathisen.
- The second area of discussion led to the conclusion that there must also be a way in which other members can earn the right to a free class. Teachers agreed that this could provide motivation for a more active membership and improved participation in voluntary roles.
After much discussion, it was decided that we should institute a program where every member can earn points for voluntary participation. This could include activities as diverse as attending the general meetings, presenting pop-up classes, bringing new members into the Club, assisting at workshop cleanup, representing the Club at local events, and other activities that would both increase our community visibility and improve “day to day” life of the Club.
MoiraLynn agreed to draft a list of volunteer tasks and suggest “scores” for participation, providing a starting point for further discussion. The initial suggestions was to have the program in place in time for Session IV, but there was concern about whether that was too short a time for implementing such a major program.
A motion was made by Kathy Jenkins and seconded by Denise Baker that such a program should be developed. The motion passed unanimously.
The teachers again discussed the disarray that is left in the Workshop after classes. It was agreed that it is not unreasonable for students and instructors to end each class by putting equipment and supplies back where they were when the class arrived. It was agreed that common sense and courtesy should be observed. When students and teachers notice something that they know is out of place, they should put those things away. For instance, we were again reminded that the pin polisher has been dumped in the sink, and the (quite expensive) pins left in the sink to wash down the drain. We were reminded that it is often the large carts that are left out and in the way. While it is the teacher’s responsibility to double-check workshop conditions after class, it was agreed that all of us could take the initiative to slide the carts back into place when we have finished using the area where they are usually stored.
Teachers also mentioned the problem of excess stools and chairs, sometimes blocking passage ways and causing safety hazards. That issue was dealt with at the end of the meeting by removing damaged and excess items and disposing of them.
There was some discussion about our storage and transport trailer. It has developed roof leaks and the deck is rotting away. Bob Hanson mentioned that he had taken a good look, and believes the roof can be repaired by a trailer specialist. Asked if the trailer must be emptied for such a repair, he said he does not believe that will be necessary.
The teachers were reminded about the tailgate party and open house coming up on June 14. Advertisement has been limited, so the group was asked to encourage members to join us and tailgate that day.
Stu Shaw made a motion at 10:55 a.m. to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded by Bob Hanson, and passed unanimously.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO EARN A FREE CLASS?
Help us Decide The Best Ways for You to Do Exactly That!
If you have not already read the minutes from our May teachers’ meeting, please go back and read them. We are in the process of creating an exciting, year-round program that will earn members credit for active participation in the Club. Those credits will be collected and tabulated by Kathleen Schwartz and Terry Kaye. When a target point is reached, you may sign up for a free class. (You will still need to pay the consumables fee, just like others who take free classes. Those fees are limited to classes using special supplies, and generally run $25 or less per class.
UPCOMING EVENTS YOU MAY WANT TO EXPLORE
Looking for a fun place to go for a pleasant afternoon, or, perhaps, a nice weekend? Consider these upcoming events, occurring around the State.
Event & Location | Dates | Information |
Daytona Beach Bandshell Tribute Band Concerts | Fridays 6/6 – 8/29; Saturdays 5/24 – 9/27 | Free to public. VIP tickets $15 |
Lake Placid Caladium Festival Stuart Park: 113 E. Interlake Blvd. Lake Placid
| July 25 – 27 | “…arts and crafts, a beer garden, food booths, entertainment and an antique and classic car and bike show. There is a schedule of entertainment that includes cloggers, country bands, classic rock, blue grass and local favorites.” Free parking and entry |
“UFOs: Denials, Disclosure, Discernment” The Elliott Museum 825 NE Ocean Boulevard, Stuart
| Ongoing through Aug 31 | Many different exhibits (fine art, classic cars, baseball, etc.) that rotate throughout the year. Nonmember tickets $18/person
|
2025 Calendar of Events
Class Schedule
Session 3 — May 26 to July 19
Session 4 — August 18 to October 11
Session 5 — October 27 to December 20
Meeting Dates
June 22
July — No Meeting
August 24
September 28
October 26
November 23
December 7 — Holiday Party
Board-Specific Meetings (If Needed)
August 18
November 17
Meet & Greet Open House with Member Tailgating
November 16
SLC Rock & Gem Club Annual Show
October 18 & 19
Setup on October 17
September 15 is the deadline for Club members to request a table (contact Meri Jo Theobald for more info at slcclubshow2023@aol.com) |
YOUR PICTURES BELONG HERE!
I am always surprised that our many talented members and instructors do not send me their photos to be included in the Rock Talk.
Please share your work with the rest of us. The more that each of us share our photos, the more likely we are to expand our interests and grow new skills.
Please send your .jpg or .png photos to me at slcrockandgem@gmail.com.
In the absence of any new photos, here are a few from the club’s website.