Club news by Eileen Moss

• I wish to welcome our new Club President, Michele Bonutti and thank our retiring President, Paul Blaney for his many years of service.  Catherine Raby has also been elected as our newest member to the Board of Directors.
• Our shop is now back at full scheduling from previously reduced summer hours.  For full details, please check the calendar on our website at www.mineralclub.ca.  Our current open shop times are Sundays from 1 to 4pm, Tuesdays from 10 to 1pm and 6:30 to 8:30pm, and Wednesdays from 10 to 1pm. Open shop time, which includes the use of the shop and equipment, is $3 per hour.
• On Tuesday evenings, we teach lapidary skills or how to cut and polish gemstones.  Training is free to Club members and all equipment is provided.  By the end of the evening, you will have created a polished cabochon and have learned how to use the small trim saw, grinders and sanders.
• Our silversmithing courses continue to be very popular.  Generally they are full within a few hours of posting.  We are limiting class size to 6 students as it better meets the students needs.
• This year we primarily offered beginner courses, but in the Fall we were able to add some intermediate level courses, including fold forming and cold connections.  Wax casting and Precious Metal clay courses continue to be very popular.  We were also able to offer some wire wrapping courses and a specialty beading/knotting course. In the new year, we hope to add enamelling as well as other specialty courses.
• Our Metal Rocks shows are becoming well established.  We schedule them with the Potter's Guild Spring and Fall sales, which is working out very well. We average 16 members from the Club selling their unique creations.  Grenville Minerals is also a welcome addition to the show and sale, enabling us to provide a varied selection of items for sale.  This year the Fall Metal Rocks dates are November 23 to November 26. Our 2024 Spring show is scheduled for May 2 to 5 and will be held in the Malting Tower.   This will be a new location for our show at the Tett, but was the only available space to have our show in conjunction with the Potter's Guild.
• Our Gem Storm show this year at St Lawrence College was a great success.  We had 22 dealers as well as a member table, jewellery workshop and children’s mine. Attendance was slightly lower than previous shows but all dealers and visitors to the show were happy.  We have booked our show for 2024 for October 18 to 20. Having the show open for the Friday night as well as the weekend is working well.

 
 
Meetings Planned So Far for the Winter/Spring

• November 10 at the shop, 6-8pm – Melanie Gray will be giving a PowerPoint presentation with lots of visuals on Iroquois Silversmithing.  This should be a fun informative evening.
• December 8 at the shop, 6-8pm – Dori Hunt from R & D Gems will teach wire wrapping.  Dori supplies everything needed. Material cost is $35 payable to Dori.  Open to 10 students.  To register please email or call Eileen at [email protected] or 613-384-4439