It all started with
an opportunity to fill the vacant Federation Director’s position in
our club, the “Roseville Rock Rollers.”
In April of 2003, I made a phone inquiry to the Vice President
expressing interest and getting some information about the position.
I wanted to help, but had concerns about volunteering, not
knowing what I might be getting myself into.
My fears were calmed after talking to Bob Oleachea, our Vice
President, and Karla Shannon, our President.
I was informed that I was expected to attend two meetings a year
and report information back to our members.
Hey, I could do this, I thought!
I was not sure what the California Federation of Mineralogical
Societies (CFMS) was all about, let alone get the acronyms correct all
the time, CFMS, CMFS…, CFMS, CFMS…I kept telling myself.
Soon thereafter, I
was appointed the Federation Director.
At the time of appointment, I was informed that there was a
meeting coming up in June. It
was going to be held in Ventura, nice place to visit in the summer I
thought.
With reservations
made and a couple of days vacation from work, off I went.
While driving down there, I kept thinking about this big giant
organization, wondering what it was all about, and who were all the
people associated with it. I
checked into my motel, scouted out the fairgrounds in anticipation of
the next day’s attendance. Wow,
big fairgrounds! I
was looking forward to smelling the ocean air, sunshine and metal
detecting on the beach in the evening. Sunshine is not what
I awoke to the next day; it was drizzle, and this was the weather for
the entire day and days to come. Summer???
Well this was Thursday, the first day of the show and the first
day of many CFMS activities. I arrived at the fairgrounds early, picked up my entry pass
and program. By now I
realized the entire fairgrounds were taken up by this show and was so
glad I had the show program to keep me on track.
This was the biggest, most exceptional show I had ever seen. There was so much of everything, including many nice friendly
and helpful people. I
thought surely this will take the next two days for me to see, and it
ultimately did. I wore my
club jacket, which spurred many nice conversations with strangers
everywhere I went. I don’t think an hour passed that I did not receive a
compliment about our show or our club.
I was very honored to hear these nice complimentary words. Saturday morning,
came, and so did the drizzle. This
was going to be the first meeting for me with these CFMS folks. Yes, I was still nervous, but after talking with so many
other club members in the days before, I felt right at home, like I had
been doing this for years. Again,
friendly people inside the meeting hall, and now a new-found sense of
order to what this organization is all about.
I found a seat, got my packet and the meeting began.
Just as I was getting a grip on the agenda and flow of events,
the hammer dropped. Jack
Williams, the President, asked the attendees if there were any new
directors and if so, for them tocome to the microphone and introduce
themselves. Oh my gosh,
gulp, I had to get up there and speak …well, I survived!
As the business meeting continued, it wasn’t long before I
realized that directors were here representing their clubs from all
areas of the state. The
business meeting ended in the afternoon. Well, on to the
evening awards banquet. Upon
entry into the hall, I did not know what to expect at this event. My first encounter was with the setup of the hall, which was
decorated to the theme of the show, “Seaside GEM boree,” complete
with cleverly crafted mermaids and underwater decorations.
The table favors were in the form of treasure chests, complete
with gold coins and seashells. The
room was completely filled with attendees, talking and laughing.
We had brief introductions from the American Federation of
Mineralogical Societies (AFMS) President, Ron Carmen, and Jack Williams
from the CFMS, then on to the food.
Now, it was award time. As
I listened to the names and locations of people receiving an award, it
soon became apparent to me that these folks were here from all over the
United States. It was very
touching to see this level of commitment and camaraderie in this
organization. There were
many awards handed out that evening, including many to juniors, which
was refreshing in itself. I
went to the awards banquet with the hint from our members that we might
get an award, which I would be accepting for them.
Well this year our club members contributed so well, that I was
accepting awards, sometimes two at a time in various categories.
It became so apparent that the AFMS President, jokingly, asked me
if I had brought a truck to help carry all of them home.
It was a wonderful evening, offering me a glimpse of the people
that hold this organization together through their dedication and
passion for minerals. Sunday morning was
the Bulletin Editors’ Awards Breakfast.
Again, so many individuals so dedicated, putting knowledge into
words for the benefit of others. Our
members once again received many awards at the breakfast. I wish they could all have been there in person. My drive home for the next six hours gave me an opportunity to reflect on my first CFMS meeting, absorb what the organization is about: all the dedicated, impassioned, individuals keeping this love of minerals alive by sharing and education, all the great people I had met, the knowledge I gained and the countless compliments that I received about our club. I had a great time and I look forward to doing this again at the next show in Mariposa, 2004. |
