Welcome to Our Website!

    Our History             Next Meeting             Newsletters 

 

The Huntsville Gem and Mineral Society (HGMS) is a non-profit educational organization for people interested in mineralogy, geology, paleontology, lapidary arts and related fields.  Our primary purpose is to educate our members and the general public in these areas.  We accomplish this by presenting programs, shows and lectures (to school children and organizations); hosting field trips; and exchanging rocks, minerals and fossils.  We have regular monthly meetings, and special annual events, such as the Fundraising Auction, the Picnic and Rock Swap, the Gem, Jewelry, and Mineral Show (the largest in North Alabama), and the Christmas Dinner.  Plus, HGMS members have access to a state-of-the-art lapidary shop and to jewelry crafting activities, such as wire working and metalsmithing.  Guests and visitors always welcome!

President’s Message

As your new HGMS President, I welcome you to 2022!  Also, welcome to our new officers, Vice President Bill Friday and Secretary James Yack, and a big thank you to Clara Goode for continuing as Treasurer, and Shelley Curran, Les Bartel, and Gene Powers for continuing as Directors at Large.  I would also like to thank the outgoing officers for their guidance through the Covid years, President Mike Harrison, Secretary Leslie Malakowsky, and Vice President Isabel Leon y Leon, who will continue as Director at Large.

We moved toward normalcy in 2021 holding a successful Gem and Mineral Show and the annual picnic.  There are changes on the way as we continue to move forward in 2022.  Pebble Pups is becoming Future Rockhounds with expanded activities.  We are also working to expand the lapidary lab hours and are exploring ways to implement lapidary fees so that we can maintain the lab’s equipment.

The membership vote on the updated Constitution and Bylaws is being pushed to the February meeting to allow for some additional suggested changes.  The proposed Constitution and Bylaws will be sent out for membership review prior to the February vote.  I look forward to a fabulous 2022 for HGMS!  az (Anthony Zwilling)

Attention Members! Your 2022 Dues Are Due!

Please note the increase for 2022:  $20 for single and $25 for family.  (If you already paid, or if you pay by December 31st, you will not be charged the extra amount.  Also, if you’re a new member who signed up at the Fall show, your dues won’t come due again until January, 2023.)

What do your dues give back to you?  Dues and income from the Annual Auction cover about half of the HGMS annual budget.  (This year, we had a “Rock Auction” aka Yard Sale in lieu of the Annual Auction.  But our regular auction is coming back in 2022!)  This income is used to help provide support for our many activities – access to our new Education Center, Lapidary, Jewelry, Metals, Pebble Pups, GeoSciences, Field Trips (DMC will be back next year), AFMS/SFMS/DMC Federation membership and insurance, newsletter, monthly programs, web page, Annual Auction, Fall Gem, Jewelry, and Mineral Show, Annual Picnic, Annual Christmas Dinner, and Outreach.  Quite a bargain, don’t you think?!!!