President's Message   January 2005

Robert Burson, President 2004

Happy 2005 New Year, Searchers!

Time for a new campaign!
Show-time!  AVI Clouds in Laughlin....
this will be our first time attending this show.
I believe it is the third year in Laughlin
and each year it gets bigger and better! 
My wife and I are taking my parents
 so they can spend my inheritance,
which is fine with me, because it's their time
 to enjoy life in that they are in their 80s.
It's something we can share--they enjoy the casinos,
 and I get the great outdoors,
 and we share the nightlife!
  This will be a good opportunity to get my Dad
 out in the field--I know that he would never admit
 that he was prone to rockhounding, but now
that he is at his "youthful" age,
he will not have to worry about what
others may think. Now, like many retirees,
 he is free of the expectations of others...

One location thirty miles west of Laughlin
we'll visit is Oatman, AZ. 
Yes, it has a little bit of that tourist facade
but Oatman is more real, somehow,
 than most western theme towns. 
Someof the buildings are probably original...
Oatman's hey-day was just prior to WW II
and it is surrounded by some of the
most beautiful western landscape that one
could possibly imagine! 
The highlight of the town's events
is the mid-day arrival of wild burros... 
These burros are the descendants of the
original Oatman miners' animals.
Oatman was quickly closed at the start of WWII,
and the mining effort was deemed
 "not crucial" to the war effort.
The burros were basically abandoned,
but managed somehow to survive...
Carrots to feed them can be purchased for
 a mere $1 buck per bag in most stores in town. 
There is also a theatrical gunfight a few times a day
 on Saturday and Sunday.  So, bring your carrots,
your ritz crackers, and you will be a hit
to the only true survivors of this wild west mining town!

I sure hope I am not the only one to mention
 Quartzsite this month.
With any luck, the PowWow news
and other show news is spattered throughout
the pages of this editiion, so there's no way
you wouldnt be able to obtain the dates and details
 of this colossal group of rock shows.
 In Islam, there is Mecca. 
For rockhounds, there is Quartzsite.
 To truly get an education about the vast
 interest in this hobby, one should not miss Quartzsite!
Mountains of rocks, tens of thousands of people,
 all speaking our language! 
Out in the middle of desolated Arizona desert two roads meet:
 one going north-south, and the other going east-west.
During the summer, you can scarcely find a living soul
out here. Maybe at McDonalds or the two gas stations
in town, but once a year, in January each year,
people congregate from all over North America in Quartzsite.
Many of the folks are from colder climates, and are
eager to escape a harsh winter. These "snow birds" load
motor homes and trailers with treasures from the earth
and with a little skill, you can name your price
in this monster open bazaar.

For those who didn't have the opportunity to attend
the holiday celebration/installation of new Searchers officers,
I would like to tell you a little about these new Board members.

Welcome Karen Fox, our new President for 2005!
I truly first acquainted myself with Karen and
her husband Paul on the long range
Utah trip several years back.
I was struck with their spirit of adventure.
A great lover of the outdoors, Karen has a passion
for petrified wood.  Paul enjoys fossils, and both
share an interest in minerals.  Karen can be found Saturdays
in Clare Gagnon's silversmithing class, and I understand
she is producing some real quality art!

Co-chairing the First Vice President position 
withAnastacio O'Campo 
is Virgil Talbott.
Virgil is an Iowa Hawkeye, and attended a couple of years
of college, majoring in electronics.
Upon completion of his education, Virgil had a choice
to seek employment in either Florida or California.
Fortunately for us, he chose California.
Virgil was inspired by the geology of our state--after all,
Iowa is pretty flat.  Virgil is retired.
He decided to pursue an interest in geology,
which brought him to the Searchers.
He is interested in geology, collecting, and silver-smithing.

Lorri Renck is our new Secretary for 2005!
Lorri was very helpful with our 2004 Show,
and has become even more visible recently.
Unfortunately, I was unable to contact Lorri, so I will
have to re-address her history at a later date,
but we are grateful to have her in this important position.

Carol Hesse is our new 2005 Treasurer.
Carol is a long-time friend of Jimmy and Ester's;
in fact, I believe she was responsible for
bringing the two of them together!
Thanks a lot, Carol, for that alone!
We're also thankful that Carol enjoys getting
out with her coach, and camping.  She is starting
to get a little bit more knowledge about rock-hounding,
and I am looking forward to expanding her knowledge
in this field.  Carol enjoys jewelry, but still considers
herself a novice.  With hope, she will find our
workshop a great place to hang out!

Welcome, all, and I know that with folks like this
our Searchers Club will have an extraordinary 2005!
I was pleased to serve as your President for 2004,
and I continue as the club Director for 2005.
Happy New Year, too, to all our new members!