Field Trips
A second “tradition” of the club from early on was Field Trips. The first recorded excursion was on April 24, 1971 with a trip to Preston, GA to hunt for iron fossils, iron geodes and goethite. Many early trips were in the local area such as, Cartersville, Dallas, Buford, Winder, Hillsboro, Blue Ridge, Dahlonega, and Columbus. After a while, several locations became favorites, such as Chunky Gal Mountain in North Carolina to look for garnet, ruby and corundum. There were many trips to the Brown Sand & Gravel Company near Columbus to look for opalized quartz and petrified wood. Another local area with many trips was Cochran’s Mica Mine in Ballground to find pegmatite, tourmaline, beryl crystals, quartz crystals, mica and arrowheads.
Other “favorite” locations with many trips over the years include: Ladd’s Quarry, Cartersville, GA for cave onyx, quartz crystals, and calcite crystals; Diamond Hill Mine, Antreville, SC for skeletal quartz, smokey quartz and amethyst; Hillsboro, GA for quartz (gray, yellow, blue, black); Burnsville, NC for golden beryl, aquamarine beryl, green beryl, apatite crystals, clear oligoclase and smokey quartz; Graves Mountain for quartz crystals, barite, sulfur, fuchsite, ilmenite, pyrite, rutile, pyrophillite, kyanite, lazulite and hematite; Summerville, GA for lace agate and jasper; Ft. Payne, AL for blastoids, crinoids and horn coral; Dale Hollow Lake, Livingston, TN for silicified crinoid stems and plates, and geodes; the Standard Mineral Company, Glendon, NC for pyrite cubes, pyrite cubes in matrix; Hogg Mine, Troup County, GA for rose quartz tourmaline, beryl, moonstone, mica books, garnet and quartz crystals; the Patty Construction Quarry, Chattooga County, GA for Summerville lace agate; the Cemex Quarry, Macon, GA for marine fossils including sand dollars, shark’s teeth, gastro-pods, scallop shells, turritella; the Mason Mine, Franklin, NC for rubies and sapphires (corundum); Woodbury, TN for geodes with quartz crystals and botryoidal chalcedony, Ordovician marine fossils, limestone suiseki, and various minerals including dolomite, calcite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, and smoky quartz; Chunky Gal Mtn., Corundum Knob, Clay County, NC for Ruby corundum (pink to red), Spinel (black to brown “galaxite” and magnesio-chromite), Sapphirine, Talc, Serpentine, Brucite (white to blueish chalky chunks), Tremolite, Actinolite, Smaragdite (chrome-emerald green amphibole), Pyroxine (chrome diopside/sparse green micro-crystals of weathered amphibolite matrix), Fuchsite and Dunite.
Lapidary Classes
Early classes
Frank & Annette McGhee taught an eight week lapidary course at the East Cobb School, sponsored through co-operation with the East Cobb Community School. Classes were held on Wednesdays from 7pm – 9pm. (March 1974) First mention of any classes in the bulletins.
In the Minutes of Meeting of 2/5/91, “The announcement was made that classes in bead stringing and wire wrapping will be held in the East Cobb County Services Building, 4400 Lower Roswell Road, at 7:00 pm, on Feb 12, 1991.
Held classes on the first Tuesday of each month at the East Cobb Government Services building. Classes are fairly informal and you can start any month that you wish. Included are wire wrap, bead stringing and design, lost wax casting, dream catcher earrings.
Classes held on the first Tuesday of every month at 7:00 pm at the East Cobb Government Bldg., 4400 Lower Roswell Road in Marietta, GA. Frank and Annette McGhee held class in wire wrap and other lapidary skills for many years. Becky Patellis taught beading. Olin Banks taught faceting.
Artisan Resource Center
A special Board Meeting was called in September of 2005, to decide on leasing a space at the Artisan Resource Center in Marietta. The Board approved. This was a dream for the society to have a place to work and learn to use the various machines. Mary Ingram, President of CCGMS stated, “It will be a tremendous tool in getting new members and teaching them what this is all about.”
On November 13, 2005, the club held a Workshop Open House from 2 – 4 pm. Thanks to Pat and Carl Brown, Jack and Nollie Agey, and Beverly for all the hard work to get the room nice and clean and ready. Carl Brown was the first Shop Foreman.
In Feb 2006, the CCGMS Workshop first opened at the Artisans Resource Center, Studio M, 585 Cobb Parkway in Marietta. Pat Brown was the Workshop Committee Chairman. The workshop was open on Thursday and the 3rd and 4th Tuesday. The regular classes were held there on the 1st Tuesday of each month.
There were many, many people that helped to make the workshops a total success, one of the hallmarks of the CCGMS, and more recently, Karen Jensen, Bob Hohn, Ken Hunt, Wes Manley, Chris Munson, George Libby, Al Sorensen, Carl Brown, Pat Brown, Ruth Rainey, Anne Bair, Roy Meade, Becky Pattellis, Rebecca (Robbie) Hunt.
Newsletter/Bulletin
The main method of communication with the club members from the very beginning was through the club bulletin, COBB-L-STONES. Pat Stapp and Barbara Ann Ritch were two of our first newsletter editors. Leo Morris volunteered his services in 1970 and continued until 1980, when he became Editor for the Southeast Federation of Mineral Societies newsletter. There were several editors for the next few years starting in 1981; Steve Hudson, Betty Bell, Paul Redd, Sandra Lynn, and Mary Lou Ernst. Frank Mayo was President, but was also highly involved with producing the newsletter (and writing numerous excellent articles) until his death in 1989. After Frank’s death, Leo Morris again took the reins for the next four years. Leo’s wife Edna was also very active in the club for many years and was elected President in 1992, 1993 and 1994. They made a great team. In 1994, Steve Owen volunteered to edit the newsletter and did an excellent job until his early and untimely death in 1997. Mike Ingram took over after Steve, followed by Jana Haege for two years, and then Jim Haege accepted the position of editor in 2000 and remained for 8 years, until his election as President. In 2008, Karen McGinn volunteered her services followed by Carol Lindsey, Marjorie Gore and then in 2011, Toby Stewart, accepted the position. Later, Richard Cepurna (January 2018 to September 2019). Then Sharron Ragan (October 2019 to February 2021). And now currently, Amanda Rollason (starting in March 2021).
The Dream of Our Own Clubhouse and Workshop
In the March 1990 edition of the COBB-L-STONES, President Lowell Bailey in his “THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE” stated, “It is time we set our sights on getting a small piece of land and a building we can both meet in and put equipment in, too. Our society needs to grow and become established in a building of our own.” “We would be able to hold our meetings and any functions we desire without restrictions, only those we place upon ourselves. We could also hold auctions, instructional classes, or whatever events we choose. There would be no limit to available ways to make use of this facility.”
In August of 2005, interest was rising again on finding a permanent “clubhouse” and the Board of Directors decided to form a committee to study/design/list the needs for a “clubhouse”.
Sep 2013, from Dion Stewart, President: “No doubt you have heard that the membership at the August meeting approved the purchase of 516 W. Atlanta Street in Marietta, GA. If you were at the meeting, it was very obvious that our membership wants a permanent home that includes an expanded workshop and a large general room that can hold our monthly meetings. To me the most amazing aspect of the meeting was the overwhelming show of volunteerism, as member after member stepped forward to offer their talents, extra building materials from their own homes, and their personal time to see that the needed renovations to the existing building and grounds get done. Did you know that we have within our membership professional cabinet makers, professional painters, and professionals that do flooring, as well as many people who are extremely knowledgeable about construction aspects from hanging dry wall to doing plumbing. After the meeting I received emails from people volunteering their time “in any area where you need help”. Almost twenty people signed up for either the hard work of demolishing unwanted walls or the painting of the new walls that we are going to put in. A special thank you goes out to two people who were instrumental in the process of securing this new location. Working hard behind the scenes and not getting a drop of recognition was Roy Meade. He was the Chair of the Workshop Expansion Committee, which is now being called the “Consolidation Committee” as we combine the needs of our newest CCGMS members who have come to us upon the closing of the Lockheed Mineral Club. Special recognition also goes to Wayne Dodd, who worked tirelessly on getting the finances for purchase and renovation to fit within the constraints of our limited building fund. Although I know personally that keeping everything working was an ordeal, he has volunteered to continue this heavy burden as he will serve as Project Manager.”
Consolidation with Lockheed Lapidary Club
The relationship between the Georgia-Lockheed Employees Recreation Lapidary Club and CCGMS goes back many, many years. Many of the folks in the Lockheed club were also members of the CCGMS. For example, Herb Bowls, the first president of the Lockheed club was a distinguished guest at the September 1971 meeting.
When Lockheed Martin announced in early 2013 that they were going to close all of their recreation clubs, the general membership of the Cobb County Gem and Mineral Society extended a warm welcome to members of the Lockheed Lapidary Club to join the CCGMS. They called for the formation of a joint, adhoc committee to develop a financially feasible plan that would incorporate those members and materials from the Lockheed Club into expansion of the CCGMS facilities. A motion to accept was made and seconded and unanimously agreed upon by the membership. The following members were recommended by the Board to be on the adhoc committee: Roy Meade (Chair), Pat Brown, Bob Shively, Wayne Dodd, Anne Bair, Karen Jensen and Al Sorenson.
Community Projects and Endeavors
Gem & Mineral Show
In 1986, Carolyn Randall & Jim Bishop put on our first gem and mineral show as we know it today in the Cobb County Civic Center. We have held shows there each year since. (1986-1999)
Dec 1986 – Gem & Mineral Show a Great Success! “Our greatest expectations were surpassed ten-fold at our Gem, Jewelry and Mineral Show last weekend. We thought it would be a good show but never dreamed it would be so successful. Our dealers were very pleased with their sales and told us that it was the best show that they had in the area with most dealers reporting a 25% increase or better in sales. We feel this was, in part, due to our extensive advertising campaign. We estimated attendance exceeded 3,000 and we asked each person to check off how they heard about the show. Most responded that they received a flyer. Newspaper advertising, mail and radio advertising followed. We sold out of grab bags early on Saturday and could have sold many more if they had been available. We also acquired new members who joined our club at the show. The dealers greatly appreciated the meal we provided for them on Wednesday night and all day on Thursday. We certainly have many gourmet cooks in our club. We want to thank everyone on our show committee and those who helped. Without your help we just could not have had things run so smoothly. Without a doubt, we have the best club in the world with the best members.
William Holland
Aug 25, 1983, Frank and Winnie Mayo attended the groundbreaking for the William Holland Retreat at Young Harris, GA.
The first SFMS workshop at the William Holland School for the Lapidary took place July 10-17, 1988. The CCGMS was represented with Dot and George Kasper, Holly Camp, and Al Nagy.
George Kasper Memorial Library established at William Holland School (Apr 1993). George was a long time member of CCGMS.
Weinman Mineral Museum
March 1984, the Gilbert W. Withers Memorial Fund moved the Fulton Federal Savings and Loan Association gem and mineral collection to the Weinman Mineral Center at Cartersville, GA.
When Winnifred Davis Layton Mayo died Oct 13, 1984, the Winnifred Davis Layton Mayo Fund was established in association with the William Weinman Mineral Museum in Cartersville, GA.
October 1985 saw the Ground Breaking for the Winnifred Mayo Wing at the William Weinman Mineral Center and Museum.
July 1986 – Mr. Lewis H. (Lew) Lane gave his large collection of fine mineral specimens to the Winnifred Mayo Memorial Mineral Museum at Cartersville, GA. This magnificent collection of minerals consisted of over 80 beautiful minerals, some of them very rare. Also included was a fossil snake and a fossil fish. The minerals he gave to the museum were collected over a period of 16 years.
September 1987, Annis McRae donated a case of minerals from her personal collection to the William Weinman Mineral Center and Museum.
November 8, 1987, a Dedication Ceremony and opening was held of the Winnifred Davis Layton Mayo Wing and the Frank Mayo Earth Science Library of the Weinman Mineral Museum with The honorable Joe Frank Harris, Governor of Georgia in attendance.
In August of 1989, Frank Mayo donated mineral specimens to the Weinman Mineral Museum valued at over $12,000.00. Included were: Tourmaline from Brazil, Amethyst Geode from Brazil, fluorescent minerals purchased in Franklin, NC, Emerald crystal from Brazil, Aquamarine crystal from Brazil, Ruby Corundum from India and Limonite Tektite from the Philippines.
(From the October 1990 COBB-L-STONES)
“For many years there had been talk that Atlanta needed a mineral museum. Sure, there were displays at the State Capitol, Fernbank Science Center and at the Georgia Geological Survey, but nothing devoted entirely to minerals. Gil Withers and others began to work on the idea and for a short while things did begin to take some shape but then fizzled out.
Up in Cartersville, Marylyn Moore, with the Cartersville Tourism and Industry Council, was thinking on the same lines. For over 100 years mining had been extremely important in the growth and development of Cartersville and Bartow County. Under the earth there were reserves of manganese, iron, ochre, umber and barite. Marylyn thought it appropriate for a mining museum to be built in Cartersville. Not many people in Atlanta, including myself, took her seriously. The thinking was that we had failed to establish a museum in Atlanta, how would one come about way up there in Cartersville?
Somehow the idea took hold. The family of William Weinman agreed to provide funding for the building. Mr. Weinman was the owner of Thompson-Weinman, an important mining company in the area. Well, ground was broken in 1982 and the building completed in early 1983. Fulton Federal Savings & Loan agreed to place their Gems & Minerals of The World Collection on indefinite loan. The collection arrived in April 1983 and work was begun on cataloging and arranging the collection for opening that took place in July, 1983.
Within three years the Weinman was having growing pains. The facilities were too small. Frank Mayo and family stepped forward and through a very generous donation provided the funding for expansion. Ground was broken again and in late 1987 the new addition was opened and dedicated. The new addition included an exhibit hall built in memory of Winnie Mayo the Frank Mayo Mineral Library and additional space for the preparation of specimens.