NEWSLETTER

Volume 9, #1                       January 26, 2006
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TUCSON MEETINGS

TENTATIVE TUCSON AGENDA 

1. Call to Order
2. Introductions
3. Approval of the Denver Meeting Minutes
4. Treasurers Report
5. Membership Report
6. SMMP Grant Program
7. Collections/Curators Committee Report
8. Education Comm. Denver case; Tucson program and case
9. AGI Member Society Report
10. New Business
11. Board Nominations and Elections
12. Board Meeting to Elect Officers
13. Program

TUCSON PROGRAM

What's New in Mineral Identification Techniques

John Rakovan
Department of Geology, Miami University (Ohio)

Jeffrey E. Post
Mineral Sciences, Nat. Mus. of Nat. Hist., Smithsonian Inst.

Robert Downs
Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona

 There are literally scores of new and evolved analytical methods for the study of minerals and other materials. This will not be a comprehensive review of those. Instead we will present recent developments (some quite substantial) and applications of several traditionally popular analytical methods used for mineral identification. These will include single crystal diffractometers with CCD (area) detectors, powder diffractometers with imaging plate (area) detectors, electron back scatter diffraction in conjunction with standard SEM analyses and Raman spectroscopy.

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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

O Canada! Our home and native land! True patriot love in all thy sons commandWelcome to Tucson, Canada south for the TGMS show. Believe it or not I remember those lyrics from memory. Having grown up on the northern tier of the US we had to learn the anthem for school. But if you were a hockey fan and attended a live game, you knew them already. There was always that great anticipation when they played, O Canada! before the game (although you had to wait through two national anthems in Bloomington, MN). That anticipation is much like late January in the mineral world gearing up for Tucson. So I find myself humming O Canada and trying to compose a worthy message for the society. Hope I do a good job, eh?

I would like to take this opportunity to review the state of the Society of Mineral Museum Professionals. I receive few complaints or suggestions, so I interpret that to mean the society seems to be serving the members to the degree they want. The list server lights up occasionally and from the number of responses is appreciated and well used (thanks, Tony). We maintain a presence at the major shows with our well-received society displays (thanks, Jean). Not to mention employment opportunities when they become public and the stolen specimen notices (thanks again, Tony). Finally, the program at the end of the meeting at Tucson never fails to teach me something useful or interesting (thanks, Terry). Im especially looking forward to this years program with a presentation on new advances in mineral research from researchers on the forefront of the techniques. For a paltry ten dollars we have coordinated communication, an excellent program at Tucson, and the potential for modest funding opportunities through our own society a good deal in my book.

What do we lack or want to do? I wish that we could have a short scientific or curation article in each newsletter. It would probably take someone to step up and volunteer to be a research/curation editor to solicit and coordinate authors. In addition, perhaps we could establish an honorary award for individuals who have been of exceptional service to the society. I can think of a number in our group who have dedicated a significant amount of time to making our society work better. Perhaps a free year of membership and publication of a list of names in each newsletter would be appropriate. Im sure you have some suggestions as well so bounce them over the list server or bring them up at the meeting. Better yet, consider a run for the Board new and better ideas are always welcome.

Virgil Lueth, President

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2006 Board of Directors election

Three board member terms will be expiring this year. Please be prepared to nominate candidates and vote. Board members whose terms expire this year are:

Virgil W. Lueth New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources
Anna Domitrovic Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
Michael Wise Smithsonian Institution, U.S. National Museum

The term expiration dates of the other board members are provided in parentheses in the sidebar.

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MINUTES OF THE DENVER MEETING
September 2005

Click on the link above to go to view the minutes.

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SMMP EUROPE

Report on the joint meeting of the
IMA-Commission on Museums and SMMP-Europe
Munich, October 28^th, 2005

Click on the link above to view the report.

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SMMP AFFILIATIONS

American Geological Institute (AGI)
Committee openings:
Government Affairs Program
International Geoscience Advisory Committee

Natural Science Collections Alliance NSCA)
Although the Society of Mineral Museum Professionals maintains no official ties with the Commission on Museums (CM) of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA), the Commission resolved at its December, 2000, meeting in Melbourne, Australia, to support SMMP's efforts in uniting mineral museum professionals worldwide.

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SMMP RESEARCH STUDY GRANTS

Click on the link above to view the announcement.

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OTHER MEETINGS OF INTEREST

GIA Gemological Research Conference
August 2627, 2006
Manchester Grand Hyatt, San Diego, California

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SMMP LIST SERVER

You are encouraged to interact with your fellow SMMP members via our list server:

smmp@listserv.nhm.org

Please remember that when you reply to an email sent via our list server, you will be replying to the sender, although you have the option of copying the membership.

Tony Kampf will continue to process additions to and deletions from the list server. That way we can limit the list to our membership and if a member decides that they want to be dropped from the list, Tony will know whether to send them the SMMP Newsletter by snail mail. Note that henceforth you will only be able to send via the list server by using your email address that is on the list server. This should be the same one that is used in our on-line roster.

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TRACKING DUES

SMMP dues are $10.00 U.S., payable to Anna Domitrovic, treasurer, 6118 W. Lazy Heart Street, Tucson, AZ 85713. Any directory changes or additions should be sent to Tony Kampf. In Europe, dues can be remitted to Peter Davidson, National Museums of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, SCOTLAND.

Note that you can check your dues payment status on the SMMP on-line roster. The year shown in the last column indicates the last year for which you have paid. If you are delinquent, please remit your dues payment as soon as possible.