About Us
History
Chicago Rocks and Minerals Society (CRMS) was founded in 1946. The charter members were all in a lapidary class at a Chicago Park District field house. They discovered that they enjoyed each other's company and began sharing information and various collecting locations and techniques. This led to their unanimous decision to form a club that would provide them a chance to give lectures about their specialties and have guests from outside the club give talks about the hobby they enjoyed. Once organized, they searched for like-minded people in other clubs. They found them in the Chicagoland area. CRMS also joined the Midwest Federation of Mineralogical and Geological Societies (MWF) in 1946 and sponsored a successful convention one year later. A newsletter was created, but there were little funds in the treasury. When the editor presented the members with finished, duplicated copies, they would meet to assemble the newsletter. (See the first The Pick and Dop Stick bulletin from October 1946.) In 1950, CRMS joined the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AMFS) and was instrumental in the development of the Chicagoland Gems and Minerals Association (CGMA). To this day, our members work with each other and these other organizations to promote the hobby we enjoy.
Our award-winning newsletter, The Pick And Dop Stick, is sent out ten months of the year (we do not meet in July and August in order to give time for members to go on trips and build their collections). The purpose of The Pick And Dop Stick is to keep members abreast of current events and to provide current information about our hobby. Our newsletter also goes out across the country on an exchange basis in order to keep other clubs aware of what is happening with our club, and to inform our club members of activities elsewhere. The Pick And Dop Stick is always interesting and filled with original award-winning articles, news from the Midwest and American Federations and the CGMA, plus events of neighboring clubs that share our interests. Our newsletter has achieved numerous awards from both the American and Midwest Federations. Our current editor is the recipient of the coveted New Editor award, and The Pick And Dop Stick is consistently cited as being one of the ten best newsletters. Our club takes great pride in The Pick And Dop Stick.
CRMS has matured in its sixty-five years of existence into a solid association of members who have interests in geology, paleontology, mineralogy, and the lapidary arts. Membership includes beginners, knowledgeable hobbyists, and professionals who are devoted to the collection and understanding of fossils, minerals, gems, rocks, and jewelry-making. With pride, we call ourselves “ROCKHOUNDS.”
Every March, CRMS holds its famous and huge Silent Auction. A fascinating array of rocks, crystals, minerals, fossils, handmade jewelry, lapidary treasures, cutting materials, books, magazines, and more donations by the members are sold to help raise funds for the club and its activities, which include hosting excellent speakers on a wide variety of subjects. Come Memorial Day weekend, CRMS members participate in the Chicago Gem & Mineral Association's annual regional show at the DuPage County Fairgrounds in Wheaton, IL, by demonstrating their lapidary skills and exhibiting their collections. Three times a year club members promote our hobby at the International Gem and Jewelry Show in Rosemont.
Affiliations
CRMS is a member of the following organizations:
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