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     Arizona's Oldest Mineral Society


Upcoming events

    • 12/14/2024
    • 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
    • OUTDOOR SCOTTSDALE LOCATION revealed after Registration & Payment
    • 39
    Register




    MINERALOGICAL SOCIETY OF ARIZONA

    2024 HOLIDAY JAMBOREE

    CELEBRATING MSA'S 89th BIRTHDAY



    SATURDAY, December 14, 2024

    11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

    (You may arrive as early as 10:45 AM)

    If you are receiving this email as a reminder,

    please scroll to bottom of this email for Location DIRECTIONS and INFO.  


    MSA 2024 Holiday Jamboree & Christmas Party Outdoor (Scottsdale) Location revealed after Registration & Payment. 


    Holiday Jamboree if more than just a party and meeting, it is also election of 2025 Officers and Board and election of 2024 Rockhounds of the Year (Adult) and (Junior).

    HOLIDAY JAMBOREE CONSISTS OF FOLLOWING:

    • Outdoor Catered Mexican Meal in a beautiful and secluded Scottsdale locale with Umbrella Tables, Seating and Propane heaters if needed.
    • Election of 2025 Officers & Board.
    • Raffles.
    • Silent Auctions.  
    • 2024 Rockhound of the Year Election for (Adult) and (Junior) Candidates. 
    • MSA will provide canned beverages, bottled water and dessert.  


    RSVP REGISTRATION & $10 PER MEMBER PRE-PAYMENT REQUIRED.

    REGISTER & PAY:  

    Log-In to your MSA Profile on msaaz.org, go to EVENTS tab to complete registration and pay.


    DEADLINE TO RSVP REGISTER & PRE-PAY:  December 12, 2024.

     LIMITED (70) PAID MSA MEMBER ONLY EVENT.

    Payment is non-refundable due to catered meal.


    • 12/18/2024
    • Burro Creek
    Register

    Meeting Time: 9:30 AM

    Departure Time: 9:45 AM

    Where:  Junction of US 93 and Burro Creek Crossing Road  (Burro Creek Crossing Road is about 66 miles northwest of Wickenburg on US 93.)

    The Burro Creek area has been a rockhounding area for over 70 years.  Many interesting rocks, primarily chert and chalcedony related rocks, have been found in the area.  The location has been listed in many rockhounding books.  In the area of the MSA field trip the collecting is easy.  The chert and subtle colors of pastelite are scattered across the desert for miles.  There are also areas where druzy quartz crystals can be found as well as rillensteine patterns in the calcareous tuffs that are mixed in with the chert.  It is a great area for exploration.

    From the meeting area it is about a 12 mile ride in on a fairly well maintained dirt road.  However, on my last venture to the area a few areas had experienced significant erosion, as a result, high clearance is required.  

    Once at the parking area the collecting areas are in all directions, although most people head in a general southerly direction.

    Another point of interest only about 2.5 miles away is Burro Creek Falls.  A series of very small waterfalls in very grooved bedrock.  Nothing to collect at this spot except interesting photos.

    (More information to come.)

    This is a general view looking south toward the primary collecting area.

    Lots of different colors and shades of chert have been (and still can be) found in the area.  I thought this one was interesting and I call it Picasso chert, due to its disjointed (fractured) appearance.


    This is a great example of rillensteine pattern in a calcareous tuff.  The tuff is softer than the chert and has developed these furrows (rills) due to hundreds of years of water erosion in the desert.

    A few areas have yielded samples of druzy quartz.

    This is Burro Creek eroding narrow channels in the volcanic rock.  It is an interesting contrast to the chert littered desert floor and this area of bedrock stipped of the overburden of regolith.


    One of the many, but small waterfalls found in this area.










    Leaders:  Stan Celestian and Bill Freese

    • 01/16/2025
    • 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
    • (In Person Meeting): Franciscan Renewal Center, (Piper Hall), 5802 E. Lincoln Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85253
    • 90




    MSA MEETING PROGRAM & PLACE

    Franciscan Renewal Center, (Piper Hall),

    January 16 , 2025 @ 7.30 pm Arizona time


    "TITLE TBA”
    Presented by TBA

     

    Meeting is on 3rd Thursday.

    * No refreshments

    MEETING will be In-Person and Zoom.


    Program TBA.





    Meeting starts at 7.30PM Arizona time.


    • 02/20/2025
    • 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
    • (In Person Meeting): Franciscan Renewal Center, (Piper Hall), 5802 E. Lincoln Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85253
    • 90




    MSA MEETING PROGRAM & PLACE

    Franciscan Renewal Center, (Piper Hall),

    February 20 , 2025 @ 7.30 pm Arizona time


    "TITLE TBA”
    Presented by TBA

     

    Meeting is on 3rd Thursday.

    * No refreshments

    MEETING will be In-Person and Zoom.


    Program TBA.





    Meeting starts at 7.30PM Arizona time.


    • 04/17/2025
    • 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
    • (In Person Meeting): Franciscan Renewal Center, (Piper Hall), 5802 E. Lincoln Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85253
    • 90




    MSA MEETING PROGRAM & PLACE

    Franciscan Renewal Center, (Piper Hall),

    April 17, 2025 @ 7.30 pm Arizona time


    "TITLE TBA”
    Presented by TBA

     

    Meeting is on 3rd Thursday.

    * No refreshments

    MEETING will be In-Person and Zoom.


    Program TBA.





    Meeting starts at 7.30PM Arizona time.


    • 06/21/2025
    • Meeting Location in Scottsdale To Be Announced
    • 90




    MSA MEETING PROGRAM & PLACE

    Franciscan Renewal Center, (Piper Hall),

    SATURDAY, June 21, 2025 @ TIME (TBA) Arizona time


    "TITLE TBA”
    Presented by TBA

     

    Meeting is on 3rd SATURDAY.

    * POTLUCK

    MEETING will be In-Person ONLY (No Zoom).


    Program TBA.







    • 12/13/2025
    • SCOTTSDALE LOCATION revealed after Registration & Payment
    • 60




    MINERALOGICAL SOCIETY OF ARIZONA

    2025 HOLIDAY JAMBOREE

    CELEBRATING MSA'S 90th BIRTHDAY



    SATURDAY, December 13, 2025

    TIME: TBD

    (You may arrive as early as TBD)

    MSA 2025 Holiday Jamboree & Christmas Party

    (Scottsdale) Location revealed after Registration & Payment. 

     

    Look at bottom of Confirmed Registration Email for Link to PDF with DIRECTIONS and MAP.

    December Holiday Jamboree if more than just a party and meeting, it is also election of 2026 Officers and Board and election of 

    2025 Rockhounds of the Year (Adult) and (Junior).


    HOLIDAY JAMBOREE CONSISTS OF FOLLOWING:

    • Catered Meal in a location (To Be Announced).
    • Election of 2026 Officers & Board.
    • Raffles.
    • Silent Auctions.  
    • 2025 Rockhound of the Year Election for (Adult) and (Junior) Candidates. 
    • MSA will provide canned beverages or bottled water.  


    RSVP REGISTRATION & PAY $FEE TBD

    PER MEMBER PRE-PAYMENT REQUIRED.


    REGISTER & PAY:  

    Log-In to your MSA Profile on msaaz.org, go to EVENTS tab to complete registration and pay.

    DEADLINE TO RSVP REGISTER & PRE-PAY:  December 11, 2025.

     LIMITED (## TBD) PAID MSA MEMBER ONLY EVENT.

    Payment is non-refundable due to catered meal.