July 12, 2000
Club leaves no stone, or rock, unturned
Local rockhounds on the trail for new membership
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
At age 11, Kevin Gauthier did something that changed his life: he cut open a rock.
Captivated by both the process and result, he became an avid rockhound. Over the years as he collected, studied, cut, shaped and polished all kinds of rocks and minerals; he even began selling rocks he found and polished by the time he was 14.
Gauthier learned the intricacies of his trade from members of the Grand Traverse Rock & Mineral Club, who took their youngest member under their collective wing and taught him all they knew.
Two decades later, Gauthier is still a rockhound and still learning from club members. He has even turned his avocation into a livelihood by opening Korner Gem, a rock and mineral store in Traverse City, five years ago. Realizing this dream meant giving up a career with a large corporation in Chicago, but it was a price he found very easy to pay.
Now editor of the Grand Traverse Rock & Mineral Club's newsletter, Gauthier wants to ignite that spark of rockhounding in others, especially among young people.
"Once you start cutting into a stone and slice it open to see what is inside, you're hooked," said Gauthier, a native of Traverse City. "Having the community of the rock club and having people show me how to do things with classes was invaluable. I never would have gone as far with rockhounding without the club."
For a hobby that was huge in the middle part of this century, rockhounding has been a dying pursuit as its followers have gotten old and died. The local club reflects this nationwide trend.
From a membership peak in the mid-1970s of more than 80 people, it is now down to barely two dozen members. The club's outreach events at area schools and an annual gem and mineral show at Northwestern Michigan College have fallen victim to decreasing membership during this time.
"When we joined nearly 20 years ago, we were the youngest members in the club," said Vic Nielson of Suttons Bay, president of the Grand Traverse Rock & Mineral Club and owner of Nature's Gifts with his wife Isabell. "The club did have eight junior members at one time but now children have so many things to do that polishing a rock isn't one of them."
Hoping to attract more members of all ages, but especially young people, the Grand Traverse Rock & Mineral Club recently decided to change its meeting location and format. Starting this month, the club will meet at the Grand Traverse Heritage Center in the former library, instead of at the Senior Center, which they thought gave people the false impression the club was only for seniors.
They also decided to offer hands-on sessions every month led by members sharing an area of their expertise. The club also approved the purchase of two grinders and polishers that will be available at meetings for anyone to use.
The topic for July is grinding and polishing and a diamond saw will be available to cut open rocks. Future meeting topics will include silversmithing, lapidary work, gem trees, beading, faceting and a rock tumbling class.
"Young people are interested but they are just not joining," said Gauthier, who has traveled to 30 different states to hunt rocks. "A lot of these older members have tons of information and it is not being passed on."
The Grand Traverse Rock & Mineral Club meets the third Tuesday of every month at the Grand Traverse Heritage Center on 322 Sixth Street. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 18, at 7:30 p.m. and anyone interested in rocks or minerals is welcome to attend.