by John Dowd
The Bitterroot Gem and Mineral Society is gearing up for their biggest and only event of the year. Faith Farley, a member of the Bitterroot Gem and Mineral Society, spoke about their upcoming Gem and Mineral Show, and what it means to them.
The society was organized in 1983, and is a nonprofit with the goal of promoting interest and education in geology, earth sciences, mineralogy, paleontology and more. They host field trips for youth members, school programs, community programs, scholarships and anything else that furthers that mission.
According to Farley, the money for those things comes from the group’s annual Bitterroot Gem and Mineral Show. This year, the event will be held on Saturday, June 21 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, June 22, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The show will take place at the Ravalli County Fairgrounds. The cost to enter the show is $3 for adults, and youth 12-years-old and under enter free.
There will be around 20 vendors from all over the western United States. Farley said they will display lots of variety, including fossils, small gold nuggets, wire wrapping, jewelry, polished rocks, crystals and much more. “Everything people could think of that they might want in the genre, they will find it there,” said Farley.
There will also be a flint knapping demonstration, and an adult spin-to-win that will include “nice stones,” as Farley described. This will cost $3 to enter. Farley also wanted to highlight that there will be a display set up by the youth members of the society.
Parking will be free, but this year there will be no food for visitors. According to Farley, “We’ve never not had food there.” She said the food vendor they lined up backed out at the last minute, after they had already advertised for them. Farley found this to be in bad taste. “That was a hurt for us, this year,” said Farley. She added that this was also likely not a good decision for the vendor, as they usually see over 1,200 people over the two-day show, so it can be a huge event.
The show benefits the society’s events, year round, as this is their major fund raiser. According to Farley, this year the event chair was Amber Tyree, and Farley said she has done a fantastic job.
A highlight of their offerings is the scholarship available to high school youth throughout the valley. It is also available to graduating homeschoolers, and amounts to $1,000. The scholarship is for those going into an earth science field. To apply, students must write up a short essay on why they want the scholarship. Farley described the process as “fairly simple,” but interested youth must provide proof of going into an applicable field.
The society also hosts classes for all ages in the community, which anyone can attend. These include gold panning, wire wrapping, identification and more. They hold field trips for their youngest members, ages six to 18. In these trips, they go out to explore local places, collect minerals and more.
For those interested in joining the society, the cost is $10 per person, and $20 for a family membership. Interested parties can contact Farley at (406) 961-3347 with questions about the upcoming show, or about the society. The group website is bitterrootgemandmineral.org.