Members of the SunBird Lapidary Club celebrated at the End of the Season Party.
Over 50 members of the SunBird Lapidary Club gathered on March 20 to enjoy a chicken dinner prepared by the Horizon Room and celebrate the End of Season Party. Members, new and old, enjoyed socializing, discussing projects and sharing some great cake for dessert. President Lois Anderson pointed out to the group that it has been a great year for the rock, glass and jewelry club with record membership, participation in classes and creative work by members. The year also saw the installation of a display case next to the shop on the second floor of the Clubhouse where visitors can see various types of beautiful projects produced by members. The addition of a new kiln and ring saw helped meet the high demand for SunBird residents wanting to learn and pursue the slumped glass arts at the weekly classes. Club members participated in a shop clean up day on March 27 and over the summer the HOA maintenance crew led by John Smith will be repairing equipment and making further improvement to the shop.
For safety reasons, access to the shop managed by the HOA is restricted to SunBird residents who are current members of the club and have successfully completed training specific to the activity they wish to pursue. Plans are now underway for the classes to be offered in the fall of 2015 and 2016. The first meeting for the year will be Friday, November 6 at 9:30 a.m. in the Hopi Room. Residents interested in pursuing rock cutting/polishing, silversmithing, rock art; wire wrap jewelry; stained glass; Ming trees or beading are urged to attend the meeting so teachers and classes can be arranged. Information is also posted on the shop door and in the library.