The Dayton Gem & Mineral Society

03/03/2026

DGMS Monthly Meeting

Jr. Rockhound - Intro Meeting
Date: Wednesday, March 4th, 2026
Time: 6:30 p.m.

Club Meeting
Date: Wednesday, March 4th, 2026
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Note: Doors lock at 7:40 p.m.

Location: Dayton Area Board of Realtors
1515 S. Main Street, Dayton, OH 45409

Enter on the west side
Meeting room is downstairs
Elevator available — ask an officer for access

Guest Presentation
Topic: Mineral and fossil stamps from around the world
Presenter: Greg Brown

Club member Greg Brown, a geologist, presents an overview of mineral and fossil stamps from around the world. He will have matching specimens from his collection for inspection.

Send a message to learn more

02/21/2026

The Dayton Gem & Mineral Society is thrilled to launch our new Junior Rockhound Program, designed for students of all ages currently in school and under 18 who share a curiosity and passion for rocks, minerals, crystals, and fossils.

This hands-on program gives young collectors the opportunity to explore the fascinating world of geology through creativity, connection, and adventure. Junior Rockhounds will create their own newsletters written by kids, for kids — sharing discoveries, fun facts, and club highlights.

Members can participate in our exciting Rock Exchange Program, trading rocks, crystals, and fossils with other clubs in the area — building both collections and friendships along the way.

Inspired by programs like Scouts, our Rockhound Badge Program allows participants to complete fun educational activities to earn collectible badges while learning new skills in identification, collecting, geology, and more.

Junior members are also invited to attend the Dayton Gem & Mineral Society meetings featuring engaging guest speakers, plus enjoy field trips throughout the year. While some outings may have age limits, we are committed to offering several field trips that are open to all ages.

Whether your child is just starting their collection or already has a shelf full of treasures, the Junior Rockhound Program is a place to learn, explore, and grow within a supportive rock-loving community.

Our first Junior Rockhound meeting is March 4th 6:30 p.m. at the Dayton Area Board of Realtors, 1515 S. Main St. with the Standard club meeting right after. Admission to both meetings is free. To become a member and enjoy the club benefits, it’s $15.00 for an individual or $20.00 for the family.

02/08/2026

I wanted to share that DGMS is looking to expand by offering the Future Rockhounds of America (FRA) youth program. FRA is owned and supported by the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS) and was created to give kids their own dedicated space to explore geology, minerals, fossils, lapidary arts, and earth sciences. - please see below.

If you think this is something that you might be interested in, please let me know.

**Future Rockhounds of America **
The Dayton Gem and Mineral Society (DGMS) is excited to share that we are exploring the creation of a new youth program through the Future Rockhounds of America (FRA), supported by the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS). We are currently gathering interest from Schools, Clubs and families who may want their children or grandchildren involved in this program. If you know a young person who might enjoy geology, fossils, minerals, rocks, or learning through hands-on activities, please reply and let us know.

A little about the program - Future Rockhounds of America was launched in 1984 by AFMS President Bill Cox, who saw the need for youth involvement in geology, mineralogy, paleontology, and the lapidary arts. Since then, the program has expanded to include a wide variety of educational and hands-on opportunities.

Some of the programs included under the FRA structure are:

⛏️ FRA Badge Program
⛏️ Crack the News – newsletter by juniors, for juniors
⛏️ Junior Volunteer Award
⛏️ Rock Pals Rock Exchange
⛏️ Awards, contests, and scholarships
⛏️ Partnerships with other youth organizations
⛏️ Educational resources for leaders and parents
⛏️ Fun with Rocks – games and puzzles


The mission of FRA is to provide support and resources for adults, leaders, and parents who want to explore earth sciences with youth. Being part of a national FRA club also offers great benefits:

- Kids have their own youth-focused club within DGMS.
- Members receive an official blue FRA membership patch.
- Juniors may participate in the educational and popular FRA Badge Program.
- Membership is free—however families only need a DGMS membership, which is $15 per year.


Your feedback will help us move forward and begin planning meeting times, activities, and program structure.

You can learn more about FRA here: https://www.juniors.amfed.org/home

Thank you for helping us inspire the next generation of rock hounds!

Pyrite FeS(2) with Quartz Crystals SiO(2) and Sphalerite (Zn,Fe)S, Image Credit: Lora Hall (See more about this image below)

02/03/2026

DGMS Monthly Meeting
Date: Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Note: Doors lock at 7:40 p.m.

Location: Dayton Area Board of Realtors
1515 S. Main Street, Dayton, OH 45409

Enter on the west side
Meeting room is downstairs
Elevator available — ask an officer for access
🎤 Guest Presentation
Topic: Pyrite, also known as fool’s gold
Presenter: Tom McGovern

With a metallic luster and pale brass-yellow hue, pyrite has a superficial resemblance to gold. Throughout history, people have made jewelry from small stones, often setting them in silver. Currently, pyrite is recognized as an abundant, reliable, and cost-effective option for use in photovoltaic solar panels.

Send a message to learn more

01/26/2026

It's what you have been waiting for! Please like and share this announcement.

01/04/2026

12/24/2025

Next DGMS Meeting - 1/7/26

An earth science perspective of the Great Lakes Basin of North America is the topic of the monthly meeting of the Dayton Gem and Mineral Society, 7 p.m. Jan. 7 at the Dayton Area Board of Realtors, 1515 S. Main St. Admission is free.

The Great Lakes are the large interconnected freshwater lakes in North America known as Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, considered one of the planet’s most significant natural features due to their vast size, fresh water supply, beautiful coastlines, boating, fishing, and the border between the United States and Canada.

The presentation is about billions of years of geological history, beginning with ancient volcanic and tectonic activity, followed by the creation of vast sedimentary rock layers in shallow seas, and culminating in the carving by glaciers during the Ice Age that created the current lakes and more.

Speaker is Johan Maertens, an active member in local and regional mineralogical associations, who collects minerals in near-home exposures and documents localities with an emphasis on crystal habits – especially calcite. He has won awards from the Eastern Federation of Mineralogical and Lapidary Societies and the Midwest Federation of Mineralogical and Geological Societies.
“The immense power of geological processes not only created a landscape that reflects the long and complex history of this region, but these processes resulted in a wide variety of interesting rocks, fossils, and minerals, including ores of copper and iron, which became important economic assets of this nation,” Maertens said.
Enter on the west side of the building. The meeting room is downstairs.

The club meets 7 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month, except for a summer picnic and winter holiday party, at the Dayton Area Board of Realtors, 1515 S. Main St. Membership is $15 per person or $20 for the family to participate in field trips to quarries, receive the club newsletter, and have access to a members-only page.

Send a message to learn more

11/26/2025

11/05/2025

10/31/2025

10/26/2025

Next DGMS meeting about $44 million APEX stegosaurus



APEX, the most complete and largest Stegosaurus ever found and mounted, is the topic of the monthly meeting of the Dayton Gem and Mineral Society, 7 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Dayton Area Board of Realtors, 1515 S. Main St. Admission is free.



The dinosaur was found in 2022 in the Morrison Fossil Area, a world-renowned paleontological and geological area, and was the highest-priced fossil when it was sold at auction in 2024 for $44.6 million. It is currently on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.



“The story of the APEX Stegosaurus started almost 50 years ago when my dad by chance found a perfect prone Flexicalymene near Monroe, Ohio. Once I saw the incredible preservation I was hooked. That started an incredible journey into fossil collecting by my entire family,” said Dan Cooper, whose son Jason found APEX. “I will present the discovery, preparation, and sale of a $44 million dinosaur.”



Enter on the west side of the building. The meeting room is downstairs.

The club meets 7 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month, except for a summer picnic and winter holiday party, at the Dayton Area Board of Realtors, 1515 S. Main St. Membership is $15 per person or $20 for the family to participate in field trips to quarries, receive the club newsletter, and have access to a members-only page.

10/05/2025