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Show Gem Expert To Serve as Utah Representative William Niebel, president of the 4 newly formed Color Country Gem and Mineral Society based in Panguitch was recently appointed as Utah state director of the Rocky Mountain, Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. Niebel was asppointed to fill the term of James M. Bean, Salt Lake City, who resigned recently after two years as director. Niebel will travel to Topeka, Kansas in June for the Rocky Mountain Federation convention where he will be a candidate for election to the post. There are 10 states in the RMF which is based in Boulder, Colorado, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. Niebel has been instrumental in the organization of the Color Country Gem and Mineral Society which claims 107 members, without doubt one of the largest organizations in the county. Since organizing the local group, Niebel has been traveling to nearby southern Utah communities to form similar organizations. Gem and Mineral societies are being formed in Richfield, Circleville, Milford, Delta, Nephi, Ticaboo, Orangeville, and Kanab. A new St. George Gem and Mineral Society had its first organizational meeting April 10 at Dixie College. Robert Cobb, professor of lapidary at the college, invited Niebel to hold the next regular meeting of the organization in his classroom. The local Panguitch organization has begun publishing a monthly bulletin "Color Country Chips" edited by Marlen McWilliams. In the March meeting of the organization, 17 new members were voted into membership. George Vdehringer gave the members pointers on finding rocks and fossils and Howard Johnson lectured on specimens of rocks he 'exhibited for the group. Meetings of the organization are held the second Friday of each month at 8 p.m. in the Panguitch City Room with visitors welcome. The group will participate in the Bryce Canyon Communities Arts Festival on April 28 at Bryce Valley High School. William Niebel |