AAPS, Association of Applied Paleontological Sciences

AAPS Tucson Report

The 2013 Tucson Shows start next week, and this year there are a number of events scheduled that should be of interest to any fossil enthusiast. Here is a brief Schedule with more information on the events listed below.

January 31st (Thursday), the Tucson 22nd Street Show opens with over 150 Fossil, Mineral and other dealers in attendance.

February 2nd (Saturday), The Arizona Mineral and Fossil Show opens at 3 locations with hunderds of Fossil, Mineral and Meteorite Dealers.

February 2nd (Saturday), The Mineral and Fossil Co-op opens with a number of well known Fossil and Mineral Dealers.

February 7th 7:00 PM (Thursday), free lecture sponsored by AAPS and the International Wildlife Museum located at 4800 W Gates Pass Road in Tucson. This year Dr Phil Currie will be our Guest Speaker.

February 8th (Friday), The Tucson 22nd Street Show stays open untill 9:00 PM for their "Rock and Rolling Food Truck Roundup", with 180 fossil amd mineral dealers staying open for your evening buying pleaseure.

February 9th (Saturday), The annual AAPS meeting and auction at 7:00 on the grounds of the University of Arizona campus in the Student Union 3rd floor South Ballroom. Dinner and a cash bar available.

February 10th (Sunday), Book Signing by authors Dorothy Norton and Geoff Notkin by the Hotel Tucson City Center Ballroom, 11:00 AM untill 12 Noon. Books will be available for purchase.

Please pick up a copy of the AAPS Guide for more information on these events. Please stop by one of the AAPS booths and say hello!

AAPS Scholarship Auction

This year, our annual auction to raise funds for our Scholarships and Grants will follow the annual business meeting on Saturday February 9th. We will once again be at the University of Arizona Student Union, 3rd floor south ballroom. The meeting and auction is open to the public and we encourage everyone to attend. More on the meeting and dinner below. Maps to the Meeting and Auction location can be found on page 8 of the AAPS Tucson Fossil Dealer and Event Guide.

We already have a number of wonderful donations including a 14K yellow gold Ammolite Pendent valued at just under $900 donated by Korite International and Canada Fossils. Bone Clones, Inc has donated one of their Replica Bison antiquus Skulls with a display stand, valued at over $900. Christine Coyle-Perner, promoter, of the 22nd Street Show, has donated a certificate valued at up to $2,000 for a dealer space at one of their 2013 shows or the 2014 Tucson 22nd Street Show. Marty Zinn has donated a collection of minerals and there will be the infamous Lab Coat, Books, Meteorites and over a hundred other items waiting for your bid. Please join us for a fun evening.

We will be accepting cash, check or credit card to make your check-out as quick as possible. So come and join us for a fun evening.

The 2013 AAPS Fossil Dealers and Events Tucson Guide is at the printers, and copies will be avilable at the Tucson International Airport Welcome Tables on January 30th. Racks will be set up and full at all of our show locations on Wednesday as well. This year we will also deliver guides to all of our dealer members to give to their customers. To preview the guide, please click on the link below.

2013 Guide (PDF) Click Here

The Annual Meeting will again take place at the Student Union Building on the grounds of the University of Arizona on Saturday February 9th at 7:00 PM. Parking is available in the Parking Garage adjacent to the Student Union. There is also a shuttle provided by Marty Zinn that will run between the Hotel Tucson City Center Lobby (Inn Suites), the Ramada Limited Lobby and the Student Union starting at 6:30 PM on the 9th. Return rides will be availble until 10:30 PM.

Directions to the Student Union can be found on page 8 of the AAPS Fossil Dealer and Event Guide available free from most show locations and any AAPS Dealer.

During the meeting, we will hold our election of Officers, and vote on the scholarships and grants. Dinner will be served during the meeting.

The meal will be catered by Reddington Caterers. Appitizers will be served from 7:00 untill 7:30 and a cash bar will be provided by Professinal Bartenders Unlimited of Tucson From 7:00 PM untill 10:00 PM.

The meeting is open to the public, and you do not need to order a meal to attend but Reservations are needed for seating and the meal, which will be $20.00 per person. The meal includes: Chicken Marsela with Cheese Ravioli, roll, Salad and Desert. and one free beverage (Soda, Beer or Wine) form the Cash Bar.

Call 435-757-6017 to make your reservations. We must have a count for the caterer by Wednesday the 7th.

Our election will take place during the annual meeting. This year several board positions are open, and we are looking for nominations. The positions are for 2 years, with a second term allowed.

There are 2 Board members running for a second term, Sandy Ludlum (Natural History Apprasials) and Kirby Siber (Siber and Siber). Nominations will be accepted through Thursday February 7th.

There are two open Board positions, Rick Hebdon and Leon Theison have each served their 2 term limit. A nomination was recieved and accepted for one these positions by David Kronen (Bone Clones, Inc). That leaves one position open, and nominations will be accepted for both positions until Thursday February 7th. Write-in Votes will be accepeted at the time of the Ballot during the meeting.

The position of Vice President is open. David Kronen has served his 2-term limit. A nomination for John Issa (Canada Fossils) has been recieved and accepted. Nominations will be accepted untill Thursday February 7th. You can nominate yourself if you are interseted in serving.

The position of Secretary/Treasurer is open and nominations will be accepted until Thursday February 7th. Write-in votes will be accepted during the election.

If you would like to nominate someone for any of these positions, please send an email to george@stonejungle.com. The nominee must be a current AAPS member, and at least 18 years of age.

This topic has been in the news lately with the May 2012 seizure of a Tarbosaurus bataar skeleton (a close relative of Tyrannosaurus rex) at a New York Heritage Auction. As part of his research, Phil has spent many seasons collecting fossils in the deserts of Mongolia. These deserts hold some of the most important assemblages of dinosaur fossils in the world. Phil has witnessed, first hand, the destruction of once pristine and important fossil sites by careless collectors. Because the collection and export of fossils from Mongolia without a permit is illegal, this destructive activity was carried out with little regard for context or the specimens themselves.

Dr. Currie's talk is at 7 PM on Thursday, February 7th at the International Wildlife Museum, 4800 W Gates Pass Road, Tucson AZ.

Seating is very limited; you must call 435-757-6017, or stop by one of the AAPS booths at either the Hotel Tucson City Center Ballroom, or the 22nd Street Show Booth B4 and add your name to the Reservation List.

This lecture should be of interest to every commercial paleontologist, fossil dealer, enthusiast and buyer attending the Tucson shows. Please join us for this free lecture.

The lecture series is sponsored by AAPS and the International Wildlife Museum.

Annual membership dues notices are going out today via email. Please send a check or call 435-757-6017, and a PayPal invoice can be sent.