Each spring The Southeastern New Hampshire Mineral Club hosts a 2 day show at the Elks Lodge in Dover, New Hampshire. With thirty plus tables of minerals, rocks and jewelry. Visitors can bid on minerals and rocks at our silent auction and a door prize is given away every hour. A Grand Prize is drawn both days!
In 2003 the club held its first 1 – day Gem and Mineral Show. Several years later, due to the success of the show, the show expanded to 2 days and enjoys a very strong reputation with collectors, dealers and members alike. In 2015 the club renamed the show to the Earl and Malvina Packard Rock, Gem and Mineral Show, in memory of Earl and Malvina Packard who were strong club supporters, knowledgeable collectors and good friends to the club and its members. The show is the major source of funding for the Scholarship Program initiated under the guidance of Earl Packard and supported by the entire club. This scholarship program is open to any student of the Geo-sciences and to date we have awarded two scholarships. Thanks to the continued support of the membership, the show continues to thrive and expand.
The show also offers numerous free activities from cabochon making to geode cutting and Kids Zone. At the Larry Heath cabbing corner visitors can finish polishing a cabochon and make it into a necklace. At the Kids Corner, children can investigate different types of rocks and minerals, study the rock cycle, investigate minerals under a microscope, sift for treasures and take home a coloring book. Outside, after purchasing a geode from the club table, you can have one of our club members cut it open for you to reveal the treasure inside. All children who come to the show receive a small goody bag of minerals to take home with them.