NMMS News November 1999

New Mexico Mycological Society - November 1999

November Meeting

We will meet at the Natural History Museum in the Traveling Exhibit Hall (the big room on the north side of the Museum) at 7:30 on Tuesday, Nov 2nd. We will hold our annual election of officers. Provided I can conjure up Emilio to turn off the lights, we will watch a taped lecture from the NAMA Asilomar conference: Truffle Diversity and Its Conservation.

Dues Increase for Year 2000

We received a letter from NAMA which outlined a substantial increase in dues beginning in the year 2000. The annual cost of NAMA membership for NMMS members will increase 100% -- from $15 to $30. NAMA will accept renewals at the current price if received before the end of this year.

The NMMS Board met to discuss the increase and decided to increase our annual dues for the year 2000 to $40, which matches the NAMA increase, but leaves our club's fee the same. Members may renew for next year at the current rate ($25) if payment is submitted by December 15th. Therefore, we strongly encourage all members to get their renewal checks to Sharon Chong (address below) by December 15th.

Life Membership ?

NAMA's dues increase will also affect their Life Membership cost. It will see a 100% increase ($250 to $500) beginning next year. This means that a Life Membership, if purchased before the end of this year, will "pay for itself" in about 8 years. One may obtain Life Membership directly from NAMA. If any NMMS members plan to go that route, please inform Sharon Chong.

Previous Meetings

For the October meeting, Bob Chapman showed a collection of his mushroom slides along with excellent narration. Thanks again Bob, for another enjoyable program.

I had suggested for the September meeting that members to participate in a show-and-tell, bringing in any recent mushroom finds, talking about what they've found in their yards, or relating a mushrooming story. Reports indicate that this impromptu "program" was a success.

New Myxomycete Book

Harold Keller and Karl Braun have authored a new book: Myxomycetes of Ohio: Their Systematics, Biology, and Use in Teaching.

More News about Carlo

Carlo Gislimberti, whose annual invitation to the Villa Fontana in Taos has become a special part of the NMMS Foray tradition, has had been blessed with a year of distinction. In March, he traveled to Rome where he was anointed a Cavaliere Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana. More recently, the International Restaurant & Hospitality Rating Bureau (a member of the National Restaurant Association) named Carlo One of America's Top 100 Chefs of the 20th Century.

Taylor Lockwood Show a Success

Taylor Lockwood's Treasures from the Kingdom of Fungi was an outstanding success. We had about eighty people attend. I would like to thank all the NMMS members who came for the show. I am also indebted to Dale Sokkary and the folks at the Rio Grande Botanic Garden for generously hosting the show. Thank you particularly to Ellen Reed, Doris Eng, and Pat Brannen for their help and support with this project. I'd also like to express gratitude to MaryLee & John Sparks, who graciously welcomed Taylor Lockwood and Steve Trudell to stay at their home during their visits to New Mexico.

Foray Report

Reports from different parts of the country indicate that this was not a splendid year for mushrooming--except for in New Mexico. It sounds as though this was the hot spot. And at the peak times and peak places, we had our Foray.

The Foray this year was more than a long weekend; the activities actually spanned almost two weeks. A good sized group joined Steve Trudell for the Field Trip to the Santa Fe Ski Basin on the Sunday preceding the Foray. The day was far from disappointing. Our Foray Late Event was Taylor Lockwood's show the Thursday Evening following the Foray. And then, of course, the traditional dinner at Carlo's on Saturday. Yum.

The Foray itself was was a delight. I could try to acknowledge everyone who contributed to its success, but I know I would forget someone, so I'll skip the names and just thank everyone who participated. I will, however, credit Larry Weingarten for the incredible amount of work put into planning, organizing, and running this event.

One of the many high points of the Foray was the food. Larry decided that camp food might not quite meet some people's expectations, so he contracted with Silver Platter Catering for all the meals. Excellent choice. Even club Curmudgeon Ted Stampfer could not withhold his praise, exclaiming that it was perhaps the best food he'd ever had at a Foray.

Along with the usual one for the table, twelve for the pot excursions in which many of us engage during a Foray, our visiting Myxomycologist David Mitchell also led a Slime Mold Only field trip, in which quite a few folks participated enthusiastically. David also gave a talk and slide presentation, a variation of his program at our August meeting, this time, however, with the lights off, which allowed him to show, rather than merely describe, his slides.

Thank you especially to Steve Trudell, who, with very short notice, agreed to join us as our Foray Mycologist. I know that Steve welcomed the opportunity to get back to New Mexico, particularly when we were having such a good season, so it worked out well for all of us. Steve's invitation for club members to accompany him on a Field Trip the weekend before the Foray was an extra treat.

Dick Homola

The reason we had given Steve Trudell such short notice is that we had originally planned for Dick Homola to be our Foray Mycologist this year. Dick Homola sent us a letter in early July explaining that he had been diagnosed with cancer and apologizing for not being able to join us. He concluded the letter:

This is a first with me. I have never broken a commitment to any mycological group before. I was looking forward to seeing everyone. I learned more about North American fungi in New Mexico than I did anywhere else. I was just trying to return some of the knowledge that you gave me. However, everything has happened so fast. I am truly sorry for not being able to keep my promise to you.

These were Dick's last words to us. We received word that he died early in September. I am sorry I never had a chance to meet Dr. Homola. I know that those who had been fortunate enough to know him have lost a good and loyal friend.