AFMS Newsletter Non-Profit Org. Carolyn Weinberger, Editor U.S. Postage PO Box 302 PAID Glyndon, MD 21071-0302 Burley, ID 83318 Permit No. 9 Time Value Address Service Requested Please Do Not Delay It is AFMS policy that its name and logos may not be used for commercial purposes. Please notify the Central Office of any violations. Volume 67, Number 5 – September, 2014 American Federation of Mineralogical Societies <www.amfed.org>A.F.M.S. NewsletterServing Seven Regional Federations Also In this Issue AFMS Recognition Award Presented by Don Monroe, Chairman From My Desk to Yours .................................2 One of the duties of the AFMS Immediate Past President is to chair a committee charged Quick Tips for Editors ....................................3 with selecting an individual who has served the AFMS "above and beyond" the normal call of Club Rockhounds of the Year ........................4 duty. The 2014 award was presented during the banquet at the Tulsa, OK convention this past URC Committee Report ................................5 July and reads as follows: Editor's Hall of Fame Inductees ....................5 Upcoming Federation Conventions ..............5 "The recipient of the AFMS Recognition Award for 2014 has been AFMS Treasurer since 2005 Web Site Contest Results ..............................6 when she agreed to fill the position left vacant by the death of Toby Cozens. After assuming Competitive Exhibit Results ..........................6 the office, her first hurdle was that of transferring accounts and funds from Washington State Conservation & Legislation ...........................7 to California. This task was complicated by various unique state and bank policies that made it Safety Matters ..............................................8 difficult to remove funds from some institutions in Washington and open accounts with multiple All American Club Awards ............................8 signators (living in multiple states) in California. Pat doggedly pursued the process and was suc- Editor's Contest Results ................................9 cessful in making the transfer. AFMS Meeting Minutes ..............................13 Her next hurdle was in reorganizing the bookkeeping process from that used by Toby to one Endowment Drawing Winners....................14 that both she and the AFMS accounts auditor felt comfortable with. AFMS Committee Chairs .............................15 Junior Activities ..........................................16 In the years since, Pat has skillfully managed the AFMS funds generating monthly reports to After School Clubs ......................................16 the AFMS President, President-elect and Central Office so all are aware of expenditures made AFMS Code of Ethics ...................................16 by the various officers and committee chairs. She insists on meticulous record and receipt keeping by both officers and committee chairs when submitting vouchers for reimbursement of expenditures and promptly pays all bills when requested. During the past year the AFMS auditor (a CPA familiar with 501(C)(3) organizations) retired from practice, so Pat requested input from others within AFMS in finding a replacement. The transition from old to new occurred seamlessly. In addition to her duties as treasurer, Pat also holds the position of CFMS Executive Secre- tary/Treasurer, a job that keeps her quite busy also. She is the only person who has served as CFMS President twice – once in 1996 when she was elected and once again in 2000 when the elected president suddenly had to resign. Not surprisingly, she handled both “tours of duty” successfully. The AFMS is indeed fortunate to have someone who works as diligently for the AFMS. I'm delighted to present the 2014 AFMS Recognition Award to Pat LaRue Nine year old Kaleigh Brock not only won a trophy for her display, but also won the Lilian Turner award. The AFMS From My Desk to Yours by Richard Jaeger, President Probably most every president of most every organization has talked about Proudly the importance of communication. I mentioned communication in an earlier message, but was speaking primarily of sharing and passing on information Serving between the AFMS, regional federations, and individual clubs. In my last Seven Regional message, I mentioned that I had been surprised by being asked to intervene in disputes involving rockhounds with each other, with their clubs, or with their federations. Many of the disputes, in fact, resulted from misunderstandings Officers: due to people failing to effectively communicate. President When you are contacted by someone, please respond in a timely fashion. Now, in many cases, that means Richard Jaeger as soon as possible. Other questions may require you to do a little searching before you reply. Sometimes you <rjgrsci at aol.com> get a communication which is unpleasant or even rude; in that case it may be best to ponder for a day or two rather than responding hastily. I know that is true for me. On the other hand, when you contact someone and don’t get a reply in a timely fashion, don’t give up or get mad. Perhaps the message didn’t get through to the other person or perhaps the person fully meant to President-Elect respond but forgot. For example, when I made out my budget for the AFMS last summer, I sent an e-mail to all Marion Roberts the committee chairmen asking if the amount budgeted for them the previous year was reasonable. Eventually, <mvroberts1 at comcast.net> I got responses from all but two people. But, I had to make more than one attempt in several cases. Some individuals who had not responded to an e-mail readily responded when I gave them a phone call. In some cases I found that either the e-mail address or phone number I was using was incorrect. No one had purposely refused to respond; they just hadn’t gotten the message or had misplaced it. So, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. And everyone remember, if all else fails, there is still the US mail. 1st Vice President Matt Charsky I have thoroughly appreciated and enjoyed the articles by Mike Nelson, the Chair of the AFMS Conservation <matt2430 at comcast.net> and Legislation Committee; they have been most informative. I was particularly intrigued by his references to “Rockhounding, Mineral Collecting, and Our National Forests” written in 1997 by John Nichols who was the Forest Geologist of the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas and Oklahoma. John and I were both participants in a two day workshop in 1995 in Oklahoma City which resulted in the Oklahoma Geological Survey Publication: 2nd Vice President “Rockhounding and Earth-Science Activities in Oklahoma”, (Oklahoma Geological Survey Special Publication Ann James 96-5, 1996), Kenneth S. Johnson and Neil H. Suneson, Editors. <amariann113 at yahoo.com> The co-sponsors of this workshop were the OGS, the Gem & Mineral Clubs of Oklahoma and the Omniplex Science Center. Participants included many rockhounds, past RMFMS and AFMS Presidents, several honorary AFMS Scholarship Awardees, the BLM, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, other state government agencies, conservation groups, universities, and museums. The publication contains the seventeen papers which 3rd Vice President were presented, including the one by my wife Linda and me on “Fossil Collecting, Preparation, and Display”. J.D. Moore <jcmoore3rd at gmail.com> One of the highlights of the workshop was a panel discussion “Rockhounds’ Rights Versus Government Regulations on Collecting Minerals and Fossils”. In rereading the transcript of this discussion and the other articles in this publication, I think it can be said that John Nichols ideas expressed in his publication were, in part, shaped by the proceedings at this workshop. How wonderful it would be if this kind of workshop could 4th Vice President be duplicated in other states. I know, it’s easier said than done, but think about it. Doug True <dtruefossils12 at yahoo.com> I would be remiss if I didn't mention the just concluded AFMS/RMFMS Convention held this past July in Tulsa, OK. I truly enjoyed meeting so many people from across the country as well as from the Rocky Mountain Federation. The event was hosted by my own club, the Tulsa Rock & Mineral Society and from all the comments I've heard, everyone who attended had a fabulous time. I cannot thank the members of the club enough for the enthusiasm and hard work they put into the convention. 5th Vice President Ann Monroe <annmonroe at windstream.net> Secretary Anne Cook <secretary at amfed.org> Treasurer Pat LaRue <bplarue at earthlink.net> AFMS Past Presidents gathered during the Tulsa Convention. From left: Lauren Williams, Dee Holland, Lewis Elrod, Shirley Leeson, Bill Smith, Emerson Tucker, Ron Carman, Steve Weinberger, Don Monroe and Bob Carlson. Camera shy - Jim Hurlbut. Page 2 AFMS Newsletter – September, 2014 Quick Tips for Editors Purpose of the AFMS: by Linda Jaeger, AFMS Bulletin Editors Advisory Chair To promote popular interest and education in the various Earth Sciences, and in particular If you have a question (or sugges- are knowledgeable the subjects of Geology, Mineralogy, Paleontol- tion) about editing or writing or the about their federa- ogy, Lapidary and other related subjects, and to bulletin contest or something related, tion. Some region- sponsor and provide means of coordinating send it to me by email: <LjgrAlg@ al editors include the work and efforts of all persons and groups aol.com> or at home address: 3515 educational articles interested therein; to sponsor and encourage E. 88th St., Tulsa, OK 74137. If I can- in the newsletter, the formation and international development of not find an answer to your question, but some federa- Societies and Regional Federations and by and through such means to strive toward greater we’ll publish the question and ask the tions consider the international good will and fellowship. readers for their answers. regional newsletter to be a vehicle for Congratulations are in Order! federation business What a wonderful AFMS/RMFMS only. The intent of the regional newsletter is up to The A.F.M.S.