Welcome Letter

Welcome to the Worcester Mineral Club!

If you are receiving this document, you have recently joined WMC as a new member, or have successfully renewed your membership for the coming year. Either way, we thank you for supporting our educational organization, and are so glad you are here!

This document contains information about the club and its activities. Please read each section and contact the appropriate club officer if you have any questions.

Membership Information & Dues

❖ Rates: Dues shall be sixteen dollars and twenty five cents ($16.25) per year single membership, twenty one dollars and twenty five cents ($21.25) per year family membership (up to 2 adults and 2 children), plus an additional five dollars ($5) per child for families with over two children, up to maximum of thirty one dollars and twenty five cents $31.25 per year for any family.
The fees collected towards memberships are put towards a few different funds, including liability and accident insurance from the Eastern Federation of Mineralogical and Lapidary Societies, Inc. (EFMLS). This coverage is essential for holding meetings, organizing collecting trips, and hosting fundraisers such as our annual show.

❖ Renewals: Dues are to be paid at the start of the calendar year in January. Members who are not current by February 1st will be sent an email notification by the membership chairperson. If dues are not received by March 1st, then any member thus in arrears shall automatically be dropped from membership.

❖ New Members: Any new member(s) joining the club prior to the scheduled start date of the annual Worcester Mineral Club Show (mid-November) will be required to pay dues as a renewal at the start of the upcoming calendar year in January. New members who join the club at or after the club show start date (mid-November) will be considered paid through the upcoming calendar year.

❖ Application and Acceptance: Application for membership shall be made in writing on the form provided by the club, accompanied by the membership fee. If for any reason the application is rejected, the fee will be returned to the applicant. Names proposed for membership at one meeting shall be voted on at the same or the following meeting at the discretion of the Presiding Officer. Voting may be done electronically.

❖ If you have any questions about your membership, please email wmcemails@gmail.com .

Mailing List

Every member’s email gets added to our club’s email list, which is our primary form of communication. Most notably, you will receive our newsletter, “New Diggings”, which will be sent out every month from September to June. If you are not receiving any emails, make sure to check your spam folder, Priority, and Social tabs in Gmail (if applicable).

If you are not receiving emails, or you would like to update, remove, or add an email to the subscribers list, send us a message at wmcemails@gmail.com .

Club Meetings

Club meetings occur on the third Tuesday of every month (excluding July and August) at 7:00pm. Meetings generally consist of a short business agenda followed by an educational or informative program. Programs and presentations include various speakers, often with slides, specimens, films, or demonstrations. Speakers can range from our own club members wishing to share experiences and expertise, to prominent researchers that work within the Earth Sciences. In addition, everyone is encouraged to bring in specimens or their lapidary work to display to other members. Children’s educational programs and activities are also planned for meetings as interest arises. Finally, door prizes are often drawn at meetings for in person attendees.

For the safety of our members during the COVID-19 pandemic, meetings have adopted a hybrid style and are now held both in-person and virtually via Zoom, which can easily be accessed through any personal device. The link to the meeting will be sent out to the mailing list usually a few days beforehand, in addition to in the monthly newsletter.

The club holds its meetings at the Trinity Episcopal Church at 440 Main Street, Shrewsbury, MA at the same day/time. Please note that the church does not hire plowing, sanding, or shoveling services for special events, which our meetings are considered. Therefore, please be cautious of pavement, driveways, or walkways that may be untreated. For everyone’s safety and convenience, the club website will be updated with meeting changes if weather is questionable, in addition to sending an email through the mailing list. The club will try its best to provide this information as early as possible.

Collecting Trips

Collecting trips are a huge part of WMC, and arguably one of the most exciting! During the collecting season (approx. April – November), the club will organize field trips to various mines, quarries, and excavation sites at which members can find their own specimens. Trip locations are not restricted to Worcester county, and instead occur all throughout Massachusetts, New England, and beyond! WMC members even have full access to our Fonda, NY claim to dig for Herkimer Diamonds. (For more info, check our website here.)

Signups for collecting trips are announced through our “Members Only” section of our website. More on how to sign up for them at the end of this letter. You may also find out about them before the announcement through monthly meetings, or in the monthly newsletter. There may also be an email that will detail the procedure for signing up and attending the field trip. Some field trips can fill up very fast, so be on the lookout! Moreover, as there is often a limit to how many members can attend, please make sure you let the organizer know if you no longer can go, so that they may offer the spot to someone else. Once you arrive at the planned meetup spot, you will sign an attendance sheet, and pay any donations towards the location if they are required.

It is extremely important to understand and adhere to all instructions given for each trip, as all sites have unique rules, regulations, and codes of conduct. As an example, guidelines may include wearing extra safety gear, avoiding certain areas, or forbidding large power tools. If instructions are not followed, you will first be warned, and will be asked to leave if the behavior continues. Please make sure to read and understand all guidelines before going to a location and direct any questions to the trip organizer.

If you are a no call/ no show for a field trip you signed up for, you will not be allowed on the following field trip. If you consistently cancel within 72 hours before the trip, you may also be banned from the following trip.

Trip Etiquette

To uphold both our club’s reputation and that of all rockhounds, our club follows the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies’ Code of Ethics. This code should be followed whether you are on a club-organized trip or collecting as an individual.

1.) I will respect both private and public property and will not collect on privately owned land without the owner’s permission.

2.) I will keep informed on all laws, regulations or rules governing collecting on public lands and will observe them.

3.) I will, to the best of my ability, ascertain the boundary lines of property on which I plan to collect.

4.) I will use no firearms or blasting material in collecting areas.

5.) I will cause no willful damage to property of any kind-fences, signs, buildings, etc. 6.) I will leave all gates as found.

7.) I will build fires in designated or safe places only and will be certain they are completely extinguished before leaving the area.

8.) I will discard no burning material-matches, cigarettes, etc.

9.) I will fill all excavation holes which may be dangerous to livestock.

10.) I will not contaminate wells, creeks, or other water supplies.

11.) I will cause no willful damage to collecting material and will take home only what I can reasonably use.

12.) I will support the rockhound project H.E.L.P. (Help Eliminate Litter Please) and will leave all collecting areas devoid of litter, regardless of how found.

13.) I will cooperate with field-trip leaders and those in designated authority in all collecting areas. 14.) I will report to my club or federation officers, Bureau of Land Management, or other authorities, any deposit of petrified wood or other materials on public lands which should be protected for the enjoyment of future generations for public educational and scientific purposes. 15.) I will appreciate and protect our heritage of natural resources.

16.) I will observe the “Golden Rule,” will use “Good Outdoor Manner,” and will at all times conduct myself in a manner which will add to the stature and public “image” of rockhounds everywhere.

Additional Notes:

❖ Do not dig up vegetation. When digging near plants, make sure you do not disturb any roots larger than a half-inch in diameter, and be sure to completely avoid undermining any tree roots. ❖ Many dig sites are in the wilderness. As such, follow all safety precautions that are applicable, including forest fire prevention, staying on marked paths, and respecting the ecosystem around you.

❖ There may be a check by the trip leader for conformance; if you are missing required safety equipment, you may be turned away.

❖ No dogs are allowed unless explicit prior permission has been requested and granted by the landowner.

What to Bring

With each location being different, the tools and gear you bring one day may differ from the next. However, here is a good list to get you started:

Tools:

● Small pry bar

● Crack hammer and baby sledgehammer

● Chisel (regular and bullpoint)

● Small hand shovels and rakes

● 4-tine forged cultivator rake (for walking support, probing areas before stepping, checking for questionable critters, etc.)

● Paintbrush/toothbrush/whiskbroom (for cleaning specimens)

● Bag/bucket for carrying tools

● Bag for carrying specimens, possibly a smaller box for more fragile specimens

● Newspaper or soft material for separating and wrapping your finds

● Flashlight

Safety Gear:

● Safety goggles (hitting rocks = flying chips and dust!)

● Working gloves

● Hard hat

● Steel-toed boots

● First-aid kit

● Safety vests (especially at quarries or during hunting season)

● Sunscreen

● Bug spray

● Water and snacks

● Cellphone, maps, and GPS devices

● Cushion for kneeling

Specimen Identification Items (optional, but helpful):

● Field guides (Recommendation: “Rockhounding New England”)

● Loupes or magnifying glasses

● Small magnet (for meteorites and iron-bearing rocks)

● Metal detectors

● Vinegar (drops of vinegar cause bubbling if carbonate is present in a specimen) ● Streak plate

● Moh’s hardness test items

● UV light

Notes About Power Tools:

● Due to safety, noise pollution, and nature preservation, the use of power tools is considered on a trip-by-trip basis by our trip leader(s) alongside the land owner or caretaker. If power tools are allowed, you will be notified as to what types are permissible.

● Generally, quarry owners will not allow power tools of any kind due to safety concerns.
● If you are given permission, make sure you fully understand your equipment’s safe operation. ● Examples of common power tools:

○ Battery-operated hammer drills

○ Gas-powered hammer drills

○ Gas-powered diamond concrete saws

○ Power generators

○ Electric tools

Getting Involved

The best way to meet and interact with other members is to attend a meeting. Another recommended activity is volunteering to help at our annual show in November, which is the club’s major fundraiser. The WMC also has a fun and informal auction/holiday party every December, which has turned into quite the “must attend” event! In addition, make sure to check the newsletter that is sent out every month (published September – June) that will keep you updated on club happenings, field trips, and general news. Finally, please consider donating some time or help to the club when needed, as we are an all-volunteer organization and can always use your assistance!

WMC Merch
If you would like to purchase some WMC merch, please visit
https://www.teepublic.com/user/worcester-mineral-club-merch.

WMC Socials

WMC is on Facebook! Please like our page at https://www.facebook.com/worcestermineral/ , and join our group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/wmcfans . Both members and non-members are welcome!

We are also on Instagram! @worcestermineralclub. Feel free to DM us anything you would like shared from your own collection, or anything you think our followers would enjoy. We always love educating others about rockhounding!

WMC Website

The official WMC website is located at http://worcestermineralclub.org/ . On the website is a “Members Section”, which can only be accessed by password. The current members section password is:

Rhodochrosite%25

Please also note that the password is case sensitive. Do not share this password with anyone outside of the club. For security, the password will be changed periodically, which will be communicated through email and meetings.

Our website has a wealth of information, so browse through everything so you can learn more about what we do, find great educational resources, and read through official club documentation.

If you are copying and pasting the password in, make sure you are not including any spaces, as that will cause the password to be incorrect. If you enter the password and it keeps bringing you back to the same page, it means you are not typing the password in correctly. It is case sensitive.

Signing Up For Field Trips

Signups for field trips will open at 12:01AM, 2 weeks before a trip. In order to sign up for field trips, follow these simple steps:

Navigate to the Members Only page on our website- https://worcestermineralclub.org/members-only/
Login using our current password, Rhodochrosite%25
Go to the “Field Trips and More” page (the purple button)
If a trip is opened for sign ups, you will be able to click the name of the trip with the date.
Ex. “5.4.25 Hewitt”
At the bottom of that trip’s page, there will be a sign up form. Complete the form and submit to be on the list. If the list is full, there will be a message to email the trip leader if you would like to be placed on the waiting list. If there is no form, and no message, the signup is NOT open yet.

Club Officers and Contact Information

President

Sara Furbush

Email: Saracollectsrocks@gmail.com

Vice President

Bob Manlick

Email: bobmanlick@yahoo.com

Treasurer

Naomi Campbell Siok

Email: wmcweb8@gmail.com

Secretary

Barbara Chickosky