Wednesday, May 18, 2016

THE 2016 RMFMS MEETING: THE NITTY GRITTY




Welcome to the Show, the annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies (RMFMS) hosted by the Wichita Gem and Mineral Society.  The combined meetings featured vendors, competitive and non-competitive display cases, demonstrations by skilled lapidaries, lectures, lunches and banquets, Federation business activities, and meeting new and previous friends.  See previous posting on driving directions to the city.


A couple of display cases.

Most official activities of the Federation were held on Saturday (April 25) and started with the Editors/Webmasters Breakfast at 8:00 am.  Under the leadership of Pick & Pack (CSMS Newsletter) 2015 Editor Lisa Kinder, members of the Colorado Springs Mineralogical Society (CSMS) garnered a number of awards led by Jack and his First Place in Junior Articles Under 12 for Radio Waves Powered Radio.  Other awardees were:
Steven, 3rd Place Junior Articles 12-17
          Guide to Amazonite
Kevin Witte, 2nd Place, Adult Articles
          Summer’s Swan Song Pocket and the Big Kahuna
Mike Nelson, 3rd Place, Written Features
          Field Trip Report: Trout Creek Pegmatite
Mike Nelson, 2nd Place, Special Publications
          Paleontological Resources Preservation

Late Saturday morning I presented a talk to a variety of show attendees entitled:  Geology and Physiography of Kansas; Collecting Minerals and Fossils.  On Sunday afternoon Ron Wooley, an opal miner, talked about his experiences collecting opals in Australia.

The RMFMS House of Delegates Meeting occupied much of Saturday afternoon and was fairly routine.  A large number of Federation clubs sent delegates, something like 35.  President Matt Charsky represented the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies and offered greetings from the Federation office. President Jaeger (RMFMS) noted that a large number of members (many committee chairs) are serving the Federation for the first time.  Secretary Thomas received reports from 40 committee chairs and officers, possibly a record! Treasurer Maggard reported the Federation ended FY 2014-15 with 78 member clubs and a total membership of 9,014 members—an increase of 623 members over FY 2013-14. The Federation added one new club, the Daisy Mountain Rock and Mineral Club of Anthem, Arizona (northern suburb of Phoenix).  In FY 2015-16 the Federation also added the Apache Junction Rock and Gem Club (eastern Phoenix suburb), and its 230 members.  The Federation has lost the Arizona Leaverites Club (Phoenix) and the Chanute Gem and Mineral Society (Kansas).  However, for this FY the Federation has gained over 700 new members!  In addition, the RMFMS donated $1,764 to the American Federation scholarship fund.

The Long Range Planning Committee submitted “tens of pages” of revisions and updates to the Federation’s Operating Procedures.  This project started three years ago when I chaired a small committee (with Betty Cain) to offer suggestions and we turned in our report two years ago at the Tulsa meeting.  The Committee’s report was accepted by the Delegates.

New Federation officers elected by the Delegates included:
President: Beth Simmons (Denver)
Vice President: Liz Thomas (Tulsa)
Secretary: Wayne Cox (northwest Arkansas)
Treasurer: Gene Maggard (Wichita)

The Delegates offered a round of applause to Alice LaBonte for her editorial leadership of the Federation Newsletter.  And, after a number of other rather ordinary reports, President Jaeger noted the upcoming banquet and the Sunday morning PLAC meeting and then adjourned the convocation.

The Saturday night banquet had some fairly tasty food, compared to most other hotel food events that I have attended!  However, the highlight of the evening was the introduction of Dr. Forest Sawyer, the winner of the AFMS-sponsored scholarship for 2016.  Dr. Sawyer teaches at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City and will use his award to fund two, $4000 scholarships for Tech graduate students.  I found it sort of serendipitous that Dr. Sawyer’s dissertation advisor is a very good friend of mine, and a member of his graduate committee was my graduate school roommate. Sometimes it seems like a small world!

On Sunday morning I convened a meeting of the Public Lands Access Committee (PLAC) chairs and interested visitors.  Major discussions centered on: 1) USFS and BLM rules on collecting invertebrate fossils; 2) the creation of many new Wilderness Study Areas (WSA) and Wilderness Areas (WA); and 3) the road closures on large tracts of USFS land.

As the PLAC Chair for the last year, my major interest has been the implementation of new USFS collecting regulations for invertebrate fossils.  Although I disagree with many of the individual regulations, it behooves Federation members to try and work with their local USFS leaders.  Keep in contact with the local offices, and “know” the regulations.

The future, maybe within the next year, will bring draft collecting rules and regulations from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).  PLAC state directors will need to muster club members to take action (individual letters and comments) if BLM draft regulations are as strict as the USFS rules.  The drafts will be published in the Federal Register and I will try and monitor such in order to notify state directors.

Other states, especially New Mexico and Wyoming, also have a variety of problems associated with road closures and proposed WSA/WA.  Their directors are working hard to try and ameliorate the situations.
    
In summary, the Wichita club had a great show and thousands of people attended. Show Chair Gene (and I am certain assisted by spouse Peggy) rounded up an amazing number of Show workers and is to be congratulated.  Pat and Mary constructed Delegate gift bags and table favors that were quite unique and impressive and will be remembered by recipients for many years.  President Jaeger and his officers have pulled the Federation out of the doldrums and a major slump and we now have a bright future. 
 




I was curious about a gold prospecting club in Kansas so stopped in for a visit.  Where do you collect gold in Kansas?  Why right in downtown Wichita!  

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