The Friends of Mineralogy
The Friends of Mineralogy (FM)
is an organization devoted to the
advancement of serious interest in minerals and related activities. It consists
of mineral collectors, professional mineralogists and curators of public and
private collections. The bond uniting these people is a love of mineral
specimens and a desire to spread appreciation and knowledge of minerals. FM was
formed in 1970 in Tucson, Arizona. An initial project was the establishment of
The Mineralogical Record. The FM has had a
close and continuing association with The
Mineralogical Record and with Rocks & Minerals
Magazine. One of the organization's important activities has been support of
the two magazines as vehicles for the preservation and dissemination of
mineralogical information.
Goals of the Organization
- To preserve and protect mineral specimens for education and research.
- To promote the preservation of valuable specimen localities and mining
deposits.
- To encourage the collection of minerals for their research and educational
value.
- To advance programs of mineral study and the educational activities of
amateur groups.
- To promote the dissemination of information about minerals, mineral
localities, collections and mineral studies.
How Does FM Work?
FM is a non-profit, educational and scientific corporation,
incorporated in the state of California. FM has an international membership and
is run by a board of 18 directors. Directors are elected (6 at a time, for 3
year term) by ballot by the members. Elections are conducted by mail the first
of each year. FM currently has about 600 members, three quarters of whom belong
to one of eight local chapters:
Colorado,
Midwest,
Pacific Northwest,
Pennsylvania,
Southern California,
Mississippi Valley,
Southeast, and
Tucson Society.
The remainder are National Members.
Membership in a local chapter is an option.
An annual meeting for all members is held in Tucson during the Tucson Gem
& Mineral show each February. Communication with members throughout the year
is accomplished by a quarterly newsletter edited by the secretary. In addition
there are occasional FM columns in The
Mineralogical Record and articles in the Rocks & Minerals
magazine.
An annual meeting of the directors is held in February in Tucson, Arizona, at
which time the directors elect, for the coming year, a president,
vice-president, secretary and treasurer.
Why Join FM?
FM members include in their ranks some of the most eminent
mineralogists and museum curators in the world, but also scores of collectors
who claim nothing more than a love of minerals. FM spreads information about the
mineral collecting environment, collecting trips and localities. Through our
local chapters you can participate in mineral collecting trips and symposia.
Through our national membership you can participate in the annual meeting and
symposium in Tucson. Committees at the national level work on all aspects of the
mineral collecting hobby.
FM is open to your suggestions. The keys to its success are individual
enthusiasm and the synergism that comes from association with people with a
common goal.
Text by Credo Schwab, Mike Kokinos and Nelson Shaffer
The Friends of Mineralogy (FM)
is an organization devoted to the
advancement of serious interest in minerals and related activities. It consists
of mineral collectors, professional mineralogists and curators of public and
private collections. The bond uniting these people is a love of mineral
specimens and a desire to spread appreciation and knowledge of minerals. FM was
formed in 1970 in Tucson, Arizona. An initial project was the establishment of
The Mineralogical Record. The FM has had a
close and continuing association with The
Mineralogical Record and with Rocks & Minerals
Magazine. One of the organization's important activities has been support of
the two magazines as vehicles for the preservation and dissemination of
mineralogical information. 
