President's Message

I would like to thank all of the local clubs that have completed their contact information on the SFMS website. I noticed that a few clubs only listed the President. This at least gives a contact for the local club. We need a list of all the club officers. When a committee chairman wants to get in touch with a similar club officer it makes it very difficult when  that officer position is not listed. If your club has a field trip chairman or a youth director please list these individuals.The SFMS field trip chairman has tried for the past two years to set up a meeting for all local field trip chairman with no success because none were listed.

I would like to say a big THANK YOU to all of the SFMS volunteers. Without volunteers there would not be a SFMS. Now that the State Directors have better access to the local clubs, this will provide better knowledge of individual members of the local club.This should provide better qualified members to serve at the Federation level.

The American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS) will hold their Annual Meeting in Billings, Montana in August. Following the meetings there will be a week of digs. There will be 2 days of digs near Billings, then they will move approximately 150 miles to the east near Miles City to continue the digs. Some of these digs will be on private ranches that normally there would be no access. I realize that it is a long distance from the SFMS area to Billings. If you are interested please go to the AFMS website and sign up to attend the Convention.

I would like to welcome the Florida Panhandle Gem and Mineral Society located in Pensacola,FL.They are the latest club to rejoin the Federation after being out the past 3 years. We are still trying to get a club  in the Live Oak/Madison area of Florida.

Now that the weather has improved in all of the Southeast States, let's go out and dig some cool rocks.

Dennis Buchanan, SFMS President