By Fred Ott, CFMS President
And so it continues! Last month, I emphasized the value of growing the Federation by increasing the number of member societies in the CFMS as well as increasing the membership rolls of each society. It seems so obvious, yet there have been those who have been happy with the “status quo”, only to find that the society eventually had to disband for lack of an active membership. What a shame!
While there are MANY reasons that some societies are extremely successful, I have found that a society’s growth depends primarily upon how well that society is “organized”. By this I mean: has the society established a “Best Practice” for each and every facet of the society’s activities? Are those “Best Practices” documented and updated periodically? How are such documents maintained?
As an example, here is one typical situation for which a “Best Practice” should be established: When someone inquires about your society, what sort of “response” does your society provide? Are new members formally recognized and welcomed at a General Membership meeting? Are new members given an introduction to all of your society’s activities? Be sure to read Beth Myers’ article in this newsletter about “Responding to Inquiries” to see what one successful society does.
As always, the best place to start is “at the beginning”. Back in the “old days” we had the typewriter and carbon paper; our society’s records and information were typically maintained in “hard copy form” in folders and binders. Today, we have the added advantage of the computer, the Internet, word-processing programs (such Microsoft Word) and database management systems. By establishing Word documents in an organized way and “backing-up” everything to avoid catastrophe, you’d be well on-your-way to establishing the “organization” and “stability” that every society wants.
My goal in 2010 is communicate many of these “Best Practices” in the CFMS newsletter as well as in individual emails to the Directors of each society, providing “silver bullets” which can be used to grow your society and, as a result, Grow the Federation.
Remember: rockhounding is MORE than a hobby; it’s a PASSION!
-Fred
By Jim Brace-Thompson
A most pleasant duty as 2nd VP last year was chairing the CFMS Jury of Awards of the AFMS Scholarship Foundation.
Honorees select a university and participate in choosing geoscience graduate students to receive scholarships
on behalf of AFMS. It’s with great pleasure that I announce this year’s honorees: Pat and Bural LaRue.
I’ve been affiliated with the CFMS since 1991, when I joined my first two clubs.
Although I had attended and exhibited competitively at the 1995 and 1997 shows in San Jose and Ventura,
it wasn’t until the 1998 show in Monterey, which I helped run as Show Vice Chairman, that I began a
deep involvement with CFMS, particularly when Debbie Bunn approached me there and invited me to chair
the Junior Activities committee. Throughout this time, two names were always in the CFMS air;
two people always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done.
Pat LaRue, whose involvement with CFMS dates to 1985, had served a term as President in 1996. At that time,
I was serving as President of the Carmel Valley club and receiving the CFMS Newsletter, so I was coming to know
her from her monthly President’s message, and there would be more messages to come because in 2000, she did an
unusual repeat performance, serving a second term as CFMS President when the president-elect became gravely ill.
(To my knowledge, she’s the only person to have had the gumption for two terms!) In 1999, she was recognized
with a Golden Bear Award, the highest honor given to people serving the CFMS. But, unlike old soldiers,
she did not then simply fade away.
Every local club has one: that couple in the background who seem so low-key and yet constitute the keystone
keeping the club together, the couple who know all, see all, and to whom everyone turns for answers when a question
comes up. Pat and Bural were—and are—always in the background, keeping essential CFMS functions moving along,
with Pat expanding her involvement to include the AFMS, representing the CFMS as a Vice President to the AFMS,
serving two years as AFMS Uniform Rules Chair, and, upon the sad loss of Toby Cozens, boldly stepping forward
mid-year in 2006 to assume responsibility as AFMS Treasurer, a job she still holds. On the CFMS level,
she continued providing us all with essential services such as being in charge of CFMS Supplies & Publications,
serving on the Golden Bear Committee, and, in 2005, beginning her current stint as CFMS Executive Secretary/Treasurer,
which she augmented in 2008 by serving as CFMS Tax Advisory Assistant. Meanwhile, she has continued joining
several more AFMS committees.
During those years, Bural began “climbing the ladder,” working to match his wife’s achievement as a CFMS President.
(He has assured us, however, he’s content to allow Pat’s title as the only double-term president to go unchallenged.) He gradually worked his way up, serving as CFMS Secretary, 2nd VP, 1st VP, and finally, in 2008, achieving the CFMS Presidency. That same year, doing courageous battle against health problems, he also took on the task of 2008 Show Chairman when no local club had stepped forward to sponsor our Annual Show & Convention. Under his watch, with a committee of volunteers from various clubs spread out all across the state, we had a terrifically successful show as we all came together on the sunny beaches of Ventura. He has since continued offering his advice and assistance as Past President, and, at the AFMS level, has served over the years on the Uniform Rules committee, the AFMS Endowment Fund, the AFMS Boundaries committee, and as an AFMS Director representing the CFMS. On behalf of the CFMS Jury of Awards, please join me in congratulating Bural and Pat for this well-deserved honor as 2010 AFMS Scholarship Honorees.
- Jim
Susan Chaisson-Walblom, Editor
42122-52nd Street West
Quartz Hill, California 93536
(661) 943-1861
Email: slchaisson@yahoo.com
Thank You to everyone submitting articles for this month’s newsletter. Articles for the March Newsletter and important dates for the CFMS calendar should be submitted by the 5th of February.
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!
By Pat/ LaRue
Now is the time for someone from each club to take a few minutes to fill out the officer change form included in the meeting information packet picked up by Directors present at the November meeting in Visalia. Directors who were unable to attend that meeting either received their club’s packet by mail or had one delivered as a courtesy by someone from a nearby club. If you didn’t receive it or it got lost, you can download a copy from the CFMS website www.cfmsinc.org. Click on forms and scroll down to the proper link.
Please take the time to provide the correct contact information for your club. A phone number is helpful, but an e-mail address is preferred. You are reminded that each club is entitled to receive 3 complimentary newsletters; however, I need to know who should receive them. Please be sure to include the correct mailing address for each recipient. These can be any member of the club, but generally the persons receiving the free newsletter will be the President, Editor and Federation Director. Any of your members who currently serve as a CFMS Committee chair or member already receives a newsletter; why not designate another person. Anyone can subscribe to the newsletter at a cost of $5.50. Everyone can read it on the CFMS website for free. Note that the web version does not include the show dates, the address page, officer/chairmen listing or forms. These are already available on the website in other areas.
Don’t forget that your club is also entitled to 3 complimentary copies of the AFMS newsletter. Please send the names and mailing addresses of the persons designated to receive this publication to AFMS Central Office, Steve Weinberger, PO Box 302, Glyndon, MD 21071-0302. The AFMS Newsletter is also available for download on the AFMS website www.amfed.org at no cost. Hardcopy subscriptions are $4.50 per year.
-Pat
By Dot Beachler
Why the All American entry form section by section. Now you may ask why.
One good reason is that this is a history of your club, your members, your activities for the year 2009. Any club historian will welcome this information to complete a club’s history over the years.
Secondly, this is a good way of recognizing those club members that have contributed to your club’s present status.
Thirdly, show your club book at club meetings and shows. Not only will new members see what the club did over the past year but this is a good way of showing prospective members how many interesting activities the club has to offer.
This year our CFMS president wants to ‘expand the Federation’. What better way to assist in this endeavor than to have a club book available to show others how interesting and fascinating our hobby can be.
To all prospective entries---books are due February 28.
- Dot
By Marion Roberts
There are still openings for Camp Paradise. You don’t want to miss out on the fun!
You will find a copy of the camp application here in this month’s Newsletter.
- Marion
By Loretta Ogden
Joanne Caskey has been a member of Contra Costa Mineral & Gem Society (CCM&GS) since 2004.
Since she and her husband Terry joined, she has made quite an impact on the club. Once she settled in, she did not hesitate to volunteer to be Education Chair. She held this a position for three years, 2005 through 2007. During this time she organized many classes, some of them held in her and Terry’s home in Concord.
Joanne started and continues to support a monthly beading get-to-gather, yes again hosted by her. She has continued to suggest and give classes for the club, helping the current Education Chair. Joanne also volunteered to be the hostess of many of the Board of Director meetings, relieving members from driving all the way out to Antioch to my home.
Recently, Joanne Caskey volunteered to be the club’s Vice President of Field Trips. Keeping the club successful is easy with members like Joanne.
Joanne Caskey is nominated for the 2009 Education through Sharing recognition for CCM&GS.
Thank You,
Mary Hicks, President
Contra Costa Mineral & Gem Society
- Loretta
By Richard Pankey
Plans are finalized for the Land Claims Seminar next April. Since our last seminar in March 2009 I had been looking for someone to take the lead and plan this next seminar. As of November I hadn’t found anyone. On the MLMS Thanksgiving field trip I talked to several of their members; they had a suitable meeting hall, they are centrally located and best of all they seemed interested in hosting a seminar. When I got home I contacted Bud McMillin. He said he was interested in helping and would present it to their board the next night. While he was doing that I contacted potential speakers and they said yes. Bud got back to me the following day – the MLMS Board said yes, the hall was available, and Marion Roberts would do lunch. We had ourselves a “Land Claims Seminar”!!! This whole process took only 4 days (due to some very fortuitous timing and a lot of people who said “yes”). All of this was accomplished in time to meet the deadline to get the seminar
announcement in the January CFMS Newsletter.
The purpose of the seminar is to encourage CFMS societies to file and share claims and to provide them with the information to do so. At the conclusion of our seminar in March of 2009, Gregg Wilkerson from the BLM, recommended that filing and maintaining claims on our rockhounding sites is a good way to establish and preserve our right for access and use. Some CFMS societies already have done this and it is recommended that more societies do it.
Current legislative activity makes it imperative that we establish and file our claims now. The new “Hard Rock Mining and Reclamation Act” was introduced in the House and Senate last July. The proposed “Desert Conservation and Recreation Act” is making its way through the legislative process. We need to act NOW!!
The agenda for this seminar will include:
- Why and who should file claims.
- The experiences of current CFMS societies that have claims.
- Liability and insurance issues.
- Use of claims to have and maintain access to rockhounding areas.
- What your society can do.
- How to stake a claim, establish and file a claim with the county and BLM.
- Claim Filing deadlines, Assessment Work, and Intent to Hold
- Where and how to get information about claims and claimed land.
- Answers to your questions.
Seminar speakers will include Dick Pankey, Bud McMillin and Gregg Wilkerson, BLM Claim Specialist. Several CFMS societies currently have claims. I would like some of them to attend this seminar and share their experiences with us.
Gregg Wilkerson is a geologist in the Bakersfield Field Office and performs geologic and hydrologic research and investigations for resource management as Program Team Leader and BLM Certified Mineral Examiner. His duties involve mineral appraisals, land exchanges, conveyances, mineral sales and leases, wilderness withdrawals, mining claim occupancy trespass, surface use determinations, CERCLA removal or remediation, water quality remediation, and hazardous abandoned mine closures.
This seminar will be hosted by the Mother Lode Mineral Society on Saturday, April 24, 2010 in Empire, CA, near Modesto. This is an all day seminar and lunch will be served. The cost of the seminar is $5.00 (payable at registration), which includes registration, coffee and tea, and a lunch of hot dogs with all of the trimmings, potato salad, chips and a beverage. An announcement flyer with details, map and directions will be available on the CFMS Web Site - www.cfmsinc.org and on the COOP web site - www.ourfieldtrips.org by February. Or e-mail me at dickpankey@juno.com and I will send you a flyer.
This seminar is for societies who have questions about claims, for societies that want to have a claim, and for all rockhounds that are interested in claims. Please reserve your place at this seminar by notifying Bud McMillin at bud.mcmillin.b7yj@statefarm.com or at 209-527-8000 (work) or 209-524-3494 (home) no later than April 16th. Mark your calendar now for Saturday, April 24, 2010, watch for the announcement flier and plan to attend this important, timely and sure to be informative seminar.
(Please help get this seminar information to your members. Editors please reprint in your newsletter; web masters please post on your web site; and field trip leaders please share with your members.)
-Dick
By Shep Koss & Adam Dean
With last year's great turnout of nearly 100 attendees we're doing it again.
WHERE: Ant Hill, Bakersfield, CA
WHEN: February 27, Saturday at 9 a.m.
MATERIAL: 15 million year old fossils of shark teeth, whale teeth, seal teeth, porpoise teeth,
whale bone, etc from Middle Miocene Marine beds.
MEETING SPOT: 9 a.m. North east of Bakersfield on corner of Lake Ming Rd and Alfred Harrell Hwy
at the Chevron station.
- Alfred Harrel Hwy can be reached by heading east from Bakersfield
on Rt 178 or heading east on Rt 58 to Comanche Rd then turning north.
- Comanche Rd becomes Alfred Harrell at Rt 178.
- From here go about two miles to Lake Ming Rd
and meeting spot.
- Here we will sign Waivers of Liability, see samples of specimens and receive digging instructions.
TOOLS: hammer, chisel or screwdriver, 1/4" mesh sifting screen or colander, shovel, bucket, zip lock bags,
water spray bottle. Hiking shoes and clothes to get dirty in.
From Meeting Spot: From the meeting spot we will drive about another mile to parking area then hike about 3/4 mile on a uphill slope which gets steep the last 200 yards.
The fossil trenches are near the summits of steep hills.
Be advised: This is a known Valley Fever area although rarely a problem especially in winter. Wear masks if concerned. Also snakes and spiders inhabit these hills.
To find fossils requires a combination of sifting
debris or prying out chunks of the "wall". Thse hills will soon undergo housing development so collect while you can.
Weather and Roads: Roads are paved until last 300 feet to parking area.
Weather is unpredictable although this soil is more rain tolerant. Dress accordingly for temperatures and conditions.
By Richard Pankey
When I was appointed as the ad hoc Inter – Regional Field Trips Coordinator at the 2007 AFMS meeting is Roswell I was pleased and excited. I love field trips - going on them and leading them. I was involved with the Tri-Federation field trip to Texas Springs in May of 2003 so I pretty much had an idea of what was expected and how to get started.
It was my objective to have articles in each issue of the AFMS Newsletter promoting Inter-regional field trips and events, how-to articles, and announcements about at least one scheduled Inter-regional field trip. To make this all work I was counting on local field trip chairmen/leaders for ideas and help, for bulletin editors to help get the word out and participation from rockhounds. We have had 2 Inter-Regional trips in the west and I have had articles in many AFMS Newsletters and pretty good participation from editors, web maters and field trip chairs getting the word out.
The biggest hurdle that I experienced was getting representatives from other Federations to be on the committee. It was hard to get referrals and people interest in serving on the committee. The notable exception was Dick Parks from the NFMS who was involved with our first 2 Inter-Regional Rockhound Rendezvous. It turned out to be easier to conduct the Rendezvous myself than try to get others involved. But that is not where this committee needs help and participation. What we need are representatives from each Federation, to identify potential Rendezvous sites, help promote them and to coordinate with the trip host. Since I am not leading a Rendezvous this year I am going to focus on establishing an active productive (hopefully) committee.
In the near future I will be contacting the Presidents of each Federation for their recommendation for their representative to the committee. And to all members, current field trip leaders, if you would be interested in serving on the committee please let your Federation President know that you are interested. I hope that by the combined AFMS/CFMS convention in California next June I will have a full and functioning committee.
Where will our next Rendezvous be and who will host it?
By Jim Brace-Thompson
Do you want to start a junior rockhound group in your club or society but are afraid you don't know enough to get one going? Do you have a junior rockhound group and want to see how to make it better by gathering ideas for more kids activities and programs you might implement? Or perhaps you already have a successful juniors group that's going like gangbusters. Would you be willing to share your experience to benefit fellow clubs within the Federation? Then come next month to the annual show of the Mother Lode Mineral Society (MLMS)!
The MLMS show committee has invited me to come to their show to help facilitate a Juniors Activities Roundtable Discussion. And we do want to make this a true roundtable, so the more participants, the more informed we'll all be as we walk away and return with new ideas to try in our own clubs. Thus, I invite anyone with a budding interest, anyone with long-standing experience, and anyone willing to share and to learn to come, question, listen, and participate.
The Juniors Activities Roundtable Discussion will take place 2:00-3:00 PM, Saturday, March 13, during the MLMS annual show in the Lecture Hall at the Turlock Fairgrounds, 900 N. Broadway, Turlock, California. People coming to participate in the Roundtable are being offered FREE ADMISSION to the show! For a listing of other activities, keep an eye on the MLMS web site at www.motherlodemineralsociety.com. They have a tab you can click that will take you to show info. For instance, at 3:00 on Saturday and 1:00 on Sunday, Richard Wade will be giving a terrific presentation on dinosaurs that's sure to give you material to take back and use with your club's juniors. In addition, you'll have an opportunity to see 35 MLMS juniors working in a booth with their parents and to view a half dozen junior rockhound display cases, plus enjoy a host of other interesting speakers and activities. MLMS always puts on a good show, so I'm looking forward to seeing you there, to sharing ideas, and to having fun!
- Jim
By Jennifer Haley
I got a call a couple of weeks ago from a 4th grade school teacher in town. She said that their school had to let the science teacher go because of budget costs and could our club jump in and give a short class about geodes and other rocks and about how they were made etc. She told me she didn't have the credentials or have any knowledge herself about earth sciences. I was shocked to hear that a science class at that age group would be dropped. But, isn't it wonderful that she cared enough or knew that she could call a rock club to help.
-Jennifer
Mona "Betty" Leach, wife of Charles Leach, long time members of your organization passed away on December 8, 2009. It would be a great help if you could include a brief note in your newsletter of her passing. There may be some of her friends still involved in the organization, or simply still receiving the newsletter.
Betty spent the last three and a half years fighting Alzheimer's/Dementia and is finally at peace and hopefully with her husband Charles.
Polly Baird
By John Martin
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduces legislation that would withdraw 1.6 million acres of desert landscapes from public access. The 1.6 million acres is larger than the state of Connecticut and this legislation will close some of the best rockhound collecting areas in Southern California .
The proposed legislation, known as the California Desert Conservation and Recreation Act, will designate 394,807 acres of wilderness from the Avawatz Mountains near Death Valley to the largest Sonoran woodland in North America along the Colorado River. The legislation would also create two new national monuments, the Mojave Trails (10 miles on each side of Historic US Route 66 from Barstow to Needles) and the Sand to Snow (Establishes a national monument covering approximately 161,000 acres of land between Joshua Tree National Park and the San Bernardino National Forest in San Bernardino and Riverside counties) — and expand Joshua Tree National Park (Approximately 2,873 acres in multiple isolated parcels of BLM land on the northern boundary of the park that abuts residential areas.) and Death Valley National Park (Approximately 37,379 acres, including a narrow strip of land between the southern boundary of the park (31,000 acres known as the “Bowling Alley” and a former mining area 6,379 acres known as the “Crater Area”) and the Mojave National Preserve (Approximately 29,221 acres on the northeastern corner of the park known as Castle Mountain.) It will also protect important waterways such as the Amargosa River (Extend the recent wild and scenic river designation 2 miles to include private lands just outside of Death Valley that have just been acquired by the BLM. Additionally, an adjacent 1.4 mile segment of the river would be named potential wild and scenic.), Deep Creek (This would authorize a wild and scenic designation of 20 miles running from the northern boundary of the San Bernardino National Forest down the mountain into the Mojave River.), Holcome Creek: (The bill would authorize 14.5 miles adjacent to Deep Creek.), Whitewater River (The bill would designate 24.5 miles of the river in the San Bernardino Mountains). Surprise Canyon Creek (This would protect 7.1 miles of riparian habitat along the western border of Death Valley that off-roaders used to be allowed to use for “rock crawling.) as Wild and Scenic Rivers .
Section 14: Prohibited Uses of Donated and Acquired Lands
This section would prohibit the use of donated or acquired lands for development, mining, off-highway vehicle use (except designated routes), grazing, military training and other surface disturbing activities. (This means Rockhounding) This prohibition would apply only to public lands within the California Desert Conservation Area.
It will not do any good to write to our senators but, we might find a sympathetic ear in some of the other 49 states or in the House of Representatives. If we value our rockhound hobby in Southern California we must act soon or the only way will be able to enjoy our public lands and deserts is by buying pictures of the Desert from those supporting this bill. Write your elected officials and voice your opinion and concerns.
-John
By Dee Holland
How do you create your exhibit?
- Did you see another exhibit and decide to use some of the ideas that person used to create your own exhibit?
- Did you use a material background that complements your specimens? Is the label material compatible with the background material?
- Did you spend time selecting the best of your specimens, if there are colors involved have you taken the time to disperse the colors?
- Did you select risers to show your specimens off?
- Did you know you could build a two-foot exhibit case for items that might look small in a four foot case?
- Did you know that some competitive divisions allow two four foot cases?
- Or you could build an eight-foot case, but this would be hard to transport.
- We have two ways many people currently exhibit.
At a club show; This is where you can exhibit for the first time and not feel intimidated.
Next, you can exhibit at your local County Fair, if they have a gem, mineral, lapidary and fossil section in their Fair.
Next, you can take your exhibit to the regional level and compete at the Next level.
This is where everything seems to break down.
You’ve heard horror stories from “old timers” of how things were when they tried to put in a competitive exhibit for the first time and how they were humiliated. Put down by judges who told them, “I’ve seen better material in a museum.” Or one of my personal favorites “I’ve never given anyone a perfect score, there are no perfect cases.”
You’ve all heard the following:” The Rules are too hard, the rule book is huge, why can’t we simplify it?” Did you know the rules book was once a single big sheet of paper? What you see these days is because there were additions to each division, and new sections to those divisions. We have even added a new BEADING section. Is the book huge? Yes, there are 102 pages total, but you should only be concerned with the SECTION you are interested in; This makes the book much smaller for you.
The Rules book is broken down in to ten divisions: A-Open; B-Minerals; C-Lapidary: D- Jewelry; E-Education; F-Fossils; G-Petrified Wood; H-Scrimshaw; and the new one I-Beading. UV-Ultraviolet.
Now, when the rules started out there were only Minerals. Each of the others was added as interest and need occurred. So when you break “the rules book” down, it doesn’t look so imposing.
The first section of the Rules Book has twenty-one pages of regulations for competitors and also directions for the judges and also for the rules committee. Since this section has been contentious and confusing over the years the AFMS Uniform Rules Committee has begun a re-write of these sections.
Finally, you can compete at the NATIONAL LEVEL, and this is available this year at La Habra for those who have earned a master score of 90 at the regional level in the past twelve years. OR for those of you who enter MASTER at the CFMS level and score 90 or above and are judged again at the AFMS level. TROPHIES ARE WAITING, does one
have YOUR NAME ON IT???
More next month…
-Dee
By Bural LaRue
Are you ready for 2010? As we look forward to a new year of collecting, let’s be prepared so we have a safe and fun filled year.
Be sure your vehicle is ready for the trip: properly serviced, fuel, oil, water, air (check the spare tire). If you have a flat 50 plus miles from a service station, a tire plug kit and an air pump can come in handy.
Before you venture out on your trip check the weather conditions. A good GPS or compass and maps are a must. A cell phone is nice, but may not be useable in some areas; let someone know where you are going and your expected return time. It’s important to know the terrain you plan to explore. For example, if you collect in the south, you’ll need extra water for the desert regions; up north some rain gear could come in handy.
Do your homework; be prepared and have a good trip. I personally carry a survival box in my truck. It contains food, water, first aid supplies, matches, a backpacker stove, shovel, axe and a water purification system. This works not only for the outback but also for an earthquake emergency. I highly recommend that you put one together.
Stay safe out there and have FUN!
-Bural
By Betty Pankey
I have researched the current books and have come up with each clubs contributions over the years, most of them starting back in the 60’s. I have made up a list of current clubs and how much they have contributed. Things have really slowed down for the donations but hopefully they will improve in 2010.
-Betty
By Jennifer Haley
Now through November our committee enjoys the privilege of receiving your letters of nomination for CFMS Scholarship Honorees. The number of Honorees each year is based upon those letters you send us. This year the Federation will be honoring Frank Monez of the Santa Clara Valley Gem & Mineral Society.
Frank has served many years as the PLAC Chairman for his club, on the CFMS Plublic Lands Advisory Committee and as Chairman North. He has assisted with many field trips from Zzyzx. Frank has worked with the Uniform Rules Committee and showed his educational gold case for many years, winning both CFMS and AFMS trophies with this case display. He was an active member of the United Prospectors and the Gold Prospectors of America. He came highly recommended and you can see why. Congratulations Frank!
-Jennifer
By Mike Kokinos
Some societies have been reluctant to join or donate to ALAA due to concerns about affect on their nonprofit status. ALAA was organized under I.R.C. Section 501(c)(4) to lobby against closures to collecting and geologically interesting areas. ALAA is active not only to attempt to influence legislation but to participate in regulations interpreting or implementing legislation. This article is to ease concerns regarding support of ALAA and direct and grass roots lobbying by each society.
This article only applies to tax exempt mineral and gem societies exempt from tax under I.R.C. Section 501©(3).
Background:
The Internal Revenue Service requires an organization’s organizational documents to, include among others, two important statements:
No substantial part of the activities of this corporation shall consist of carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the corporation shall not participate or intervene in any political campaign (including the publishing or distribution of statements) on behalf of any candidate for public office.
We are concerned here with no substantial activities attempting to influence legislation.
The portion dealing with political campaigns is an absolute. Failure to observe the restriction will lead to revocation of the tax exemption.
What is lobbying?
Grass Roots
Any attempt to influence any legislation through an effort to affect the opinions of the general public or any segment thereof.
Direct Lobbying
Any attempt to influence any legislation through communication with any member or employee of a legislative body or with any government official or employee who may participate in the formulation of legislation.
Exclusions to attempting to influence legislation
- Making available the results of nonpartisan analysis, study, or research.
- Examining and discussing broad social, economic, and similar problems.
Appearing before, or communicating with any legislative body that might affect the existence of the organization, its powers and duties, its tax-exempt status, or the deduction of contributions. (emphasis added.)
Also excluded are communications between an organization and its bona fide members about legislation or proposed legislation unless these communications directly encourage the members to urge nonmembers to attempt to influence legislation, as explained above. (Emphasis added)
Substantial Part Test
Whether an organization’s attempts to influence legislation, i.e., lobbying, constitute a substantial part of its overall activities is determined on the basis of all the pertinent facts and circumstances in each case. The IRS considers a variety of factors, including the time devoted (by both compensated and volunteer workers) and the expenditures devoted by the organization to the activity, when determining whether the lobbying activity is substantial.
It is my belief that lobbying activities that do not exceed 5% of time and expenditures are exempt from lobbying as being insubstantial. The 5% was established in a court case. I seriously cannot conceive of a society that would come even close to a 5% of time devoted or expenditures made for lobbying. This would be the position given to the IRS if questioned.
Affect of legislation on the organization
In the alternative, the position could be taken that the legislation would affect the existence of the organization, its powers and duties or its tax-exempt status. That is the ability to collect material used in educational activities.
Summation
Relying on the insubstantial lobbying activities, our Societies should be able to publish articles in their newsletters regarding legislation and include asking members to write to legislative bodies in opposition or support of legislation. Using the affect of legislation on our societies can be argued but it might be the weaker position.
Sources:IRS Publication 557
Measuring Lobbying: Substantial Part Test-IRS article
The Law of Tax-Exempt Organizations, Bruce R. Hopkins, Seventh Addition.
-Mike
By Merryan O’Neill
Here is an article written by Linda Jaeger-AFMS Bulletin Editor Advisory Chairman.
QUICK TIPS for EDITORS
By Linda Jaeger, AFMS Bulletin Editors Advisory Chair
If you have a question (or suggestion) about editing or writing or the bulletin contest or something related, send it to me by email:
LjgrAlg@aol.com or
at home address: 3515 E. 88th St., Tulsa, OK 74137.
If I cannot find an answer to your question, we’ll publish the question and ask the readers for their answers.
Contest time – here we go again! Regional Federation contests are in the making. And the next AFMS contest is even earlier than last year, since the CFMS/AFMS show is June 18-20, 2010.
Have you submitted your entries to your regional federation contest?
Important dates for the 2010 contest:
- February 28, 2010 – AFMS Judges List to BEACs
- March 20, 2010 – Regional entries due to AFMS judges
- May 1, 2010 – Judged AFMS entries due to me
- June 18-20, 2010 – CFMS/AFMS show in La Habra, CA
- June 20, 2010 – Breakfast with the Editors & Web Masters
The AFMS web site has been updated with 2010 contest information available.
New this year – For Regional BEACs and AFMS Judges, there are fillable control sheets online for you to download and use. Remember that you can also find sample score sheets online at the AFMS website, www.amfed.org , as well as good information on editing a newsletter.
FYI: Some minor changes have been made to the General Guidelines and to the score sheet for bulletins.
Write Some Sparkle!
There is really no formula for writing great articles, but when we let our personalities shine through our writing we get readable articles that will sparkle. Here are some suggestions for adding pizzazz.
- Remember your audience. Are you writing for kids? For all club members? For a specialized group? Adjust sentence length and vocabulary just for them.
- Vary the length of your sentences, making some short and some compound. Ask a question to introduce a topic.
- Keep paragraphs fairly short. Reading is easier on the eyes if there is a nice amount of “white space” within and around an article.
- Make your reader laugh by using humor or irony. It’s okay to poke some fun at yourself!
- Use the “active voice” by turning “being verbs” into “doing verbs.” Instead of writing Metamorphic rocks were formed from the pressure of our hands on colored pieces of playdough, write: We “made” metamorphic rocks by pressing colored pieces of playdough into a “rock” with our hands.
- Write as if you were talking to a friend about the subject. This makes your article “friendly” and easier to read.
- Use positives instead of negatives. Instead of saying I did not remember, say I forgot. Many times the positive is shorter and easier to understand than the negative.
- Be specific. This gives your reader a “mind” picture of what you said.
- Leave out repetitions of the same idea and unnecessary words (i.e.: in fact, in other words). A good sentence will get your idea across to the reader in one try. Leaving out unnecessary words keeps the reader from having to hunt for the idea.
- Use a short, attention-getting title. This grabs the reader’s attention by making him curious about your subject. You can start with the title or come up with it after you have written your article.
-Linda Jaeger
By colleen Mcgann
ALSO REQUESTING DONATIONS FOR the AFMS RAFFLE
Carvings - Jewelry - Minerals - Faceted Stones-Lapidary items. Buy tickets for your club or for yourself.
Please contact:
Colleen McGann
PO Box 224 , Santa Clara , CA 95052-0224
cell 831-212-1951, colleen.mcgann@hds.com.
-Colleen
By Dick Pankey
Did the title get your attention; pique your curiosity? Please read on!!
Being President of the American Land Access Association is a great experience and a great challenge. And I am glad I took it on. It is also a great learning experience; learning how our government and its agencies work and don’t work. Trying to learn how we can participate, contribute and have an effect on what happens with laws and regulations. Everyday I get emails telling about the assaults and threats to access and use of our public lands. These basically fall into two categories:1.) new/proposed legislation and 2.) new/proposed regulations. I get the BRC Alerts. I get the ALAA Alerts and proposed legislation from John Martin and his sources. I get forwarded alerts and articles from related watchful organizations/activists, and from concerned rockhounds. I get questions from concerned and interested rockhounds and ALAA members asking “do I know about this” and “what is ALAA doing about this.”
Frankly, this is very overwhelming. The challenges are so great and they seem to come so fast. There is so much to do; so much that could be done. But what, how, who?
John Martin is doing a spectacular job of learning about proposed legislation, getting copies of the bills and the legislation, and best of all communicating and sharing these with the rest of us. This information is spread around in e-mails and in articles in Federation and society newsletters. The word is getting out. But is it being listened to; is it being acted upon?
Over the last few months I have been invited by a number of societies to talk about ALAA and the issues at their meetings. I have already given presentations to 2 societies. Unfortunately time and travel constraints limits my availability to societies in my part of California. I also have an opportunity to meet people and talk about the issues at shows, field trips, society meetings and wherever I can find people to listen. Most people will listen politely with a “Yea. Uh Uh.” But I don’t think they are really listening to me. Others seem to hear that there is a problem; that there is a threat, but that is as far as it goes. But thank goodness there is that occasional person that “gets it.” They are fired up, asking questions and offering help. But for some reason they don’t take the next step – ACTION.
Ignorance – don’t know about or understand the challenges and assaults on our access and use of our public lands, they don’t pay attention to the messengers nor try to get informed. Apathy – may know about the challenges and assaults but just don’t care; its not my responsibility; someone else will take care of it. – don’t know what to do or how to do it; don’t know how to get involved; or maybe they have given up. ALAA can help with Ignorance and Just Don’t try, but Apathy is a major obstacle that is harder to overcome.
There is a fourth group and they are the ones who do get involved. They read the alerts and articles, they get informed; and best of all they take action – write letters to their Congressmen and to the Regulators, they attend meetings, they share what they know with others and get them involved. These are the people that give me hope, that keep me going. Did you see yourself here? Which group? What is it going to take to move you from group 1, 2 or 3 into group 4.
What we need is more group 4 people. ALAA membership is growing and that is a good thing. With over 49,000 members and 640 societies in the AFMS our potential for membership is great. While big numbers are great, involved membership is the objective. How to be an involved member, how to be an involved rockhound:
Become informed about proposed legislation and the legislative process.
Become informed about proposed regulations and the regulatory process for BLM and the Forest Service.
Write letters, send e-mails, make phone calls attend meetings to let your congressmen and the regulators know what you think and what you want.
Share what you know and what you did with others and get them involved.
The assault on our access to public land is great. Now is the time to stand up and be counted. We will help you?
“Protecting the Public Lands for the Public”
