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2024 Meeting Calendar

 

Monthly Meetings 7PM

St. John's Church

28 Cataract Ave., Dover, NH

(Details will be emailed to members prior to meeting)
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January 10th
February 14th 
March 13th*
April 8th
May 11th*
June 12th
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September 11th*
October 9th
November 13th*
December 11th
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* Silent Auction Nite!
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FIELD TRIPS

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FIELD TRIPS – for current members only.

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Attending field trips to locations where you can see geology, collect specimens, take photographs, and be present “when things are found” is one of the great perks and privileges of being a member of the SENHMC. Along with great perks and privileges comes some serious responsibility:

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A) responsibility to land owners and/or quarry operators where the trip is being held;

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B) responsibility to SENHMC, trip organizers and leaders, and fellow trip participants; and finally,

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C) responsibility to one's own self. We do our best to welcome newcomers and bring them up to speed on the techniques, rules, and etiquette of field collecting, but ultimately each individual share responsibility for the success of the SENHMC field trip program.

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A) Responsibility to land owners and/or quarry operators:


There are very few open or free locations left to collect these days. The vast majority of SENHMC trips are to locations that are on private property, and many of these spots are being actively worked by specimen miners and/or gem miners. Most of these people give a verbal introduction to any field trip group and may have very specific 'dos and don’ts for visitors to their property. If SENHMC wants to be welcome for return visits, these 'do's and don'ts' need to be adhered to by all trip participants. Additionally, trip leaders may have their own list of behaviors they expect from participants. These instructions must be followed! Also, note that permission to enter a site on an SENHMC trip does NOT imply permission to access the site at any other time.

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B) Responsibility to SENHMC, trip organizers and leaders, and fellow trip participants:


Safety first! Maintain situational awareness at all times, both of how your activities affect others and how their activities affect you: Who is working near you? Are your discards rolling (or being thrown) downhill? Who is down there? When you hammer are you spraying rocknel (that’s stone shrapnel) in all directions? Is your gear strewn around where others (or you) can trip over it?

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Another aspect of trips is communication with the trip leaders. If you find that you cannot participate in a trip for which you have been confirmed, give the trip leader at least 48 hours’ notice. That may give someone on the waiting list a chance to participate in your place, and it will prevent the leader from delaying the start of the trip waiting for you to show up. If you leave a trip early, PLEASE notify the trip leader so they don’t spend hours searching for someone who went home early and told no one. If the mine operator has a sign in/sign out policy, be sure to do BOTH.

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C.) Personal responsibility:


You are responsible for your own safety and comfort. This includes wearing appropriate clothing; using safe and appropriate tools; providing for personal needs such as food, water, and insect repellant; following the instructions of property owners/operators and trip leaders; and conducting yourself in a manner that reflects positively on yourself, on SENHMC, and on the hobby in general. Review the AFMS Code of Ethics below. Some of it does not apply to collecting in Maine, but it is ALL good reading.

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AFMS Code of Ethics
American Federation of Mineralogical Societies
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  • I will respect both private and public property and will do no collecting on privately owned land without the owner’s permission.

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

  • I will, to the best of my ability, ascertain the boundary lines of property on which I plan to collect. I will use no firearms or blasting material in collecting areas.

  • I will cause no willful damage to property of any kind (fences, buildings, signs).

  • I will leave all gates as found.

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

  • I will discard no burning material (matches, cigarettes, etc.)

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

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

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

  • I will practice conservation and undertake to utilize fully and well the materials I have collected and will recycle my surplus for the pleasure and benefit of others.

  • 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.

  • I will cooperate with field trip leaders and those in designated authority in all collecting areas.

  • 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 education or scientific purposes.

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

               
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