.: Club Rules

The Rules are subdivided into two Parts:

Part 1 is General Membership

Part 2 is Field Trips.

Definitions: References to “the Club” or “BLGS” means the Badger Lapidary and Geological Society Inc.; “MWF” is the Midwest Federation; the “Golden Rule” means do unto other’s as you would have them do unto you.; Field Trips are either classified as Collecting Trips or Non-Collecting Trips; Juniors are Junior Members that are under the age of 18; the Club is the BLGS; the Newsletter is the Badger Diggin’s; the website is the badgerrockclub.org ; the Executive Officers are the elected officials in the Club, consisting of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and an Officer at Large; Guests are anyone that is not a Member in good standing;

PART 1: GENERAL MEMBERSHIP RULES

All adult and junior members are to demonstrate appropriate behavior and self control at all times.

Members are not to engage in felonious activities while members of the Club.

Members are to hold harmless, the Club, the Club’s governing body, and any related officers, free of liability for any foreseen, or unforeseen accidents, injuries, or incidents.

If court action is required for any incidents, the loosing party shall reimburse the winning party’s expenses, court costs, and days missed from work.

Members are to conduct themselves with the “Golden Rule” at all times. Membership is a privilege and not a right.

If the Club’s Executive Officer’s wish to revoke a member’s membership, they may do so at any time with a four fifths deciding vote.

Members should follow through with duties that they have volunteered to perform.

Members should refrain from suggesting changes that require more work by others, unless said member is willing to be the first volunteer.

Participate don’t anticipate. It is the intent of the Club that meetings be structured to follow Robert’s Rules of Order.

Members affirm that they currently have, or within 7 days shall have, a basic knowledge of these rules. A good source of reference is: www.robertsrules.org/rulesintro.htm

Members with complaints or resignations are expected to either address them to the applicable chair of the activity, or the Executive Officers in a private fashion.

Members shall show respect regarding each other’s differences and beliefs.

Members are forbid from excluding others, based on race, sex, ethnicity, age, hair color, nose shape, coordination, or lack of rockhounding skills!

The use of curse words, foul gestures, or touching is not permitted unless the affected party(s) accepts these actions before they are performed.

Acts of theft, substance abuse, sexual harassment or violence will not be tolerated and will result in dismissal from the Club and may be reported to law enforcement authorities.

Members affirm that their sole purpose for membership is to have and create a good time for all.

PART 2: FIELDTRIP RULES and CLUB ACTIVITIES

Participating in Club activities & field trips is a privilege not a right. The Field Trip Leader shall not hesitate to dismiss any member from a trip if he or she chooses to not follow the Club’s rules. Acting in a safe manner is ultimately the responsibility of the participants. Field trip participants shall hold the Land Owner, Safety Officers, Trip Leader, Club, Governing Organizations, and all related offices free of liability in the event of personal injury or dismissal. As Field Trip Leaders, we have put our reputations on the line. It has taken a lot of hard work to gain peoples trust and we want to keep it this way. All field trips have been set up in confidentiality. Please do not attempt to set up private trips to previous Club organized locations or pass trip information on to other clubs. Over-collecting, greed and poor behavior is the quickest way to loose the privilege of access to these sites. The Club’s success and strength relies on being a highly organized, safe and insured group that fosters educational specimen collecting for adults and kids. Take pride in your Club and remember future trips are in your hands.

1. All BLGS members in good standing and over the age of 18 are permitted on Field Trips. If minors under the age of 18 are permitted, it will be listed in the field trip press release (itinerary or sign up sheet). Juniors must be supervised by their guardians. Guests are required to become members of the BLGS prior to participating at a field trip in order to fulfill insurance requirements. Club membership can be established with a payment of dues on site.
2. Trip Leaders will make a press release available to the Club during at least one prior monthly meeting, as well as to the Club Website, and to the Newsletter. The press release will include; an itinerary; directions to a public meeting location; items to bring; items we might find (if any); special safety notes; and age limitations imposed by landowners. Collecting site/ owner names and directions shall not show up in print.
3. Trip Leaders will post the trips 1 month prior in the Newsletter. Registration by email, website, or sign up sheet is STRONGLY suggested & may be required in the future.
4. Each trip will have a Trip Leader, which will be responsible for securing, organizing, publicizing, and gifting the landowner of the trip. The Trip Leader will also perform as the Safety Officer for the first 10 people of the trip, and will appoint a separate Safety Officer for every ten people thereafter. Please act responsibly when it is your turn to be a safety officer. The Trip Leader will have the final say in any disputes arising, and participants are obligated to do exactly as the Trip Leader says or writes.
5. The Trip Leader will hold a Safety Meeting prior to any collecting being done on each leg of a trip, which will include site rules & restrictions. That means that when you get out of your car, you (the participant) are required to report DIRECTLY to the Trip Leader for instruction. Then, you can go back to your car for collecting gear.
6. The Safety Officer(s) shall be responsible for enforcing the site specific rules, as set forth by the Trip Leader at all times. This responsibility is to take priority over the Safety Officer’s own collecting ambitions.
7. Members must immediately report any injuries, accidents or incidents to the Safety Officer. Serious injuries beyond first aid must be seen by a physician ASAP.
8. Please be considerate of others by arriving punctually and departing promptly as required by the Trip Leader.

Safe Collecting Rules – Please Collect Responsibly

1. It is each member’s responsibility to procure the required PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and collecting equipment which shall be listed in the field trip description of the press release.
2. Depending on the collecting location and environment, use of hard hats may be mandatory.
3. Boots with ankle support are required on all collecting trips and steel toes may be required.
4. Safety glasses and their use is required on all collecting trips while in proximity to the use of hand tools or where there is a risk of injury to the eyes.
5. Only cold steel chisels, geology picks, mason hammers, or sledge hammers may strike stone.
6. No collecting on vertical walls or under overhangs, or any other dangerous place.
7. No collecting alone. You must have someone within shouting distance at all times.
8. No collecting within 6 feet of a hazardous berm, drop off, or 10 feet of a cliff face.
9. Obey all traffic patterns and owner rules in the quarry.
10. No smoking while collecting; if you smoke please show respect by moving away from other collectors.
11. Use of illegal drugs or alcohol during collecting times is not allowed.

The Rockhound’s 10 Commandments:

1. Thou shall not touch thy neighbor's minerals unless he places them in thy hands.
2. Thou shall not test the strength of crystals by pushing, squeezing or biting.
3. Thou shall not drop thy neighbor's fossils, for many do not bounce properly.
4. Thou shall not place thy neighbor's specimens in thine own pocket.
5. Thou shall not collect at a neighbor’s land unless thy neighbor knowst he’s there.
6. Thou shall not argue names of minerals too violently; for sometimes Thou couldst be wrong.
7. Thou shall not climb above thy neighbor's head when on a field trip, lest Thou art willing to spend the rest of the day digging him out.
8. Thou shall protect thine eyes, hands & feet, so that they mayst enjoy many future field trips.
9. Thou shall not encroach upon thy neighbor's diggin's, lest thy neighbor's hammer be dropped upon thee.
10. Thou shall not break

"The Old Miner's Rule"
:When a Rockhound leaves his tools, equipment, or personal belongings next to a digging spot, that spot is considered to be “Theirs” until they relinquish it by removing said property or by announcing that they are finished digging in that area. Furthermore, specimens or rocks that are cached on or near personal property, are also the property of the Rockhound, and shall not be touched or removed without their expressed permission. And finally, if there is a cache of minerals or rocks that have been placed in a very obvious spot, it is always best to ask around if it has been placed there by anyone else and is their property.

Enforcement of the Rules
Participants not obeying field trip rules and, who are in the opinion of the Trip Leader, presenting a danger to themselves or others will be asked to leave the site immediately. Safety Officers are to escort all offenders directly to the Trip Leader. A second similar offense by the same person within the collecting year shall result in a one year suspension of BLGS collecting trip privileges. Returning offenders are to be considered probationary. Any additional offenses will result in permanent exclusion from all BLGS trips and Club membership shall be terminated. Records of offenders are to be maintained by the BLGS Field Trip Chair. The Field Trip Chair will enforce any BLGS actions by refusing to register multiple offenders on future trips. Persons who achieve "multiple offender" status will be reported to the Midwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies, or other governing organizations.

Membership Documentation
Please consider this BLGS Membership Application as a contract and that by signing below you affirm that you have read and understand all rules and requirements in this application, and will comply with these policies. Upon signing, and paying your annual dues, you will now be considered a member in good standing of the Badger Lapidary and Geological Society Inc. Please ask any questions before signing and keep a copy of the Membership Application for your records. A copy of the BLGS Club By-Laws is available by request from any Club Officer. Page 5 is a duplicate of page 4 for our Meeting times are 10:00am on the second Saturday of the months Sep-June on the second floor meeting room of the Monroe Public Library (925 16th Ave. Monroe, WI), with a special meeting location for the December Party and the June Picnic. Dues are $10 for a single person, or $15 for a family membership. They are not prorated, and they are due upon becoming a member and expire in December, in which you may choose to renew at that time. Field trips generally occur on the 4th weekend of every month in the year, and on the 2nd weekend of the months in July and August, thus creating an overall schedule of club events every other weekend throughout the year, excluding holiday weekends. Our official club website is badgerrockclub.org and is open for active participation. Our club official newsletter is the “Badger Diggin’s” and is distributed before each meeting. Welcome to the Club!

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