Welcome to our website. We hope that your visit will inform you about who we are, what we are about and why we exist. If you are a member we hope that you'll find the information on the site beneficial.

Gems and minerals have always been very important to man. The use of minerals changed man from the basic hunter to what we are today. Gem were used for ornamentation of the person and for their magical and medicinal value. The Egyptians became masters in the art of shaping gems thousands of years ago. During the 19th century the sons of the rich went on the "Grand tour" throughout Europe. During their travels they collected paintings, furniture and gems. The word "Lapidarist" came into being during that period. The word means "a connoisseur of gems and precious stones and the art of cutting and mounting them".

On the early explorations of the Canadian West by the Geological Survey of Canada a "Lapidarist" was always part of the team. The Government of the day wanted to know what was out there in addition to farmland. Deposits of minerals, gems and paleontological site were deemed to be very valuable.

The collecting of gems and fossils was the purvey of the well to do. The only time everyone got involved was whenever someone discovered gold, then gold fever and dreams of instant fortunes blew common sense and everything else out the window.

During the early part of the 20th century the ordinary citizen began collecting as a hobby. The individuals involved worked and collected by themselves. However in the mid to late 1930s groups of collectors started forming clubs. We know that in 1937 a club was formed in Calgary, Alberta, and there were probably others in Canada. Our neighbours to the south formed regional societies as early as 1938.

During the 1950s rockhounding as a hobby grew tremendously and organized clubs were started right across Canada. By the 1960s Provincial Federations had been formed in many provinces. In 1969, 52 delegates from all ten Provinces gathered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to form a Canadian Federation. The move was hailed as a long overdue step and one that would give new impetus to the hobby. Unfortunately, the group lasted only for one year.

In 1974 another meeting was held in Winnipeg, Manitoba by a group of rockhounds. This group of rockhounds believed that if all the clubs in Canada joined together in one national organization, that organization could speak on behalf of all rockhounds in Canada and perhaps have an influence on legislation passed to govern the collection of rocks, minerals etc. particularly, regulations that have no purpose or benefit for anyone. Professional paleontologists and archeologists tend to believe that amateur collectors do more harm than good. Many believe that access to collecting sites should be restricted to professionals only and they have generally supported legislation that limit collecting. The group meeting in Winnipeg in 1974 felt that the amateurs needed a voice that legislators would listen to.

In 1977 the founding meeting of the Gem & Mineral Federation of Canada was held in Calgary, AB. The convention adopted a set of objectives for this new organization. .

The objectives were approved by Consumer and Corporate Affairs Canada by Supplementary Letters Patent dated October 25th 1977, recorded December 15th 1977, Film 424, Document 234. These same objectives are still in force, in 2001 some modifications were made as a result of the work done during the first 25 years. The modifications will be voted on at the 2003 Annual General Meeting of the GMFC. Once that is done the Consumer and Corporate Affairs Canada will approve the modified objectives.

According to the GMFC By-Laws there shall be no more than 35 Directors elected to the Board by the membership. The number of Directors that can be elected by each Provincial Federation, is set by the Board of directors. In Provinces where there are no Provincial Federation members, the President of each member Club is automatically a Director.

At the Annual General Meeting of the GMFC an executive is elected from the Board of Directors to govern for the coming year.. Elected are a President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, 3rd Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary.

In addition to the Annual General Meeting, the Directors are also expected to attend two teleconferences during the year. One in the Fall and one in the Spring. The GMFC has accomplished many things since it was formed back in 1977. We have not met all the objectives yet but we are very proud of what we have accomplished. The G.M.F.C. has developed " The GMFC Uniform Rules for Competitive Displays" at Canadian shows This was a major undertaking when first done, the rules where then gradually amended to fit our needs. There was a major rewrite and updating in 2002. Prior to the GMFC coming out, clubs used a variety of different rules.

The GMFC provides third party liability insurance to all members participating in Provincial Federations or local Club sponsored events. Extra insurance is available to clubs, at a nominal fee, for special events such as shows.

The G.M.F.C. has developed excellent field guides for members' use. These are a must for members going out into the wilderness and are available at a nominal cost. They fit easily into a car's glove compartment or a small backpack. All these booklets will be available on this website. The G.M.F.C. has developed a Show Manual to assist member Clubs in organizing shows. Many a Show Chairperson has told us that this manual is a must, especially for a novice Show Chairperson. The G.M.F.C. has developed a Handbook to assist members in understanding and adhering to government regulations in the various provinces. As each province has it's own set of regulations as to where you can hunt for what, this handbook attempts to explain the rules or where you should go for detailed information. This book (on sale at our shows and from the G.M.F.C. Directors,) does not yet cover all provinces. As information becomes available it will be added to the book. This book is also on our website. The G.M.F.C. has developed resource material to assist member clubs in informing their members about the various aspects of the hobby. This material consist of slides with audio text, videos, books and lists of publications. The material is available to member clubs. There is also resource material designed for programs at club meetings, it consists of slides with audio text, videos, books and lists of publications. The clubs pay only for the cost of mailing, however a deposit is required to ensure a speedy return of the resource material. The Alberta Federation of Rock Clubs is the custodian of this material. For information contact John Dowler <jdowler@memlane.com>.

The G.M.F.C. has also developed a "Classroom Presentation" kit to assist members to prepare presentations to school children and youth groups. Each kit contains a binder with suggestions as well as twenty mineral specimens. Kits have been distributed to each provincial Federation. Since it's formation the G.M.F.C. has been collecting memorial donations in a special account. In 1987 a committee was formed to establish a scholarship fund with Tax exemption status. In 1993 the G.M.F.C. Scholarship Foundation Inc. was incorporated and operational.

At the 1994 Annual General Meeting, it was announced that a Graduate Scholarship of $1.000.00 would be awarded to a student in the Earth Sciences. Each member club is encouraged to nominate a candidate for The Honourary Scholarship Award every year. The candidate must be a club member who has performed outstanding service to the Earth Sciences through his/her work for the hobby. The winner has the honour of selecting the university where the scholarship will be awarded in his/her name. Every year since 1994 we have awarded a $1.000.00 Graduate Scholarship at a Canadian University in the name of a deserving rockhound. In 1998, the Scholarship Foundation awarded the first undergraduate scholarship of $500.00 to a first year student. To qualify, the student must be the child or grandchild of a GMFC member who has been a member in good standing for at least five years. If the parent or grandparent is deceased, he/she must, have been a member for five years prior to death. Only interest earned on the donations can be paid out as scholarships. In 1999, two $500.00 undergraduate scholarships and one $1.000.00 graduate scholarship will be awarded.

Our Newsletter is produced by our editor Ken Dewerson in Kelowna, B.C. The Fall 2002 issue will be the last one mailed to all clubs. It will now be available on this website. As well, all past issues can also be found here. Some hard copies will still be sent out.

TOMORROW.

Where are we heading and what do we hope to accomplish? This is the direction we hope to go in. We feel that the following is true.

The G.M.F.C. SHARES
The G.M.F.C. EQUIPS
The G.M.F.C. CARES

We will continue to share our enthusiasm for the hobby and all the joy it brings to the participants, with all our fellow rockhounds and potential rockhounds. We will also continue to share our knowledge and experience with our fellow hobbyist.

We will equip our fellow federations and clubs with all the educational material we have available, to assist them to conduct meetings, to conduct safe and interesting field trips, to organize successful shows. As well as setting up programs for children both in their own club and in their community. And assist them with their communication to their members, by conducting programs for club newsletter editors. The G.M.F.C. will give financial assistance to clubs for special projects designed to enhance the hobby. This may be in the form of loans or direct grants.

We care about the environment and feel that all our members should, especially on field trips, respect the rights of property owners. Leave an area looking as good, if not better, than we found it, take only what we need for our own enjoyment and remember we are hobbyists not strip miners.

We care enough to have made sure that our collecting trip is legal. We care enough to report new archeological and paleontological sites to the appropriate authorities, so that the study of Earth Sciences will benefit.

We will, of course, carry on with maintaining the objectives laid down for us by the Founding Convention in Calgary in '77. It's our hope that you will continue to support the G.M.F.C. and the Scholarship Foundation.

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