The Mountain Area Gem and Mineral Association (or M•A•G•M•A) was formed three years ago by a group of rockhounds near the city of Asheville here in Western North Carolina. The club was started by some experienced individuals who wanted to share their knowledge and expertise with other rockhounds and those just getting started in the hobby. While many clubs have monthly meetings and have much to offer, most conduct maybe one field trip per month. We are a very active club and spend as much time as possible in the field, trips are planned throughout the week every week to various mines in the W.N.C. area, we also conduct overnight trips, some up to several days to numerous collecting sites in the southeast. While all our members cannot attend all the trips, the opportunity is always there for them to participate when possible.

Field experience is the best way for beginning rockhounds to gain firsthand knowledge of the hobby, and for advanced collectors to expand their collections. All our field trips are guided by an experienced collector who will help newcomers with questions and instruct them on how and where to find minerals in the field.

M•A•G•M•A conducts itself in accordance with the rockhounds' code of ethics. Many of our members work hand in hand with the Forest Service here in W.N.C. in order to preserve future collecting on our forest lands. Volunteers are always welcome to help with policing collecting sites, removing trash, reporting violations, i.e., improper digging/collecting practices which violate forest service rules and regulations.

At this time there is no fee to join M•A•G•M•A. I am currently investigating options for obtaining liability insurance for our members, so depending on cost, there may be a membership fee initiated in the future. This would be an annual fee of approximately $10-20 per year, per member. Children of all ages are welcome to join the club with their parents or guardians, there will be no fee for children under 12. Very young children should always be monitored closely while in the field for safety reasons, e.g., in the vicinity of abandoned mine shafts, rock slides, high walls, etc. (See the section on "Safety in the Field" for more information). M•A•G•M•A does not have figureheads such as, President, Field trip Leader, etc. Instead we have club moderators, who work together to plan club meetings, picnics, etc. Field trips are planned as a group at meetings, several collecting sites are discussed, and one or all may be visited that month. Our meetings are informal, usually at a members house or at a nearby park where we bring minerals to show and trade, have cookouts, share collecting stories and plan trips, our meetings usually last 1-3 hours, attendance is not required, but we like to see you there! 8^)

If you feel that you would like to learn more about the club or join the club, you can contact us at:

Rick Jacquot
828.683.1048
rick-at-wncrocks.com

or:

Steve Penley
828.681.0601
Penleysa-at-aol.com

or:

maitri
maitri-at-main.nc.us