Tips For Starting A Paleontology Society Club

[Grimboots]

With any luck in a year I will be able to do a new post on how to do this the right way. I am fairly new to this forum, and fossils in general but have also had a fascination with paleontology. With that said I apologize if this post has been done already and would appreciate being pointed in the right direction.

I am from central Jersey near the shore and working towards my degree so that I may become an Earth Science teacher and plan to continue so I can teach geology at a university. For now, I am a novice nut a movie with a passion.

I have become really interesting in starting a society or club of some sorts and while I do not have most of the details worked out I would love to hear from anyone with some tips or ideas who have had either similar thoughts or are in a society like the one I speak of. Additionally I'd love to hear from anyone in New Jersey who may have an interested in being a part of this.

Thank you for your time and opinions.

[calhounensis]

Good luck with your endeavor, I would contact a lawyer and accountant if you know one. You need to decide if you will be a for-profit or not-for-profit organization. I think the two are taxed differently. A quick Google search should turn up some clubs or societies in your area. If the presidents of those clubs are willing to volunteer their time and knowledge to you, they would be an invaluable resource. I think the most important thing that new members look for is field trips. Everyone wants access to quarries and mines that only clubs get access to. You'll need to start relationships with the owners of these places, most are worried about liability and don't allow large groups in. Of course field trips don't have to be in exclusive areas, there are surely some sites open to the public near you. Become an expert on these localities, you can share the knowledge with new members when you're out on a hunt. Do you plan on having semi-annual, annual, or monthly meetings? These meetings are a good place to bring in guest speakers, meet members, share finds, and hold auctions to benefit the organization. Again if you hold auctions, that's something that would fall under profit, talk to a lawyer about it. Many clubs also sponsor college students with scholarships or give out awards to members who are especially helpful to the club or have contributed greatly to Paleontology. My best advice is to make a business plan and know exactly what you want your club to portray to new members.

[Auspex]

... My best advice is to make a business plan and know exactly what you want your club to portray to new members.

Yes; If you don't know where you're going, you could end up someplace else! Get a highly motivated core group together to determine the structure and features that will attract and keep members. It takes commitment, time, and effort to get past the go/no-go active member count and be a self-sustaining entity. I applaud all such efforts!

[Grimboots]

I appreciate the quick feedback guys. I will most likely catalogue this adventure as I go through the process so that I can share my experiences with anyone interested. You make some great points about a business plan and becoming more familiar with areas with which we can conduct field trips. The idea of guest speakers and auctions are great, and I do know a few lawyers whos brains I can pick.