Hi Folks, I will soon be starting a Yahoo discussion group to lay the groundwork for a new meteorite group. This group will be for collectors, dealers, hunters, scientists, and the curious. The function of this group will be to maintain the scientific and cultural integrity of meteorites, as well as policing the market for frauds and frivolous use of meteoritical material. This group will also co-sponsor classifications for stones and irons belonging to members - and these new classifications will be submitted on a yearly basis to the Meteoritical Society for consideration and publication in the bulletin.
This group will be all-inclusive. All persons with a SPOTLESS record of good business practice and personal ethics are invited to join. The only requirements are that members show the utmost respect to meteorites and the science of meteoritics. This club will also promote science/meteorite outreach at schools, libraries, youth groups, and other places where promising young minds can be introduced to meteoritics. The club will make available, for free, teaching and learning materials for this purpose. This organization is not intended to be a rival or competition for the IMCA - rather, it is meant as an alternative for those who are looking for a fresh perspective on the field and hobby of meteoritics. The Yahoo group I am starting is not going to be the group per-se, the Yahoo group is a temporary place to discuss and lay the groundwork for creating this organization. I want to do this right, so it will take some time - there is no rushing this. Anyone who is interested in discussing this project, please contact me offlist at m...@galactic-stone.com I am open to suggestions, constructive criticisms, and ideas. PS - eventually, all prospective members will undergo a vetting process, which includes a thorough background check of online business practices. Best regards and happy holidays! MikeG ......................................................... Michael Gilmer (Louisiana, USA) Member of the Meteoritical Society. Member of the Bayou Region Stargazers Network. Websites - http://www.galactic-stone.com and http://www.glassthrower.com MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/fine_meteorites_4_sale .......................................................... ______________________________________________ http://www.meteoritecentral.com Meteorite-list mailing list Meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list