Membership

• Who should join
• How to join
• Benefits of membership
• Membership rates
• Sustaining Membership
• Membership categories

WHO SHOULD JOIN

Membership is open to all with a serious interest in the Mineral Sciences. The Society particularly encourages students to join and offers free membership for one year to all students. Download an application form here or join online here. All applications for membership are considered at one of the three annual meetings of Council. These are held in March, June and  November. Membership requires the approval of council. Applications received after the June meeting of Council, are considered at the November meeting of Council, and membership will usually commence on 1st  January of the following year, unless the new members wishes to receive publications for the current year.

Membership options are flexible. Members and Student Members can join for a basic fee, for which they will receive the bimonthly membership magazine Elements.  In addition, they may opt to subscribe one or more of the Society's three journals, in paper or electronic only format.

HOW TO JOIN

Complete an application form, and send it to the Executive Director, Mineralogical Society, 12 Baylis Mews, Amyand Park Road, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW1 3HQ remembering to enclose your first subscription cheque, credit card details or direct debit form. If you do not know the names of any other Society members who can complete a 'declaration of proposers', please send your application form to the Society office in any case, and we will obtain the necessary signatures on your behalf.

You can download an application form and a direct debit form here as pdf files or you can sign up online here

BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP

• Opportunities to meet and work with others in your field
• Subsidized rates for student members
• Society journals available at marginal cost to all members
• Elements international magazine of mineralogy, geochemistry and petrology six times a year
• Discount on all Society books and monographs
• Reduced subscription rates to other related journals
• Free or discounted registration fees to Society and other conferences

MEMBERSHIP RATES

The membership rates for 2010 are as follows:

• Fellow/member: £33
• Student (first year): free
• Student: (subsequent years): £10
• Membership includes a complimentary subscription to Elements (both paper and online), the internationally renowned multi-Society magazine.
• Print copy of Mineralogical Magazine (includes online access): £33
• Print copy of Clay Minerals (includes online access): £33
• Print copy of both journals (includes online access): £56
• Online only access to both journals: £20

SUSTAINING MEMBERSHIP

A sustaining membership fund for the Mineralogical Society has been established. It will be used for a number of specific purposes:

• Paying for an extended range of student bursaries
• Paying for free student memberships (for year 1 of their membership)
• Subsidising student membership dues in subsequent years.

 Our student members are very important to us and to the future of the Society and the subject. We seek to support them in every way possible.

 Each year, 10% of the monies raised will be spent on these items, with 90% being invested so that the fund could grow and eventually become self-sustaining.

 Individual donors’ names will be listed on a dedicated page on the Society website.

 Members will be invited to make a contribution at the time when they pay their annual subscriptions.

MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES

General

The Society currently has three categories of membership which are Member, Student and Fellow, plus two elected honorary fellowship categories and Emeritus Fellowship which is in the gift of Council. The membership for many years has been of predominantly academic members. In fact probably 95% of members are from academic institutions. Overall ~97% of members have a BSc or higher qualification with a staggering 73% qualified at PhD level.

Members

Bye-Law 4 states that, "Every candidate (except students) for Membership shall be proposed by two Fellows or Members, one at least of whom shall have personal knowledge of the candidate. " Candidates are asked to list their qualifications on the application form. So, in practice, new candidates are effectively peer reviewed by their colleagues who sign the form, and by the Trustees of the Society (the Council) who view and approve the application forms of all new members at Council Meetings.

Student Members

Students are welcome to join and will receive generously subsidized benefits.

Fellows

The F.Min.Soc. designation denotes the senior members of the Society. Bye-Law 5 states that, "Members may choose to become ‘Fellows’ if they have the necessary qualifications to be given chartered status in terms defined by the Science Council (UK). Candidates for fellowship agree to abide by the Society's Code of Conduct, must provide evidence of graduate status, and have appropriate professional experience and continuing professional development and must be supported by two sponsors who are Fellows of the Society or have the equivalent of chartered status chartered status. This is the Society's senior professional membership category, and those elected to Fellowship may use the abbreviation ‘F.Min.Soc’". There are no formal checks at this stage. As a relatively small society, most active members are known to staff, officers, Councillors (Trustees) and/or Departmental Representatives. This category of membership was set up in 1998.

Honorary Fellows

This is the Society’s way of honouring eminent overseas scientists in our field. Up to 20 Honorary Fellows are elected by the Society’s council. These are lifetime appointments.

Honorary Life Fellows

Up to 10 members of the Society may be elected Honorary Life Fellows in recognition of their exceptional contribution to the furtherance of the aims of the Society. Presently there are three Honorary Life Fellows. This category of membership was introduced in 1993.

Emeritus Fellows

It will be in the gift of Council to decide whether a member should be granted Emeritus Fellowship. The member in question must have belonged to the Society for a period of no less than 25 years to qualify. Emeritus Fellows will not be eligible for election to the Council but would be entitled to vote in regular elections and at AGMs. Emeritus Fellows will be invited to make contributions to Society activities each year, e.g. the bursary fund.