EFMLS Affiliates that want to participate in EFTA, must meet all the requirements below:
- Your Society must fill out and email aN EFTA membership application form to the EFTA Coordinator at . The membership application form is available for download by clicking here and is also available on the main EFTA page
- Your Society must be a fully paid and be an active member of the EFMLS. Only Societies in the EFMLS may participate in the EFTA Field Trip Sharing Program.
- Your Society must be covered by field trip liability insurance for the current year. EFTA member society must continue insurance coverage every year to remain in EFTA.
- TWO or more e-mail addresses must be provided to coordinate the set-up and distribution of field trip information to the EFTA Coordinator. Because all EFTA communications are via email, multiple email contacts are important to ensure the Society receives those communications including field trip notices, trip cancellation information, rule changes, etc.
- Your Society’s Board of Directors must agree in their official meeting minutes to host a rock, mineral, fossil or designated field trip to a location that can accommodate at least one member per EFTA member Society. The Society as a whole must commit to the responsibilities of being a member of the EFTA program.
- Your Society must agree to provide EFTA Field Trip Committee with a specific, non-conflicting, future month in which it will host its EFTA field trip. The EFTA Coordinator will provide an initial range or list of months from which the society must choose. Subsequent hosting month/year is determined in EFTA membership renewal.
- When choosing a collecting location for hosting a trip, the Society must agree to abide by the EFTA field trip rules detailed in the membership application form.
- If possible, the Society should provide members to act as guides at its hosted field trip. These members should be familiar with the collecting location and should stand ready to identify specimens and to direct field trip attendees to more productive areas.
- Your Society must agree to provide the EFTA Coordinator with a completed field trip form for its EFTA trip. Field trip rules and trip submission rules detailed in the membership application form. They are also available on the main EFTA page here
- EFTA field trips can be published as an “official” field trip for the Society’s own members only. A Society must not invite members of the public, Societies that are not members of the EFMLS, or EFMLS member Societies that are not covered by field trip liability insurance. Only Societies that are members of the EFTA may attend EFTA field trips. If a Society is not a member of the EFTA but their members attend a EFTA trip, they are not contributing to the program by hosting a trip, but they are receiving the benefits of the program. That is not fair to the EFTA member Societies who work hard to provide great trips. EFTA trip leaders may use their discretion to invite individual members of an EFMLS society that is covered by field trip liability insurance and is not a member of the EFTA, but not the entire Society.
Membership Renewal
- Renewal is due upon completion of the Society’s hosted trip. A hosting reminder with the latest month/year the society can choose will be sent at least one month before the society’s hosting month.
- Hosting month/year must be a non-conflicting, open month/year i.e. only one EFTA trip is allowed per month. Exceptions may be granted depending upon individual circumstances.
- The Society must choose an open month from the next available month through the latest month provided by EFTA Coordinator. Details for calculating the month range are in the membership application form and are based on the number of EFTA member societies at the time of renewal.
- Any Affiliate Member Society that has not renewed within six (6) months of completing their hosted trip will be suspended from attending EFTA field trips and will not receive EFTA field trip notifications until it renews.
- Any member Society that has not renewed within twelve (12) months of completing its hosted trip will be dropped from EFTA membership. The Society will not receive EFTA field trip notifications and cannot attend EFTA field trips. The dropped society cannot re-apply for membership in the EFTA field trip sharing program for at least 1 year after being dropped. After 1 year, the Society may submit a membership application and must meet all current EFTA membership requirements to rejoin.