PRACTICAL RULES FOR THE SHORE SEEKERS

Now that you're a member of the Shore Seekers Artifact and Recovery Club, you may have asked yourself if there are any rules or regulations you have to know about. The answer is YES! When our group was formed over 25 years ago, we took our basic rules from those used by the Lion's Club.  These include such things as the officers' titles and duties, commitment to meet once a month, and so on. As time went on and the club membership grew larger, it became apparent that we needed to add other rules more specific to our group and to metal detecting in general. In the interest of club knowledge and unity, both of these types of rules are listed below.

Membership dues are $25 per year plus an optional $5 yearly FMDAC fee. (The FMDAC is the Federation of Metal Detector and Archaeological Clubs. It is a an umbrella group of like-minded organizations which hosts a yearly convention and offers advice on national detecting-related issues.)

Membership applies to all members of a common mailing address.

There are no pro-rated dues: membership runs from January 1 to December 31.

Even though we are a fairly informal group, we do have a structure which we're based upon. We have four officers - President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary, aka the Official Board. These titles have specific duties attached to them and they are as follows:

                President: main officer of the club, presides at meetings, appoints committees, enforces club rules. authorizes official documents

                Vice President: acts on the President's behalf and fills in when the President is unavailable

                Treasurer: handles the club finances, collects dues, pays bills

                Secretary: maintains club membership list, takes minutes at meetings, handles correspondence

The term of office for any of these positions is one year. Elections are held every January.

All club expenditures must be approved by the Official Board. Don't assume that those Civil War relics you think would make good prizes for our annual hunt WILL be prizes for the annual hunt. Seek authorization before you make purchases on the club's behalf or you might be left holding the bag.

No alcohol is allowed at club meetings or hunts. An exception MAY be made at the annual Christmas Party if the event is held at a location where such beverages can be served legally.

*Prospective members MUST attend at least three meetings before being allowed on a club hunt. (There is an asterisk next to this one because we realize that there can be certain exceptions; i.e., if a person lives in Pennsylvania, it's not always possible to make the meeting. In such cases, if a member in good standing vouches for the individual, that's usually good enough. Exceptions are at the discretion of the officers.)

No clad coins may be entered in the Oldest Identifiable Coin category of Finds of the Month - only those dating from before 1964 are allowed.

Members may enter ONE item per category during Finds of the Month. Similarly, members can only vote for one item per category during this contest.

Please show respect to your fellow members during the meeting and keep any non-meeting related conversation to a minimum. If you have to make or receive phone calls or need to talk to someone, please excuse yourself and step outside or wait until the official meeting is over.

Hunts are usually scheduled for the Saturday following the club meeting but may be postponed due to weather, holiday or other reason. Any rescheduling is at the discretion of the Huntmaster.

Well-behaved children are welcome at club hunts. It will be the responsibility of the parent/guardian to ensure the child's safety and to make sure that they don't interfere with other members' rights to enjoy the hobby. In such cases, children will also be subject to all rules that club members are expected to abide by.

In the desire to foster an interest in the hobby of metal detecting in the younger generation, children aged 13 and under NOT residing with a club member, i.e., a grandchild or other relative, may attend club hunts for the nominal fee of $5. The guardian must sign a waiver releasing the club from responsibility for any injuries or damage to property the child may suffer while on such an outing. 

Sometimes the property owner has certain restrictions in allowing the club to hunt on his or her property. Any such limits will be expressly stated BEFORE the hunt starts.

Only small shovels or digging tools with blades no wider than 3 inches are allowed at house sites.  Larger shovels are appropriate for fields.

Members do not have to eat at the restaurant suggested by the Huntmaster. However, there can be NO detecting until he is back on-site.

In the event that some members know of the hunt location and plan to arrive separately from the rest of the group, there is to be NO trespassing or parking on the property until the Huntmaster arrives UNLESS the owner has granted express permission. 

The Huntmaster ALWAYS obtains permission from the landowner (and farmer, if applicable) for club hunt sites. Permission applies only to the club for that particular hunt. No one is allowed back on club hunt sites unless you are the one who got the original permission and only if your permission is on-going. You may not wander onto someone else's property just because you think "the grass is greener."

Members are not allowed to detect in cemeteries that might be found on club hunt sites. Please keep at least a 20-foot distance from the graves. If you would like to take a closer look at the stones, please leave your detector outside the graveyard out of respect.

Members are not allowed in any animal pens or enclosures on club hunt sites, no matter if the animal is currently there or not. 

Members are not allowed in any barns, sheds, old houses, wells or any other structures on club hunt sites.

Members MUST fill all holes neatly and completely and step down firmly on the dirt. Trash MUST be removed and disposed of in a proper manner. NEVER leave trash on top of a hole. Removal of trash from the site not only helps the landowner but also helps us to find deeper goodies which might have been masked by the trash. Leaving a property in a condition as good or better as the one it was in before we arrived only serves to enhance the club's reputation and might help in securing additional hunt sites.

Repeated violations of any of these rules may lead to a member's removal from the club. Though this is a drastic measure and one which should be considered only as a last resort, it may occasionally be necessary for the good of all. If you notice a member ignoring any of these rules, especially the one concerning holes at club hunt sites, please notify an officer. That officer will confront the offender and issue a verbal warning. The next violation will result in a written warning signed by all officers. If necessary, this will be followed by a one-month ban from the club hunt, a three-month ban, then dismissal from the club. The club is only as strong as its weakest member and if there is a continued and willful disregard of rules which everyone else has no problem abiding by, the organization will be better for the removal of that member.

These rules have been established for the benefit of everyone and are not meant as "encumbrances." Rather they should be viewed as a way to ensure that we can still remain together as a group whose primary interest is in having a good time while sharing a common interest. Now that you've read and digested these basic rules, get out there in the field and HAVE FUN! 

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