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Colorado
Mineral Society’s Junior Rockhounds Program
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Plan:
The
CMS Junior Rockhounds Program will continue to be guided by Dr.
Lewis Reynolds over the next three years. This is not a required
activity for any of our junior participants. Instead, it offers
a more structured learning experience and the opportunity to earn
achievement badges for those juniors who are especially motivated
by such a program. For all the junior participants, we will introduce
and discuss one of the topics in the Future Rockhounds of America
program during each regular CMS meeting. Interested junior participants
may complete the remaining achievement badge requirements at home
and then bring evidence of task accomplishment to the new Coordinator,
Dr. Lewis Reynolds, for final approval and transmission to the
AFMS Juniors Program chair.
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The following table
presents our planned schedule for the next three years. The Future
Rockhounds of America Program currently offers 20 badges. We will
introduce 18 of the badge topics at the regular meetings, doing
six per year. (If a CMS regular meeting is cancelled for some reason,
the Junior Rockhounds Program will also be cancelled that month.)
Two additional badges or topics may be pursued by interested participants:
Communication and Leadership.
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Junior Participation:
The Future Rockhounds of America program is open to juniors under
the age of 18. Although no minimum age has been established, the
Coordinator would like to make the following suggestions. We would
like the junior participants to be excited about these topics and
to look forward to attending the meetings. A participant may have
the maturity to begin when she or he can sit rather quietly, listen,
respond to questions, ask questions, and interact with others respectfully
for about 30 minutes. A participant may be more comfortable completing
badge requirements when she or he has begun to read happily. The
Coordinator’s two sons began the journey as lifelong-readers
as they completed second grade. Younger participants will need more
guidance and involvement from their parents or guardians than more
mature participants. For each participant, we want to utilize the
program for her or his greatest benefit. |
The Optional Badge
Program:
Participants and their parents or guardians may view the Future
Rockhounds of America Badge Program online at http://www.amfed.org/fra/fra_badge.htm.
The badge manual contains the signature pages and good background
resources for each badge. (Please let CMS know if computer access
to this document is not available at home or a nearby public library.)
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Our Needs:
The Junior Rockhounds Program is soliciting help from members
of the Colorado Mineral Society for this venture to be successful.
First, we would like a second parent, guardian, or member to help
supervise each meeting. It is very helpful to have two adults
present when working with children to ensure appropriate discipline
and accountability. Happily, this is an opportunity for an interested
adult to enjoy the “rock talk” while the normal club
business is conducted nearby!
Please contact CMS at the below email link if you are interested
in helping in any of these areas: showmanship, gold panning &
prospecting, lapidary arts, and micromounting.
We are looking forward
to fun Junior Rockhounds Programs in the coming years and to investigating
inspiring topics!
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