Juniors Volunteer Award
A teen Junior helps man a Children's Activity Table at his club's annual Rock Show , Image credit: Joan Stoker
(See more about this image below)
Juniors can volunteer too!
In fact, some of them will become the lifeblood of your club in a few years. The Future Rockhounds Juniors Volunteer Award is meant to start them out well!
Chances are you have teens and pre-teens who help set up and take down at meetings, assist adults at Rock Shows and sales, maybe even help teach the younger kids.
Whether it's working at the show, filling grab bags, or making cookies for the next Club Big Event, they deserve recognition. This award process requires real work, provides real acknowledgement, and gives older Juniors pride as they mature into members giving real service.
Let's Give a Round of Applause
to the Volunteers of 2023-2024!
Micaden Steele - Lubbock Gem & Mineral Society, TX
Emmer Walls - Santa Lucia Rock Club, CA
Brandt Walls - Santa Lucia Rock Club, CA
Garet VandenBos - Indian Mounds Rock & Mineral Club, MI
Alex Murphy - Hellgate Gem & Mineral Society, MT
Gabe Murphy - Hellgate Gem & Mineral Society, MT
Rylee Jones - Ventura Gem and Mineral Society, CA
Elyssa Jones - Venture Gem and Mineral Society, CA
Mathew VandenBos - Indian Mounds Rock & Mineral Club, MI
Eli Lorenz - Indian Mounds Rock & Mineral Club, MI
Caleb Kaiser - Indian Mounds Rock & Mineral Club, MI
Ezra Armas - North Mississippi Gem and Mineral Society, MS
Sophie Gunther - North Mississippi Gem and Mineral Society, MS
Sydney Thornton - North Mississippi Gem and Mineral Society, MS
Amelia Thorton - North Mississippi Gem and Mineral Society, MS
Note: This is not recognition for past service. It is a long-term incentive for any Junior member of your club, age 10 -17 to begin serving their club, and to record their own volunteer hours starting now.
The pin is earned by the Junior contributing 20 hours of volunteer work for their home rock club, keeping their own record on the official form, with leader encouragement and oversight. (Hours before Jan 1, 2022 are not acceptable. See below)
Juniors Volunteer Award: The Priorities
To be counted for this purpose, on this sheet, the Junior’s work must be
Truly Voluntary – services offered by the Junior, or at least…
Truly Cheerful – not requiring, or done with, parental bribes or coercion
Truly Useful – something of real benefit to the Club, not busywork to earn the pin
This award is not retroactive.
It is intended to get Juniors involved now, currently, as valued members of their local club.
Begin counting hours at the point your record sheets are distributed.
No hours will be accepted before 1/1/22, when this initiative was launched.
Juniors Volunteer Award: The Process
Leaders: Spread the word and distribute the Volunteer Award rules and the Junior's own tracking sheet.
This award is not meant to be retroactive. Count only time volunteered after record sheets are started.
Emphasize that each Junior needs to track his/her own hours, and let the Juniors Leader (or other adult member overseeing this process) know when they do.
The Junior's record sheet is the official form which the Leader will need to submit to youth@amfed.org.
Please maintain the integrity of this program by ensuring the priorities are met. (An additional tracking sheet for the leader is available, but it is not necessary as long as the Junior's own records are accurate. If you prefer an Excel spreadsheet record, request it from youth@amfed.org ).
When a Junior has achieved the 20 hours, the leader sends the following information to youth@amfed.org:
Club name, location, and regional affiliation
Name and mailing address of the Junior Leader or adult club member responsible for the program
Volunteer hour record sheet with the Junior's name and birthdate, and date hours were completed
The current AFMS Juniors Chairperson will send you the Juniors Volunteer Award pin!
Juniors Volunteer Award: The Pin
The Award is a Pin. But more than that, it is a milestone, marking a junior's status as a member who can be relied on to take responsibility and care about others beyond himself. Present this award in your home Club, with senior members applause and appreciation. Encourage the recipient to wear the pin to each meeting to motivate both junior and senior club members to serve likewise.
This 20 hours is meant to be a beginning, not an end. From that point, it is hoped that serving the Rock Club alongside the adult members has become a habit, done for the joy of serving rather than for further recognition.
We Proudly Recognize the Following Individuals
2022
Jacob Fitch - Hellgate Mineral Society, MT
Josiah Fitch - Hellgate Mineral Society, MT
Elisheba Fitch - Hellgate Mineral Society, MT
Ian Kirk - Tulsa Rock & Mineral Society, OK
Lucia Hetrick - Ventura Gem and Mineral Society, CA
Cade Peters - Indian Mounds Rock &Mineral Club, MI
2023
Rylee Jones - Ventura Gem and Mineral Society, CA
Elyssa Jones - Venture Gem and Mineral Society, CA
Mathew VandenBos - Indian Mounds Rock & Mineral Club, MI
Eli Lorenz - Indian Mounds Rock & Mineral Club, MI
Caleb Kaiser - Indian Mounds Rock & Mineral Club, MI
Ezra Armas - North Mississippi Gem and Mineral Society, MS
Sophie Gunther - North Mississippi Gem and Mineral Society, MS
Sydney Thornton - North Mississippi Gem and Mineral Society, MS
Amelia Thorton - North Mississippi Gem and Mineral Society, MS
2024
Gordon Brain - Tulsa Rock and Mineral Society, OK
This program was designed by Joan Stoker from Indian Mounds Rock and Mineral Club in Michigan for use in her juniors club. This is an excellent example of a program that worked so well at the local level that we wanted to share it with clubs throughout the AFMS and give all juniors a chance to show what they are capable of accomplishing. Please let us know if you have a program you want to share with other clubs. We will post it on the Club News page.
AFMS Junior Volunteer Award official form.pdfAward Guidelines & Juniors record form
This document is meant to be given to the junior and parents. It explains the guidelines for the award. The personal record chart to be kept by the Junior is on page 2.
Click on the upper right corner of the document to enlarge it to view. You will also be able to print or download it from your viewscreen. Or you can click the blue button below for the pdf version.
AFMS Future Rockhounds of America just finished designing our own unique pin for this award!
Happy Volunteering!
About the image on this page
Many rock clubs are stretched thin when it comes to the peoplepower needed to put on the big events. This club runs an educational "Eggbox Collection" activity for close to 1,ooo children during the 3 full days of their annual show. In the months previous to the show, over 20,000 specimens are collected and prepared for this. Adult and Junior volunteers make it happen.
Image Credit: Joan Stoker