Rock Exchange

Before email and social media there were programs called Pen Pals. Kids would be partnered with kids from schools in towns and countries far-and-wide to become Pen Pals. Such letter-exchange programs enabled you to reach beyond your day-to-day experience to fly to distant and exotic lands to broaden your horizons. In 2011, Patricia Egolf of the Gem & Mineral Society of Syracuse, New York, suggested a new spin on this for junior rockhounds, namely, a “Rock Pals” program in conjunction with our AFMS Future Rockhounds of America program.

Kids love the different rocks and fossils to be found across our great nation, but they and their parents can’t necessarily afford to buy them nor to travel widely to collect them. How wonderful it would be, Patricia thought, for juniors in a club to band together to collect local samples to trade with juniors in other clubs across the country. With that goal in mind, Pat helped us establish Rock Pals.

Sadly, Pat passed away in 2012. To honor her memory and spirit, we named this effort the “Patricia Egolf Rock Pals Program.” 

A club gathers 20 local specimens that fit in a flat rate box available from the U.S. Post Office and, after making arrangements with another club, each mails a box to the other with specimens, information, and labels for what’s inside. It’s easy and tons of fun.

1. Check the list of participating clubs.

2. Email the club contact person to make sure they are still active and to exchange mailing addresses.

3. Package your specimens in a flat-rate box.

4. Drop it in the mail. (It is a good idea to send your contact an email that their package is on its way. This will also remind them to return the favor and mail a box to you.)

5. Open your box of new specimens when they arrive!

You can exchange rocks, minerals, fossil, or even lapidary items like tumbled agates. Try to keep it unique to your area and items that a club from another state may not have easy access to. For example, petrified wood can be found in many locations across the states, but each location might be a different species, color, etc. So, two clubs exchanging petrified wood can still end up with cool new specimens.

Some clubs may have 7 kids and other clubs may have more, so to be fair, the suggested number of specimens is 20. If you have a large club, consider multiple trades. Not everyone may get the same type of specimen, but that only adds to the fun and encourages more trading!

Clubs not holding up their end of the trade will be put on the naughty list so before agreeing to a trade, make sure you intend to follow through.

The U.S. Post Office offers a number of Priority Mail small and medium size flat rate boxes starting at $10.20. The great thing about flat rate boxes is no matter how much it weighs, it ships for one price.  If you are shipping 20 pieces of hematite it will cost the same price as 20 pieces of pumice.