Eastern Field Trip Alliance

E. F. T. A.  RULES   

EASTERN FIELD TRIP ALLIANCE

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BI-LAWS

EFTA- the EastERN Field Trip Alliance

Below are the guidelines approved at this year's EFTA annual meeting and which will be considered the operating principles for the organization. We welcome all clubs in the region to join us as members of EFTA. We have lots of fun and fellowship as well as finding lots of great specimens.

EFTA's  Mission Statement

" To promote the study of the Earth Sciences in the field by facilitating safe field trip opportunities for the rockhound community"

Requirements for EFTA Membership by Clubs

1. Club must be 100% EFMLS insured.  

2. Club must host a minimum of 3 field trips available to the general EFTA  membership within each calendar year.

3. Clubs may collect participation fees for field trips on a fair and equitable basis. EFTA members are not to be penalized for not being members of the host club.

4. The host club reserves the right to give preferential treatment to its own members for participation in trips with limited enrollment. Non host club member participants will be allowed on a first come/first served basis or similar fair arrangement determined by the host club.

How to Attend EFTA Field Trips

All field trips on the EFTA update list are open to members of any of the EFTA clubs unless specified otherwise.  To book a place on a trip a club member must make the request through his home club EFTA representative (usually the Field Trip Chairman). The EFTA representative contacts the EFTA representative from the Host Club and makes the arrangements at least 2 weeks prior to the trip. No individual members are to contact the EFTA representatives of other clubs. EFTA representatives vouch for the eligibility of the persons they refer to other clubs' field trips.

NEFTA Safety Rules

1. The Host Club safety person has the final word on all safety issues on a given trip.

2. EFTA trip participants must sign both a sign in sheet and waiver of liability statement at the beginning of each trip.

3. EFTA trip participants must present their home club ID card and proof of EFMLS insurance at the start of each trip. Personal identification should be available upon request.

4. Field trip participants must wear safety equipment appropriate to site. This usually requires hard shoes, hard hats and eye protection.

5. Illegal drugs and alcoholic beverages are prohibited on field trips.

6. Field trip participants will only enter sites with the group as directed and will leave promptly when told to do so.

Policy for Problem Cases

 Persons not obeying field trip rules and who are in the opinion of the safety person of the day presenting a danger to themselves or others will be required to leave the site immediately. These incidents are to be reported as stated below.

 A second offense by the same person within the collecting year will result in an additional 1 calendar year suspension of EFTA collecting trip privileges.

Returning offenders are to be considered probational. Any additional offenses will result in permanent exclusion from all EFTA trips.

  Records of offenders are to maintained by the Host Club and are to be reported to the Field Trip Chair (EFTA representative) of the Offenders Home Club. The Home Club Field Trip Chair will enforce any EFTA actions by refusing to register multiple offenders on future trips. Persons who achieve "multiple offender" status will be reported to the EFTA field trip coordinator to be included in the next organization wide update.