About Us

History of the Club:

The Sunsites Gem and Mineral Club was founded in 1962 as the Cochise County Rock Club. Then, in 1982, the Club was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, with the new name of Sunsites Gem and Mineral Club.

The purpose of the Club shall be:

1.1 To encourage and disseminate knowledge of Gemological and Mineralogical materials, but not limited thereto.

1.2 To encourage use of lapidary equipment and promote knowledge pertaining thereto.

1.3 To encourage good moral character, sportsmanship, recreation and social events within standard legal, business, and ethical standards in all Club members and their guests.

1.4 To act on behalf of the Club members in any and all lawful business transactions within the State of Arizona, and with the appropriate powers permitted under the laws of the State of Arizona, and as they may be amended from time to time

Activities of the Club:

The Club has monthly “general meetings” every month, except May-July, and December. These meetings (except the annual meeting in November) consist of a presentation, which is open to and (hopefully) of interest to the general public. Most of these presentations are related (at least tangentially) to rocks, minerals, or geology, but some presentations may be more history or natural history related. The presentation is followed by the Club’s business meeting.

The Club also conducts field trips during most months. These field trips are generally collecting trips, where participants can collect rocks or gems, however, some field trips may be more informational in nature, such as tours of active mines or visits to rock shops. These field trips are open to members as well as to non-members, who pay a nominal fee and sign a liability waiver.

The Club has also has social gatherings twice a year- - a picnic in May and a holiday party in December. These social gatherings are generally open only to Cub members.

Joining the Club:

As stated in the Club’s Articles of Incorporation: Applicants and members are limited to persons of good moral character and the Club has no restrictions as to race, creed, color, sex or national origin. The Club invites interested parties to join the Club by completing the Membership Application (on the New Member Information tab).