The mission of the FMS is:
- To share knowledge and experience gained from the study, identification, collection, and display of fluorescent minerals and minerals that exhibit related forms of luminescence, such as phosphorescence, tenebrescence, triboluminescence, and thermoluminescence.
- To organize seminars, conduct research, promote displays and exchanges, and to disseminate information about luminescent minerals.
- To encourage interest related to fluorescent minerals, such as the development of improved ultraviolet lighting systems, the photography of fluorescent minerals, the study of luminescent properties related to fluorescence, and exploration of the various applications of fluorescence.
Worldwide Membership
The FMS has about 400 members in 41 states of the USA and 14 other countries. The Society has chapters in the Northeast, Midwest, Rocky Mountain, Northwest, Northern California, and Southern California, regions of the United States plus an “at large” chapter that discusses topics of research interest to members. We also participate in Outreach programs offered to schools, local mineral clubs, local gem shows, and museums.
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FMS Leadership
| Officiers | President | Philip Neuhoff (2025) |
| Vice President | Chris Clemens (2026) | |
| Secretary | Melissa Applebee (2025) | |
| Treasurer | Andrew Silver (2026) | |
| Directors | George Adleman (2026) | |
| Daniel Moore (2026) | ||
| Doug Bank (2027) | ||
| Mike Crawford (2027) | ||
| Sean Stimac (2025) | ||
| Vacant (2025) | ||
| Chapters | Southwest | Rick Olson |
| Rocky Mountain (RMC) | Brian Walko | |
| Northwest (NWC) | Jennifer Moore | |
| Southern California (SCC) | David Stuck | |
| Northeast Region Fluoresophiles (NERFs) | Howie Green | |
| Northern California (NCC) | ||
| Midwest (MWC) | Nicholas Viltrakis | |
| European Fluorescent Mineral Circle (EFMC) | ||
| Mark Cole | ||
| Research (Res) | Philip Neuhoff |
FMS Constitution & By-Laws
The first version of the FMS Constitution was written and approved in 1971, and was sent out to the FMS members with the December 1971 issue of UV Waves. At that time the FMS was only 9 months old and counted 45 members. The Constitution was then updated in 1989, to better reflect the status of the society. A second update was proposed in 2010 and approved at the 2011 FMS Annual Meeting in Tucson, Arizona. This was a major, 4-year long effort to develop a replacement for the previous constitution, which had in many ways become outdated. This is the current FMS Constitution. As of today, only one By-Laws has been approved by the FMS Board, regarding the Fluorescent Mineral Society Hall of Fame.
Current Constitution & By-Laws
Past, outdated documents
FMS Presidents
| Don Newsome (#14) | 1971 – 1975 |
| Ted Rutherford (#58) | 1975 – 1977 |
| Jessie Chittenden (#347) | 1978 – 1987 |
| Rodney Burroughs (#471) | 1987 – 2006 |
| Jan Wittenberg (#718) | 2006 – 2011 |
| Al Liebetrau (#594) | 2012 – 2015 |
| Conrad North (#1904) | 2015 – 2019 |
| Steve Hutchcraft (#1998) | 2019 |
| Conrad North (#1904) | 2020 – 2021 |
| Rhett Peterson (#2087) | 2021 – 2022 |
| Lee McIlvaine IV (#801) | 2022 |
| Philip Neuhoff (#2120) | 2023 – Present |