Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Chorn.
Hi Ben, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
The Minnesota Mineral Club (MMC) was started in 1945 and has grown to over 1,000 members today! I became involved with the MMC when I moved back to Minnesota in 2019. I volunteered as the Tour/Field Trip Director and Vice President, and am currently the President.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The Minnesota Mineral Club like most volunteer based organizations has had trouble finding volunteers. As our programs expand so does our need for volunteers. As a 100% volunteer run organization, it has been staffed by people who have a lot of passion and drive. We have also tried our best to keep up with shifting trends- such as social media, streaming our meetings, and inflation.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I currently work as a geologist and spend my free time rockhounding and doing lapidary. These interests have made the Minnesota Mineral Club a core community for myself and many others. I am proud of the work myself and everyone else does at the Minnesota Mineral Club so we can offer such great programs like our annual show, kids program, meetings with educational speakers, and educational classes.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
As a non-profit, finding and keeping volunteers is the biggest need. We have adjusted to a more digital world in offering streaming of our meetings and an increased social media presence. We anticipate expanding on this with more educational videos. That said, we also see an increasing want from people to meet and play in physical spaces. Our field trips are our most popular activities and we don’t see that changing anytime soon.
Pricing:
- Single membership (1 adult) $34/year
- Family membership (2 adults) $51/year
- Student membership $17/year
- Children $4.50/year
Contact Info:
- Website: https://minnesotamineralclub.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minnesotamineralclub/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MNMineralclub
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@minnesotamineralclub
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@minnesotamineralclub
