Notice of Annual General Meeting of the Geological Curators’ Group and Committee Nominations
Notice is hereby given that the 47th Annual General Meeting of the Geological Curators’ Group will be hosted online, on Monday 30th November 2020 from 15:00 GMT onwards. The virtual format is necessary due to the ongoing uncertainty over mass gatherings, caused by the global pandemic. All committee posts (except Chair) can be renewed annually and we warmly invite anyone wishing to be on the committee - or to take up a specific role - to put themselves forward for nomination. Nominations must be made by any two members of GCG and submitted in writing or by email to the Secretary, Emma Bernard (
Please also get in touch with Emma Bernard if you would like to discuss what being on the committee involves, or to hear more about particular roles. For the current committee and types of roles, please see our website: https://www.geocurator.org/committee. Items proposed for inclusion on the Agenda should also be submitted to the Secretary as above, by 1st November.
Zoom virtual meeting Monday 30th November 2020 15:00 GMT
AGM programme and papers
For our 47th AGM, we are keeping the format simple, and attendance is free so that as many of our members can attend as possible. We will be voting on a number of important issues, so please take the time to read the information we have provided in the links below before coming to the meeting. Please remember that in order to cast a vote, you must be a UK or overseas personal member of the Geological Curators' Group, and your subscription must not be in arrears by any amount.
You will be sent the Zoom login on the morning of Monday November 30th
Outline Programme for Monday 30th November
NB: all times are in GMT - you can convert this to your local time using a number of web utilities, like this one
13.30 Meeting opens – welcome and admin for the afternoon
13.45 talks There will be the opportunity to ask questions at the end of each talk. Talk recordings are available to registered members of GCG - please login to see the videos at the bottom of this page.
3D imaging of rocks and beyond
Derek Leung
School of GeoSciences, The University of Edinburgh
The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged institutions worldwide to convey information remotely for outreach, teaching, and research. In the geosciences, information is commonly conveyed by observing geological samples such as rocks and fossils. However, geological samples are inherently spatial (3D) entities, whereas remote environments are commonly surficial (2D); as a result, key spatial data is commonly ‘lost in translation’ when geological samples are displayed remotely. Thus, 3D imaging methods have become important in highlighting the spatial features of geological samples. In this presentation, I introduce several ways to capture spatial data for geological samples (e.g., 360 photography, photogrammetry, and 3D structured-light scanning) and provide examples of applications within outreach, teaching, and research. I also briefly explore other methods to display information remotely.
Rocking the Boat: geological collections and social change
Liz Hide
Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge
As experts in geological collections, we know full well the important role our collections can play in engage a wide range of people with Earth science themes, including understanding the natural environment, evidencing climate change and encouraging young people to consider STEM careers. In this time of social change and increasing social inequality, however, we should also consider how our geological collections can also address wider and more far reaching challenges. We can take the lead from the needs of our audiences and use our collections to achieve outcomes directly relating to their needs, be they for the benefit of individuals (for example, increasing health & wellbeing), society (such as reducing social inequality), or the future of our planet. By taking a more strategic approach we can enable deeper and more sustainable public engagement, raise the profile of our collections, and more effectively demonstrate the benefits these collections bring to wider society.
14.45 Break
1500 Annual General Meeting opens - please mute your audio and change your profile name to the name you registered with rather than ‘ipad3’. Be sure to test your connection beforehand. If you are two individual members but are sharing a screen, you will only be able to vote once. To register two votes you will need to be logged in to two separate devices.
1630 (estimate) Meeting closes. Pause for refreshments (you'll need to supply your own this year! Sorry....)
1700 A light-hearted quiz with the chance to win a William Smith jigsaw and a chance to catch up with your colleagues from other institutions
1900 Meeting closes
Meeting papers
Agenda for the meeting (subject to change)
Minutes of the 46th AGM held in Cambridge, December 2019
Geological Curators' Group Annual Report for 2020
Notes on the constitutional votes required at the AGM
Amendments to existing (2012) constitution
Proposed new constitution to enable conversion of GCG to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation
We have provided the documents above in electronic PDF format due to the ongoing pandemic situation and also as in previous years, to save on paper and printing costs. If you believe that you need these documents in printed form, please contact us in good time and we will try to arrange this.