In 1979, the Mineralogical Association was formed as a specialist division of the Geological Society of South Africa with its primary aim being to foster interaction among mineralogists. However, anyone who has read or looked at the titles of papers in such journals as the American Mineralogist, the Canadian Mineralogist and Mineralogical Magazine will realise that they go far beyond the scope of pure mineralogy in its strictest sense. As our membership grew a broader spectrum of interest was covered by the Association's meetings. Accordingly, we felt the need to formalise these wider objectives by modifying the bye-laws governing our activities and this was approved by the members in 1984.
Our Association now encompasses petrology and geochemistry (although specifically not exploration geochemistry). There are specialised interest groups in clay minerals (Clay Interest Group-CLING), fluid inclusions, volcanology, and the Witwatersrand Interest Group (WING).
Activities include lectures by local and overseas experts, visits to a variety of laboratories and one-day excursions of a family nature to places of interest, usually in and around the Gauteng area. There are also excursions extending over several days to regions further afield in South Africa such as the Pilanesberg, Phalaborwa, Gravelotte, Namaqualand, the southern Cape, Richtersveld and Namibia. We have also visited Tanzania and the island of Reunion.
The committee regularly organises events or courses that are relevant to our profession. Courses that have been held in the past include Coal Petrology, Metallurgy for Geologists, XRD, Sulphides, Fluid Inclusions, Clay Mineral Workshop, Optical Mineralogy/Petrology and Ore Microscopy. The committee also tries to arrange the organisation of an annual symposium or workshop, including the highly successful Workshop on Acid Mine Drainage and the Short Course on Modern Approaches to Ore and Environmental Mineralogy. Regular events are also hosted by the individual interest groups that fall under the auspices of MINSA.
We hope that we can offer something of interest to a great many members of the Geological Society. If anyone would like to join the Association, or offer ideas on what activities we might organise, the committee would be pleased to hear from you.