Although we are a long-established society, well over half of our current members have joined within the past four years, which is good news. So, for the benefit of our newer members, here is a timely review.

• The Society’s events are mainly organised by specialist “Groups” covering Botany, Fungi, Invertebrates, Birds, Reptiles and Amphibians, Mammals, Geology and Microscopy. Each Group elects a Secretary and one or more Recorders.
• Groups organise a programme of field events and indoor meetings each year.
• There is no separate membership of Groups. All members are members of all Groups. Some Groups have additional email lists or social media accounts. Please contact the relevant Group Secretary if you wish to join one.
• Currently the Mammal Group has no Secretary and is on the back burner awaiting new enthusiasts to get it going again.
• The Microscopy Group also has no Secretary and is also awaiting new enthusiasts to get it going again.
• Our big annual get-together or “symposium” is held every year at Treeton in February, when we host all the other natural history societies in South Yorkshire.
• Our AGM is held each year in November when officers and trustees are elected. Nominations can be submitted to the General Secretary anytime in advance of 14 days before the AGM and the current trustees would very much like new members to join them on Council. There are many vacancies. The President gives an address (slide show/lecture) and other members do short illustrated reports to make the day more interesting (the last AGM was very enjoyable).
• Meetings are usually free and do not require booking. You just turn up. Some meetings have restricted numbers and do require booking. These are clearly notified in the Newsletter.
• “Sorby” is not an acronym. The Society is named after Henry Clifton Sorby (1826-1908) often referred to as Sheffield’s most famous scientist. It was formed in 1918 by merging the Sheffield Naturalists’ Club with the Sheffield Microscopical Society. This year, 2026, is the 200th anniversary of Henry Clifton Sorby’s birth.
• The Society publishes 12 monthly Newsletters per year. These are written by members for members. Most essentially, they contain detailed information about forthcoming meetings. Other items include reports of meetings, news and interesting observations. All members are invited to contribute. Copy date is usually the first of the month.
• The Society publishes an annual journal, the Sorby Record which includes papers and reports with a longer shelf-life, disseminating new or original information about local species, sites and locations, results of surveys, history of natural history in the region, naturalists and past members and items relating to the history of the Society and specifically to Henry Clifton Sorby.
• The Sorby Record Special Series is a series of monographs summarising groups of fauna, flora, fungi and meteorology. These are papers that are too large for the Sorby Record and/or require their own monograph. Current policy is to publish as pdf files with a very limited print run. Past editions have been printed as hard copy booklets.
• As a registered charity the Society is governed by a constitution, a set of rules, and various policies which are constantly being reviewed. All these are available to any member by request.
• If you have any specific questions contact the relevant Group Secretary or the General Secretary or one of the Trustees.

Finally, please remember that the Society is a forum for people with an interest in natural history to meet and share information. We all learn from each other irrespective of the level of expertise in any particular group. There is no hierarchy and certainly no all-powerful “Sorby” at the top of a pyramid. He/she/they just don’t exist. There are just members who do stuff! You perhaps this year?

This is an edited version of the article titled A Message to New Members by Derek Whiteley, which was published in the January 2026 edition of the Sorby Newsletter.