BELGIAN SOCIETY FOR CONCHOLOGY – B.V.C.
Belgische Vereniging voor Conchyliologie Belgian Society for Conchology - Introduction - Short history and overview of activities - Board - Meetings - Calender of meetings - BVC Shell Show - Excursions - Periodical ‘Gloria Maris’ - Library - Membership - Section ‘Coast’ - Links	BELGIAN SOCIETY FOR CONCHOLOGY Antwerp, 8 October 1961: the society GLORIA MARIS is founded in a typical Antwerp environment, being the local pub ‘Den Engel’ on the ‘Grote Markt‘. Gloria Maris refers to the name of a rare shell: Conus gloriamaris (= the glory of the sea). On 9 May 1974 the society is turned into a non profit organization and the general assembly of 4 January 1976 decides to change the name into ‘Belgische Vereniging voor Conchyliologie VZW’ (= Belgian Society for Conchology). The society now forms a group of some 250 people collecting and studying molluscs (shells) and fossils. Many members collect shells because they are fascinated by the beauty of shape and colour, whereas others combine collecting shells with collecting stamps with images of shells or with collecting pieces of art and implements made of shells. The majority of our members occupy themselves with scientific studies. This involves studying shells of a certain family or from a certain area: shells from our regions or from somewhere else in the world. Sometimes one only studies the shells, in other cases one also studies the animal that is in it.

	BELGIAN SOCIETY FOR CONCHOLOGY – B.V.C.
Belgische Vereniging voor Conchyliologie Belgian Society for Conchology - Introduction - Short history and overview of activities - Board - Meetings - Calender of meetings in 2003 - BVC Shell Show - Excursions - Periodical ‘Gloria Maris’ - Library - Membership - Links	Our society comprises a number of professionals from home and abroad, who can often provide useful advice. Some members reach a semi-professional level after many years of devoting themselves to the study of molluscs. They are then capable of adding interesting scientific contributions to the study of molluscs. Members of our society regularly describe recently discovered species yet unknown to science. A number of shells have even been named in honour of certain members. Our publications, which are the result of those studies, are well received home and abroad. The society keeps in touch with universities, museums, institutions for natural history and other societies in Belgium, France, Great-Britain, Italy, The Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland. Next to that, we also have good connections with a number of professional and semi-professional conchologists (= shell collectors) in countries outside Europe. In the past, our society used to organize many exhibitions and took part in exhibitions and activities of other societies. Next to that, a number of scientific expeditions were organized (the Red Sea, Egypt, Israel, Barbados, Sri Lanka and Andaman Islands (India)). Many members regularly spend parts of their holidays searching for molluscs in one place or another, even in the Pacific Ocean. This has already resulted in the description of a number of species new to science. The results of such expeditions and excursions organized by the society are to be found in the journal of our society. This journal still bears the name ‘Gloria Maris’.

	BELGIAN SOCIETY FOR CONCHOLOGY – B.V.C.
Belgische Vereniging voor Conchyliologie Belgian Society for Conchology - Introduction - Short history and overview of activities - Board - Meetings - Calender of meetings in 2003 - BVC Shell Show - Excursions - Periodical ‘Gloria Maris’ - Library - Membership - Links	Our society organizes an international shell show since 1991. It started with a one-day happening, but it soon turned into a two-day happening. This show has grown into the biggest of its kind, in as well as outside Europe. The number of participants has risen from 30 in the early years to some 90 nowadays. People from more than 30 nationalities are present: next to Europeans, there are also people from South-Africa, Australia, Senegal, Japan, Brazil, New Caledonia, the Hawaiian Islands, et cetera. This show was organized in the ‘Damiaan Instituut’ in Aarschot for 9 years, but the increasing success and its result (a lack of space) have forced us to move the show to Antwerp. It is organized on the first weekend of May in ‘Sporthal Schijnpoort’, next to the famous ‘Sportpaleis’. The Belgian Society for Conchology organizes monthly meetings in the sports hall ‘Schijnpoort’ near the ‘Sportpaleis’ in Antwerp, where some 80 members come together to discuss and enjoy shells. The society also possesses a library with an extensive selection of books and journals on molluscs. The journal ‘Gloria Maris’ appears maximal six times per year. For those who want to apply to a profound study of molluscs, there is a study group, which meets every month. There is also a subsidiary society, ‘BVC-Kust’, with monthly meetings in ‘Vosseslag’, De Haan at the Belgian coast. More detailed information on activities of the society, membership fees and addresses can be found elsewhere on this website.