User Groups. What are they?The HGS Website has a feature called "User Groups." These are essentially interest-group mailing lists that you can sign up for. There is a list of available User Groups on the HGS Website. That location also shows you which User Groups you are in. You must be logged in to see that page.Not many of these User Groups are in active use, but those that are active have been quite useful. The Committee: International Explorationists Group is a good example. Over 400 people, both members and non-members of the HGS, have signed up to receive announcements from this committee. When that committee has a meeting scheduled or wants to publicize an event like PESGB or APPEX, we can send a special email to everyone on their list at the request of the committee chairman. We can also provide that committee with the mailing address and other details on their members. As a bonus Calendar Events can be associated with User Groups and committee descriptions can be tied to their future events. See the example of the Executive Committee at http://www.hgs.org/en/committees/display.asp?committeeid=56Most of our monthly E-mail Newsletters go to the User Group called Newsletters, but we can be more selective by using the HGS User Group (current and past members of the HGS) or the Active Members User Group (current members only.) We have never needed to send something to people interested in AAPG news, but there is such a User Group if you care to sign up for it. Note that you don''t have to be a member of any of these societies or committees to sign up -- they simply indicate an interest on your part. You won''t be able to sign up for Active Members but, generally speaking, most groups are open to everyone.The latest addition to our User Groups is Texas Geologist Licensing. We intend to use it for special announcements of interest to licensed geologists and anyone interested in licensing issues. Keep your interest profile up to date. Go to the User Groups list periodically and update your preferences. If you are a Committee chairman or responsible for a related organization, contact the HGS Webmaster for more information on how you can make use of User Groups.