Focus on UK Metal Detecting: Membership Rules of the 'Making Matlock Nicer Metal Detecting Association'

From the Rules of Membership of the Making Matlock Nicer Metal Detecting Association, (a close neighbour of the Dedicated to Saving Derby From Sharp Pointy Objects Metal Detecting Association  discussed in another post on this blog):

Applicants will have to show proof of licit title for all ground-dug artefacts which they have collected as a result of engagement in our lovely hobby. Existing members will have to do the same if they acquire any new artefacts during the membership year.We have asked this from people since 2011 and we are the only metal detecting association in England that request this from applicants and existing members.The reason for this is that sadly over the last few years there have been a number of reports of illegal artefact hunting and thefts from dealers and shows that get the hobby bad press. If we ask where all those stolen artefacts have gone, we can only sadly conclude that most of them have gone into private collections in England owned by unscrupulous individuals who at the moment can brazenly display their stolen finds without any fear of being pulled up by metal detecting clubs or the PAS. We do not want anyone like that in our club, so to stop these robberies we are requesting proof of licit title to artefacts from members. Duplicate records of this will be kept in club files. Please note that if we find an existing member owning artefacts not listed as licit in their membership files, then we will have to inform the police.We are sure that if every metal detecting club/association did this then the amount of robberies of this nature would decrease. We will ask potential and existing members to produce purchase receipts, supplier details, signed search-and-take permissions and individual finds allocation documents signed by landowners or their agents for each find in a collection, irrespective of monetary value. 

The club currently has no members.