You just might be eligible to become a member of the somewhat obscure Dinosaur Club.

Inaugurated in the early 1990s, with goals of comradeship and reminiscence, the club does require of its members two specific qualifications.

A member has to be 50 years of age, explains self-appointed Chief Dinosaur Larry Elkin.

"Otherwise you're not a dinosaur," he says, laughing.

The other qualification is 20 years of service with the Government of the Northwest Territories in the North.

So far, about 62 people are signed up in the club, including pre-division Eastern Arctic members. The membership fee is five bucks, and that'll get a member the esteemed Dinosaur Club pin and membership card.

"It's strictly voluntary and just for fun," says Elkin, who fears that if the club actually ever had a meeting he might be deposed from his high-ranking role. Elkin explains his position vaguely: "They simply didn't appoint anyone else. Or maybe (the previous chief) died, or whatever."

Currently, Elkin is also the Dinosaur Club's historian, another position that might be up for grabs should the club ever meet.

"Obviously we'd like to meet once a year. But we never have met."

Though, Elkin adds, "informal meetings" (read: social encounters) have come to pass.

Now that Elkin has retired, from the GNWT, he hopes to devote a little bit of time to organizing the first meeting.

The membership list does contain an overwhelming number of men versus women. But that shouldn't imply the club is anything like a men's-only affair. It simply reflects the demographics of people who started in government over 20 years ago.

Which points to another problem. Elkin is convinced they just don't know about the club.

"And we've lost addresses," says Elkin.

As Chief Dinosaur, Elkin feels he might like to start a newsletter. So if you are a Dinosaur, know a Dinosaur or wish to be recognized as a Dinosaur, contact the Chief at elkin@internorth.com.