President’s Message – February 2023 (Click Here For More Info)

From the Top of the Rock Pile …. by Kat Koch

We have a Show Coordinator! Chris Vitellaro. If she should ask you to volunteer for some aspect of the show, please show your support by saying “Yes!” It takes a lot of hands to put our show together.

Chris is going to need a volunteer for the following areas:

1. The directional signs need to be reviewed to ensure they are in good shape. Then, if required, order additional signs. Then place them around the area the week before the show and pick them up after the show.

2 . Keep track of the members that volunteer to help out at the show. Then make up the volunteer schedule for the various club tables for the duration of the setup and actual show.

We had good attendance at our January meeting on thunder eggs. Forty members attended and showed us their thunder eggs and a few outstanding geodes. I felt it was a fantastic meeting. It’s always lovely when we visit one another and engage in some “rock talk.”

Our three Young Tumblers, Mason, Bentley, and Jude, showed us their thunder eggs. In addition, Jude showed me his beautiful collection of sliced colorful rocks. Seeing our Young Tumblers participate in our meetings is really enjoyable! I hope we continue to see them at all our meetings.

Remember, our February meeting is on Fluorescent Rocks! The club will have a selection of fluorescent rocks, but I am also asking everyone to bring in some rocks or minerals of their own so we can see what colors they fluoresce.

We planned the February meeting on Fluorescent Rocks when our Young Tumblers are out of school so they can attend. Looking at fluorescent rocks is always a fun meeting for everyone.

Everyone is welcome to bring guests to any of our meetings.

I encourage you to attend our meetings as our club is more than just the field trips. We always try to have an educational topic, and it’s also an excellent opportunity to visit with each other and get your questions answered if you are having a problem cutting or polishing or need a rock or mineral identified.

So mark your calendars now – our meetings are always the 2nd Thursday of the month except for August and December.

We continue to get new members weekly by registering online. We have also had new members join at our meetings. We welcome each of you to our great rock and gem club. When you attend our monthly meeting, please introduce yourself to me, as I look forward to meeting everyone.

I also appreciate all the members that renewed their membership!

I am looking forward to seeing everyone at the February meeting.

Kat Koch, President

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Updated: February 9, 2023 — 2:40 pm

Presidents Message

  • From the Top of the Rock Pile 2024 is in our rearview mirror. It was a very successful year for our club. We moved our Cascade Gem Show to June at Kent Commons. It has been an excellent decision for our club. We had the largest attendance since resuming our shows in 2018, with approximately 3,200 visitors! The proceeds from our two club auctions in 2024 brought in around $1,800. These funds help to cover our club’s largest expense, the liability insurance policy. I expect the premium for 2025 will be near $3,000. Our booth at the Puyallup Gem Faire

Meeting Announcements

  • February 13th – Jim Cerenzie – Finding New (Old) Rockhounding Sites Our club member, Jim Cerenzie, is going to speak on how he finds long forgotten sites to hunt for rocks and crystals. He has a YouTube channel called the “Vug Meister” where he and his son go rockhounding to these places. If you watch YouTube please support him by subscribing to his channel. Show ‘n Tell: Your favorite rockhounding find. It can be a find from a field trip, your yard, the beach, or a riverbed.

  • March 13th – Field Trip Preview by Roger Danneman Where will we go this year? Join our wagonmaster Roger Danneman as he gives us a preview of all of the places the Club will explore this year on field trips – and what kinds of materials you might find there. Show ‘n Tell: Something you’ve found on a prior field trip (with a club or on your own!).

  • April 10th – Rock BINGO Kent schools on spring break. So all you members, junior members and their friends, your grandkids, guests it is time for our Rock Bingo night.  Everyone is guaranteed to be a winner. Rock Bingo is free tonight – bring 3 wrapped presents (see below). Maximum 3 game cards per player. Each player is to bring 3 wrapped presents. Rocks, minerals, fossils, cabachons, slabs, jewelry, or anything that you think would be a nice gift.  Guests do not need to bring any wrapped items.

  • May 8th – Glaciers by Paul Ahnberg What are the benefits of glaciers? Glaciers, slow-moving rivers of ice, have sculpted mountains and carved valleys throughout Earth’s history. They continue to flow and shape the landscape in many places today. But glaciers affect much more than the landscape. Show ‘n Tell: A white or clear mineral or crystal.

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