President’s Message – June 2020 (Click Here for More Info)

From the Top of the Rock Pile . . . . . . .

I guess the biggest news since last May’s news bulletin is our Board voted to cancel our Gem Show in September.

The Board has already reserved the dates for our show next year, September 17-19, 2021. By then we should all know the changes that will be required to put on a public event. A gem show is unique as a good portion of our vendors, visitors and volunteers fall into the high risk range for this virus. We will have to be fully cognizant of this fact when planning our future shows.

Looking at Governor Inslee’s plan for reopening Washington we can not have a June meeting. Please check our CMS website often for the status on being able to resume meetings.

Our monthly field trips are continuing. Families or individuals that have quarantined together can carpool together. All others must travel individually. When searching for material families can search together but individuals must maintain a distance of 6 ft from each other.

Diamond Dan has given us permission to post or distribute May’s Mini Miner’s Monthly, a publication for young rock hounds. Please go to our website and download your copy. It has a lot of good activities for our Young Tumblers. It will help entertain all your bored children.

Looking forward to the day when we can resume our meetings as all need to “talk rock” with our club friends!

Kat Koch

Updated: January 9, 2022 — 3:42 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.

Current News