President’s Message – June 2022 (Click Here For More Info)

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

From the Top of the Rock Pile …. by Kat Koch
Thanks to Zach Pratt’s efforts, our general meetings are on YouTube. We do have to work out the camera positioning for the entire meeting. Please give us a month or 2 to get things right. The club intends to make this YouTube Live Stream a permanent thing – so hang in there.
Our show plans are well underway. Our show is sold out!  We need a load of volunteers for this event. I will have at the meeting a sign-up sheet listing the positions I need help with. I have broken down where I need help into small jobs so be prepared to step up and volunteer.  It is imperative that our members step up and volunteer. The show will be held at the Green River College gym on August 20 & 21, 2022.

The Board puts on the Cascade Gem and Mineral Show each year to raise funds for an indoor lapidary shop. Also, some of the proceeds from the show fund two grants to students from Green River College majoring in Geology or Earth Sciences.

The club needs volunteers now and then. The ten board members plus a few regular volunteers can’t run the club and be relied upon to volunteer for everything. CMS is again approaching a membership base of 100 families with about 210 individuals. We are now considered a large club, and it takes many hands to keep it functioning, growing, and offering the classes that members would like to have. When we need something covered the club needs you to seriously consider volunteering.
Remember, you are always welcome to bring guests to our meetings or field trips.

Kat Koch, President.


Need Another Volunteer
Now I am looking for someone to volunteer to take pictures (with your cellphone is fine) at our monthly meeting, including the Show ‘n Tell portion. Then write a short article with photos for our Tumbler each month. If you are hesitant about your writing abilities, I would be more than happy to proofread your article before submitting it to Keith, our editor. The publication deadline is the 18th of each month.

Please Help Us Find A New Shop Location
The club is still looking for an indoor space for our lapidary shop. If you know of a location that might be able to financially assist us or physically support our club with warehouse space, please let me know. The club can afford to pay utilities and possibly a small rent.
Our club owns a lot of incredible equipment, and we have members willing to maintain it and teach us how to use it. We need an inexpensive location of about 1,000 to 1,500 square feet with electricity, heating, and water.
Also, if you have a contact or relationship with someone on the Kent City Council or King County Council, please let me know. I want to approach someone on either council about possibly using excess space they may have. Our club has been a part of Kent for 74 years! Hopefully, they will be open to supporting us in some manner. Contact Kat Koch at president@cascademineralogicalsociety.org

We continue to get new members every month. Once again, we are approaching a membership of 100 families. So if you are a new member, please be sure to come up and introduce yourself at our meeting. That way, I can tie your name to your face.
                                                            Kat Koch, President
Updated: July 13, 2022 — 12:31 pm

Presidents Message

  • From the Top of the Rock Pile Despite the weather concerns, our club picnic at Lake Wilderness Arboretum turned out to be a delightful event. We were blessed with a sunny day, and around thirty-five of us enjoyed the beautiful park, a good meal, and a lot of visiting. The day’s highlight was our club auction, a resounding success. Thanks to everyone’s participation, we raised over $1,100 for our club treasury, marking it the best sale. Our club auctions help cover club expenses and prevent us from having to increase our annual dues. If you’re a new member, we’re thrilled

Meeting Announcements

  • November 14th – CMS Food Drive & Glaciers by Paul Arhberg Don’t forget to bring a food item for our food drive to support the Kent Food Bank.  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: Something white, clear, or a crystal.

  • December 1st – Holiday Potluck Dinner, Election of Officers, and Club Auction. Holiday Potluck Dinner: The club provides ham and turkey. Members fill in with side dishes, rolls, desserts, and drinks. If you cannot bring anything for dinner, please come as we would like your company. We always have loads of food. After dinner, we have the election of Officers for 2025. We close out the day with the club auction. It is a great time to buy holiday, birthday, anniversary, or just because gifts. The auction prices are always a fraction of retail or gem shows. Mark your calendar now! Let’s have a great turnout. Let’s enjoy having dinner together, sitting and visiting with one another, and getting some “rock talk” in.

  • January 9th – Field Trip report of 2024 and what lies ahead for 2025. Our Field Trip Guide, Roger Danneman, will review our 2024 field trips and what was found, then look ahead to what is planned for 2025. Show ‘n Tell: Something you found on a field trip, your yard, beach, a hike, etc.

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