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 in November was also a success. We handed out nearly 200 club flyers. It is also so much fun to see the kids when they get a polished rock. We are going to have another booth at the March Gem Fair, March 14-16, 2025. Keep an eye out for the sign-up sheet. We will be handing out polished rocks, club brochures, and flyers for our June Cascade Gem Show.
I want to thank everyone who has helped make our club a success this past year, whether you volunteered for something, bought items at the club auctions, went on field trips, or attended our meetings.
Our membership continues to grow every year. It looks like we are going to close out the year with 156 families or just under 300 individuals, which is encouraging. My goal for 2025 is to hit 200 families by the end of the year.
If you’re a new member, we’re thrilled to have you join our fantastic rock club! Your presence at our monthly meetings is highly valued, and we encourage you to take the opportunity to introduce yourself. I look forward to meeting you.
Since our membership continues to grow weekly, I hope more members will attend our monthly meetings. The larger our meeting attendance is each month, the easier it will be to book quality speakers.
I look forward to seeing everyone at the January 9th meeting. Our Field Trip Leader, Roger, will show us what they found on field trips this past year and what he has planned for 2025.
One last note. When you are doing your estate planning, don’t forget our club. We would welcome any type of gift: cash, stock, real estate property, or any other type of asset. We are still striving to have a large indoor shop and meeting area. All gem show proceeds and donations are held in a savings account for this purpose.
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p align=”RIGHT”> Kat Koch, President