From the Top of the Rock Pile Our holiday party was a huge success. We had 43 members and guests attending to celebrate the holidays together. It was so good to see everyone! Our auction proceeds were the largest we have ever had. $1,077 less $33 Rock Bucks = cash to the treasury of $1,047. […]
Category: Past Presidents Message
President’s Message – October 2021 (Click For More Information)
From the Top of the Rock Pile . . . . I am so looking forward to Maple Valley Days at Lake Wilderness. It is going to be such a fun event. I still need 1 more volunteer for our club booth on Sunday morning, October 10th. Please contact me asap if you would like […]
President’s Message – September 2021 (Click Here For More Information)
From the Top of the Rock Pile . . . . The weather lookout was iffy when we went to bed the Saturday night before our club picnic. There was no evidence that it had recently rained when we arrived on Sunday to set up the tables. The grass was dry and the sky was […]
Pesident’s Message – July 2021 (Click Here For More Information)
From the Top of the Rock Pile . . . . Boy was it good to see everyone after 16 months of no in-person meetings! We had a good turnout. I estimate we had 30 people. 27 members signed in but I think there were about 3 additional people who didn’t make it to the […]
President’s Message – June 2021 (Click Here for More Info)
From the Top of the Rock Pile . . . . We will be resuming in-person club meetings on June 10th, Thursday at 7 pm. We will have our regular meeting at the American Legion Hall, Kent. Mike and I took a 3 week vacation/road trip via the giant redwoods on our way to Lake […]
President’s Message – April 2021 (Click Here for More Info)
From the Top of the Rock Pile . . . . March’s Zoom General Meeting went well. We saw some of Terri Gerard’s sphere collection, Bob gave a lands’ access report plus a brief report from Roger, our Field Trip Guide. You can always check our website for the next planned field trip plus the […]
President’s Message – March 2021
From the Top of the Rock Pile . . . . Our first Zoom general meeting was held on February 11th and it went very well for a first attempt. We had 12 sign-ons with 19 people in attendance. 2 of our them signed on incognito and watched and listened to the entire meeting. It […]
President’s Message – February 2021
From the Top of the Rock Pile . . . . Let’s all hope 2021 is a better year. The Board has agreed to try and have an online general meeting. I don’t know the topic or speaker we may have as the meeting is presently in the planning stage. I am working on putting […]
President’s Message – January 2021
From the top of the rock pile . . . . . . . . . . 2020 sure has been a weird year in many aspect in every area of our lives. As we approach 2021 I have high hopes for a much better year. The coronavirus has upended our way of life – […]
President’s Message – December 2020
From the Top of the Rock Pile …. by Kat Koch Governor Inslee and the CDC have asked all of us to not gather for the holidays. I know it’s very hard for some of us not see our friends and family at this time of the year. The holidays gatherings, religious services, hobby or […]
Presidents Message
Digging It! September is here, and it looks like a wonderful month so far for getting together and getting out in the field. First, thank you to everyone who helped make our August picnic and club auction such a success. The delicious food, generous donations, volunteer help and spirited bidding made it a great afternoon, and the auction raised $750 for the club. We return to our regular meeting schedule on Thursday, September 10, at 7:00 p.m. at the American Legion Hall in Kent. Our program is all about YOU: Show, Tell & Transform, where you get to briefly present …
Meeting Announcements
This program is all about YOU. Bring a rock, mineral, fossil, or other field find that you would like to turn into something. It might become a cabochon, carving, display specimen, jewelry piece, slab, polished piece, or something entirely different. Bring your item and share: Where and how you found or acquired it What interests you about the material What you’re considering making from it Any questions or challenges you would like help thinking through Then we’ll open the conversation to our knowledgeable and curious club members. Together, we can discuss the material, possible designs, cutting or finishing approaches, and other ideas that might help you take the piece from field find to finished project. You do not need to have a complete plan or any special expertise. That’s part of the fun. Bring the piece itself if possible, along with any sketches, inspiration photos, or examples that might help explain your idea.
Noelle Barnes will present Using Gaia for Rockhounding, an overview of the features and tricks associated with the app Gaia and how you can use it for GPS, saving waypoints, navigation, photo tagging, trail recording and more. Show and Tell: Bring the rock(s) that have the best “story” – and tell everyone how you found them and where!
Club board member Paul Ahnberg will talk to us about the impact of wildfires on our lives – from protecting your home to staying safe while out rockhounding – and what we can do today to help mitigate our risk. Paul will combine his knowledge gained from learning at both the WSU Green School (Master Gardener) and WSU Climate Steward programs. Show and Tell: Bring something you found, from a place that you know has since been impacted by floods or wildfires – or was impacted shortly before you arrived. Tell your story!
Current News
- August 2026 issue of The Tumbler August 7, 2026
Click here to download a PDF of The Tumbler.
- August 15: Potluck Picnic July 10, 2026
Our August meeting will not be happening at the American Legion – instead, this month’s meeting is our annual club potluck and picnic on Saturday, […]
- September 10 – Show, Tell & Transform July 9, 2026
This program is all about YOU. Bring a rock, mineral, fossil, or other field find that you would like to turn into something. It might […]
- October 8 – Using Gaia for Rockhounding July 8, 2026
Noelle Barnes will present Using Gaia for Rockhounding, an overview of the features and tricks associated with the app Gaia and how you can use […]
- July 2026 issue of The Tumbler July 6, 2026
Click here to download a PDF.
Club president Noelle Barnes will present “Rockhounding on the Road – How to Find Rocks Wherever You Are” – tools you can use to find a […]
Club board member Paul Ahnberg will talk to us about the impact of wildfires on our lives – from protecting your home to staying safe […]
- December – Holiday Potluck Party & Auction July 2, 2026
December’s date and time is coming soon. We will update this page as soon as we know more.
- June 2026 issue of The Tumbler June 9, 2026
Click here to download a PDF.
- May 2026 issue of The Tumbler May 11, 2026
Click here to download a PDF.