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, […]
Category: Presidents Message

President’s Message – August 2026
Digging It! I hope you’ve all had a chance to get out and look for rocks during the lovely weather we enjoyed in July – it’s been mostly perfect rockhounding weather. And for those of you who were able to come on the field trips led by our fearless wagon master Roger Danneman, I hope […]
President’s Message – July 2026
Digging It! It’s July, and our annual show has come and gone! I want to say a huge thank-you to all of the volunteers and vendors who made it happen. We could not create this show without all of you – every one of you helped make it a success. I hope all of you […]
President’s Message – June 2026
Digging It! Our big rock, gem and jewelry show is at the end of this month. We have so many opportunities for you to come and be a part of it – from helping our wonderful vendors load in their gear, to setting up tables, greeting guests, helping with kid’s activities, and so much more. […]
President’s Message – May 2026
Digging It! May is finally here, and with the snow clearing, the flowers blooming, and the rains letting up a bit (hopefully), that rock fever is hitting us all pretty hard. I hope you all had a great time at the Rock Bingo night last month! The Big Show is Coming! We are now less […]
President’s Message – April 2026
Digging It! Thanks to everyone who joined us in March for Maureen Carlisle’s fascinating look at the world of professional paleontology digs. Our next meeting on April 9 is a great club tradition: Rock Bingo! Whether you’ve been a member for decades or you just joined last month, Bingo is the ultimate fun night for […]
President’s Message – March 2026
Digging It! Thanks to everyone who came out for our February club meeting – it was a fun one, with our own Roger Danneman presenting the highlights of our field trips to come for 2026. Several club members brought their impressive best finds from 2025 for show and tell. Speaking of field trips – our […]
President’s Message – February 2026
Digging It Welcome to February 2026, the month when our Seahawks brought home a long-overdue second Super Bowl win! 🙂 I’m delighted to be starting my two-year term as the club’s new president. Thank you for electing me to this position, and thank you to Kat Koch for leading our club for the last decade. […]
President’s Message – September 2025
From the Top of the Rock Pile Our annual club picnic went off great. The grass and Arboretum area was not wet or muddy, plus it didn’t rain while we were there. We had the usual club members attend, plus a few new faces. I forgot to count how many people attended, but I estimate […]
President’s Message – June 2025
From the Top of the Rock Pile From the Top of the Rock Pile Our Gem Show is sold out. Everything is moving along with the show. We will be asking for volunteers at the June meeting plus via email. Please plan on helping out at our show. It takes around 50 people to cover […]
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.