President Message – August 2022 (Click Here For More Info)

Sorry for the late update on the website. Due to Covid and the flu, our family has been sick.

I would also like to note, that we have lost our videographer. Until we find a replacement volunteer, our meetings will not be on YouTube.

From the Top of the Rock Pile 

Our Cascade Gem & Mineral Show is coming up. We will be about 2 weeks from show time when you read this!

Our August meeting will be a recap of what’s going on at our Cascade Gem Show. It will also be our last call for volunteers. Then Jim Cerezie and his Aidan will tell us about their rockhounding adventures around the northwest. They have a YouTube channel called “Vug Meister.”

I want to note that over half of the volunteers listed below are members who volunteer for everything, plus 4 are not club members! We can still use additional volunteers on Thursday late afternoon/early evening to mark off the booth spaces, on Friday to help set up, and on Saturday for various tasks during the show.

If you have time to help, it would be greatly appreciated. Just email me that you are available on which days and times. president@cascademineralogicalsociety.org. You can also call or text me. My phone number is on page 2 of this issue. Please let me know if you intend to show up to help so that I know we have all the bases covered.

I want to acknowledge and thank everyone that has offered to volunteer to date. I greatly appreciate your offer to help with our gem show. The show would have fallen apart without your volunteering. People like you are more valuable than diamonds. Thank you in advance for your time and hard work.

Paul Ahnberg

Noelle Barnes

Angie Bayer

Brian Bayer

Charley Benedict

Caly Bird

Mike Blanton

Van Cleland (non-member)

Ananda Cool

Dave Cornell

John Cornell

Alex Danneman

Roger Danneman

Aaron DeSelma

Sue Fox (WSC member)

Fred Funk

Julie Galliani-Manso

Terri Gerard

Garry Hartzell

Kathy Hartzell

Diana Horsfall

Linda Jorza

Kat Koch

Gina Manso

Zach Pratt

Jennifer Russell

Rich Russell

Peggy Shashy

Larry Smith (non-member)

Randi Smith (non-member)

James Starke

Mike Stearns

Vicki Stearns

Christina Vitellaro

Bev Williams

Pete Williams

Our annual club picnic went very well. We had 32 people join us at the Lake Wilderness Arboretum for a potluck lunch and then the club auction. It was good seeing everyone and visiting with each other. Thank you to everyone that purchased items at the auction. The auction brought in $515 for the club treasury.

I also want to give a big thanks to Rich Russell for his donation to the auction. Rich creates such outstanding faceted stones. This time, his donation to the auction was a beautiful faceted 6.62-carat Citrine stone set in sterling silver. Rich does such incredible work!!

We continue to get many new members every month. 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.

I hope to see all of you at our August meeting.

Kat Koch, President

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Updated: October 15, 2022 — 11:28 am

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 – 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.

  • 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.

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