President’s Message – June 2023

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

Table Lamps – Remember we are looking for new table lamps for our show ‘n tell tables. If you go to Goodwill, a similar store, or would like to donate, the lights must fold up easily for storage. Save the receipt and the club will reimburse you.

Our June meeting is Rock Bingo!

Rock Bingo is always a fun night for all members, young and old. The Kent kids are out of school, so they don’t have to worry about school the next day. 

The club is looking for schools or libraries to put in rock and mineral displays. If you have any ideas on what schools or libraries we can contact, please let Linda Jorza or Kat know. We will do the rest.

Our gem show is fast approaching. Chris, Show Coordinator, needs several volunteers as much prep work needs to be done. Elsewhere in this newsletter is her call for help. It takes a village to put on a show of our size! Please consider helping her.

A lot of effort goes into putting on a show like ours. The venue, advertising, dealer support, food, displays, set up and tear down, and much more go into the planning of our annual show. We have several new vendors and activities planned this year. Please pass the word around about our upcoming show. Our attendance goal this year is 5,000 visitors.

We will need a work party in July or August to fill bags with polished rocks, make case liners, and price items for the club sales table.

Peggy is also busy booking the case displays and organizing the new activities for the show.

Your volunteering has a lot of value as all the profits from our show go towards obtaining an indoor shop and a new meeting room. Please volunteer!

This a reminder that the Billings Montana show is on August 4th through 6th. The NFMS and AFMS combined show and only happen every 7 years. Not only is it a big show, but they also have numerous free speakers and classes. Montana is a dinosaur country, so you will find displays and speakers discussing them. We also get to see material from areas outside of Washington. It would make a great family vacation. It is a show on steroids!

We continue to get new members weekly by registering online or in person at our monthly meetings. We welcome each of you to our great rock and gem club. When you attend our monthly meeting, please introduce yourself to me, as I look forward to meeting everyone.

I also appreciate all the members that renewed their membership!

I am looking forward to seeing everyone at the May meeting.

Kat Koch, President

Updated: October 8, 2023 — 12:58 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

  • September 12th – Agates of US, Canada, and Mexico Last Minute Change in Program!! Tonight, we are looking at cut agates from the US, Canada, and Mexico. This is a beautiful slide presentation. Thank you to Noelle for putting it together at the last minute. Show ‘n Tell: A favorite item from your collection. Surprise us!!

  • October 10th – Opals by Pete Williams Topic: Opal is the birthstone for October. We will show a YouTube video on opal mining. Show ‘n Tell: Precious opal, common opal, or any other material with a play of color.

  • November 14th – CMS Food Drive & Field Trip report of 2024 and what lies ahead for 2025. Don’t forget to bring a food item for our food drive to support the Kent Food Bank.  Our Field Trip Guide, Roger Danneman, will look at 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.

  • 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.

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