President’s Message – March 2023

Presidents Message

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

Our February was another good meeting. Almost 40 members attended, most of which displayed what they make or collect. It was interesting to see everyone’s interests. Plus, I always enjoy these types of meetings as we have the opportunity to talk and visit one another.

We missed our three Young Tumblers, Mason, Bentley, and Jude. I hope we see you at our April meeting, where we have fluorescent rocks and minerals and anything else we can find that change color under black light. We scheduled this meeting as the kids are on a school break, and our young tumblers won’t have to worry about school the next day.

We encourage you to attend our meetings as our club is more than just the field trips. We always try to have an educational and entertaining topic. It’s also an excellent opportunity to visit with each other. Plus,

 get your questions answered if you have a problem cutting or polishing or need a rock or mineral identified. Everyone is welcome to bring guests of any age to our meetings.

So mark your calendars now – our meetings are always the 2nd Thursday of the month except for August and December. August is our annual picnic at Lake Wilderness, and in December, we have our Holiday Dinner and election of officers.

I also want to remind everyone that our show needs volunteers. If anyone is interested in helping, contact Chris Vitellaro. Her contact info is on page 2 of this issue of the Tumbler.

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 March meeting.

Kat Koch, President

Updated: March 4, 2023 — 9:27 am

Presidents Message

  • 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. All of our volunteers always go home with free rocks – and free shop hours! I’ll be spending those three days (Friday, June 26 – our set up day – through Sunday, June 28) at the Silent Auction table, working on raising money for our …

Meeting Announcements

  • Club president Noelle Barnes will present “Rockhounding on the Road – How to Find Rocks Wherever You Are” – tools you can use to find a rockhounding location when you’re on the road, and in places you haven’t been before. Show and Tell: bring a rock or fossil you found outside of Washington (if available) or something that’s just too good not to share.

  • Our own Mike Blanton will bring his expertise to this club meeting program – he will share the tools, tips and tricks he has developed to drill holes in stones and minerals so you can do more with the rocks you find. Show and Tell: bring a rock you’d like to make into something else.

  • Club Wagonmaster and rock shop creator Roger Danneman will present an overview of the new club shop – including equipment, scheduling, stewards, and what you can expect from this exciting new resource.  Show and Tell: bring a rock you want to polish or make into a cabochon (or something you’ve already polished or made)

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