WAMS meeting minutes for November 7, 2023
A meeting of the Washington Agate and Mineral Society (WAMS) was called to order by club President Jim Sachet at the First Baptist Church of Lacey on Tuesday, November 7 at 6:30 PM.
There were 21 people present for the meeting.
The President began the meeting by having the four newcomers introduce themselves, then he went over the agenda for night.
- Old business
- Silent auction
- Rock presentation
- Kids program (did not apply tonight as the kids program coordinator was not present)
- Field trip coordinator introduction and instructions
- Show & tell
- Refreshments/silent auction ends
- New business
- Announcements
Old Business:
- The field trip coordinator was officially announced and introduced to the club. Sandy Skill volunteered as field trip coordinator and was given the first aid bag.
- We are still working on the best solution for communications between club members, club officers and members, and club officers. There are several options, Facebook, InstaGram, Discord, and email. Communication is key to keeping everyone informed.
- We agreed the club name should always include Olympia after WAMS to avoid any conflicts with the Willamette club in Oregon that goes by the same name WAMS.
- Membership dues are due by January the 1st, and they have increased to $15 for a single person and $25 for a family. We went over the benefits of being a member, tote bags, membership card, club discounts on club rocks, field trips, etc.
New Business:
- Club President will send out a member survey before the end of this year
Rock presentation:
Jack Graham’s presentation was about obsidian. He started with a cautionary note of the dangers of handling it because it is very sharp. Always use gloves. He talked about the history of its uses by the ancient cultures and Native Americans. It was used to make weapons and to hunt with. People are still making arrowheads out of obsidian as a hobby today called flint knapping. Jack then discussed the many varieties of obsidian and where they can be found. One of the more prominent areas in the Pacific Northwest is the Glass Buttes in Oregon. There you will find rainbow, fire, lace, silver sheen, gold sheen, mahogany, red, black, and snowflake obsidian. He then went into some of the details on using it in lapidary, how to cut it to bring out the colors, and how to polish it. There were questions and answers at the end of the talk.
Announcements:
- The club webmaster is stepping down in January and we need a replacement. There was some interest in the position from one of the members. More to follow.
- Holiday party in December will be a pot luck with the club buying the main food item. There will be an anonymous gift exchange and show & tell.
- There will be a DES rock auction on November 15th at the rotunda of the Natural Resources building starting at 9:00 AM.
Break: ten minutes for refreshments and social time.
Show & Tell:
- Al brought brecciated jasper that had great patterns and agate when cut. Becky talked about her trip to Japan and the time she spent at the hot springs and how beneficial they are. Jerry explained how Nevada petrified wood became opalized and how he collected some of it and cut it to reveal the brightest play of colors. He also had petrified wood from Wyoming, and concretions from Porter. Tom displayed obsidian arrowheads and tools made from flint knapping and some that were actual artifacts. He explained how the obsidian differed from one location to another.
The silent auction ended and winners paid for their items.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 PM