November Board Meeting Minutes
Monday, November 3, 2025 Board Meeting Minutes
6 pm, Ferndale, WA
Attending: Harold, Dave S., Gordy, Todd, Candi, Deb, Michael L., Wes, Ralph, Trevor
Meeting called to order by President Michael Langley. Today is the 5-year anniversary of our store at Bellis Fair Mall!
Secretary Report: Nothing to report
Treasurer Report: 49 new memberships + renewals in October. Deposit made at WECU, expenses include tool/rock acquisition. including 10″ trim saw, and 18″ oil saw which are both currently available. RRR was fully funded, pebble pamphlets purchased. Fees for next year at Pavilion paid. Members picked up 120 more milk crates . Thunder Egg purchase. $240 in lap room fees collected.
Auction was a success, netting nearly $1800 for scholarship program, club. Thank you to all who donated and participated!
Lapidary Report: no lap room last Thursday of November + month of December. 3 more tumblers ordered for mall holiday season. Looked into alternative trim saw options, prefer water over oil due to enclosed space/clean up.
Big thanks and kudos to everyone who helped with the pick up of our large acquisition. We appreciate you!
2026 Show: Need more tables, at least 2 x 8′, 2 x 6′. Todd notes that QR code from last year’s collateral is still good for next years flyers. Good to go on tumbled rocks, have 150 critters made. Discussion about silent auction table for show.
November general meeting will include a micro mount presentation by Wes Gannaway.
Ralph – thank you for the use of your karaoke machine at the October auction, should we try at next meeting?
November newsletter coming out soon, thanks Jonathan!
Mineral Council Field Trip: 11/08 – Blanchard Hill for stilpnomelane (dalmatian stone) More info HERE.
Todd RE: scholarships at WWU. Reached out last spring to ask about fund vs. direct check, no answer. Have put in a new inquiry through scholarship portal on website, still waiting for clarification. So far, business as usual for 2026 scholarship.
New Business: may need more milk crates for the 40+ boxes of raw material and slabs at the Gerard’s. Lots of obsidian, pet wood, and “leaverites.” Discussed a second Conex for club storage. Motion made, voted, and passed to check pricing on a second unit. Thank you Gordy, for dealing with Parberry’s on this.
Mall Shop: Holiday hours are coming soon. Discussed vendor of the month idea. Still need volunteers for busy season. Todd suggested gathering photos for a moving slide show during break at upcoming meeting.
11/17 Vendor meeting at 6 pm, at Pioneer Pavilion, prior to general meeting. Show ‘n’ Tell: rock you purchased at a show in 2025.
Motion made to purchase new 10″ trim saw, voted, and passed.
Meeting adjourned.
Minutes submitted by Trevor Duncan.
August 2025 General Meeting Minutes
8/18/25 MBRGC General Meeting Minutes
7 pm, Pioneer Pavilion, Ferndale, WA
Meeting called to order by President, Michael Langley. Reminder, our September meeting will include a gem ID presentation by Candi G. (we will still do a show ‘n’ tell).
October: annual auction
Picnic @ the Gerard’s, Sunday, August 24th.
Jonathan Syltie, a member, has volunteered to do our newsletter. He has a lot of experience, and we can’t wait to see what he shares with us in Fall!
Raffle: guests, Derek, Ken & Lynn. Members: Carter, Gordy, Mary, Elizabeth (x2), Steve L., Shelly. Congrats to the winners.
Secretary Report: Nothing to report
Treasurer Report: slow month, 6 checks written. Income outweighed expenses, including books sales, silent auction revenue, 7 new memberships. Largest expense: Insurance premium.
Federation: Upcoming show in Wala Wala, WA. Theme: Petrified Wood
Lapidary: All is well, could use a new 6″ blade – we are using the last used one now.
March 2026 show: critter making party – 50 were made, please donate rocks, tumbles, etc. for kids prizes. Thank you to all who have volunteered your time and efforts so far. There will be another critter session in September at the mall.
We need a volunteer to run the kitchen during the March show; to keep coffee & snacks supplied, area tidy, etc.
Volunteers are needed to head up each show committee. Please inquire with an officer, or at the mall if you are interested.
2025 Field Trips:
September 6/7th – overnight @ Red Top, must be member of mineral council for $15 fee.
September 20th: Little Naches for Fossils, Lilly pad Jasper, Thunder Eggs
MORE INFO HERE <—- please bookmark the page.
Local Field Trips:
Saturday October 4, 2025 – Baker Lake, Swift Creek for Baker Blues – see separate email or Facebook for details
Saturday, October 18, 2025 – ADVANCED SKILL LEVEL – Swift Creek Trail for Baker Blues, Jasper
Must be an adult member, and sign a liability waiver to participate
<Break>
Show ‘n’ tell
Minutes submitted by club secretary, Trevor Duncan.
May General Meeting Minutes
MBRGC General Meeting, 5/19/25
Meeting called to order by President Michael Langley at 7:10 am
Raffle, congrats to guest Gayle!
Members: Sophia, Judy, Walt, Suzanne, Bruce W, Chris H, Ilex, Ray, Trevor
June meeting = John L. Presenting about minerals collected on western digs. Any member can present their topic at a future meeting, contact Michael if interested.
Secretary Report: Polka Dot Agate mine in OR closing down indefinitely in July. Two more moonlight dig dates, go check it out while you still can! (They don’t have a website, but can be found on Facebook for updates and dig times.) Trevor is also interested in stepping down, so if anyone is willing to take over the role of Secretary, it would be greatly appreciated. (Thank you, Tawnya, for volunteering. I look forward to transitioning the role to you soon.)
Treasurer Report: April was a good month, we made a substantial deposit at WECU. New members are still signing up regularly. Silent auction funds go straight to the club.
RRR: September 27/28 two-day event. Members only may register as a vendor for $30 – 100 depending on one or two spaces, for one or two days. This event is open to the public, so a great opportunity to get your stuff out there. ~25/ 40 spaces are reserved, so be sure to swing by the mall or sign up at the next meeting to secure your spot. Mike Marsh and Ralph Sisco are coordinators, see either of them for questions. Please remember, sales are limited to rocks and rock-related items only (tools, equipment, etc.)
Federation: Wala Wala WA show first weekend of September; tentatively Mike will attend. Minutes are available by request.
Info booth for Pioneer Days in July, need four (4) volunteers to man our booth, set up displays, sell books & memberships, etc. Dates are July 25th & 26th. This is a great way to spread the word about our club, please consider volunteering.
Mineral Council Field Trips: 05/31 – Walt Bailey Trail for rainbow chert
06/21 – Saddle Mt for pertrified wood
07/26 – Lake Wenatchee for garnets
08/16 & 17 – Greenwater area for agate, jasper, and opal
More info HERE:
| Washington State Mineral Council 2025 Field Trips List updated 04/03/25. Next Trips: 05/10 – Racehorse Creek for fossils and morel mushrooms 05/24 – Wild Turkey mine for Noble serpentine mineralcouncil.wordpress.com |
Lapidary: all is well, 12″ saw needs new window gasket.
Local Field Trips: Thank you, Tawnya C for leading the family-friendly outing at Semiahmoo on the 3rd! If another member is willing to host a field trip, the club will pay $50 stipend for Whatcom & Skagit County, or $75 for Snohomish and beyond. Areas of interest include Walker Valley, Ellensburg, Nooksack, etc.
<break>
Candi G gave a pictorial and anecdotal presentation about the riverbeds, roads, fields, streams and creek beds of the Yellowstone River in Montana. Interestingly, this is a river that flows north and is 670 miles long. It is considered a free-flowing river as it has no dams.
Thank you to everyone that made it to the meeting, we hope to see you at the next one, Monday, June 16th at 7 pm in Ferndale. The show n tell theme will be Pearl, Alexandrite, Moonstone (or any other stone you’d like to share.)
Minutes submitted by secretary Trevor Duncan
May Board Meeting Minutes
MBRGC Board Meeting, Monday, May 5, 2025
Secretary Report: Baker Lake agate hunting season has closed, the water is as high as the highest plateau now.
Treasurer: Deposit made at WECU in April, 12 new memberships. Discussion about CD purchase from WECU. Insurance Premium payment is coming up. Elizabeth has been training on mall payroll to serve as a backup. Thank you, Elizabeth!
Speculative conversation about Bellis Fair, economy, other stores closing.
Federation: Expenses to attend show in Walla Walla ~$750 for the weekend, including two nights in a hotel, etc.
Lapidary: Bad motor/ arbor has been replaced on our donated machine, which seemed to have rust and water damage inside the original motor.
Show Report: vendors at Everett show still praising our success and record turn out. Other shows over saturated with vendors. Some Everett vendors reporting 40% decrease in sales. Final count for attendance was sadly not captured, though we sold through 2000 raffle tickets! Takeaways for next year: need more critters/ kids prizes. Need to include verbiage about table capacity in contract for next year.
Upcoming meetings:
May = Candi Yellowstone presentation
June = John L. western rockhounding presentation
July = ??? (feel free to let Michael know if you want to present on a topic)
Old Business: Todd > Scholarships > most apps past deadline > spoke to geology department at WWU > scholarship portal w/ deadline in April. Is it worth collecting 5-10 apps annually, or letting the school/ department handle the funds? In this case, school would determine who and when they get the funds.
New Business: Big sale on Saturday, May 10th @ Candi & Gordy’s. Thank you to Dave, Karen, Judy, and Walt for your help with pricing and arranging the extensive collection. This initial sale will be 25% off for members (and is open to members only.) Gordy also offering 25% off his inventory.
There will be a second-chance sale also at the Gerard’s on Saturday, May 31st. 10 am. Location: 1371 Paradise Rd., Ferndale, WA 98248
<discussion> RE: Picnic in August, location, logistics. Candi and Gordy leave down for Yellowstone trip on 8/1. Tracy wants to power wash our stones. Also discussed cups, mugs, shirts, coasters, etc. promotional products available from a nearby vendor at the mall.
RRR: Folks can now secure their table by swinging by the mall shop, or sign ups will be available at our next meeting on Monday, May 19th. The cost is $30/table for one day, or $50/ table for two-days. Or $60 for two tables for one day, or $100 for two tables for both days. Payment is required via cash or check at time of reserving. There are ~28/40 tables left to reserve.
Further discussion about possible Burke Museum trip, including fees, transportation, etc.
May show ‘n’ tell theme: Anything goes; please bring your favorite rock or mineral to share with the group.
Meeting adjourned.
minutes submitted by secretary, Trevor Duncan.
March Board Meeting Minutes
3/3/25 MBRGC Board Meeting
Portal Creek Clubhouse, Ferndale, WA
Secretary Report: tech issues with email, WordPress. Stu Duerson tumbler offer, confirmation of food vendor for March show.
Treasurer Report: strong month in February! Income: memberships, classes, lap room, club sales. CD still not purchased at WECU. Time for an audit.
Federation: No clarification of correct date for Wala Wala, WA conference.
Lapidary: Thursdays booking up at the mall, classes full through June. We are running low on oil, can get Mineral Oil for $50/ 5 gal bucket.
Gordy made a motion to purchase rock tumblers from Stu for $500. Voted, passed. Gordy will follow up with Stu to complete purchase.
2025 Show: all vendors but one has finished paying for their space. Last year we had 18 display cases. Discussion about food vendors – Chow Gourmet Hotdogs will be joining us again. Ralph Sisco will provide security for the show. 66 critters were made, thank you to everyone who helped! Dave D. from gold panning association not sure if he can attend, will know within 1-2 weeks.
Last year, we provided pizza for the set up crew. Proposal of a “vendors only” area with coffee, refreshments, etc. Sharon has generously offered sloppy joes again for volunteers. Can we buy a large coffee carafe?
Scholarships: 2 applications received. Vote was held, and one scholarship will be awarded to Kylie McDonald. Trevor will notify winner.
Discussion surrounding Signup Genius app user error vs. system limitations. (Not smartphone friendly.)
Advertising for Show: Whatcom News website options discussed, Cascadia daily, Bellingham Craigslist, Libraries, Facebook, Social Media, Bellingham Herald, Next Door, Reddit. Social Media budget of $400 motioned, voted, and approved. We will experiment between local and Seattle campaigns.
RRR: 1-day vs. 2-day event. Club has already paid for one day, Saturday 9/27, as well as Friday for set up. Entry fee for 1 or 2 days would cover additional costs. In a mini survey of past participants, 20 people were interested in 2-days. Two day participants would be around the perimeter, one day participants in the center (to minimize impact when they leave.) Motion was made, voted, and passed to hold a 2-day event for RRR in September.
Show ‘n’ tell for March: Green, or Emerald stones. Terry S. will present about gold at the April meeting (rescheduled from February.)
minutes submitted by secretary, Trevor Duncan
February General Meeting Minutes
for the club’s March rock and gem show. Using this application will produce email reminders
of your signups, let others see where vacancies exist, and help the show chairpersons as they organize the event. Although the signup form has numerical limits for each task, don’t think that you can’t help out if a task is “full”. You can sign up as an Alternate for tasks during the show and fill in where needed.
January General Meeting Minutes
1/20/25 MBRGC General Meeting
7 pm, Pioneer Pavilion, Ferndale, WA
Meeting called to order by President Michael Langley. He addressed the club and told us about the desire to increase attendance and participation so that “10% are not doing 90% of work.”
Raffle: Wanda, Elliot, Ken were our guests and are all winners, congrats! Gretchen, Steven are new members who also took away a prize. Melody won a $25 club gift certificate for our mall store.
Secretary Report (Trevor): shared info about upcoming shows in the area. Shared the phone number to the mall shop: 564-565-0840, which should be used to inform of last-minute cancellations, etc. PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL THE CLUB FOR REAL-TIME INQUIRIES OR UPDATES, AS IT MAY NOT BE SEEN IN TIME. PLEASE CALL THE STORE TO SPEAK TO A VOLUNTEER.
Treasurer (Ralph): went over income and expenses for December. Discussed possible 2-day RRR event in September. 2024 was a good year for the club, it was our best RRR to date. Thank you in advance for helping to spread the word about our show. In 2024, the club purchased (3) 8″ Cabking machines, and one was donated for a total of (4) new 8″ machines in the lap room.
Federation (Mike): Updates are now made online, printed newsletter being discontinued. Next annual show is in Wala Wala, WA.
If you are interested in purchasing tools or equipment from Kingsley North, please use our affiliate link on the website HERE, (which gives the club credit for the referral.)
Upcoming mineral council field trips:
https://mineralcouncil.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/fieldtrips_2025.pdf which can be found HERE.
02/22 – Cedar Ponds for jasper and fossils
03/08 – Cherry Creek for jasper
04/12 – Saddle Mt for petrified wood
05/10 – Racehorse Creek for fossils and morel mushrooms
05/24 – Wild Turkey mine for Noble serpentine
Local Field Trips: TBD, club offers a $50 stipend to members who host a field trip within Whatcom or Skagit Counties. (Local trips are members-only for liability/insurance purposes.)
2025 Show Chair Update (Candi):
- The show is coming up FAST! Online volunteer sign-ups coming soon, Todd will have more info about Sign-up Genius at our next meeting, as well as below… In the meantime, volunteers can sign up on the clipboards at the next meeting. Stations that need volunteers: Silent Auction, Spinning Wheel, Raffle Tix, Load/unload truck, Door Greeters, Club Sales, etc.
- We also need more tumbled rocks / painted rocks / rock “critters” for the kids prizes. The club will purchase some higher-end prizes to incent raffle ticket sales.
- For load/unload: Meet at the Gerard’s at 9 am Friday, March 28. Load into UHAUL tables, rocks, equipment etc. to bring to the Pavilion. Unloading will happen Monday, March 31st.
- Adult and kid silent auctions approximately every 15 minutes.
- Display cases – 20-25 will need to be filled. We will provide a demonstration at the March meeting.
“Please use the SignUpGenius application to add/modify/delete your volunteering schedule for the club’s March rock and gem show. Using this application will produce email reminders of your signups, let others see where vacancies exist, and help the show chairpersons as they organize the event. Although the signup form has numerical limits for each task, don’t think that you can’t help out if a task is “full”. You can sign up as an Alternate for tasks during the show and fill in where needed. Some tasks, like Welcome Table and Club Sales, can benefit from more than two volunteers during the busiest times. Having lots of hands for the set-up and tear-down tasks are essential.
Go to the SignUpGenius form at Rock & Gem Show 2025 to sign up with your name, email address, and optionally your phone number.
If you signed up on the paper sheets at the January meeting, please go to the application and enter your slots so that no one else gets them.”
Matt Sisco gave a brief presentation about the Wild Turkey Serpentine Mine in Valley, WA. Thanks, Matt!
<Break, snacks>
Show ‘n’ tell: Members shared examples of their favorite fossil or mineral.
Theme for February, 17 meeting: Amethyst or Quartz
minutes submitted by Trevor Duncan, club secretary
January Board Meeting Minutes
01/06/25 MBRGC Board Meeting, Portal Creek Clubhouse, Ferndale, WA
Attending: Harold, Wes, Candi, Gordy, Michael, Ralph, Trevor, Dave, Mike
Meeting called to order by President Michael Langley at 6 pm.
Secretary Report (Trevor): Need to update membership roster with AMFS (thanks for info Mike M.)
Proposal RE: cell phone minutes for phone at mall – renew for 365 days @ $99.99 vs. $19.99 quarterly – motion made, voted, passed, granted.
Special thanks to Candi Gerard, former president, for your 8+ dedicated years served on our board. We appreciate you!
Treasurers Report (Ralph): expenses vs. income report. Income outweighed expenses, 29 memberships (new + renewals).
WECU CD – need to update names at bank in order to proceed.
Federation (Mike): request to update name in database from Michael L. to Mike M.
The next annual retreat is in Walla Walla, WA. Discussed option of $35/ 1/4 page ad for show on Federation website.
Lapidary Room (Gordy): lots of Thundereggs cut in December, thought the lap room was closed the month of December.
<discussion> RE: Budget and advertising for March show. Option of Whatcom News online for under $100/month.
Show Chair (Candi): Clarification of raffle rules, break down of costs from 2024 show to help formulate budget.
Mall Report (Ralph): December was very robust in sales, especially the last week leading up to Christmas holiday.
RRR – Mike/ Ralph: discussion of pros & cons of one day event vs. two – will reach out to past participants to get their opinion. Fee for 2025 RRR will be $40/ vendor space. Will determine a date and follow up with COF (City of Ferndale) RE: Pavilion availability.
WA Mineral Council: 2025 field trips published! More info here: https://mineralcouncil.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/fieldtrips_2025.pdf
<discussion> should Gordy bring more milk crates to next meeting? Pebble foldouts ordered for mall store. Shared ideas about how to increase club member participation and provide incentives for coming to meetings. Motion to award a $25 store gift certificate at monthly meetings, with raffle. Motion made, voted, passed, granted.
Old & New Business: WPA member Dave D. willing to demonstrate gold panning at show if available that weekend.
Michael & Harold attended a Marysville club meeting, which had 120+ participants, served dinner, hosted a silent auction, etc.
January Show ‘n’ tell: Fossils or a Thumbnail specimen (~1″ or less). Matt & Ralph Sisco to present RE: Wild Turkey mine or Fossil Fish.
February > Terry Steinborn to present about gold formations.
March > “how to fill up a show case”
April > Candi shares about Yellowstone minerals
Future trip to Rice Museum? Summertime – group rates? Collect fund$ for bus charter, club to subsidize cost of museum entry ($22/ person.)
Meeting adjourned. Minutes submitted by Trevor Duncan, club secretary.
December Board Meeting Minutes
Monday, December 2, 2024. MBRGC Board Meeting
6 pm – Ferndale, Portal Way Clubhouse. In attendance: Deb, We, Candi, Gordy, Harold, Michael, Ralph, Bruce, Trevor, Mike M. Todd, Bonnie
Meeting called to order by president Candi Gerard
Secretary Report: Thanks Mike M, I will be sending out mailers with flyers for the show next week.
Treasurer Report: 26 new/renewing memberships, classes, club sales, silent auction. Another positive month with a deposit made at WECU!
Membership: renewing members are down from this time last year.
Federation: Updating contact info, switching from Michael L. to Mike M. The Blanchard Mt. trip was a success on November 23, the weather held at about
50 degrees. The cut was discovered 36 years ago, making it harder to find crystalized stilpnomelane specimens.
Mineral Council: nothing reported
Lap Room: Closed for December, as mall retail traffic picks up. There are 2 intro classes in January, next class is on December 10th. Discussed raising up
two machines by ~4″ for taller members.
<LAP ROOM CLOSED IN DECEMBER>
Mall Report: pretty good week with increasing number of sales. We hope things will continue to pick up. Discussed holiday decorations.
ATM for show – $200 max withdrawal, $3.50/withdrawal fee. Can do multiple withdrawals up to your bank or card limit..
New/Old Business: Danielle @ City Hall reached out regarding a $50 discrepancy on check written in December 2023. Ralph will clear the books and replace $50 if needed.
Todd: new business; proposal to increase the $1000 scholarship to catch up with inflation. Proposal was made, seconded, voted, and passed to raise minimum to $1500/ recipient.
Our new board will be installed at the December holiday party. Bonnie is taking care of decorations, Ralph and Mike are coordinating food.
Action items: send out an email about the holiday meeting (completed).
December meeting: Fried chicken and ham are provided. Cups, plates, cutlery, napkins, coffee, and water are provided. The rest is potluck style. Bring a side, pasta, salad, etc. BYOB (NON-AOCOHOLIC.)
Gift exchange: up to $15 value, please mark masculine/feminine/inisex. Please bring a gift to open a gift, the exchange is completely voluntary.
Gordy needs help with rock cleanup by the Conex. Work party proposed Sunday, December 8th at 10:30 am, weather dependent.
Remaining Mall Holiday hours:
Monday, 12/16 – Saturday, 12/21 10am – 9pm
Sunday, 12/22 10am – 8pm
Monday, 12/23 10am – 9pm
Tuesday, 12/24 10am – 6pm
Wednesday, 12/25 (Christmas) CLOSED
Thursday, 12/26 regular mall hours resume
Gold panners at the 2025 Show? Have Chad reach out for contact names.
Taxes/CD any conflict? Need to update authorized users of WECU bank account with change in board. Ralph, Michael, Wes.
Let’s send a big thank you to Candi Gerard for her most recent 6 years of service as club President. Candi, you ROCK!!!
minutes submitted by Trevor Duncan, club secretary.
