Club Activities

Fun things the club members do together

54th Annual Spring Gem & Mineral Show

Flyer giving information about the gem show

Less than 2 weeks until the big gem show you don’t want to miss! Sponsored by the Greater Kansas City Association of Earth Science Clubs, this is the Spring Gem, Mineral, Jewelry, and Bead Show at the KCI Expo Center. We have over 70 retail and wholesale dealers, educational exhibits from KU and other local universities, lectures, demonstrations, a dinosaur puppet show, door prizes, and scholarships. We (the Show-Me Rockhounds) are working hard on our displays and things to sell, but you’ll have to come to the show to see what we have! For more information on the event and a coupon, go to www.kcgemshow.org

IGAMS Christmas Party

At the IGAMS Christmas Party, there was a potluck dinner and a White Elephant gift exchange.

Adults and a few children eating dinner in a school cafeteria.

Photo by Stephanie Reed

We love the mineral specimens on your shirt.

Three rockhounds smiling for the camera. One is wearing a shirt with rocks on it.

Photo by Stephanie Reed

Everyone in a circle preparing for the White Elephant Gift Exchange.

Lots of people sitting in a circle around a table full of wrapped gifts.

Photo by Stephanie Reed

You could have received one of these! The gifts included rocks, wire wrapped necklaces, shark teeth, books about rocks, a hammer, a can of beans, calendars, and much more. Perhaps you’ll join us next year.

A table full of wrapped gifts.

Photo by Stephanie Reed

Fall Gem and Mineral Show in KC
Two men holding rocks and standing in front of a table covered in boxes of colorful crystals. Behind them is a sign that reads,

Photo by Stephanie Reed

We had a great time selling rocks at the 36th Annual Shows of Integrity Fall Gem & Mineral Show in Kansas City!  If you missed it, mark your calendar now for the spring show on March 13-15, 2015 (same location, the KCI Expo Center).  It will be even bigger!

A smiling young woman sitting behind a large wooden spinner with eight sections. She is wearing an ammonite necklace and a shirt proclaiming that the Kansas City Gem and Mineral Show

Photo by D. Reed

When you spin our wheel, every spin is guaranteed to win a prize. This year, the prizes included turquoise, shark teeth, and Apache tears.

A group of 5 rock collectors who just finished packing up the show materials and cleaning up after the event ended.

Photo by Stephanie Reed

Some of the rockhounds who helped set up and run the booth.

Spying on IGAMS

We had loads of fun spying on the IGAMS (Independence Gem And Mineral Society) meeting to see what other rock clubs are up to.  After all, there’s no rule against being in more than one club.  We enjoyed seeing people’s rocks (Bruce had some nice loot from the Denver gem show), seeing our fellow rockhounds who we usually only see on special occasions, and listening to Mark Sherwood’s presentation on 3D printing.  They also had great snacks.  Meeting in a library is seriously limiting our snacking potential.

A man giving a presentation while standing next to a projector and a 3D printer.

Photo by Stephanie Reed

Mark Sherwood, the president of IGAMS, gave a presentation on 3D printing. He was printing out crystal models, just like the old wooden crystal models you sometimes see in museums.

About 15 people sitting or standing, looking at rocks and talking to one another.

Photo by Stephanie Reed

Rockhounds looking at each other’s rocks.