We Enjoy Our Membership
INFORMATION
SHARING
LEARNING
GIVING
COMRADERIE
Our meetings are generally relaxed and fun. We start with a short business meeting followed by a show and tell period and a program of some sort. We also have treats and a door prize at all our meetings. We love to have visitors, including young folks. Guests are always included in our door prize drawing and often get to go home with the spoils. Even though we do not have a separate Junior Club, our meetings are geared to more hands on activities to help keep our youth interested and engaged. We also try to have separate Junior meetings to accommodate the interests of our Future Rockhounds.
Come join us!
Junior Field Trip Checking out a rock pile.
Learning is fun when we make it a game.
Honoring our Members
Our 2024 Rockhound of the Year
President, Doug, showing off his award
Hatrockhound Gem and Mineral Society recognizes Doug Gill as their 2024 American Federation Rockhound of the Year. Doug has been a faithful member for a number of years. He had served as President, and after taking care of some medical issues, he volunteered to return to the position. He is now on his second successive two year term. Doug has become the Chair of our annual club show silent auction, running everything smoothly and gradually increasing our realized income. He went into this year’s auction with a bit of apprehension. Our club was hosting the NFMS Show and, because the Federation was in charge of running the auction and gathering supplies, the proceeds would go to them. As it turned out, the Federation Chair was in need of some workers. Doug volunteered and learned that “the Federation” (of which we are all a part) was full of “some pretty nice guys”. In Doug’s words, “Those guys are all right!” Not only has Doug been a great help; this year he learned firsthand about who our Federation really is. Thanks, Doug, for your steadfastness and continued support. Submitted by Executive Committee
Come Join Us
If you are interested in our little club and would like to find out more about us, please come visit us at one of our meetings. We meet the second Tuesday of the month at the First Christian Church, 775 West Highland Avenue, Hermiston, Oregon. Our meetings start at 6:30 pm. Go to the back of the church all the way around to the social hall (the double doors to the left). If you decide you like what you experience, we would love to have you come join our midst. Our dues are $12 per person, $20 for a couple or $25 for a family per year.
We host a yearly gem and mineral show at which you can volunteer, meet lots of fellow rockhounds and have great fun. You will also receive a monthly newsletter, have the opportunity to learn and take part in all our activities and automatically become a part of the Northwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies (NFMS) and American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS).
The NFMS is a collection of rock clubs in Montana, Washington, Idaho, Alaska, Oregon and part of Utah. There are over 5000 members. Host clubs put on a yearly Federation Show and Convention. (Hatrockhounds hosted the show in 2014.) Each club has representation at the Federation level in the form of a Director and/or a Delegate. The Federation helps give unity and exposure to rock hobbyists. Taking advantage of the opportunities through the NFMS can be very rewarding.
The AFMS is a blanket of seven Federations across the United States. Together, they make up a united group of individuals who believe in having the opportunities to enjoy our public lands and pursue our hobby. The AFMS gives unity to our entire country of rock and fossil enthusiasts.
Officers
President: Doug Gill
Vice-President: Mike Filarski
Secretary: Jessica Millard
Treasurer: Mel Lambert
Members at Large: Louise Lambert and Laura Tiffany