Is there an NSS program you'd like to become involved with? Not every committee position is listed on this web page! Committees nearly always need help and new blood, and often have projects on a list awaiting a volunteer. Contact an appropriate committee chairman or NSS Officer about taking on a project or joining a committee now. This is often how new NSS projects and programs develop and new committees are formed. It is also a part of how the Society remains a dynamic organization.

Click here for the list of Permanent Committees.
Click here to visit the Executive Search Committee
Click here to visit the Nominating Committee

If you enjoy wrangling spreadsheets, have some basic accounting background, and would like to give some time to the society, the NSS Finance Committee needs you. This committee is responsible for reviewing the bookkeeping conducted by the office, conducting month-end and year-end financial procedures, producing financial reports, supporting the annual audit, preparing the annual budget, and tracking the NSS Restricted Funds.
The committee is currently seriously understaffed, and I'd like to add two or three members before the end of the fiscal year. Much of this work is done in Excel. All of it will involve learning about the NSS's accounting system. .
If you're interested in knowing more about these challenging jobs, contact Peri Frantz, NSS Secretary-Treasurer, s-t@caves.org      7/20/06

The Speleo Digest Committee is vested with insuring the annual publication of each year's Speleo Digest. Originally published by the Pittsburgh Grotto from 1956 through 1966, the NSS has published all subsequent editions. Each Speleo Digest, often times a 600 page book, contains selected material from grotto newsletters of a given year. Therefore, this committee collects all the newsletters produced by NSS Internal Organizations for consideration by a volunteer editor or editorial team which is appointed by the Speleo Digest Committee Chairman. The volunteer Editor, in turn, selects material based on entertainment and permanent reference value. Each Speleo Digest volume becomes a valuable potpourri of information on American caves and caving.
The ideal Speleo Digest Committee Chairman candidate is an individual who has managed volunteers to accomplish long-term projects, and can stay within prescribed book publishing guidelines and budgetary constraints, while providing assistance to the editors and managing each books publication. Background information is available at: http://www.caves.org/pub/speleodigest/
To apply, contact NSS Exec. Vice-Pres. Gordon Birkhimer: (home) 703-573-4653, (e-mail) evp@caves.org      5/22/06

The NSS Youth Groups Liaison Committee, under the Department of the Administrative Vice President, Education Division is looking for a number of regional youth group contacts. With this program we hope to encourage leaders of youth groups to contact an NSS regional coordinator for information about caving. This program should lead to a reduction in incidents involving youth groups and will lead to a better awareness in cave safety, ethics, and conservation.

   The duties of the Regional Coordinator are to:

Many cavers complain about poorly equipped and poorly prepared youth groups. Here is your opportunity to do something about it! If interested in becoming a Regional Coordinator please send a brief resume and objectives statement to
Patricia A. Bingham, Chair, NSS Youth Groups Liaison Committee, nssyouth@caves.org      3/4/06

The NSS Board of Directors has placed a priority on developing long-term plans for the Society, to help guide us as our needs and opportunities grow. The Committee's first step was to develop the extensive membership survey, which was posted in February for members to complete. Having accomplished this goal, Dave Luckins, the current chairman, felt that this was a good point to step down.
I am searching for a new chairman of this important committee. The NSS Planning Committee is responsible for leading and facilitating for the Board the development and maintenance of a comprehensive strategic plan for the future of the NSS. The chairman reports directly to the NSS President, and is expected to establish a planning process, obtain assistance as necessary, and lead the Board through the necessary steps. The Planning Chairman will be blazing a trail in new territory for the Society.
A candidate needs to be self-motivated and a good communicator, and be able to work independently, organize tasks, take initiative, explore options available to the Society, work towards goals, and have sufficient time to commit to the project. The Board will supply input and feedback as directed, and meet as necessary for structured planning sessions, however we will look to the Planning Chairman to establish and lead the process. Candidates familiar with strategic planning processes for corporations or non-profits are preferred, but not necessary.
This will be a rewarding position, and a good opportunity to help structure the NSS of the future.

The Society needs your help!
Contact NSS Presideht Bill Tozer, president@caves.org, for more information and to apply.      2/20/06

The NSS Conservation Division would like to add a Volunteer Value Database Manager to its team. If you have database skills and are interested in an contributing time and expertise to the NSS, please read on.
Cavers give more time, labor, and expertise, spend more of their own money, and are recognized, particularly by Federal Agencies, for having more project persistence than any other land-using group in America. A name has been coined all this donated effort: Volunteer Value.
Volunteer Value represents huge contributions to caves on private, state, and federal lands. Cavers give significantly to the protection, exploration, scientific investigation, conservation, and preservation of cave and karst resources, and through the Volunteer Value program this important work is quantified, recorded and recognized.
By assigning dollar values to the time and expertise volunteered, we can assess the value of the work cavers provide to public land managers and private landowners. This documentation can be used for grant application processes, cave management proposals, and karst protection efforts.
Three simple forms have been created for recording caver contributions to cave-related projects, and calculating Volunteer Value. Copies of the forms can accessed electronically through the NSS Web site, www.caves.org . Click on Conservation and then on Volunteer Value.
Now we would like to create a national database to handle volunteer information for inclusion in NSS Biennial Reports, funding applications, and cave protection and management efforts.

If you have expertise and interest in database projects, and would like to play a major role in expanding this program, please contact Jim Werker and Val Hildreth-Werker, NSS Conservation Division Co-Chairs, werks@zianet.com

Nominating Committee Chairman

The Nominating Committee Chairman is responsible for the solicitation of candidates to run for the board of governors and to conduct the annual election.  The position requires someone of high integrity, fairness and dedication.  The chairman must be able to meet deadline.  If interested or you desire more information, contact Bill Tozer, NSS president, at nsstozer@aol.com.

Email your volunteer opportunities (with contact information) to Alex Sproul

Last Updated: April 30, 2008

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