National Speleological Society, Inc.

Attachment D

Operations Vice President's Report
to the
NSS Board of Governors

June 23, 1997

Committee Reports

Office

Camille Duke
manager@caves.org

NSS Bookstore Manager

Jim Hall
623 Larry Pl
Madison AL 35758
73505.1632@compuserve.com

Combined report:

Things continue to move along as scheduled at the office. Orders are being filled on time and renewals are being processed as soon as they are received. Membership cards and new member packages are being sent the day they are entered into the computer. Lois Lyles and I worked together to get the membership information in the correct format for the membership manual. Chris Hudson did a wonderful favor for us by writing a Word macro that would bold members names while leaving all the other information unbolded. Thanks to him, this macro worked on both an IBM compatible computer and Lois's Macintosh. We installed a third line into the office so we now have a dedicated line for the computer system. It has also reduced the problems that Phil and Les were having when they worked on the computer systems via the modem.

We still have not found a solution to putting the family members on the same renewal form as their sponsor but that has not been a hot issue. Our major issue is getting the Chart of Accounts entered into Ledgermaster and starting parallel testing of the system. There have been some minor sags in the conversion with the definition of a department. Bill Stringfellow and I are working the Chart of Accounts and might resort to some conference calling between the two of us and Les Cardwell. We hope to have most of this resolved before the convention. Beth and I have a lot to learn as we finish the final steps in coming live on LedgerMaster.

Our other major project is to install a Novell Network in the office. Due to the large amount of resources needed by both databases, the old Lantasic Network is giving us sharing violations and other weird problems. Luckily, we can avoid the problems at events by using our new laptop computer. The old laptop we were borrowing from Phil Winkler just could not support both databases. In the future, we would like to be able to run multiple computers at convention to decrease the waiting at the cash register.

Jim Hall build four display "cavers" for the bookstore. These flat "board cavers" will be easy to ship and take to our events. Hopefully, they will attract more people into the bookstore and they are great for displaying our new line of T-shirts, polo shirts, and caps. I have been hunting for mannequins for the bookstore for quite some time and have not been able to find something that was portable, fun, and/or affordable. Jim built our four mannequins for around $30.00 and then I then dressed them in jeans and shoes from Goodwill. We have also brought back by popular demand our full sized plastic logo tags. Jim has added "Cave Softly" to a number of our logo items including the plastic tags. Sales were pretty good last year but we are looking for much higher sales figures this year. One way that we plan to achieve this is by added more and different logo items. At last year's OTR and TAG, we solicited ideas of items members would like to purchase. Cave Minerals preorder sales have been great. As of May 29th, we have sold 461 copies. On Rope II sales are going a little slower than we anticipated. I have been getting references and contacts when I find someone who has tried to buy a copy but just could not find anyone who sold it. This has resulted in some sales to rock climbing stores which had been hunting for the publisher of On Rope themselves.

In conclusion, we have no problems to report from the Office or the Bookstore. Things are moving right on schedule. David Anderson and I will be starting on the 97-98 Bookstore catalog in the next few weeks. Every year, the catalog is getting easier and easier to produce due to us keeping last year’s files on diskette.

Archivist

J. Reynolds Duncan Jr.
153 Atria Dr
Toney AL 35773

PLANS: Continue with the review and cataloging of Archives material

PROGRESS: The straight-forward application of the cataloging schema I had developed for database entry developed more exceptions than rules. This required a significant change in the overall cataloging strategy, which still may require modifications as I continue to plow through the material. This is being reported as "progress" since discovering what doesn’t work should lead to eventual forward motion.

PROBLEMS: Not being able to squeeze more than 24 hours out of a day or more than 7 days out of a week.

OVP COMMENTS: The creative process involves a certain amount of fooling around.

Association Management Software Committee

Phil Winkler
816 Washington St
Wilmington DE 19801-1510
72426.1153@compuserve.com

PLANS: I will take a new file server to Huntsville in June. The new server will be Novell rather than Lantastic. My company is donating the 5-user version of Novell 3.11 (Somewhat old, but still very capable).

Continue LedgerMaster deployment with a parallel test.

Initiate MeetingTrak software with newly appointed Convention Membership person.

PROGRESS: The membership database has been running for one year as of May 1997. Numerous enhancements have been added as well as a few bugs ironed out. Addition of a new laser printer has reduced renewal processing time over 400%.

Export of Members Manual data has been completed with help from Chris Hudson in creating a Word macro to bold the names in each listing. This entire process should ease the pain of the MM editor.

LedgerMaster integration continues with establishment of a new Chart of Accounts.

PROBLEMS: Not having enough time to do everything I want to do. (whine,
whine . . .)

Audio-Visual Aids Committee

Paul Stevens
5964 Seabright Rd
Springfield VA 22152
plstevens@aol.com

PLANS: The A/V Library continues to develop new programs.

PROGRESS: I've completed duplicating the "Best of the 197 NSS Slide Salon" and only the title slides remain. Dave Bunnell is working a slide program covering the recent NSS Buda expeditions which should be completed this summer. And of course you are advertising for a new chairman.

OVP COMMENTS: An ad for a new chairman has appeared in the NSS News. There have been no responses.

Cave Files Committee

Richard Blenz
8070 W Eller Rd
Bloomington IN 47403
rblenz@ucs.indiana.edu

PLANS: none

PROGRESS: As usual, nothing to report. Files still here. Still receiving newsletters. See you in Sullivan.

PROBLEMS: none

Internal Organizations Committee

Evelyn Bradshaw
10826 Leavells Rd
Fredericksburg VA 22047-1261
ebradshw@interserf.net

PLANS: I need to complete and mail out new grotto packets to recently chartered grottos (there have been no new charters since the Pittsburgh Board meeting). This time I will make up three or four spare packets so that a few packets will be on hand to issue simultaneously with approval. These packets are the core of a planned I/O Operations Manual. Initially the packet twenty-plus years ago consisted only of guidelines for newsletter editors, authored by Bill Mixon as I/O chair and expanded through a workshop on this topic at one convention. It has grown to the point where it would be more useful if edited and condensed into a loose-leaf booklet. This booklet is not planned for completion before late in 1988, if then. Like the BOG Manual, it needs periodic upgrading.

I also plan to work with Gary Bush on improving the computer programs he designed so that grotto annual reports could be processed on disk and the results could be directly entered on I/O master computer files to provide Members' Manual copy and used in other ways. For instance, the NSS Conservation Chair is considering funding a mailing to grotto conservation contacts.

Another roundtable for I/O representatives is tentatively planned for convention (I have not yet had confirmation of space and time from convention staff). This will probably be open-ended to discuss problems and solutions. Such a roundtable was well received at Salida.

Paperwork for the Congress of Grottos at convention will be done in June. I do not know the current status of the agenda for COG although I understand from the office that an Administrative Memo is now going out and it may have COG news in it (but too late for local consideration prior to convention). My last contact from the COG chair was immediately after the Pittsburgh BOG. I did subsequently submit a possible agenda item to the COG chair to terminate the Congress and replace it with some type of member-wide referendum if the COG does not circulate an early agenda in 1998.

PROGRESS: The final copy for the grotto directory went via email to Lois Bergthold on April 29, 1997. This is the largest segment of Internal Organizations (185). With it went minor textual revision of descriptive material about I/O etc. in introductory section. This clarified that oversight of surveys and sections is by designated committee members, and said that committee members are also available for advice. This has become a major service particularly to grottos. Information about the first two Affinity Groups was sent to Lois 2 or 3 days later. She was a little taken aback by this new expansion of the NSS organizational structure. Time will tell.

A segment of older I/O files was sent to Huntsville, courtesy of Archives Chairman, J. Reynolds Duncan, on his way back from Baltimore where he and wife paid a family and friends visit.

Routine correspondence with grottos and grotto applicants continues.

PROBLEMS: Some light is seen at the end of the tunnel for most of my problems.

A procedure for moving archives to Huntsville has begun. My computer works faster after some enhancements in 1996 and the magic of e-mail improves communication. I had been hampered during the period when grotto reports were coming in because Netscape's arrangement for attachments was not user-friendly but installation of Eudora Pro apparently has resolved that frustration.

A remaining and probably insoluble problem has been how to motivate cavers in all grottos to handle annual reporting in a timely fashion. In the 1996-1997 season they had an extra month in the beginning and two extra months at the end, in addition to the two months they always had. Despite this a small segment of grottos of all kinds (large, small, new, old, organized, disorganized) continues to respond only in the last week or two. Perhaps I should send the first communication about reporting to one or two key persons within the grotto as well as to the official grotto mailing address. Taking that approach near the end of the reporting period did seem to produce results. One person asked in 1997 why grottos were asked for so much information that never appeared in the Members' Manual. I think I will edit my reply to him and ask that it be circulated in the Administrative Memo, as another way to raise awareness of the reporting function among I/Os.

Internet Committee

Joshua Abdulla
2744 Town Dr
Carmel, IN 46032-9749
jabdulla@caves.org

The NSS Internet Committee has two main functions:

Management of all NSS Internet Accounts which include:

nss@caves.org, manager@caves.org, joshua@caves.org, dluckins@caves.org, nssnews@caves.org, nss98@caves.org, ncrc@caves.org, cds@caves.org

Management of the NSS Web Site
· On-line Bookstore
· On-line Audio-Visual Library
· Grotto Search Engine
· Convention Web site (1996 & 1998)
· Membership information

PLANS: Plans for the future include:

· Continuing to update grotto information and links.

· The 1998 NSS Convention Home Page (address: http://www.caves.org/~nss98/) will go on-line at the end of June/beginning of July.

· A shopping cart program in order to make ordering on-line a painless process.

· NSS News and Journal of Cave and Karst Studies web pages.

· Advertising from vendors via the NSS web page in order to make the NSS web site self sustaining.

Currently at least four vendors are interested in participating on the NSS web site as advertisers.

Alex Sproul is our first advertiser. His e-mail is imo@caves.org, and his web site will be up within a month.

PROGRESS: Since the beginning of the year, the NSS web site has been completely revamped in order to create a more professional look and feel. The NSS Web site has been nationally recognized by Netguide Magazine as a 4-star site. We are also listed as one of the best sites in Huntsville, Alabama, by Lycos Cityguide.

Changes include:

· An updated 1997 version of the NSS Bookstore Catalog

· An updated Audio Visual Catalog

· An interactive grotto search engine which allows users to select a state from the NSS home page in order to find local grottos

· An NSS Business Page which includes BOG meeting minutes, agendas, and officer reports

· A new Cave Diving Section and NCRC web site

· Links to the 1997 NSS Convention and 1997 National Cave Management Symposium as well as the NSS News Advertising Web Page (this will be moved to the NSS web site within the next month)

· On-line Membership application

The membership application includes a 1 question quiz about NSS conservation policy. If the question is incorrectly answered, application will not be sent to the NSS office, and instead a browser window will open up with the conservation policy displayed.

· Addition of NSS Awards Home Page.

· The BOG Manual went on line May 19, 1997. It can be found under "NSS Business."

Since the beginning of the year (January 9), the NSS web site has logged the following requests:

· 34 new membership applications (the membership went on-line on March 26, this equates to roughly five new members a week via the NSS web page)

· 44 orders via the on-line bookstore

Total U.S. dollars exchanged: $2,270.20
Orders were received from around the U.S. as well as from Italy, Sweden, Japan, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Denmark, and Singapore

· 26 requests for materials from the AV Library

PROBLEMS: TIME, TIME, TIME! There is much to do and little time in which to do it. The NSS web site will continue to grow and assistance will be needed in order to maintain it. I hope to add a number of skillful volunteers to the committee in order to allow changes to occur in a timely fashion.

Headquarters Facilities Committee

Greg Freese
763 Telephone Tower Rd
Laceys Spring AL 35754
gfreese@bmtc.mindspring.com

no report yet

OVP COMMENTS: I have appointed Urs Widmer our distributor in Europe for NSS-published books under the following conditions:

(1) He may purchase any quantity of NSS-published books from our normal wholesale price list. We will give him an additional 5% off of the listed wholesale prices to compensate for the more expensive shipping to Switzerland.

(2) Urs will pay the shipping costs. We will ship by the least expensive method unless he requests other arrangements.

(3) We will give 30 days credit on all orders.

(4) We will give special credit for books ordered for the International Congress--payment 15 days after the close of the Congress.

(5) Orders or inquiries from other European book dealers will be referred to Urs.

(6) If the NSS Bookstore receives a retail order from an individual (not a dealer) in Europe the bookstore will fill the order.

NSS Library Committee

Jon Smith
Department of English
Drawer E
Mississippi State MS 39762
jon@isis.msstate.edu

PLANS: We plan to continue cataloging as time permits. Jim Hall is cataloging in some of his free time. I will be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Ithaca, New York for most of the summer, so I probably will be unable to do any cataloging till fall. I am reserving several weekends then for that purpose, however. I still plan to offer a tour of the "new" library and its catalog at the Sewanee convention. Making our catalog accessible via the NSS web pages remains a goal we hope to reach in 2 to 2 1/2 years.

PROGRESS: The cataloging software is in. Jim Hall and I have essentially finished cataloging the lending library and have begun cataloging the main library. We have discovered some discrepancies between the Torode card catalog and actual holdings; the problem will be automatically fixed as we proceed. While perhaps 20% of the lending library is not in OCLC, approximately 40% of the main library appears not to be in OCLC. This means we will be able to hold down costs considerably, since every original record gives us a credit equal to about 7 downloaded records. We are working on how to properly upload original records. We cannot get a credit balance, but we may be able to get a very low balance for the year.

PROBLEMS: Uploading is much more time-consuming than downloading and requires more skills. Jim was trained in these skills in Atlanta, but I still need to learn them from him. Uploading is also a trickier business, since the way we enter the data will affect all future records of these books (since other libraries may download our data from OCLC as we've downloaded theirs).

Books need to be properly labeled on their spines, and the current librarian is not fond of the idea.

I don't see either of these as large problems, however, and I think the biggest problems--selecting and acquiring software and training--have been overcome. Now we just need to put in the person-hours to get the library properly cataloged.

Speleo-Museum Committee

Craig Hindman
7600 Pindell School Rd
Fulton MD 20759
tiderman@erols.com

PLANS: There will be a set up at the Convention in the NSS Bookstore.

PROGRESS: Since the last report there has been no activity.

PROBLEMS: None

Photo Archives Committee

Karen Kastning
PO Box 1048
Radford VA 24141-0048
kkastnin@runet.edu

PLANS: To initiate a new database for the photo archives (starting with recent materials and working my way backwards).

PROGRESS: Obtained new software this past month, including: Excel, FilemakerPro, and Adobe PhotoShop (all for Macintosh). These had to be special ordered, so they all just arrived over the last three weeks; therefore, I have not begun "playing" with them.

Also, received some photos anonymously (from the NSS office?, NSS News?) with no return address. Had a note saying to forward to PA per Tom Rea. The photos date from prior to early 1967 as they are published in the NSS News just after that time.

PROBLEMS: None at this time.

OVP COMMENTS: The mystery photos were picked up by me from Jack Stellmack at the Pittsburgh Board meeting and were sent to Karen by the office.