NSS members are urged to review this agenda and provide comments to the individual making the motion or to any member of the Board of Governors. Addresses for Board members may be found in the Members Manual on page 171. E-mail addresses for those Board members with e-mail will be found at the end of this agenda. Parenthetical comments are shown in this agenda (in smaller type) to assist the reader in understanding events and motions. Most of these comments are deleted in the Final Agenda.
During the Salida meeting, a member approached Fred Wefer with the suggestion that Board meetings would be easier to understand if someone explained what was going to happen before the meeting started. What a good idea. So, the President will have a short review while Board members are taking their seats. Expected duration--5 minutes.
Convention Deficiencies
Wilson Moves: All person(s) making convention proposals should clearly identify any known deficiency in their proposal from the standards established in these acts, the Convention Planning Guide, and significant traditions. The Chairman of the Convention Planning Committee shall immediately report subsequent deficiencies to the Administrative Vice President. The Administrative Vice President will inform the Board of Governors of any significant and uncorrected deficiencies.
Fall 1997 Board Meeting
Luckins Moves: The Fall 1997 Board meeting will be held in the Albany, New York area on October 5, 1997.
1. Meeting notice
Luckins moves: Act 03-171 is deleted.
2. Secretary to the Board
Luckins Moves: Vincent Kappler is appointed as Secretary to the Board.
3. Fund Raising Committee Chairman
Luckins Moves: Greg Glazner is appointed as Fund Raising Committee Chairman.
4. Members Manual Editor
Wefer Moves: Lois Bergthold is appointed as Editor of the NSS Members Manual.
5. Safety and Techniques Committee Chairman
Wilson Moves: Bill Cuddington is appointed as Safety and Techniques Committee Chairman.
6. 1999 NSS Convention
Wilson Moves: The 1999 NSS Convention will be held near Twin Falls Idaho, in late June or early July 1999. Dave Kesner is appointed Convention Chairman and Mike Backe is appointed Convention Co-Chairmen.
7. Volunteer Resource Committee
Wilson Moves: Act 40-514 is amended to read:
The Volunteer Resource Committee is established in the Department of the Operations Vice President for the purpose of finding candidates appropriately qualified to fill NSS positions. This committee is responsible for developing a database of those who are interested in volunteering for NSS Positions and describing their qualifications. A data gathering or update from may be included in one of the annual mailings to the membership to solicit volunteers with special interest or expertise.
Closed Session of the Directorate to elect the Secretary/Treasurer-elect and other business
Closed Session of the Board of Governors
8. Cave Acquisition Policy
Wilson Moves: Act 26-335, Cave Acquisition Policy, is rescinded.
9. NSS Caves Committee
Wilson Moves: The NSS Caves Committee is established in the department of the Administrative Vice President. This committee shall manage all caves and karst lands owned by the NSS. All cave management committees established to manage NSS owned cave and karst properties and NSS Cave Preserves shall report to this committee. Caves owned, leased, or otherwise controlled by the NSS may be designated Cave Preserves of the NSS by the Administrative Vice President. All Society cave properties shall be managed in such a way as to minimize the Society's liability in case of accident. Specifically, all caves shall be managed in such ways as to qualify under state or local landowner liability exemption laws; to legally define unauthorized visitors as trespassers under local law; and to inform authorized visitors of the hazardous nature of the cave by requiring them to sign a liability release.
10. NSS Cave and Karst Acquisition Committee
Wilson Moves: The NSS Cave and Karst Acquisition Committee is established in the department of the Administrative Vice President. This committee shall develop criteria for determining if a cave or karst land is suitable for ownership by the NSS, an NSS internal organization, or another responsible cave-interested group. The committee shall also determine whether cave acquisition assistance from the NSS to other qualified persons or groups interested in obtaining cave or karst lands is needed for those properties meeting the suitability criteria. Cave acquisition is defined as acquiring control of a cave or karst land by purchase, lease, easement, donation, or other contractual means. This committee shall study and make recommendations to the Board on proposals to acquire or manage new cave or karst properties and shall work with Conservancies and other cave-interested groups to actively to actively seek to identify caves suitable for acquisition.
11. Appendix L--Guidelines for the Acquisition of Cave Properties by the National Speleological Society.
Wilson Moves: Appendix L is amended by replacing every occurrence of "Cave Ownership and Management Committee" with "Cave and Karst Acquisition Committee," delete the restatement of the two Board acts cited, and delete the first five words of next paragraph.
12. Cave Conservancies Committee
Wilson Moves: The Cave Conservancies Committee is established in the department of the Administrative Vice President to encourage all cave Conservancies and other persons and groups responsibly managing cave(s) to affiliate with the NSS. This committee will be proactive in promoting the NSS to Conservancies and other cave owners, as the major cave organization for providing cave management information, expertise and assistance. Cave managing organizations or persons may affiliate with the NSS as a conservancy by agreeing with the purposes of the NSS and applying in writing with the Cave Conservancies committee. The designation "A Conservancy of the National Speleological Society" may be used upon approval of the Cave Conservancy Chairman and notification of and confirmation by of the Administrative Vice President.
13. Appendix P--Definitions and Polices for Society Activities
Wilson Moves: Appendix P is amended to replace Cave Ownership and Management Committee with Cave Conservancy Committee and Designation Conferred by the Administrative Vice President
14. NSS Caves Committee Chairman
Luckins Moves: Gary Bush is appointed as chairman of the NSS Caves Committee
15. Cave and Karst Acquisitions Committee Chairman
Luckins Moves: Doug Medville is appointed as chairman of the Cave and Karst Acquisitions Committee.
16A. Special Interest Groups
Luckins Moves: Bylaws Article VII, Internal Organizations, is amended by adding:
F. A Special Interest Group is an internal organization made up of individuals who are fraternally involved in a study or interest not specifically related to speleology.
16B. Interpretation
Mixon Moves: The Internal Organizations Committee is instructed to interpret strictly in the future the requirement in Bylaw VII.E that the common interest of members of a Section be related to speleology.
The intention of introducing these motions is to structure a discussion of our Policy for Internal Organizations. Should social groups without a direct interest in speleology be recognized as Internal Organizations of the NSS? Our discussion should provide direction to the Internal Organizations Committee.
17. Revised Budget
Stevens Moves: The revised 1996-1997 NSS Operating Budget is approved.
18. Salon Conservation Instructions
Strong Moves: The Chairmen of the Photo Salon, the Graphic Arts Salon, and the Cartographic Salon Committees are directed to consider conservation impacts of material submitted to the respective salons. Slides, photographs, videotapes, drawings, or other material submitted to the salons shall be rejected if they display actions contrary to the Conservation Policy of the National Speleological Society. These actions may include, but are not necessarily limited to, walking on formations, handling formations, improper use of scale objects in photos, swimming in isolated pools, or improper handling or display of cave life. Material illustrating any such action shall not be considered for awards and shall not be put on public display.
19. Publication Conservation Instructions
Strong Moves: The Editors of the NSS News, the Journal of Cave and Karst Studies, the Members' Manual, Speleo Digest, Special Publications, or any other publication of the National Speleological Society are directed to consider conservation impacts of material submitted for publication. Slides, photographs, drawings, or text submitted for publication shall be rejected if they display or describe actions contrary to the Conservation Policy of the NSS. These actions may include, but are not necessarily limited to, walking on formations, handling formations, inappropriate use or placement of scale objects in photos, swimming in isolated pools, or improper display or handling of cave life. Material illustrating or describing any such action shall not be considered for publication and shall be returned to the author with appropriate requests for revisions to be made for the manuscript to be reconsidered.
20. Investment Strategy
Stevens moves: The Secretary-Treasurer is responsible for working with the National Speleological Foundation to determine an appropriate investment strategy for each of the NSS Individual Funds and periodically updating it. Any change in investment strategy requires Executive Committee approval.
21. National Cave Management Symposium Restricted Fund
Stevens moves: The purpose of the National Cave Management Symposium (NCMS) restricted fund is to hold funds on behalf of the National Cave Management Symposium management committee. These funds may be transferred as directed by the NCMS committee.
22. National Cave Rescue Commission Restricted Fund
Stevens moves: The purpose of the National Cave Rescue Commission restricted fund is to support cave rescue training & resource coordination. These funds may be spent by the NSS NCRC National Coordinator subject to Administrative Vice President approval.
23. Contemporary Cave Use Study Restricted Fund
Stevens moves: The purpose of the Contemporary Cave Use Study restricted fund is to support the study of cave visitation. These funds may be spent by the chairman of the Contemporary Cave Use Study committee with the approval of the Administrative Vice President
Suspension of the Agenda
Luckins Moves: In accordance with Act 04-472, the agenda is suspended for informal discussion among all present for _____________________ minutes.
Appreciation
Liebman Moves: The Board of Governors expresses its appreciation to Central Arizona Grotto and the Arizona Region for their excellent meeting arrangements and warm hospitality.
Addresses For Committee Appointees:
(Addresses deleted for Homepage posting...we do not give home addresses out on the net.)
Mike Backe (NSS 18670RL)
Lois Bergthold (NSS 39232)
Gary Bush (NSS 17697 RE, FE)
Bill Cuddington (NSS 2177 RL, OS, FE)
Greg Glazner (NSS 31856 RE)
Vincent Kappler (NSS 7274 RL)
David Kesner (NSS 28258 RE, FE)
Douglas Medville (NSS 7073 RL, OS, CM, FE, LB)
E-Mail Addresses for Board Members
BOG: