President’s Report

National Speleological Society, Inc.

Board of Governor’s Meeting

November 8, 1997

President’s Comments

Cave Fee Demo

Please refer to Ray Keeler’s comments on the Cave Fee Demo near the end of this report for more detailed information.

Attached to this report is my letter (hard copies only), sent as President. In my judgment, the letter is very blunt but necessary given the lack of due consideration for previous NSS input. While our member’s feedback to the letter has been universally positive and appreciative of the letter’s aggressiveness, I must point out the approach taken has significant drawbacks. Being blunt and aggressive certainly succeeds in gaining the reader’s attention. It is also, almost always, successful in irritating the reader to the point that the message is lost. Now that the issue of the Cave Fee Demo has been postponed (and hopefully laid to a quiet rest) it is very critical that we move in a positive and rapid manner to re-establish cordial and cooperative relations and that we strongly encourage our membership in that regard.

Onondaga Cave

Pursuant to your direction concerning the possible negative impact on Onondaga Cave State Park as a result of the relocation of the Howdy Party at the 1997 National convention, I have had a pleasant exchange of letters with Park Superintendent, Larry Jackson. Mr. Jackson was very reluctant to put an estimate together for the Park’s expenses and indicated our "kind thoughts" were more than sufficient. He did indicate, when I insisted, a donation to the Park’s interpretative program would be useful and welcomed. Accordingly, per the direction of the Executive Committee, an unrestricted donation of $2000 has been made to Onondaga Cave State Park.

Membership Development

The NSS officers met the weekend of September 29 (at Fred’s house) as part of our regular meeting cycle. We spent a great deal of time discussing the continuing problem with the membership numbers. If you've tracked the monthly mailings, you’ll note membership growth has been flat for quite a long time. We’ve recognized great many factors that may be acting as causes in this area. Some causes are cultural and some are financial. One cause, however, is our continuing passivity toward membership development. Frankly, we are at a critical point where a flat membership growth pattern is significantly hindering our ability to engage in programs that serve to conserve and protect caves, to foster improved access for our members, or to sponsor needed scientific and exploration activities. Couple that problem with the need to attract and maintain the energy that comes from a steady influx of new members and it becomes apparent that we must actively work to attract those who are interested in caves and caving and we must do it now.

We broke our discussion into two areas: Membership retention and NSS Outreach and then began to develop a strategy for dealing with both areas.

I would like to tell you were we wish to go conceptually.

MEMBERSHIP RETENTION

First, a definition. For this discussion "membership" describes the folks who join the NSS and those folks who are strongly aware of the NSS. The later are our non-NSS caving buddies and our friends in the grotto who actively participate but never seem to get around to joining the society. We need to retain the members who join and find ways to encourage those "active caving friends" to join.

That is the area where I think the current Membership Committee is pretty strong and where we would be able to use its strengths successfully. The Membership Committee has begun to work on membership retention by using monthly mailings to "dropped" members. The mailings include a nice letter inviting them back and the most recent NSS NEWS. I suspect we’ll see some benefit from that activity soon. You might be interested to learn the rate of ‘drops’ has been fairly consistent over the years, and accordingly to Dave Irving (who tracks that data) didn’t change with the last dues increase. It’s just been a consistent, chronic problem.

I’ve asked Bill to query his committee with the following question:

 

"What can the NSS do to encourage membership among our caving friends and grotto attendees who are not currently NSS members?"

 

Let me put some bounds on the question. We are not talking about adding new programs and services. Frankly, there is no money on the horizon for that kind of activity. What we’re talking about is how can we encourage our members to be pro-actively engaged in bringing their friends into the fold.

Let me give you examples of some of the brainstorming ideas that came out of the EC meeting:

1. Provide an NSS Bookstore certificate to NSS members who sign-up active cavers. Maybe if you bring in two members you get a $5 certificate...4 members, a $10 certificate. That might be a nice encouragement, and actually would cost less than the face value since it would only really impact the wholesale cost of the purchase.

It used to be a tradition that cavers actively recruited their friends who were already caving...we need to re-establish that practice. An active caver needs to be an NSS member.

2. Perhaps we can develop a similar program for grottos (in terms of discounts)

3. Maybe a 1/2 first year membership fee. That’s how I joined the Nature Conservancy.

4. We can seek the assistance of the IO’s sponsoring regional meetings. In exchange for some NSS assistance we would ask for the names and addresses of non-NSS cavers who attended their event and follow-up with an issue of the NSS NEWS, letter of encouragement, and a membership application.

I’ve told the membership committee the problem is getting critical and I would like the committee to be aggressive in developing constructive ideas to bring ACTIVE cavers into the fold and I will be aggressive in getting your approval when it’s required.

 

NSS OUTREACH

I am asking the Board to approve the creation of an NSS Outreach Committee. It’s focus will be different than the Membership Committee but should, and must, work closely with the Membership Committee. The focus of the Outreach Committee will be promote the goals of the NSS in arenas where people would likely be interested in caves and caving, but not inclined to actively engage in caving. The intent would be put forward the NSS as an organization whose goals are worthy of support and to put forward the NSS as a resource activity worthy of support.

The output of this committee should be, to bring into our sphere, those individuals whose interest in caves and caving would be philanthropic. They’ll support the society with dues, donate for worthy projects, and never go caving. This committee’s activity will focus on presenting the NSS to interested, non-cavers. Again the focus for them will be: NSS as an organization and not caving.

My hope is to mimic in a small manner the success of the Nature Conservancy, BCI, Serria, etc. in building a level of supporters of the organization who are not active users of the resource.

 

Presence at Regional Meetings

During the EC meeting we reviewed the desirability of a continuing Bookstore presence at OTR and IO sponsored regional events. We concluded the Bookstore should be at events where there is sufficient return to merit shutting down the NSS office and traveling for the event. In marginal cases, participation should be with the mutual consent of the Operations Manager and the Operations Vice President. I’m sure Tom will have more in his report on that aspect.

Whether the bookstore attends regional events or not, it became clear from our discussions there is a desire and need to "show the flag" at as many regionals as possible. Currently, we are looking at using the "NSS Display" concept proposed by Bob Liebman along with an NSS tent to be set up by volunteers at regional events. The display, membership information, and limited symbolic devices (for sale) would be available. The tent would serve as a focal point of the national organization, provide a point of contact for NSS members, and provide an easy entry point for new members. The idea is still in concept stage and we would welcome your suggestions.

Conference Travel Budget Line

In accordance with Act 16-481 (Conference Travel) a disbursement was authorized to Gary Bush for reimbursement of his registration fees as the NSS Representative at the Land Trust Alliance Annual meeting in the sum of $250.00. Gary will provide a report of his activity through the AVP.

Respectfully Submitted,

/s/ Dave Luckins

Reports of the Permanent Committees

The committee chairman, their address, and e-mail address are provided. Reports were requested in the P₃ format: Plans, PROGRESS:, and PROBLEMS:. While P₃ does facilitate a common, short, reporting format that makes reading easier for Board members, its most important asset is that it encourages committees to see their task as setting plans in place and then working to accomplish those plans. Committees with well formulated plans find it much easier to get their plans reflected in the budget than those who do not engage in forward planning.

Administrative Memo

Jean DeVries
2370 Chippewa
Jennison, MI 49428-9135

<devriesj@aol.com>

PLANS:

By the time you read this report, another Administrative Memo will have gone out. Sending it with monthly mailings from the office seems to work the best, since the small size of each issue doesn't, in my mind, justify the cost of sending it out as a separate mailing. If it isn't too inconvenient for the office, I would like to proceed with future small issues this way.

PROGRESS:

I'm still alive.

PROBLEMS:

Because the NSS News continues to come out in a remarkably timely manner (i.e. not a lot of time between when inf. is due and when inf. is published...) it is getting more difficult to find things to print. This isn't really a problem (at least not one that I haven't dealt with before) but more of a challenge.

 

Awards Committee

Mike Hood
23 Wells Ave.
Dayton, OH 45431-1420

<mhcaver@aol.com>

PLANS:

The committee is in its quiet period, between convention and the fall nominations process. The call for nominations will be in the upcoming NSS News as well as CAVERS-DIGEST.

PROGRESS:

We had a reshuffling of sub-chairman positions within the committee. Donald Davis asked to step down as the Bicking Award Sub-chair and Pat Kambesis was appointed as the new Sub-chair. Donald is remaining on the committee as a member at large. Scott Fee was appointed as the new Spelean Arts & Letters Sub-chair, replacing Pat. Bill Bussey also became the Certificate of Merit Sub-chair immediately after the convention. Two committee members have expressed some interest in becoming the committee chairman when I step down after the 1998 convention. I passed their names on to Dave earlier.

PROBLEMS:

One award recipient was not notified of their selection, and therefore, was not at the convention. The Sub-chair and I have both written personal apologies to the individual and all Sub-chairs were reminded they are responsible for notifying their respective recipients of selection.

 

Board Arrangements Committee

Tom Pollock
21 Kingsley Way
Freehold, NJ 07728-1628

<tjpollock@aol.com>

Currently working on Middle America for BOG meetings in 1999.

No problems at present.

 

Bylaws Committee

Bill Mixon
14045 N. Green Hills Loop
Austin, TX 78737-9229

<billmixon@worldnet.att.net>

Two proposals to amend the bylaws will be considered during the Board of Governors meeting on November 8, 1997. All board members were sent notice by mail more than a month before the meeting, as required for a bylaws amendment to pass by a two-thirds vote. The exact wording of the proposals also appears on the agenda, so they need not be repeated here.

The first is a follow-up to Nancy Aulenbach's motion in the summer, item 39 in the minutes of that meeting, which would create a senior membership class, presumably with reduced dues. The motion that Aulenbach has on the new agenda differs mainly in that she has accepted my suggestion to name the new class merely "senior," rather than "senior associate," in order to avoid confusion with our other associate classes, which do not convey full regular-member privileges. The fact that senior-member status is elective for members over 65, rather than compulsory, has been properly incorporated into the bylaw wording; it was a separate part C of the earlier motion. There should be a separate motion on the November 8 agenda to define the dues for senior members, if the bylaws amendment passes. It will resolve, I hope, the ambiguity in the original motion about whether senior dues were to be set merely numerically equal now to what associate dues happen to be now or they were to always be equal, by definition, to associate dues.

The second bylaws-amendment proposal appears in response to the board instruction to the Bylaws Committee to propose an amendment that would provide for a referendum on repeated Congress of Grottos resolutions that had not been otherwise satisfied by the board. This was a motion by Paul Stevens, item 44 in the summer minutes, in response to issue 5 on the minutes of the Congress of Grottos on June 24. Considering that Stevens's motion would be rather pointless unless one assumes that the "should" was meant to mean "shall," I assume that the board's vote on June 27 has placed the proposal on the agenda for November 8. The reasoning leading to the proposed amendment requires a bit of discussion.

Neither the Congress of Grottos resolution nor the BOG instructions to the committee stated whether the referendum was to be binding or advisory. A purely advisory referendum is, strictly speaking, just an opinion survey and not worth formally mandating. Furthermore, the board would no doubt consider the outcome of an advisory referendum as morally binding anyway, just as it did the referendum on the "director's year off" bylaw amendment that it more or less voluntarily conducted in 1988. And correspondence with Carol Sue Jackson, chairman of the Congress, indicates that she feels a binding referendum was intended. So I have opted for that.

The discussion in the Congress of Grottos was about a referendum that would be "called," i.e., run, by the congress. That wording was echoed in the board motion, without explanation. I think it makes much more sense logistically and logically to have the society, i.e., the board and its delegates, run the referendum in conjunction with the annual election, in which case one can take the passage of the congress resolution the second time as an automatic "call" for the referendum to take place (unless, of course, the board has otherwise taken conforming action). Another advantage of a referendum run by the board is that this can guarantee that the statement voted on is actually suitable to be an act or a bylaw. For example, if a bylaw amendment is required, the Bylaws Committee can be involved in the exact wording. Even BOG-meeting motions made by directors often are not suitable for enactment without some fiddling, and a binding referendum based on wording directly from the Congress of Grottos is not likely to be feasible in general.

Note that the bylaws already provide that the board shall consider motions passed by the congress. That is existing bylaw V.B.2, and it is a reason that item 44 was in new business on Friday. The differences between that and the new proposal are: The new bylaw section would require that the congress have passed the same motion two years in a row; the existing bylaw applies to anything passed by the congress. The new section requires a binding referendum if the board has not otherwise satisfied the congress's resolution; the existing section merely says it should be "considered," which could mean mere discussion or a board motion that is defeated or referred. The new section would give the board more time, as there would be at least the Friday convention meeting and the fall meeting and, depending on the election schedule, perhaps the spring meeting as well to satisfy the congress; the existing bylaw requires discussion at the next board meeting, which is taken to mean the Friday meeting. I hope the differences are clear enough that the two distinct provisions would not cause too much confusion should the new proposal pass.

All that notwithstanding, it is clear that the proposed new paragraph leaves an awful lot of questions unanswered, as would any similar bylaw. Many potential issues would have to be solved either by negotiation with the Congress of Grottos or by a board act to create a set of policies to implement the bylaw, similar to BOG Manual section 3, appendix X, on the conduct of directors elections. Among the questions that would need answering are: How identical must the congress's motions at the two consecutive convention meetings have been? Has a board action "conformed" to the congress's wishes? Who decides the wording of the referendum issue? What explanatory materials are sent with the referendum ballot, and who creates them? What will be the effective date of the referendum issue, should it pass? Hopefully the details, which cannot be included in a reasonable bylaw, can be worked out should the occasion arise, but these are the sorts of things that keep lawyers in business out in the real world. Without good will, it may be difficult for two groups contending for control to agree on the answers to these and other questions.

 

Fund Raising Committee

Greg Glazner
7689 West Frost Drive
Littleton, CO 80123

<ad574@freenet.uchsc.edu>

Plans:

MBNA has sent a comprehensive packet of information detailing where we are with them and making several offers that appear to be reasonable. In addition to their credit card programs they also offer auto insurance. Our new account representative is Jill Ayers. In addition I checked with First Bank, MBNA's major competitor to see about a better package. They were not even willing to talk to the NSS. Seems we have too small a membership to qualify.

In any case, MBNA is more than willing to put our logo on their cards and will also offer a platinum card. There is no annual fee on any of their cards. The current royalty arrangement is $1.00 for each new account opened. $3.00 per active account per year, and $0.20 for each retail purchase made. I have not been able to get them to agree to a purchase amount based fee at this point but will continue to pursue this if this is the direction of the BOG. The company would like to do a direct mail campaign with the membership with our approval.

At my request, MBNA has also submitted an auto insurance proposal through TIG Insurance. The royalties proposed are $3.00 per quote and $5.00 per renewal. MBNA estimates that this program could earn the Society approximately $14,000 over a five year period.

I am mailing the information to Dave Luckins to distribute to the BOG for discussion and possible approval.

It's probably not too early to consider fund-raising plans for the 1998 Sewanee Convention. I need to know what the BOG considers the major NSS financial needs this year so we can plan accordingly.

PROGRESS:

I'm obviously very pleased with the membership response to the Endowment Fund. Thanks in large part to the generosity of The RASS Grotto and Dick Blenz, we achieved our goal of $20,000 according to Camille.

The NSS Fund Raising Committee no longer consists of just myself. We now have two volunteers on board: J.C. Fisher from Berkeley Springs, West Virginia and Gale Beach from Menlo Park, California. I'm looking forward to working with them. They have already contributed some great ideas! In addition Evelyn Bradshaw continues to send fund raising solicitation information that will be very useful in future efforts.

PROBLEMS:

No problems, I just need to get my butt in gear!

President’s Comments: When Jeannie Gurnee was President, our contract with MNBA expired and she began the process of bringing a new contract into existence. Since that time, we have had a succession of new account managers in various locations serving our account and have not been able to get one manager to stay long enough to get the contract process completed. Well, Greg has managed to get a new contract for our signature...there’s just one small problem. It includes all the clauses that Jeannie and Joel objected to some 5 years ago....SIGH! We’ll start again. We will not introduce new products to our members without Board review and an acceptable contract

International Secretary

Dr. John Holsinger
Department of Biology
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA 23529-0266

< JRH100F@viper.mgb.odu.edu >

John’s report was received in a timely manner, but a transmission problem with my server led to it being garbled. An addendum will be provided.

 

Legal Committee

Joel Stevenson
1509 BB&T Building
Ashville, NC 28801

<cavelaw@wnc.com>

Joel’s report was received in a timely manner, but I goofed in saving it.. An addendum will be provided.

Logistics Committee

Roswell Jones
1951 Roosevelt Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15237-1036

<wrjones4822@worldnet.att.net>

No Report--Jonesy is at the meeting.

Membership Committee

Bill Karpowicz
24 Beebe Road
East Haddam, CT 06423-1010

<william.karpowicz@us.ms.philips.com>

Current Plans:

The plan to attracts member that have let their membership lapse has been put into motion. The first 200 letters have been drafted, labels printed, and hopefully by the time this report is given, mailed out along with a sample of the NSS Newsletter.

PROGRESS:

As stated above the first part of the project is complete. With the first 200 letters going out, we will track the response and make a decision whether or not it should be repeated for another 200 dropped members.

PROBLEMS:

Still need to fill two positions, (NY & New England) and (CO, UT & WY).

President’s Comments: (1) Please refer back to my comments. (2) The current committee roster is attached for the Member’s Manual editor and for the Secretary to the Board.

National Cave Management Symposium Liaison

Janet Thorne
411 Marney Dr
.Coraopolis, PA 15108-3137

<wesbike@aol.com>

PAST:

The Steering Committee had a meeting at the Convention.

PROGRESS:

The Karst Waters Institute expressed an interest in becoming a Steering Committee member and was accepted. Rane Curl will be the current representative.

The next Symposium will be in a couple of weeks, and the Second Announcement has been mailed. I'm told there are about 90 registrants to date, with about 30 signed up for the North Island field trip.

PROBLEMS: [not really! I prefer the word, "issue"] There was a surplus generated by the last two Symposia, and the Committee is trying to decide the best use for this money.

 

National Park Service Liaison

John Scheltens
303 N. River Street
Hot Springs, SD 57747

<102370-2314@compuserve.com>

John reports no activity during this period.

Nominating Committee

Ted Kayes
8031 Whittington Dr.
Richmond, VA 23235

<tedkayes@richmond.infi.net>

Plans:

To find eight nominees for four positions on the Board.

PROGRESS:

I have begun soliciting potential nominees.

PROBLEMS:

None at this time.

 

Outdoor Group Liaison

Matt Joerin
PO Box 61873

Vancouver WA 98666

No Report:

Presidents comments: This committee has been in-active for some time. I do not see a compelling reason to continue the committee and have a motion to drop it on the agenda.

Planning for the Future of the NSS

Tom Pollock
21 Kingsley Way
Freehold, NJ 07728-1628

<tjpollock@aol.com>

No Report:

President’s Comments: I have asked Tom to distribute his report at the meeting as it will require some time for us to digest the recommendations...

Public Relations Committee

Jay Jorden
11201 County Road 132
Celina, TX 75009-2527

<jjorden@texoma.net>

Plans:

(1) Formulate a concise, consistent response -- a press release -- for use by media representatives. The release -- preferably one page but no more than two -- is really a position paper on official letterhead (ad hoc committee, NSS, etc.) that contains contact names -- committee chair, NSS conservation chair -- along with telephone and fax numbers, e-mail addresses, etc.

(2) Such a release is mailed or faxed to the newspapers, wire service bureaus and electronic media -- TV, radio -- in the affected region. I have some addresses in New Mexico/Arizona, and others are available from the Editors' and Publishers' Yearbook and broadcasting directories.

(3) It addresses the issues fully, but concisely. Taking readers' (and editors') attention spans into consideration, the ``KISS'' (keep it simple, stupid) principle applies. What's our lead (top paragraph in a newspaper story) -- why are we hacked off? How does the government plan hurt us? We all have our (sometimes different) reasons, but have to be consistent and explain them to those who haven't been following the issue closely. That's the top bullet in the press release. To follow are other concerns, along with an ``official quote'' or two from chairs that can be reprinted. It's also worth addressing the USFS' inconsistencies: apparently telling one thing to us and another to the press: (no mention of a DEMO project or three-year plan, the hidden agenda to make southwest project model for elsewhere).

Other observations: it's more difficult to write a press release by committee than by those opinion leaders within the group who are closest to the issues. The contact people named in the release, ideally, should respond to the issues since they're the folks who reporters will call with questions when the news release is received.

Such a release is preferable to, as one suggested, sending cavers' written comments along with the full plan. Newspapers have considerations of copy length and so anything that long will likely be trimmed and rewritten to fit the ``news hole.'' Media reps feel no obligation to be all-inclusive ... .

I'd be happy to help the chairs in this effort.

 

Recording Secretary

Lee Stevens
5964 Seabright Rd.
Springfield, VA 22152-1738

<lestevens@aol.com>

No Report. Lee says she’ll continue to get the minutes out on time.

Secretary to the Board

Vince Kappler
10 Hollyhock Way
Newton NJ 07860

<vkappler@nac.net>

No Report:

Show Caves Liaison

Gordon Smith
9850 North Skyline Dr.
Floyds Knob, IN 47119-8821

No Report. Gordon is attending the NSF meeting and will be happy to speak with you about Show Caves.

The Nature Conservancy Liaison

Dr. Rane Curl
Dept. of Chemical Engineering
Dow Building
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2136

<rcurl@cyberspace.org>

Plans:

The NSS/Nature Conservancy Liaison Committee is planning to prepare a description of the NSS for distribution within the Nature Conservancy (while the TNC/NSS is planning to prepare a description of the TNC for distribution within the NSS). The Committee is also planning on participating with TNC in the development of a traveling exhibit useable (with modifications) at either TNC or NSS events. The TNC will prepare this exhibit and funds will be sought from the NSS to partly defray its cost.

PROGRESS:

The NSS/TNC Liaison met with the TNC/NSS Liaison (Dr. Tina Hall) in Ann Arbor MI during the period 14-16 August 1997 to discuss these plans, and to provide a tour of Michigan Karst Conservancy (an NSS Inst. Memb.) preserves.

Problems:

Determine how to seek funding from NSS for a share of the joint NSS-TNC exhibit.

President’s Comments: I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Hall and participating in the tour on August 15.

Youth Group Liaison

Jack Hissong
8716 Quarterhorse Dr.
Indianapolis, IN 46256-4327

No Report--The new Scout brochure is completed and we are awaiting publication by the BSA.

Reports of the Ad Hoc Committees

Caver Training

Ed Sira

aedsira@aol.com

PROGRESS:

This report has not changed much since the last Board meeting. Tom Rea has the text to A Guide to Responsible Caving ready to run and now has the needed photographs and captions. The color print salon metal winner by Joe Levinson at the 1997 convention will be the used for the front cover.

Plans:

As no funds were allocated in the 1997-98 operating or Capital Budgets to fund the booklet, fund raising is continuing so as to help cover the cost of printing. It is my intent to have this publication finished and distributed by years end.

PROBLEMS:

None at this time

President’s Comments: A motion is on the agenda to fund the remaining costs from the Save-The-Caves Fund

 

Speleo Field Camps

John "Chuck" Hempel

<johncave@aol.com>

Bob Addis

No Report:

Cave Fee Demonstration

Ray Keeler

Accomplishments:

On Sept. 19, 1997 I received a call from Johnny Wilson, Recreation Staff Officer for the Lincoln National Forest. A decision has been reached. The decision to implement cave fees has been postponed. When I asked for clarification, he used the term "postponed indefinitely". I am thankful for his straight forward approach to the issue and the sincerity shown. Also many thanks to Dave Jagnow who spent (another) three hours on the phone yesterday talking to the above. As of this writing, we have not yet received written confirmation.

The focus of the rest of conversation was on the topic of re-establishing and then continuing a constructive relationship between the NSS and the USFS on the management of Region 3 caves. I am very hopeful in this area.

Thank you all who have spent countless hours filling my e-mail box with hundreds of messages since January, 1997 and those letters that made it to the Forest Service and Congressmen. It has been quite an education.

The decision has been made. The PROBLEMS: still exist; decreasing USFS budgets, increasing caver traffic as the Southwest becomes more populated, and degradation of the cave resources. I would expect that each of us search ourselves on how we can help maintain access, limit damage and assist the Forest Service, especially during this period.

PROBLEMS:

E-mails by several of the NSS cavers who worked hard to get this successful decision show they are already positioning themselves into an "us vs. them" non-trust orientation. I do not like this, especially after Johnny Wilson asked to start working on "rebuilding a constructive relationship between the NSS and the Forest Service and how to best manage the cave resources." (paraphrasing his words). I will work to reduce this perspective.

Plans:

1. Work on rebuilding a constructive relationship between the NSS and the Forest Service.

2. Support preparing an injunction (though not having it submitted).

3. Transfer the Ad Hoc Committee to a more permanent entity (i.e. the Southwest Caves Conservation Task Force, SWCCTF)

 

Report of the UIS Delegate

On Sunday, August 17, 1997, Doug Medville attended the Second General Assembly of the International Union of Speleology (UIS) as the proxy for Dave Luckins At this meeting the following business was transacted:

1. All Commissions of the UIS reported and their reports were accepted unanimously.

2. Three Advisory Committees reported and their reports were also approved. These committees dealt with improvements in IUS statutes, approval of a revised IUS Code of Ethics for cave exploration and science expeditions to other nations, and an agreement with the International Geophysical Union.

3. The report of the auditors for the IUS accounts for the four year period ending summer 1997 was accepted.

4. Nine candidates for the position of UIS Adjoint Secretary were nominated with eight of these being elected. Among those elected were Dr. George Huppert of the U.S.; nominated by D. Medville.

5. Dr. Julia James of Australia was elected UIS President; she received 40 of 42 votes.

6. There were five nominees for UIS Vice President with two of these being elected. These were Andy Eavis (Great Britain) and C. Mouret (France). Mouret is the head of the French Speleological School and Eavis has been instrumental in planning and leading British caving expeditions for many years.

6. Dr. Pavel Bosak of the Czech Republic was elected to the post of UIS General Secretary.

7. The next International Congress of Speleology will be held in 2001 in Brasilia, Brazil. Following presentations by proponents for having this Congress in Brazil and in Sydney, Australia, a vote was taken with the final vote being 23 for Brazil and 19 for Australia.

 

Membership Committee Roster

William Karpowicz
National Speleological Society Membership Committee Chairman

Current Members and their assignments:

Colin Gatland, 325 Dellsing Drive, Vandalia, Ohio 45377-1344, States Canada, TX, OK

-----------------------------

Ernie Coffman, 733 N. E. Oregon Ave., Grants Pass, OR 97526-3562, (503)471-1202, States NV,HI,CA

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Marty Brown, P.O. Box 547, Johnson, AR 72741, (501)582-0285, mbrown@rhs.nwsc.k12.ar.us, States AR

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Elaine Hackerman, 4701 Utah Avenue, Nashville, TN 37209, (615)298-5929, States KY, OH

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Hal Joerin, 28287 Red Leaf Ln, Southfield, MI 48076, (313)569-5007, 76016,401@compuserve.com, States MI, IN, WI

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Bill & Mary Klimack, 6303 Ashley Meadows Ct.,Dayton, OH 45424, (513)235-2532, klimackmw@aol.com,OR wklimack@afit.af.mil,

States: PA,NJ,DE,MD,VA,WV,NC,SC

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Jay Landt, 4321 Meadowood St., Orlando, FL 32812, (407)851-2409, States GA, FL

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Marge Nelson, 1942 Lombardy Drive, La Canada, CA 91011, (818)248-6546, States CA

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Jennifer Pinkley Bennett, 1120 Joshua Dr., Huntsville, AL 35803, States AL, MS, LA, TN

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Gayle Smart, 1116 Zena Lona, NE, Albuquerque, NM 87112, States New Mexico

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Bill Karpowicz, 24 Beebe Rd., East Haddam, CT 06423, (860)873-1623,William.Karpowicz@us.ms.philips.com, States NY,

New England

(the above position needs to be filled)

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Jerry Zimmer, 28387 S. Needy Road, Canby, OR 97013, (503)651-2711, States AK,WA,ID,OR

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Alberta Zumwalt, 1681 State Route D, Lohman, MO 65053, (573)782-3560, Gzumw@aol.com, States MO,KS