Attachment B

National Speleological Society, Inc.
Executive Vice President's Report

10/5/2002

Table of Contents

Introduction / Summary
(1) American Caving Accidents Committee
(2) AAAS Rep- Biology
(3) AAAS Rep-Geology & Geography
(4) AGI Delegate
(5) Joe Ivy Endowment Committee
(6) U.S. Exploration Committee
(7) International Exploration Committee
(8) Research Advisory Committee
(9) Speleo Digest
(10) Special Publications Committee
(12) NSS News
(13) Members Manual
(14) Annual Report
(15) Permission to Reprint
Attachment B-1
Attachment B-2

INTRODUCTION / SUMMARY

There are fourteen committees, and publications, etc, in the Department of the Executive Vice President (EVP). A fifteenth item has been added here to cover permissions to reprint from NSS publications.

Progress: I contacted Becky Jones and discussed the future of the Joe Ivy Fund with her. She is in agreement to use the assets of the fund in combination with the International Exploration Fund to create the Joe Ivy International Exploration quasi-endowment fund to provide grant money for the International Exploration Committee. The NSS News and the Journal continue to be published on time. The rather spectacular special GIS issue of the Journal was very well received.

Plans: Have the AAAS committees increase our relationship awareness with the AAAS to the average caver.

Problems: The printing quality of our recent publication of Ron Kerbo’s Hidden World of Caves is far below what the EC expects. Each Director will be sent a copy for review and the board will be given the opportunity to determine the future of this issue.

Respectfully submitted,

Don Paquette speleo@reliable-net.net

(1) AMERICAN CAVING ACCIDENTS COMMITTEE

Bill Putnam (Chairman)
1865 Eagle Summit Ct
Lawrenceville GA 30043-6669

Phone: 770 822-0003
Fax: 770 682-5536
Cellular: 678-234-0566
Email: putnam@scci.org

Committee Members:
Diane Cousineau
Bill Cuddington
George Dasher
John Ganter
John Gookin
Kris Green
Buddy Lane
Ray Keeler
Jeff Parnell
Laura Putnam

Progress: I realize I am past the end of July, but I am almost done and have taken the coming week off from work to finish up the issue and get it to the reviewers and on to the printer. Going through everything, I found some reports that were not included, so I am doing those now and proofreading everything. I will send you the manuscript to review in a few days.

I promise I am not working on anything else, caving or otherwise, until this is done. Please bear with me a bit longer, as I believe this is more efficient than sending everything to someone else to deal with at this point. I will absolutely be done with the manuscript by the end of the week.

At that point, it will be distributed to the reviewers, and we have to allow at least a week for them to read it and provide any comments. Then it will go to the printer, where it will take about 3 weeks for printing and assembly. I am using the same printing and distribution house that I used for the last two issues - they know the procedure and have been very easy to deal with.

I expect it to be ready to mail in early September and to arrive in the members mailboxes before the end of September.

I'm finished with all the 99 material and all the diving incidents for 99-01. I have a little more to do on the 2000 and 20001 dry caving write ups and I'm done. I should have them completed this weekend, and will be having the manuscript proofread next week before it is distributed to the reviewers. They'll need a week to look it over and make comments, and I'll need a few days after that to make any changes or additions. Then it can go to EBSCO for printing & mailing.

Plans:

Problems:

(2) AAAS REP- BIOLOGY

Kathleen Lavoie
101 Hudson Hall
Plattsburgh State University of New York
Plattsburgh NY 12901

518 564-3150 (w)
518 562-1154 (h)
518 564-3152 (fax)
lavoekh@plattsburgh.edu

Progress: Introduced the issue of greater visibility for the AAAS/NSS linkage at the NSS Biology Section Meeting in Camden, Maine this summer. I noted the ease of finding the NSS on the AAAS website, and the relative lack of information on the NSS webpage, and suggested that that would be a good place to start. Discussion followed about ways of strengthening the linkages. A role in the new NCKRI initiative was suggested.

Plans: I want to work with Dan Chess on suggested changes to the website, and possibly a brief article in the NSS News about the history and benefits of the partnership. Will continue discussions with interested individuals.

Problems: Only the usual lack of time. I was pleased with the discussion at the NSS Convention.

(3) AAAS REP-GEOLOGY & GEOGRAPHY

Daniel L Chess
19 Tavano Road
Ossining NY 10562
Home: 914 945-2479 tieline 862
E-mail: DLCHESS@us.ibm.com

Progress: I reviewed 18 session proposals for the AAAS 2003 annual meeting in Denver. About half of the proposals were geology related (seismic prediction, glacial geology, mining ethics, dams and impoundments, water rights) and the other environmental related (deforestation, sustained development, climate change).

Plans: I recently contacted Kathy Lavoie via e-mail about writing a joint article for the NSS News on the AAAS. Also sent an email to Penelope J. Boston with information on the 2003 annual meeting (deadline for session proposals is Mid April) and how she would have a better shot at the 2004 meeting if she wanted to organize a session. I offered to help as she needed.

I still would like to help organize a session on "Early History of Man as Derived from Recent Discoveries in Caves" or "Prehistoric Man's Interaction with (and Use of) Caves". Yadda, Yadda,

Problems: No problems

(4) AGI DELEGATE

Harvey R. DuChene
7216 East Bentley Circle
Englewood CO 80112

Home 303 694-3472
Work 303 292-0949 ex 101
Fax 303 292-3901
E-mail: hduchene@earthlink.net

American Geological Institute Representative's Report

Progress:

Plans: The next AGI meeting will be held in October in Denver, Colorado, in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America. I plan to attend.

Problems: None

(5) JOE IVY ENDOWMENT COMMITTEE

Rebecca Jones, Chairman
11916 Bluebonnet Lane
Manchaca TX 78652-3801

512 292-1878
jocivy@intcrscrv.com

A motion is on the agenda to eliminate this committee by combining its assets with the assets of the International Exploration Fund to create the Joe Ivy International Exploration Fund, a quasi-endowment fund for generating grant money for the International Exploration Committee. The committee chair will become a member of the International Exploration Committee. Both Rebecca Jones, this committee chair, and Joel Despain, the I/E chair, are in full agreement with this new arrangement.

(6) U.S. EXPLORATION COMMITTEE

C. William (Bill) Steele, NSS 8072, Chairman
1716 Glen Valley Dr
Irving TX 75061

(home) 972785-2422
Oksteele@aol.com

Committee Members:
Dave Black, NSS 15419, Indiana
Don Broussard, NSS 9514, Texas
Jim Chester, NSS 6946, Montana
Scott Davis, NSS 15937, Arizona
Tom Shifflett. NSS 14207, Virginia
Jim Smith, NSS 14529, Georgia

Progress: Sara Corrie Fund Exploration Award awarded to Michael Cicherski of San Antonio, Texas, for the Perry Water Cave project to purchase survey instruments.

 Plans: To continue as have been

Problems: None

(7) INTERNATIONAL EXPLORATION COMMITTEE

Joel Despain
HCR 89 Box 211
Three Rivers CA 93271

559 565-3717 (day)
559 561-4972 (evening)
joel_despain@hotmail.com

Committee members:
Carol Vesely
Kevin Downey
Cyndie Walck

Progress: Currently reviewing grant proposal from the Cueva Cheve project Mexico

Plans: Continue to review grant requests, encourage proposals, and encourage projects to write articles for the News

Problems: None

(8) RESEARCH ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Donald A. McFarlane
Associate Professor,
W. M. Keck Science Center, The Claremont Colleges
925 North Mills Avenue, Claremont CA 91711-5916 USA

Ph: 909 607 2564
fax: 909 621 8588
email: dmcfarla@jsd.claremont.edu
web page: http://jsd.claremont.edu/faculty/mcfarlane/index.htm
Extinct Mammals of the West Indies Website:
http://jsd.claremont.edu/bio/extinct/extinctmammals/
National Speleological Society Research Advisory Committee:
http://jsd.claremont.edu/bio/nss/

Committee Members:
Joyce Lundberg PhD
Joe Troester PhD
William White PhD
Donald Davis

Progress: Ralph Stone Awards - This year eight applications for the Ralph Stone Graduate Fellowship were received. The award was given to Ms. Darlene Anthony, for her proposal entitled:
"Late Tertiary development and Quaternary abandonment of large caves along the Western Cumberland Escarpment, Tennessee and Kentucky, in response to regional river entrenchment across the unglaciated Appalachian Plateaus."

Two additional applications were judged to be appropriate for smaller awards under the 'Research Grant' program.

Research Grants - Three grants have been awarded in this reporting period:

Hazel Grant, $750, "Aphotic Community Diveristy: Sulfur, based ecosystem development in caves."

Anastasia Teterina, $500, "History of micromammal faunas in the North Urals region"

Annette Engle, $750, "Authigenic quartz in sulphidic caves; evidence for a low pH environment and biological mediation?"

NSS Projects - Two new Projects have been initiated:

French Creek Project; (contact: Joe Oliphant); initiated 1 March 2002

Caves of Cuba Project; (contact; Julie Schenck); initiated 11 March 2002

Other Matters:
The activities of the Research Advisory Committee, which have been on-line for some time, are now mirrored on the NSS website ( http://www.caves.org/committee/rac/ ).

Plans:

Problems: It has been noted that the listing of active NSS Projects in the 2002 members Manual omitted several projects. This will be corrected. However, many Projects are not routinely submitting annual reports as required, and I am considering ways of streamlining the process.

(9) SPELEO DIGEST

Scott Fee
2501 Gable Blvd.
Birmingham AL 35215-2862

Home: 205 854-7487
E-mail: scottfee@pipeline.com

2001 Digest (In Capital budget)

Editorial Team
Debby Johnson – Editor
Tom Rea - Layout
Richard Honebrink – Typist
Nola Morris – Typist
Julie Morgan - Proofreader

Progress: I received the publications via Scott Fee in June 2002. With the packages, there was a spreadsheet of the work the previous editor had accomplished. I have modified this worksheet by adding several columns and headings.

Currently after reviewing what I had received, I have updated the spreadsheet and started editing the articles that I do have. I have sent several things off to my typing crew.

I have contacted several editors via e-mail and phone, in an effort to continue to receive the articles by computer form. This is done in-groups of 7-10 publications. (I didn’t want to send out to everyone at once. In this way I can keep up with everything and make sure I receive a response.)

Plans: To continue receiving and editing the items and sending to Tom Rea.

I will be sending more articles out to get typed as I find things.

I would like to have everything to Tom by end of November 2002. This may or may not be attainable, but I am going to give it a shot.

Problems: When this was handed over to me, there was some miscommunication on when I could start sending items to layout person.

Not all publications were noted on the spreadsheet and grouped together. I had to file a stack. There were several that had additional articles that I added to the spreadsheet.

Some of the articles are in a form that I can’t read.

Some e-mail address are incorrect now.

2002 Digest: Mark & James Adler (Editors) (No Capital)

Progress: Progress is slow. Mark is currently conducting a job search with the hopes of moving in the next several months. This has dramatically slowed things down, although things have not come to a standstill.

Plans: The next month will bring a flurry of activity centered around editing existing selections and continuing with the layout of materials. Given where we stand at this point in time and the amount of time left, the prediction is that we will still finish this task by the time of (or possibly even in advance of) the one-year anniversary.

Problems: No problems to speak of. We are slow to getting really into the guts of this, but have no doubts about accomplishing the task. The new format (e-mailing original authors for items) is tedious—more so than just scanning the items.

(10) SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE

David McClurg
104 Graves Ct
Vallejo CA 94591

Phone and Fax: 707 642-5528
dmcclurg@planeteria.net

Tom Rea (Committee Member) (tomrea@ccrtc.com)
Gale McCoy (Committee Member) ("gmccoy"<tmathey@concentric.net>.)
Janet McClurg (Committee Member) ("jmcclurg"<dmcclurg@planeteria.net>)

COMPLETED BOOKS

The Hidden World of Caves - (A Children’s Book)
Ronal Kerbo

This book was completed and copies arrived at convention in Maine before noon on Friday. However the book was not put on sale because of printing quality questions concerning three photos. Following the convention and after discussion by the EVP, the author, and this committee, it was initially concluded that even with these "far less than perfect" photos, sales could still proceed.

However, the Executive Committee at its meeting in late August decided that the quality of the book due to these three photos is still questionable. As a result, sales were stopped again, so that each Board member could be sent a copy of the book. In addition, a resolution to halt sales has been put on the October meeting agenda. That way the matter can be discussed in detail and the full Board can make the final decision.

The three photos in question are on pages 24, 26, and 42. In retrospect it’s clear to this committee that all three images should not have been accepted for publication in the first place. It’s also clear that our attempts to improve them were misguided, even though well intentioned. We should have slowed down, abandoned the goal of having copies for sale at convention, and asked for three new photos of a quality matching the excellence of the others in the book.

Specifically, the photos on 24 and 42 were poor scans of questionable quality images, in which all facial characteristics were essentially missing in the three human subjects. The photo on page 26 suffered from very soft focus. This committee digitally processed and cropped these images to the point where they were deemed marginally acceptable and were sent to the printer.

However, the ultimate judgment of whether they are marginally acceptable or not acceptable must rest with the Board. See "Problems" below for the financial implications.

A final note: The printer worked with what we sent him. If blame must be assigned, this committee—and to a much lesser extent the author—are culpable not the printer.

Progress: In the meantime, a prime market for this book has been identified as public and school libraries. To promote the book to this market, copies of the book and a promotional flyer were mailed in July to eighty-one library wholesalers and distributors in the USA, seven in Canada, and one in Great Britain. A distribution agreement is now being negotiated (mid-August) with one of the largest distributors of books to public and school libraries (including university libraries)—Quality Books, in Oregon, Illinois.

Plans: We hope to make similar sales agreements with other book wholesalers and distributors.

Problems: The principle outstanding problem is to resolve the quality question to decide whether the book will or will not be released for sale in its present form. Or should it be reprinted with new photos replacing the photos in question.

Financial implications are these. The printer’s invoice for 5,500 copies was:

$13,169 for printing and shipping to Huntsville

Note that this includes $479 for 500 extra copies, the unpredictable so-called "overs" (a result of the extra sheets printers must run off to allow for spoilage).

FYI, the final printing estimate in our last Specifications and Estimates Sheet (May 20, 2002) was $13,500.

Cost of the reprinting 5,000 books with three replacement photos is estimated at:
$10,667 including shipping to Huntsville (but not including overs at $100 to $500).

BOOKS IN PROGRESS

NCRC Rescue Seminar Manual (No Capital)
Jeff Parnell and Members of the NCRC

Progress: Although it was reported to this committee last spring that most of this book was finished and in review, that report appears to be have been optimistic. Committee member Tom Rea, who has been monitoring this project and is one of the reviewers, now has been advised that the project appears to be at a standstill and a new editor may need to be found.

Plans: Keep on tracking progress.

Problems: As stated earlier, we can’t establish a budget for this book––whether it’s to be printed conventionally or by Print-On-Demand––until we get an accurate character count and the number of illustrations.

Techniques of Cave Conservation and Restoration
Jim Werker and Val Hildreth-Werker, Editors

(In Capital Budget)

Progress: Several more chapters of this book have been circulated for review by the executive committee.

Plans: To stimulate pre-publication orders, this committee prepared two mockups of the introduction and first two chapters for display in the NSS bookstore and at the Cave Management Session. If as expected, we receive final materials early in 2003, we should have the book completed by spring.

Problems: None but the inevitable slow progress of multi-author books.

NEW BOOKS

The Taming of the Slough

The Exploration of Peacock Springs
Sheck Exley

Edited and Expanded by Sandra Poucher

(No Capital)

Progress: A very attractive proposal has been received to publish a book by the late Sheck Exley on the history and exploration of Peacock Springs State Park in Florida. In the 1970s, Peacock Springs was reportedly the longest underwater cave in the world. Unfinished at the time of Exley’s untimely death in 1994, the preliminary manuscript, maps, and extensive notes were left to the NSS Cave Diving Section in Exley’s will. Recently, the Section authorized Sandra Poucher to edit the manuscript and add related material as originally planned by Exley––such as area geology, history, cave-diving equipment, and the remapping project.

A copy of Sandra Poucher’s proposal is attached to this report. See Attachment B-1

Plans: Based on a character count and the number of illustrations, we estimate that the book will total 208 pages in a 7 by 10 inch format. A preliminary estimate of total production costs based on previous printing costs for NSS books, is $15,000 for 2,000 copies or $16,000 for 3,000 copies. A more detailed cost estimate is being prepared now and will be submitted before the board meeting. A market research study should also be prepared.

Caves of Korea
Matt Colson

(No Capital)

In our last report, we stated that an inquiry had been received in April from Matt Colson about NSS interest in publishing a book on the caves of Korea. We sent him copies of previous written book proposals and asked him to submit such a proposal so we can judge the book.

So far, we have not received a proposal. When one is received, we will report further

BOOKS IN LIMBO

Underground Wonders

(No Capital)

Visiting Caves on Public Lands

(No Capital)

Ronal Kerbo

Progress, Plans, Problems: It seems certain now that this book will have to be postponed indefinitely because of potential professional conflicts.

Caves of the Guadalupe Mountains
By Michael Queen

(No Capital)

Progress, Plans, Problems: Since, no report has been received on this book for some time, we will remove it from the list of books in progress.

On Caves and Cameras
Edited by Norm Thompson

(In Capital Budget)

I have essentially completed editing the book. I'm waiting for two authors to tweak a couple of things in two chapters. Gail McCoy is doing final review of the last few chapters.

Continued work on layout is being held up by me since I need to scan photos for David Anderson to work from for the layout.

(11) JOURNAL OF CAVE AND KARST STUDIES

Louise D. Hose (Editor)
Department of Physical Sciences
1 University Drive
Chapman University
Orange CA 92866

Work: 714 997-6994
Fax: 714 532-6048
E-Mail: Hose@chapman.edu

James A. Pisarowicz (Production Editor)
Wind Cave National Park
South Dakota, SD 57747

Home: 605 673-5582(h)
Work: 605 745-4600(w)
E-Mail: pisarowi@gwtc.net

BOARD OF EDITORS
Steven Taylor (Life Sciences)
Julian Lewis (Conservation)
Andrea Futrell (Exploration)
Ira D. Sasowsky (Earth Sciences/Journal Index)
Marion O. Smith (Social Sciences)
Patty Jo Watson (Anthropology)
Ernst Kastning (Book Reviews)

ADVISORY BOARD
David Ashley
Rane Curl
Malcolm Field
Andy Flurkey
Donald McFarlane
Diana Northup
Art Palmer
William White

Progress: Volume 64, number 1 (April 2002 Special GIS Issue) reached the members about two months late but seems to have been particularly well received. Bernie Szukalski served as a Guest Editor and deserves our gratitude for a great effort. Co-sponsor for the issue, ESRI, Inc., has requested and received permission from our EVP to reprint part of some articles for their GISVision magazine.

I recently began an effort to have the Journal recognized by the ISI Database. We seem to meet all the minimal criteria but the process will take at least one year for approval. Acceptance into the ISI Database would be great benefit to professional researchers who publish in the Journal. There is no expense for this effort beyond sending copies of the Journal to them for evaluation and some correspondence.

Volume 64, number 2 (August 2002) is currently (8/19/02) at the printer and we expect it mailed before the end of August.

Plans: We have the December issue about halfway completed and we have plenty of accepted manuscripts for the issue already. It will also include the index and convention abstracts, as usual. In addition, we hope to have new Associate Editors for History and Conservation by the end of the year. Advertisements for the 2 positions were included in the August issue and I also talked to people in each community at the Maine convention.

Problems: Unfortunately, we were not able to put the color within the signatures of the April issue that we had originally built our budget on. This resulted in a considerable larger bill for printing of the GIS special issue than anticipated. We will likely not stay within our annual budget. I have been working with EVP Paquette and Dave Irving on possible solutions to the problem. The August issue is a "barebones" issue and we anticipate relatively low expenses. I have also informed authors of overly long manuscripts or ones requiring color figures that will not be able to accommodate their papers this year unless they pay page charges.

(12) NSS NEWS

Dave Bunnell
PO Box 879
Angels Camp CA 95222

dbunnell@caltel.com

Committee members:

Conservation
Jim & Val Hildreth-Werker
PO Box 207
Hillsboro NM 88042-0207
505 895-5050
werks@att.net

In the Media
Bill Klimack
15B Wilson Road,
West Point, NY 10996
845 446-5336
BKlimack@aol.com

Technology Reviews
Scott Shaw
sshaw@hiwaay.net

Newsletter Review
Jay Kennedy
3638 Fifth St Apt 214
Rapid City SD 57701
605 343-1855
caver_doc@hotmail.com

Spelean Spotlight
Bill Steele
oksteele@aol.com

Science of Speleology
Prof. Greg Springer
Department of Geological Sciences
316 Clippinger Labs
Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701
laramide@bedrockstreams.org

Techniques & Safety
Dan McConnell
(540) 774-5342
threecavrs@aol.com

Progress: The convention issue is coming together for October. The News continues to come out on time and within budget. We’ve switched to a somewhat glossier paper for the same cost but which reproduces the photos better. Despite low submissions for the last few months I’ve managed a feature in every issue.

Plans: I have a considerable number of features promised by people, many of which I requested and will be following up on. These include the Boquerones system of Cuba (mapped by two American expeditions), caves in Puerto Rico, Egypt, Hawaii, and several on caves in California, in anticipation of the convention there. I plan to attend the TAG fall cave-in and see what I can drum up from that area.

Problems: Currently the levels of feature submission are at an all-time low. I’m unsure of why other than that its summer and people are traveling. But as I mention above, I’m doing my best to keep things flowing.

(13) MEMBERS MANUAL

Gordon Birkhimer, NSS 42778
45372 Woodlawn Dr
California, Maryland 20619

301 862-4619
birkhimergl@navair.navy.mil

Committee Members:
Meredith Johnson - Proofreader
Bob Hoke - Database Manager
Melody Eady - Layout and Design
Keith Wheeland - I/O
Evelyn Bradshaw - I/O
Stephanie Searles - Members Listing
David Taylor - Survey Information
Phil Winkler - Database

Progress: I have received the newsletter covers displayed during Maine Convention from Don Martin. I have organized the committee member team and sent out an initial letter that I have attached. I have attached an e-mail in which Bob Hoke describes how he will organize the member database for printing, and the steps he will follow. Bob and Phil are working together in this area. I believe it may be possible to receive the final database within days of the printing. If that is possible, this arrangement will provide the capability of accessing the most current member information at the time of printing ever.

I have been approached by numerous members with suggestions on how to improve the Members Manual.

Here are some concerns so far:

1) Official NSS Award recipients should receive more emphasis in the Members Manual.

2) The database organizes states by the post office's two-letter abbreviations causing errors in alphabetizing the states. Arkansas (AK) comes before Arizona (AZ) if alphabetized by post office abbreviations.

3) The address fields in the database are stored in all capital letters. Probably, because they are needed that way for mailing labels? The program to restore upper/lower case letters makes every letter but the first one lower case. This causes errors for things like PO Box (Po Box), NE (Ne) and McLean, Va (Mclean). Also, names like O'Brien are a problem.

4) Four digit NSS Members have been printed with a leading "0".

5) Codes used in the NSS Membership List should appear in the "Codes Used in this List Table." If codes like (EN), (SB), and (RG) were used they should appear in the Table.

6) Should all addresses include the extra four-digit number like 20619-2133? Is this information the user's need? Could we be consistent and either add the extra four-digit numbers to everybody or get rid of them for everybody?

Plans: We are in the early stages of the project. Everyone has been supportive and cooperative. At this point we are gathering information and exploring ideas.

Problems: Too early to tell.

(14) ANNUAL REPORT

Bert Ashbrook
107 Avonbrook Rd
Wallingford, PA 19086-6001

610 627-2378
caveman@craftech.com

Progress: Done with 99/00-00/01 report.

Summary of Distribution

Plans: 01/02-02/03 report in December 2003.

Problems: None.

(15) PERMISSION TO REPRINT

Don Paquette
NSS EVP
3530 Moulton Rd
Martinsville IN 46151

765 349-0211
Fax 765 349-0356
speleo@reliable-net.net

The following permissions/contacts/non-permissions were made for reprinting NSS copyrighted materials and release of NSS Member information: