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SERA Winter Business Meeting 2007
Detailed Minutes - Treasurer's Report
SERA Winter Business Meeting 2007- Detailed Minutes
Hosted by Chattanooga GrottoThe 2007 SERA Winter Business meeting was held in Chattanooga Tennessee at St. Jude Catholic Church in the Parish Life Center, on February 3rd 2007. The Chattanooga Grotto hosted it.
Forty-five cavers attended the event. Chairman Brian Roebuck called the meeting to order at 9:30 AM. He began the event with a moment of silence for Tank Gorin who died the day before.
Butch Feldhouse welcomed attendees and familiarized them with the location, the region and parking. The chairman began announcements. He announced the NSS office was set up, they spoke about specials and new arrivals. Next the photo salon was announced and its chair Lynn Roebuck was recognized. Carl Anderson was cited for hosting the map salon. Brian spoke about the SERA awards and the SERA newsletters and the need for SKTF members.
Mark Joop made a presentation on SERA 2007 along with Rich Lounsbury. He showed photos of the site along with maps of the site.
Next Mark reported on the SERA Cave Carnival Enhancement Committee’s report. This committee had been formed to flesh out ideas for getting higher attendance and more diverse hosting for the event. The idea of a fixed date in May was put forward along with a listing of past locations for new hosts. Gerald Moni talked about how SERA had worn out welcome in some past locations. Further discussion on this report was tabled until the business meeting that afternoon.
Jim Wilbanks reported on the Right of Refusal lists and which grottos were in line for future events. Bill Stringfellow reported that Dogwood City would host the next SWBM. Some discussion followed consisting of questions on how the process worked.
Michael Gilbert reported on SERA 2006. He said he hoped they put the fun back into the event. He thought sending postcards to every grotto early was part of the reason for the high attendance. He encouraged everyone to lease the site, don’t rent. He talked about the tee shirt which won Best of Show at this year’s NSS salon. He felt the number of led trips was the biggest improvement they had made since the last SERA they hosted. He recommended earlier promotion as very important.
Next came the grotto activity reports:
Mark Joop reported on the SCCI and said while no purchases had been made Valhalla and Snail Shell had been paid off. Carl Bishop reported that the Southport Chronic Cavers had many new members involved in cleanups and exploration on the western highland rim of Tennessee. They are in their eleventh year. John Attaway reported the Sewanee Grotto was three years old and working on cleanup activities with the SKTF. He said sixteen tons of trash had been removed from Orme Mtn Rd. They were exploring new caves in Payne Cove, helped with last year’s SWBM, and hosted their own event Pupfest. They also operate recycling at SERA and TAG. Marty Abercrombie reported for Chattanooga Grotto that over fifty members are attending meetings and the grotto celebrated their fiftieth anniversary. Chris Hulbert reported for the Nashville Grotto. She said the grotto was still involved with the Spencer issue and that the grotto was now backing Spencer in court trying to get all the money the state promised. Nashville was still busy with conservation activities and doing surveying in Big Bear Cave. They have also been mentoring new Clarkesville members. John Hoffelt reported on the Tennessee Central Basin Grotto, which now has fifty members. They now have monthly trips are surveying several caves. They are managing Snail Shell Cave for the SCCI, which recently had a rescue of trespassers. She said they are being prosecuted. He stated Marbry Hardin had found two and a half miles of cave in Snail Shell Cave. Gerald Moni reported for the TCS that now counts nine thousand caves. They are updating locations. Avis Moni reported Huntsville was celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. Mike Hopkins reported that Pigeon Mtn. Grotto was cleaning up Pigeon Mtn. campsites and donating to the SCCI. Bill Stringfellow reported the Dogwood City Grotto’s TAG Fall Cave In had shrunk a bit. A number of DCG members had attended NCRC, rappelled the Black Canyon and rebuilt the Frick’s Cave Gazebo. Chris Kerr reported Smoky Mountain Grotto had been involved in two rescues and gave $1000 to Great Expectations. Rich Lounsbury reported for East Tennessee Grotto and spoke about the upcoming SERA and its fiftieth anniversary. They were working on a fiftieth anniversary publication. They have ten new members and have been working on Cumberland Gap. Nikky LaBranche reported the Birmingham Grotto’s fiftieth anniversary was coming up and the grotto had been busy hosting the SWBM and SERA. Carl Anderson reported the Georgia Speleological Survey would be meeting April 21st and had been busy on the resurvey of Fricks Cave. Anne Elmore reported the Spencer Grotto was still eating well. She reported Roy Davis had sold his interest in Cumberland Caverns and that Bill Walters was turning seventy. She had a large card for the attendees to sign. Daniel Gautheir from Quebec introduced himself and reported Lake Cumberland had been lowered for two years opening a lot of cave entrances.
Host Butch Feldhaus reported on eating locations and the meeting adjourned at 11:45 for Lunch.
The afternoon Business meeting was called to order at 1:30PM. Jim Wilbanks called the roll of grottos. Representing their grotto were:
Birmingham Grotto-Nikky Labranche
Central Alabama Grotto-Greg Green
Chattanooga Grotto-Marty Abercrombie
Clock Tower Grotto- Ron Miller
Dogwood City Grotto- Bill Stringfellow
East Tennessee Grotto-Rich Lounsbury
Gadsden Grotto-Sharon Brewer
Georgia Speleological Survey-Carl Anderson
Huntsville Grotto-Avis Moni
Nashville Grotto-Chrys Hulbert
Pigeon Mountain Grotto-Mike Hopkins
Sewanee Mountain Grotto-John Attaway
Smoky Mountain Grotto-Chris Kerr
Southport Chronic Cavers- Carl Bishop
Spencer Grotto- Anne Elmore
Tennessee Cave Survey- Gerald Moni
Tennessee Central Basin Grotto- John Hoffelt
The 2006 minutes were read and approved with one typographical correction by Wilbanks
The treasurers report was read and approved and is attached.
Brian Roebuck reported on the awards committees and the new procedures.
The floor was opened for new business:
First were officer’s elections:
John Attaway was unanimously elected SERA vice chair.
Jim Wilbanks was unanimously elected secretary/treasurer after vowing this would be his last term.
Jim Wilbanks presented the SKTF report which is attached.
SERA Merit Awards were next and a number were voted on. This year’s SERA Merit awards are:
Don Hunter for his continuing support of SERA and the SERA photo Salon
Brent Aulenbach for running the SERA map salon.
Dan Barnick for founding the SERA Photo Salon.
Jay Clark for legal advice and assistance to NSS Cavers
Sewanee Mountain Grotto for conservation and recycling efforts
Bill Torode for tireless support of the NSS
Chrys Hulbert for conservation efforts with the Nashville Grotto
Next the floor was opened for discussion on the report of the SERA Cave Carnival Enhancement Committee. John Hoffelt (TCBG) spoke in opposition stating he preferred summer for good weather and wants SERA to move around more. Bill Stringfellow (DCG) talked about TAG’s chairman notebook that is passed to each chairman with personal additions and insight. Chris Kerr (SMG) said SERA’s don’t need to be big. He felt bigger SERA’s would chase smaller grottos away. He felt home grottos should be consulted first when another grotto wants to host in their area. He felt attendance was also dependent on weather. Michael Gilbert (CAG) spoke about the difficulty of getting smaller grottos to host. Chrys Hulbert (Nashville) spoke of the importance of early notification and the importance of paper information. She also said SERA should advertise the non-caving attractions. Carl Anderson (GSS) said smaller grottos don’t know how to succeed. He felt the committee needs to mentor the prospective host. Jim Wilbanks moved and Gerald Moni seconded that the committee be expanded to include John Hoffelt and Michael Gilbert. Other members are Bill Stringfellow, Mark Joop, Eric Crisp and Jim Wilbanks. The committee was charged with coming up with a survey to be completed, sent to all grottos in SERA and the results tabulated by the next SWBM.
Michael Gilbert (CAG) announced CAG was giving the SKTF $300.
The business meeting was adjourned at 3:00 PM. Awards Committees met and during the interim Jim Whidby presented a power point presentation on Nickajack Cave.
Francis Mckinney members: Marty Abercrombie, Gerald Moni, and Carl Bishop
Winner: Ken Oeser
Larry Adams members: Avis Moni, Myrna Attaway, Anne Elmore
Winner: John Pharris for Ferris Pit
The Schreiber and conservation awards were not made.
SERA Photo Salon
Judges: Nikky Labranche, Mark Joop & Lynn Roebuck
People or Animals Category:
1st Place: "Snowball Pip" by Jim Whidby
2nd Place: "Self Portrait" by Butch Feldhaus
3rd Place: "Frosty Pip" by Jim Whidby
Cave Category:
1st Place: "Cuylers Pool" by Cheryl Pratt
2nd Place:"Under the Breakdown" (Gap Cave) by Cheryl Pratt
3rd Place: "Floating Pool" by Steve Attaway
Honorable Mention: "Composite" by Steve Attaway
SERA Art Salon
Best of Show: "A Cave" by Glenn Mills
Honorable Mention: "Architectural Bat" by Glenn Mills
SERA Map Salon
Judges: Jim Wilbanks, Carl Anderson and John Attaway
First place in the novice Cartography category was Sharon Brewer for a map of New Cave AL2301.
Chattanooga hosted a banquet for the attendees. Larry Mathews gave a presentation on Big Bone Cave and caves of Chattanooga.
Respectfully submitted
Jim Wilbanks.
Adopted February 16th 2008
SERA Treasurer’s Report
Southeastern Region
National Speleological Society
2006 Treasurers Report
Beginning Balance
$537.42
Income
2006 SERA Cave Carnival
880.50
Interest
3.66
Total Income
884.16
884.16
$1,421.58
Expenses
Extra Frame (2006)
2.14
Trophy Update
195.12
Award Frames
8.56
Award Money
200.00
Disbursement to SKTF
293.50
Web Space
12.00
Total Expenses
711.32
711.32
Ending Balance
$710.26