BLUE RIDGE GROTTO
Minutes
October 16, 2020
BRG Meeting (via ZOOM)
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/74538158218?pwd=NjVxeW04RC9TTTZXRTNlNTdCdGdhZz09
Note: There were lots of technical difficulties
making it difficult for Susan to lead the meeting (excerpts from Susan - “…Basically once the
majority got on, then no one could hear me in real time. There would be no one
talking for long periods. I would start speaking & ask a question or make a
statement & then I would wait for a response. Again, long period of
silence, so I moved on to the next question or statement. Then while I am
starting on another statement, someone would start to say something that had to
do with the first question. It would then interrupt that person because
apparently you were hearing me VERY delayed…It was just you all didn't hear me
in real time. How would I know you couldn't hear me in real time? I thought you
all just wanted me to move on. Then I tried messaging you all with no response.
Under chat I could not see Dave's name to private message him, so I sent a
message to Trish, but she didn't see it for a bit.”
Introductions & Trip Reports:
(No trip reports due to time constraints)
Susan
Burr – Chair |
Dave
Socky – Vice Chair |
Trish
Geiger – Treasurer |
Marian
McConnell – Secretary |
MarySue Socky |
Bob
Gulden |
Lynn
Ott |
John
Fox |
Alex
Sproul |
Meredith
Weberg |
Kevin
Johnson & Carrie Doupnick* |
Lauren
Appel |
Nick
Schmalenberger |
Sharron
& Chuck Smith* |
|
*Guest
This Month’s trip – Susan Burr is planning a trip to
Porter’s Cave, VA on Saturday October 17th. Meet at HROM at 8:30a. She has 10
people signed up: Doug, Braven, Braven’s dad, Jeff, Nick,
Brandon, Brandon’s daughter Kandyce, Kevin and
Carrie.
BUSINESS MEETING
Treasury
Report – Trish Geiger, Treasurer |
Cave Bucks - 0
Conservation
- 0
Equipment – 133.87
General - 2,947.90
TOTAL $3,081.77
Committees:
·
Newsletter
– CARBIDE
DUMP – No October issue; Editor was out West exploring slot canyons.
·
Membership
– Kevin is a previous BRG member; MarySue has
encouraged him to join.
·
ROCKS
– No report.
·
Safety
& Techniques – None at this time.
Membership Proposals:
Old Business
·
Christmas cards and design – Submit your
ideas/photos by November 1st. Everyone seemed to like Nick’s award winning photo. Marian will get some quotes from Shutterfly (what we use in
the past few years to print the cards – she gets deep discounts) on 70 cards,
80 cards, and possibly 200 if we were to have some generic cards to sell
as a fundraiser.
·
Grotto Christmas party – Marian and Dano are offering to
have it at their house (outside on the back deck which does have covered areas)
in Catawba on Sunday November 15th from 10a-4p. There will be access to a bathroom inside.
Everyone to wear masks when indoors. Bring your own food and drink (no pot
luck). Weather permitting they will rig a rope down the talus slope for going
into the daylight cave (upper level) of Catawba Murder Hole. They will need
feedback to know if there are enough BRG members interested to do this.
·
Grotto Elections in November – Any
nominations? Volunteers? The nomination slate so far is: Marian McConnell for Chair, Lauren Appel for
Vice Chair, Dave Socky for Treasurer, and MarySue
Socky for Secretary. We will vote at the Nobvember 20th
BRG meeting.
·
All Grotto meetings will be held
virtually via ZOOM until further notice. Meredith was able to take advantage of
using the NSS Zoom capabilities and scheduled us for each month through April.
We will have 2 hours for each meeting if needed. Meredith will host it since
she has the links. She will share the info with the Socky’s. Hopefully by then
we can resume in-person meetings. Please
submit your written
cave trip reports to the secretary marian.mcconnell@gmail.com for the minutes, and to sockydr@cox.net for the Carbide Dump. Note: Do we want to
consider having audio-only conference calls due to technical difficulties with
Zoom?
·
Marian McConnell was contacted by Larry
Johnson who caved with the Roanoke College group in the 50’s. He went into
Catawba Murder Hole, and was also rescued out of Porter’s Cave in May 1957.
Back then it was called Anderson’s Cave since that was the owner at the time. See 2 attachments.
New Business
·
NSS Award Nominations – deadline is Nov.
15. Know of a deserving caver? More info can be found at: https://caves.org/committee/award/nominate.shtml
·
Dave Jackson of Cave-Sim is wishing to expand,
and wants to know if we can continue to support them. He would like our Grotto
to donate $299 (or more). He is also building 2 more simulators. Last year we
donated $75, this year $25 so far. Mary
Sue will send out Dave’s information so we can discuss if we want to donate,
and how much. It was noted that Cave-Sim
is a for-profit business.
Announcements:
·
PETZL
Rope recall.
Program: None.
2020 CAVER CALENDAR:
·
October
24-31 is Bat Week.
·
Fall
VAR will be via Zoom on October 25 at 6p.
·
October
29-31 – SERA Cave Carnival – Rock Island, TN.
·
VSS
is November 1st.
·
Next
BRG meeting will be November 20 via Zoom. Dave Socky will have a program about
slot canyons (topless caves) in Utah from his recent trip.
·
Spring
2021: MAR/VAR at Grand Caverns, VA.
Adjourned: 8pm