BRG Minutes 4-15-2011

Present:

Pat Sims (chair) Hayley Pope Susan Burr Carl Alls

Trish Geiger (treas) Al Stewart Bob Alderson Randy Michael

Mary Sue Socky(vc) Dave Socky Carl Cornett Doug Feller

Jen Perdue Ivy Lidstone* members of Appalachian Trail Club *

* denotes guest

(NOTE: we did the BRG meeting first, got it out of the way for the slide show)

Trips:

3/19/2011: BRG trip to Lipps Entrance, WV. Pat Sims, Tom Tracey, Stephanie Petri , Alan Staton, Jess Jones, Susan Burr, Doug Feller (leader). The goal was to Lipps Sump; they got to a 90' pit (no way around). So they headed to the Deems Entrance, which was nasty, full of animal crap. It was a short trip.

3/25-26: Gap Cave, VA/KY. Dave Socky, Joe Zokaites, and Mike Rinehart did a survey trip in Gap Cave. They went all the way to the back; surveyed 515'. They killed 3 leads, found 5 more. 18 hour trip.

March 2011: Bob Alderson spent most of the month in Puerto Rico. He did 14 cave trips, bolt climbs, and a lot of sherpa work hauling tanks for cave divers, etc. Que Lastima!

March 2011 - West Virginia surveying. (detail not in notes...need more info)

4/16: Tomorrow - New River Cave, VA. Meet 9a HROM.

Next month's trip to: Giant Caverns - Carl Cornett is leader. Trip is now to Cave Spring Cave, Lexington, VA. Doug Feller is leader. trip will be on 5/21/11.

Business Meeting:

Treasurer's report:

Petty Cash: $ 154.00 General Fund: $ 5,278.21

Conservation: $ 266.59 Equipment: $ 246.12 Cave Bucks: $ 138.30

BALANCE: $ 6,083.22

Committees:

· Newsletter - no newsletter in April. Thank you for your sympathy cards & support.

· Membership - voted in 2 new members in March, only one has paid his dues. No new proposals.

· ROCKS - there are leads, karst areas in Botetourt Co. that need checking out. Landowners WANT us to come and look at their holes!!

· S&T - no report. If you want a vertical session, let the McConnell's know. Practices can be held in Catawba Murder Hole entrance pit.

Old Business

· Nothing has been done on approaching local rescue entities and streamlining cave rescue call out information.

· Nothing has been done on contacting Roanoke Outside and getting them to update the caving section of their webpage. (Once they do that, BRG will be happy to put a link to their site on the BRG webpage.)

· Very Old Business: (this item has been brought up and approved in the past, but was never acted upon): Mary Sue Socky has found nice professional looking metal/fabric/hinged display boards for $300.00 or less. These would be used to replace the crappy foam board displays we currently use for education purposes. Mary Sue asked if BRG would be interested in funding part of the replacement boards.

Susan Burr motioned that BRG pay for the full amount for new educational boards. Dave Socky seconded the motion. Vote: 7 yes, 2 no. Motion Passes.

New Business: None.

Announcements:

NSS has reopened Hamilton Cave and New Trout Cave. Trout Cave remains closed. (Trout Rocks/John Guilday Cave Preserve, WV).

Spring VAR will be April 29 - May 1, 2011 in Durbin WV.

SEKCI-XVI will be May 13-15, 2011 in Crane Nest, KY.

Spring MAR will be May 13-15m Shade Gap, PA.

2011 NSS Convention in Glenwood Springs CO.

BRG meeting adjourned at 7:55p for Carl Cornett and Maya's pps on their trip in NEPAL - excellent! They also had an impressive display of additional photos, textiles, souvenirs, and photos of cave entrances they passed as they summited the passes of Nepal. OUTSTANDING PROGRAM! Thank You!

Submitted by Mary Sue Socky,

Substitute Secretary