BLUE RIDGE GROTTO
Meeting Minutes
November 18, 2005

Present: (16)
Al Stewart, Emperor Doug Feller Dave Socky Mary Sue Socky
Chris Heptinstall Carl Cornett Susan Burrr "Randy Honey" Michael
Cole Frantz Todd Martin Marian McConnell Dan McConnell
*Kristen Perdue *Jen Perdue *Paul Stoutamire *Whitney Wells
(* Denotes guest)

Trip Reports

Oct. 2005 - Thomas Moore took a bunch of family and friends into Cave Spring Cave, Lexington, VA for a short trip. They got past Scarlett's Hole, but turned back at the Eye of the Needle and headed out.

10/16/2005 - a rare Sunday BRG trip to Scott Hollow Cave, WVa. Dave Socky, leader: Aaron Moses, Shane Ashby, Leanne Barley, Pat Sims, Doug Feller, Susan Burr, Cole Frantz, etc. Did the "shorter" trip via the Root Canal loop, saw the Christmas tree, and got lost (of course). Doug lead the "take it easy" trip out of the cave, while Dave Socky and the jackrabbits ran down to the Double Waterfall area, then they flew from Mystic River up Drag Ass Hill and caught up with the rest of the trip at the entrance ladder - in 40 minutes! What speed and elevation change, too! The water level of Mystic River was REAL LOW.

11/5 - Grand Caverns, VA. Dave Socky, Aaron Moses and Bill Murray went into the new section of Grand Caverns for video purposes. Trip was an 8-hour recon to see how hard it would be to get the video equipment back to the New Section for a good documentary. Dave is getting sherpas lined up for future trips.

11/5 - Dan and Marian McConnell took a bunch of Boy Scouts in to Catawba Murder Hole.

11/5 - Rickey Shortt, Aaron Moses, and NRVG folk visited Scott Cave, WVa. (near Scott Hollow)

TRIP PLANS
11/19/05 - Tomorrow - Trip to Porter's Cave, VA. Dave Socky & Doug Feller are leaders.
12/10 - Rufe Caldwell Sinkhole Cleanout. Wil Orndorff' is coordinator.
12/17 - BRG Trip to Paxton's Cave, VA. Dave Socky is trip leader.
Dec. 17 - BRG Christmas Party 7p @ El Rodeo on Williamson Road

(Meeting order was temporarily rearranged at this point - Dan & Marian arrived with the Program - they had been stuck in a traffic jam and had to take back roads, etc. While the program was being set up, a few bits of the business meeting were taken care of)

TREASURER'S REPORT
Gen Fund - $ 6142.38 Cave Bucks $ 174.93
Conservation - $ 574.70 Equip. Fund $ 218.00

PROGRAM - the 2nd Half of Dave Bunnells New Zealand Cave slides. Awesome!

BUSINESS MEETING

The minutes from the last meeting were not read, but were accepted.

Mary Sue Socky encouraged everyone to com out and help at the Rufe Caldwell Sinkhole Cleanup on 12/10/2005.

Dixie Caverns Wrap-Up: 29 cavers raised a lot of hell, worked their butts off and raised $2000.00 for cave conservation.

Xmas Cards - a cave scene, viewed through a Christmas tree cutout on the front cover. NICE, Marian!! Cards will be printed on beige or light green paper.

ELECTIONS: Everyone voted in, in less than 2 minutes. The officers for 2006 are:
Emperor - Al Stewart NSS 9646
Vice Chair -Susan Burrr NSS 53888
Secretary - Marian McConnell NSS 37358
Treasurer - Doug Feller NSS 21746 (please note that Doug's NSS number has been corrected.)

" Newsletter - thanks for the articles, please keep sending them and artwork, too!
" ROCKS - Nothing
" Safety & Techniques - Rocwood indoor climbing wall ahs closed AGAIN. BRG has access to it any time, NO CHARGE. Dan McConnell would like to hold a January 2006 vertical practice at Rocwood. Susan requests learning cable ladder skills.
" Membership - pay your dues!

Membership Vote: Allyson Lee's BRG membership application has been tabled for a month. Allyson is currently in Louisiana, doing animal rescue work in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The BRG membership present voted Allyson Lee in, by acclimation? Welcome to your new caving home, Allyson!

OLD BUSINESS

" New BRG Membership Cards - are done.
" BRG/Cave Owner Christmas Card list - please add Cole's Uncle Spencer.
" Fla Karst Conservancy - take them off the business list.
" Cave License Plates - Marian said TABLED, will have something in January 2006.
" Inflatable, Portable Cave - is owned by some Roanoke City agency. There is a number and a person we need to contact in order to borrow it. Dan and Marian McConnell are the BRG contact persons if we need to use the cave.
" EMERGENCE - Dave Socky and Marian McConnell are gonna start filming in late December 2005, early January 2006. They need to rough out things first.

NEW BUSINESS AGAIN!
Dixie Caverns has requested a post Haunted Cave clean up. We'll do a "Quick and Dirty" one on Wed, December 7. Meet at the Dixie Caverns gift shop at 10a or so.

Hard Copy Printing of the CARBIDE DUMP
MSSocky brought up the gradual increase in the number of DUMPS that are printed and mailed to BRG members. That, along with the planned postage increase in 2006, will push up the price of a hardcopy newsletter.

" Some of BRG do not have computers, or email addresses, and cannot access the eDUMP. It would be unfair to penalize them for their Luddite lack of technology.

" Some BRG members have requested and are receiving a hardcopy of the DUMP, even though they have computer access.

" BRG MUST send hard copies of the Carbide Dump to the NSS, Cave Files, NSS News, and a few special request newsletter exchanges.

" It was suggested that the "unlimited freebies" and "Hard or electronic - You choose" be eliminated, and in addition to dues, people requesting a hardcopy of the CARBIDE DUMP would pay the following fee -
Extra $5.00 if you do not have a computer.
Extra $10.00 if you DO have computer access.

The subject of Hardcopy Printing was finally mercifully tabled, and something about this item will be included in the CARBIDE DUMP.

BRG and VAR
BRG will not host a VAR for John Pearson, in conjunction with NAMKCS in 2006 or 2007.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
" 26th Rock & Mineral Show, at Salem Civic Center Nov. 25, 26, 27, 2005
" Cavers Cruise to the Caribbean - 2006 Valentine Cruise.
" SECCI - please donate to this organization. Buy a section of rope at Neversink, a piece of passage in Wolf River, etc.
" Donate to the NSS - through many of the funds - Save the Caves, Great X, etc.
" Remember the new access policy at Buckeye Creek Cave, WVa. Check in at the house across from the cave before going caving. Thanks!
" Online Stuff from the NSS - possible problem: emails, transactions taken place Nov. 10-15 may have been lost in cyberspace. Please resend your mail to the NSS office, and make a note to that effect on your mail. Sorry for the confusion.

Meeting ended 9:02p

Hallelujah, I'm Free!

Mary Sue Socky
Outgoing Secretary