Minutes of the Chouteau Grotto

Meeting May 3, 2000

Meeting called to order at 7:12 p.m.

There were 12 members in attendance.

 

OFFICER AND COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Secretary: read the minutes of the last meeting

Treasurer: We have 1,204.01.

MSS Director: At his daughter's concert, but we were reminded of the
next MSS meeting on June 10th, which is an open Picnic at Onondoga
State Park.

Foresight Editor: the 97 issue is now complete and the first quarter of
99 is almost ready, but the software is not opening up properly, Rick
is in the process of an upgrade.

Reunion committee:

    We are not going to be able to use Al Price's land for the reunion,
but he doesn't mind if we want in the cave.  So we are exploring other
options.  After some discussion 3 options appeared to be the best to
look into.  1. Jacobs Cave, there is a camping area near by LOG used
the area for their reunion and a past MVOR was there, Rick will gather
information on it.  2. Rock Bridge state park, use of the boy scout
camping area, we can do but it would require moving the date from 9/9
to the following weekend 9/16.  Rick has already talked informally with
Scott and this would be a fair location.  3. Camp Hickory Hill,
possible trip into Holton's Cave if the gray bats are not present in
high numbers.  We have to find out if the camp would be available (I
think Rita was going to check on this more).

 
OLD BUSINESS

Cave Restorations: Bob is making this topic a goal for the grotto, we
should participate more in clean up and restoration projects.  Recently
a trip to hunters cave with clean up equipment went very well.  Bob
suggests that if anyone has any ideas for other caves that need clean
up work to bring that to the meetings.  Bill Elliott is writing an
article on cave clean up and restoration for the Missouri
Conservationist as a follow up to the Cave issue.  There is an
increasing effort to educate and protect caves from destruction.  This
includes the recent gating effort of Little Scott Cave.

 
Recent passage discovery in the Devil's Icebox:  In light of the recent
discovery of more side passage by Bob and Roger, Bob is proposing that
all of the new passage that has been discovered and mapped be put
together with some text and submitted as an article on all the
discovery for the NSS News.  In total he believes that there has been
about 900 to 1,000 feet of new passage mapped in the last couple of
years.  Photos from the New Terminal Siphon trip would be included.


There is also talk of several promising new cave areas to explore
locally.  Mike Morgan and Roger Brown explored a small cave in the park
that may go someplace.  Rita explored some passage through a tight
squeeze in Hunters recently.

 
CAVE TRIPS:  for May

This Sunday is Mother's Day for the guys that forgot, and need to stay
home with their wives...

NCRC cave rescue weekend the 12th-14th.  For all who signed up, Ben
Miller and Patti are going for sure.

Spring MVOR, near Springfield, MO is the weekend of the 19-21st.  There
are a few people planning on that trip.  Mike Morgan will be there
early in the afternoon on Friday to pick out a good camping area.

 
CAVE REPORTS:

Ben Miller, "Mississippi" Dan Childers, and Jim Huckins spent some time
in Shannon County, Been and Dan explored Allen Branch Cave.  And Ben
crawled into the "promising sink" that Jim has been telling us about
for a while -- I guess Ben was the "strong back and week mind" .  Ben
enjoyed the trip.


Bill Elliott was busy this month.

4/4 Bill went to Browns Cave near Ava, MO at request of the owner to
check it out.  He said the "Bubba factor was about 20" in the cave,
with graffiti, beer cans, and cigarette buts.   The owner may like to
make the cave a restoration project in the future.

4/6-8: The gates were placed on Little Scott Cave entrances.  The cave
was gated to protect it from further abuse.  There was a "high bubba
factor" in the cave with Bush beer cans all about the entrance.  2
gates made of angle iron were placed over the sink entrances, after the
first one was made, some local person came along and using some of the
remaining iron broke open the gate, so it had to be re-done while they
were finishing the second gate.  To enter Little Scott Cave you need to
call the Sullivan office to get access.  Brian Logus will give a permit
by phone if you correctly answer a little "caver quiz".  The gate is
locked by combination locks, so all he has to do is give you the
combination.  Several pre-gating photos have been taken to have the
before look and after some restoration we can compare.

4/18 Bill was at Martin Cave I & II, on the Current River (one cave
with 2 entrances)  It has some nice formations but more over it has
been found to be an Indiana Bat roost, so it may be gated in the future
to protect the bats.


Bill has also been working on using infrared videos to count bats
without disturbing the bats.  They went to the Devil's Icebox and
recorded video and bat sounds at the entrance for a test run.  Then
last Friday (4/28) he was a Smittle Cave to do more bat counting and
taping.

Tom went with a couple of friends to Holton Cave last month.  Also, Tom
and his wife visited and toured Mark Twain Cave, but they had some
difficulties with the tour guide.


Other Announcements:

Jim Huckins went through his address book and found some more past
members locations and gave the information to David Webster.

David Webster also gave a list of "lost" members to Rick Walk to
continue looking up.

The Day With Wildlife had about 1,200 people in attendance this year.
Rick appreciates everyone's help that came.

Patti passed her defense, and will go to graduation on May 5th.

David Carter is graduating from Columbia College with a degree in
Finance on Sunday, May 7th.


Meeting was adjourned at 8:45.  No program.  Fun at G&D's afterwards.


Respectfully Submitted,

Patti Williamson