Minutes of the Chouteau Grotto Meeting
February 6, 2002


The meeting was called to order at 7:12 PM

24 members were present

Treasurer's Report: $1241.09 in the coffers.

There was much discussion of member dues and the payment schedule. Annual dues are now 20 dollars for regular members, 15 dollars for students, and the "AARP" over 50 rate is 15 dollars. These dues are payable at any time.

Kevin proposed that there could be an incentive program to drop dues incrementally for those who pay on time. After discussion, this concept was dropped. After more discussion, two motions were made and approved to be voted upon at the March meeting.

1. Dues should be paid in January or February for the calendar year.  A new member may join at any time of year, and his/her dues fee would be prorated to reflect the months "missed."

2. Students may pay the fees on a "semester plan." There would be a $7.50 dues fee for the first semester period of January/February through August, and a $7.50 fee for the second semester period September through January/February.

The combined January/February dues date reflects the facts that students are not around for the January meeting, and that so many payments are due to organizations in January that a slightly later date is better.

MSS Director's Report: Rita attended the meeting in Rolla on January 12. She reported that the Carroll Cave effort continues; they are still drilling and are about halfway down (60 feet from the cave). Dave Webster is no longer MSS Treasurer; thanks for your service Dave! Paul Johnson received the J. Harlan Bretz Award, and he gave 10,000 dollars to the MSS for data management projects. Thanks Paul!

Foresight Editor's Report: Bob Lerch.passed about extra copies of Volume 36(1).

Old Business:

NSS and MSS reports: Bob Lerch kindly submitted the annual Grotto report to the NSS in the new electronic format, and will follow up with the submission of the annual report to the MSS.

New members: Students of MU's Geography of Caves class introduced themselves and their tentative research topics, and at their request all present at the meeting introduced themselves. These are the Geography students and their topics:

Sarah Webb: folklore and writers on caves.
Sarah Courtney: funerary uses of caves.
Shay Huffman: impacts of sensory deprivation on people in caves
Carl Edwards: evolution of animal life in caves
Ben Miller: history of exploration of Fitton Cave, Arkansas
Natalie Simon: cave rescue
Keri Renfroe: biospeleology
Dyanna Pursell: geography of sinkholes
Lindsey Haggland: historical geography of cave parties and party caves
Dave Gustafson: technology of cave mapping

Cave Reports:

Ben Miller and Bob Lerch went to TAG in December, visiting the Surprise Pit of Fern Cave in Alabama - a 455 foot drop. They also went to Tumbling Rock Cave, famous for its Topless Dome. 

Ben , Orin Worden and Rita Worden went looking for Allen Pit near Midway in Boone County, but apparently did not find it. They did find - and name - "Don King Mold Cave," and mapped it. It's Boone County's newest cave! They dug in it a bit. They also found a sinkhole with coke machines and more.

Bob Lerch, Andy Lerch, ,Rita Worden and Jessie Bebb did Hunter's Cave mapping in January, surveying 160 feet,  bringing the total surveyed up to 5030 feet. Bob thinks the total surveyed length will push 7000 feet.

Ben and Jessie went to Fitton's Cave (aka Beauty Cave, according to Jim Huckins) in early January, at looked at entrance to Cave Mountain Cave. They also finished mapping Mouse Cave on Conservation Department property, where they saw a cluster of pipistrelle bats.

Rita, Ben and Jessie hooked up with the Ozark Highlands Grotto to survey Garrison Cave  in mid January. So far there have been 14,400 plus feet surveyed, including in a new passage discovered in 1996. Our members were in for eight hours, mapping under some very tight, wet and otherwise rough conditions. They did see some great rimstone dams in the cave.

Rita took 30 5th graders and escorts from Mill Creek Elementary School to Monroe Cave (Schoolhouse Cave) - near Bruce Cave -- in Moniteau County. The students wore wool clothing donated from the local surplus store and "looked like a little army."

Winter Campout: Mike Morgan reported that seven Grotto members took part, and enjoyed about eight inches of snow. They went into two caves, including Little Bear Cave. Mississippi Dan was there, and his decision not to leave Missouri was cheered. Next year's tentative winter campsite area: Upper Jack's Fork!

Bill Elliott presided over a two and half hour "Cave and Karst Roundtable" at the Missouri Natural Resources Conference on January 31. It was attended by 90 people. One of the protection agents, Terry Roverson, spoke of how conservation agents will be trained in caving and apprehending cave vandals. He has history of catching looters at Great Spirit Cave. There is a subculture of looters, some of whom sell artifacts on eBay. Also at the roundtable was a cave owner said he's tired of people looting his cave, and he asked for help. He turned out to be Sam Gasgill, a state representative, and he promised to work on legislation on cave protection. Existing legislation is weak.

Upcoming Cave Trips:

There will be a Hunter's Cave mapping trip on Saturday, February 23. Contact Bob Lerch for details.

Ben Miller has organized three trips; contact him for details: Tumbling Cave Survey (Three Creeks), 9 AM, February 9; Ennis Cave/Janus Pit, Arkansas, February 16/17; and Stone County, March 2/3.

Other:

Joe Dom announced the upcoming Center for Cave and Karst Studies Workshops in Mammoth Cave. These may be taken for undergraduate and graduate credit. For  details, see http://caveandkarst.wku.edu/karsthydrologyAC.html, or contact Joe.

Jo Schaper announced that the campground at Onondaga Cave would be closed for the entire year, but that the Park's caves will be open according to the normal schedule.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:55 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Joe Hobbs, Secretary
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