Minutes of the
Chouteau Grotto Meeting
Wednesday, May 1, 2001
The meeting was called to order at 7:15 PM.
The honorary Jessie Bebb presided in Rita's absenceä
22 were in attendance
Treasurer's Report: $1489.59 are in the coffers
MSS Meeting: It will be this Saturday in Rolla. From 9-12 there will
be "fun and games," with the business meeting beginning at 1
PM.
Upcoming Cave Trips and Other Events:
The Stream Festival will take place at the Devil's Icebox parking
lot on June 1 from 10-3. Charles Alun came to the meeting tonight to
speak about this and related matters. He passed out a brochure
entitled "Community Storm Water Project," which included a nice
map of local watersheds, and gave a talk called "Stormwater: It's
Not Just Water Under the Bridge." Charles has been here since 1960.
Columbia's Mayor has put together a committee to come up with a
policy on watershed management - composed mainly of realtors and
developers -- and Charles is on this committee. Their concern is with
impervious surfaces in the urban areas, and minimizing the problems
they cause through better development and management practices.
MVOR: 17-19 May in Decauterville, MO. The Grotto will have a campsite,
perhaps with Mike Morgan setting up.
Rick and Mike Morgan will go to Green Cave next Wednesdayä contact
them for details.
Ben will go to Arkansas and maybe Stone County right after MVORä
contact him for details
Cave Trip Reports:
Rita, Rick, Bob, Ben and Jessie went to Moonshine Cave in Onondaga
State Park. Rick passed around some photos he took on the trip. There
was moonshiner's equipment still down there (so to speak).
Keri, Ben, Tiffany and Paul Underwood joined in for a through trip in
Cathedral Cave (from the commercial to the natural entrance). Keri
found some new passage after a boost from Jessie.
Ben Miller talked about a trip to Smittle Cave on the 23rd, down to
the Register Room and Squeezeway to Emerald Room. Roger, Rita, Bob and
Jessie were on that trip. Last weekend Roger, Rita, Bob and Ben
surveyed some caves in Stone County and dug into one cave -
Gopherhole Cave. Rita and Ben mapped Cluster Cave, which has clusters
of aragonite needles on the ceiling. They went on to Indian Creek Cave
for four hours, and on the next day surveyed Pillar Cave and one
other.
Jim Huckins and a friend looked for a blowhole on the Upper Jack's
Fork. There is a story about it, dating to 1933, but the location was
incorrect. It will be looked into moreä And Huck passed around an
NSS report on the remarkable "Rumble Room" discovered in Falls
Creek Falls State Park in Tennessee.
Various Matters:
Rick Walk on the NSS: The organization has sent out a letter asking
for funding for the Shelta Cave Preserve. Grottoes are being asked to
help fund fencing (200 feet long per adoption, for an $80 fee). Ben
Miller made a motion for the Grotto to buy a section for $80. The
motion was unanimously approved.
Ben reported that two compasses, a clinometer and rubber cases have
been ordered for under $250 with the funds approved last month.
Bill Elliott is to have surgery tomorrow. A "get well" poster was
passed around, and a motion approved for the Grotto to present
recuperating Bill with a promise to receive a soon-to-be-released book
on cave conservation and management.
Jo Schaper told a story of how a little person can make a big
difference. Someone had published a story in the St. Louis Post
Dispatch on collecting cave minerals. Jo reacted to the article
and ended up being published herself, speaking up on cave
protection.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:34 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Joe Hobbs, Secretary
--