Minutes of the Chouteau Grotto Meeting

Wednesday, August 7, 2002

The meeting was called to order at 7:17 PM.

11 were in attendance

Treasurer's Report:

ÝÝÝ $1437.59 is in the coffers

MSS Meeting:

ÝÝÝ The Next M.S.S. Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, September 21, 2002

Foresight Editor:

ÝÝÝ Bob is still soliciting cave reports for the 2001 issue of the

Foresight.Ý If you have any cave reports or photos you'd like to have

printed, send them to Bob ASAP.

Old Business:

ÝÝÝ Annual Fall Picnic (formerly known as the Chicken Roast) will be held

September 21, 2002 at the Scout Camp, Rock Bridge State Park.Ý The Scout

Camp is reserved for those who would like to camp overnight.Ý Mike Morgan

will bring his cooker for those who would like to grill, however, the grotto

will not be providing chicken this year.

ÝÝÝ Boone County Fire Department Cave Rescue will be held Saturday September

21, 2002 at Devils Icebox, Rock Bridge State Park.

ÝÝÝ Ozark Regional Cavers will also be held the weekend of September 21,

2002 at Reeds Springs, Missouri.Ý More info at the O.R.C. website

http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Cabin/7603/

ÝÝÝ Fall T.A.G. Cave-In will be held October 10-13.Ý Registration forms are

available at the Dogwood City Grotto website http://www.dcg-nss.org/.

ÝÝÝ Mike Morgan, Rick Bennett and Rick Walk are still doing vertical work at

Capen Park in preparation for fall TAG.Ý If you are interested, contact Mike

Morgan for more info.Ý Also, watch Coollist for posts about possible changes

in days/times.

New Business:

ÝÝÝ Roxie Campbell brought brochures with the Fall 2002 Wild Cave Tour

Schedule for Devils Icebox.Ý Some of the new changes for the season are that

there will be NO trips in February or March because of the recently

discovered Indiana Bats and tour participants will need to provide their own

lights.Ý Anyone who is interested in becoming a tour leader, contact the

Park Office.Ý The Wild Cave Tour Leader Training will be held September 7th.

ÝÝÝÝ Roxie also passed around the Columbia Missourian article regarding the

endangered Indiana Bats.Ý An online copy can be found at the Digital

Missourian website

http://www.digmo.org/news/local/premium/0802local12934.html

ÝÝÝ There will be a Bat Identification Training trip into the Icebox on

October 4, 2002 in preparation for bat population survey trips in January to

the Icebox, Polly's Pot, and Hog Graveyard.Ý (Polly's Pot will be dependent

upon air quality)Ý Contact Roxie for more information.

ÝÝÝ Scott Schulte recently underwent a second knee surgery.Ý We all wish you

a speedy recovery!

ÝÝÝ Rick Bennett would like to plan a floating cave trip sometime in

September or early October.Ý If you're interested, contact Rick to set up

dates.

ÝÝÝ Bill Elliott reports that the Cave Biology Survey is completed and the

written report is in the works.

ÝÝÝ Bill Elliott proposed a grotto project in conjunction with MO Dept. of

Conservation.Ý The M.D.C. and The Army Corp. of Engineers recently completed

the world's largest cave gate at Rocheport (Boone) Cave.Ý Sometime in early

September, the M.D.C. would like our assistance in removing some of the

flood debris trapped by the gate.Ý In return for working, we will have

access to the cave for a cave photography workshop.Ý Watch Coollist for more

information.

Cave Reports:

ÝÝÝ Jesse Bebb did some surveying in Salts Cave (part of the Mammoth-Flint

Ridge System) with C.R.F. over the 4th of July holiday.Ý She discovered some

virgin passage but the survey team was too tired to continue.Ý She also

reports that the Hamilton Valley Facilities are phenomenal!

The meeting was adjourned at 9:37PM.

Respectfully submitted in the absence of Joe Hobbs,

Joe Dom