From: Rock Bridge Memorial State Park [rock.bridge.memorial.state.park@dnr.mo.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2004 4:35 PM
To: chouteau
Subject: April meeting minutes


Chouteau Grotto Minutes from April 7, 2004


Present:
President:  Marck Schneider
ViceñPresident: Eugene Vale
Treasurer:  Kevin Feldz
Secretary:  Kathryn Devany DiFoxfire
Members:  10


CALL TO ORDER:  Meeting called to order at 7:07 p.m

REPORTS:
SECRETARY'S REPORT
        Apologies for lateness of March (and this) report,  No amendments made.

TREASURER"S REPORT
        March balance was $1267.90.
        April balance is $1307.90

MSS LIASON REPORT:
        The only MSS-related news was that former MSS president Ken Thompson and his wife died in a car accident while returning from the wedding of their daughter.

FORESIGHT REPORT:
        None

QUARTERMASTER'S REPORT:
        There was discussion of various lights available and their prices.
Ernie Bhend's group still has 1 helmet on loan which needs to be returned.


OLD BUSINESS

STREAM TEAM:  Contact alsgw7@mizzou.edu if you'd like to help with stream team activities.

VOTING OPPORTUNITIES
        Discussion of whether or not to hold any votes by coollist tabled again until we could find a copy of the bylaws.  It was suggested we send a request out on coollist for that information.  The point was made that the most important voting issue we have is election of officers each winter.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SPRING MVOR  will be at Historic Hulston Mills Campground in Greene County near Springfield.  Any interest in leaving Thursday night?

GROTTO CAVE-IN
        Would anyone like to do a cave weekend just for Chouteau Grotto members this summer, perhaps along Rt NN in Pulsaski County? It would be an opportunity to see 9-10 caves the same weekend.  Contact Kirsten Alvey at 338-8670.  

RATTLESNAKE CAVE
Lake Ozark Grotto is planning on taking church youth into Rattlesnake Cave in Camden County May 22.  About 20 kids are signed up, mostly teenagers.  At least three more adults are needed.  The cave does have some tight squeezes.  If interested in participating, contact Kirsten Alvey at 338-8670.

CAVE REPORTS

CAVE REPORT REMINDER:  We should be writing cave reports and submitting them to the appropriate journals.

Kirsten Alvey discussed many caves, including finding 37 caves in 5 days with 1 new confirmed sinkhole cave.  Some of those caves are described below.  
Five Candle Cave (named because you had to steal at least 5 candles from the cupboard in order to have enough light to explore the cave)
Sieb Cave in Pulsaki County:  Has small slit opening, a different actives streams, needs work to keep entrance open as it keeps filling in with silt
Stucco #1:  Whiel exploring for this cave 6 Pulaski County police cars arrived on scene as part of search and rescue of stolen property.  After talking to them for a while, Kirsten had leads for at least six more area caves.
4 more caves on Petersen property,
5 bluff caves too high on bluff too access
Kirsten may be able to enter Ash Cave which has been closed for a long time as part of a trade for Kirsten's cooking.

Kirsten has volunteered to do landowner relations.  Send any new information on caves, caves leads to Kirsten for inclusion in databases.  

Tanyard Cave:  Rita Worden would like Kirsten to try and obtain landowner permission for them to enter.   Ideal time to enter would be July as normally Tanyward Cve is very wet.

Kempton Cave near Onyx Mt.  They were led by a 12-year-old to the entrance of the  cave.


MOCAVES article mentioned that someone recently discovered that some company had illegally buried explosives in a cave in one of the northern states.  This may be another reason for the government to want to try and get a listing of all known cave sites.

RUBYDO (sp?) New owner is cave friendly.

Recession Canyon Cave should be called Crevice Crack.  Dry dust, no critters, very small and short.  Cave report for this trip are written.

Kirby Cave:  Ernie, Kirsten, Marck Schneider, Steve, Jeff Young explored Kirby Cave April 3 for about 3 hours.  Saw about 20 bats (17 pips, 4 with ear mites), 23 salamander larvae in pools, 2 long-tailed yellows, dead pickerel frog covered with amphipods and 78 monorail worms all together with horizontal and vertical lines crisscrossing, tons of crinoids, huge soda straws almost crystal clear,

Merrill Cave in Mark Twain National Forest:  Steve and Kirsten found blue plastic pans probably from artifact seekers.  A bat also managed to crawl into one of their battery packs.


OTHER BUSINESS

Scott Schulte officially retired as superintendent of Rock Bridge Memorial State Park.

Hunter's Cave Gate:  Current plans are to use rebar and weld gate into cave walls, instead of using bolts (which is the current method).

MEETING ADJOURNED:  at 8:30 p.m.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Kathryn Devany DiFoxfire, 5/5/04


Kathryn Devany DiFoxfire
Interpretive Resource Technician
Rock Bridge Memorial State Park
5901 S Hwy 163, Columbia, MO 65203
Tel:  573-449-7402     Fax: 573-442-2249
E-mail: rock.bridge.memorial.state.park@dnr.mo.gov
Website:  www.mostateparks.com

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