There are six items in this issue
1) Latest Headquarter Commission Report Posted with recommendation
2) NSS Membership Committee News
3) 2011 National Cave and Karst Management Symposium
4) NSS Safety and Techniques research project
5) Help needed for feasibility study of cave skills education programs
6) International Union of Speleology (UIS) is looking for an Anthem
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>>>>>>> 1) Latest Headquarter Commission Report Posted with recommendation
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The latest Headquarter Commission (HQ Comm) Report has been posted. You can
review it by going to the NSS website and clicking on "Headquarters Commission"
on the right column. The recommendations for the new HQ is the Cahaba Shrine
Temple site in Huntsville, AL.
A formal presentation by the HQ Comm to the BOG was held June 25th at the
Cahaba Shrine Temple in Huntsville. The BOG will vote on the recommendation at
its Friday meeting at Convention. Keep your eyes open for a presentation to the
Convention Attendees.
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>>>>>>> 2)NSS Membership Committee News
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*NSS Membership Committee News*
The NSS Membership Committee will be hosting a New Members’ Reception during
the Colorado Convention from 5 - 6 PM on Tuesday July 19, 2011 in the
campground. Everyone who joined the NSS during the last year is invited to
attend for drinks, hors d’oeuvres and a welcome gift. This reception will be
held in conjunction with the Fellows Social so it will be a wonderful way to
bring together different generations of cavers. The Membership Committee also
invites you to enjoy *free coffee* with them every morning during Convention in
the campground. Monday through Friday, the first 100 persons to bring their own
coffee cup will receive a free cup of coffee. Otherwise, you can still get your
morning cup of joe for only $1. Water, juice, and morning snacks will also be
available for purchase.
submitted by Bonny Armstrong
Caving Brochures Available
While you are at the NSS convention in Colorado be sure to stop by the NSS
office and pick up a few of each caving brochure. These are free and nice to
pass out to new grotto members (or prospective grotto members). The information
is good, the brochures are well done and they give prospective NSS members good
reasons to join the NSS. Stephanie will also give you yellow plastic NSS bags
to put each set of brochures in and your new grotto member not only has all
that great info but also has a litter bag for their vehicle.
submitted by Judy Omeroid
What are your suggestions?
The Membership Committee has been working on ways of communications for the
past several months, trying to figure out reasons for a declining membership
and why we're not getting new members to replace those that pass on...or get
too old to cave, anymore. I would think that these older cavers would still
want to stay in contact with that activity that made them want to cave in the
first place, but...
1. Why is it that more mature cavers quit the NSS after being involved with
caving, for so many years?
2. How do we get those who aren't NSS to become NSS members, so as to replace
those who have dropped out because of death, and No. One, above?
3. What is it you want out of the NSS? (We're such a divided community of
cavers, with so many on the eastern side of the U.S. and caving there is so
much different than in the west.)
4. Can you write to the Membership Committee [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]> and let them know, exactly, what you
would like to see the NSS do that it's not doing for you now? In our various
listservs, we hear different things, but can you be more specific, so we can
try and understand, nationally, what you want from this organization that
serves 10K?
5. With a 20% loss in membership in the past few years, the NSS needs to
regroup on some of their expenditures, so do you have suggestions on how they
can do this? How can they put out the same volume of great /NSS NEWS /articles,
expected by the membership, yet on a 20% less budget? Can you run your
household on 20% less, without changing some of the priorities?
6. Besides being on the BOG or a national position in the NSS, what is it that
you do for the NSS? Have you been at this position in life for a long time? If
so, would you please indicate the time, etc.
If, at a grotto meeting, this IO Newsletter is shared, we would appreciate a
few quick notes to these six items, so that we might be able to do some
thinking about your suggestions and see if we can come up with something that
will be the answer to the problems of the NSS and, basically, to you. As an
example, the annual Member's Manual is being cancelled for this year because of
funding. Some individuals have complained, already, about that on CaveChat, but
others see the reasoning behind it; and, besides, if you really want to find an
address of someone, you can do that on your computer.
Thanks much for your thoughts and suggestions, and we look forward to getting a
whole slug of ideas from you.
submitted by Ernie Coffman, NSS 8316LF
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>>>>>>> 3) 2011 National Cave and Karst Management Symposium
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*2011 National Cave and Karst Management Symposium*
The 2011 NCKMS will be held October 3-7 in the mountain resort town of Midway,
Utah.This symposium will be an exceptional event for two reasons: First, it
will be the first symposium since WNS has become a national issue, providing an
excellent opportunity to bring together individuals from diverse backgrounds
and professions to exchange experiences and ideas on this and all issues
relating to caves and karst. Secondly, the planning committee is very proud to
be hosting this year’s symposium at the world-renowned Zermatt Resort, offering
an unparalleled vacation opportunity for attendees and their families.
Information, registration, and scholarship applications are available at
www.nckms.org/2011 <http://www.nckms.org/2011>.
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>>>>>>> 4) NSS Safety and Techniques research project
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Please see below and help with the NSS Safety and Techniques research project.
We still need lots of responses!
As of June 22, there have been reports of nearly 100 close calls but only 9
responses on cave-skills training. The 100 close calls is a pretty good number,
but we need a lot more, particularly on cave-skills. Please, please help us out
by completing these questionnaires. :-)
http://caves.org/safety/research.shtml
Cave-skills training:
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/473543/Perceptions-of-Formal-Cave-Skills-Training
Close calls in caving:
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/407591/Safety-Close-Calls-in-Cave-Exploration-Cave-Science-and-Cave-Conservation
Forward to any caving-related email lists you're on!
thank you!!!
Submitted by Aaron Bird
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>>>>>>> 5) Help needed for feasibility study of cave-skills educational programs
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This is a parallel activity to the current NSS Safety and Techniques Committee
(STC) study of close calls in caves and study of cavers' perceptions of the
effectiveness of formal training. This research development and this specific
request for your active involvement has been in the making for nearly two
years. We are finally (yay!) at a point where we (the NSS Education Division
and STC) could really use your feedback on the next steps that we may or may
not being taking.
The research part of the project is available here -please fill out the
questionnaires, if you haven't already :-)
http://caves.org/safety/research.shtml
And the recent presentation to the NSS Board of Governors (April 2, 2011) on
this subject is here
http://caves.org/safety/CaveSkills-Training.ppt
<http://caves.org/safety/CaveSkills-Training.ppt>
Essentially, I would like for cavers who volunteer for a feasibility team to
drive the initial discussion on any/all matters related to possible development
of formal cave-skills training/educational program(s). The reason for this is
that any decisions about if or how to proceed should be based on collective
information and expertise, not on just one person's feelings and opinions.
So, the first steps that I am taking in this process are to recruit a few good
folks (which I'm doing now... hence this email to you). Then, based on feedback
from those who respond, I'll schedule and arrange for the online meeting. After
that, if a critical mass of interested volunteers says to proceed, then I act
in my role of STC Chair in order to facilitate meetings and/or work groups (but
not to direct them). Again, the cavers volunteering will be the ones who drive
any recommendations related to training or educational programs.
If you are interested, please let me know by email or by completing the form
below. I would like to schedule an online meeting relatively soon to know if or
when we should be taking these so-called "next steps." This initial meeting
will be held in a web-browser add-on called Elluminate, which is very similar
to Webex, so it is user friendly. Participants will simply need a
speaker-equipped computer connected to the internet. How about a day and time
in the weeks of June 27th, July 3, or July 10th? Or another day and time?
Again, if you're interested send me an email or just click below and fill out
the info:
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/528759/NSS-Safety-and-Techniques-Committee-Cave-Skills-Training-Meeting
I hope you give this some thought and consider participating. If you feel
others should be involved, please send me their names and email addresses so I
can contact them directly.
thanks and best regards,
Aaron
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>>>>>>> 6) International Union of Speleology (UIS) is looking for an Anthem
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The Arts and Letters Commission of the International Union of Speleology (UIS)
is organizing a competition to create an anthem for the UIS. The details are
below. Please forward this message to anyone or any list you believe may be
interested. For more information, contact Ian Ellis Chandler below.
George Veni
UIS Vice-President of Administration
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UIS ANTHEM: Conditions of competition
1. Entries to be between 60 to 90 seconds in length
2. All entries must be provided digitally to the UIS Bureau through
the UIS Arts and Letters Commission (Ian Ellis Chandler).
3. Entries to be received by Arts and Letters Commission by end
January, 2012. They will be considered by the Bureau summer
meeting 2012. The Bureau retains the option not to select any
entry as suitable.
4. The digital entry will not include lyrics. Lyrics can be attached,
and a digital audio version can be presented. Lyrics can be in any
of the following languages of the UIS: English, French, German,
Italian, Russian or Spanish.
5. Entries must be original and not based on any existing music.
6. Entries should be universal and not in a style generally
associated with any country.
7. The style should capable of appealing for many years and not based
on any particular modern style.
8. Entries should try to capture the spirit of speleology.
The winning entry (if one is selected) will be revealed at the Opening Ceremony
of the 2013 ICS in Brno, Czech Republic, as the UIS flag is hoisted.
There is no financial award, except the honour of composing the UIS anthem.
Initial contact to:
Ian Ellis Chandler.
UIS Arts and Letters Commission
[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
Telephone: 0034 942619903 (Spain)
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Keith D. Wheeland
-- Keith D. Wheeland, NSS 2878
NSS Board Member and Chair of NSS IO Committee
2191 Mt. View Ave.
State College, PA 16801-7214
814-238-2057
[email protected] (Use this forwarding address in your address book)
IO Website - www.caves.org/committee/i-o/
Annual Report& Updates- www.nssio.org
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