Louise Power said:
there is great value in looking your fellow person in the eye when
communicating. You can learn a lot by seeing how a person reacts and responds
that doesn't necessarily come across in the written word.
I agree wholeheartedly. As Ediger pointed out, there is a lot of
networking that goes on at caver gatherings, be it NSS Convention, OTR, TCR or
whatever. I always encourage people to go to these when it is reasonable for
them. There is no substitute for actually spending time with someone if you
want to size them up for possible inclusion on a project. Get an idea of their
skills, attitudes and how they perceive their potential contribution to a
project. Most projects need new blood, and these gatherings are a great place
to pick up talented individuals, many of whom are hungering for an opportunity
to break out into expedition caving but don't know how. We have picked up
several folks just this way. I would especially recommend such meetings to
anyone wanting to branch out into caving beyond their local group.
Mark Minton
