> The form for signing up for Team 404 is at > http://caves.org/donate/HQ_Donation_Form.pdf.
I downloaded this form with the intention of directly donating money rather than signing up for Team 404 (I thought, “why prolong the agony by giving a paltry $25 per month, when I could just give a lump sum and be done with it?”) and I see that there is a provision for "Buy-A-Brick – For each $100 donation, we will laser engrave your message in a brick for all to see. The bricks will be used for a patio area, walkways, or other ornamental features." and "Buy-A-Block – For each $50 donation, we will designate one block in the outer wall as “your block.” The block map will be on display in the new NSS Headquarters and kept as a permanent record." This made me scratch my head and wonder, “Why have I not heard about this fund raising option?”, because I was more than happy to donate money to upgrade the student union at my alma mater (University of Wisconsin) through a similar ‘engrave a message on a paving stone’ fund raiser. If I donate $9000, can I get 9 bricks adjacent to each other in a block with a connected message? Could I get a cave map engraved on the bricks instead of a message? How about an Oztotl design? If the NSS wants people to donate the money quickly, they would not only make this feasible, they would be advertising this to their internal organizations. I do believe that our local grotto would gladly “Buy-A-Brick”, and I suspect that other Texas I/Os would be interested, too. Diana ************************************************** Diana R. Tomchick Professor Departments of Biophysics and Biochemistry University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center 5323 Harry Hines Blvd. Rm. ND10.214A Dallas, TX 75390-8816 diana.tomch...@utsouthwestern.edu (214) 645-6383 (phone) (214) 645-6353 (fax) > On May 12, 2016, at 11:24 AM, Cavers Texas <texascavers@texascavers.com> > wrote: > > As said I would do in the last paragraph of my e-mail below sent three days > ago. I asked for a show of hands of who is NOT an NSS member at last night’s > DFW Grotto meeting. Our attendance was unusually low last night, but I am > pleased to follow-up and report that of the ten members present, only one > raised his hand that he is not an NSS member. I read my paragraph below out > loud and frowned at him, which brought a laugh. We went on to discuss Team > 404 and the new headquarters. > > Cavingly, > > Bill Steele > cwilliamste...@gmail.com > > > > > > On 10 May 2016 at 7:40, Bill Steele via Texascavers wrote: > > This would be a good opportunity to bring up something that most grottos seem > to have a misunderstanding about. Numerous grottos believe that members don't > have to be NSS members unless they are in a leadership position in the > grotto. This is incorrect. This came up at the NSS Board of Governors > meeting in Bend, Oregon in March. > > The rules are written so people can be grotto members and not be an NSS > member for up to a year. After that, they are expected to join the NSS or > stop being a grotto member. > > Here it is the relevant snippet regarding IOs (Internal Organizations, i.e. > grottos, surveys, etc.): > > 5. The membership of IOs shall conform to the following requirements: > > A. All persons who serve on the governing board of an IO must be a member of > the NSS except in the case of Surveys where representatives of state entities > or other conservation organizations may serve on the board regardless of > their NSS membership status. > > B. Full membership in IOs shall be open only to embers of the NSS. > > C. IOs may, at their option, have members who are not members of the NSS and > who are limited to a year or less on this status. > > D. Membership in grottos (or chapters) shall consist of at least five > members of the NSS who have designated that grotto as their Primary > Affiliation. > > E. The formal name of a Student Grotto shall indicate that the organization > is a Student Grotto (or Chapter), etc. > > Section C is the relevant section. So we should encourage grotto members to > become NSS members. > > The NSS needs to raise money now to refinance the mortgage on its new office > building in Huntsville, Alabama. Please go on and be committed to caving if > you are a caver, and if you are not an NSS member, now's the time to join. > > And if you are a NSS member, then join Team 404. I am a member of Team 404. > If 404 cavers allow $25 a month to be directly withdrawn from their bank > account, the mortgage payment is met. All above that pays down the mortgage > all the sooner. > > Tomorrow night I am giving the program at the DFW Grotto meeting. Before I > do, I'm going to read the above about being an NSS member and talk about the > benefits of membership. I may even paraphrase JFK and say, "Ask not what the > NSS can do for you, ask what you can do for the NSS." You can admit that > caving is a main interest of yours, become a member of the NSS, and join Team > 404. I'll ask for a show of hands of who is not an NSS member. And I'll frown > at those who are not. > > Cavingly, > > Bill Steele NSS 8072 (joined at age 16) > > > -- > Alex Sproul > NSS 8086RL/FE > NSS Webmaster & Acting IT Chair > www.caves.org > > _______________________________________________ > Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com > Texascavers@texascavers.com | Archives: > http://www.mail-archive.com/texascavers@texascavers.com/ > http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers > _______________________________________________ > Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com > Texascavers@texascavers.com | Archives: > http://www.mail-archive.com/texascavers@texascavers.com/ > http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers ________________________________ UT Southwestern Medical Center The future of medicine, today. _______________________________________________ Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com Texascavers@texascavers.com | Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/texascavers@texascavers.com/ http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers
