Re: [Texascavers] Texas NSS Members--some statistics

[Julia Germany via Texascavers]

So, I guess, based on zip code density, that Austin really is the center of the 
caving universe. ;)
 


ZIP CODES WITH THE MOST NSS MEMBERS: the 787xx zip code in Austin,Texas 
ranks 8th, with 85
Georgia has 3 zip codes in the top 10

 

 

Julia G Germany
germa...@aol.com 

 

 

-Original Message-
From: Logan McNatt via Texascavers 
To: Cave Texas 
Sent: Thu, May 12, 2016 10:31 pm
Subject: [Texascavers] Texas NSS Members--some statistics


The NSS Members Manual used to include a statistical summary of NSS
members by various categories. I was curious about Texas socontacted the 
Manual Editor Kelly Smallwood, who referred me to BobHoke. Bob has been 
compiling data for the NSS Members Manuals foryears, and promptly provided 
me with statistics regarding currentNSS members as of Feb 16, 2016. I've 
selected some, with mycomments, that I think will be of interest to Texas 
cavers and otherlist subscribers.
Thanks Bob!
Logan McNatt  lmcn...@austin.rr.com
NSS 11274

Current NSS Member Data as of Feb 16, 2016

TOTAL NSS MEMBERS9,256  (including 109 in Canada and 203 inother 
countries)

STATES WITH THE MOST NSS MEMBERS:  Texas ranks 7th
Georgia 602  Virginia 598  Tennessee 582  California 559  Florida532  
Pennsylvania 467  Texas 419
Alabama 414  Ohio 386  Colorado 367  Indiana 331  Missouri 285

ZIP CODES WITH THE MOST NSS MEMBERS: the 787xx zip code in Austin,Texas 
ranks 8th, with 85
Georgia has 3 zip codes in the top 10

LOWEST ACTIVE NSS NUMBERS (below 10K):
[Cavers with #s from 1 to 9,999  joined from 1939 to 1967, and werethe 
first to light the way with for those who followed.]
#247 Virginia#262 Iowa#373 Alabama#509 Texas   #518 
California#568 Virginia#645 Pennsylvania
#742 Maryland#812 Tennessee   #835 Missouri#882Pennsylvania
#913 Idaho

Texas currently has one 3-digit (#509, Roy Pietsch, Dallas) and 39
4-digit members.
There are others who have not maintained their membership.
See attached list. If it doesn't make the journey, I'll resend.




  
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[Texascavers] Texas NSS Members--some statistics

[Logan McNatt via Texascavers]

  
  
The NSS Members Manual used to include a statistical summary of NSS
members by various categories. I was curious about Texas so
contacted the Manual Editor Kelly Smallwood, who referred me to Bob
Hoke. Bob has been compiling data for the NSS Members Manuals for
years, and promptly provided me with statistics regarding current
NSS members as of Feb 16, 2016. I've selected some, with my
comments, that I think will be of interest to Texas cavers and other
list subscribers.
Thanks Bob!
Logan McNatt  lmcn...@austin.rr.com
NSS 11274

Current NSS Member Data as of Feb 16, 2016

TOTAL NSS MEMBERS    9,256  (including 109 in Canada and 203 in
other countries)

STATES WITH THE MOST NSS MEMBERS:  Texas ranks 7th
Georgia 602  Virginia 598  Tennessee 582  California 559  Florida
532  Pennsylvania 467  Texas 419
Alabama 414  Ohio 386  Colorado 367  Indiana 331  Missouri 285

ZIP CODES WITH THE MOST NSS MEMBERS: the 787xx zip code in Austin,

Texas ranks 8th, with 85
Georgia has 3 zip codes in the top 10

LOWEST ACTIVE NSS NUMBERS (below 10K):
[Cavers with #s from 1 to 9,999  joined from 1939 to 1967, and were
the first to light the way with for those who followed.]
#247 Virginia    #262 Iowa    #373 Alabama    #509 Texas   
#518 California    #568 Virginia    #645 Pennsylvania
#742 Maryland    #812 Tennessee   #835 Missouri    #882
Pennsylvania    #913 Idaho

Texas currently has one 3-digit (#509, Roy Pietsch, Dallas) and 39
4-digit members.
There are others who have not maintained their membership.
See attached list. If it doesn't make the journey, I'll resend.




  



TEXAS NSS MEMBERS with # below 10K.docx
Description: MS-Word 2007 document
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[Texascavers] NSS then and now

[Mixon Bill via Texascavers]

In 1990, the NSS had a little over 9000 members. The society was nicely housed 
in the office on the Shelta Cave property it has just moved out of, including 
the 2000-square-foot addition built in 1985. The NSS owned five caves. There 
were four officers. The department of the secretary-treasurer consisted of one 
peson, the secretary-treasurer.

In 2016, the NSS has a little over 9000 members. The society is housed in the 
current headquarters of 31,000 square feet on 94 acres. The NSS owns or manages 
fifteen cave preserves. There are five officers, assisted by seven "division 
chiefs." The department of the secretary-treasurer now includes sixteen 
committee chairmen or "agents of the treasurer" and six "independent 
reconcilers."

But, but, you say. Well, I could come up with a thousand words of buts myself. 
For example, the elaboration of the S-T job means fewer people could get away 
with stealing from the NSS. The fact remains that the NSS needs to watch that 
its ambitions don't exceed a realistic assessment of its resources. As 
Professor Parkinson pointed out, organzations inevitably grow in complexity 
whether they need to or not. One of Parkinson's books has a great chapter on 
organizations that build splendid headquarters when they are past their prime. 
Administrations never shrink, unless the organization they administer collapses 
under the load.

I should add that the NSS has no more hours of _paid_ staff now than it did in 
1990, assuming half of the office-manager job can be charged against the rental 
of the facilities.
-- Mixon

What great comfort is there to be derived from a wife well obeyed!—Anthony 
Trollope, Barchester Towers

You may "reply" to the address this message
(unless it's a TexasCavers list post)
came from, but for long-term use, save:
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AMCS: a...@mexicancaves.org or sa...@mexicancaves.org

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Re: [Texascavers] Join the NSS and Team 404

[Charles Loving via Texascavers]

Back in the late sixties I joined the NSS and paid my dues for a couple of
years. I was a Texas Caver and the idea of being a national anything just
doesn't work for my way of thinking. I never join anything and it doesn't
seem to matter all that much. AARP, the American Legion and so forth. I did
join the USAF but they paid me to be a meteorologist and a cartoonist so
that sort of made sense and as for paying mortgages for people ... naw.
Aren't they a 501 C-3 or some such. Claim to be a church and get to pass GO.

On Thu, May 12, 2016 at 11:24 AM, via Texascavers <
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* 
>
>
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>


-- 
Charlie Loving
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Re: [Texascavers] Texascavers Digest, Vol 23, Issue 11

[Wm Shrewsbury via Texascavers]

Long reply, so I apologize in advance…

 

The search for a new office was started 15 years ago. This purchase was never a 
mistake, and in fact was the least expensive of the options on the Commissions 
table at the time. The others ranged from $4M-$6M. That we will be able to do 
this for under $2.5M is incredible. There was no political group within the 
BOG, and I can certainly tell you that it was well reviewed for months before 
Convention as well as during Convention week. The vote is below:

 

>From the July 2011 Minutes:

VOTE on the motion: 

In Favor: Clark, Kayes, Liebman, Luckins, Putnam, Schindel, Wheeland, Wiseman, 
Young 

Opposed: Bush, Cole, Devine, Joop, Paylor 

Abstain: Kerbo, Tiderman 

PASSED

 

Since I was president at the time, I did not vote (I only vote when it will 
make a difference), however I would have voted “In Favor”. The vote was 64% in 
favor and 36% opposed. It seems like a super-majority of the BOG must have been 
part of this “political group”.

 

I have problems with your unnamed “well-placed and knowledgeable individuals 
involved with the financing” since I have had many discussions with not only 
the previous President of the NSF, Roger McClure, but also the current 
President, Ted Kayes, who on several occasions has expressed his enthusiasm at 
the potential this asset has created for the Society, allowing us not only room 
to grow from our overly stuffed previous headquarters but to also have rental 
income to assist the Society with an income stream independent of membership 
levels, giving us the ability to give out even larger grants, purchase more 
caves (we are in the process of acquiring 8 more as I write this), and fund 
areas that have been underfunded for decades, such as public education and 
awareness. As many of you know, Ted is very conservative, and to have his 
approval means quite a bit. I am aware of a recent letter that went out, and 
all I will say is that there were several errors in the numbers, and the 
personal opinion of the sender does not agree with the actual numbers. Numbers 
don’t have opinions – they are what they are no matter how we feel about them.

 

As for discussing this at the last BOG meeting, not only was it an item on the 
agenda (you can see the minutes online) it had been discussed for months prior 
to the meeting, the Board has had a webinar presented to go over the various 
options after that meeting, the Fundraising Committee has gone over the numbers 
several times, and I attended the recent NSF meeting in Pennsylvania to go over 
the options and numbers with the entire Foundation as well. We also invited all 
the director candidates, nearly all of who attended, to the webinar and are 
including them in our discussions. This is so that everyone will have the facts 
at hand, and not be forced to decide something this important with one weeks’ 
notice. I should also mention that we will have a special session at Convention 
this year to go over the options with those who attend, a second shorter 
presentation with the COG, and there will also be the upcoming Webinar next 
Thursday evening that is open to the membership.

 

On membership, we are not shrinking. We shrank a little before the recession, 
and immediately after it started to just over 9K. We remain there (9,213) and a 
lot of ‘blame’ for not having a higher membership is on me. I have not pushed 
for membership growth as we did back in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. I’ve 
instead been working with various agencies to keep as much of our government 
lands open to NSS Cavers as possible, getting some long lost committees back on 
track, and Fundraising, among the other various duties I have, of course. I 
have given the BOG my notice that I am stepping down next year, and that I hope 
the next President sets this as their primary goal.

 

To date we have raised over a million dollars. Yes, over $1M. A lot of that has 
gone to renovations. $300K of that went to interest on the loan. We purchased 
the HQ and 94+ acres with 3 caves for $1.75M. In December, when the loan must 
be refinanced (commercial loan time-frame limits) we will owe $1.3M. That means 
we have also paid $450K off the purchase price and have built a beautiful 
office, bookstore, library, archive, and large public display area – all of 
which are now complete. $1.3M seems like a lot, but if we could encourage every 
current member to make a single one-time donation of $141.11 we would pay this 
off this month. A lot of folks get more than that back in their income tax 
returns each year (the average refund was $2,700 last year according to the 
IRS). Asking for $25 a month is less than a typical night out with a meal and a 
beer.

 

I’ll briefly touch on the Life Member Fund – this has been used at least 3 
times in the past for loans to our Society. First, we purchased the old 
headquarters in Huntsville when we moved from DC. We used it a second time when 
we added onto the building. 

Re: [Texascavers] Texascavers Digest, Vol 23, Issue 11

[Mixon Bill via Texascavers]

To the author of another of those annoying unsigned posts: Nobody is planning 
to "rob" the endowment fund to pay for the building, although I have the 
impression that they did borrow something from it recently to cover an 
allegedly temporary shortfall (or maybe that was just proposed--I haven't gone 
and looked at the minutes). They are considering borrowing (part of?) the money 
to refinance from the NSS itself so essentially we pay the interest to 
ourselves, presumably at a fair percentage rate. This would only be a disaster 
if the NSS never raises the money to pay itself back. As Diana noted, 
fundraising has not been as aggressive as it might have been so far.

I too thought that a time of shrinking membership was a time for the NSS to 
hunker down and mind its business, not feed an edifice complex. But considering 
all the donations, both of time and money, NSS members have already put into 
the project, I hope the NSS can make it work. In the long run, even after the 
mortgage is retired by hook or crook, the board needs to watch carefully that 
most of the huge overhead of running such a large building and property is 
covered by income from the large fraction of it that the NSS does not use and 
that the regular NSS budget (dues, etc.) covers only the appropriate share of 
the bills. That's the plan, but keep a watchful eye on it. 

The NSS annual budget dreamed up by the officers is not overly easy to figure 
out, and I suspect most of the board never really looks carefully at it. 
Certainly during my long years on the board is was nearly always approved 
unanimously after only token, if any, discussion. It was not comforting to 
watch the board, at its meeting in San Antonio about a year ago, discuss what 
had happened to a considerable amount of headquarters donations in excess of 
mortgage interest, when the principal had not been correspondingly reduced. I 
sat frustrated in the audience knowing the answer, and finally someone, maybe 
the treasurer, figured out what the problem was and explained that it went to 
repairs and renovations. Board members should have _known_ that.
-- Mixon

What great comfort is there to be derived from a wife well obeyed!—Anthony 
Trollope, Barchester Towers

You may "reply" to the address this message
(unless it's a TexasCavers list post)
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Re: [Texascavers] Was: Join the NSS and Team 404, Now: Donate $$ and Buy-A-Brick

[Scott C via Texascavers]

Hello,
I usually do not write or respond to posts in this email group, because I 
am relatively new to caving and am still in the learning process. However, as 
this discussion keeps popping up in my inbox, I decided to share my opinion on 
this issue. My goal here is not to lambast anyone or anything, but to share my 
experience that possibly is representative of some others' experiences with the 
intent/hope of positively effecting change. A little background: I have been 
actively caving with the Greater Houston Grotto for about 3 years now. I joined 
our grotto, paying dues the first year after being welcomed and equipped to 
cave by a terrific leadership and community. I began supporting TSA and TCMA 
during the latter part of that first year or my second year? after learning 
about what they do to support caving in Texas. I only joined the NSS this year.
Why so late on NSS membership? For me personally, it was because I could 
see no need nor did I understand the reason(s) to support this national 
organization. If you have been around the caving community for a long time, 
maybe you have had this knowledge or some sense of responsibility towards this 
organization for a long time. As a new person, I did not. Honestly, it took me 
a while before I could even remember what NSS stood for.  Maybe I'm slow(but 
that's a different issue)? 
If the NSS is an entity that should have or deserves our monetary support 
as cavers and it desires relatively new cavers to be a part of that 
organization, then I think there is a communication problem. From my experience 
(& maybe this is isolated, but from the emails I don't think that it is), the 
message of why the NSS is important?, what it does that benefits rank & file 
cavers?, how it impacts caving nationally?, etc... needs to be more effectively 
communicated to new people, like myself. Otherwise, why should I support it? 
Why should they support it? Why should we care? However, if I see & understand 
the importance of something like I did with our local grotto, like I did with 
TSA and TCMA, then, I will put my support behind it. I honestly don't think a 
lot of new cavers are getting this message. 
I'm 47 which means I'm still in a generation which joins things, but their 
are generations following mine that have been shown statistically to not be 
joiners; for whom, actually joining an organization, showing up regularly, and 
supporting it monetarily aren't a priority. You may disagree with that 
mentality, but it's a reality. Look around you at local churches, Shriners, and 
other volunteer organizations, and you will see they are struggling with this 
issue. Rules like, "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," I don't think really work with my or these generations. I/we 
check out caving because we are interested in exploring caves. We stay, because 
we find it fun & rewarding; both the sport and the relationships we've built. 
We join, because we have a connection to it & to our group, and want to see it 
grow. We don't do any of these things, because we are forced into doing them. 
Our grotto has been steadily growing, due to terrific leadership and caring 
community, and I don't see us just kicking people out after a year, just 
because they aren't NSS members. I'm the treasurer, and I'm not going to report 
my fellow cavers if they don't pay their yearly dues. I don't think rules like 
that will support future growth. So, I think it is that much more important to 
have a clear & engaging communication/education strategy in place, if you want 
their support for now & in the future. 
    I don't like posts that just gripe, but offer no solution. Here is my 
suggestion. Feel free to discard out of hand, write off, modify, or use. Maybe 
there could be work done to get out some materials that are easy to digitally 
distribute and inexpensive like PowerPoint files or something similar that 
grotto leaders could effectively use annually(or more often) during a grotto 
meeting to communicate the importance of the NSS to their new members. A 
presentation which shows how the NSS relates to them, and benefits them locally 
& nationally. A presentation which has some cool video, quality pictures, and 
interesting facts that shows off the work the NSS does all the time. If this 
was easily accessible, engaging, and done on an annual basis at least, I think 
support for the NSS could possibly grow with new members. If this is already 
available and I just don't know about it, I apologize. If that is the case 
though, I would suggest working on promoting and distributing it more, because 
I haven't been exposed to it, as of yet.    Personally, I am glad that I joined 
the NSS, and I am very much looking forward to attending my first NSS 
convention this year in Nevada. I wish the best, both now & in the future, for 
the NSS and 

[Texascavers] NSS

[Nancy Weaver via Texascavers]

so glad that I spent my money caving all over Mexico for 18 years and stayed 
out of politics, building funds and organizations.  All to the good

Nancy
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Re: [Texascavers] Texascavers Digest, Vol 23, Issue 11

[R D Milhollin via Texascavers]

This purchase was a mistake from the beginning.There were several options 
presented and this one was pushed through by a political group within the NSS 
leadership at that time, many of whom continue in office today. The building is 
far too large for the needs of a shrinking society, and according to 
well-placed and knowledgeable individuals involved with the financing will be a 
money pit into the future. I don't believe this issue was even discussed at the 
recent BOG meeting. Bill is a has taken on a mammoth task trying to save the 
society from the consequences of this blunder, and I wish him all luck. The 
most safe thing to do, however, is to start trying to find a buyer for the 
building to avoid a foreclosure. I am totally opposed to robbing the Life 
Member's fund to pay the note, that is not it was intended for and would most 
likely never be paid back. The loss of investment income would further cripple 
the society's ability to accomplish its mission.


  From: Alex Sproul via Texascavers 
 To: via Texascavers  
 Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2016 1:25 PM
 Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Texascavers Digest, Vol 23, Issue 11
   
On behalf of Bill Jackson:

By now you NSS members with an email address on file will have receivedthe 
emailed Spring Appeal Letter. A hard copy will go out later this week to 
thosewithout email addresses on file. This has generated many questions about 
theHQ refinancing. There are answers here...
Please register for NSS HQ refinancing on May 19, 2016 9:00 PM EDT at:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6733168789981104898
NSS President Shrewbury will present spreadsheet analysis of refinancingoptions 
for the Headquarters mortgage.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing 
informationabout joining the webinar.
Brought to you by GoToWebinar® Webinars Made Easy®
Bill JacksonNSS 20163FLFundraising ChairDirector  
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Re: [Texascavers] Texascavers Digest, Vol 23, Issue 11

[Alex Sproul via Texascavers]

On behalf of Bill Jackson:


By now you NSS members with an email address on file will have received
the emailed Spring Appeal Letter. A hard copy will go out later this week to 
those
without email addresses on file. This has generated many questions about the
HQ refinancing. There are answers here...

Please register for NSS HQ refinancing on May 19, 2016 9:00 PM EDT at:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6733168789981104898

NSS President Shrewbury will present spreadsheet analysis of refinancing
options for the Headquarters mortgage.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information
about joining the webinar.

Brought to you by GoToWebinar® Webinars Made Easy®

Bill Jackson
NSS 20163FL
Fundraising Chair
Director

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Re: [Texascavers] Was: Join the NSS and Team 404, Now: Donate $$ and Buy-A-Brick

[Diana Tomchick via Texascavers]

Oops! A typo—I meant to write, “If I donate $900, can I get 9 contiguous bricks 
with an engraving.” I don’t actually have $9,000 to donate to charity in one 
year.

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 11:44 AM, Cave Tex  wrote:
> 
>> 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  
>> 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 

Re: [Texascavers] Was: Join the NSS and Team 404, Now: Donate $$ and Buy-A-Brick

[Diana Tomchick via Texascavers]

> 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  
> 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 

Re: [Texascavers] Join the NSS and Team 404

[via Texascavers]

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

  


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Re: [Texascavers] Join the NSS and Team 404

[via Texascavers]

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

  


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