I'm already here!
Joe On Mar 29, 2011, at 8:25 AM, "ellie :)" <ellie.tho...@gmail.com> wrote: > Spot on Mark, thanks! > > I will arrive to the Fort around noon and registration will start after 4pm. > Vendors are welcome to come early to set up but no one better show up before > I do. > > See yall soon! > > Ellie > On Fri, Mar 25, 2011 at 9:35 AM, <mark.al...@l-3com.com> wrote: > > It’s only ONE WEEK until the best spring caving convention in Texas! > > > The weather looks great! http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USTX0145 > > The swimming hole looks excellent, the talks and food will be awesome, the > location is spectacular, and the TCMA auction will be a hoot and hosted by > the best looking game show host since Bob Barker, our own Jim “Crash” > Kennedy, assisted by his bevy of caving beauties! > > > Just a few reminders, updates, and detritus from the weekend for y’all: > > > > > 1.) One new item has been added to the agenda for the riveting and always > exciting TSA Spring Business Meeting (immediately after the talks Saturday at > ~4:40: > > > 2011 Spring Business Meeting, Spring Convention at Fort Clark Springs, TX, > Saturday, April 2nd, 2011, Texas Speleological Association > > > Agenda > > > > · Welcome and Introductions > > > > · Chairman’s Report > > > > · Vice Chairman’s Report > > > > · Secretary’s Report - Minutes of 2011 Winter Business Meeting held at > the TSS Offices on the UT Campus, Sunday, January 23rd, 2011 > > > > · Treasurers Report > > > > · TSA Projects – Jim Kennedy > > § Gov’t Canyon - Marvin Miller > > § Colorado Bend State Park - Crash > > § Longhorn Cavern Project (On hold – TPWD Approval) – Mark Alman > > § Inner Space Caverns Project (Starting in September) – Gerry Geletzke > & Mark Alman > > § Hill Country State Natural Area & Devils River - Rob Bissett and Joe > Ranzau > > § Future Project Ideas > > > · Standing Committee Reports > > > o TSA Website – Butch Fralia > > o Membership Chair – Ryan Monjaras > > o Conservation Committee – Open and Jim Kennedy (WNS Update) > > o Safety and Techniques – David Ochel > > o Publications – Mark Alman > > § The TEXAS CAVER and status of online access to back issues. > > o TSA Store – Lee Jay Graves > > > > · Old Business > > o The 100th trip of the Government Canyon Karst Survey Celebration, > Saturday, March 5th > > · New Business > > o TSA Brochure > > o Membership Drive > > o Membership Directory Constitution Change (New Item) > > > o The Constitution states: > > > The Treasurer prepares a budget for the fiscal year, maintains the membership > database, and insures the database is available electronically to the > membership. > > > The key word is “electronically”. And it later states: > > > The Membership Committee shall consist of the Database Manager, the TSA > Secretary, > > the TSA Treasurer, a representative of the Publications Committee, and other > appointed members. > > b. The committee will develop data to be made available to TSA officers, > committees, member > > organizations, affiliated organizations, and members for conducting caving > business. > > The committee insures the membership database is published annually and is > not made available to the general public. > > > These two statements seem conflicting and publishing a Members Directory is a > small expense in the large scheme of things but, nevertheless, still a waste > of money. > > The TSA Board of Officers is recommending that the red line above be deleted > from the Constitution and the Members Directory be made available > electronically in the Members Area of the TSA webpage. > > > > · Announcements? > > > > > > · End of Meeting (Let’s eat!) > > > > > > > 2.) The Kickapoo Caverns trips will be Sunday, April 3rd. > > > > > Please meet at the gate to Kickapoo State Park at 10 AM and, after the TCMA > meeting, at 11 AM. > > Cost is the standard TPWD entry fee of $3 per adult (12 YO and older). Kids > can cave for free. Fee will be waived if you have a Gold Passport. Must > furnish #. > > The main room and Wishing Well areas will be open for visitation. The > Helectite Room and Graffiti Room are off limits, as is Stuart Bat Cave. > > We will be collecting the fee at Registration and you must sign a waiver form > for you and yours there, as well. > > Do not miss this opportunity to visit one of the state’s largest and most > impressive caves (one of my favorites!) and behold the grandest and most > photographed set of columns in the state! > > This is very easily accessible cave and is an excellent one for cavers, > young, old, new, and armchair! > > > > 3.) From Ellie: > > > > TSA Spring Convention is almost here! You are invited to join the Texas > Speleological Society and fellow Texas cavers for a relaxing weekend in the > unique oasis and National Register Historic District of Fort Clark Springs. > The TSA, founded in 1956, has been bringing Texas cavers together for over 50 > years. Meet fellow cavers and project leaders from around the state. This is > a great chance to get involved with ongoing projects and create future caving > opportunities for all. > > > Registration has increased slightly to $15 per person plus $5 per person per > night camping (kids camp free). Family rate is $45. > > > On Saturday, April 2nd, you can fill your day with informative presentations > from cavers about developments in cave sciences, project updates, national > and international exploration, and much more. Roger Moore and Mallory Mayeux > have done an amazing job at lining up presenters that will delight all > audiences. The presentations will be held at the Service Center which > accommodates 300 people and has AC, bathrooms, and a kitchen. Participate in > the Photo & Map Salon by entering your latest and greatest works for all to > enjoy. > > > Stay for the evening group meal provided by Stefan and the Caver Cooking > Crew. After the meal, Map and Photo Salon winners and prizes will be > announced and then everyone will have a chance to participate in the TCMA > auction. Shiner will be providing adult beverages. > > > And just for the kids…. an Easter Egg Hunt first thing on Sunday morning! > > > Spend the weekend lazing with friends in the lush Rendezvous Park campground > right next to the crystal clear, on million gallon spring-fed pool. The > campground is shaded, private, hugs the creek and is just a few steps from > the pool, Service Center, and motels. The pool area has bathrooms, showers, > and potable water Well behaved pets are welcome at the campground. There is a > motel on site. Please make your own reservations at the Fort Clark Springs > website- http://99.139.198.182:1069/ > > Hope to see you there! > > Ellie Watson > TSA Vice Chair > ellie.tho...@gmail.com > > TSA Spring Convention site: http://cavetexas.org/events/TSASC/tsasc2010.html > Fort Clark Springs site: http://99.139.198.182:1069/ > For Facebook users: www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=118366598218649 > > > > Info at: http://www.cavetexas.org/events/TSASC/tsasc2011.html > > 4.) List o’ Speakers > > > Hello Cavers! > > > > The TSA Convention is sneaking up on us quick--two weeks! I can’t wait to see > everyone in Brackettville! > > > > Roger Moore and I have been lining up Saturday’s speakers. We are going for a > mix of entertaining and informative talks, and I think we have some great > presentations in store. We’ve gotten some requests to announce who will be > speaking, so without further ado, here are the speakers for TSA (times AND > order of talks TBA) > > > > David Ochel—O9 Well: Re-survey and exploration efforts > > Jacqui Thomas—Five Mouth Project: More than a Dig > > FoFo Gonzales—Caves of Mineral King, CA > > Peter Drushcke--Discovery, gating and work at Kypet Cavern, Grand Canyon > > Charles Perkins—Bats and Microclimate Monitoring of Gorman Cave, Colorado > Bend SP > > Jean Krejca/Geoffrey Hoese—Caving in the Galapagos Islands > > John Moses—Cave Hunting in West Texas > > Dwight Deal—Wulong Karst World Heritage Site, China > > Ron Ralph—50th Anniversary of the TSS AND Announcement of a new Project > > Bill Steele—Caving non-fiction poetry AND DFW Grotto Project to map Spring > Creek Cave, Kendall Co. > > > > And possibly a last minute surprise. J > > > > Any questions/requests, let us know (we have a light schedule so if there is > something you'd really like to present, let me know--we could accommodate one > more speaker. Otherwise, we will have additional time for questions, breaks, > etc.) > > > > See you all in two weeks! > > > > -Mallory Mayeux & Roger Moore > > > > 5.) Gear adjustment and safety workshop > > > > > Howdy all you Texas vertical cavers, > > Becky Jones and David Ochel will be hosting this excellent workshop at the > Spring Convention. > > > Saturday, 5 - 7 pm > > This is for everybody who owns vertical gear. > > Do you feel you are lacking efficiency when climbing on rope? Do you have > basic knowledge on how to get up and down a rope, but you never learned (or > have forgotten) about basic safety protocols and precautions? Do you have > particular questions about aspects of single rope technique or pieces of your > vertical kit? > > This will be a loosely structured workshop, based on participants' needs and > interest. The objective is to review whatever questions you might have, with > the goal of improving the overall safety awareness and competency of Texas' > vertical caving community. Bring your own gear - we will aim to have ropes > set up for gear adjustment and review of techniques, but this is *not* an > introduction to vertical caving for those who have never been on rope. (Ask > your local Grotto for such training opportunities.) > > > > > 6.) Vendors and TCMA Auction > > > Cavers, don’t forget that the usual vendors (Texas Speleological Survey, > Texas Speleological Association, and Association for Mexican Cave Studies) > will be set up just outside the Service Center at Fort Clark in a > week-and-a-half for the fabulous TSA Spring Convention! Bring cash or > checks! And as a preview, the TSS will have a new edition of the Map CD > ready just for this event! There are 144 new maps added since the last > edition (released in July 2009 for the ICS in Kerrville), and 1379 total > maps. It’s still only $10!!! Of course, there are lots of other great > publications on Texas caves that will be for sale. To check ‘em out in > advance, and see the prices, go to the TSS website and look at the list at > http://www.utexas.edu/tmm/sponsored_sites/tss/PDF/TSSprices.pdf. > > > Jim “Crash” Kennedy > > TSS Office Manager > > > P.S. -. There will also be some real surprises and excitement at the > Saturday evening TCMA Auction, so be sure to attend! It’s going to be a real > hoot! > > If you have any last minute items to donate, BRING IT! > > > 7.) Last and, certainly, not least – FOOD! > > > Stefan and The CCC (Caver Cooking Crew) are presenting this most excellent > offering of the Official State Food of Texas ©: > > > > BBQ Brisket, BBQ Pork > > Smoked chicken and sausage gumbo (coz Mallory missed it last time) > > Rice & vegetable salad > > Potato salad > > BBQ fixin’s > > Dessert (?). > > > I’ll need help beforehand and on the day, can I get some volunteers? > > Also, can anyone give me a ride out there in a more suitable vehicle, the > RX-8 isn’t really up to it. > > Cheers, > > Stefan > > > > > > This will be the last announcement from me (About d*** time, Mark!) and the > TSA hopes to see you there in just ONE week! > > > See ya then! > > > Mark > >
