2015 NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN GROTTO ANNUAL GROTTO MEETING

A walled pavilion with 8 picnic tables, a barbecue, a little utility sink, and a fireplace will host the group dinner and post meeting social event

LEWIS AND CLARK CAVERNS STATE PARK MARCH 27th,  28th, & 29th of 2015

There's lots to be excited for, including: -a change of grotto officers -a grotto-wide dinner Saturday evening -the "group use area" complete with pavilion -new presentations from across the globe -and much much more!!!

Itinerary, Map, Directions, Lodging Info, Business Meeting Agenda, Registration, and Attendance List below.

COST: It's free to all our members! An active NRMG membership will cover your entire household, and cost $12/year. We renew our memberships every year at this meeting.

WEEKEND ITINERARY (subject to change)

Friday March 27th: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm – Volunteer Cave Clean Up – Sign-up required, Meet at the lower visitor’s center. 5:00 pm to bat:30 – Fellowship and Tall Tales at the Pavilion. BBQ (grill will be available), BYOB, etc.

Saturday March 28th: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm – Business meeting 12:00 pm to 12:45 pm – Lunch (graciously provided by Lewis and Clark Caverns) 12:45 pm to 4:30 pm - Presentations 12:45 pm to 1:15 pm – Duncan Adams: A detailed analysis of the Ophir Cave rescue of summer 2014 1:15 pm to 1:30 pm – Ellen Whittle – Preventing the spread of WNS with Proper Gear Decontamination 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm – Bryce Maxell – WNS: How it’s progressing as the science moves forward 2:00 pm to 2:30 pm – Andy Belski - Asparagus Cave 2:30 pm to 3:00 pm – Daryl Greaser – NRMG.org and beyond! 3:00 pm to 3:30 pm – Ian Chechet - The Discovery of Bliss Borehole in Fort Stanton Cave, New Mexico 3:30 pm to 3:45 pm – Dr. Alan Cooper and Dr. Julie Meachen (from afar) - Nuclear DNA testing of Pleistocene-era fossils found in Natural Trap Cave 3:45 pm to 4:15 pm – Chris Pelzarski & Rene Ohms - Fat boy and Boreholios Excellent Adventure [in Jewel Cave] 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm – FREE TIME 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm – Dinner @ the Pavillion. Shish kabobs (various styles) & salads. $10 for adults, $5 for kids, paid at registration. 7:00 pm to bat:30 – Post dinner social gathering at the Pavillion Sunday March 29th: 8:30 am to 11:30 am - Presentations 8:45 am to 9:30 am – Ellen Whittle & Ben Broman – Introducing the UM Cave Club 9:00 am to 9:30 am – Ellen Whittle - Bats and Bridges 9:30 am to 10:00 am – Pete Smith - Tongass Cave Project Alaska 10:00 am to 10:30 am – Brian Gindling – Gringos in the Mist (Peru 2014) 10:30 am to 11:00 am – Andrea Corlett - New Zealand 11:00 am to 11:30 am – Dave Worthington - Cuba Caves 12 pm to 2:30 pm – Cave tour Sign-up required; Both on and off-trail trips will be provided for those who attended on Saturday, helmets required for off-trail trips.

LODGING (in order of cheapest to classiest)

-The full L&CC campground (free for NRMG members) is available for us and has plenty of tent space. Solar toilets will be open for business, but there is no running water for the campground this time of the year. RV spots are available with and without electric. Every camping spot is free except for the electric RV hookups, which are $20/night (payable to L&CC directly). -All three cabins ($10 a person/night) are reserved for NRMG members. Cabins are served on a first-come, first served basis, with priority given to those offering presentations. Each cabin has one double bed, two single bunks, and enough floor space for 2 folks and some gear, making 6 total spots in each of the three cabins (18 total spots). Each spot costs $10/night and is paid at registration. Reserve your spot on the registration form at the bottom of the page. -Cardwell Store and RV Park ($10 a person/night), about 10 minutes west of the caverns, a basic campground with suffecient room. A shower facility with a laundromat round out this sites . -Chief Hotel in Whitehall ($59-$79/night), about 17 minutes from the caverns, is a vintage hotel from the 1940's. Tell them you are with "the caving group meeting at the caverns," and once 3 rooms are reserved, you'll receive $10 off each room! -Roadway Inn in Whitehall ($69-$109/night), about 17 minutes from the caverns, is neither a deluxe nor a budget hotel, and is part of the Choice Hotel franchise. -Historic Sacajawea Hotel in Three Forks ($109-$219/night), 25 minutes from the caverns, has luxury accommodations.

ELECTIONS

We are opening the floor for nominations for Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, & Treasurer. Our esteemed President/Chair is "retiring,"; so the position will be vacant. Officers are required to be current NSS members. If you want to nominate a member, please click here and add your nomination to the list.

BUSINESS MEETING AGENDA

Saturday morning we will conduct the business of the grotto. Our draft agenda is published below, and may also be directly accessed here. If you would like to make a motion, or second an existing one, please click on the link and add it to the document. All motions need seconded to be considered. Seconded motions will be discussed and voted on during the business meeting. WE STILL NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR (click here and scroll down to add your name to the list of volunteers) -Securing enough Coffee, Muffins, Fruit, Bagels for the both mornings -Registration Table (must be willing to register folks coming in when they arrive, accept payments, etc) -Video (someone with video equipment willing to record all the presentations, put together basic clips when finished) -Cooking (help Pete and Rebecca prepare dinner Sat night) -Running a timer during presentations (to help keep presenters from going over) -Organize several AGM group photos. (going into Lewis and Clark Caverns on Sunday, after the business meeting Saturday morning, etc) -Organize "speleolypmics" event at campgrounds Saturday night WHAT TO BRING - WATER (there's none at the campground) - CHAIRS - camp style for overflow seating during presentations - there may not be enough for everyone - FIREWOOD - Because sitting around an LED lantern just isn't the same - Warm clothes and a place to sleep (it is winter in Montana!) - Breakfast food, dinner for Friday night, snacks, tasty beverages - Caving helmet (required for off-trail trips), caving pack / backpack, headlamps, gloves, in-cave clothing (cave is ~45 degrees F) DIRECTIONS  

ATTENDANCE LIST (your submission will show here in 1-2 days)