Minutes

Minutes of the Kentucky Speleological Survey

January 22, 2011

Meeting held at Wayne County Historical Museum

206 N. Main St.

Monticello, KY  42633

President Darrell Adkins called the meeting to order at 11:10 am and welcomed everyone to the meeting.  

Officers & Board Members Present:  President, Darrell Adkins; Vice-President, Howard Kalnitz; Treasurer, John Cassidy; Secretary, Kim Gentry

Organizational Representatives Present:  

Greater Cincinnati Grotto, Howard Kalnitz; Kentucky Geological Survey, Jim Currens proxy by Richard Gilliam; Western Kentucky Speleological Survey, Preston Forsythe proxy by Bill Walden; Louisville Grotto, Steve Gentry; Membership at Large Representative, Jim Greer; Membership at Large Representative, Don Conover proxy by Lee Florea.

Absent:  Bluegrass Grotto, Randy Paylor; Dayton Underground Grotto, Jim Perkins; ESSO Grotto, Johnathan Lewis; Hart of Kentucky Grotto, Peggy Nims.

KSS Members and Cavers in Attendance:  Andrew Dougherty, Rick Gordon, Bill Walden, Richard Gilliam, Steve Gentry, Lee Florea, Amber Yuellig, Tama Cassidy, William Duke Hopper, Tammy Otten, Matt Keller  

Welcome and Introductions/ President’s Report (Adkins):  Everyone was welcomed to the meeting and the officers were introduced.    

Vice-President’s Report (Kalnitz): Nothing to report

Secretary’s Report (Gentry): Nothing to report

Treasurer’s Report (Cassidy):  

It was discussed and decided to send Greater Cincinnati Grotto a thank you for their recent donation.   

Data Access Committee Report (Kalnitz):  Recommend we continue to charge for requests.  There were 4 requests fulfilled in the past quarter.

Data Administration Committee (Library) Report:  Jim Currens not present at meeting today.  There was discussion of some guidebooks that recently were discovered missing or misplaced.  There is a need to put guidelines in place regarding data being removed.      

Membership Committee Report (Cassidy)-No recent activity.  The KSS PowerPoint presentation is outdated.  Kim Gentry will work on updating by next meeting.  This should be put on KSS web site and sent to Grottos to promote KSS membership.  

Data Administration Committee (Database) Report (Kalnitz/County Coordinators):  

Howard gave presentation of database activities/processes to date and gave an overview of County Coordinator process.  He reported that 24 counties are now inventoried.  There now is a total 3,971 documented caves in Kentucky. Work is being done to remove duplicate data and entering new data.    Amber Yuellig provided an update on Pulaski, Clinton & Lincoln Counties.  Since last KSS meeting she went to caving on paper session and located Sperka data, she has started to enter data and has about 40-50% done.  Howard is working with Horton Hobbs on Carter County Caves data.  Howard was pleased to report that Ron Fulcher gave him 70 cave locations in Rockcastle and Jackson Counties that were previously unreported.  Darrell Adkins indicated there has been no recent activity in McCreary County.  John Cassidy indicated there has been no recent activity in Madison County.  Jim Greer is working Edmondson County, which will be challenging because it is in the Mammoth Cave National Park region.  Grayson County is being worked, it now has 26 caves.  Steve Gentry is working Hart County.  He is merging Sperka data with his data.  

Web Site Review Report-Eric Weaver is managing web site.  We need people to review it and let him know what needs to be updated.  Kim Gentry volunteered to review, and coordinate communicating updates to Eric.    

Annual Publication-Did not have enough material to publish.

KSS Newsletter Report (Walden):  The January newsletter was published and emailed to members.  If you have a change of address/email, please give update to John Cassidy so that future mailings will be sent to the right place.    It was mentioned that the KSS Yahoo group is main point of contact for KSS communications.   

Old Business (Adkins):  

Discussion of the annual members meeting in October.  Darrell pleased with outcome.  

Darrell wants to pull a small group together to review security options at Mines & Mineral Building.  Jim Greer, Howard Kalnitz, Bill Walden, Rick Gordon and Jim Currens can review at next work session or set a special day to discuss/review.  It was suggested to review MOU with KGS to make sure what can or cannot be done.  

New Business:

Digital projector-Darrell thinks the KSS needs one.  Bill Walden made the motion to research options.  Steve Gentry seconded the motion.  The motion carried.  Darrell Adkins, Bill Walden, and Howard Kalnitz will research options and report back.  

There was discussion on original material leaving the Mines & Mineral Building.  Options-County Coordinators sign out documents after being inventoried and bring back when finished scanning.  Another option would be to hire a student to scan and documents stay in house.  Lee Florea motioned to form ad hoc committee to formalize library rules and standards and cataloging.  John Cassidy seconded the motion.  The motion carried.  Amber Yuellig, Howard Kalnitz and Jim Greer volunteered to be on the committee.

Election Nominations:  

President-Darrell Adkins is not re-running for office.  Jim Greer and Bill Walden put their names on the slate for President.  Darrell Adkins asked non voting members to leave the room and a vote was taken by show of hands.  

Votes for Jim Greer-5

Votes for Bill Walden-1

Jim Greer is the new KSS President to take office in March.

Lee Florea motioned to vote the slate for the remaining officer positions.  Steve Gentry seconded.  The motion carried.   

Vice-President-Howard Kalnitz

Treasurer-John Cassidy

Secretary-Kim Gentry

Members-at-Large positions-Don Conover, Amber Yuellig and Steve Gentry are on the slate.  A vote was taken by paper and recorded by Darrell Adkins, Jim Greer and Kim Gentry.  

Votes for Don Conovor-2

Votes for Steve Gentry-8

Votes for Amber Yuellig-11

Steve Gentry and Amber Yuellig are the new Member-at-Large representatives

Open Discussion (Group):

Kim Gentry to send minutes each month to Eric Weaver to publish on Website.  

Howard wants people to start scanning documents-paper to digital. (PDF) He will publish standard settings to use.  Need to also come with naming format convention.  People should bring their own scanner to use at paper sessions if possible.  Amber suggested to catalog the library.  Howard needs help with database design.  

Future Work Sessions at Kentucky Geological Survey Mining & Minerals Building:  

February 27th, 2011:  10 am to 2 pm  

March 27th, 2011:      10 am to 2 pm

Future Business Meetings:

April 3rd, 2011      11 am at Kentucky Geological Survey Mines & Mineral Building

June 12th, 2011      11 am Central Time Zone at American Cave Conservation Museum in Horse Cave  (Gentry’s to confirm availability)

Bill Walden gave an overview of the history of the Wayne County Historical Museum.  

Lee Florea motioned for the meeting to be adjourned, Bill Walden seconded.  The motion carried.  The meeting was adjourned at 12:37 pm.  The group then took a tour of the museum and the cave/pit downstairs in the museum.  After the tour the museum staff served the group a delicious lunch.