TriTrogs Officer Meeting-Feb 2013

02-04-2013

TriTrogs Officer Meeting Agenda

Carlin’s Apartment

Meeting started at 7:05 p.m.

Mark D, Mark L., Carlin K., Mike B. and Ava P. in attendance

Agenda:

1) What we want covered in general meetings/the generic agenda. It has
been suggested we start our meetings with the program rather than end with it.


Carlin likes the idea—better time management, will help keep the other stuff from dragging on

Mike would like things to start on time

Mark D. suggests sending agenda out ahead of time to encourage timeliness

Ava- would newcomers be more interested if we have a program first? Maybe a set time limit on programs?

Mark L. – maybe newcomers would not be enticed by presentations first, would rather interact with grotto members more, important to do introductions with new people

Set a time limit on trip reports?  We will do a trip report survey initially to establish appropriate time limit for each meeting.

It was decided that we would tentatively try a new order of operations as follows (with a 30 min suggested limit on programs):

Introductions from 7:30 to 7:40, then program, then everything else

2) Program ideas for 2013 -- Need 10 total, 30 minute max?

Tentative ideas for the year (not chronological):

Carlin on Arizona

Carlin on Cold Sink

Mike and Lisa on Mexico

Peter on Caravan Etiquette (we think this is a joke but not sure)

Ken on Cartography?

Cave Geology? – Ava will email geology professor, or if anyone else has connections let one of the officers know

Danny on first aid? Mark D. will ask him. 

Mark has a NOVA film on caves, or maybe film from NSS library

Mark (interest in Fungus presentation?)

Outside person on something cave related via skype? Possibly Will Orndorff?

3) Grotto trip date and destination


Carlin suggests June/July for grotto trip.  For the annual grotto trip officers decided on the weekend of July 13^-14.  For now we’re planning on Union Cave (will ask Ken about getting access).  If Union doesn’t work out then possibly Bone-Norman.  Camping options include Dave D.’s place in WV or other yet-to-be-determined campgrounds outside of Lewisburg.

5) Location and date preferences for a cleanup trip


Based on dates for other events/trips October 19/20^th seems like it will work

We will talk to Tanya about ideas, would like to keep it in Smyth County

4) Update from the loaner gear and library custodian (any needs
expressed)

From Mike: The new Princeton Tec headlamps have been loaned out and taken on a few trips, and so far them seem to be working out pretty well.  We might want to get one more so we have the same number of loaner headlamps as helmets (4). Mike will order another one. (this has now been taken care of)

6) PO box -- should we eliminate it?            

It was agreed on that we do not need a PO box.

Mark L. will take care of getting rid of the PO box and have stuff temporarily forwarded to his address

Mike will remove the PO box info from the website

10) Donations to charities this year

Officers decided that the annual donation to the museum will be $100

12) How should we use our grotto funds?

From Mark L: We have suggestions for charitable contributions every year. But I             would like more discussion of how we can use our dues income in the service of          members, and in ways that will promote more caving and more participation in             the grotto.

Other officers agree, use grotto money for caving(ie. Grotto trip!)/purchasing group gear (replacement canopy, lights, etc.) to facilitate more caving!

7) Vertical training program?

Things that would be included:

A monthly grotto meeting dedicated to intro to vertical techniques to spur interest in getting people vertically active, this would be followed by several outside meetings to get familiar with on-rope experience.  We would like to do this once the weather gets a little bit better (possibly have the program at the April meeting? We will talk to Pete about setting up at his place)

Some topics would include:

Knotwork with gloves/without gloves?

NSS vertical skills checklist?

8) Plans for the NSS Convention
         

Get a canopy before convention- Ken found a good one that will actually fit in cars without much hassle. Ken can you go ahead and order it?  I guess I should send you an email.

Officers planning to attend:

Carlin is going

Mark D. is going

Others are not sure

9) Plans for and status of the web site


Notes from Mike B.(webmaster):

1) One thing I'd like to do is to add in more social media.  Add a Twitter

account.  Use the various media channels - web site, FB, Google+,

Twitter - to announce meetings with more lead time.  For that to be

effective, we'd need to know what the presentation topics are at least a

couple weeks or a month in advance.  But I think this would help keep

people reminded and interested in coming to the meetings.

Mike is going to take a stab at the social media aspect of advertising our grotto, maybe Rob would be interested in helping since he’s into facebook and could help remotely?

2) Membership list on the website? Do we want this? Is it too much to keep up with? Right now are names and numbers from 2009.

Officers agreed that we should remove the list from the website in an effort to keep the site up to date

3) Get constitution by-laws updated on the website, we’re not sure if they actually got changed.

Mike has latest ones, he will send them out and we can agree on them.  Mark (not sure which one) suggested having a copy of the membership form on the website and having it fill-inable online.  Mike will look into this.

4) Maybe remove the flaming pumpkin from the website blog?

We think it scares people.  Officers agreed to remove it, Mike will take care of the flaming pumpkin removal

11) From Mark L. addressing membership:

Is there anything more we can do to attract new people to visit our meetings or come on a caving trip with us? Are there things we could do to encourage people who
have visited our meetings or who have tried a caving trip to take the next step and join the grotto?
How do we do this? Make beginner trips and hope they come? Or find beginners and play around with them. 

Officers will try some new outside advertisement-- Ava will contact The Rock Club at NC State and put up flyers up at climbing gym at UNC . Tell your friends how cool we are!

12) Other business????

Someone should build a squeeze box, any volunteers?