Cascade Grotto Meeting
Online-only (via Google Meet)
January 3, 2024

Votes

Accept election results

Eric moved to accept results, Mark seconded

• 12 for
• none against

Allocate $2000 for Western Regional for Sept 2024

Eric proposed, Maurice seconded

• 11 for
• none against

Business

Elections

Talia of Out of Bounds grotto was vote counter as an independent party

• Chair: Eric
• Vice-chair: Sarah
• Treasurer: Megan
• Secretary: Maurice
• Member-at-large: Bram

Treasurer report

Increase in funds since the same time last year

• $3108.67 in checking account
• $5147.08 in savings

Proposal to allocate funds for Western Regional

• Proposal was to allocate $2k
  • Same sum as allocated by Oregon grotto
• Reserved spot (half of campground) of Cougar RV Park is relatively expensive
  • reservation for Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights (Sept 19-22)
  • 100 people max camping is OK’d
    • even more can be present temporarily
  • lots of flexibility for our own events
  • have a discount with the # sites we have
• lots of infrastrucure that would need to be set up for all the days
• expecting $40 per person fee
• includes:
  • full-service RV sites
  • 2 cabins
  • lots of flexibility for setting up our own events (e.g. ropes course)
• availability from Thursday night means those who travel far have more flexibility
• campground reservation is by far the largest western regional expense
• fees are yet to be determined
  • if we have it at $40 per person with 100 people, that would result in a profit
  • camping is usually separated from the event fee

Gauntlet ropes course

• cost estimate: 1k
  • intend to split with oregon grotto
• would set up ropes course
• will put forward proposal later

Non-business

Meetings schedule (timing for coming year)

• monthly hybrid meetings highly preferred by everyone
  • poll showed 53% for vs 23% for annual meetings
• consistency is important (same week of every month)
• historically meetings were always on Fridays
  • mostly an artifact of the old constitution
• Friday:
  • pros:
    • more accessible for people driving from far away
  • cons:
    • traffic is bad, many trips start on this day
• Eric suggests putting forward:
  • friday option
  • non-friday option
• Possible benefit for Friday:
  • first Friday is meeting
  • first weekend is grotto trip
• Oregon grotto is 3rd Friday
• Having an online google calendar would be beneficial for organizing

Proposal for polling:

• Friday (4th of every month)
• Wednesday (1st of every month)

Trips

Successful events to repeat:

• beginner trip
• holiday party
• halloween trout lake trip

Proposal:

• have an event in every region once a month
• regions:
  • trout lake
  • windy creek
  • helens
  • papoose
  • cave ridge

Have monthly official trips:

• trip committee organizes this
• rotating trip leaders on regular basis
• easily signed up for, encourages beginners
• set up discussion for separate meeting for schedule of trips
• have a specific weekend per month?

Beginner trip:

• historically was April/May
• proposal: first weekend of may
• in helens

Proposed calendar:

• May: Helens (beginner trip)
• June: Wolf’s pit
  • first weekend, likely
  • beginner trip vs advanced trip works on rigging
• July: Cave ridge
• August: Washington monument
• Sept: Papoose
• Oct: Trout lake

Letting people know:

• public google calendar
• others can schedule events around it

Training (scheduling)

scheduling:

• set up formally in a calendar
• should we have an official monthly training
• multiple locations possible:
  • seattle
  • mt vernon
• have multiple people taking responsibility
• someone can look into NSS VTC and coordinate
• Horne lake cave rescue in May
• week-long seminar in Gold river in July
• may be possible to have a SPAR class in WA
• May beginner vertical class in Bend
• proposed program/schedule:
  • beginner time
  • intermediate/advanced time
• may want a formal listing of techniques/class
• should we finally figure out quartermaster/storage location

Attendees

Laina, Dusty, Eric, Sarah, Renato, Mark, Alex, Michelle, Megan, Drew, Travis, Talon, Bram, Garrett, Maurice