

Headquarters Update

Last fall we began our deconstruction of the office area of our new headquarters. That is now complete and we are now beginning new construction! As I write this in mid-May our new roof is being installed.

The previous owner grew over the years and added sections of new building when they needed to. With each section came a separate roof. While they used the overhang from the previous as a buffer against rain, if the storms were strong there was a little leakage at these overhangs. Luckily these were at the block walls so no permanent damage has occurred. The Headquarters Commission was aware of this during our evaluation and took it into account. During our negotiations OVP Luckins was able to offset a major part of this cost in our purchase price. We will use that with our own money to upgrade the roof to a new impervious membrane.

The new membrane roof is installed over the existing roof. First, a foam insulation layer is laid down between the ribs of the existing roof (see photos).







Next, a flat layer is screwed over these two, and finally this is overlaid with a thick rubber mat that is “bolted” to the one below it. The mat is “welded” together so that it forms a single covering with exposed fasteners and no holes. Besides keeping the rain out our new roof adds an insulation layer, and it is white to reflect the heat of the southern summer sun. This will lower our utility bills, and will pay for itself in about 15 years. This roof will last for many decades to come.

Once the new roof is in place (finished by the time you read this) we will begin building the interior walls to meet our specifications. As the new walls go up we will begin prepping the entrance area for the new entrance atrium. We also have a new webcam in place so you can watch our progress. See our home page at

If you’re planning on being in the area look on our Facebook page or contact Maureen Handler (



Fundraising

We are now at 68% of our Team 404 goal. Once we have topped 100% we’ll start paying down the principle as fast as we can. Please help pay this off as quickly as possible. Every person who signs up for $25 or more a month helps us retire this mortgage. Remember—if every member would sign up we’d pay this off in just 7 months! Please talk with your fellow caver and let’s top out Team 404 and more. Together we can retire our mortgage quickly and have a new office facility that will allow us to serve our members and mission to even higher levels.

Want an “everlasting” place in our history? Take advantage of our Buy-A-Brick fundraising program and we’ll use your brick in one of our renovation projects. Several Grottos have held fundraisers, from auctions to car washes—it all helps. There is a link to the donation form on our home page (

Last year we raised more than in any year in our history. Every member who has stopped by our new office has been impressed by the property and if they weren’t a Team 404 member before, they are now.



Membership

The recession the nation experienced has lowered our membership a little, however at a smaller rate than the national average for non-profits. What does this mean? Possibly that our members are more dedicated to the activities our organization supports than others. I can say for certain that there is “mud in my blood” and the smell of limestone puts a smile on my face.

We understand how the recession has forced many to cut back on their memberships and subscriptions. It appears as if that is on the mend for many, and indeed we are seeing members renew who had to drop their membership a few years ago. We appreciate each and every member and through our membership dues we are able to do many things.

Next time you’re at a grotto meeting or on a trip, ask your fellow caver if they're current on their membership. If so, please pass along our thanks for their support. If not, please let them know we’d like to start sending the NSS News to their mailbox again, support exploration and research projects, and much, much more. Our overhead is very low compared to many non-profits—we try to make every dollar count for cavers, caves and karst.

Please help us help you and our caves by boosting our membership back to its former levels and more. The more members we have, the greater voice we can speak with when we sit down at the bargaining table in support of our passion: caving.

Thank you for continued support,

Wm Shrewsbury

President





Last fall we began our deconstruction of the office area of our new headquarters. That is now complete and we are now beginning new construction! As I write this in mid-May our new roof is being installed.The previous owner grew over the years and added sections of new building when they needed to. With each section came a separate roof. While they used the overhang from the previous as a buffer against rain, if the storms were strong there was a little leakage at these overhangs. Luckily these were at the block walls so no permanent damage has occurred. The Headquarters Commission was aware of this during our evaluation and took it into account. During our negotiations OVP Luckins was able to offset a major part of this cost in our purchase price. We will use that with our own money to upgrade the roof to a new impervious membrane.The new membrane roof is installed over the existing roof. First, a foam insulation layer is laid down between the ribs of the existing roof (see photos).Next, a flat layer is screwed over these two, and finally this is overlaid with a thick rubber mat that is “bolted” to the one below it. The mat is “welded” together so that it forms a single covering with exposed fasteners and no holes. Besides keeping the rain out our new roof adds an insulation layer, and it is white to reflect the heat of the southern summer sun. This will lower our utility bills, and will pay for itself in about 15 years. This roof will last for many decades to come.Once the new roof is in place (finished by the time you read this) we will begin building the interior walls to meet our specifications. As the new walls go up we will begin prepping the entrance area for the new entrance atrium. We also have a new webcam in place so you can watch our progress. See our home page at caves.org for the link.If you’re planning on being in the area look on our Facebook page or contact Maureen Handler ( hqvolunteer@caves.org ) for opportunities to help. We can use labor for all kinds of projects, so please come by and lend a hand. Whether with a hammer, trowel, brush or broom we can use your assistance.We are now at 68% of our Team 404 goal. Once we have topped 100% we’ll start paying down the principle as fast as we can. Please help pay this off as quickly as possible. Every person who signs up for $25 or more a month helps us retire this mortgage. Remember—ifmember would sign up we’d pay this off in just 7 months! Please talk with your fellow caver and let’s top out Team 404 and more. Together we can retire our mortgage quickly and have a new office facility that will allow us to serve our members and mission to even higher levels.Want an “everlasting” place in our history? Take advantage of our Buy-A-Brick fundraising program and we’ll use your brick in one of our renovation projects. Several Grottos have held fundraisers, from auctions to car washes—it all helps. There is a link to the donation form on our home page ( caves.org ) that will give you several ways you can help.Last year we raised more than in any year in our history. Every member who has stopped by our new office has been impressed by the property and if they weren’t a Team 404 member before, they are now.The recession the nation experienced has lowered our membership a little, however at a smaller rate than the national average for non-profits. What does this mean? Possibly that our members are more dedicated to the activities our organization supports than others. I can say for certain that there is “mud in my blood” and the smell of limestone puts a smile on my face.We understand how the recession has forced many to cut back on their memberships and subscriptions. It appears as if that is on the mend for many, and indeed we are seeing members renew who had to drop their membership a few years ago. We appreciate each and every member and through our membership dues we are able to do many things.Next time you’re at a grotto meeting or on a trip, ask your fellow caver if they're current on their membership. If so, please pass along our thanks for their support. If not, please let them know we’d like to start sending the NSS News to their mailbox again, support exploration and research projects, and much, much more. Our overhead is very low compared to many non-profits—we try to make every dollar count for cavers, caves and karst.Please help us help you and our caves by boosting our membership back to its former levels and more. The more members we have, the greater voice we can speak with when we sit down at the bargaining table in support of our passion: caving.Thank you for continued support,Wm ShrewsburyPresident