National Speleological Society
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The National Speleological Society (NSS) is an organization formed in 1941 to advance the exploration, conservation, study, and understanding of caves in the United States. Originally located in Washington D.C., its current offices are in Huntsville, Alabama. The organization engages in mapping, cleaning, scientific study, purchase and gating of caves.
The organization is divided regionally: Arizona Region (sometimes included in the Southwestern Region), Mid-Appalachian Region (MAR), Mississippi Valley-Ozark Region (MVOR), Northeast Regional Organization (NRO), Northwest Regional Organization and the Northwest Caving Association, Ohio Valley Region, Rocky Mountain Region, Southeastern Regional Association, Southwestern Region, Texas Speleological Association, Virginia Region (VAR), and Western Region.
Within these regions are local level organization known as grottos. These grottos carry out the local level cave-related and conservation-related business.
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[edit] History
The Speleological Society of the District of Columbia (SSDC) was formed on May 6, 1939 by Bill Stephenson. In the fall of 1940, the officers of the SSDC drafted a proposed constitution that would transform the SSDC into the National Speleological Society. On January 24, 1941, Bill Stephenson sent a letter to all members of the SSDC announcing that "on January 1 the Society was reorganized as a national organization."[1]
[edit] Publications
The NSS produces a number of publications, including:
- NSS News, monthly
- Journal of Cave and Karst Studies (quarterly), formerly NSS Bulletin (from 1940-1995). Table of contents on-line only.
- Membership Manual, yearly
- American Caving Accidents, every few years
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Caving in America, National Speleological Society, Huntsville, AL. 1991. ISBN 0-9615093-7-6