Continuing to assist Henry Douglas with the Virginia Cave Survey, the DC Grotto decided to initiate a detailed scientific study of Porters Cave, beginning as a mapping project and working into other Phases of speleological investigations. John Holsinger acted as director of the project. Twenty trips were made from May 1960 to July 1961 to the cave, where a total of 8500 feet of passage were surveyed. Among the persons who assisted in this venture were Bill Mauck, Bob Blackburn, Ackie Loyd, Henry Douglas, Lyle Conrad, John E. Cooper, Jack Voss and Gregg Marland. --DC SPELEOGRAPH, September 1961.
In 1965 annual dues were increased to $3.00 and the grotto again moved the location of its meetings to gain additional space, this time to the Cleveland Park Library. The DC SPELEOGRAPH continued to be one of the best sources of caving material in the country under the editorship of Lyle Conrad (1964-1969), and various DCC members actively pursued speleological projects. The grotto saw only one other dues increase during that time, in 1967, when dues were raised to their current level of $4.00 per year. In 1968 the speleological momentum of the grotto was slowed when John Walker, then grotto chairman, resigned and two other Executive Committee members left the area.
Pat Moretti became grotto chairman in 1969 and in December of that year he initiated the Organ CaveProject as a principal activity of the grotto. It was early in 1971 that the project acquired the use of its current field house from Mr. George Sively, owner of Organ Cave.
While the Organ Cave Project continued to be one of the more active projects, the grottos emphasis started to switch in 1972 toward more fun caving trips, training sessions, a quality newsletter and greater participation in VAR and NSS affairs. Under the chairmanship of Ray Cole (1972-73) and Paul Stevens (1974 to present) grotto membership grew from 65 to over 140. The DC SPELEOGRAPH, which was not published during mid-1972, was revived by Evelyn Bradshaw, who continues as its current editor. During this period various members of the grotto were active in several regional cave projects in addition to the Organ Cave Survey. In 1975 the grotto conducted its first annual speleology course for the Smithsonian Institution Associates. 1977 saw a relocation of the grotto meeting place to the DC Second Precinct Police Station so that additional space and a more convenient meeting time could be arranged.
Currently the grotto is actively involved with the Organ Project and many other regional caving activities. Its members continue to make significant contributions in all phases of speleology.
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D.C Grotto cabin on Bullpasture River across from Marshalls Cav, VA.
Used as a starting point for many early trips. Photo by R. L. Lutz
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D C Grotto
