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previous--Nova pg220
next--Holston Valley pg222
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(INDEPENDANT)
The first discussion of forming a new caving group in the Washington, D.C. area occurred at a restaurant in Georgetown after a D.C. Grotto meeting in the Fall of 1957. On December 7, 1957, in Arlington, VA, the Potomac Speleological Club (PSC) was formed by eight charter members: Grayson Harding, Elbert Miller, Jerry Nettles, E. Thomas Pierce, Paul Damon, Byron Cassel, Wayne Bell, and Tom Tucker, for the purpose of:
"to further promote general interest in speleology and its related sciences, and to explore caves for scientific information and to make known its findings which will be published each month." The new group called its newsletter THE POTOMAC CAVER.
Early projects included the exploration of caves in Germany Valley, WV, and continuing a project started by the Pittsburgh Grotto and the Baldwin's Hill project in the Front Royal, VA area (this project included exploration and mapping of caves in that area).
Original meetings were held in private homes until the club became too large. In September 1958 the club began to meet at the Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation. At this point the club had 21 members. In January 1959, meetings were moved to that Department's new building on Park Drive (the Lubber Run Recreation Center) and these meetings have continued there at the same time and place since then.
When the PSC was formed, it was hoped that the NSS would let the group become a grotto. The request was turned down because of an NSS policy allowing only one grotto per city. The PSC once again sought to become a grotto in 1958. This time they contacted Dr. Oscar Hawksley, NSS Vice- President for Organizations, in reference to becoming an affiliate to the NSS. This is different from actual grotto status inasmuch as:
"an affiliate of the NSS is another independent organization whose aims and ambitions parallel those of the NSS."
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Most of the membership felt that the affiliation would be a great asset to the reputation of the PSC which was looked upon at this time by many old-time NSSers as an "outlaw" group. However, the affiliation was not something they were to keep. Sometime later the NSS published a list of affiliated organizations, and the PSC was not included. A letter to the NSS asking why resulted in their name being included on the next published list. That was the last time the NSS admitted having granted the PSC an affiliate status. For several years, the PSC was officially ignored by the NSS. Later, when the PSC decided to settle the issue, the NSS took official Board action to say that it was not their policy to grant affiliate status to any other American caving organization. This Board further stated that Dr. Hawksley had not had the power to grant such a status in the first place.
Through the years, pride has kept the PSC an independent group, even though it has supported the NSS and many of its members are also NSS members. The Virginia Region of the NSS (VAR) voted to grant the PSC membership in 1967.
The PSC took on the responsibility of the cavers' Field House in Riverton, WV, in 1963 by buying it from the Pittsburgh Grotto. The house was run very successfully for many years by Jerry Nettles (joined later by Hester Ailes who married Jerry in 1968). This function was turned over to an official committee of the PSC in the fall of 1969, and has been run continuously to the present time. It is still the scene of much activity practically every weekend and many close associations have been formed in the Valley, especially with Mrs. Nellie Smith and Sheriff Estyl Lambert.
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OTR, 1962. Photo by H. H. Hamilton. |
Through the years the PSC has become legally incorporated, maintains an Equipment Pool, Club Store and Library for its members, manages the Field House, and is a member of both the Cave Rescue Network and the Highlands Conservancy. Members have provided major support for the annual Old Timers' Reunion over Labor Day and have regularly been involved in the Treasure Mountain Festival held in September in Franklin, WV.
The most recent project of the group was "SIMMER", the 'push' expedition for exploring the area in and around Simmons-Mingo Cavein West Virginia. The final report of this project is in the process of being written.
Currently the PSC has over 114 active members and exchanges with over forty publications --- not too bad for the first twenty years!--Lois Lees and Jerry Nettles, 1979.
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