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previous--Freindship Heigths pg225
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1966
Shenandoah Valley |
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Shenandoah Valley Grotto. Photo by R. E. Whittemore. 
member. Photo by R.E. Whttemore |
Late in the 1960's there were a number of cavers who lived in and around the Staunton, Waynesboro, Harrisonburg area. Some of these people were members of the NSS, but most were not and there was poor communication among the various groups concerning caving activities. Finally Ed Bauer and Phil Lucas decided the time was "ripe" to form what later would be known as the Shenandoah Valley Grotto.
The first organizational meeting was held at the home of Betty and Ackie Loyd. Ackie and Betty were well respected throughout the Virginia Region and it seemed a natural location to "create" the beginnings of a new caving organization. This first meeting was successful and the Grotto was chartered by the NSS in 1965. Same of the original members were Ackie Loyd, Ed Bauer, Phil Lucas, Bill Royster, John Tichenor, Tom Vigour, Alana Withero, Rick Hicklin, George Lowman and Alan Armstrong.
The Shenandoah Valley Grotto was especially busy during the first five years, becoming quickly involved in Virginia Region business, hosting several regional meetings and projects. This was perhaps only a natural sequence of events because SVG's first chairman, Ed Bauer, was also the VAR Chairman; SVG members Tom Vigour, Phil Lucas and Bill Royster followed Ed as VAR chairmen.
The SVG was also deeply interested in conservation and placed signs at several sensitive caves. They also got into the gating business by placing and repairing gates on several cave entrances. Lowmoor Cavewas surveyed and mapped by the SVG after Roger Baroody began the initial survey. In 1972 the SVG began a dig in Blowing Caveas a grotto project. The dig was successful and the resulting survey revealed 3800 feet of passage. A paper was later published in the NSS BULLETIN describing the unusual phenomenon of hydrology and perched water tables in Blowing Cave.
But most of all the SVG enjoyed its parties, picnics, and group caving trips. Perhaps the best times of all were had at Massanutten Caverns Lodge under the hospitality of Brad Cobb, cavern owner and SVG member. There are still a few "old timers" who can remember the good times we had at the Fall VAR meeting hosted by the SVG at Massanutten Caverns in 1967. --P.C. Lucas, October 1978.
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Organized by Edward B. Morgan at Emory and Henry College, this group was chartered by the NSS in 1969. The group caved in southwestern Virginia and eastern Tennessee preferring to stay with their own grotto. This was evidenced by the fact that they never responded to the invitation to join the VAR. After members graduated from school, the membership dwindled and the group was dropped as an NSS internal organization in 1971.
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previous--Freindship Heigths pg225
next--Sligo pg227
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VAR home page
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