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previous--WVACS pg224
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Sligo Grotto arose out of the ashes of the American University Student Grotto when abolishment of the school's geology department killed student interest. Many of the surviving members, including Jim McCloud, Larry Jack and Nathan Gurevich, lived in the Sligo Creek area of Silver Spring, MD. They decided to challenge fate by forming a new grotto. One attraction was three colleges within a ten mile radius from which to draw new members. Many area cavers felt that the D.C. Grotto was too large, too impersonal, or held its meetings on inconvenient nights. Sligo offered a close group, less formality, and by meeting on Sunday nights, appealed to those cavers who worked or attended school on week nights. Within one year, Sligo grew from less than ten members to over twenty. Meetings were held at the Sligo Creek Recreation Cabin in Sligo Creek Park, in the northern outskirts of Washington, D.C. Jim McCloud was elected as the first chairman. On December 2, 1970, the National Speleological Society granted a charter recognizing Sligo as an official grotto of the NSS. This may have set a precedent for allowing more than one grotto in the same geographic area. Relations with neighboring D.C. Grotto were strained for the first few years. The little grotto was looked down upon, but the grotto's pride in itself was unshaken.
Membership surged in the summer of 1971 after a spelunking article appeared in the POTOMAC MAGAZINE of the WASHINGTON POST. The listing of area grottos brought in many previously unaffiliated cavers including John and Myrna Powers and Barbara Belshaw. Projects included training of the many new novices and mapping of Helsley's Cave. The SUBTERRANEAN SUN under the editorship of Richard Nantell appeared quarterly with excellent articles.
In 1973 Sligo Grotto moved to the campus of Montgomery Junior College in Tacoma Park, MD when the Park Service ended its free use policy of the cabin on Sligo Creek. Eventually, this fiscal tightening curse would compel us to move several more times. Membership grew slowly. The newsletter appeared on rare occasions. Caving centered around Pendleton County, WV. Highlights of this period were a disastrous twelve hour vertical trip to 90-foot Floyd Waggles Caveand a comic rescue of a Philadelphia caver from 300-foot deep Sites Cave when his long tresses became entangled in his carabiner while on rappel. Old timers like John Burns and Mike Kedda joined and contributed their talents. Grotto projects included renovating Battlefield Crystal Caverns, near Strasburg, VA, for reopening and numerous cleanup trips to such caves as Sites and Helsley's.
1975 was a banner year! A grotto store was started, the SUBTERRANEAN SUN was published on a regular basis, and membership grew. The grotto store, under the superb management of John Burns accumulated capital through member investments and stocked a variety of caving equipment with discount prices. The newsletter, guided by Editor Barbara Belshaw, was published practically every month. An antique printing press was purchased from the Potomac Speleological Club. (Rather, they sold us the cabinet and supplies for ten bucks and threw in the mimeograph!) It was a crotchety contraption with only two settings: bad and terrible, but it worked!
Barbara Belshaw became the grotto's first female chairman in 1976. Building construction at MJC during that year forced us to move to the Rockville campus. The SUBTERRANEAN SUN was taken over by John Powers, who expanded and improved it; since then it has been published every month. John Burns expanded the grotto store to include Gibbs ascenders, webbing and other vertical equipment. Carbide was purchased in 100-pound drums at phenomenal savings and distributed free to members.
Budget restrictions made us homeless for several dismal months; we met at the Powers' home until new members, Geary Shindel and Dave Gambrell secured a hopefully permanent home at the Maryland Park and Planning Commission's Environmental Work Center on Nun Caster Mill Road in Rockville. The newsletter grew and expanded in circulation as did the store with electric lamp parts. Jim McCloud, seeing that the mine he worked for, was closing down, bought all their electric Wheat lights and chargers. He cut up the charging banks into individual units, and sold the lights and chargers to grotto members at considerable savings. Wheat lights were just appearing on the caving scene and Sligo Grotto rapidly joined the movement.
In November 1977, a deluxe A.B. Dick electric mimeograph was purchased from a bankrupt toy store owner, complete with a large supply of stencils, spare parts and ink. Much of the money used was raised by our first raffle held at the 1977 Old Timers Reunion. Thereafter the SUBTERRANEAN SUN greatly improved in quality. The old press was even sold for a profit! Combined with donations, the press was paid for very quickly. The year's end was capped with the purchase of a large stock of paper through John Burn's Explorers group.
1978 was our best year yet! One member, Dolph Hatfield, became the oldest man to bottom 1096-foot deep Sotano de las Golondrinas in Mexico. The grotto allied with Frederick Grotto in securing the passage of the Maryland Cave Protection Act. It passed on the first try and protects the state's caves from vandalism and forbids sale of speleothems. That summer saw a great influx of new members following a series of newspaper articles in which many Sligo Grotto members participated. In the Fall of 1978, grotto members saved Siler's Cavefrom being reclosed; a project is currently underway to map and gate the cave. It is expected to be the largest mapped cave in the West Virginia panhandle.
The Grotto has weathered good times and bad, scandals and celebrations, victory and defeat, but always endures. --John Powers, SUBTERRANEAN SUN, December 1978.
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1971
Geenbriar |
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Jerry Kyle,
Greenbrier Grotto, 1973. Photo by R. E. Whittemore. |
The Greenbriar Grotto was formed from the Ronceverte Speleological Club in Ronceverte, WV the Fall of 1971. Although the RSC had been in contact with the NSS since April 1971, real interest came after some of the group attended the VAR spring project at Moncove Lake. Since its beginning the grotto's most active member has been Jerry Kyle, is known throughout the Region for his hard work on the Grotto's newsletter, the CARABINER WRAP-UP, his participation representing the VAR at WV Highlands Conservancy meetings, and his dedication and reliability in helping rescue victims from WV caves. For many Region cavers, Jerry Kyle is the Greenbrier Grotto!
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previous--WVACS pg224
next--Shenanndoah pg226
articles index
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