French
DeutschGrotto (National Speleological Society)
A Grotto is an internal organization of the National Speleological Society (NSS). They generally function as the local NSS chapter/club. Many Grottos however, operate in areas outside of their local area, with many operating in several states.[1] Most Grottos also participate in Regions which are loose associations of Grottos.[1] Regions are also an internal organization of the National Speleological Society.[1]
Organization[edit]
Grottos are required to meet certain organizational requirements as outlined by the National Speleological Society. These include:[2]
- A constitution and bylaws that are submitted to, and approved by, the NSS
- A minimum of at least five members of the Society
- It is NSS policy that full membership in a Grotto requires NSS membership. However, in practice, this is often not the case.
An annual report describing various aspects of the Grotto is submitted to the NSS.
History[edit]
The New England Grotto was the first NSS Grotto. It was chartered in 1941 with Clay Perry as president and Ned Anderson as vice-president.[3]
Grottos of the NSS[edit]
Below are the Grottos of the NSS as listed in February 2024.[4]
Alabama[edit]
- Birmingham Grotto
- Central Alabama Grotto
- Cullman Grotto
- Gadsden Grotto
- Huntsville Grotto
- Jackson County Grotto
- Montgomery Grotto
- RAT Grotto
Alaska[edit]
- Glacier Grotto
Arizona[edit]
- Central Arizona Grotto
- Cochise County Cavers
- Escabrosa Grotto
- Mule Mountain Caving Club
- Northern Arizona Grotto
- Southern Arizona Grotto
Arkansas[edit]
- Boston Mountain Grotto
- Central Region Arkansas Grotto
- COBRA Grotto
- Little Rock Grotto[5][dead link]
- Middle Ozark Lower Earth Society MOLES
California[edit]
- Desert Dog Troglodytes
- Diablo Grotto
- Mother Lode Grotto
- San Diego Grotto
- San Francisco Bay Chapter of the NSS
- San Joaquin Valley
- Shascade Caving Society
- Shasta Area Grotto
- Southern California Grotto
- Stanislaus Speleology Association
- Waldo Brothers Grotto
Colorado[edit]
- Colorado Grotto
- Colorado Western Slope Grotto
- Front Range Grotto
- Northern Colorado Grotto
- Red Canyon Grotto
- Southern Colorado Mountain
- Timberline Grotto
Connecticut[edit]
- Central Connecticut Grotto
Delaware[edit]
- Commander Cody Caving Club
District of Columbia[edit]
- District of Columbia Grotto
Florida[edit]
- Central Florida Grotto
- Flint River Grotto
- Florida Speleological Society
- River City Grotto
- Tampa Bay Area Grotto
Georgia[edit]
- Athens Speleological Society
- Augusta Cave Masters
- Clayton County Cavers
- Clock Tower Grotto
- Dogwood City Grotto
- Middle Georgia Grotto
- Pigeon Mountain Grotto
- Team Poseidon
Hawaii[edit]
- Hawai'i Grotto
Idaho[edit]
- Gem State Grotto
- Silver Sage Grotto
Illinois[edit]
- Little Egypt Grotto
- Near Normal Grotto
- Rock River Speleological Society
- Sub-Urban Chicago Grotto
- Windy City Grotto
Indiana[edit]
- Bloomington Indian Grotto
- Central Indiana Grotto
- Eastern Indiana Grotto
- Evansville Metropolitan Grotto
- Northern Indiana Grotto
- Saint Joseph Valley Grotto
- Western Indiana Grotto
Iowa[edit]
- Iowa Grotto
Kansas[edit]
- Kansas City Area Grotto
- Kansas Speleological Society
Kentucky[edit]
- Blue Grass Grotto
- Green River Grotto
- Louisville Grotto
- Pine Mountain Grotto
- Rockcastle Regional Grotto
Louisiana[edit]
- Crescent City Cavers
Maine[edit]
- none based out of Maine
Maryland[edit]
- Baltimore Grotto
- Frederick Grotto
- Sligo Grotto
- Western Maryland Grotto
Massachusetts[edit]
- Boston Grotto
Michigan[edit]
- Detroit Urban Grotto
- Michigan Interlakes Grotto
Minnesota[edit]
- Minnesota Caving Club
- Minnesota Speleological Society
Mississippi[edit]
- JUST Cavers
Missouri[edit]
- Branson Area Tri-Lakes Grotto
- Chouteau Grotto
- Daedalus Cavers Grotto
- Kansas City Area Grotto
- Meramec Valley Grotto
- Middle Mississippi Valley Grotto
- Missouri School of Mines Spelunkers Club
- Ozark Highlands Grotto
- Roubidoux Grotto
- Springfield Plateau Grotto
- Stygian Grotto
Montana[edit]
- Northern Rocky Mountain Grotto
Nebraska[edit]
- none based out of Nebraska
Nevada[edit]
- Northern Nevada Grotto
- Southern Nevada Grotto
New Hampshire[edit]
- none based out of New Hampshire
New Jersey[edit]
- Central New Jersey Grotto
- New Jersey Tri-State Speleological Society
- Northern New Jersey Grotto
New Mexico[edit]
- Mesilla Valley Grotto
- New Mexico Tech Student Grotto
- Parajito Grotto
- Pecos Valley Grotto
- Sandia Grotto
- Sierra Blanca Grotto
- White Sands Grotto
New York[edit]
- Helderberg-Hudson Grotto
- Met Grotto
- Niagara Frontier Grotto
- Rensselaer Outing Club
- Shawangunk-Catskill Area Grotto
- Syracuse University Outing
North Carolina[edit]
- Charlotte Caving Club
- Flittermouse Grotto
- Triangle Troglodytes
North Dakota[edit]
- none based out of North Dakota
Ohio[edit]
- Central Ohio Grotto
- Cleveland Grotto
- Dayton Underground Grotto
- Greater Cincinnati Grotto
- Miami Valley Grotto
- Ohio Cavers and Climbers
- Standing Stone Grotto
- Wittenberg University Speleological Society
Oklahoma[edit]
- Arbuckle Mountains Grotto
- Central Oklahoma Grotto
- Tulsa Regional OK Grotto
Oregon[edit]
- Oregon Grotto
- Oregon High Desert Grotto
- Willamette Valley Grotto
Pennsylvania[edit]
- Bald Eagle Grotto
- Bucks County Grotto
- Franklin County Grotto
- Greater Allentown Grotto
- Huntingdon County Cave Hunters
- Loyalhanna Grotto
- Nittany Grotto
- Philadelphia Grotto
- Pittsburgh Grotto
- Seven Valleys Grotto
- York Grotto
Rhode Island[edit]
- none based out of Rhode Island
South Carolina[edit]
- South Carolina Interstate Grotto
South Dakota[edit]
- Paha Sapa Grotto
Tennessee[edit]
- Chattanooga Grotto
- East Tennessee Grotto
- Mountain Empire Grotto
- Nashville Grotto
- Sewanee Mountain Grotto
- Six Ridges Grotto
- Smoky Mountain Grotto
- Southport Chronic Cavers
- Spencer Mountain Grotto
- Upper Cumberland Grotto
Texas[edit]
- Aggie Speleological Society
- Bexar Grotto
- Dallas-Fort Worth Grotto
- Greater Houston Grotto
- GUAD Grotto
- Lubbock Area Grotto
- Permian Basin Speleological Society
- UT Grotto
Utah[edit]
- Salt Lake Grotto
- Timpanogos Grotto
- Wasatch Grotto[6]
Vermont[edit]
- Vermont Cavers Association
Virginia[edit]
- Battlefield Area Troglodyte Society
- Blue Ridge Grotto
- Charlottesville Grotto
- Fredericksburg Underground Network
- Front Royal Grotto
- James River Grotto
- Madison University Student Grotto
- New River Valley Grotto
- Richmond Area Speleological Society
- Tidewater Grotto
- VPI Cave Club
- Virginia Highlands Grotto
- Walker Mountain Grotto
Washington[edit]
- Cascade Grotto
West Virginia[edit]
- Charleston Grotto
- ESSO Grotto
- Germany Valley Grotto
- Greenbrier Grotto
- Monongahela Grotto
- Monroe County Cavers
- Mountain State Grotto
- Parkersburg Area Grotto
- TRA Grotto
- Tri-State Grotto
- West Virginia University Student Grotto
- Western Maryland Grotto
Wisconsin[edit]
- Great Lakes Cavers
- Wisconsin Speleological Society[7]
Wyoming[edit]
- Armpit Grotto
- Hole-in-the-Wall Grotto
International[edit]
- Anthros Costa Rica Grotto
- Balincaguin Conservancy Grotto[8]
Traveling[edit]
- Gypsy Underground Grotto
- Israeli Caving Club
- Out of Bounds Grotto
- Stonewall Cavers
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Weberg, Meredith Hall. NSS News Members Manual. National Speleological Society. p. 2, 53–65.
- ^ "Policy for Internal Organizations" (PDF). National Speleological Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-27.
- ^ Caving in America. Huntsville, AL: National Speleological Society. 1991. ISBN 0-9615093-7-6.
- ^ "List of Grottos". caves.org. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
- ^ "Little Rock Grotto - [LRG] - Arkansas Cavers". caves.org. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
- ^ "Wasatch Grotto | Northern Utah Cavers". Retrieved 2021-07-30.
- ^ "Wisconsin Speleological Society". www.wisconsincaves.org. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
- ^ "Balincaguin Conservancy". www.balincaguinconservancy.org. Retrieved 2021-07-30.