REPORT of
the CHAIR
52nd Annual
Old Timers Reunion
FreeDaFun
OTR 2001
A Cave Oddity
INTRODUCTION
Friends we
missed:
- Bob Lutz, but Bonnie
(Bob’s daughter) and Bob Chaisson came.
- Grayson Harding, but
thanks to Tom Williams for transporting Grayson’s bicycle, and
Bobbi Nagy for picking up the Yard Sale duties.
R.O.O.T. Status
Introduction
of new designation honoring 40 years of attendance at OTR. In conjunction with Registration, future OTRs will
now have a better handle on recognizing who these veteran
Old Timers are. R.O.O.T.s were recognized
at Saturday night’s festivities; there were actually more
in attendance than we previously expected. Eleven R.O.O.T.
status pins were handed out during the weekend.
OTR Sticker
A giveaway
to all attendees was the OTR sticker for your bicycle or
your binder or maybe even your vehicle. They glow gold in the dark! A handy dandy way to locate OTR
types in the parking lot when you’re shopping at WalMart
or Big Lots.
GOOD NEIGHBOR DAY
Introduction of what we hope
will become an annual recognition of our neighbors who put
up with the onslaught of a lot of crazy cavers every single
stinkin’ Labor Day weekend, and then some. They not only were
welcomed by Registration Staff, but also had the opportunity
to tip a complimentary pint or beverage down at C.O.O.T.ers. Several
neighbors took us up on the Saturday invitation.
KIDDIE KORRAL
Plans for activities in the
Kiddie Korral were slightly curtailed by the Inspector as he
conducted his pre-opening rounds -- the inflatable pool was
disassembled. A shade was put up for the kiddies, and moms
and dads alike expressed appreciation.
MAGICIAN
Moving from The White House
to center stage, “Batman” Larry Rohr entertained a large crowd
of little and big kids in the pavilion on Saturday afternoon
with his magical mastery.
ATTENDANCE/REGISTRATION
Thanks to Kim
Kehs and Tim Brown. Kim has resigned as Registration Co-Chair, and filling
her shoes (a difficult job at best) will be Harry Fair, WVACS
President as First Assistant.
Additionally, thirty-three attendees
volunteered their services at registration to keep the office
staffed for nearly 70 hours. Several new policies will be
developed to include Day Pass issuance.
PRE-REGISTRATION
Tim Brown and Charlie Williams are working on a method of pre-registration that would
be available on-line on the website from May through July only. No
money would be accepted until the registrant arrived at OTR.
TRA MEMBERSHIPS
TRA Registrations would be accepted
up through July 31,
2002 for OTR 2002.
EARLY ARRIVALS
Kudos to the
volunteers who handled the thankless task of pre-reg and
re-introducing the guidelines to pre-OTR arrivals. A notice was handed to all arrivals detailing the
OTR 2003 Early Arrival Policy.
The set-up for OTR 2001 registration
worked well with volunteers directing arrivals to park in the
overflow area.
T-SHIRTS/HATS
hats and T-shirts
were distributed to volunteers and staff who helped make OTR
2001 happen. I could’ve used even more …
SECURITY
Thank you to leecee molina deem
and her deputies and staff for the incredible hours devoted
to keeping our campsite and our members and guests safe and
secure, and my sincere and public apologies to the entire Security
Team and Mike Oatney -- there was a minor scare for an hour
on Thursday night when the Goddess could not be located to
address a camping space situation. No, I was not on the dance
floor doing “The Time Warp” Rocky Horror Picture Show’s. Little
did anyone know I could not be easily roused from a triple-deep
snooring in my tent. I thank everyone
for their concern.
INCIDENTS
- Later Arrival-Overflow Camping
area opened in three shifts. Cavers were generally receptive
to the purpose of the Overflow Camping and waited out the openings
as though it were the Oklahoma Land Rush.
SPELEO-OLYMPICS
Thanks to Tom Keith, Teia, Tom
Snyder, Connie and Cindy and all the judges and volunteers who created and
assisted in the OTR games. Introduced were several new events:
1ST Ever BOB LUTZ
Tug-A-Rope-A-Rama
Meredith Hall, Diva Ponti Lynch
and Patrick Lynch instituted the fun
BATTY BOOT RACE
KIDDIES ACTIVITIES
Kathy Forsythe did a fabulous
job introducing bats and bat conservation to the younger cavers
and found, to no one’s surprise, that the pinata is perhaps
the favorite event.
ENTERTAINMENT
Everything from The Rocky Horror
Picture Show – a HIT thanks to Carol and Bill Jackson, Buzz
City Grotto, The Carpenter Ants with Larry Groce (host of Mountain
Stage Radio), Bill Danoff (who penned “Take Me Home Country
Roads”), and Kevin Coyne, Anthony & Cheryl Glab dippin’ and dancin’,
Nigel in alien outfit, Diva as The Martian, and the fabulous
(as always) Doo Dah Parade. Sunday night finished out with
Mud Wrestling courtesy of Loyalhanna Grotto and some mud-crazed
cavers.
COOTers & BREWCREW
With Weasel down and out with
a “bug”, Ruth and other able-bodies took over the dispensing
of the beverages on Friday.
MEDICAL STAFF
GATE
Coordination
with Registration for after-hours entry of our caving friends.
TRA ELECTIONS
HIGHLIGHTs
THE
BONFIRE! CHIMPS AND CHAMPION MONOLITH BUILDERS – YOU’RE
THE BEST!
SPRAY SHOWER
Applause to
the Standing Stone crew and Doug Gary for creating the cooling
shower between the shower houses. In future years, as the sun beams down and bakes us all on Labor Day
Weekend, I know it will get a lot of use.
CLEAN-UP
Thanks to the grottoes for helping
keep the showers clean and to Mark Z for maintaining vendor
row’s trash detail.
CONCESSIONS
We had a momentary scare during
OTR when a Concession staff had a thankfully short-lived medical
emergency and had to be transported to the emergency room. Many
thanks to Susan Dawson, Kim Kehs, Jessie Shaw, and Paula (Casale) Spitler for stepping
up to the plate for a crash short-order cook course in pouring
coffee and flipping burgers.
PROGRAM
Under the direction of Program
Editor “Bro” Mark Casale, the OTR 2001 edition was reshaped
lengthwise to represent the 2001 Monolith, a change from many
previous productions. Although several OTR attendees commented
that it would be difficult to file, most couldn’t deny that
the final product was creative in keeping with the theme of
OTR 2001-A Cave Oddity.
COOT n’ HOLLER
Editor Carol
Jackson took time away
from cleaning shower stalls and burned the after-midnight oil
to produce a daily edition of the COOT n’ HOLLER. Photographer
Bill Jackson also was on hand to capture the
DEPARTMENT HEAD MORNING UPDATES
9:00 a.m. came a bit early for some, but the Morning
Updates at the Galactic Goddess tent proved a big hit with
all who attended as a briefing on issues that had arisen from
the previous day. And, the champagne mimosas were well received
too!
WEBSITE
Thanks to Charlie “Weasel” Williams
for making it happen and getting’ it straight.
BUDGET
We went over and under the budgeted
lines and we still made money!
THE LUTZ MEMORIAL ROCK
What a moment to witness Tuesday’s
delivery of The Rock following OTR.
COMPLAINT- RECOMMENDATION DEPARTMENT
- the toilet
paper runs out–mostly around the bonfire area porta potties – need
TP volunteers
- the ice
truck was way too noisy over by the med tent – spoke with
the owner to
improve next year’s situation
- the rec
vehicles can’t find adequate “parking” space - pilot no
rope-off rule in 2002
- Thursday arrivals are blocking
out more space than they can use, and it’s only
12 Noon - pilot no rope-off
rule in 2002
- DJ’s wouldn’t play my music – get
a walkman
- i can’t
get any sleep around here – earplugs available nightly at
the DJ stand
FINALLY, MORE THANK YOUs to THEM THAT’S MOST DESERVIN’
Chair of Vice, Mike Oatney
Treasurer, Bob Hoke
TRA Membership Chair, Tim Brown
TRA VP, Kelley Deem
Doug Gary, Jerry Nettles and Rich Williamson
and, always, Harny …
and to all the dedicated (some
would say crazy!) department chairs, hard-working staff and
volunteers who walked miles doing security, welcomed the delighted
and sometimes disgruntled attendees at registration, guided
inebriated folks to their tents after “too much fun”, helped
locate missing children and sometimes even adults, chased wayward
balloons, pitched in at the food vendors to get through morning
and lunchtime food rushes, hammered nails, schleped bags of
ice, and put-up with me … all in pursuit of FUN! Thank you
again and again …
FRIENDS WE’LL MISS IN COMING YEARS
Grayson Harding
Mike Fitzpatrick
Larry Richardson
In conclusion, judging from post-OTR comments and e-mails,
OTR 2001-A Cave Oddity successfully achieved the megaton
goal of Free(ing)DaFun…
Respectfully Submitted by
Chris “FANG” Kramer-Harnage
^^ OTR
2001 Galactic Goddess ^^
