The Executive Committee of the Triangle Troglodytes held a meeting on May 12, 2026. Grotto Chair Taylor Tibbs, Webmaster (Editor) Jacob Gonzalez, Vice Chair Matthew Brown, Webmaster (Editor) Matthew Weiss and Treasurer Stephan Francke met in a location, and Secretary Zeke Van Fossen joined voice-only from another location.
The Grotto trip is all but set for September 19, but there was continued discussion about the location, and the date being dependent on what camping is available, and concerns that the September date is not open, or questionable for some TriTrogs. The chair of the grotto will try to reserve RASS, and the following caves were mentioned as possible places to take groups: Crossroads, Subway, Helictite, Paxtons, Bobcat – Chestnut Ridge – Blarney Stone, Porters, & Robins Rift. Low Moor and Newcastle were also mentioned as places to go if we must camp in a different place.
The officers scheduled some upcoming programs and discussed other possibilities, including rope and knot demonstrations, trip presentations, and a gear swap.
It was stated that the Triangle Troglodytes annual donation was in the Low Moor Graffiti Cleanup, which was estimated at $210.
The executive committee discussed lifetime memberships and honorary memberships, after someone paid for their membership well into the future. The officers agreed that paying dues years in advance could be complicated with regard to record-keeping. The grotto doesn’t have a rule or policy on lifetime memberships at this time.
We have a little more money, and the officers are wondering what if anything we should do with it. People seem to be interested in apparel items and stickers, and so the officers will look into how that could be done and what exactly the grotto wants.
There are still t-shirts from the 2025 grotto trip that people didn’t claim! These shirts were paid for last year, but no one got them.
The treasurer is still working on replacing PayPal as the platform for making electronic payments to the grotto.
The officers had a discussion about activity on Facebook and our website, and it was noted that there has been more activity, and that it’s been good for the grotto. Reports for the Low Moor cleanup and caving demo at Camp Durant are wanted. There was an extended discussion about information security and user permissions on our Discord server. The officers talked about how we can limit access to sensitive information about caves and people, and the server in general, by limiting the ability to see certain discussions and invite members. There are some hurdles and issues in determining which users should be granted access. The officers want to remind people to use their real names within our Discord server so everyone knows who everyone else is. Our website still needs work on the design, and more content, though reports are getting added at a good rate.
The Executive Committee discussed the Bylaws Committee, and Zeke stated that it was established at the last regular meeting, but there hadn’t been any activity beyond that. It was agreed that it would be discussed at the next meeting (and probably every meeting), and there should also be a channel for it on Discord. The rules around elections and voting are of key interest, as well as updating the roles and responsibilities of members of the Executive Committee.
There was a resultant discussion about how those who established the grotto and who have held positions many times wish for others to take up the mantle and run the organization, because that will be necessary for its continued existence.
The next Executive Committee meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, August 18, 2026 at 6:30pm (18:00), and a location will be set before then.