VERSION SERIES 9. of the Website marks a general presentational revision to address readability problems and underlying technical issues before the introduction of Version Series 10. in late 2009. This will also allow for the completion of various individual webpages, which are now long overdue.

In order to permanently resolve the many issues our visitors have raised with us about this Website, Version Series 10. will see the introduction of a completely new Website based on a different system to that currently used. Navigation around the Website will become more understandable, quicker and generally far more convenient.

WE MUST REMIND OUR VISITORS THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO RE-SET YOUR SCREEN RESOLUTION, IF IT IS NOT ALREADY SET AT THE MAXIMUM LEVEL.
Please visit the "Practical Notes and Technical Information" page via the Link at the bottom of this column.

STOP PRESS !
WE HAVE LOST THE FIGHT TO SAVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY OF THE CATTEDOWN PALAEOLITHIC CAVE SITE I
READ MORE ABOUT THE PLANNING DECISION.
Click on this Link for further information.

-..Karstography of Dinaric Karst in R. Bosnia & Herzegovina -
This Section of our Website is undergoing substantive revision with much new information being added.
The current delays experienced in upgrading these pages is connected with the extensive revision of our "Proteus Project" information and especially the associated documentation for our project workers.

Present Status :
The Society operates as an independent NGO within the "not-for-profit" voluntary sector. It is not, at this present time, a Registered UK Charity although, because of a strong altruistic element in its Activities governed by a formalised de facto Foreign Policy, it may be regarded without doubt as being a philanthropic or benevolent organisation.

Proposed New Status :
The future status of the Society was the subject of a membership-wide consultation process in February 2005. The outcome has supported a substantial change in the way the Society will be managed in the future. Although this change is currently subject to a considerable delay beyond our control, the Society is to become a Registered Charity. More information about this and about the changes this will have on the Society, will be given in due course. However, in brief, the effect will be that the Society will have a Board of Trustees to whom an Honorary [= elected Executive] Membership will be responsible for the effective management of the Society, including that of its activities and assets. Certain individual Projects will have their own Management and Scientific Advisory Boards.
Membership of the Society is to be available to all on payment of an annual Membership Fee.

Management :
Management of the Society's financial and material assets is undertaken by an elected Honorary [Executive] Membership, whose Officers are also responsible for the management of the Society's routine business such as Membership Registration, Insurances and General Enquiries. 
Policies and their changes in respect of Activities and objectives are decided upon by all Members at General Meetings. As a result, the Executive (or Council) is responsible for implementation and development in matters of, for example:-
   -  UK and International Research Programmes;
   -  Educational Programme;
   -  The Library Facility, its Collections and its Academic & Bibliographic Services;
   -  Use and Maintenance of Surface and Underground Scientific Field Equipment;
   -  Use and Maintenance of Technical Underground Caving Equipment;
   -  Karst and Cave Conservation and Preservation;
   -  Public Service Programme;
   -  de facto Foreign Policy;
   -  Internal Training; 
   -  Safety.
..... within the framework of the Statements in the Clauses, Paragraphs and Sections of the Society's Constitution.
This will continue until a new Constitution is formulated, which will be acceptable to the Charity Commission.

Institutional Membership :
The Society is a Club or Institutional Member of the following like-minded organisations, whose Home Pages may be directly accessed by clicking on the appropriate links :-
   -  British Cave Research Association  (BCRA) - UK  (joined 1987) and currently under review;

Through individual membership of its Hon. Science Officer, the Society indirectly receives benefits of Membership of :-
   -  the International Association of Hydrological Sciences  (joined 1994);
   -  the International Association of Hydrogeologists  (joined 2000).

The Karst Commission of the latter organization now operates an integrated Karst Website contributed to by :- 
   -  the Karst Commission of the International Association of Hydrogeologists;
   -  the Commission on Karst Hydrogeology and Speleogenesis of the International Union of Speleology and 
   -  the Commission on Sustainable Development & Management of Karst Terrain of the International Geographical Union.
[The Society's Members can view the Members-only pages on the IAH Website by using the Society's passwords as prompted on-screen.
Members can obtain the passwords through the usual internal channels.]

Office & Documentation : 
The Society's Office (not permanently staffed) is located in its Plymouth Reference Library & Archive Facility at :-
.....46, Morley Court, Western Approach, 
.....PLYMOUTH, 
.....Devon,  PL1  1SJ.,
.....England, U.K.
Prospective.(non-Member) callers are requested to telephone or e-mail in advance of visiting :-
.....Tel  + (44) (0)1752  261278.
.....or by e-mail :..KarstCentral@netscape.net
The Hon. Secretary also may be contacted at :- 
.....Tel + (44) (0)1752 309904.
.....or by e-mail :  ajsatterley@blueyonder.co.uk

I.T., Central Communications and Media Resources :
This Facility is currently located in a separate room adjacent to the Society's Reference Library & Archives. It houses all the Society's I.T. equipment, together with its Systems Access Registry (SAR) system and facilities for managing this Website and about 90% of the Society's incoming and outgoing electronic mail. The facility also houses the FAX and other general communications equipment. 
The Society has a range of Media Resources, capable of dealing with a variety of both analogue and digital information creation, storage and communication formats.

Logo :
It was not until 1998 that the Society's Logo was created. Designed by our Members, it illustrates a cave profile, whose outline is the shape of the English County of Devonshire superimposed on a matrix of the standard geological graphic representation of karstified limestone. The whole is embellished with bats and contained within inner and outer circles, within the annulus of which is inscribed the name of the Society.

Other Title Styles :
The Society currently has 4 other Title Language-styles used in Eastern European Countries where Foreign Members are or were resident or in which the Society's Foreign Assistance Programme operates.

THE KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE, (Slovenia).
of the Slovene Academy of Sciences and Arts,
Postal Address :  Znanstvenoraziskovalni Center, Slovenske Akademija Znanosti in Umetnosti, Inštitut za Raziskovanje Krasa, Titov trg 2, SI-6230 POSTOJNA, R. Slovenia.
http://www.zrc-sazu.si/izrk/

BOARD ON KARST & SPELEOLOGY, (Serbia).
of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts,
Postal Address :  Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti, Knez Mihailova 35, 11001 BEOGRAD, R. Serbia.
http://www.sanu.ac.yu/

GEOGRAPHICAL INSTITUTE "JOVAN CVIJIĆ", (Serbia).
of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts,
Postal Address :  Đure Jakšića 9/III., 11000 BEOGRAD, R. Serbia.
English Link :  http://www.sanu.ac.yu/English/SASA.htm
Srpski Link :  http://www.sanu.ac.yu/ciril/Novosti/Novosti.htm

LABORATOIRE SOUTERRAIN DE MOULIS, (France).
Postal Address :  09 200 MOULIS, France.
http://labo-moulis.dr14.cnrs.fr
[This Website seems to be periodically offline - so keep trying.]

HUNGARIAN INSTITUTE FOR SPELEOLOGY, (Hungary).
Postal Address :..Kolto út. 21., H-1121 BUDAPEST, Hungary.
(no website address)

OFFICE FOR STATE ADMINISTRATION OF SLOVAK CAVES, (Slovakia).
Postal Address :..Správa Slovenských Jaskýň, Hodžova 11., 031 01 LIPTOVSKÝ MIKULÁŠ, Slovensko.
http://www.ssj.sk

SLOVAK MUSEUM OF NATURE PROTECTION AND SPELEOLOGY, (Slovakia).
Postal Address :..Slovenské múzeum ochrany prírody a jaskyniarstva, Školská 4., 031 01 LIPTOVSKÝ MIKULÁŠ, Slovensko.
http://www.smopaj.sk

The SPELEOLOŠKO DRUŠTVO "ZELENA BRDA", (Trebinje, RS-BiH).
[This is our Partner Organization in Bosnia & Herzegovina.]
http://www.trebinje.com/zelenabrda
[Sorry! Currently off-line.]

CRESWELL CRAGS. (U.K.). (Speleo-archaeology and palaeontology).
Postal address :  Creswell Heritage Trust, Creswell Crags Visitor Centre, Crags Road, WELBECK, Worksop, Notts., UK., S80 3LH.
http://www.creswell-crags.org.uk

MAGYAR KARSZT- ÉS BARLANGKUTATÓ TÁRSULAT, (Hungary).
Postal Address :  H-1025 BUDAPEST, Pusztaszeri út 35., Magyarország.
http://www.barlang.hu

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DIVE MEXICO :
A site operated by one of our more enterprising Hungarian Members in Mexico.
This site offers guided Cavern Diving and Cave Diving in the cenotes of the Yucutan Karst Peninsula.
http://www.divemexico.eu/