This page is a collection of useful and informative details about your attendance at the 2025 NSS Convention.  Watch for updates.  Information available here is also being sent directly to attendees and shared on NSS social media.  Please send your questions to: 2025convention@caves.org

 

Fun Facts, Useful Tips and Things That Are Good To Know In Advance:

- The Mayor of Cobleskill, the President of SUNY Cobleskill, and the incoming NSS Executive Director Annette Summers Engel will all be joining us on the steps of Bouck Hall for the opening ceremony first thing Monday AM.  Be sure to join us for the kick off!

- We plan a very special evening at the Awards Banquet on Friday night.   A program for the evening will be at your table.   Seating will be opened at 5:30, with food service from Nicole's Catering at 6.   There will be a brief break before the beginng of awards while we clear tables and move all seating towards the stage to assure the best experience for our audience.  Your Master of Ceremonies will be Dr. Hazel Barton.   Awards Department Chair Bill Steele will lead us through the presentations portion of the evening.

- We have an amazing camping and activities site at the Sunshine Fairgrounds. We have plenty of places to tent or park your rig.  Water, bathrooms and showers are readily available. Bring your bicycle for travel around the site and the short trip to the college. Thank you for keeping a few important items in mind there to assist the convention staff and the incredibly helpful people working at the site:   No fires.  No pets.  No tents inside or under any structures.  No firearms or fireworks.   Remember that sites with electrical and water hookups are available on a reserved and assigned basis only.   A horse group will be moving into the east end of this very large facility late in the week.  Please respect the marked separation between our respective areas.  Entry to the NSS areas of the fairgrounds will be for registered attendees only.  The campground will be open to preregistered attendees starting at 5 PM on Friday, June 20.   If you are not preregistered, you will need to visit on-site registration at the college, which opens at Noon at Saturday, June 21, before coming to the campground.  There will be no parking next to tenting sites. Parking will be along roadways or in designated areas only. We must leave the campground by noon on Saturday, June 28.

- Shuttle, Cobleskill:  Getting from here to there during the week.  It is a only a little over a mile between the campground and sessions at the college.  The most direct route is along a village street.  Downtown Cobleskill is even closer, and several restaurants and convenient stores are located between camping and the campus. Morning and afternoon shuttles will be available.  On campus, our fleet of golf carts will be in service all day for people needing a quick ride from parking areas and to the food services. However, nothing is particularly remote. Most activities are clustered in a very small area with large and small sessions, exhibits, vendors, salons and other activities all within a very easy walk of each other.  Consider bringing your bike or planning to rideshare from the campground for added convenience.

- Cave trips will have sign-up and departures from the campground.  Erik Nieman and his team have arranged an extensive selection of trips.  The majority of caves requiring vertical will be pre-rigged courtesy of PMI which donated more than 1400 feet of rope to make this possible.  Be sure to visit Erik's cave trip headquarters in the campground to check out the trips.

- Taps And Kegs Aplenty.  (If you have something aplenty,  you have a lot of it.) The convention has secured a 9 tap, two sided, refrigerated tap truck to keep the beverages flowing at at our campground events.  Check out the "Eating Cobleskill" page to learn about the expansive dining and drinking opportunities during the week.

- Shower Availability There are several shower areas available in the campground.  Look for signage on these buildings.  We will also have an NSS temporary shower setup running at peak periods.  At the college, locker room showers will be available from 7:30 to 7:30 in Bouck Hall downstairs from registration near the Salons.

- Quiet Room Designated.  Bouck 210 (near the  fine arts salon) has been reserved as a quiet room for those needed a workspace or retreat for computer use.   This is a room with a conference table suitable for computers and notebooks.  This area is shared use so no phone calls here please.

- Vending Machines Available . A variety of nicely assorted vending machines are located in Wheeler and Bouck Halls.  These will be stocked and operational during convention week. Find snacks and drinks along the way as you move between sessions, meeting, exhibits and workshops.

- Field Trip Departures:  The Adirondack Field Trip will depart from the campground at 7 AM.  The Geology Field Trip will depart from the Circle Drive at the College at 8 AM.

- Please bring your Howdy Party Mug to the Wednesday Campground Party.   Fellows & New Members, please bring the mug to the reception.

- Bring Your Water Bottles!  Plan to uses refill stations on campus and at the fairgrounds.  The convention will not be providing individual bottled water.

- The Fellows And New Members Reception is time set aside on Tuesday evening for those honored as fellows to gather and enjoy each others company, while discussing the life benfits gained from service to the NSS with the newest members of the society.  This year fellows and new members will have colorful flags on their name badges .  Attendees will be treated to cheese cake, fresh fruit as well as hard cider and local unfiltered  N/A cider.

- The NSS Helpline for the week is (773) 536-9321 [SPELEOWEB1].   This number will reach one of several staff members to answer any question at any time.  By adding this number to your contacts list, you can easily reach the convention staff or assist anyone needing to contact us.