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Organized in 1958, the Virginia Herpetological Society brings together people interested in advancing their knowledge of Virginia's reptiles and amphibians. The VHS encourages scientific study of Virginia herpetofauna and its conservation. Education continues to be an important society function.

Overview

Many states in the United States and provinces in Canada have organized regional herpetological societies. They range widely in their focus and number of members. Many of those that exist today are concerned primarily with herpetoculture and are truly amateur. Several, like Kansas, Texas, and Virginia focus on the natural history of the state’s fauna and only peripherally engage in herpetocultural activities. The Virginia Herpetological Society (VHS) has had a long history of interest in the herpetofauna of the Commonwealth.

An organizational meeting for organizers and prospective members was held on 23 September 1958 in Arlington, Virginia, to ascertain interest in forming a statewide society. The VHS was inaugurated soon thereafter at a meeting of interested professional and amateurs at Boy Scout Camp Shawandossee, Chesterfield County, Virginia, on 18 October 1958. The first society officers were elected at this meeting. The first newsletter was a single page of news and notes published on March 1958. Franklin J. Tobey was the primary catalyst who started the society and it was he, as Secretary/Treasurer (later as Coordinator) who maintained production of the VHS Newsletter from 1958 to 1979. A total of 90 newsletters was published during this period. Some of the issues bore no date of publication. Dates were obtained from mailing labels and other sources, including the bulletins in the National Museum of Natural History’s Herpetology Library. The governing structure of the VHS changed in 1979 and with it a new journal/newsletter (Catesbeiana).

Creation

Mission / purpose

Founding members

1980 reorganization

Non-Profit Status

The VHS obtained non-profit status at least twice in its history and apparently allowing the status to lapse, although documentation for each instance is lacking.

Susan Watson initiated the application process near the end of her term as President in 2009. The VHS was incorporated by the state on January 30, 2009. The VHS received its tax exempt status as a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity on February 11, 2010.

IRS Notice

State Incorporation

Constitution

The current version of the VHS Constitution: http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/constitution/vhs-constitution.htm

List of Constitution changes

1991

"Paul Sattler presented changes in the VHS Constitution and Bylaws proposed by the Executive Committee. The changes were primarily with the makeup of the Executive Committee and terms in office for the officers (as discussed at the Spring 91 meeting). Terry Spohn made a motion to approve the changes (seconded by Richard Hoffman). The motion carried and the revised Constitution and bylaws in the next issue of Catesbeiana."

Organization

Chart

Officers

List of officers

President

Vice President

Treasurer

Treasury Balance

Secretary

Appointed positions

Newsletter

Catesbeiana

Committees

List of all that have served in committees

Members

Benefits

Voting

Bumpersticker

Discounts to zoos/museums

Exclusive surveys

Costs

Membership dues were irregularly stated in the Bulletins. In 1978 (#85) the Bulletin stated that the VHS has no required dues, only encouraged rates of support.

Paypal est 2008

Table is incomplete

Lifetime memberships

est 1989

List of lifetime members

Archives

(1996-present) – originally at Virginia Museum of Natural History, now at Liberty University

Digital photo and audio archives (200?-present)

Publications

Bulletin

The first newsletter was a single page of news and notes published on March 1958. Franklin J. Tobey was the primary catalyst who started the society and it was he, as Secretary/Treasurer (later as Coordinator) who maintained production of the VHS Newsletter from 1958 to 1979. A total of 90 newsletters was published during this period. Some of the issues bore no date of publication. Dates were obtained from mailing labels and other sources, including the bulletins in the National Museum of Natural History’s Herpetology Library. The governing structure of the VHS changed in 1979 and with it a new journal/newsletter (Catesbeiana).

all 90 numbers were edited by Frank Tobey) - 1958-1979

#81 – 639 copies mailed to 521 Virginia and 118 out of state addresses

Catesbeiana

Name Richard Hoffman suggested journal name at 1980 reorganization meeting

Purpose/requirements

Cover art Chris Pague est 1983

Color version 2007

Conversion to electronic format

President’s Corner est 1989

List of all articles

Newsletter

1992 Decided to publish twice a year because costs were too high despite a recent dues increase to 10.

Conversion to electronic format

Tobey Herp atlas

Supported publications

Mitchell & Reay herp atlas

DGIF guides

Website

est 1997

Calendar

est 2007

Events

Surveys

HerpBlitz

est 2005

BioBlitz

2003 (Douthat State Park),

2004 (VCU Rice Center),

2006 (Potomac Gorge),

2007 (Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC),

2008 (Dan Daniel Memorial Park, Danville)

Resource Ramble, Pulaski Boy Scout Camp (2007-2009)

Other secondary surveys

Cave

Dyke marsh

SFD

List of survey locations and dates

Published Surveys in Catesbeiana

G Maps

Fall meetings

Ambystoma symposium (2002)

Keynote speakers

Honorarium

List of Keynote Speakers

Dorcas (2006), Gibbons (2007), Buhlmann (2008), Harris (2009), Weems (2010)

Student presentation awards

est 2007

Amount of awards

List of winners

List of meeting locations and dates

Public education

Reptile Weekend, VLM est 2004-present

Wildlife Festival, WLCV

Va Master Naturalist training

Reptile Day, VNHM 2007 & 2008

Herp ID emails

Grants

est 1998

Purpose

List of Grant awards

List of resulting publications

DGIF matching grant

Other financial support

1989 - Virginia Endangered Species Symposium ($100)

1990 - SSAR honorary symposium for Roger Conant ($100)

1992 - "Virginia's Venomous Snakes and Their Look Alikes" with DGIF

1999 - VDGIF snake brochure ($500? VHS donation + $300 state herpetological society

grant [received in 1990?, originally to produce a snake poster] to VHS from SSAR)

199x, 200x - Virginia legislative breakfasts ($??)

2006 – Potomac Gorge Bioblitz (did VHS provide funds or just team leaders?)

2007 - Richard Hoffman honorary symposium ($250)

2009 – Virginia Natural History Society symposium (“Historical Explorations

into Virginia’s Natural History”) ($100)

2009-2010 - Timber Rattlesnake exhibit, Luray Zoo ($300)

2010 – La MICA biological field station, Panama ($200)

Misc

Yahoo Discussion Group

Dec 9, 2005

Announcement in 2006 v16 n1

The Virginia Herpetological Society has taken upon another endeavor to further involve its members in the education and conservation of Virginia's native reptiles and amphibians. We have created a new webspace under Yahoo! Groups that allows us to assemble as one and share our experience. If you are unfamiliar with Yahoo! Groups (http://groups.Yahoo!.com/group/VaHS), it is a popular service that is used by many herpetological societies that continues to remain a simple and free service. A minimal amount of information is required to sign up, and there are many other groups that you may find interesting to sign up for. There are nearly 400 groups specific to reptiles and amphibians alone! We envision this as a way for members of the Society, professional and amateur alike, to gather together and discuss anything related to Virginia herpetology or herping.

Members :190

Max posts in one month: 121

Support ended: Nov 9, 2011

This Yahoo Group for the VHS has been around for 6 years now, and we have had some pretty good discussions. You may have noticed that the number of discussions have declined significantly in the last year or so. That's mostly because we have moved a lot of our content over to our page on Facebook. It's matter of convenience for those that generate the content.

The difference in Facebook is that we have nearly 700 subscribers, and after 5 years we only have 174 members on this Group. We obviously have a wider audience on Facebook and it has benefited the VHS greatly as we currently the highest number of memberships to the Society in at least 2 decades (if not over the Society's entire 50+ years).

I realize not everyone wants to have Facebook profile, so this Group did serve a purpose. However, I believe that other media will be soon making these Groups obsolete. The VHS is officially ending support for this forum, as in- no longer generating content for it. This Group will not be shut down though, and I will continue to moderate where necessary. In the past I made sure that some type of herp-related info got posted on a regular basis, especially updates on the Society. This helped keep the members involved with the group. But now I would like to focus on our Facebook and our new Google+ page.

You are welcome to continuing using this Group, it's just that the VHS will be posting new information elsewhere. Thanks!

https://www.facebook.com/vaherpsociety

https://plus.google.com/116579295005808558677

Posts continued well into 2013

Cafepress

est 2006

The Virginia Herpetological Society announces an online gift shop that provides quality merchandise of amphibians and reptiles native to Virginia. The store is hosted by a large web site, cafepress.com, which allows us to simply upload designs and place them on any number of different kinds of T-shirts, sweatshirts, bumper stickers, hats, and even an eco-friendly organic cotton T-shirt. The company uses on-demand printing that is all computer controlled. No merchandise is made until someone orders it. http://www.cafepress.com/vaherpsociety

One added bonus for members is a Members Only area. There isn’t much material there now, but when we add new designs they will be featured there first. Also, some of our best designs will only be available there. For the introductory period of the store, we’ll have all of our designs in the main store, and then move some of them out to the Members Only area. To maintain exclusivity, there is not a link to this area from the main page, bookmark this page in addition. http://www.cafepress.com/vaherpsociety/1415361

This store is intended to generate interest in our native herps and also secondarily be a fund raiser for the Society. Café Press charges a base price for each item, and any markup above that base price is what is sent to the VHS. The markup for most shirts is only a few dollars. Most of the items (mouse pads, stickers, etc) are marked up a couple of dollars. Although the products can get a bit pricey, rest assured we have minimized the markup and the quality of the shirts is very high.

Facebook page

Google+

Awards

Given to VHS

Virginia Chapter of The Wildlife Society (2008)

Member of the Year

est 2006

2016 Craig Abbott

2013 Susan Watson

2012 Emily Steele

2011 Mike Clifford

2010 John White

2009 Charise White

2008 Jason Gibson

2007 John White

2006 Kory Steele

Presidential achievement awards

2011 Kory Steele

Lifetime achievement awards

1998 Frank Tobey

1999 Richard Hoffman

2007 Joe Mitchell

2008 Paul Sattler

Honorary Life members

2008 Steve Roble

State Reptile / Amphibian attempts