Everything starts on a local level first.

President Emily B. Neal of the Society of Cryptozoology at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, has alerted me to the fact they will hold their group’s second meeting on Wednesday, November 5, 2008, between 8:30-10 pm EST. The meeting will be held in the GBJ Student Center and the room is “North Lounge,” which is on the third floor.

They meet on Wednesdays, with the partial purpose of discussing what will be broadcast on “MonsterQuest” and other cryptids.

The official mission of VT’s Society of Cryptozoology is “to meet and discuss cryptozoological phenomenon ongoing in the world.”

Ms. Neal has bestowed on me an Honorary Membership to her group, and I thank her for the honor. I wish her organization a rising membership and great adventures as they pursue their quests!

Intriguingly, VT is where my friend, the emeritus professor of chemistry and science studies, and emeritus dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Henry H. Bauer use to teach.

During his tenure as professor at Virginia Tech, Henry Bauer took over twenty trips to Loch Ness, searching for the Loch Ness Monster. Bauer developed an interest in the Loch Ness Monster and based his open-minded research on Nessie’s existence on a film made by the prominent Loch Ness Monster hunter Tim Dinsdale.

In the 1980s, Bauer researched and wrote a book on the Loch Ness Monsters, the monster hunters, and the history of the quest for Nessie, entitled The Enigma of Loch Ness.

Bauer retired from VT in 1999.

Perhaps at some point in VT’s new Society of Cryptozoology’s organizing efforts, they might wish to rename the group after Henry Bauer, in his honor.

Are there other examples like this around the world?

Does your school or university have a cryptozoology society or club? Let me know about it.