Events Without Temporary Caches

WGA Member Joined: 2005-05-11 Posts: 210 Location: WI, USA

This topic has come up a few times in the past, and again recently. Different people have said in different ways that they'd like to see WGA events be social events without temporary caches so more socializing could take place. I don't have a problem with that, but several questions do come to mind:

1.) Why do these people hunt temporary event caches? In most of the posts I've read, people who say they would rather not have temporary hides still hunt them. If I didn't like chewing gum, I wouldn't take a handout, even though it's free.
2.) Why don't these people hold their own events that don't have temporary caches? It can't be that hard to plan a 7AM breakfast at Stennies and post it. (MajorBrat said something like 4:30AM to me last time I saw her, but that's just nuts.)
3.) Why do people who don't think events should be logged more than once log them more than once? If I don’t believe something is right I don't do it.

I'm not targeting anyone, and if you post a reply I ask that you not line anyone up in your crosshairs and open fire. The WGA thread asked you not to debate, so I'm opening this thread up for debate. Although I started this thread I'll keep out of any debates because I'm open to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Opossum of Mole_n_Opossum

Joined: 2003-09-10 Posts: 1263 Location: Bristol WI

I have yet to post to the "other" thread, because I simply don't feel too strongly about it either way.

I've been to a few events, some that had caches and some that didn't. I enjoyed each one for what it was. I tend to believe that there is plenty of room for both types of events, and as always, everyone can make their own choice as to which ones they will attend.

I choose not to log temp caches as "attended" because I like my event cache stats to reflect how many events I have been to, and nothing more. If there was a special log type for temp caches I would probably use it. Since there is not, I won't be logging any temp caches.

How others choose to log their temp caches is of no concern of mine. As someone else was wise enough to mention, geocaching.com is not the basis of the sport. It is one listing service that provides a pretty decent bang for the buck. If your love of geocaching is based around the stats on geocaching.com, you have yet to discover the true joys of the sport.

If I was a board member, I would vote to make the campout a place for a temp cache-hunting frenzy, and the picnic a place to socialize with other cachers, with a few localized caching games or instruction pertaining to geocaching near the main shelter.

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 11:51 am

I would love to see more "educational" stuff at WGA sponsored events.

Bec

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 8:52 pm

quote:
Originally posted by greyhounder:
I would love to see more "educational" stuff at WGA sponsored events.

Bec

Do you have something in mind? I know that the Minnesota Geocaching Association does a time-trial with orienteering punches that I think would be very entertaining but do you know of other GPS games we could do?

Ruth

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2005 1:58 pm

I don't know any games. Although the ground zero one we did at a breakfast last year was great (everyone puts a little flag at where their GPS locates ground zero, and then we see who's closest).

I'm thinking more of actual learning -- paperless geocaching, compass usage, cache hiding do's & don'ts, first aid on the go, projecting waypoints, GSAK for dummies, etc.....seminar type stuff. There's a lot of geocaching related knowledge in this group, and we should be utilizing it.

Bec

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2005 4:31 pm

I agree with "Greyhounder" about the seminars and more knowledge being shared. We have picked up bits and pieces of valuable info going to some events but really wanted to learn more. Especially the planting do's and don'ts. The question of how to log event finds, if there is a right or wrong way. Travel bugs and Geo Coins are all great, but how does this work? Perhaps having the Millenium members on a panel for other, less experienced cachers, to ask them questions would work. This would be like a live forum.