First of all, I’d like to thank those who nominated me for election to the Board. Notice I said “election”, and not “re-election”. You see, I’m the last self-appointed member on the Board of Directions. As one of the founders of the WGA, we were all self-appointed board members. We drew straws to see who would serve a one-year term, and who would serve a two-year term. I drew a 2-year term, and I’m the only remaining board member who hasn’t been elected. Hopefully over the past few years I’ve earned your respect and trust, and hope to be able to serve you for another two years.

Personal information about myself:
I’m married with two boys, ages 10 and 15. I’ve worked as a Police/Fire/EMS Dispatcher for the past 18 years or so. I’ve also worked as a boat patrol officer, EMT, and an audio technician.

(whole family at the Gov Dodge campout)

Hobbies:
Geocaching, Hunting (Grouse, Woodcock, Pheasant, Deer, Turkey, Duck, Duck, Goose) Fishing, Ice fishing, Ham Radio, ATV’s, Snowmobiling, Motorcycling, Dog training, Field trialing.

Memberships:
Ruffed Grouse Society, National Rifle Association, Wisconsin Professional Police Association, WGA, Milwaukee Repeater Club, Groundspeak charter member, National Wild Turkey Federation.

My Geocaching Bio:
I started Geocaching in April of 2001. The best I can figure, I was probably one of the first 15 people to discover Geocaching in Wisconsin. At the time there were about 8 active Geocaches in the area. The closest caches were kbraband’s “Pike Powder Hike”, and “New Prospect”. I took the boys to find these two caches one day, and from that point on, we were hooked.

In the early days when a new Geocache was listed, the few active people would all run out and find it within a few days. It was fun trying to get there before the other guys. I thought I was pretty hot with about 25 Geocache finds, but then Team Investigators and Cache Cows blew me out of the water when they hit the 40+ finds . That was the end of the numbers game for me. I’ve currently found in the ballpark of 330 Geocaches, of which more then 1/3rd are event temporary caches. I prefer quality caches to quantity. I prefer scenic hikes and vistas, or neat places in remote locations. I try to avoid urban caches. I don’t like to Geocache in areas were people are watching me and I may look suspicious.

I currently own 11 Geocaches. 5 Traditional caches, 1 multi-cache, 2 micro cache, 1 virtual-offset-micro, 1 virtual, 1 event. All my Geocaches involve scenic areas. All have substantial hikes, except one. The favorite cache I own is probably “Salute to Stute”, a 7 stage multi-cache. This is a cache that focuses around a secluded historic area. Another favorite is “Squaw Mound Micro.” While just a micro cache, the cache brings you to a very secluded area with an awesome view. The cache is all about the experience!

My organizational experience with the WGA:
In the summer of 2001, kbraband approached a few other cachers and asked if we wanted to host a picnic. Jvechinski, Yawningdog, and myself answered the call. We organized the first social event which was a picnic held at Pike Lake State Park. We called ourselves the “Southeast Wisconsin Geocachers”. The picnic was a HUGE success and plans were made for future events. Cache Cows and Thraxman were brought on board and plans snowballed into a website and an association, the Wisconsin Geocaching Association. As I mentioned above, the founding fathers were the initial board members. In our first official board meeting, I was appointed Vice President of the WGA. In Feb of 2004 I was appointed by the Board of Directors to serve as President.

I’ve helped organize the following events:

• 2001 Geo-Picnic (Pike Lake)
• 2002 Geo-Campout (Gov Dodge)
• 2002 Geo-Picnic (Lapham Peak)
• 2003 January – 1st Dinner social (Trysting Place, Meno Falls) Impetus for the monthly breakfasts.
• 2003 Geo-Campout (High Cliff)
• 2003 Geo-Picnic (Devil’s lake) headed by The Lil Otter
• 2004 Geo-Campout (Hartman Creek) Headed by GrouseTales
• 2004 Geo-Picnic (Mackensie Center) Headed by Mrs WIsearchers

Other Geocaching accomplishments:
[*] July of 2002, Ken Braband and myself went to the State Capitol and met with the Director of State Parks. Ken and I met with Sue Black (director) and discussed Geocaching in State Parks in an effort to preserve our sport. In our discussion with the State, Ken and I were asked to write a Geocaching Policy for the State Parks, something that the DNR and the WGA could live with.
[*] August 2002, a group of Geocachers assisted Ken and I in forming a DNR policy development committee. Several Geocachers served on this committee and assisted in writing a draft policy for the DNR.
[*] January 2003, Ken and I went to Stevens Point, WI and met with the DNR’s top staff and presented our proposed policy. This draft is the core of the policy the DNR is expected to implement soon.
[*] March 2003, I took over as the Geocaching.com volunteer cache reviewer for the State of Wisconsin, approving Geocaches under the username “WGA”. For almost two years I’ve been reviewing and approving caches in Wisconsin. This has proved to be a huge asset when meeting with local officials. More on this later….
[*]May 2004, traveled to Las Vegas, NV for the 1st National Reviewers Conference. I spent 4 days with Jeremy, Nate, Hydee and the rest of the Groundspeak crew, as well as about 25 volunteer reviewers from around the USA. This was a great opportunity to “network” with the Groundspeak folks, and share issues that are important to us in Wisconsin. The relationships that were established will go a long way in giving us direct contact with Groundspeak staff.
[*]July 2004, Organized Jeep Travel Bug distribution for Wisconsin.

Here’s a photo from my meeting with the Groundspeak folks:

Pictured from Left to Right: John, Nate, Elias, Jeremy, Bryan, Hydee, Me (GrouseTales).

The rest of the story:
I think it’s important to get new faces on the Board of Directors. Change is good, and new people bring new ideas and renewed enthusiasm. It’s also important to have some seasoned people on the Board to help maintain direction and continuity. Serving as a WGA Board Member doesn’t usually require a whole lot of work. You are required to read the forums a couple times a week, and chime in when opinions are sought. Almost all Board activity occurs on the internet, and not in person. There are times however, when it can be very busy in the forums. This usually happens when we are organizing a function. For some Board members, a weekly Internet visit is all that is required. For ME, my Board position has become a part time job. I usually spend several hours a day working on Geocaching related issues. Whether it is posting in the forums, reviewing caches, or answering the many emails I receive each day. This can be overwhelming at times, but It is something I truly enjoy. I’ve come to enjoy the organizational aspects of the WGA, just as much as Geocaching itself. Because I’m so busy with the Internet aspect, I don’t have as much time to hit the trails and find Geocaches. That is one of the reasons my “finds” are relatively low, considering how long I’ve been Geocaching.

Reviewing and Approving caches is tough job in Wisconsin. We have some areas that are off-limits to Geocaching, and each new Geocache must be checked to verify that it’s not in an illegal area. This may take minutes, hours, or days to complete. It’s time-consuming work, but it’s VERY IMPORTANT work. Groundspeak gave us an Approver position in our early days as an organization. They realize it’s may be best to have local people or organizations approving geocaches, because they are more familiar with the area and related issues. Having the power to control Geocaches has been a big selling point with working with local officials. They know they can contact us with any problems, and I am able to take care of them. I’ve worked with government officials on about 10 occasions to correct problems relating to a geocache. Some wanted geocaches removed from a property, and some wanted help reuniting a muggled cache to it’s owner. In either case, this approver position showed local officials that the Wisconsin Geocaching Assocation has strength.

Approving Geocaches is a lot of fun. I know how exciting it is to submit a new Geocache. I would check the computer several times a day to see if it’s been approved yet. I love being able to drop a new cache hider a note and wish them good luck with their cache. On the other hand, it sucks when we have to archive a Geocache. I would LOVE to be able to approve all Geocaches, however sometimes there are issues with a cache not meeting the guidelines. Sometimes they are minor wording issues, and sometimes they are more serious. It’s hard to say “no” to someone when you know how excited he or she are about his or her new cache. When reviewing caches, I’ve always been fair, consistent, and understanding. I apply the guidelines equally to everyone. If I didn’t, it wouldn’t be fair to everyone else. So if I’ve ticked you off about a cache not being approved, I hope you understand the reasons. Those dealing with me as an approver know that I’m friendly and fair. I’m often busy answering people’s emails regarding cache ideas. Sometimes I get backlogged, or an email gets lost in the shuffle, but I enjoy answering caching questions before they get submitted. Many times issues can be worked out before they page goes to press.

I have many goals for the WGA. I would like to see the WGA get more involved with some community service projects. I think we need to do a better job of giving back something to the parks. I would also like to see some enhancements and new features on our website. I don’t know anything about programming so I’m not able to do that job myself. We also need to continue our efforts on becoming a non-profit, tax exempt organization. I also think the WGA needs to continue to work with the DNR and local officials to preserve our sport. We have made great progress with the DNR. While the process is slow, it has helped ensure we will be able to Geocache in the future. Many state’s DNRs have banned Geocaching on State land. I think our efforts have prevented that in Wisconsin.

I think the Wisconsin Geocaching Association is more then just a social organization. I think our primary function is to represent Wisconsin Geocachers, and show that we have strength in numbers. We currently have more then 600 members in the WGA. Our numbers are our strength in dealing with local officials. I want the WGA to be the Geocaching equivalent to the NRA, Ducks Unlimited, ARRL, etc. Our picnic and campouts are great social events, which provide an opportunity to meet people we might only know over the Internet. I think the social functions are very important in establishing new friendships and sharing our sport with others.

In closing…
When making the tough choice on whom to vote for, I hope you look at the qualities that person will bring to the Board. Hopefully the election will not be a popularity contest. Look at what a candidate has done in the past whether they served on the board or not. Many candidates have helped the WGA in un-official capacities. Many have helped with events. Several have helped whenever we’ve needed a hand. Some may be your best friend, or some might rub you wrong. I hope you will decide to vote for people who have a track record of stepping up to the plate to help out. We need people on the board who are active, and willing to help out for the next two years. Sometimes actions speak louder then words.

As one of the founding members of the WGA, I have a strong sense of direction and goals for the WGA. We need to keep pressing forward in a positive direction. So, if you feel that I might have the experience it takes, I would be honored if you vote for me.

Thank you!

Brian
WGA President
Grousetales at wi-geocaching dot com
KC9GMW

[This message has been edited by GrouseTales (edited 01-10-2005).]