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First off may I congratulate all 8 candidates (as of this time). I can say that I know 7 of the 8 via meeting them at events or having cached with a few. To the last I at least know of by reputation.
I see the WGA Board as an organization that handles its responsibility in a good fashion, but as most organizations their are things the board does very well and some things that could be improved upon.
So with out undo praise or criticism of the board I would ask of each candidate the following:
1) What is one thing that the Board did well? And Why?
2) What is one thing that the Board did not do well? And Why?Thanks
Dean
(please be aware I can be full of questions)Hi Dean,
Thanks for asking the first question. You have been rewarded for your efforts by being nominated for the board. 😉
You asked:
1) What is one thing that the Board did well? And Why?
The WGA again this past year put on two terrific events, despite the rains for the fall event. I think WGA events continue to be successful because as a group we have been doing them now for several years, and multiple people have multiple experiences in pulling them together.
The coin development and sales was a success for the same reason.
And thirdly, our forums are dynamic, interesting and useful, far more so than other state’s forums. This is again because of doing it for several years as a group, and multiple people being involved in a positive way. It is also due to the many fine members of the WGA who contribute to the forums.
2) What is one thing that the Board did not do well? And Why?
The logo revision did not go as smoothly or as timely as I had hoped, though there will be an announcement on this soon.
zuma
Good straight-up question. Zuma hit the nail hard, so I’ll take my own tack.
What the board did well…
This may sound like setting the bar low, but in my mind the WGA did an excellent job of staying the course. As an organization we have lots of balls in the air, between official events, adopt-a-highway, coin activities, maintaining a presence with government, logo revision, Lonely Cache Game, etc. I think we have one of the most ambitious state organizations in the country, and between board and membership I don’t see that flagging in the future.
As an organization, we seem to lack the discord or apathy of other states’ organizations. Check some of the surrounding states’ forums and you’ll sometimes find no new posts on a given day, or longer. We’ve managed to keep it civil when we do disagree, and I do feel that some of that comes from the top down.
What the board did poorly…
The logo issue will be an easy one to flog this year. There didn’t seem to be a good sense of direction there. And the passion of the membership on the subject was probably a bit surprising to some, myself included. But again, that’s the easy answer.
I feel that the worst sin is one of omission, namely the far-flung provinces of Wisconsin that feel they’re not getting any love here. The far northeast and the far northwest especially. I can understand the need to hold our flagship events in places where the majority of the membership will feel that they can attend, but I think there need to be more, lesser events with the WGA stamp of approval to spread it around a little. I believe there have been feelers put out, but that’s one thing that needs to be acted on. If we are concerned about bringing people from these areas into the fold it might not hurt to plant the flag on their home turf.
I can see the advantage of being the first to respond on these questions, as I’m afraid I’m going to sound like a broken record, but here goes….
1) I will have to echo the comments of Ralph and Seth that the great events and the lively forums are an organizational success. In addition, behind the scenes work with local agencies and the DNR has always been a strong plus for geocaching and cachers. Helping to create standards for cache placements, while at the same time setting a standard of cooperation and respect for the concerns of parks boards and the DNR have been excellent efforts.
Although not strictly a WGA sponsored “program,” I know some current board members have been instrumental in helping to set up the Lonely Cache Game. While this has created some interesting drama of its own, it has also helped create a better caching experience overall by encouraging the monitoring of less visited caches. Anyone who’s cached in other states has probably experienced areas where *nothing* listed has been maintained.
2) Ms. Broken Record again, but the logo situation could have been handled better. Again, I suspect the board had no idea how much passion there was for a change among the membership, but at least the new board has that understanding now and can proceed with better intent.
I also would like to see stronger efforts to bring folks to the “unnamed kingdoms” of the north. We have strong ties well north of Highway 70, and know that there are active caching groups scattered about who would love to show off what their areas have to offer. Some of the best caches we’ve done are up that way. While it’s true that it seems the majority of members are in the southeast corner of the state, the organization has a mission to serve them all. People traveled to Wildcat Mountain or Governor Dodge, why couldn’t they head to Copper Falls? (Just an example, I have no idea if CF has the facillities our events require).
WHAT HAS BEEN GREAT:
- The events we had were well executed, well attended, and apparently enjoyed by all who attended. We are best identified by these events, so it is important for them to be executed well.
- The geocoin launch and sale was excellent. This was a model for how we can repeat this process in the future.
- The administration of the website has been great. I especially appreciate the additional forum categories.
- Most of the board members have been very active in our forums, which helps the rest of us understand what is happening.
WHAT COULD BE BETTER:
- While the minutes of the February meeting were posted, it seems most of the other discussions and considerations have all been conducted in relative secrecy. I would like to see much greater transparency to the board activities. While I can see the value of privately conducting some deliberations, once these discussions are complete and a decision is reached, the thought process of reaching this decision should be revealed to the membership in detail. This could be done either by posting edited threads to the forums or by posting minutes of the smaller meetings that are held by the board.
- In my opinion, we MUST start having more WGA events in the northern half of the state, either by holding the picnic or campout there or by having more events. We are a statewide organization and need to serve ALL the membership. I am fully aware that there are a lot of challenges involved with doing this, but we have a lot of great people in our ranks, and I’m sure we can get it done if we make the effort.
- I would really like to see more effort put towards building a presentation for park personnel and another for law enforcement personnel, so that we can provide speakers and consistent content when the need arises.
- The handling of the logo change was not the best, but I think it was a difficult situation, both within the board and in the membership as a whole. The resulting unrest demonstrates the importance of clear, open, and regular communication with the membership of board proceedings. When “all is quiet”, many people tend to assume the worst.
Well, since I cast my hat into the ring, it seems only fitting that I respond to the inquiries posed to the candidates.
What do I think the BOD did well:
1. Planning and holding a)WGA Campout at Governor Dodge, b)WGA Picnic at Lapham Peak, c)the 1st WGA Regional event at Round Lake near New Auburn.
2. The Wisconsin Geocoin sale. Well recieved by the members of the WGA and by many that frequent the GC.com geocoin forums.
3. The BOD decision to discontinue logging of temporary caches at official WGA sponsored events (Not necessarily the most well recieved decision, but a decision and they held fast to it).
4. The hard work involved in educating and working with the WDNR and the area Park & Recreation Departments.
What could have gone better:
1. Informing the membership regarding the Logo adoption. There are so many opinions out there that I don’t want to get into it but, in defense of the current BOD, they made the decision to go with the logo that held the essence of the winning choice and they felt like they made the proper choice. BUT, If there were issues with potential infringements that should have come before the membership. I hate to be a fence sitter on this issue but I have mixed thoughts. I like the new logo, and the similarity to the WSGA logo, whether intentional or not, it looks nice. I asked this in another post whether or not these logos are copyrighted. If so, then the WGA needs to make the new logo distinct, if not I don’t see where the problem lies. Comments regarding “without the words, it doesn’t represent anything about geocaching” I find unfounded. I see that the same arguement could be used saying the swoosh for Nike doesn’t say anything about running. I would say “you’re right, they don’t” does it need to? Members will know, others will learn.
2. The transparency of the BOD. Other than the minutes for the initial meeting in February 2008, no other minutes were posted to the BOD minutes tab on the WGA site. The workings of the BOD were not clear to the membership unless they were close to a member of the board or questions were raised in the forums or came to referendum.
Disclaimer : Always answering to a higher power.
I’ve thought for several days after initially reading this question in hopes that I wouldn’t sound redundant and repeat others answers…
What has been done well? To me the most obvious improvement is the increase in the cohesiveness of the group. This past year was the first time (to me) that the state geocachers felt like a bonded group with substance. It takes time and good leadership to bring a group of people together with a common interest. I feel this has finally come about. It’s rare (or nearly impossible) that a large group of people over a large area would agree 100% of the time on 100% of the issues so that isn’t expected with a large organization, but in the past year WI geocachers have come together and made important decisions (some of which were difficult and not well received) to move the association forward. It isn’t just about the caches, it’s also about the cachers!
What needs to improve? Steps have been taken to better communicate with other caching related organizations but not enough has been done. As the group that represents all WI cachers we need to work with law enforcement groups, park and rec supervisors, DOT administrators, etc so that our sport of choice is supported and understood. Many individuals have attempted to get lines of communication opened and continue to work at reaching the many institutions that would or should want to work with us, however as a large organized group we have a presence that could bring about these connections more quickly. This is a strength that we have not made good use of – yet!
Sorry for the delay on my answer here .. I have been looking for the actual 2008 WGA goals to better evaluate what was and was not accomplished.
I am finding it interesting that the biggest comment is on how great the events were run. For me, the WGA is more than just the events.
I am also finding it interesting that it has been commented on how great the communication between the WGA BOD and Park & Rec Depts has been. I am not finding any references to that happening beyond the Wisconsin Park & Recreation Association Pre-Conference workshop TamCo & I did.
From the top of the WGA website all visitors do see:
“The Wisconsin Geocaching Association (WGA) is a group of geocachers dedicated to promoting and protecting geocaching within the state of Wisconsin. The WGA organizes geocaching events, works with land owners/managers on geocaching policies, educates the public at large about geocaching, and facilitates communication between WGA members.”
What they did well:
As always, the events were great!! Also, we kept up on some of the issues we had been working on and got them resolved or got the answer we hoped for.
What they didn’t do well:
The WGA needs to utilize its resources better, i.e. $$$, members, BOD. The WGA just needs to find the best way to do so.
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