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rawevil 8 years, 6 months ago.
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This weekend the new 2017 BOD will meet to plan out 2017.
If you have comments, suggestions, ideas or anything else you would like Dawn, Lois, Linda, Jim, Renee, Aaron, Brian, Pete and Jessica to cover, please post here.
Following the signals from space.
Now that the WGA has created a state park geocache series and a geoart series, how about a state forest series? Actually I think it would be good for 2018, but I’m planting seeds now…More topics: non-BOD participation in various WGA committees, Geocaching continuing education seminar day (GSAK, puzzles, placing caches, web page setup, roundtable discussion, etc.), Lonely Cache Game video or powerpoint tutorial on the WGA website, newbie mentoring program (possibly by membership committee?), updated PowerPoint geocache 101 presentation on WGA website for others to download, promote updated blank log sheets (and “stash notes”) available on website for download. I think a continuing seminar education day could possibly work the Friday of the campout (maybe 5 to 7pm) or the Sunday of the campout breakfast (maybe 11 to 3pm); many people would already be there anyway and they could stay a bit longer.Very good suggestions, thank you.
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.
-Henry David Thoreau
Very good suggestions
All opinions, comments, and useless drivel I post are mine alone and do not reflect the opinions of the WGA BOD.
I like the Johns idea, but I think a State Trail Series would be awesome. The State Park Series was awesome, and we have already made return trips to some. The Geo-Art Series is cool, but not on our bucket list, and somewhere down the road seeing a lot of maint. needed. Just our thoughts!
But thanks for everything you and others have already done!
Many other states have their State Park series last only a yr maybe 2. This year most of the WGA SPS caches will be 4 years old. I support ending those and hitting the Forests and or trails. Multiple caches in each of make them a further walk, changing up the emphasis. I’ve been mentioning for the last yr or so that this series is beginning to grow long in tooth so time to plan for something new.
So many other options for SPS caches. See the MN series but they change frequently.
Following the signals from space.
The fourteen state forests/units and the nine state rec areas together would make a nice grouping. The forty-three state trails would make another nice grouping.
Before ending the current WGASPS, give enough notice so that those who are working on it have time to make their plans to finish it, if they so desire. A time overlap of the old and any new series would give cachers who travel around the state the chance to finish one series and start on another during a single visit to an area.
I would say they would need 6 months or so. It would be sad to see a “archiving series Monday” note.
Following the signals from space.
Trying to recall what the Mission of the WGA-SPS is/was. Cannot easily find it on this site, and the discussions covering its inception and development are no longer here either.
Think part (A) of it’s intent was to serve as a Gateway to introduce (recruit?) and encourage new geocachers to Geocaching and the WGA?
And perhaps another part (B) was to serve as a cornerstone of a strong and active relationship among Geocaching, the WGA, and the WI State Parks?
If there is truth to the above,
Then:
A + B = Mission Accomplished?
or
A + B = An ongoing Mission that was developed to be an integral part of the WGA itself?
Just wondering, as there sure seemed to be a lot of effort and energy put into the Series’ development and implementation. If the WGA decides it wants out, whether by original intent or new directions, perhaps the Series can morph into a ‘Geotour-ish’ grouping of caches that live on to showcase the State Parks, the WGA and their close relationship?
If the BOD feels that this is a topic to discuss at the meeting, the members can throw around the pros and cons of various options to come up with some plan for the future of the current series and possible other ones. My feelings are that the state parks need a WGA presence in each, especially at this time of uncertain funding for the parks. Maybe announce that 2017 could see the series winding down with final archival of all caches at the end of 2018. (I know it took us over four years to do the whole series, and one summer may not be enough if people decided they really needed to get to work on this.)
There are many great properties that are not technically state parks, so having another series to feature those could be set in motion for this year or next. And by then, there could be a “repeal and replace” series for the state parks waiting in the wings with some different idea to draw new and repeat cachers to the various parks.
We don’t cache much in Minnesota, but some of their ideas sounded interesting. However, we figured that we would never be able to complete any series there in the two years or so that each was out, so we never got going on anything in Minnesota. If I remember correctly, though, one of their first series involved completing all of the state parks for a coin and/or all the ones in a certain part of the state for something else each, which is an option that is offered in the WGASPS with the biome completions.
I must agree with HP2’s comments.
Although the BODs should act in the best interests of the membership, it must also come up with ways to introduce new cachers to the WGA. The SP series was one way to do that. It also strengthened our relationship with the WI DNR, as well as networking with some pretty important “powers that be”!
I see no valid reason to consider archiving any of the SP caches until at least 75% of the membership has found them all. I would hope the Board would focus on activities that grow the association instead of mothballing a pretty substantial contribution to not only geocaching, but the state of Wisconsin and it’s many outdoor activities.
The SP series is staying for time being.
All opinions, comments, and useless drivel I post are mine alone and do not reflect the opinions of the WGA BOD.
I also would like the SPS to remain in place. However, if some day in the future, say 2020, the subject comes up of archiving, I would like to adopt back the cache that we’re trailbosses of and keep it going. We have about 60 caches we’ve placed since we began 7 years ago and haven’t archived any of them. Although we expect to archive some eventually, I see no reason why we couldn’t keep and maintain our state park cache for a decade or two.
I also would like the SPS to remain in place. However, if some day in the future, say 2020, the subject comes up of archiving, I would like to adopt back the cache that we’re trailbosses of and keep it going. We have about 60 caches we’ve placed since we began 7 years ago and haven’t archived any of them. Although we expect to archive some eventually, I see no reason why we couldn’t keep and maintain our state park cache for a decade or two.
Adding on to what Aaron said, SPS will be around for awhile. There are many members that are almost done completing the series. I am certain that when the series has run its course, adopting out caches in place wouldn’t be an issue.
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.
-Henry David Thoreau
Looking forward to reading the unofficial minutes of the BOD meeting.
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