Event Guidelines – Reviewer comments needed

[gotta run]

There have been a couple events in recent weeks that have either not been published on gc.com or for which the owners would not submit an event listing based on past denials of publication.

I have gotten asked about some of these in a roundabout way, but I don’t know enough about event guidelines to clarify things for them.

I have read the gc.com guidelines and the nut of the issue seems to be about events being “for and by” geocachers, rather than “for the general public and geocachers are ok too, even if it is solely a geocaching event.”

Could the reviewers out there provide some general clarity about the types of things they look for before publishing an event, and the types of events that do not get published, and why?

On the Left Side of the Road...

[greyhounder]

I know you’ve read the guidelines, but in case anyone is interested:

Event Caches

Event caches are gatherings that are open to all geocachers and which are organized by geocachers. While a music concert, a garage sale, an organized sporting event, a ham radio field day or a town’s fireworks display might be of interest to a large percentage of geocachers, such events are not suitable for submission as event caches because the organizers and the primary attendees are not geocachers. In addition, an event cache should not be set up for the sole purpose of drawing together cachers for an organized hunt of another cache or caches. Such group hunts are best organized using the forums or an email distribution list.

For geocaching events that involve several components, such as a full weekend event that includes a geocoin trading session, a seminar and a potluck dinner, multiple event listings may be submitted if they each stand on their own merits as events meeting the listing guidelines.

Event caches should be submitted no less than two weeks prior to the date of the event, so that potential attendees will have sufficient notice to make their plans. Events are generally published no more than three months prior to the date of the event, to avoid having the listing appear for a prolonged period of time on the nearest caches page and in the weekly email notification of new caches. Exceptions are sometimes made for events that are designed to attract a regional, national or international group of geocachers, or if an overnight stay is expected as part of the event, requiring advance reservations and travel planning (for example, a campout). Contact your reviewer if you wish to set up such an event, which may be published up to six months prior to the event date. Groundspeak can promote Geocaching through events that may be an exception to the guidelines, if we deem that is necessary to further the game.

After the event has passed, the event cache should be archived by the organizer within four weeks.

For and by geocachers is really important — whether I agree or not. Here are a few helpful (or not) hints from me:

Getting together a bunch of geocachers to go to a Packers game would be fun, but unless you’ve rented the whole stadium for geocachers, it won’t fly. BUT, you can have a gathering for coffee and doughnuts in the parking lot with your fellow cachers. If folks decide to attend the game en masse follow the event — great!

Events in which we all gather at the park and go hunt all the geocaches in town does not fly. Having a picnic (with or without temps) is fine. If, in the course of said event, some folks decide to go look for the permanent caches around — that’s cool.

The local hardware store got in a supply of GPS units and wants to sell some, so they set up an event to show off the new bells and whistles GPSrs — not gonna fly.

You rent the hall, decorate it really nice, buy a fancy catered dinner for all your geocaching friends and tell them it will cost them $50 a piece to attend — nope. Be reasonable about your expenses — it’s okay to ask for help to cover expenses, not pay for the event for you.

Note on the cache page that donations will be taken and given to the poor disabled kitties who fought in Vietnam — uh uh! Keep in mind that some folks might be cat haters and take offense to an event help for non-canines.

Leave out a tip jar at the event — that works. It’s subtle, and works amazingly well. You usually can cover some of your expenses, give servers a really nice tip, and maybe even make a donation on behalf of goecachers (but not to those darn cats — they really should suck it up and get jobs).

Zippy’s Pizza is awesome and is open to 350 geocachers coming for the night! Just be sure it’s okay to attend the event without having to purchase anything.

There may be more examples — I’m suddenly very tired….

[bnb]

@greyhounder wrote:

Keep in mind that some folks might be cat haters and take offense to an event help for non-canines.

….(but not to those darn cats — they really should suck it up and get jobs)

Are you sure you aren’t really Cathunter? We haven’t heard from him in a long time and I don’t believe I’ve ever seen the two of you in the same place. 🙂

[-cheeto-]

There was an event recently where someone led a group of cachers on bikes and the point was to hunt a specific long multi cache.

I am curious. How did that “fly”?

[greyhounder]

I do recall that cache, and when published, the page did not mention that a particular cache or caches would be done at that time. Suggesting that there are caches along the route is not the same. Outwardly saying, “we will be finding geocaches” is not allowed.

I know, it’s subtle — isn’t it?

[-cheeto-]

Interesting and yes, very subtle.

[Team Black-Cat]

@greyhounder wrote:

even make a donation on behalf of goecachers (but not to those darn cats — they really should suck it up and get jobs).

😥

[greyhounder]

@Team Black-Cat wrote:

@greyhounder wrote:

even make a donation on behalf of goecachers (but not to those darn cats — they really should suck it up and get jobs).

😥

Well, black cats do hold a special place in my heart!

[greyhounder]

Cats like this though…..

They’re just slackers in my book
(that’s my boy Sid!)

[PCFrog]

@greyhounder wrote:

Outwardly saying, “we will be finding geocaches” is not allowed.

I know, it’s subtle — isn’t it?

😯
I can’t believe that geocachers can’t have an event to find geocaches.

*where is the yellow face emot with scratching head

So we can have an event to talk about it but not do it?

I must be having a senior moment since I can’t make heads or tails of that concept.

[PCFrog]

[nohandsgps]

@PCFrog wrote:

@greyhounder wrote:

Outwardly saying, “we will be finding geocaches” is not allowed.

I know, it’s subtle — isn’t it?

What about events that are based on a competition to find the most caches? Are those different?

[gotta run]

@PCFrog wrote:

It says right there you will be caching…. How is this any different?

So what prevent others from having an event to enjoy each other’s camaraderie and looking for caches?

My understanding, which can be confirmed, is that the event cannot be proposed around the primary goal finding existing caches.

So, you can have a:
Party
Gathering
Get-together
Pow-Wow
Meeting

where you enjoy each other’s company, and that satisfies the requirements.

And oh by the way, after the meeting we will also be hunting all the caches in the park we are meeting at. 😉

On the Left Side of the Road...

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