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Scrappy Scout 14 years, 9 months ago.
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One of the major duties for board members is planning and executing events. As candidates, what experience do you have planning events (geocaching or not)? Please include a rough estimate of the size of any events that you cite.
Planning Geocaching Events, Experience: None
Planning Events: A good deal!
As the former athletic director for Washington Island School District, I was responsible for all aspects of home and away contests. These duties include but are not limited to: Scheduling teams, game contracts, tournaments, clinics, obtaining officials and getting contracts from these people. Scheduling buses, overnight accommodations and scheduling these for almost “all” off Island contests, transportation, food, local advertisement, budget, workers, venue preparation and more. Size, small facilities so usually less then 75 fans and participants.
Other experiences: Island clean-up day (our local Trash Out day), training director for the Rescue Squads which involves monthly training, and numerous other local yet smaller scale events.
To assure readers I know what’s involved even though I may lack personal experience with the “big” event, I live with and am married to the Business Manager of Sievers Fiber Art School. A women who is responsible for scheduling 100’s of students, dozens of classes, preparation of the brochure, consignment, the Bi-Annual Gathering, etc.
I typically hold one geocaching event a year in SE Wisconsin. The event has grown through the years. It started with about 20 people, but now around 50 attend. I enlist the help of many Geo-friends to pull the event off each year.
Outside of geocaching, my years in banking as a branch manager, were filled with event planning. Either within the bank for employees, size ranging from 10 to 150 people, or outside the bank for clients with attendances from 20 to 200 people. These events were usually catered, but the rest was up to me and my staff. I know how much work event planning can be, but it the end, it all seems worth it.
Thank you for your question Dave.
I have yet to host a geocaching event but have been thinking about it for 3 years now. I did assist a local cacher on a flash mob event 18 months ago.
Event planning can be a very complicated process. I have worked for the past 22 years for a couple of different not-for-profit social service agencies. As you may be aware, part of what you do at not-for-profits is to put on events for one of two purposes, friend raising and fund raising. I have vast experience with both aspects participating in 3 to 4 events per year doing everything from volunteer to planning. Most events draw attendance from 150 to over 1000 individuals but I have also planned smaller events for around 30 or so.
Proper planning and good help is essential to pull of any event with few hitches. All of the geocaching events I have attended have been well run by great people and I intend to assist as capable should I be fortunate to be elected to the Board of Directors.
Thank you for the question.
I have experience planning events ranging from Eagle Scout Ceremonies, Scouting Camp-o-rees, Court of Honors, and geocaching activities for scouts at various camp-outs. Over the past several years I have been in charge of the geocaching activity at both the fall and spring camp-o-rees for the Lakeshore District in the Sheboygan area.
I have been involved in the planning process for several WGA events over the past 4 years.
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We have not yet had our own event, but have worked on the staff of MWGB for the last 3 years. Have seen the inner workings of a Mega event and have worked in different aspects at the event each year.
For non geocaching related each year on Memorial Day Weekend Fire Department holds its annual Corn Roast, this event takes about a month of planning, and We pull it off each year with the members, wives, and community volunteers. Our corn roast is our only fundraiser of the year, and we raise an average of $15,000 in a single day.
As far as geocaching events go, I have hosted two here in Wisconsin. One was intended to be a small affair, the other a Lonely Cache Game event. While living in AZ I helped plan the largest event in that state back to back years as a member of the SouthWest Arizona Geocachers (SWAG).
In other worlds, being a high school and club soccer coach, I’ve been responsible for banquets, tournaments, and entire season schedules for 40+ players at any given time over the course of 7 years.
A very good question so that the other candidates realize the amount of event planning and implementation the Board does. From small groups to large groups, from educational sessions to outdoors, I have been involved in event planning for 30 years.
My earliest experiences in planning were in High School when I served on the Girl Scouts of Milwaukee Area’s Senior Planning Board. We were responsible for planning the council level events for the middle school and high school aged girls. The events included Lock In’s (all night gym, pool, activities) that served 250 girls and adults, weekend camping events for 100-150 girls and adults, to educational indoor sessions serving 40 girls and adults. I also was employed 3 summers at a Girl Scout camp, Northern Hills then located in Sugar Camp (between Rhinelander and Eagle River) where we served older girls and families. The focus was on day and multi day canoe trips on the Wisconsin River that as the waterfront staff we planned and implemented.
I recently completed a 6 year term on the American Red Cross in SouthEastern Wisconsin’s Health & Safety Instructional Support Committee where among our duties was planning and conducting an Annual meeting for between 50-100 Instructor Trainers. Each year we came up with a different topic that we researched and presented from FISH, Red Cross Jeopardy, Hans & Frans will Pump U Up (CPR theme) to What Is Your Presentation Style.
This year marks my 20th year as a full time Recreation Supervisor for the City of Greenfield Dept of Parks & Recreation, 26th year overall. My position involves planning, organizing and conducting programs, using facilities between 2 school districts and cooperative programs with Greendale Park and Recreation. I am responsible for the Aquatics, Playgrounds, Dance, Enrichment, Arts and Safety programs. From reserving facilities, working with school district staff, hiring and training staff, developing a program, writing 30+ pages of our seasonal program guide .. I pretty much do what it takes to make programs happen. It includes planning and implementing the yearly dance recital with 300-400 participants with 18 different instructors. Each year we host the NETA Fitness Instructor Training. Planning and implementing programs and events is what I do on a daily basis.
Geocaching specifically, I have planned and hosted the Waukesha Winter JanBoree event for the past 6 years in cooperation with the City of Waukesha Parks, Recreation and Forestry Dept. You can join us this Saturday, Jan. 22 for the 7th! I think the biggest thing I have learned from JanBoree is that geocachers will come even in blizzards and on the coldest day of the year. We have realized from between 100-200 participants yearly. I have planned and hosted the Greenfield All A Glow Night Geocaching event for 5 years. One year, we realized 240 participants even though we had a complete downpour with flooding. I have planned and conducted 4 CITO events for the City of Waukesha. Additionally, I have taught numerous Geo 101 classes and presentations.
As the WGA Treasurer the past 2 years, I have been involved one way or another with just about every event WGA held or sponsored. If you bought a t-shirt or sweatshirt this past year, I personally placed the order and had it ready for you. You would have seen me at the events helping with registration, selling things or if I was not there, I paid the bills!
From my event planning experiences I have learned that you definitely need to have 1 person who is the overall leader with individuals each taking responsibility for different parts. The more hands, the lighter the work!
Sorry this question slipped past me. Some of my experiences of planning events are: this past summer I help plan a geo 101 class at Ottawa State Park. I am also planning to do 2-3 more geo 101 event there this coming summer. I have also planned Camping trips, Advancement ceremonies, and merit badge classes for the Boy Scouts of America. Those are just some of the event that I have planned in the past and will be planning in the future.
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