Guidelines Changes RE: Cemetery Caches

[-cheeto-]

Pretty much every time there is an update in the “Geocaching Down” thread on our forum we can probably expect updates from Groundspeak.

They did in fact update the website yesterday with August updates. In addition we gained a change to the guidelines you may be interested in reading if you place or own cemetery caches.

This link will point to a Groundspeak forum thread that has a link to the release notes as well as the start of a discussion on the change.
http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=217313&st=200&p=4043892&#entry4043892

It sounds pretty clear that cemetery caches are not necessarily “banned” but now a reviewer does have the ability to site this guideline if they disagree with your cemetery cache placement as reason for turning down a new cemetery cache.

Just making folks aware. (Not stating an opinion)

[greyhounder]

It really doesn’t change much. If a reviewer notes that a cache is too close to a grave or marker, they will be asked to move it. It’s pretty much what most Wisconsin geocachers have been doing already.

Bec

[Joey_Skywalker]

I don’t understand why cemetery caches are getting picked on. You just have to be respectful and there are no problems. I’d rather see a rule restricting the countless boring micros and nanos out there.

[marc_54140]

Go to the GC forums, and look for the thread about the South Carolina legislature becoming involved in this issue, and threatening to pass legislation banning caching in cemeteries.

Then come back here ………

[-cheeto-]

Since marc did not post a link to what he is referring to we can only guess at which of the hundreds of cemetery cache threads he is referring to on the GC.com forums.

I found one more recent post relevant to South Carolina and the law that would ban geocaching in cemeteries there:

http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?s=&showtopic=229201&view=findpost&p=4036335

This was posted prior to the recent guidelines change.

[sandlanders]

Didn’t check into the links here, but just had the following come up and thought I’d mention it here.

We just got back from visiting friends and family in central Illinois, and we found that there was a new cache in the cemetery where my in-laws are buried. That doesn’t bother us, and the hide was in a tree away from the stones, but the wording on the cache page showed, in our opinion, little thought or respect for a cache placed in a cemetery: “Easy park and grab. We decided to scatter some caches in the area and see if they will stick around. The cache is in a local cemetary so please be respectful and visit during daylight hours. It is a micro so bring your own writing stick and remember to write small.”

The first two sentences really grated. And so much more could have been said about this place, but the cache owners chose not to. The same cache owners did mention a bit about the cemetery that my husband’s grandparents are buried in (another quick cache), and nothing about “easy P&G”, etc., but there were like TEN petrified trees in that one, and lots of memorial areas.

As long as cachers view cemeteries only as playgrounds for a game, placements in them will be in jeopardy.

[zuma]

@sandlanders wrote:

Didn’t check into the links here, but just had the following come up and thought I’d mention it here.

We just got back from visiting friends and family in central Illinois, and we found that there was a new cache in the cemetery where my in-laws are buried. That doesn’t bother us, and the hide was in a tree away from the stones, but the wording on the cache page showed, in our opinion, little thought or respect for a cache placed in a cemetery: “Easy park and grab. We decided to scatter some caches in the area and see if they will stick around. The cache is in a local cemetary so please be respectful and visit during daylight hours. It is a micro so bring your own writing stick and remember to write small.”

The first two sentences really grated. And so much more could have been said about this place, but the cache owners chose not to. The same cache owners did mention a bit about the cemetery that my husband’s grandparents are buried in (another quick cache), and nothing about “easy P&G”, etc., but there were like TEN petrified trees in that one, and lots of memorial areas.

As long as cachers view cemeteries only as playgrounds for a game, placements in them will be in jeopardy.

Yep, some people just dont get it.

z

[Joey_Skywalker]

@sandlanders wrote:

As long as cachers view cemeteries only as playgrounds for a game, placements in them will be in jeopardy.

You are correct. If these caches are banned this will be why. On my cemetery cache pages I stress that respect is needed.

[gotta run]

On the Left Side of the Road...

[sandlanders]

[LDove]

Just to add a different view on the park and grab statement. Perhaps the way it was worded as an easy park and grab was to PREVENT people from roaming around stepping on graves, etc… Probably a better idea than hiding something where people inevitably will tear stuff up to find it, which as we all know happens in more difficult hides.

[djwini]

i have been to some cemetery caches where the container was hidden way too near a stone. the reviewer really has no way to know that when approving a cache.
i appreciate the hider using the WSQ designation, because then i know ahead of time that it is a cemetery.
generally i don’t do wsq’s just because i don’t think it is right to be playing a game there.

[Author]

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