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First off thanks to all who have answered my questions, I must admit that some of the answers surprised me and some disappointed me. However I think they have provided at least for me a better insight to those who want the responsiblity to represent us (even if some member dont agree)
So here you go:
1) Give me one reason to that I should vote for you?
2) You have 1 vote and can not vote for yourself, who is your one vote cast for and why?
3) Please note this one is Dean’s opinion and may or may not represent the other half of my caching team. I have become very disgruntled and really feel the WGA has not lived up to its expectations (please note I dont lay this in the lap of one individual). What can you do to bring the disgrunted members back to the WGA?
Thanks
And best of luck to all of you who are running1) Give me one reason to that I should vote for you?
2) You have 1 vote and can not vote for yourself, who is your one vote cast for and why?
3) Please note this one is Dean’s opinion and may or may not represent the other half of my caching team. I have become very disgruntled and really feel the WGA has not lived up to its expectations (please note I dont lay this in the lap of one individual). What can you do to bring the disgrunted members back to the WGA?
Interesting questions.
1. I think you should vote for whoever you think will put in the time to make a positive impact on the organization. To be effective, a board member has to be willing to spend some time on issues, listen to other people and research potential options. If you think someone is not gonna show up and do their part, than I would advise you not to vote for them. If you think that they will give 100% of what they can do helping the WGA move forward, you should vote for them.
2. By the above criteria, the first vote should be for David Secondino, Team Deejay. He did a lot of work this past year developing the Lonely Cache Game, which is both a fun game and one of the major things the WGA did this past year to improve the quality of geocaching in Wisconsin.
3. By listening and responding. Not everyone is gonna be happy 100% of the time, but we should be responsive to what the membership wants. If you, or anyone, is feeling disgruntled then I would hope you would communicate that fact in a forum that can be addressed, so that whatever issue is there can be addressed, rather than allow whatever is bugging you to continue bugging you. So send me a PM about what is making you feel disgruntled and we can go from there.
zuma
1) Give me one reason to that I should vote for you?
Because more WGA sponsored events in every corner of the state are a good thing.
2) You have 1 vote and can not vote for yourself, who is your one vote cast for and why?
Dave Secondino/ Deejay/ Wis Kid is the hands down choice. Between reviewing and the Lonely Cache Game he has had one of the most visibly positive effects on geocaching in Wisconsin.
3) Please note this one is Dean’s opinion and may or may not represent the other half of my caching team. I have become very disgruntled and really feel the WGA has not lived up to its expectations (please note I dont lay this in the lap of one individual). What can you do to bring the disgrunted members back to the WGA?
Number one we would have to identify what led to this poor opinion. Some things will be within our power to change, and for some people we could change everything about the WGA and it wouldn’t suffice (not Dean’s view I’m sure). I’ve said it before, Wisconsin has one of the healthiest organizations in the country. We’ll continue to improve as long as our membership remains as involved as it is.
Wow, this set of questions is kind of surprising, especially the third one.
1. I’ve never been very good at self-promoting, so I’ll just say that my goal is to make geocaching in Wisconsin as good as it can be, and I’m willing to put in the time to make that happen.
2. I think I would vote for Ralph Edwards/Zuma if I only had one vote. He has made significant contributions during his past tenure on the board and has demonstrated competence, temperance, and diplomacy in his posts to the forum.
3. This was the surprising part. I’m not sure there is a huge movement away from the WGA. If you are referring to the logo “discussion”, I think I spoke with all the disgruntled parties and no one seemed to be what I would call disgruntled. People can disagree with a board decision without being ready to jump ship. What I did find was a lot of people who are emotionally invested in the game and deeply care about what happens with the WGA. If that is disgruntled, we can use a bunch more of them.
On the other hand, I do know several people who have grown tired of geocaching. These folks don’t like the way the game has evolved (micros, puzzles, guardrail/lamppost hides, flash mob events, number runs, etc.) and choose to do something else with their leisure time. I think all we can do here is try to place good caches and events for people to find. Maybe they will come back, maybe not, but at least we reduce the number of people who follow the same path.
I am another who found this to be a somewhat surprising set of questions, but here goes.
1) Give me one reason to that I should vote for you?
I have a great deal of passion for the possibilities this sport offers; cross generational connections, enjoyment of the outdoors and protecting the resources we all enjoy. It’s been my experience that no matter the cause, a person’s passion will infect others around them to take on that same passion.
2) You have 1 vote and can not vote for yourself, who is your one vote cast for and why?
Tough one here, each person brings something unique to the table and has much to offer. That said, I guess I’ll run with the crowd so far and say Dave has my vote. He’s already shown his commitment to ensuring great geocaching experiences in the state with his services as a volunteer reviewer and his huge part in setting up the Lonely Cache Game. When I’ve had to contact him for anything, he’s been quick to get back to me and address my concerns.
3) Please note this one is Dean’s opinion and may or may not represent the other half of my caching team. I have become very disgruntled and really feel the WGA has not lived up to its expectations (please note I dont lay this in the lap of one individual). What can you do to bring the disgrunted members back to the WGA?
I guess in this case, I’m going to turn the question on its end. What has the WGA done to leave folks feeling disgruntled? If we know, we can discuss what might be done to bring those folks back. Looking at the organization’s stated expectations:
Article II: Purposes
The purposes of the WGA are to:Work as closely as possible with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and other property management officials to protect the rights of individuals to geocache in the state of Wisconsin.
Provide an opportunity for geocachers in the State of Wisconsin to gather and socialize with one another.
Promote the “Cache In Trash Out” and “Leave No Trace” programs to help in the maintenance of parks and trail systems.
Educate Wisconsin geocachers about the responsible use of natural resources and educate non-geocachers about the sport of geocaching...it would seem that the WGA has met these expectations to the best of their ability. I can think of two issues this past year that generated a lot of “heat:” the logging of temps at WGA events and the logo redesign. There was ample opportunity for discussion on these boards, and some did occur, but as often happens once things are put to a vote, the discussion heats up after things have been decided. I don’t know if either of these issues have anything to do with the disgruntlement, and judging by zuma’s response as a sitting member on the Board, he doesn’t, either.
The Board sends out the newsletters. We get email notifications. These forums offer a venue for conversation. Beyond that, I might suggest that an open forum be offered to air concerns publically in person at the sponsored events. I’m sure if there are folks who have serious concerns, they would forgo the caching part of the day to have that chance.
I guess the bottom line here is….communication. I’m pretty approachable and would welcome dialogue so that everyone feels they are heard. It’s hard for me to say what could be done beyond what’s already common practice and my own humble suggestions. I hope this is helpful to you and anyone else, and would suggest this might be a place to create a topic to open such communications.
Thanks for keeping us on our toes with all your questions, Dean. It’s a great way for folks to learn more about us and form their voting decisions wisely.
BTW, I actually *do* know how to spell “publicly.” Ack!
1) Give me one reason to that I should vote for you?
I’m a fresh face with new ideas and tons of energy to go the distance with the issues placed before the board.
2) You have 1 vote and can not vote for yourself, who is your one vote cast for and why?
I’d have to say, hands down, my vote would go to Renee aka AuntieNae. She has a foot inside the cacher side and the other foot inside the parks, land management side. Renee brings experience that others do not have. She “keeps it real”!
3) What can you do to bring the disgruntled members back to the WGA?
Listen! Find out what has them disgruntled. Look at the issue from all sides and help them to see the other sides too. Usually people are disgruntled due to miscommunication and misunderstanding or the feeling of being powerless or disconnected. I’m a good listener and problem solver as well as persistent.
1) Give me one reason to that I should vote for you?
The passion for the sport drives me. The experiences I have had and the activities I have tried because of the sport deserve to be shared. By being on the BOD, I could have the resources to share these experiences through introductory sessions that could be arranged with the backing of the WGA2) You have 1 vote and can not vote for yourself, who is your one vote cast for and why?
David Secondino would get the vote. While there seems to be no bad choice (which is great for the membership), Dave has done so much for Geocaching in the state with his work as a reviewer and all the effort put into the LCG. His insight with Groundspeak can only be a good thing.3) Please note this one is Dean’s opinion and may or may not represent the other half of my caching team. I have become very disgruntled and really feel the WGA has not lived up to its expectations (please note I don’t lay this in the lap of one individual). What can you do to bring the disgruntled members back to the WGA?
While there will always be some dissatisfaction within a large group, the willingness to listen to what is causing dissension and the effort to come to some resolution would be the mark of a successful organization. The important thing is that the issues come out in the open instead of festering in the background. You can only attempt to fix what you know is a problem. With the combined efforts of the BOD, we will do what we can to resolve the issues before us.(What can I do…. it really is a team effort)
Disclaimer : Always answering to a higher power.
1) I would ask for your vote because I would like to see the WGA move forward beyond where it is today. I would like to see more members get involved and sometimes, it just takes getting things organized and then asking!
2) I would ask you to vote for Bunny FuFu. I feel DaFu just got started on the Board and has much more to share.
3) I would like to see WGA remain a statewide organization. As for disgruntled members or former members, I think we need to listen to what their concerns are to find out what it would take to bring them back. I realize it is not always possible to please everyone but perhaps there is common ground that could be found.
1) Give me one reason to that I should vote for you?
I am currently on the BOD and have a good hand on the ins & outs of the Association.
2) You have 1 vote and can not vote for yourself, who is your one vote cast for and why?
That’s a toughie, but…I would vote for Gwyn. Having input from someone from a distance…mile wise and length of caching wise. It helps us to think outside our box.
3) Please note this one is Dean’s opinion and may or may not represent the other half of my caching team. I have become very disgruntled and really feel the WGA has not lived up to its expectations (please note I dont lay this in the lap of one individual). What can you do to bring the disgrunted members back to the WGA?
Hearing what bthey ahve to say, not just listening and nodding. Also, putting myself into action on the problem. I make sure I hear all sidwes of the story, gather my info, present to whom I need to and try to get answers.
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