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@LDove wrote:
@Bushwhacking Queen wrote:
@LDove wrote:
One last thing, the winner of the $250 price this year was KM Snoop’s daughter. KM is not on our committee. He was Geocaching with the family of someone who is on our committee however.
Really? Hm, looked like an Ecorangers went up for the photo.
Yeah they were caching together as a team. Ecorangers did not win anything.
Again as I said its “appearance.”
Barb & Mike have two boys, you said it was his daughter who won….
@LDove wrote:
I don’t have the time to address everything today, but just so you know the volunteers on the committee go to monthly meetings. In addition, We pay for and by all our own cache containers, camo tape, and even some of the swag. The hiders then have to scope out their locations with their own gas, like Goldie driving numerous times from Menomonee Falls all the way to the northern part of West Bend. People like me also taking a half hour off work to get to these meetings too. Our compensation? One Geocoin. We do this out of love for our community and fellow cachers and some notoriety for placing a really great cache that people enjoy talking about it we enjoy hearing about. I have never entered my ticket in, but I’m also registered as an attendee at this event andI believe personally that if a committee member would win, it’s only fair payback for all the time, effort and expense they have put into placing their caches in the past year for all to enjoy.
I truly appreciate all the feedback, and really want to clarify misconceptions about things as they are brought up. Please continue to give me your feedback and comments so that I can take them to the chamber for our planning sessions for next year. 🙂
Thank you for clarifying the misconception of what volunteers receive beyond the post-dinner celebration. I’m not saying that they shouldn’t receive something for their efforts and time. Being a volunteer I believe the mileage and expenses can be tracked and filed on the Schedule A for a donation (but I might be wrong — I don’t do taxes) as its an unreimbursed expense, however, I might be wrong.
I am thankful for all the hiders, and if I could be part of the committee I would surely consider being on it; however, we know that is not possible.
I am very thankful for the hiders and for them taking their time and expense to hide for the cache bash. My point was clearly one of appearance to outsiders. They are spending a lot of money to travel, spend money within the community, etc. and the last message we would want to send it one of bias or favortism. As I posted in my experience of other volunteer efforts on my part, it doesn’t matter if it is totally on the up-and-up, it’s the appearance that others have will be the message that leaves with them.
@LDove wrote:
One last thing, the winner of the $250 price this year was KM Snoop’s daughter. KM is not on our committee. He was Geocaching with the family of someone who is on our committee however.
Really? Hm, looked like an Ecorangers went up for the photo.
I should also add that the people on the committee are all volunteers too. The entire board is comprised of volunteers (excpet for the liaison and the CE). We had to get special permission from the President for even employees to participate in the raffle. Afterwards I understood why they prefer not but allowed…
I was happy for him too. He is a very nice guy, however, just saying — appearance.
Last year at an event (non-geocaching event) we had a person win 5 prize baskets and because it was someone on the committee, even though the person wasn’t pulling the tickets or even holding their own tickets, well lets just say people were a bit unhappy. It didn’t matter that the person had put in $20 of their own money, the appearance was that it wasn’t on the up-and-up even though it was very much so!
Hopefully those people will return to the annual event, but we’ve made changes in the raffle process and those on the committee can donate money but suggested that they not participate in the raffle prizes.
Just working off my experience to make things better….
As with all the years, I believe the cache bash catered to all types of cachers, quality hide hunters, to number runners, to newbies. The hides were great this year and I liked the them confined to areas rather than random placements.
Being the West Bend Cache Bash I continue to be surprised at caches hidden all the way in Germantown and up in Theresa. The hides were good, but from the persepctive as to the purpose of the event I think those are too far away. A 5-6 mile radius from the central location would be a better concentrated area, keeping the cachers in the community to “reward” the merchants, tax payers, etc. I know the hiders live in those areas and I apprecaite their willingness to hide, but from a West Bend resident and the WB Chamber is putting this on, well, I think you can understand my point of view.
A problem that I did have is the lack of support for events outside of a specific cacher’s events. Providing options when there are over 1,000 people in the area would help all around. It would help sparse the attendees better, allowing for restaurants to have time to cook food and provide better service to visitors. Every year the Saturday post bash event gets complaints for the location “not being prepared for many people”, “poor service, had to wait”, “no place to sit”, etc. You can read the logs of past years. This year by providing an alternative event it appears that those issues were minimal. The logs I have read have had less complaints — that is a good thing, right? Not everyone wants to go to a bar and every year the events that the cache bash supports with exception to the phoon-a-thon and the pancake breakfasts have been at bars.
Another issue was that I, as well as many others, watched a hider go inside the pavilion with the volunteers, cut in line in front of waiting out of state geocacher to sign herself and many of her group of cachers in, get their bags, logbooks, etc. I think that is an abuse of her “position”, was inconsiderate, and was completely rude. Really — cut in front of waiting out of state cachers — is that the kind of reputation we (West Bend) want to be know for?
Furthermore, the Cache Bash Committee member (Jackie I believe) who yelled at geocachers visting our city telling them that they weren’t allowed to move picnic tables at Regner so they can sit down at my barbeque…really? Her snotty comments talking derogatory about me and my guests to members was unappreciated and left a bad taste in people’s mouths. They cannot take money in one hand and slap them with the other. I am a tax payer in West Bend yet that was apparently lost. The park is open to everyone, all tax payers, visitors, etc. Given all the grief from Craig about my event and Jackie’s snotty comments, I made sure to have a public safety officer survey the area where we were to ensure that we cleaned up, left nothing out of place, returned picnic tables, etc. I wanted to have it documented because though we are responsible and respectful geocachers/people, I wanted to make sure that the Chamber of Commerce / Park and Recrecation department couldn’t come back and say we didn’t return tables, we left a meses, etc. 🙁
Finally, and I understand that the people who are on the committee are primarily volunteers, but the volunteers and their families should not be elligible for prizes.
I understand that everyone has a fair shot, however, its the appearance that is important. It looks a bit suspicous, and it is in bad taste, when like last year a hider/family won a GPSr, then this year that same hider won the $250 CASH prize and a different hider won a GPSr this year. They are recognized on the stage, and I suspect that they are given something at their round up meeting for appreciation of their volunteerism (though I may be wrong), but it looks suspicious when they win “big” prizes.
I have a family member who works for a company, and despite her living across the country I’m inelgibile for any sweepstakes/prizes her company offers; likewise, if a person works at McDonalds their family members are not eligible to play Monopoly.
Anyway, you asked for feedback and here it is. I want the bash to be successful; want to take issues/problems and turn them into opportunities for positive results through change; and to maintain a positive, caring, friendly reputation for the City of West Bend.
B.Q.
A bridge may be off limits, however, many caches have been hidden on guardrails that are attached to bridges just off the edge of the bridge, say 25 ft. Depending on the county in which you live you may have a carte blanche to hide anywhere you want.
@GrannyGoesAlong wrote:
WOW… 5000! Congratulations to Mr G. and Sunshine… one of the masters of cache hides too!
Too bad our forums don’t have a “Like” button as I can easily ditto your remarks GrannyGoesAlong.
Congratulations on your most recent milestone! 🙂
Congratulations, August, on your milestone! 😀 I like the significance of the milestone too. I’ve been enjoying the photos on FB, it looks like a great vacation/celebration. I hope you had an opportunity to grab all those caches along the drive to the Original Stash. One of my favorite caches was along that road. 8)
Congrats!Congratulations Mary & Jeff on your milestone! 😀 Always nice when a quality hide(event) is a milestone and one for the memory. 🙂 Who would have thought mayhem is so fun?! 😯 The rain, mudd, and muck just added to the Mayhem and, as Hack 1 of 2 said, adds to the memories of the day. Congratulations!! 8)
Congratulations BBG! 🙂
Congrats on your milestone! 🙂
Congrats on your milestone!
Thanks everyone. Its been a fun hobby to which I’m glad I share it with so many fun, kind, and outgoing people.
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