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@smashing ground wrote:

doing a encrypted pdf file gives you tons of options on mystery caches,”its nice not having all your answers numbers”
here is one of my favorites GC1WCBC

and rcflyer2242 and I will be putting out more (here is one he put out for the kiddies GC2285Z.and a funny one if you could figure it out GC22N9W.
options are good 🙂

I noticed these types not too long ago and it’s an interesting twist on the puzzle cache solve “method”. What I also liked in your examples was that your using Google Docs to store these PDF files. Gotta love Google docs. Thanks for the great ideas and sharing them here!

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Will check the personal calendar tonight. Sounds like fun.

Any worries that the upcoming daytime highs will be hovering around 32 and sunny that it might cause ice issues? Reading the logs back we see issues with Ice during all winter months so I guess it’s to be expected in the marsh there. Since you’ve visited on more than one occasion Jim you would probably be able to give a prediction? 😉

I’m no stranger to breaking through the ice in the winter while caching… or fishing. I prefer not to swim in the winter but a wet leg or foot is no big deal.

Extended 10 day on TWC calls for No Snow and a high around 30 on Saturday. Good weather for caching as you’ll stay pretty warm on that hike by the sounds of it.

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A proposed goal or “mission statement” of a newly formed volunteer committee might be: To monitor requests for local volunteers and solicit other WGA members to help/volunteer in their part of the state to assist with requests for WGA member assistance at the local level.

This is of course just a draft and would require input from many to exactly identify the proposed resulting committee.

In addition to watching a proposed general “I need help organizing…” message board area, the volunteering member of the committee could watch their local regional area’s forum as well because calls for help come in there as well.

Also, if there was an “official” committee, general members would know who to contact if they are asked for help (like forwarding to the “level 2 support” if you’ve ever called for technical support on anything) or need help with something they would like to organize, present, teach or whatever.

The picnic and camp-out (and other official WGA events) could still be managed by event-specific committee’s and would not necessarily be something the volunteer committee would be concerned with. Certainly anyone would be welcome to volunteer for either or both committees! 😀

I wanted to post this just to propose how this new committee ‘could’ interact with the other committees and to continue to help foster the idea a little more. It’s definitely an idea worth discussing both on the open WGA forums as well as at the next BOD meeting (hoping I can be a part of both!)

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Indeed a great idea. It would work very well with the idea I posted in your outreach thread.

Re-posting here for reference:
We could organize a forum thread specifically for those seeking help with local community events/projects/working with land managers etc to come for getting help.

Your proposed volunteer committee could be ‘responsible’ for monitoring this “call for help” message board and bridging the gap between those in need and those that may be able to help.

It would be worth exploring this further to see if there is interest in forming a volunteer committee.

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@Mister Greenthumb wrote:

It took me 2 tries. My two grandsons (8 and 10) are part monkey so they knew to look in the tree right away and got it on one try. Why does it take so much longer in the woods?

Sure, log a spoiler log right away 😉

Couldn’t you have encrypted your log?? 😀

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@gotta run wrote:

what they feel the role of the WGA should be outside the association’s own events and interal proceedings. Does the candidate believe the WGA should be more active than it currently is and, if so, I would like to hear the candidate’s thoughts on how that might be accomplished.

@Team Black-Cat wrote:

All the tools needed to make this happen are already in place.

Brian – while I agree all of the tools needed are already available, I think the tools could be improved upon. We could organize a forum thread specifically for those seeking help with local community events/projects/working with land managers etc to come for getting help. There are local regional areas which do (sort of) serve this purpose today but I think a more organized method of requesting for volunteers or assistance publicly might help.

Michael – Now turning to whether the WGA as a group should be more active than it already is in non-group events.

The WGA is a pretty active group of people as other candidates have touched on. There are many members doing many great things across the state. I don’t think anyone will argue that more community involvement is a “bad thing” but I would like to recognize that we are pretty involved as a group already.

I think that we all should continue to do the great things we do and everyone should attempt to volunteer when and if they can to help out fellow WGA members.

@K0rpl wrote:

This past year Marc_54140, and myself setup a WGA Booth at Buboltz during there Halloween Event. Of the aproximately 300 folks that came through, about 60% had heard of Geocaching, and of those about 45% had heard of the WGA Events like this help to get others interested, and directs them to our site.

This is amazing Justin. This is the type of thing our members (not just board members) do a great job of and should continue to keep doing!

Thanks gotta run for the follow-up (clarified) question.

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It’s always in the last place I look!

Love the sarcasm in her voice on some of them.

This is pretty cool. Thanks for sharing benny.

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There’s nothing better than a rock pile cache!

Let the flipping begin!

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@gotta run wrote:

@CodeJunkie wrote:

@gotta run wrote:

Be prepared for some up-the-hill-down-the-hill cardio!

Didn’t I also see a log that mentioned a couple of thorns near one of the caches? 😆 😆 😆

By the looks of my jacket, there are a lot fewer now than before I went out there 😯

It’s about time you broke in that jacket. 😈

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This nature preserve is a “diamond in the rough” for the Appleton area. My visit was extremely peaceful — and the temps hovered around 0 – 5 degrees. I can’t wait to visit in all of the seasons and hike all the trails there.

My congrats as well to seldom|seen for being persistent and educating the new Apple Creek YMCA on geocaching. I think everyone involved was pleasantly surprised when things went from doom and gloom to the idea being approved by the Y management. A big win for geocaching in the Appleton area and beyond.

The series really came together in the end. All of the puzzles are very “doable” and the geocaching reward here is ammo cans (okay maybe not all) and hikes in the woods, not Appleton city magnetic micros (or nanos). For some the reward will be what you learn when reading about the naturalists featured in this series. I was initially skeptical about a geocaching series like this but the more I researched the people and their accomplishments the more I enjoyed it.

A job well done to everyone that participated in this series and I hope everyone get’s a chance to visit the preserve even if you’re not a big fan of puzzle caches.

😀 😀 😀

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can you dance, as well?

Nope, I am a very poor dancer. It’s a good thing we don’t hold a formal WGA dance event….

As for my poor Phoon attempt, I tried my best. 😉

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@Buy_The_Tie wrote:

Thanks for digging up that old post of mine. I was on a real tear that night. 😉

The original post.

You read my mind Brian, I was just about to post the link to it!

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@marc_54140 wrote:

OK, that picture is worth a thousand words! 8)

To Phoon or not to Phoon, that is the question!

To best explain this picture, please visit this cache: GC1CA3V – Having Phoon in Camelot to learn more about the “Phoon” and why I am posing like this for a picture.

This cache was June 2008 COTM and it was a blast setting up this picture as a requirement of that cache.

I’m not sure which 1,000 words this picture is worth but I hope all those words are kind and gentle 😉

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Re-reading a past post made by outgoing board member Brian Geoffrey (Should’ve Bought Him The Tie) has opened my eyes to the commitment of being a WGA board member.

“If you are going to be on the BOD, it will require a little bit of work all of the time. “

I work on geocaching ALL the time. It’s my passion. I’m now prepared and willing to to step up and assist the WGA board.

“BOD members communicate is with a private forum here on the WGA site. An effective BOD member will read all new posts on that BOD forum, at least 5 to 7 times a week”

I’m on the WGA forums daily. This will not be an issue for me.

“You will need to stand up for what you think is best for the organization, even if the eight other people involved disagree.”

I will always stand up for what I believe is the best decision. I am sometimes opinionated but I will always listen to the opinion’s of others and take all information into consideration to make informed, intelligent decisions.

“Sometimes, being on the BOD is a LOT of work and a substantial time commitment, especially before/during/after WGA events. All BOD members are expected to be in attendance for both WGA events.”

This is an exciting proposition for me. The May 2009 Campout was the first WGA sponsored event I have attended and I am “hooked”. Not just hooked on attending but hooked on assisting with making the event the best it can be. I was on the campout committee and truly enjoyed this experience. Being on the board will allow me to “always be on the campout committee” an opportunity I will give 100% to.

“Do you mind loading full, sopping wet garbage bags in the back of your van to take them out of the park?”

Having organized and managed the last 2 annual Appleton CITO events (see my profile page for more details, pictures, and the cache page links) I have and will haul trash. I will also bring my passion for recycling to the WGA and future WGA events as I did for the CITO events. I will ensure that we do our part to recycle so that our Earth’s resources are not dumped into landfills.

“Do you have the desire to champion an idea and work it all the way through to the end? “

I will be persistent. I am “wired for continuous improvement”. In my daily work life I am paid to come up with ideas and carry them through to implementation. That involves discussing, convincing, and compromise to make sure that the idea comes to fruition.

“do you have enough time left over in your life to dedicate to this organization?”

Now that my children are a bit older I do feel that I can commit the time needed to assist with all WGA events and attend board meetings and dedicate time to make the WGA the best it can be.

“Do you have some money?”

My job pays the bills with money left over. 😉

“Being on the BOD gives you a chance to give back to the geocaching community in a real and lasting way. You will have the opportunity to guide the direction of this organization.”

No doubt an exciting opportunity for any geocacher.

Now for what I promised. What I would plan to do/change if elected to the Board.

If I am elected to the board, I would like to bring more and better communication to the Board of Directors. Our board members should not be afraid to tell the members what’s being done or considered within the Board. Adding the “ask the board” sessions at the WGA events is a great thing but not all members attend the events and it would also be a great thing to offer this opportunity on the forums as well.

I will bring my work experience in web-based software development to the board as Jeremy is departing as a board member. I feel that the next 2 years is the perfect time to revamp the look and feel and most importantly the usability of our group’s Website. Our Website is the “life and blood” of this organization between events. Many members spend time here daily and I would like that experience to be the best it can be. I also have some great ideas on how to make our Website more inviting for bringing in new members who find our “home page”. One of the goals in our mission statement and purpose is to facilitate communication between WGA members. Our Website is key to that communication.

As stated above, I will bring a passion for Cache In Trash Out (CITO) events and preserving our Earth’s resources to the board. I will make sure that we assist in future CITO regional events like the Wausau event in 2009 if asked for WGA assistance by event organizers. I will also try to resurrect our groups “adopt a highway” that seems to have gone by the wayside as I have not seen much about this lately.

Finally, as I have already mentioned on another question response I would like to see the WGA board actively seek out community outreach events and assist members who request assistance. As a group we should do our part to help the community and as board members we can help to organize.

As our mission statement and purpose states:
“The Wisconsin Geocaching Association (WGA) is a group of geocachers dedicated to promoting and protecting geocaching within the state of Wisconsin. “

I feel that I can help the board to promote Geocaching and our group in the communities throughout Wisconsin.

I agree with k0rpl’s (a current sitting board member seeking re-election) statement that this is YOUR WGA. You get to vote for the Board that makes decisions to shape and form this great group of Geocachers. I hope I can represent all of you with your interests, opinions, and needs on the board for the next 2 years.

Thanks for your time and consideration in electing me to your WGA Board of Directors.

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