Altruism Vs. Egoism Contest.

[+dorkfish]

Altruism Vs. Egoism Contest

 

Some of you may have read the title of this thread & questioned the words altruism and contest being linked together. I know it may sound like an oxymoron, but please bear with me. The debate between altruism and egoism is one that fascinates me. Psychologists, Sociologists, Biologist, Humanists and Ethologists (among others) have debated this issue for many years. For those of you who are unfamiliar with these terms here is a very brief description below:

 

Basically altruism is giving without regard to reward or the benefits of recognition. It is an unselfish concern for the welfare of others. Putting the interests of others before one's own interests. Examples of acts of altruism may be someone who dropped everything in their life to go and help Hurricane Katrina victims or someone who donates money to charities. In the geocaching community it may be someone who replenishes the stock of a cache that isn't theirs, one who gives someone a geocoin as a gift, or mystery geocoin people.

 

In contrast, egoism is just the opposite. It is the view that people are motivated by rational self-interest. The acts may appear to be altruistic in nature, but an underlying self-interest is undeniable. One's self is at the forefront of being. Using the same examples as above an egotist maybe have volunteered their efforts with the Hurricane Katrina aftermath and used it on a resume to get ahead, or the person who donated money may have used it for a tax right off. The individual who replenished the stock of a cache may have done it to look good to the cache owner, the mystery geocoin person may give away free coins to inflate their ego, and perhaps the person who gave away a coin to someone expected something in return.

 

These are just examples and are not pointed at anyone in particular. Please do not interpret them that way. I have chosen to leave my personal views out of this thread. It is not necessary, but I would love to hear the views of others on the debate. If you do choose to voice your opinion, please keep it friendly. Anybody that I deem to be treating others with disrespect will be instantly disqualified. However, the individuals they nominate will not be disqualified.

 

This contest is very simple. If you know someone in the geocaching community, it does not have to be just in the geocoin community, who has done something unselfish for someone, please provide their caching name below along with why you are nominating them. At 6pm MST on September 30th I will randomly draw 3 names from those nominated. Multiple nominations for one person count as one vote only. Please feel free to nominate as many people as you would like. Each of those individuals will win one of the following geocoins:

 

1. Dorkfish Seahorse Geocoin - There are only 2 of these coins in existance. Landsharkz minted the seahorse coin for me originally and knew of my love for black nickel plating. While I had originally wanted the seahorses minted in black nickel, it was not possible to see the texturing underneath. Recently Landsharkz found a way to make a black nickel coin that shows texturing. They surprised me with two coins recently and I will be giving away one of those coins.

 

2. Dorkfish Copper Piranha Geocoin - There are 3 different versions of the piranha geocoin, only 3 sets exist in copper. I have 2 copper coins left, this contest is for the one pictured below.

 

3. Dorkfish Arabian Surgeonfish Coin - The regular version of this coin has blue hard enamels colors with yellow translucent enamel. This is the LE version, with 12 in existance. The LE version is green with the same yellow translucent enamel.

 

 

There is also a contest for those who nominate these cachers. Each of those who nominate someone will receive one vote. At the same time as above, I will randomly draw one person to win a set of sample Anubis Geocoins. This is a set that includes the regular Anubis coin & the Glow in the Dark Anubis coin. This took a horrible photo because I chose to keep these coins in their original packaging, I have never touched them. (Can you tell from the photo which is the glow coin?)

 

 

Please try to have fun with this. It is enjoyable to know that kindness still exists in this world, it's even more enjoyable to read about it. Thank you & I hope you like my contest

 

Karma

 

edited to add this little survey to test Egoism/Altruism in yourself. I cannot vouch for it's accuracy but I enjoyed it: Test

Edited September 3, 2007 by dorkfish

[+mousekakat]

I'll jump in and nominate LoriDarlin.

 

When I fell in love with her personal coin, the one with the moon on it, I contacted her to find out if I could purchase it. She was unable to sell it and could only take trades for it and I had nothing I could trade, aside from prayers and good vibes. She then offered to send me the coin as a gift. I was so excited and so touched by the gesture!

 

It would be my first geocoin of any sort!

 

You can't imagine my surprise to get a big padded envelope in the mail from her! I expected one little coin!

 

Instead, we got 2 of her beautiful coins in different finishes, 3 trackable unactivated coins, her gorgeous and sweetly funny personaly tater geocoin, poker chips and wooden nickels and a little handwritten note from her that was so nice!

 

We've since started chatting on occasion on MSN and have found that on so many subjects we are kindred spirits and share the same thoughts and beliefs.

 

Lori has a true heart of gold and gives without expecting anything in return. She's the first person here who I've "met" and she really has shown me what it means to be a member here!

[+mousekakat]

Next, of course, is going to be Tsunrisebey.

 

I've had very limited contact with her via pm and e-post here, so I don't have a lot to judge her by, except her actions that I see here on the board.

 

I see an incredibly generous, warm hearted person, with a great sense of humor and a willingness to share of herself in so many different ways.

 

In the "what's in your mailbox today" thread she offered to send a fellow cacher a geocoin for his b-day when he received nothing else. She has done numerous cointests, charity auctions and orchestrated things for other cachers and given soooooo very many smiles to people who expected nothing but got a piece of her heart in the mail.

 

She seems to be a truly special person and a deserving person!

 

OHHOHHOHHHH!!! I get to add... and today I received a Geotag from her, out of the blue, thanks again, Steph!

 

 

I know that there are many others here who are giving of their hearts, but I haven't really had the chance to meet them or encounters with them yet...

 

Karma, your name comes up again and again, though, so I'm truly looking forward to someday getting to know you, as well!

 

I like surrounding myself with good people, they make me feel good, and encourage me to be a better person myself!

Edited September 3, 2007 by mousekakat

[+Sunrayers]

I would like to 2nd Tsunrisebey's nomination. While still a relative "Newbie" to this community, I have witnessed time and time again her selfless acts of generosity. Her auctions and donations have brought Hundreds of dollars to deserving individuals and charities and her selfless acts of generosity have always shed a favorable light on the entire Geocaching Community.

 

I'm certain there are MANY deserving and unsung heroes in the Geocoin Community but, being such a Newbie, Tsunrisebey's name is the first that popped into my sleep fogged brain @ 6AM

[+PengoFamily]

Thanks for the fun Karma. I don't think I will voice my opinion about the altruism vs egoism as I may be writing all day. LOL

 

(tsun has already been nominated and she does deserve it but since it won't increase her chances of winning I will nominate others. She does deserve a big nod though. )

 

My 1st nomination is:

 

Fluttershy. Allie is such a kind hearted person. She is so generous with her coins and has such a caring spirit. I enjoy chatting with her when I get the chance and she has very creative and fun geocoin ideas.

[+PengoFamily]

My second nomination is for:

 

Dressel Dragons. Lenore is such a great person! She is one of the first 'coiners' that we got to know through Podcacher. She is also the first person that we ever traded with. She has been very generous in our trades and has sent many geocoins for our daughter, PengoBeky. She is also very involved in geocaching, with events, and helping to promote Podcacher. She is also very involved in her daughter's lives and is a wonderful person!!

[+PengoFamily]

My third nomination is for:

 

Big JohnP. He helped us get started with our geocoin addiction. (Wait...is that a good thing?? ) LOL. When we first decided to make our own personal geocoin we went to him for some advice. He helped us out and always answered our emails. He is such a great guy to talk to as well. Time just flies by when we sit down and chit chat.... His avatar is a picture of a gorilla of some kind, but really he is a big teddy bear!!

[+PengoFamily]

Seems like I am hogging this thread, perhaps for my own ego. LOL

 

Next I would like to nominate:

 

Parents of Sam : Stephanie is a very kind and generous person. We have fun chatting about her children and my daughter. She has been very generous in our trades as well, sending extras for PengoBeky and arranging trades at GW5 through another cacher so that we can get her girls' micro set. She also helps promote geocaching and helped put together the 'peeps' and did the 'duckie' group too for MWGB. She's great!!

[+PengoFamily]

I would also like to nominate:

 

'57 Chevy: We just recently got to know him a bit better because of chat and he is a very generous and caring guy!! One day out of the blue a package arrived for us. Inside was his personal geocoin and a ceramic set of penguins. A note was included that he had found the penguins at a yard sale and thought of us. That was very touching that he would think of us and go out of his way to get them and mail them to us. We appreciate his thoughtfulness and he deserves a nomination too.

[+~tasia~]

I nominate PengoFamily.

 

They gave a set of their (LE i believe) personal coins to UOTrackers for her March of Dimes auctions on ebay. These coins raised some good money for the cause. I love when people do charity auctions, and donate things for them as well.

 

What's even better is when people just donate to the cause, without getting something in return.

[+PengoFamily]

Another nominee (I will post more later....gotta give others a chance to post.)

 

UOTrackers, Chick #2, UOBrae and Jen (she is all of those people but suffers from multiple coiner disorder. LOL )

 

She is a great person and knows how to keep her chin up through tough times. The money that she has raised for the March of Dimes is so touching. (As well as the story behind it...I cried when I first read it.) She is also a very creative coin designer and very generous with her coins. She holds many cointests in chat and is always there to lend an ear.

 

 

 

I will nominate more people as there are so many deserving of a nomination.

 

I would like to also give special recognition to Karma. Even though this is her cointest she does soooooo much for the geocoin community. She is a funny, great gal and has done some wonderful charity auctions on ebay to raise money for fellow coinickers in need. Thanks Karma!!

[+~tasia~]

I would like to nominate UOTrackers.

 

Jen has given her time, efforts, and money to donating to the March of Dimes. It's great when geocachers give back to the communities and the world. I've heard so many people say that they are into saving the environment, giving to others, etc... and that's why they started caching (don't know where the tie-in is, maybe the CITO part?) so I really like to see these words in action!

Edited September 3, 2007 by ~tasia~

[+tsunrisebey]

Thanks for the cointest Karma

 

Wow, lots of great people to nominate. I know there are a bunch of people who fly under the radar with their generosity, so I'll just nominate those that I have personal knowledge of.

 

LoriDarlin: How can a person have so many sig items, lol? The woman oozes sweetness. She always does a little bit extra. You can't help but not like Miss Lori Darlin. Even her emails are sweet, it's almost unreal.

 

Glenn721: What a nice guy, it's true, he is always doing things for people. He is kinda stubborn though (lol). I sing your praises all the time, so I'm keeping this short

 

PengoFamily: Pengo Mommy has been a good friend to me on many levels, thanks for always listening and finding me the 'good' coins .

 

dorkfish: Ya, you! Such a nice Idahoan Would give your last coin away to make someone else happy. You are queen dork in my book

 

Arthur & Trillian: I gotta be honest here, you irritate the cr*p outta me alot, lmao and vice versa I'm sure Yet, when push comes to shove you have always been one of the first to step up to the plate when I have asked for help in the forums and I always admired that. You are a good guy at heart You didn't see that coming did you? I had to tease ya a bit or what fun would it be?

 

Marky: Always behind the scenes, you don't see this guy much. He is a silent sweetheart. Thanks for sigitem.com and you can visit me in my camper anytime.

 

57chevy: Yup, a nice guy who is King Nerd in my book. Always giving away his sig items. Chicks dig this guy, lol.

 

Mauison: I don't really know you well but we've done some trades. I just think anyone who auctions off a 1 of a kind coin for a charity auction rocks! Very cool!

 

The Moop Along: Ole' Pete is a nice guy. He drops me a nice note here and there, always been so nice and respectful, I think it's because he wants another Raiders coin

 

I have more nominations to write about but I want to spread them out over the contest, plus I have some work that I need to do Will be back with more....

 

~tsun

 

Thanks again Karma. I remember debating this subject in a couple of my college courses. Very heated and interesting at times.

[Son of Cyclops]

I am nominating my friend Gary of team CoyChev. They have helped me multiple times and they are great people.

[+jAY miLLS]

Well thought out contest Karma . . . ok lets get this thang started . . .

 

A HUGE shout out and nomination goes to rivercity. What a terrific human being and inspiration. There are numerous reasons why she is deserving but one stands out in my mind. I love the POW MIA symbol and have several items that have that symbol on it, i.e. the window mural in the back window of my truck, key chain, etc. The symbol touches me physically and emotionally and gives me chills in the same way that taps does everytime I hear it. Anyway, ever since I laid eyes on the POW MIA geocoin it has been a dream coin of mine to obtain. One day I opened the mail and there was a padded envelope from rivercity and out came a POW MIA coin. Words alone cannot express the emotions I felt rush over me in that instant. I asked RC to make the first entry on this coin and what she logged was so poignant that I had to use it as the coins mission statement:

 

". . . never forget our courageous men and women who are POW/MIA, and may this geocoin be a reminder to all who see it to always keep the military in our thoughts and prayers." ~rivercity

 

Marilyn, I just want you to know that regardless of the outcome you ARE a winner in my eyes! Thank you.

[+jAY miLLS]

Another shout out goes to the Cach-U-Nuts who I had the pleasure of getting acquainted with early in my caching days. What a generous and selfless couple of people. I have watched them contribute to the community with style and class in so many ways. They have brought joy and smiles to many cachers along the way. Great job! Thank you, you are appreciated.

[+jAY miLLS]

007BigD is next on the list. What can I say? Dave you are truely a remarkable guy. I remember meeting you in the forums many months ago when I was trying to survive a night of sleeplessness as I suffered from the toothache of all toothaches. You had that silly little cointest where I was the only contestant remember? lol We kind of hit it off that night and have talked many times since. You will never know how much that hour or so of banter that night meant to me. It distracted me from the pain I felt that only gets worse in the stillness and quiet of the night. I am sure many if not all know what I mean. Thanks Dave and may many good things come to you, sweetpea, and the bun, in your current transition. You mean alot to me buddy.

[+tsunrisebey]

Break time Time for a few more nominations;

 

rasj: Another silent behind the scenes kinda guy. Great charity work for Skye

 

ScoutingWV: Someone who went out of his way to help me find a coin I really wanted and then did something really nice for me (Random Act of Kindness). Thank you.

 

Damenace: One word; brownies. Thanks for those Just an all around nice guy who means well. Boo Boo has got a nice dad!

 

Georgia from TCP: So nice to talk to and how can I not nominate the lady who took on the turtles and lost sleep over that whole thing. But, I'll include the whole TCP gang because I see that they give so much back to the caching community. Thanks for everything.

 

GPX Navigators: Thanks for being you Mich You're a great friend.

 

wyohunter: Rex, what a nice guy. It's been a pleasure getting to know you. You can quit worrying about the Belize caches now, with the second category 5 hurricane expected to hit Belize on Tuesday, I'm almost positive the second cache will now be wiped out too That just makes me really sad after seeing that beautiful country in all its primitiveness, now potentially being devastated by a second hurricane in less than a couple of weeks. They hadn't even fully recovered from the 2001 hurricane, let alone hurricane Dean that hit northern Belize. That's my next big project. Sorry got Off topic there.

 

sweetlife: B&V, what a nice couple that I've slowly gotten to know via email. Have fun on your trip and I hope you enjoy visiting Montana

 

Broken W: So you don't have to nominate yourself, lol. (inside joke).

 

**I've got lots more to work through..... there's alot of worthy people.

 

~tsun

[+Team Teague]

I'm going to nominate Fox51, because he picked up our very first travel bug, and knowing it belonged to a 6 year old he carried it all over europe, dipping it in an out of caches, and taking lots of picutres with it. I thought it was very nice. I don't think he is in the Geocoin forums, but is a great Geocacher in our community. The travel bug he moved was Cowboy Austin.

[+Jug & Roon]

We would like to nominate TeamSagefox.

 

He WAS so generious watching over many caches that Geocachers placed

in his home town, including our two.

Our caches were placed then there wasn't a "vacation placement" as a rule

(We totally agree with the rule).

If there was a log that the cache was in need of maintance he would stop by and

correct it. He would provide his time and energy voluntarily.

We mentioned he WAS generious because TeamSagefox moved to another state where,

no doubt he's helping others with caches.

During our annual Labor Day visit to Ft. Bragg, CA. it just didn't feel the same

not having any of TeamSagefox caches to newly discover.

Thanks to others that have placed new caches to fill that void and take us to new

coastly areas to discover.

 

Thank you,

Jug & Roon

[+PengoFamily]

Time for another round of nominees:

 

- Dflye : a great fellow coiner who is always up for a trade. Thanks for making trading so much fun!! And for organizing the hippie bus race to sacramento. That's a lot of work that deserves a mention. Thanks for letting PengoBeky 'drive' one of your buses too. You are very generous and very nice!

 

- Avroair : A generous cacher all around!! You do so much for the geocoin communiity. I know a lot of it goes unrecognized but you are a great guy!!

 

-tasia : we have only traded once but I have had the pleasure of getting to know you better in chat. Good luck with the auction....I really hope that you win it!!

 

-Arthur n Trillian : like tsun said you have a special talent for really getting under people's skin but deep down you're a great guy that is always there for fellow cachers in need. Thanks!

 

-rivercity : Marilyn is the epidomy of nice. She is a class act all around and I am so happy to call her a fellow coiner friend.

 

-caching coins : they seem to fly under the radar a lot but anytime we have had a charity auction they are right there bidding on it and supporting so many worthy causes. Thanks!

 

Will nominate more later....

[+deafnut]

frist person is jAY miLLS

 

 

 

i have not meet him or found his cache .... but since he been help me lot and change me rhx pal you devsced those geocion .

[+Toojin]

Karma - thanks for this cointest. Sometimes, the piranha-nature of this place inspires me to just go away (maybe I'll make an ostrich coin).

 

Seriously, this thread is appreciated!! Many of the people who come to my mind to nominate have already been nominated. Lori, tsun, TMA, all people I appreciate a great deal.

 

So here is maybe a new one:

 

Renegade Knight

 

When I first started caching, I found him via reading his really funny logs. Then I heard both good and bad about him from a few other cachers and then he started the ICE coin group and we finally met. The ICE coin group still exists after two whole years and I think its because of four people RK, LoriDarlin, Parrolet and me. With four of us helping each other out there has always been somebody who can step up. And all that's cool. But, what you may not realize is that RK is the only male in that group and he has managed to balance all that ummmm estrogen

 

And there's the Friends of Caching coin (See thread.). Someday soon that will actually appear! It has been a tremendous amount of work and frustration and wasn't nearly as well received in the coin community as it should have been. RK is making up the difference himself so that the Portneuf Greenway Foundation gets a donation.

 

And there is just the fact that I find him an incredibly funny and really really good person.

[+Droo]

I second the nomination for 007BigD. He came through and helped us cheer up a 12 y.o. boy whose racer was muggled only inches from the finish line. Dave sent HarryMoe the coolest note with a replacement racer that made the boy feel 10" tall for the rest of the week. Thanks Dave.

 

Someone who's also been very generous with me is CastleMan. Yeah, he's making and selling coins but he does it with the same flair and integrity as Karma does and for that he gets my endorsement for altruism.

Edited September 3, 2007 by Droo

[+dorkfish]

Lots of great nominations have been posted for not only geocoin collectors but geocachers as well. This is really exciting! Thank you all for participating. Here are just a few of my nominations, I'm starting with local cachers first, I'll keep posting over the month as there are so many folks I would like to acknowledge.

 

I know LoriDarlin has been nominated already but she truly is a selfless person and I just want to mention a few more things. You have seen all the wonderful things she does for this geocoin community, imagine what she does for the geocaching community. I am lucky to live close to Lori & get the pleasure of hanging out with her from time to time. She has no alterior motive other than making others happy. She is always hiding new caches all over (I believe she has the most cache hides in Idaho) and will never hesitate to perform maintenance on someone else's cache or replace missing caches that aren't hers. If you ever get the chance to spend some time with Lori you will notice that she radiates goodness. I am honored to be able to call her my friend.

 

LeslieDodson9 - Leslie & her husband Steve are local cachers that I enjoy hanging out with and geocaching with. Even though we've known each other for a short period of time, they have become good friends of mine. They are always activating and releasing geocoins out into the wild & have been known to leave coins in caches for others to keep just for the fun of it. They are both genuine good people whom I am so happy to call friends. And they are having a baby boy next month

 

Toojin & Bart - I credit Lenny with getting me into this geocoin obsession. Years back I received an email from her telling me she had left me something in a cache. I ran out there & discovered that she had left me two geocoins. They were my very first and I was so touched that someone would do that, especially for someone they had never met or talked to before. I have had the pleasure of meeting her a few times since then and can tell you that she is a genuinely good & kind person. I am really looking forward to spending more with her at the multi geocoin event here in Idaho.

 

Will post more local cachers later

[+PengoFamily]

Time to nominate a few more people ....

 

-Atwell Family : Mike is a really nice person to chat with and always willing to lend a helping hand.

 

-Moop Along : Pete is fun to trade with and always gives his honest opinion when asked a question. That's a great quality to have. And he is very patient too. (Your trade is on the way.)

 

-islander1988 : Pete is a really nice guy. He does sooooo much the geocaching community and geocoin community. He always adds little extras to his coin trade packages and has some of the most unique sig items that I have ever seen. I really enjoy our long emails back and forth and enjoy trading with him too.

 

- Atlanta Gal : even though I haven't had the opportunity to get to know her too well she has never failed to answer any geocoin emails that I throw her way. She is also very involved in the geocaching community and geocoin community. She is very knowledgeable.

[+LadyBee4T]

I would like to nominate a local cacher and very good buddy--Nurse Nanna. She doesn't frequent these forums but those who know her truly love her. All summer long she donates her time to a camp as the camp nurse. This spring she was ill and hasn't yet completely recovered and her one great fear was that she wouldn't be able to work at the camp this summer because she loves it so much. Tears came to her eyes as she told me this. Her friends there told her that no matter what she would be there and they would help her whatever it took. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina she took a month off her paying winter job to help out those in need in Mississippi. She is very generous with her time in other ways and always helps the new cachers here in Michigan. For these reasons and many more I nominate Nurse Nanna.

 

I would also like to add to Son of Cyclops' comments above but want to be sure that both Gary and Donna of TeamCoyChev are nominated too. They both give of thier time and energy to promote geocaching and the MIGO (pronounced mee-go not my-go inside joke!) organization here in Michigan

[+dorkfish]

I would also like to nominate Cachegame. Sergio is a wonderful and kind person. He started & runs the Cachebug blog to keep all of us updated as to what's going on with geocoins. I know many people find his website extremely helpful and I can't imagine the time he puts into it to keep it up & running. What a great individual!

[+jAY miLLS]

A few more nominations; I will try to be less loquacious -

 

Castleman: Few people are as genuinely generous as yourself. You're a class act and all around good egg who made my grandkids very happy with a coin of their own to follow.

 

Atwell Family: I think it is in Mike's nature to be always willing to lend a hand and answer questions. Mike has been personally helpful by answering questions I had during my first days caching.

 

ALL the Mystery Coin Givers: What more needs to be said. Next to the definition of selflessness are references to you folks, whoever you may be. Thanks for bringing sunshine and smiles to the geocaching community. The tales are great to read, which in and of itself makes me smile. Thank you.

 

Dorkfish: For all the selfless work you put in on charity auctions in the past as well as other things. You are a great example for others to follow Karma. Keep up the good work woman but don't kill yourself doing it.

 

PGHlooking: Though we don't see eye to eye politically on many things I can rise above it just enough to give credit where credit is due. I do admire your charity efforts, good job, it shows some style. Thanks. Now back to your regularly scheduled program

 

Arthur & Trillian: No one can ever accuse you of being boring Mike. You make me shutter sometimes but mostly you make me laugh. Nothing beats live entertainment. What I enjoy about you is that you say what you mean and you mean what you say. Thanks for keeping it real.

 

FSM: Again, we haven't seen eye to eye at times but I appreciate the largely thankless job you do as moderator. Someone has to do it and I am glad it isn't me. Thanks for giving your time and sanity.

 

That was exhausting I need a nap now, more to come . . .

[+BRoKeN W]

Some people who I have found extremely nice are:

 

Shootie - Every time Idaho cachers order coins as a group, she is always ready and willing to deliver coins from Twin Falls all the way to Boise (and sometimes beyond). She's just a great gal!

 

Rob & Janice - Early on when we started placing caches we had run into some problems and received a bit of ridicule. They were nice enough to stand behind us (when they didn't even know us) and sent us e-mails of encouragement. And not to long ago we were very happy to find they chose one of our caches to be their 1000th milestone!

 

tadpole739 - Just for being my sister in crime, that and for sending me an extra tadpole coin in the mail just because I couldn't make up my mind on what one I like better.

 

I definitely have more to add but they've already been nominated.

[+tsunrisebey]

islander1988: Я хочу назначить Pete, он говорит русского. Здесь практикуйте ваш русский язык. когда будет Вы получать стрижку? Вы делаете хорошие вещи в Канаде. Интересно, как это переведет к английскому? Вы - хороший человек

 

~tsun

 

more nominations to come

[+BRoKeN W]

LadyBee4T - I don't think Bev has a mean bone in her body. She's always been so nice to me and I really hope that one day we will be able to meet up for some Margaritas!

 

Vegas Gamblers - John is alway a hoot to chat with.

 

Woletrap - He's always ready to lend a helping hand to his friends in need.

[+GPX Navigators]

There's a lot of folks on here that I would have nominated and will probably come back later and add my own why "I-would-nominate-them-info" but for now I nominate:

 

shilo: for the ongoing fun he provides to the community with the Premier Geocoin Race (2nd year running.) Lots of work involved in that and I, for one, applaud you.

[+GBOTS]

I will again nominate SirGerald and Lady LeAnn These two are very centered, if that makes any sense, hehe. Two of the best people I have ever met.

[+Cheesy pigs]

Hmmm well I might go by country this time!

 

Australians (in no particular order)

 

BelKen - A great team, although I've only been in contact with the 'Ken' part! Ken is lovely giving person who tries to go the extra mile for other geocachers. Thanks Ken I haven't forgotten I still owe you...

 

Map Monkey - Great guy, who also goes out of his way to be as helpful as possible...another person I owe. Thanks for everything!

 

Grank - yet another good man in the geocaching scene, even if he does have bad taste in piratey coins

 

3BlindEyes - I've formed a great email friendship with Mal, a good person to trade with, and fight with over eBay auctions!

 

Forthferalz - Carolyn has graciously put up with me pestering her for coins for the first few awkward months before I could start trading, and has been the only other true geocoinaholic in my little state. Tragics together! She also helps with charities, gives away coins, creates gorgeous coins and the most lovely artistic caches, is kind to children and loves animals - what more could you ask for in a person?!

 

Team Pathfinder - A great person to trade with, Sue is another one of those caring/sharing types

 

Dak's Emu Mob - Fun, interesting, helpful, addicted, plus many more descriptors...You help make coining fun Dave!

 

Team Swampy, DDT's, Sog 'n Paulus, el golco, Fairly Magic and Snuva - aka 'The Monday Night Haunters' who have kindly put up with me going on and on and on about coins, and me forcing coins onto them, and buying them from me, and for trying to continue to look interested when I foist yet more coins onto them to admire. Also for knowing and accepting that I'm not going to stop it anytime soon Love you guys!

 

and wavies to Bunya - one day we'll actually get it right

 

Oooh and edited to say AusHiker - for everything!!!

Edited September 4, 2007 by Cheesy pigs

[+tsunrisebey]

I'll nominate Moustik; she's hosting her first event in Canada and she is also a very giving person

 

~tsun

[+PengoFamily]

Time for my next batch of nominees.

 

Sandtracker: A really great guy, lots of fun to trade with and very very generous with his coins.

 

keewee: we had him twice for a mission and then out of the blue he sent us an amazing package full of goodies for the whole family that we were not expecting. a super nice guy!!

 

indydiver: we have gotten to know indy through trades and emails. He is a very generous person with his coins and does a lot for the geocaching community.

 

d@nim@l : a very sincere and all around nice guy. We were looking for a very HTF coin and even contacted the coin owner about a trade and were turned down. d@nim@l sent us the coin we were looking for ...just like that...without expecting anything in return.

 

tenessee jed : Chuck has been soooo great to do trades with too. Very generous with his coins and always looking out for people. He has integrity and honor.

 

Pay It Forward: I think at the very heart of altruism. the whole project is so nice and touching.

[+Cheesy pigs]

New Zealanders

 

Team Chelmo and Keewee - what a brilliant pair! So far I have only seen altruism with these two, never ego. Mark bent over backwards trying to accommodate my wishes with trades - it was very much appreciated! It must run in the family, because Craig is also the giving type (just look at what he sends out for all the millions of missions he does!). Not only are they giving, but they are also hilarious and caring and interesting. These two deserve to win some coins! GO ORANGE! (That's RED and YELLOW together )

 

Rchdlyn - cant wait to see more of them in the forums!

 

Rediguana and Magooza - yet more great NZ ambassadors

[+GPX Navigators]

More new names - I hope:

 

HiDude98 - he had us for the first Secret Misson (thanks Allie!) and he went above & beyond the mission requirements with all of the coins he sent us. It was the first time we had received such a package and we were bowled over with it all.

 

southbayday - Steve is always generous and a great person. Glad we got to meet him at MWGB. When we held an event last year he was one of the first to donate coins without asking for anything in return.

 

And to all the following who donated for our first event last year I nominate you too and say thanks. Your coins helpoed make that event such a success that this year we expect even more people to attend!

 

In no particular order and not just for the donations but because you are all wonderful people and do more then just give away things:

 

summerandnana

RattlingCrew

CKayaks

fox-and-the-hound

prntr1

Team Talisman

honeychile

Edited September 4, 2007 by GPX Navigators

[avroair]

Under the egotistical category I nominate Avroair

Under the atlruistic category I nominate Dhenninger, he is always a cupcake away from a good deed.

[+GPX Navigators]

OK, I know he's been nominated before but I so have to nominate Avroair. Mark just blows me away with his generosity and he is an all around great person. We were in his area in July and he drove, during the week at night, 40 minutes out of his way to pick us up, drove back the 40 minutes to take us out specifically so we could chat and meet dhenninger and then drove us back to where we were staying. He'd never met us but in the forums but that did not stop his great personality from shining through. We had no traders with us but Mark did not even care! Plus all the great events, coins, contests and Geocoinfests Mark has headed up - and we know he will continue to head up. Best part though, my daughter came with me that evening in July and he treated her with respect and as a person, not just another kid. That meant a lot. And at MWGB he showed her the same respect and courtesy. He is one of her geocacher heros! And mine too.

 

And by extension dhenninger as well. He is a really super person and one can see what a fantastic friend he is to Mark! If it weren't for these forums those are two of the great people I would have missed meeting!

[+Go JayBee]

I have to agree with GPX Navigators....southbayday is a stand up guy. I recall the Poker Challenge at GeocoinFest when he won, he made sure that everyone who played, got one of the special chips.

 

 

There are a host of others I would like to nominate for their unconditional kindness...1st would have to be LoriDarlin, next in no particular order: Damenace, Glennk721, tsunrisebey, POS, rivercity, Avroair, dhenninger, geolobo, GBOTS, Cache-U-Nuts, parrolet, UOTrackers, Fluttershy, Dorkfish, 007BigD, GPX Navigators, pdxmarathonman, Toojin & Bart, CinimaBoxers, LandSharkz, pghlooking, YemonYime, C4, TCOM, kealia, HulaBum....I could go on forever but would not get this posted. When I think of more, I'll post them.

 

 

Sorry if I mispelled anyone's handle...was going by memory and only have a few good brain cells left.

[+moscow32]

I nominate Fire_Elemental, for hiding about 50% of the first caches I found, and for giving me a hint to a cache that was driving me nuts before I left Salt Lake City for good.

 

I'll also nominate TeamMadDog. A while back, some SE Michigan cachers had planned to do a kayak cache, and he couldn't come with, so he paddled the river the day before and left coins for everyone else who would come the next day. That was pretty cool!

[+Cheesy pigs]

Europe

 

Captain Zulu - I have had the great pleasure of corresponding and trading with Dick - not ony does he include 'little suprises' in his trades, he is also really fun and interesting. The Captain Zulu weblog is also brilliant - great photography, adorable dogs. This is what I think geocoins and geocaching are all about - it helps you meet new and interesting people from all around the world, and I am honoured to have found internet friends like Captain Zulu. I continue to keep an eye on your list

[+deafnut]

second Chesse pigy

[+deafnut]

third dork fish .....

 

 

I maynbot know u but i will help you

[+Go JayBee]

I want to nominate "deafhunt"....

 

Even though he has a hearing loss...he DOES hear all of us.

 

I know that when he first entered the forums, he was asking for free stuff....but, I think he now understands what this discussion group is all about. And i think that he is more than willing to give without question.

 

 

I'm actually beginning to understand him better now (it was difficult at the beginning)...he is getting more exact in his phrases...good job DH

 

 

I have grown up in a household where "handicap" means nothing...my mother raised 3 boys by herself from a wheelchair after coming down with Polio in 1953....she survived another 40 years before passing. She is my inspiration for dealing with diversity.

[+Go JayBee]

don't know what happened...only hit the send button once

Edited September 4, 2007 by Go JayBee

[+Go JayBee]

don't know what happened...only hit the send button once

Edited September 4, 2007 by Go JayBee

[+agilefox]

I know Chris has already been mentioned, but I have to second Fox-and-the-Hound. Chris has helped me with logos, design and artwork tips, since my own color sense requires me to wear Garanimals to work (who remembers that reference?).

 

Also, RattlingCrew, Byonke, Ahwsome, Russ and Dana, and Boxstalker have been invaluable in our area bringing newbies into the fold with humor and grace and helping to convert many.