Geocaching Association of NSW

[+The Spindoctors]

Originally posted on Geocaching Australia Forum:

 

After a fair bit of reading, googling, emailing and discussion, I have decided to push ahead with the formation of an incorporated association.

 

The role of the association will be to represent and promote the 'sport' of geocaching in Australia NSW.

 

NOTE: Since first posting this proposal, it has been revised to cover ONLY the state of New South Wales.

 

It will NOT take on the role of running or controlling the Geocaching Australia website/forums, nor will it dictate what geocachers can or cannot do.

 

It will also NOT interfer in the recently formed Geocaching Tasmania Inc. association. However, I do see some form of interaction between the two.

 

Its goals will be similar to those of the New Zealand Recreational GPS Society and the Geocaching Association of Great Britian.

 

I'm pushing for an incorporated model for a number of reasons. The two key ones are regarding financial liability and eligibility for funding/grants.

 

This is the first stage of the process, and I am therefore calling for any individuals who are willing to nominate themself to assist in forming the association. A minimum of five members (including myself) are needed. Feel free to send a private message to me.

 

This group of five will draft the initial constitution, draft aims and apply for incorporation, beginning in the next week or so.

 

The aim is to have everything set-up by mid-year, in time to submit comment to the anticipated NSW Parks and Wildlife Service review of park regulation.

 

Please note this is seperate to any discussion of GCA website funding/administration.

 

For further background on this proposal - http://forum.geocaching.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=9817

 

New Zealand Recreational GPS Society - http://www.gps.org.nz/

 

Geocaching Association of Great Britain - http://www.gagb.org.uk/

[+Tangles]

Reading the post it appears this association is forgone conclusion in NSW. I have two questions.

 

Do all NSW cachers have a say in whether we actually want an association?

 

Why did the rest of Australia reject the idea?

[+The Spindoctors]

I believe the topic has been debated online and off for several years. There has over that time been many views on the topic. Some for, some against, and many in between.

 

Whether there is an overall consensus will always be hard to gauge. No one site covers ALL geocachers. Some play here at Groundspeak, others at GCA. There may also be others there may also be others that don't use either's forums.

 

I've taken the step, with the support of several other geocachers, of setting up a NSW association. Like the GB and NZ associations, its primary aims will be to open dialogue with land owners in NSW, develop best practice guidelines for geocaching in NSW (and work with the various cache websites - this one included - in seeing them implemented), and exploring ways of assisting the community.

 

It will not be wedded to any site in particular.

 

In response to your second question - there was no rejection for an Australia-wide association. Association laws at a state level are easier and the immediate concern was in setting up an association in NSW. There is currently one in Tasmania. In time other states may form their own, which could in turn see the formation of an Australian body.

 

At this stage, there has been a number of geocachers that have put their hand up in support of the forming of an association for it to go ahead. However, the strength of an association is in its numbers and I look forward to many more showing their support.

 

Hopefully people such as yourself will be able to lend their advice and expertise getting it off the ground and ensuring the 'sport' regains some of respect it has lost in some quarters.

[+Tangles]

So in other words yourself and a group of unknown cachers have concluded that NSW needs an association by an online debate that appears to have only taken place on another website. By your own admission no one website covers all geocachers and even this debate failed to reach a consensus.

 

develop best practice guidelines for geocaching in NSW

This new association intends to introduce additional guidelines to the ones currently selectively ignored but the new association and to quote from the OP “won’t be dictating what geocachers can do”. So what are the guidelines for? The other associations you have mentioned have rules/guidelines for their members to follow.

 

The idea of the association is a great idea but are you trying to run before you can walk. Submitting anything to the NPWS in the current state is like an arsonist applying to join the fire bridge. Form the association, fix the problem and then when the next review comes around you will have demonstrated your goodwill and the responsibility of it’s membership.

 

From our past experience of trying to tackle this issue and being constantly white anted and ridiculed by fellow cachers my only concern now is a handful of unknown cachers are rushing into to a bad situation and could make it worse for the rest of the NSW Geocaching community.

[+The Spindoctors]

Just to bring you up to date, myself (Darren) and Damo (Damian) are listed as the initial office bearers.

 

Others to have put their name include:

Team Altaire

Team Webguy

Postman Pat

Lucy

Pesky

Psychokat

Swampgecko

 

The association is being registered this week, with the website to follow soon after.

 

We will be busy during March and April putting together a range of things that we're sure you'll like.

 

I'll let you know when our version 0.1 of the website is up and running.

 

If you have any ideas or thoughts about the association please contact me or post on the forums.

 

Darren

[+homedg]

Just to bring you up to date, myself (Darren) and Damo (Damian) are listed as the initial office bearers.

 

Others to have put their name include:

Team Altaire

Team Webguy

Postman Pat

Lucy

Pesky

Psychokat

Swampgecko

 

The association is being registered this week, with the website to follow soon after.

 

We will be busy during March and April putting together a range of things that we're sure you'll like.

 

I'll let you know when our version 0.1 of the website is up and running.

 

If you have any ideas or thoughts about the association please contact me or post on the forums.

 

Darren

\

 

WOW. First visit to the GC forum and what an enlightenment.

Certainly some more clear and honest opinon here.

 

I will need to digest this before I reply....

 

Can I say; Forums are exactly that. A place to say exactly what you think. Debates are for email or phone calls or ........

[+JABs]

The association is being registered this week, with the website to follow soon after.

 

So good of you to let us all know.

 

So in other words yourself and a group of unknown cachers have concluded that NSW needs an association by an online debate that appears to have only taken place on another website. By your own admission no one website covers all geocachers and even this debate failed to reach a consensus.

 

 

Oh that's right you use the GC site to cache and the GCA site to whinge and whine and hope the someone from the GC site will read your problems and fix them.

So lets set up another site for an Association. Lets see, cache log on 1, talk/chat on 2 and then join a third to benefit from what you might achieve.

Ok so if I have a problem with the GC site do I post a comment in the GCA forums and hope that someone from the Assocition reads it then they post a note to GC. Boy this is confusing. Think I'll stick to caching.

[+lilla07]

The association is being registered this week, with the website to follow soon after.

 

So good of you to let us all know.

 

So in other words yourself and a group of unknown cachers have concluded that NSW needs an association by an online debate that appears to have only taken place on another website. By your own admission no one website covers all geocachers and even this debate failed to reach a consensus.

 

 

Oh that's right you use the GC site to cache and the GCA site to whinge and whine and hope the someone from the GC site will read your problems and fix them.

So lets set up another site for an Association. Lets see, cache log on 1, talk/chat on 2 and then join a third to benefit from what you might achieve.

Ok so if I have a problem with the GC site do I post a comment in the GCA forums and hope that someone from the Assocition reads it then they post a note to GC. Boy this is confusing. Think I'll stick to caching.

 

Well, the things you find when you do the GC forum surfing thing. I am only new at caching , and I know that's no excuse. But shouldn't there be only one!

 

I'm with you JABs. I think I'd rather try my luck at caching. At least that way we're all singing out of the same hymn book and the difficulty rating is there in front of us??

Edited April 8, 2008 by lilla07

[+The Spindoctors]

Whoa! There is some confusion here and I would like to put a stop to it.

 

Firstly, Geocaching NSW is not about creating a new website to host geocaches, or forums, etc.

 

It is a group representing geocaching in NSW. Out of that core idea comes things such as events, education materials (for the public and geocachers), and liaising with land owners. At present there is no body representing geocaching in NSW or Australia. Similar bodies already exist in various states of the US, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

 

It does not represent a new layer of officialdom in geocaching, it is not mandatory, and it is not about restricting geocaching. If people choose to continue geocaching as individuals they can continue to do so.

 

Secondly, there has been some debate between various geocachers in this topic and others.

 

However, please read through these carefully before making statements or insinuations. For example, Tangles has never posted a comment on geocaching.com.au's forum and I have not complained about geocaching either.

 

In the rush to read a posting and type out a reply, it is sometimes easy to make errors.

 

Please remember, this is not a mandatory body or seeking to constrain geocaching.

 

Please feel free to post any further questions either here or to me via private message.

[+JABs]

Oh that's right you use the GC site to cache and the GCA site to whinge and whine and hope the someone from the GC site will read your problems and fix them.

So lets set up another site for an Association. Lets see, cache log on 1, talk/chat on 2 and then join a third to benefit from what you might achieve.

Ok so if I have a problem with the GC site do I post a comment in the GCA forums and hope that someone from the Assocition reads it then they post a note to GC. Boy this is confusing. Think I'll stick to caching.

 

Please note that I may of been missguided in my previous posting re the forming of an Association.

In light of some new infornation I hope that we will be more informed on the progress of any such

Association and that my conments may of been off the cuff with out a full understanding of the facts.

[+The Spindoctors]

A few questions to all 'future' members.

 

What is the best way to conduct meetings for a state-wide association?

 

What should the aims of the association be. Here is my draft list:

 

1. To assist new members of the geocaching community when they begin

2. To act as a representative body for geocaching in the state of NSW

3. To educate geocachers, land owners and other interested bodies of the educational, environmental and recreational aspects of geocaching

4. To liaise with Government Departments, Local and Regional Authorities, Legal Entities, Private Land Owners and others on any issue relating to geocaching

5. To establish good caching practices by accepting advice from land, environmental, archaeological, historical and other relevant bodies

 

Membership - the proposal is that an anual geocoin will be sold for $10 per year. Purchasers will be listed as members. Funds raised by the sale of the coins will be used to pay for the server, production of educational material (for geocachers, land owners and the public), assisting in NSW events and workshops.

 

Finally, I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on any additional things the association should do.

 

Look forward to your thoughts.

 

Darren

[+JABs]

Thanks for the feed back re progress.

 

What is the best way to conduct meetings for a state-wide

association?

 

Have you looked into have a representative from different regions of the state? eg Central Coast, Wollongong, Red Ochre Region that could attend these meetings. Just a surgestion.

[+The Spindoctors]

Would certainly be the go for AGMs - they could be responsible for any proxy votes.

 

I'm interested in regular committee meetings that may involve people from outside Sydney. Are people comfortable using Skype or MSN?

 

BTW - I've also had a suggestion to add something to the aims along the lines of:

 

* act a focal point for media enquiries related to geocaching

[j9journeys]

hi all

just entered this melee - or community of nsw people. i would lvoe to be involved. and if we can have real world meetings i would support that. with maybe people coming from other parts via webcam - or somehting. or if there are lots of people in an area they cna meet and invite us sydney people in remotely.

 

i would like to host a big....game of some kind and need some support.

i am running a futures festival called live futures 2020: a world of possibility in Newtown in Sydney on August 17 and would love a geocaching event as part of it. one of my sidelines is prevasive and location-based "serious" games and geocaching adds another dimension.

 

so..am looking for people who might get excited by that sort of thing and could help me set it up. I had big plans last year at our festival live futures 2020: A World without Borders but not enough people but i reckon 2008 is the year. kevin has made 2020 cool.

 

for background info join the live futures 2020: A World of Possiblity facebook group. or our youth website www.globalyouthfutures.org (still updating the program for this year)

cheers

hope to hear soon of a real world meeting (got turned off last year with phone meetings (not with geocachers i hasten to add) that lost the momentum).

 

can help.

j9journeys

[+JABs]

Just keeping this one at the top.

 

Any more developments?

 

Please keep us informed.

[+The Spindoctors]

Thanks for the prompt JABs.

 

Things are progressing slower than I would have hoped, but hopefully we'll have something to announce before the end of the month.

[+Team Red Devil]

Bob, now that I have the all clear from the doctors, I would be happy to volunteer my services whereever I can.

 

I have some time on my hands, and I will be living in the Wollongong area (currently residing in Figtree).

 

Let me know if there's anything I can help with.

 

Cheers,

Marie.

[+paegle]

add me to the list

[819mac]

Keep me posted and count me in.

[+homedg]

I recently recieved a couple of notifications.

One was from Geocaching NSW letting me know that a ranger they were in discussion with had removed one of my caches (and another of somebody elses in the same region). I only knew the region and not the actual cache which was muggled.

The other was a note on a DNF of one of my caches which I now assume to be the muggled one.

 

While I am not a member of GNSW, I respectfully ask that when in discussions with these bodies, could you ask them to respect the details included in the cache note and advise GC.com so pre-exsisting process and protocol can be followed. Hopefully this way some confusion and wasted effort can be avoided.

 

Thanks and happy caching.

 

David (homedg)

[+forthferalz]

well good luck guys - if you don't know it look up allegheny state geotrail. I have some other info saved on a letterbox series placed in state parks overseas - the developers are very willing to assist you in understanding the proceses they went through and the outcomes some years down the track any issues that came up etc.... i came within a whisker of being accompanied by a ranger mentioned on the cache page! to replace GC3E one year (why on earth didn't a local cacher go do it when it was possible?)