Cache awards

[+Louise_Gerhard]

Stone huts

 

The above link is pointing to one of my caches where the cacher must produce a story after visiting the cache location. This is fun to me and I love to read the stories. It is good to see that cachers do have creative minds.

 

I would like to award the cacher with the best story. This is only our way as a family to say thanks to the cachers visiting our caches. We will do this on an annual basis. The idea is to award a geocoin to the cacher with the best story. I will do this on a yearly basis. The cache was planted on 21 June 2007. On 22 June 2008 we have to decide on the best story and I will post the unactiviated geocoin to the cacher with the best story.

 

As a family we decided to do it objectively. I will copy all the stories on one document and will hand it to my guys at work. These guys are from different levels and from different cultures and they are not cachers so they only care about the story. I will give them the photos of the area and they will use these while reading the story. They then tick the one they like. The one with the most ticks is the cacher that will get the coin.

 

Is this acceptable practise or will I open Pandora’s Box on this one? Or is an award on a cache a no no. How do the other cachers feel about this proposal? We decided to allow only one story per cacher but he has the right to change his story before the cut off date in this case 21 June. With other words one cacher have one chance to give it a try. Another visit and another story will not fly. I would like to hear the inputs of other cachers before we add this to the listing.

 

gerhard

[+Team GeoBlast]

Stone huts

 

The above link is pointing to one of my caches where the cacher must produce a story after visiting the cache location. This is fun to me and I love to read the stories. It is good to see that cachers do have creative minds.

 

I would like to award the cacher with the best story. This is only our way as a family to say thanks to the cachers visiting our caches. We will do this on an annual basis. The idea is to award a geocoin to the cacher with the best story. I will do this on a yearly basis. The cache was planted on 21 June 2007. On 22 June 2008 we have to decide on the best story and I will post the unactiviated geocoin to the cacher with the best story.

 

As a family we decided to do it objectively. I will copy all the stories on one document and will hand it to my guys at work. These guys are from different levels and from different cultures and they are not cachers so they only care about the story. I will give them the photos of the area and they will use these while reading the story. They then tick the one they like. The one with the most ticks is the cacher that will get the coin.

 

Is this acceptable practise or will I open Pandora’s Box on this one? Or is an award on a cache a no no. How do the other cachers feel about this proposal? We decided to allow only one story per cacher but he has the right to change his story before the cut off date in this case 21 June. With other words one cacher have one chance to give it a try. Another visit and another story will not fly. I would like to hear the inputs of other cachers before we add this to the listing.

 

gerhard

 

I like the idea. It will be interesting to see how others respond.

[+LeonW]

Gerhard,

 

I think it is a fine idea, but just to help cover the bases you can also give a Geocoin over and above to the winner to anybody you think had a deserving story. It is your cache, you could place a FTF prize like a GPS'r or a voucher for Woolworths; in the same vein you could award to your favourites your prize or prizes.

 

Spreading some goodwill these days are very needed indeed.

[+Louise_Gerhard]

Leon, I think 2 Jerry cans with fuel at the cache location will be a great FTF price. Maybe I should not tell you this because you will get an idea. A cache with a lot of jerry cans – miniature small ones could be the result.

 

We are only awarding one price, because if you select on a personal basis then you are going to have a flood of e-mails all saying “Why?”. It appears as if there are no objections so we will change the listing to suit.

 

Gerhard

Edited October 12, 2008 by gerhardoosMPsa

[+Carbon Hunter]

Brilliant idea.

 

I can't wait - I have a story - I just need to get there.

[+RedGlobe]

We have done the cache a loooooong time ago. I have added a watch when the cache was listed just to read all the stories and enjoyed them.

 

Even if we don’t win any prize, the idée was good and it provides some different thinking.

 

Gerhard we support your idée of a prize – this will now add to the creative thinking and produce very interesting stories.

[+Louise_Gerhard]

RedGlobe,

We discussed this issue around the table as a family at a number of occasions. The question that keeps my family busy is “Why don’t we give the cacher the choice, you do not like descriptive caches why should they do it?” At the same time the stories do give me pleasure and it is nice to read them. Something different than “TNLN, SL, TFTC”.

 

Ok, the requirement to log a story will stay but if a cacher refuses to log a story we will not delete his visit. I do not want to delete a log on any of my listing. Even if the guy wrote a negative log or he trashes my cache or me as a person – I think it must stay.

 

If a cacher do sit down after visiting this cache and he do fulfill the requirement and he write a story then I should have some method to say thanks. If my name was Bill Gates it would be easy. Reward everyone with a geocoin and then is no problem. Unfortunately I can only award one coin at a time. If the hit rate goes above 15 per year then we will have to adapt our method to a shorter period of time. My family however is still discussing this one.

 

I think this topic is now completed. There were no negative comments and it appears as if there are no objections to such a system. I only received positive feedback. Thanks for all the input – it is appreciated. Gerhard.

[+DamhuisClan]

Hi Gerhard

 

Nice idea.

 

I have also been toying with an idea of a creative cache. When we go past the area, we will be sure to visit this one.

[+Louise_Gerhard]

The only thing left is the how and when to award. Luckily all cache logs are dated and in sequence. Our problem in the beginning was the following.

 

• Set a target for example 6 months. Only 1 cacher could arrive and I now have to award him for the one story. So a fixed time period is not the one to use.

 

• Due to this problem we decided to use a limit of 15 to 10 cachers. The only other problem is – what happens if 60 cachers arrive in one month? This could be a technical problem. But luckily we are watching the progress and it seems like the award is not generating any additional visits above the normal. If this cache was in Gauteng then I had some serious issues to consider. That could generate a coin every month.

 

• The other problem is that you need to be consistent and fair. At present we are monitoring this cache to determine the boundaries.

 

We will soon be in the position to issue the coin. I ordered two. We will order a different coin every time. In the beginning we were thinking of having our own coin minted but that will be boring to see and to find these in caches all over South Africa.

 

The last story from Bouts was a factual one and it is clear that he have done a bit of research and hard work on this one. All over MP this ruins are found and I agree very little research is done. The one person I am waiting for is Carbon Hunter. The knowledge of this man is vast. I know that he loves history as well and he probably have a complete thesis on this. If he arrives and he logs his story we will award before his arrival and leave him for the second group. It is quite fascinating to read the other stories. I also noticed that about 6 users are watching this cache so they also enjoy the stories.

 

Yes, if you see a cacher jumping up and down somewhere in the field it could be me. If a person bitches somewhere – yes it could be me. But this is my way to say thanks and my way to give something back. Both sides win at the end of the day. For those cachers that do not want to write a story they also win with a find. At present I can not wait to issue the coin.

 

Gerhard

[+DamhuisClan]

At the year end braai Event Urban Hunters had an amazing coin called "Bridges and Arcs of Central Park". (TB26BAZ)

For a limited time one gets an un-activated coin when completing this 32 stage multi cache. Must say it looks like the one cache to do when in New York.

Reading the cache description GC17MX1, was very interesting.

 

This is much along the lines of awarding / rewarding a cacher.

[+Louise_Gerhard]

If I do a 32 stage multi for a difficulty rating of 3 then I also would like something special. I noticed that his coins are running out in the cache. It is real interesting to read the logs. But he made a real great effort with even a special coin. Thanks for the feedback. Gerhard