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troop cache


laxflame17

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Not sure of what your asking in regards to you are stumped on how to work it into the Scout requirements or where, but here are a few ideas you might want to consider.

 

1. You could incorporate some of the Hiking Merit Badge requirements into the hike for the cache.

2. Let it not rely on the GPS as much as map and compass skills required in Second Class Scout requirements 1 a-b.

3. Include it for a troop or patrol activity (which ranks require a min. number of those activities to advance)

4. If your looking to make it scout related add the troop number or patrol name on the cache, fill it with scout related items (extra badges, pocket knife, compass, etc.)

 

Hope that helps.

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This sounds as though it may be a good idea.

 

However, you didn't advise just what your stumpage problem is. Could be any number of things.

 

You have one smiley and one hide. I would recommend waiting until you yourself get more smileys (and even some DNFs) under your belt. Not that you couldn't run a string for the scouts, but the experience opens your eyes much wider and probably answers many of your questions.

 

Outside of the experience, there are a lot of people here that would be willing to help, but you need to be a little more specific on just what you might need to know. :P

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snipped

4. If your looking to make it scout related add the troop number or patrol name on the cache, fill it with scout related items (extra badges, pocket knife, compass, etc.)

Hope that helps.

pocket knife - No! Not allowed to be put in caches! So please don't. :P

I apologize for that one, I was just throwing out stuff that went with scouts. Yes please don't put a pocket knife in there.

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But, if you are going to list it on Geocaching.com, it has to be available to everyone, and it has to be in place for at least three months.

I went looking for one recently. The coords were in the state forest. Several people looked there and could not find it. The description was definitely in the boy scout camp. The camp had an open house, so I went looking. It was definitely not where the description said it was. I suspect it was put out for one day, then removed. I have no idea how it got listed on Geocaching.com.

On the other fin, I found one hidden by a boy scout troop, in the county park. That would be the way to go with it.

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Not sure of what your asking in regards to you are stumped on how to work it into the Scout requirements or where, but here are a few ideas you might want to consider.

 

1. You could incorporate some of the Hiking Merit Badge requirements into the hike for the cache.

2. Let it not rely on the GPS as much as map and compass skills required in Second Class Scout requirements 1 a-b.

3. Include it for a troop or patrol activity (which ranks require a min. number of those activities to advance)

4. If your looking to make it scout related add the troop number or patrol name on the cache, fill it with scout related items (extra badges, pocket knife, compass, etc.)

 

Hope that helps.

 

I'm working with both my daughter's girl scout troop and my son's Wolf Cub den at the moment in placing some caches in a state park near where we meet. One of the things we were adding to each of the caches were travel bugs using both of their council patches.

 

With the younger cub scouts like mr. shrek says re: not using the gps, you can create your own waypoints on a map for the scouts to follow. This is similar to what our boys did for JOTT last year to earn their map and compass belt loop and pin.

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Hi ,

Im pretty new to this stuff too. My nephew is a boyscout too and my sister has asked me to spend some time with him working with a compass. I am fortunate enough to have some property where I plan to make him a small land navigation course. I would give him a a point to shoot to and when he gets there, he would pick up another set and go on. I think at each point, I will leave a letter for him. By the end of the course, it would spell out a phrase or sentence.

 

Placing a cache through geocaching.com and getting approval would mean that you would have to set it up through the computer site and get approval etc. It would give you credit to placing another hide but it would also make it available to all cachers. Some of the neat things inside your cache would be available to everyone then.

 

Also, depending on the area you plan to hide it you would have to abide by the distance rule, so that you dont place yours too close to someone elses.

 

Just a suggestion, You might find a nearby park or even a field close by to do this that is safe. Go ahead of time and scout out where you might want to place one or more hides at and get the coordinates and log them down. Think about what you could place in that area that would blend in. Sometimes even just a hole in the side of a tree works. If there are a couple of rocks already laying there that would cover up a small canister, use that spot. Just like you did with your first hide.

 

Instead of registering your caches here though, set up your own mini cache course and place lots of hides in that area. You would be the only one who knows where they are. When you are done, then you can collect them all up and use them later when your ready to hide them in places you want them to be found on the day that you set aside for fellow scouts to do this. This might give you some practice with what works for you and how hard or easy it was for fellow scouts to find them. This would give them practive too. This would also allow you to place whatever type of cache items you want. You might even think about maybe having each cache location as some sort of "training" station. When a scout or scouts get there maybe they have to tie a cetaiin knot in a peice of rope you have left in the cache or recite something they have to learn or have learned in scouting. You could let them know ahead of time with a clue sheet of what size the cache container is and how hard it is to find it and what they may be expected to do when they get there. You can even leave a log in those caches where they get to sign off on. Some of the things could even be something silly that they have to do when they are there.

 

Maybe even have some sort of virtual cache set up. You find something that is neat to look at or a sign in the area where you are caching for the day. Give the coordinates to that location and a clue sheet that says that there is not a physical cache there, but that they have to tell you what the sign said or what you thought was neat for them to look at in that area.

 

I dont know if you were only looking to do this on den/pack level or not, but if other scoutmasters hear about your mini cache course, they may ask you to put it on for their dens/packs too. That would be really neat and who knows , maybe some sort of badge out of it.

 

Ive gotten alot of ideas from just visiting different geocache supply stores on line. Some ideas also come from reading things here and some from going to ebay and looking at things people sell there for geocaching.

 

I only have two caches that I have hidden too. I have a few that I have made that I hope to hide soon. There are lots of things at home to make them out of that doesnt require alot of money. Plastic jugs can be spray painted, the little film canisters, even sippie cups if you plug the holes up.

 

Hopefully this might help you out a little.

Good luck :P

Edited by TeamVasquez
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Our troop incorporated placing a cache in conjunction with also placing an historical marker. They carried this huge rock marker up into the desert and placed it on an historic trail - they also did maintenance and placed another marker at the other end on other trips. That way, they were learned history, gained historic trails patch and geocached (as well as hiking and camping in the same trip!) Lots of fun. It's listed on gc.com and is open to all.

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We've found several caches placed by various "troops" where kids had to do it for a badge of some type or something along those lines.

 

It's great that people want to place caches, but what seems to happen is, once the cache has been placed, it gets forgotten and no one maintains it. The kids got their badge, so they don't go back to it. The leaders don't get out to it, or the leaders change, and the new leaders don't know about it.

 

After awhile, the cache ends up all wet and ruined or gets muggled and no one fixes it. I posted a Needs Archived on one awhile back because it clearly wasn't there and had a years worth of DNFs with more than a dozen cachers having looked and not found it. Who knows how many looked and didn't post a DNF.

 

The owner hadn't been on in a couple years, and it eventually got archived.

Edited by Skippermark
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Thought I would chime in on this one. Having cached more than some less that lots, I have been a cacher longer than I have been involved with scouts.

 

It is exciting to see that during the 100 years of scouting celebration there is an inclusion of my favorite hobby. Here is a link to the BSA site where they talk about what it looks like. You will notice they have partnered with Groundspeak at least in offering a 30 day trial membership for a premium account.

 

I would say, lets help the scouts understand the game (obsession) better. What a great fit for people that already do a bunch of outdoor stuff to get involved with caching.

 

For laxflame17, have you checked with your local council to see how they plan on implementing the get in the game program? I have included a picture of the Geocaching Emblem that can be found in the scout store. Our Pack is going to give them to the boys as we have specific outings to find some of the caches our council hides.

 

One idea I have heard that I really like, is preparing a passport of sorts. Some from of a booklet that can be taken to a series of caches (possibly letterbox hybrid) and stamped. Then presented back to the Pack. This could be done as a den or even individually.

 

Getinthegame.jpg

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