Plans to install memorial plaque at first Geocaching site - now under discussion

1.2k · July 29, 2003

Check this out. Under the General Topics part of the forum, someone has initiated the idea of placing a plaque at the First Geocache. What do you guys think?

-Elana (a.k.a. "Sparrowhawk")

5.9k · July 29, 2003

quote:
What do you guys think?

I think there are some who take all this too seriously. It's a game.

http://fp1.centurytel.net/Criminal_Page/

July 29, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Criminal:
It's a game.

So are football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, etc. And look how seriously THOSE games are taken!

July 29, 2003

I think it's a really cool idea. Come on, plaques aren't always for ultra-serious things. It's refreshing to have a plaque to mark the start of a game/sport that's enjoyed by so many around the world, rather than just another plaque marking a historic house or some movie star's birthplace.

Thanks for pointing us toward the discussion, Sparrowhawk.

Cin

July 29, 2003

YEA!

It can be a sort of "pilgramige" to log it!

Or a "Haj" if you prefer.

(yes, I did yesterday's NY Times crossword. )

OG

Prophetically Challenged (or is that Pathetically?)

5.9k · July 29, 2003

I don’t disparage those who want such a thing. I just cannot see the point. A memorial is placed for someone who died, typically doing something heroic. Placing a plaque is fine by me. I just think it’s a bit extreme. Far more people are playing baseball in XXXX park than are geocaching, we ain’t putting plaques there are we?

quote:
So are football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, etc. And look how seriously THOSE games are taken!

Not by me. I will play almost any sport. I will watch none. I’ve never understood the fascination of watching men run all about getting sweaty. (Hot chicks, on the other hand, are fun to watch.) I have friends who literally worship sports stars, not one of which would stop to help you change a flat tire. I can’t sit and watch others run around having fun when I could be running around having fun instead. That’s just me. I don’t think anyone who does is a loser or anything.

http://fp1.centurytel.net/Criminal_Page/

July 29, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Criminal:
I don’t disparage those who want such a thing. I just cannot see the point. A memorial is placed for someone who died, typically doing something heroic. Placing a plaque is fine by me. I just think it’s a bit extreme. Far more people are playing baseball in XXXX park than are geocaching, we ain’t putting plaques there are we?

Actually, there are many plaques at local sports fields. Sometimes these honor a person who contributed much to the community, but often it's just the person or persons who donated money or land.

Not all plaques are memorials to the dead. There are donor plaques indicating those who provided funding for sports/arts/buildings/education, there are plaques that mark historic spots or infamous events, and there are even plaques that mark geological features.

But...I do agree with you that I don't get the watching of sports, even though sweaty men in tight-fitting clothes should be interesting to me. As for watching baby chickens with hot feathers....well, that's just getting a bit odd, Criminal.

Cin

5.9k · July 29, 2003

quote:
Actually, there are many plaques at local sports fields. Sometimes these honor a person who contributed much to the community, but often it's just the person or persons who donated money or land.

The title of the post is:

quote:
Plans to install memorial plaque at first Geocaching site - now under discussion

quote:
even though sweaty men in tight-fitting clothes should be interesting to me

I find that statement somewhat intriguing.

quote:
As for watching baby chickens with hot feathers....well, that's just getting a bit odd…

I know, but I can’t help it.

http://fp1.centurytel.net/Criminal_Page/

2.3k · July 29, 2003

Come on, Criminal...it's a PLAQUE...what, I have to get THAT specific about the word "Memorial"? So just tell yourself it is to MEMORIALIZE the FIRST SITE.

Just a game, huh? You've got 2 years, 91 caches, and 1720 posts invested in this "game".

Besides, you need to get those numbers pumped up. The First Site Plaque virtual will be another one you can go visit....

5.9k · July 29, 2003

quote:
Just a game, huh? You've got 2 years, 91 caches, and 1720 posts invested in this "game".

That’s really an abysmal find count for two years. I’ve been watching some folks who found my cache (their first, second, or third find) a few months back passing me by!. That dadgum Martman has like 57 or something, and he cut his teeth on my World’s Easiest cache only a few months ago!

quote:
So just tell yourself it is to MEMORIALIZE the FIRST SITE.

The first site died? Please don’t shout, I’m sensitive you know. (sniff)

http://fp1.centurytel.net/Criminal_Page/

July 29, 2003

The whole Idea seems a little extreme to me. I would have to take a guess here but It seems property would have to be bought or donated for the plaque. Since this Is Geocaching maybe placing a memorial cache would be more appropriate.

Don't hunt what you can't kill!

July 29, 2003

Ha! Guess Team360 told you, Criminal!

"Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth,

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings..."

1.2k · July 29, 2003

Originally posted by Criminal:

quote:
I think there are some who take all this too seriously. It's a game.

So is lacross.

So is badminton.

So is ping pong.

And as the links above show, they all have museums and and honoring-places and sculptures, etc. put up for them. There's probably even a sacred central honoring place for bird-watching somewhere.

Soooooooooooooo what's your point?

2.3k · July 29, 2003

Oops, didn't mean to shout, Criminal...when ya get old like me your hearing starts to go first...well, second, I mean...hehehe...

Didn't mean to "tell" ya anything, either...hope you didn't take it out of context, it's just that I like this game so much, I want to contribute to it in a more permanent way rather than just placing another cache...so this is my way of doing it, and I hope the other cachers will appreciate saving the spot of the first site.

Don't feel bad about your numbers, I am the one that should have more finds with all this free time I have...

1.3k · July 29, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Boojum:

quote:
Originally posted by Criminal:
It's a game.

So are football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, etc. And look how seriously THOSE games are taken!

I don't think anyone is ever going to offer Moun10bike or one of the other master cachers a 10 year $250 million contract to watch them geocache. Nor will any of them ever win a gold medal in the Olympic geocaching event.

July 29, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Bull Moose:
I don't think anyone is ever going to offer Moun10bike or one of the other master cachers a 10 year $250 million contract to watch them geocache. Nor will any of them ever win a gold medal in the Olympic geocaching event.

I'd quit my job and start "training" tomorrow if this were the case!

I can picture the PBR beer commercials with Oregone holding a cold one, talking about a hard day of caching, and hitting on the waitress.

2.7k · July 30, 2003

great idea!

2.7k · July 30, 2003

quote:
I can picture the PBR beer commercials with Oregone holding a cold one, talking about a hard day of caching, and hitting on the waitress.

Like that one!

July 30, 2003

quote:
I don't think anyone is ever going to offer Moun10bike or one of the other master cachers a 10 year $250 million contract to watch them geocache.

Maybe not that much, but there are some who make millions for fishing which has a much higher yawn factor than geocaching. And, there have already been a few geocaching contests which have netted the winners thousands of dollars.

-----

Matt

K7MTO

2.7k · July 30, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by makaio:

quote:
I don't think anyone is ever going to offer Moun10bike or one of the other master cachers a 10 year $250 million contract to watch them geocache.

Maybe not that much, but there are some who make millions for fishing which has a much higher yawn factor than geocaching. And, there have already been a few geocaching contests which have netted the winners thousands of dollars.

-----

Matt

K7MTO

I enjoy fishing shows! To lot of fishermen, those shows are not boring. Maybe to the non-fisherman.

But, I would also enjoy watching caching on TV. Somebody mentioned something about a show that's sort of similar that I need to check out, but can't remember it's name. Is it the Great Race or something like that?

1.4k · July 31, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by BDC:
The whole Idea seems a little extreme to me. I would have to take a guess here but It seems property would have to be bought or donated for the plaque. Since this Is Geocaching maybe placing a memorial cache would be more appropriate.

Don't hunt what you can't kill!

Ummm, there is. That's why I wonder if this is needed. Plus, it can't be approved as a virt since there will be a real cache like 30 feet away.

---Real men cache in shorts.

2.3k · July 31, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by Nurse Dave & LKay:
That's why I wonder if this is needed.

There are many more things that take precedence in the "not-needed" department: micros in the woods, caches full of unwanted garbage or sitting in trashy areas, annoying sock puppets in the forums, the list goes on and on...we are trying to concentrate on doing something positive for the sport. No one questions whether or not any of your caches are "needed", and that's exactly what this is: a virtual cache. We was originally going to go off and do it OURSELVES, we have worked on designing and ordering the plaque, contacting the Surveyor's office, tracking down the landowner, getting permission, getting Jeremy to say ok because of its proximity to another cache, etc (in this case, we would have to argue that it deserves approval due to the significance of the spot, and TPTB seem to agree)...but instead of just placing it and saying "There, take it or leave it", we are letting the Geocaching community have some input as to what the plaque will read, the Logo, etc...it's no work at all for you, why knock it? Besides, it's one more cache to add to your "found" numbers...

July 31, 2003

I think it's a pretty cool idea to place a marker of some type at the site of the 'original' cache. I just hit Un-Original last week and I thought it was a pretty good memorial itself, but a marker down the hill & closer to the road would be cool.

I don't know what your plans for the marker are, but a benchmark type of setting might work out nicely in that area.

July 31, 2003

Well It sounds like you did a lot of research on this but I believe the question was what do we think? Well I think the Idea Is extreme! Especially for a Hobby

Don't hunt what you can't kill!

2.3k · July 31, 2003

quote:
Originally posted by BDC:
Well It sounds like you did a lot of research on this but I believe the question was what do we think? Well I think the Idea Is extreme! Especially for a Hobby

Don't hunt what you can't kill!

Okay, then, just think of it as someone placing a virtual cache, then.

By the way, for those who wish to contribute in order that we might get a bigger and better plaque (so far we have 5 geocachers that have done so), a PayPal link has been created. You can go to the PayPal website and make a contribution using the team360wwg@yahoo.com email address. This is strictly voluntary, but we are giving away an America West Aircheck (discount voucher) to the most generous benefactor, Certificates of Ownership showing your percentage of title, and listing donors names on the cache page.

Thank you.

2.1k · August 2, 2003

Having just made the pilgrimage to the original site where I threw my body prostrate on the geo-holy ground and cried over and over; “we’re not worthy, we’re not worthy”, I think a plaque is a great idea.

I picture something small and very simple, flush with the ground much like a benchmark and likely only to be found by geocachers and occasional road maintenance crews. The concrete base could be about the size of the original 5 gallon bucket and ideally in the original location. That would be cool. I will donate money to the cause no matter what size and shape is chosen.

August 3, 2003

well the cache there now is way off of the road......I doubt road maintenance crews go that high up. In fact I think the only people that go up there are geocachers. Maybe some animals are up there and that is about it. It is next to a huge log. A simple metal thin tin engraved nicely and with maybe the geocaching symbol on it will suffice and it can just be tacked into the end of the log.

monkeys are everywhere

August 3, 2003

this has sparked a discussion in the northwest forum also. I was just out checking on a cache I have in the area and checked out the original stash today...one of the roads is closed going to the cache and I had to do a 15 mile detour...slkajdf;l()*&&^#*)@&*. But anyway........I made a recommendation in that discussion. If you put a plaque right by the road, well the area is somewhat remote...I just dont want it to get defaced or vandalized.

of course if it is at ground level..it can be covered up too.

monkeys are everywhere

2.3k · August 5, 2003

First of all, a very big "Thank-You!" to the generous cachers who have been sending in PayPal donations for the Plaque. We have until Friday, August 8th to make any changes on the proof that we submitted to the foundry. After that, we will be no longer be taking PayPal donations, as the Plaque will have to be paid for then. We have to submit it this week, so the foundry has time for photoetching and casting, and be able to finish it for placing at the end of this month. We would like to once again thank everyone who has helped out, by donating through PayPal or by pledging to help at the site.

Plans to install memorial plaque at first Geocaching site - now under discussion

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