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CUB SCOUTS


akosborn9

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Hello from an Eagle Scout, for whom geocaching rekindled my love for the outdoors when I discovered the sport in 2002. Geocaching is a natural fit with scouting, as it teaches navigation skills, teamwork, and respect for the environment. These are all things that Scouts should learn.

 

Scouting taught me many skills that I wasn't familiar with prior to joining. I think the same would hold true for an adult leader. Do you know each and every one of the other skills needed for advancement in scouting? If not, wouldn't you want to learn about them in order to be an effective leader?

 

You can learn about geocaching through the Help Center on the website, by attending a local geocaching event and asking questions, or by asking a local geocacher in your area to assist you. Why not begin with a listed counselor for the Geocaching Merit Badge? That same volunteer ought be willing to help out the Cubs, too.

 

If your question is whether Geocaching.com somehow forced this activity onto Scouting, that's just wacky, so I'll assume that's not what you meant.

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While I'm no Eagle scout like the green hamster above me, I have brought many scouts (cub and boy) out for geocaching adventures.

 

I second working with a geocaching merit badge counselor. But in addition to that, one of the requirements for a boy scout to get their merit badge is:

 

Plan a geohunt for a youth group such as your troop or a neighboring pack, at school, or your place of worship. Choose a theme, set up a course with at least four waypoints, teach the players how to use a GPS unit, and play the game. Tell your counselor about your experience, and share the materials you used and developed for this event.

 

If you contact a local boy scout troop (perhaps your pack has an associated troop?) you may find a boy scout looking to earn his geocaching merit badge. By bringing a boy scout in to teach a unit on geocaching, you not only help him earn his badge, but the cubbies often enjoy working with older boys instead of adults. Presumably in most cases the boy scout has already learned about geocaching, gone out himself, worked with a counselor, and would likely be an enthusiastic teacher.

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I am a cub scout leader in my local area. Webelos Scouts have been assigned a required activity of going geocaching. Did Geocaching (the company) have anything to do with this? It is really becoming a pain for me, as I know nothing about geocaching. An None of my other leaders do as well.

 

it's pretty easy, you don't have to use a phone or gps to do it. setup caches in a park, draw a map of where they are, and send the kids to find them. no gps , phone, or struggling with official geocaching rules involved.

 

remember, you're supposed to learn something with the kids, instead of just reading the rule book and following the power point. you'll have fun, and they will too.

 

(hint, ditch the official presentation of how it's done)

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Following just a map isn't geocaching. It's pirate treasure hunting, or hiking with designated rest stops, or at best, "letterboxing." The quintessential outdoor skill taught by geocaching is GPS use (to include a smartphone's GPS).

 

Having a cache hunt with no exposure to GPS is like doing the camping activity by pitching a tent in the backyard.

 

Finding a cache (as opposed to hiding one) ought not involve "struggling with official geocaching rules."

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Following just a map isn't geocaching. It's pirate treasure hunting, or hiking with designated rest stops, or at best, "letterboxing." The quintessential outdoor skill taught by geocaching is GPS use (to include a smartphone's GPS).

 

Having a cache hunt with no exposure to GPS is like doing the camping activity by pitching a tent in the backyard.

 

Finding a cache (as opposed to hiding one) ought not involve "struggling with official geocaching rules."

 

that's a good point, i should have been clearer

 

do they learn how to download caches, load maps, plot a route, and record a track? no, the requirement is just to find a cache, so the den leader is going to set everything up (to guarantee success) and then hand it to the kids, all ready to go with a pointer and the feet left to hike, on the screen. the boxes will be checked, the belt loop acquired, but they have learned nothing about GPS usage.

 

we set the bar higher, showed them how to download a map , plot a route, FOLLOW that route, record a track, and of course say "hello" to the caches as we hiked by. one kid asked about how the GPS talks to satellites, so we went over how that actually works, instead of focusing on how to click "i found it".

 

the plane Jane caching belt loop is watered down, and does not teach GPS usage.

 

keep in mind this isn't anti-caching at all, the requirements are so incredibly watered down that kids can't possibly fail. the caching is a blast, our young explorers loved it. :-)

Edited by ohgood
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I am a cub scout leader in my local area. Webelos Scouts have been assigned a required activity of going geocaching. Did Geocaching (the company) have anything to do with this? It is really becoming a pain for me, as I know nothing about geocaching. An None of my other leaders do as well.

 

I have saw these awful "Scout project caches" dumped on other geocache listing services too, so I'm sure it was not Groundspeak's idea.

 

I do know it's a required activity for a merit badge, and I always thought it was silly to force geocaching on the Scouts.

 

I have seen them as part of Eagle Scout projects, and that is just plain nuts. :anicute:

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Following just a map isn't geocaching. It's pirate treasure hunting, or hiking with designated rest stops, or at best, "letterboxing." The quintessential outdoor skill taught by geocaching is GPS use (to include a smartphone's GPS).

 

Having a cache hunt with no exposure to GPS is like doing the camping activity by pitching a tent in the backyard.

 

Finding a cache (as opposed to hiding one) ought not involve "struggling with official geocaching rules."

 

Actually following "just a map" is called Orienteering and is much more difficult than Geocaching. To compare.. find 10 caches in an hour covering 3-4 miles of off trail running in about an hour.

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Following just a map isn't geocaching. It's pirate treasure hunting, or hiking with designated rest stops, or at best, "letterboxing." The quintessential outdoor skill taught by geocaching is GPS use (to include a smartphone's GPS).

 

Having a cache hunt with no exposure to GPS is like doing the camping activity by pitching a tent in the backyard.

 

Finding a cache (as opposed to hiding one) ought not involve "struggling with official geocaching rules."

 

Actually following "just a map" is called Orienteering and is much more difficult than Geocaching. To compare.. find 10 caches in an hour covering 3-4 miles of off trail running in about an hour.

 

Yes. There was a cache hidden nearby by someone into Orienteering. The coords were about two miles off. The 'orienteering' part started from a private campground. (Unavailable to most geocachers.) Some nasty e-mails accusing me of not being able to use a GPSr. CO lives about ninety miles away, and never rechecked the coords. Archived very quickly.

Yes. I know. An extreme example. But Geoacaching is about use of a GPSr, or a similar device to use coordinates for the find.

Leaving the dining hall, cross the dam, hang a left, go past the boathouse. After you cross the stream, relax in the clearing next to the lake, and let the receiver get a good fix. Head away from the lake, through the pine stand.'
does no good if the coords are two miles off, and the dining hall is in a private campground.
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