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West TN Geogroup


ChrisCindy

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Do we have a need to be organized? That's the question I ask myself when I think about forming a full-fledged group of some sort.

 

If we do need to be organized, how organized do we need to be?

 

Would there be a guiding body (like a president & whatnot) with rules?

 

Would there be dues (always a point of contention in groups)?

 

Is the current loose confederation of cachers sufficient?

 

Points to ponder...

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I was thinking about the same things, bit. Groups are fun and we could always form one for the fun factor, but how far are we going to take it and also how far can we take it? Do we have suffecient pull to make a difference. Even if we have a group, what is it that the group would do that would make geocaching better? Is that even a function of the group?

If there is one, I think the idea of a guiding body, as Bit put it, is necessary. The idea of rules would come later. Dues are an issue, and could go either way. I say if it were organized there would not be dues on the front end. If after operating for a while we realize that there is a need for additional funds, the members would vote on it.

That brings up another question though. How would people become members? Does anyone know how other chapters have formed and how they accept new members?

 

nonflashygif.txt

My skills are ferior!

 

Check out http://memphistw.org for my discussion board.

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I am an officer in the RBFC which is,our local blacksmithing group and making an "official" group is a little work.

 

If we don't take money , dues, then we can operate anyway we see fit. I was thinking more of a way to organize monthly get togethers like they do in Nashville.

 

Setting up a Saturday or weeknight event like BL did on a monthly basis is about all I could see at first. Eveyone would pay their own way, if costs were involved, so dues won't be needed.

 

Saturday picnic, or what have you. Set up our own weekend caches. A few donated door prizes. Strippers... you know a normal Saturday in the park. (ok I was just joking about the door prizes)

 

There would have to be some folks in charge, just to organize things, not to think of themselves as god. (sorry, rant from another post)

 

Something simple.

 

Later we can take up arms and invade a park, take it over and set up a caching commune but that can be discussed at the second meeting.

 

When in doubt...hit it with a big hammer.

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Have you ever been to one of those meetings in Nashville. It is really organized... Its nice and all but I don't know if I'd want it to go that far.

 

As far as just getting together at a park or local bar would be an idea. We could still have the new news but as far as an adgenda and dues, I'm not too sure.

 

64784_1200.gifBeen there... Done that...

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quote:
Originally posted by Blodlizrd:

How would people become members? Does anyone know how other chapters have formed and how they accept new members?


 

Heh heh, pledge hazing!! You got to prove yourself by taking a regiouris set of tests! (insert evil laugh here) Mou hah hah hah....

 

64784_1200.gifBeen there... Done that...

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Yeah I am not talking about reading of the minutes and latest news and vote on this and vote on that. I was just suggesting an organized monthly group. No dues, no anything but caching and hanging out. A way to get together and have a little fun.

 

When in doubt...hit it with a big hammer.

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Well, from someone who lives in West TN and outside of Memphis/Shelby County, I like the idea of an organized group (not that I'm organized in any way). I don't think we have to be OVERLY organized, but there is some sense of pride being part of, or a member of an organization. Let's face it, an organization can do a better job of promoting the sport than we all can individually. Memphis may not have much need for promotion of the sport, but West Tennessee is in serious need of more geocachers and caches. Not to mention I think it's cool to publish a new cache with a banner that says something like, "This cache placed by a member of the Geocaching for Goobers Association," or some variation thereof. I like the idea of meeting regularly to just shoot the bull about new ideas and hilarious adventures. I don't think we would have to have dues, at least not initially. We could each contribute to door prizes, but we wouldn't have to do door prizes every meeting. We could just do door prizes at the bigger events, like CITO or some other cache finding event. We could have a steering committee rather than officers. I'm not sure how other organizations accept new members, I'll have to research that one.

 

Just my two cents, or was that quarter. Oh well, maybe it can be applied to my dues!!!

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I'm not in West TN, so I hope you don't mind me butting in from Middle TN.

 

Honestly, I'm shocked that the Nashville group (refer to http://www.mtgc.org ) is considered "really organized". Yeah, we have officers and scheduled meetings. I'm one of those officers and I can't say that it's been a huge burden. Maybe A182Pilot will say I'm a slacker icon_biggrin.gif

 

Our best turnouts are for the meetings that have descriptions that read "picnic lunch: bring desert to trade/no agenda" where we pig out and yak. The meetings where we held classes on PDA usage or orienteering or how to treat ticks or snake bites in the field and arranged a group CITO event weren't so well attended, but we always have fun. (I personally prefer "Ticks & Trash", but I won't say no to brownies & fudge.)

 

We do collect dues. $5/year was intentionally chosen to be pocket change to anyone with a computer and a GPS. We've never thrown a person out that didn't fork over the five-spot. We use that to defray the costs of shelter reservations for the meetings, running a very minor web site (where local chatter can happen instead of doing it on the midsouth forums here) and so on. We don't accept credit cards, paypal, or such. We don't prorate dues over the year. We try to keep the bookkeeping very simple. As the functionality from other sites drops, I'm hoping to do more with our local web site, but we'll just have to see how that goes.

 

The local group has turned out really well for us as we interface to other groups, too. When http://www.tennesseecrossroads.org wanted to contact folks "in the know", they could look at just about any cache in middle TN, folow the linky-link to the club site, and click on 'contact officers' and get the 'right' people. Ditto for park admins. They really like having to interface with one group instead of a bazillion individuals. It also allowed us to pool our talents (we have one guy that makes great graphics art, one that writes really well - hint: combine those two and place brocures at the local REI/Academy) one that interfaces with the parks amazingly well, and so on) so we actually look to the outside world like we have our act together. :-) The local major parks know exactly who to contact when they need volunteers with GPSes to help host a presentation on Geocaching. I think we've been asked to do exactly that in various forms about six or eight times now.

 

A couple of the Memphis-area cachers were familiar faces here for a while, but Mustard Devil went to the Land of the Really Big Spiders and Salvo hasn't been here in a while. I recall meeting CWL in a parking lot once (organizedd?) and fondling his Color Meridian, but you'd be an obvious "sister organization" for us.

 

We'll gladly share anything we know -and some of what we don't icon_smile.gif - if you think it'll help. Feel free to contact me. I'm currently the VP and have been with the local club since the initial meeting was held in 30-ish degree weather in a pavillion almost two years ago, but if you want to talk to other officers or regulars, I'll hook you up with them, too.

 

Watching the growth in Memphis, I'd guess you're about ready....

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quote:
Originally posted by Bartster:

"This cache placed by a member of the Geocaching for Goobers Association"


 

LOL!!!! icon_biggrin.gificon_rolleyes.gif

 

quote:
Originally posted by robertlipe:

We'll gladly share anything we know -and some of what we don't - if you think it'll help. Feel free to contact me. I'm currently the VP and have been with the local club since the initial meeting was held in 30-ish degree weather in a pavillion almost two years ago, but if you want to talk to other officers or regulars, I'll hook you up with them, too.


 

Thanks for the Support!

 

64784_1200.gifBeen there... Done that...

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quote:
Originally posted by Stitchmonster:

I'm up for an informal group that gets together over pizza, BS's a bit, swaps some tales, and just relaxes a while. No formalities, no outline, no rigid schedule, no commitments...

 

Anything more structured is too much for me. icon_smile.gif


 

Is a secret handshake too formal for you? icon_biggrin.gif

 

When in doubt...hit it with a big hammer.

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