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Georgia Geocachers Association, please help me


Guest Dave P

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I am interested in starting up a geocachers group down here in Tallahasee. I was hoping that someone could help me out with what you have done. How many people are in your group? Is it an informal group or organized club? How do you get information to fellow cachers about joining the group? Do you just have friendly get togethers or formal meetings? Please, any help you can give would be appreciated.

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Guest tjbowers

Hi Dave,

My name is Jess Bowers and I'm the South & Southeast Forum Groundspeak moderator. I'm also on the Steering Committee for the Georgia Geocachers Association. Someone from the Steering Committee will contact you via email with any and all help we can provide. If anyone else out there has a similar interest please reply to this message and I'll be sure someone is in touch with you. Just make sure you leave an email address.

 

Jess

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Guest mtn-man

Hello Dave P, I will see if I can get some info here for you.

 

We started out by having a couple of guys here in GA post a cache to the Geocaching site. It was for a gathering, instead of an actual cache, so we could put faces to the names on the cache logs. I jumped in to help by suggesting a location. Shortly before the meeting caches were removed from GA State Parks, and our first gathering turned into a meeting with a lot of interested people wanting to work together. We decided to keep meeting once a month as we went along. Several of us have been working to pull meetings together each time. Most of that is done over email, and now we also have a GGA discussion board (which has dramatically reduced the email flood). We now have formal meetings with presentations and guest when we can get them. Our September meeting was the best so far with around 45 to 50 people and several presentations culminating with an awesome snake demonstration. We are developing a web site for an information resource. We even have shirts and mugs and stuff with our GGA Logo for sale.

 

We have remained an informal group, and the meetings are full of great stories and great ideas. We have a signup sheet at each meeting. If new attendees give us their email address, we add them to our email list which puts them in the information loop. We are making progress as a group. Together we have made progress in some areas to get permission to Geocache. Since we share our ideas, success, and failures, we seem to be moving faster to promote our hobby/sport in GA. With two of the highest overall cache finders in GA, we need all the new caches we can get! (GA Geochampions -- bent_twigs and erik88l-r)

 

Some of us in the GGA do email some new GA Geocachers that we see pop up with a few *Found*. We tell them to look for the event cache that we have posted on the main Geocaching page and to come if they can. The whole deal here in GA started with a few of us sending email back and forth. You can do the same in FLA. I will chime back in if I can think of anything else. I am sure fellow GGA members will too. Add any additional questions here, or go to my web page and click the email link to send me mail.

 

Good luck and Good Hiking... mtn-man (Greg)

http://mtn-man.home.mindspring.com

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Guest mtn-man

g faster to promote our hobby/sport in GA. With two of the highest overall cache finders in GA, we need all the new caches we can get! (GA Geochampions -- bent_twigs and erik88l-r)

 

Some of us in the GGA do email some new GA Geocachers that we see pop up with a few *Found*. We tell them to look for the event cache that we have posted on the main Geocaching page and to come if they can. The whole deal here in GA started with a few of us sending email back and forth. You can do the same in FLA. I will chime back in if I can think of anything else. I am sure fellow GGA members will too. Add any additional questions here, or go to my web page and click the email link to send me mail.

 

Good luck and Good Hiking... mtn-man (Greg)

http://mtn-man.home.mindspring.com

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Guest BigDoggie

b's second meeting.

 

Here's how to start: (1) schedule a meeting, (2) publicize the hell out of it, and (3) people will come.

 

If they like it, (1) they will come back, and (2) they will tell other people, who in turn will come.

 

So... NUMBER ONE, plan a meeting. Pick a date at least a month away. Pick a spot that has some intrensic value beyond geocaching. A park, a river, etc. Pick a place that people would bring their families and kids to, so that you can cast it as a "family friendly" event.

 

Pick a place that has caches nearby (our Nov mtg has 40+ caches within 20 miles) and/or arrange to have some caches placed near the meeting site (for our Oct mtg in a more rural area, a member who lives near the park put out four new caches in conjunction with the meeting).

 

All you really need is a pavilion (in case of rain). Try to get one for free; if you can't, pass the hat at the meeting.

 

Plan SOMETHING to do at the meeting. Read the event cache listing for other groups, including ours, and plagarize their ideas. An easy one would be a group cache... you buy an ammo can and ask everybody to bring a nice trade goods item. Somebody places the cache, and the rest of you have a new cache to seek. Food is good... have a cookout before, after or as part of the meeting. If you are at a park where there is something historic or scenic, ask the Park Ranger to speak and/or give a tour. Ask a local sporting goods store to send a rep to talk about something. Have tutorials on map reading, compass useage, first aid, etc. Our biggest draw to date was the snake lady, who brought about 20 live snakes to show off.

 

NUMBER TWO, publicize the hell out of the meeting. Use multiple channels of communication: geocaching.com, this forum, e-mail, web page, flyers/business cards, etc.

 

List it as an event cache on geocaching.com. Post a link to the event cache in this forum with a descriptive subject line, like we do.

 

Create a website/webpage. You can do this for free at www.tripod.com. This is our first, unofficial webpage that I created in about a half-hour:

 

http://gageocaching.tripod.com

 

Note that the page publicizes (1) the meetings and (2) the channels of communication that you have established.

 

Use e-mail. Start by creating a two paragraph or so summary of what you hope to create. Include your webpage URL and a link to your next meeting event cache listing.

On geocaching.com, find caches in your area, look at the log of who has visited, and use the e-mail link to send this e-mail to everybody who has found a cache in your area. Use cut-and-paste so you don't have to retype the message. Keep a log of who you have e-mailed to so you don't send duplicate messages. In five minutes you can e-mail 10 people. The next day, email 10 more, etc.

 

Create a signature line in this forum, like mine below, with the URL to your webpage.

 

I don't know how long a message can be, so I will continue in the next one....

 

------------------

Interested in Geocaching in the state of Georgia? Visit the Georgia Geocachers Association at http://www.ggaonline.org

 

[This message has been edited by BigDoggie (edited 25 October 2001).]

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Guest BigDoggie

Dave, as another member (and Steering Committee member) of the GGA, I'll add my thoughts to what Greg has said.

 

I was not involved with geocaching when the club was formed. I heard about it in a TV segment and came to my first meeting before I even had my GPS in hand. This was the club's second meeting.

 

Here's how to start: (1) schedule a meeting, (2) publicize the hell out of it, and (3) people will come.

 

If they like it, (1) they will come back, and (2) they will tell other people, who in turn will come.

 

So... NUMBER ONE, plan a meeting. Pick a date at least a month away. Pick a spot that has some intrensic value beyond geocaching. A park, a river, etc. Pick a place that people would bring their families and kids to, so that you can cast it as a "family friendly" event.

 

Pick a place that has caches nearby (our Nov mtg has 40+ caches within 20 miles) and/or arrange to have some caches placed near the meeting site (for our Oct mtg in a more rural area, a member who lives near the park put out four new caches in conjunction with the meeting).

 

All you really need is a pavilion (in case of rain). Try to get one for free; if you can't, pass the hat at the meeting.

 

Plan SOMETHING to do at the meeting. Read the event cache listing for other groups, including ours, and plagarize their ideas. An easy one would be a group cache... you buy an ammo can and ask everybody to bring a nice trade goods item. Somebody places the cache, and the rest of you have a new cache to seek. Food is good... have a cookout before, after or as part of the meeting. If you are at a park where there is something historic or scenic, ask the Park Ranger to speak and/or give a tour. Ask a local sporting goods store to send a rep to talk about something. Have tutorials on map reading, compass useage, first aid, etc. Our biggest draw to date was the snake lady, who brought about 20 live snakes to show off.

 

NUMBER TWO, publicize the hell out of the meeting. Use multiple channels of communication: geocaching.com, this forum, e-mail, web page, flyers/business cards, etc.

 

List it as an event cache on geocaching.com. Post a link to the event cache in this forum with a descriptive subject line, like we do.

 

Create a website/webpage. You can do this for free at www.tripod.com. This is our first, unofficial webpage that I created in about a half-hour:

 

http://gageocaching.tripod.com

 

Note that the page publicizes (1) the meetings and (2) the channels of communication that you have established.

 

Use e-mail. Start by creating a two paragraph or so summary of what you hope to create. Include your webpage URL and a link to your next meeting event cache listing.

On geocaching.com, find caches in your area, look at the log of who has visited, and use the e-mail link to send this e-mail to everybody who has found a cache in your area. Use cut-and-paste so you don't have to retype the message. Keep a log of who you have e-mailed to so you don't send duplicate messages. In five minutes you can e-mail 10 people. The next day, email 10 more, etc.

 

Create a signature line in this forum, like mine below, with the URL to your webpage.

 

I don't know how long a message can be, so I will continue in the next one....

 

------------------

Interested in Geocaching in the state of Georgia? Visit the Georgia Geocachers Association at http://www.ggaonline.org

 

[This message has been edited by BigDoggie (edited 25 October 2001).]

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Guest BigDoggie

Continuing with the publicity...

 

Type up a flyer and run off some copies. Also, make up some small bulletin-board-size notices.

 

Have some business cards made up. You can get a thousand cards at Office Depot for as little as $13. Put the website URL on the cards.

 

Leave some flyers or cards with stores in your area that sell GPS gear and hiking gear.

Put a few cards in the logbook baggie of every cache you visit youself; ask others to do the same.

 

So, now you have your meeting. Although you will be tempted to do so, because you REALLY do need to settle business items, DO NOT let the business session take over the meeting. Nothing irritates attendees and presenters more than having someone drone on and on about administrivia. Keep the business short and the fun long, and perhaps even put the business at the end.

 

If you don't get anything else from the attendees, get their e-mail addresses. You can create a free e-mail list on www.topica.com that you can use as either (1) an announcement list, or (2) a discussion list to which anybody can post. E-mail minutes of the meeting to everyone who attended and invite them to join the list. Use the list to send out announcements of future meetings and activities.

 

We found that the e-mail list works well for announcements but that a threaded discussion board works better for ongoing conversations. You can create one for free at www.ezboard.com, if your people will stand for the ad banners and ad popups. Ours wouldn't, so we had to pay for the ad-free version ($30 for 6 months, pass the hat again). See ours at:

 

http://pub78.ezboard.com/bgageocaching

 

To address your remaining questions...

 

We currently have about 40 people on the mailing list and as users of the EZ board. This number grows a few as some newbies from each meeting join. We have had up to 40 or so at the meetings.

 

We have an informal structure. We did not want the rigidity of "officers", but SOME structure is necessary or nothing ever happens. There are currently six of us on a "steering committee" elected by the members. We do most of the work of planning the meetings, recruiting other members to put on program presentations and other things as necessary. Within a group like this, there will be some people who want to ACT NOW and some who want to DISCUSS FOREVER; you'll have to come to some compromises, as we did, so that things happen but not too precipitiously.

 

I am all tuckered out now, and bed is calling, so I am going to wrap this up. Use the e-mail link to send me any other specific questions you have.

 

------------------

Interested in Geocaching in the state of Georgia? Visit the Georgia Geocachers Association at http://www.ggaonline.org

 

[This message has been edited by BigDoggie (edited 25 October 2001).]

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Guest LoCache

Hey there! I am part of the GGA (and another of the steering comittee). It is interesting to see my cohorts responses to your request...each of us has our unique personality that lends to the steering comittee and as you read these you can probably get an idea for who does what.

 

For my part, I shall give the technical aspect of creating such a group. Greg did a great job of summarizing what we are about, and Lewis did a great job of telling you how to publicize a group. I'll add some about the how's and why's. As mentioned we were originally a gathering of geocachers just for fun...when we heard the State Parks were pulling Geocaches, it turned to both fun and working towards changing that.

 

We decided the parks would take Geocaching a little more seriously if represented by an "official" group...so we named ourselves the Georgia Geocachers Association. Several of us came up with logo ideas and the entire group selected one. For your purposes, you may feel free to use the same type name (like TGA or FGA) and even the same font and artwork. I will be HAPPY to tell you what font and graphics etc I used to create the logo. I am personally encouraging other people to start similar groups and use similar logo art and names....it will ultimately create a sense of continuity among these various groups when, someday, we want to tackle the National Park Service.

 

There is a ton more info I will be happy to share....for our part, we want our web site eventually to become a resource for geocachers and how to participate, as well as a resource on how to start groups like ours and tackle local issues like ours.

 

The bottom line is to just have fun, right? That's our primary goal. The whole thing in Georgia started when Jess and I bumped in to one another on a trail while Geocahing. We simply got some other guys who wanted to get together, started a cache page for the event, and then got together and swapped stories! It grew from there. You can make it as complicated or as easy as you like and you should have fun!

 

Take care, and please stay in contact and let us know if we can be of any assistance!

Thanks!

Geo

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Guest LoCache

d graphics etc I used to create the logo. I am personally encouraging other people to start similar groups and use similar logo art and names....it will ultimately create a sense of continuity among these various groups when, someday, we want to tackle the National Park Service.

 

There is a ton more info I will be happy to share....for our part, we want our web site eventually to become a resource for geocachers and how to participate, as well as a resource on how to start groups like ours and tackle local issues like ours.

 

The bottom line is to just have fun, right? That's our primary goal. The whole thing in Georgia started when Jess and I bumped in to one another on a trail while Geocahing. We simply got some other guys who wanted to get together, started a cache page for the event, and then got together and swapped stories! It grew from there. You can make it as complicated or as easy as you like and you should have fun!

 

Take care, and please stay in contact and let us know if we can be of any assistance!

Thanks!

Geo

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Thanks to all of you for the great info! I first heard about geocaching from an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution this past spring (I have friends and relatives in Atlanta) and "wiseAshe" was my first find. I hid the Morningside Cache. I contacted our newspaper down here and they did a great story on geocaching with me and now it is catching on. I hope that we can put a group together like you guys have, it sounds like you have a lot of fun. If I'm up there when you have a meeting I'll be sure to find you.

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Guest LoCache

HAHAHAHAHAH!!!! Dave, my friend, it will probably give you GREAT ironic joy to know that the Morningside Cache is where Jess Bowers and I met....it was standing around chatting near that very cache that we hatched the idea to have an Atlanta Area Geocachers Gathering...that gathering led to us all creating the GGA!

 

That is too funny!

Best of luck and as I said, if we can be of any assistance, please don't hesitate to ask. All of our resources are available to you to help start your own group!

 

Thanks!

Geo

 

PS - Here is my post to the morningside cache that day....

--------------------

March 31 by LoCache (24 found)

 

SUCCESS! Found this one after a brief walk down a GREAT trail. If you pay attention to the creek, there are some beautiful places along the bank. Got within about 40 feet of the Cache, and was busy trying to use my compass to get the rest of the way, when I heard voices behind me, and one of them said Well, I guess that takes the surprise out of it!. I turned around and met two fellow Geocachers! We traded stories and info for a few minutes then teamed up to find the cache. All of us had different readings, so we resorted to the directions and the landmarks. It was easy to get to (though not too easy in the mud) but WELL hidden. I thought this was the most clever hiding place I have found so far. Anyhow, Cache is in great shape, took Harry Potter thingy and left a Dog Toy. Turned it over to my newfound compadres to do their thing and then we left. It was great to meet some fellow Geocachers! Found at 2:45pm, 03/31/01

-------------------

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Guest erik88L-R

Ah, the Morningside Cache. I found that early in my geocaching "career" and later went back to it with "mtn-man". Here's his log of the find:

 

April 28 by mtn-man (35 found)

Cacher's web site

Great Saturday for Geocaching! A group of us went with 11Alive reporter and anchor Walt Maciborski and cameraman Matt to experience an afternoon hunt. We were out to promote geocaching and the upcoming MBMA Foxhall Geocaching Challenge. nowellj represented Foxhall; eric88l-r, his daughter and I represented the seasoned geocachers (he he). eric88l-r (the GA Geochampion) had been here before, so his daughter, nowellj and I set out to find the cache. We only had coordinates (no description) which made it more challenging. After 20 min. she found it, and we explored the rewards. We took nothing, and left a lizard to keep the scorpion company. We all signed the log and replaced the cache. We talked a while about hiding and finding caches. Great cache in a really neat location! Many thanks to Walt and Matt and WXIA-TV 11Alive for letting us participate. See us Tuesday May 1 at 11PM!!

 

Mtn-man and I later joined several others who have responded to this thread to form the GGA and it's all been uphill since then. Recently the cameraman mentioned in the log above also started geocaching with his family. The sport continues to grow! ~erik~

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Guest BigDoggie

Oh, this is interesting.

 

I grew up in the Morningside area, my parents were charter members of the Methodist Church on the corner, and I went to the public school next door to the church.

 

And the wiseAshe cache was the first cache to kick my ashe. The GPS led me from one side of that mosquito-infested swamp to the other until I was exhausted, bug-bit and bleeding from scratches. I left, and came back with the pictures, then it was easy.. although the GPS still said I was 125' away.

 

------------------

Interested in Geocaching in the state of Georgia? Visit the Georgia Geocachers Association at http://www.ggaonline.org

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Guest mtn-man

Morningside Cache -- Mega Geo-Karma Going on!!

 

I agree with LoCache; truly a unique hiding spot. Erik's daughter, Kat, really saved us from having to be bailed out by Erik while on TV! I most likely would have had to come back another day after reading the logs and stuff.

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That's great that the Morningside cache had something to do with you guys getting together! I do remember reading the post but didn't associate it with the group you have become. I did get to see a tape of the TV news story where you found "Morningside" but did not get a copy to keep. Thanks again to all of you for the massive amounts of advice you have given me, it will help a lot.

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Guest fisherKings

Another Morningside coincidence (or six degrees of DaveP)....the story that Big Doggie saw on TV that got him started on geocaching was the story that I shot with Erik (and Cat) and Mtn. Man (at Morningside)which got me started caching with my family and going to the GGA meetings that inspired you to want to start a group in Florida and then post a thread asking about how to get started and was then answered by all those nice guys that wrote above me....weird how things always come back around....

 

BTW...if you want a copy of the story that aired on TV ..I can get you one DaveP..

Just holler.

 

Sushi of the fisherKings

 

[This message has been edited by fisherKings (edited 14 February 2002).]

 

[This message has been edited by fisherKings (edited 14 February 2002).]

 

[This message has been edited by fisherKings (edited 14 February 2002).]

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Guest Jake.Hazelip

Whatever happens Dave, you can count me in. I've seen a couple of your caches before I got my own GPS. I plan on seeking them again (you're a busy one...) and logging my own finds now that I'm an independant cacher.

 

I wouldn't mind joining the club and we could even make road trips to nearby areas like Jacksonville, South Georgia, Lousiana, etc. and have mini caching vacations.

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Guest mtn-man

It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all (everybody sing!), it's a small world after all...

It's a small small world...

 

Hehehehehe!! I could not resist! icon_biggrin.gif

GeoKharma!

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Guest mtn-man

It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all (everybody sing!), it's a small world after all...

It's a small small world...

 

Hehehehehe!! I could not resist! icon_biggrin.gif

GeoKharma!

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Thanks, Sushi of the fisherKings. My sister in Marietta gave me a tape of the news story featuring our "Morningside" cache that works. BTW, we were in Atlanta this weekend and found "Danger Will Robinson!" and "Get Fit" and hid a new one, look for it!

 

Still putting off getting a club started down here. Busy at work and with other things but still want to do it soon. Thanks again to all for your help.

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This message got kind of chopped up during the import to the new forum. I see that most of the pieces are still there, sometimes more than once, but they ARE still there. And the forum will not allow me to edit my own posts now, so it looks like they are locked in stone.

 

Anyone has any more questions about the GGA, visit our website and/or our EZ Board, or just post your question here.

 

http://www.ggaonline.org

 

http://pub78.ezboard.com/bgageocaching

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Dave, I think a good place to have the first meeting would be in Tom Brown park. It is a family type place with many caches located nearby and even has some easy ones for kids. We could do a picnic type thing and tell everyone to bring their own food and maybe some type of dish that they would like to share with others as a food sampling. We could get one of the pavilions near the start of the multi cache that is located in the park. Maybe we could even get some news crews to join us. These are just some thoughts but I'm willing to help so count me in. Thanks Pat C. icon_biggrin.gif

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Dave, I think a good place to have the first meeting would be in Tom Brown park. It is a family type place with many caches located nearby and even has some easy ones for kids. We could do a picnic type thing and tell everyone to bring their own food and maybe some type of dish that they would like to share with others as a food sampling. We could get one of the pavilions near the start of the multi cache that is located in the park. Maybe we could even get some news crews to join us. These are just some thoughts but I'm willing to help so count me in. Thanks Pat C. icon_biggrin.gif

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I guess I can get off my lazy butt and get moving on this thing. I have gotten a lot of feedback from local geocachers so I guess it's about time to try to get a group together here. I will start working on some details and post the meeting soon. Geocaching seems to have slacked off here lately and there are several new caches around. Maybe betting everyone together will help kick it back into gear.

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