I can remember a few posts that I made on , oh yeah I forget where that was now, I digress and let's forget I ever said that.
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I can remember a few posts that I made on , oh yeah I forget where that was now, I digress and let's forget I ever said that.
That's really old news and not another place where we need to go over plowed ground Johnny Boy. Anybody want to talk about geocaching? It's a real cool game where we look for tupperware hidden in the woods with the help of zillions of dollars worth of satellites and handheld GPS's!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Haffy
Objection sustained. :D Lets cache on!Quote:
Originally Posted by dubord207
Sheesh! And I thought it was a game where you put film cans in the end of guardrails, which you find after calling your friends for directions! LOL!Quote:
Originally Posted by dubord207
:rolleyes::rolleyes:
And now back to our regularly scheduled thread....
Now lets get down to voting...
How about it Rick. A voting poll so we can carry on.
Sheesh! Party pooper... ;);)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mainiac1957
Way to rerail a thread Brad ;)
The board has one unresolved discussion, but hopefully soon!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mainiac1957
I've never met, he's probably a really nice guy who doesn't translate well on an online forum, As such I respectfully withdraw my semi-sarcastic post.Quote:
Originally Posted by dubord207
i would like to ask just one more question on this north south thing. If all Board members are voted on " at large " is it even an issue ?
No. LOL! :D:DQuote:
Originally Posted by surfacewarrior
I'm a big boy, but not all the board members are "at large"!Quote:
Originally Posted by surfacewarrior
I was at "beer and wings" and that might be debatable. not many of us were lean mean caching machine's. OK maybe a few.:D:D:DQuote:
Originally Posted by brdad
Elections: Names of those interested in participating in the advisory board will be collected in the first week of December and voting will be held the last three weeks of December. The current board will decide on the method to collect, count and validate the votes. All geocachingmaine.org members will be allowed one vote. The votes will be tallied at the first of January and the board will be refreshed at that time. Four board members will be elected in. The webmaster is a necessary member and will hold the position of 5th board member.
Shouldn't this be a done deal, by now the 6th of February. And I guess I don't understand the clause.....The current board will decide on the method to collect, count and validate the votes.
How many different ways can there be to vote?
the whole process is overdue....
Current Board Members are listed here: Board Members
Eligibility: To be eligible to participate as an Advisory Board member, the person must be an active geocachingmaine.org participant as well as an active Maine cacher who has general knowledge of laws and practices that pertain to caching in Maine. This includes non-residents but the cacher must spend more time caching in Maine than occasional vacations. Current board members are eligible for re-election. The current board shall decide whether a particular person meets these eligibility requirements or not.
Office Terms: Advisory Board members terms shall be in two year intervals ending December of even numbered years, and will be up for review at that time.
Board Reviews: In the beginning of November of even numbered years, a poll will be posted to the site asking the membership if they would like to keep the board members as is or if elections should be held to refresh the board. Thread was not even started until 12/23/2010 by BRDAD
Elections: Names of those interested in participating in the advisory board will be collected in the first week of December and voting will be held the last three weeks of December. Thread was not even started until 1/14/2011 by the Advisory board The current board will decide on the method to collect, count and validate the votes. All geocachingmaine.org members will be allowed one vote. The votes will be tallied at the first of January and the board will be refreshed at that time. Surprise…..This part hasn’t even taken place yet….Four board members will be elected in. The webmaster is a necessary member and will hold the position of 5th board member.
Vacancies: If a board member steps down or is removed from their position, the current board shall choose an eligible and willing member to take that persons seat. The membership shall be informed of this change at the time the change is finalized.
Dismissal: If at any time the board feels that one of the board members should be dismissed for not meeting eligibility requirements or for not contributing to the site and/or the sport as expected, they will discus and resolve the issue in a timely and fair manner. In the event the board member is dismissed, practices for board vacancies will be followed.
Sorry, as stated in my first post of the Advisory Board Election Poll thread, the delay has a lot to do with Rick's getting readjusted to this world after his hike. I might have been able to set it up, but I am more comfortable being a bit late than taking a chance at botching up the process. Looking back, the board could have run the polls and we would have only had to wait for the actual election, I am sorry I did not consider that and propose it to the board. Hopefully the election will happen soon.
The last few elections Rick has created a special election forum where each voter posts a new thread which lists the 4 candidates he/she would like to have on the board. This post can only be seen by the original poster, Rick, and someone trustworthy (who is not on the board or a nominee) to verify the count.Quote:
Originally Posted by Team2hunt
While this method has worked, the quoted line was added in case a better method was decided upon.
Not a big deal, but this thread was posted by the board on 12-30-2010, not by me. Ok, I did it using the board's account, but the post was a collaboration of all board members. But regardless, this post was late as well, for the same reasons stated above. Advisory Board Election PollQuote:
Originally Posted by Foxgloves
Quote:
Originally Posted by brdad
Throw all candidates into the Kennebec River, those that float are good, those that don't.....:D
Not advocating that it is better but it definitely is different.
I thought anything could float in the Kennebec River! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by TRF
But if they float, that means they're made of wood, which means... :eek::eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by TRF
The first mention of a new advisory board upcoming election poll was on 12/23/2010 (post by Advisory Board) Do you want to elect a new advisory board?Quote:
Originally Posted by brdad
Advisory board =BRDAD=Advisory board (same thing isn’t it???)
We all know who pushes the buttons…..and you know what they say……
If it walks like a duck it’s probably a duck.
No. I know for a fact that all the members of the advisory board are very active in their discussions. Just because Brdad is the most vocal of the Advisory Board members doesn't mean that the others aren't involved.Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxgloves
:D:D
I hereby waive any procedural or constitutional challenges!;)
I stand corrected. I had forgotten about the pre-poll post on the 23rd.Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxgloves
Wow, I never expected that comment, not sure if that's a good thing or not?Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxgloves
As Bruce says from experience serving on the board himself, I probably am the most vocal person on the board. Heck, I'm one of the most vocal people on the site. I am not, however, the board. Any posts made with the Advisory board account are presented to the entire board for discussion and editing before they are posted. Most of the time it is not posted until all members are satisfied; on rare occasion it has been only a majority. But regardless, the entire board has the opportunity to state their opinion. Once again, I am often the one to write the draft up, but it is rare when there are no edits. What can I say, I like this site, like to finish projects, have the time, and I'd like to see our site grow.
I disagree as well. Brdad is the usual "voice" of the board, but does not post until we are united on the idea of the post.Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxgloves
(And I have almost never seen him walk like a duck, but if you have a video... :p )
Actually I screwed up my post but couldn't edit it...I meant to say:Quote:
Originally Posted by Sudonim
"If it Walks like a duck, TALKS like a duck then its probably a duck"
My personal opinion is that BRDAD fits that bill (no pun intended) :p
My opinion is not going to change.
Now back to the discussion...........
Not to condone Chadd’s behavior on this site but he has made some interesting observations and I have to agree with him on a few things….. This site will never grow under the current panel.
If you want the respect of people on this site you might try being a little more communicative instead of being so secretive about everything. You should have posted back in November that the election process for a new advisory board would be postponed due to Rick’s adjustment back to civilization after his nine month absence from the site. I think most people would have understood. Thats all you had to do…is be open about it. Instead you had your excuse all made up and ready to go just in case you needed it. Its almost as if you were hoping no one would remember it was 2010 and that a new advisory board was up for renewal.
The current board needs to be renewed. It has really gotten stale. Every thread gets derailed within three posts. No one can stay on topic. Karen’s winter camping thread today is a good example of an excellent thread with opportunity for good discussion and information but already I see it getting derailed…..it seems to be a common occurance on this site and this site has turned into nothing more than a bulletin board with what people had for dinner last night.
People are tired of hearing one person’s same ole same ole opinion of what geocaching is and what it isn’t. We already know how you feel BRDAD. Stop beating the dead horse.
You have to have the last word on every post or until the post ends in your favor. You are not the Godfather of geocaching. Believe it or not your $.02 is not worth anymore than anyone elses $.02.
Now…. in support of a few people who I think would be assets to the board.
We have:
Fins_Up (Jason): If I remember correctly he has young children and is actively involved in geocaching. A perspective of geocaching with young kids and the challenges that go with it in terms of keeping them interested in this hobby/sport.
Team2hunt (Gary) He was a trainer and has the experience of talking to groups of people and educating them. He would be an added bonus to the panel because he is willing to go out and speak to groups that might benefit geocaching as a whole. He is comfortable doing that.
Dubord (Dan) We have a lawyer that knows some of the legality issues we sometimes face dealing with property owners and land management groups. That’s a good person to have on the panel.
We need a diversified group with different talents and backgrounds who are willing to make a difference and set a good example for geocachers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxgloves
I believe it was already determined that attempts to keep threads on track and "moderate" them has nothing to do with the board, but is the job of the sites moderators. This seems to be something that most aren't grasping.
OK, ok...we all get it. This whole process was late getting started (get over it) but that has been rectified and we now know who is "in the running." It's time to list all of the candidates and let us vote on our four top choices.
And to the new Advisory Board (whomever you are) I would ask that one of your first items to consider is this "Board Reviews" issue.
Board Reviews: In the beginning of November of even numbered years, a poll will be posted to the site asking the membership if they would like to keep the board members as is or if elections should be held to refresh the board.
This is really lame. It's an unnecessary step. Just do it! Every two years hold elections, and if the same board wants to stay on they can express their interest and if new other members want to be considered they can express their interest as well. Perhaps in the first couple of years this may have seemed OK......but the site has grown, many new members are on board, and it's time to enter the modern world.
Finally, let me ask this: four people doesn't seem like a large enough number to represent a large and diverse group like ours. With the quality of the people I have seen tossing their hat into the ring this time I'm going to feel badly about voting for only four. Would you consider six? After all, with this many people stepping forward offering to help out it's a shame not to utilize their energy and talents. Also: six people could be assigned specific duties. E.G. Two could be assigned to encourage/develop new membership; two could be assigned to work on revamping the bylaws; two could be assigned to develop moderators; two could be assigned to look at ways to improve the web site (why is this all on Rick's shoulders?) , two could be assigned to develop products to sell as a way to support the group (hats, shirts, decals, mugs, pins, pens) etc., etc.
I realize that I am suggesting we become the Maine Geocaching Association instead of just an online forum. And some of you will point that out. But is it time to take that next step? I certainly think so. This thread is intended to become familiar with the candidates for the "advisory board." I think I'm "familiar" enough and ready to vote. The question I now have is this: am I voting for enough members? And why aren't we moving forward to broaden what we do like so many other states have done?
A couple of things here that people seem to be losing sight of.
One. This is a site that Rick started and maintains, usually at an expense beyond what he gets for donations, and as such it should follow the basic premise he wants it to. It seems to me that the majority of the users here are okay with that. The people who don't like the way the site is aren't necessarily wrong, they just might want to consider starting a site themselves and implement policies that satisfy their needs.
Two. The board is very active behind the scenes doing what they feel is good for this site as well as geocaching here in Maine. It doesn't have to be out in the open throughout that process. Just because BRDAD is the "mouthpiece" for the board and a moderator as well it doesn't mean he's running the site. Rick is.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EMSDanel
I had hinted in earlier threads and post to precisely what you are asking here. The "scope" of the board was and is a valid question to ask the candidates. I hope you get a few pm's of a similar nature that I had gotten and those alone will make it clear that some members are very resistant to explore those `"broader view' options.
Again, a valid question EMSDanel and I hope it is taken in the context that it was meant and not regarded as confrontational.
Sheesh! That is exactly what we have now! LOL! :D:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Foxgloves
Actually, there already is an organization called the "Maine Geocaching Association". :D:DQuote:
Originally Posted by EMSDanel
And here's an interesting thread about the establishment of GCM.org and our name - to give you some perspective on the thought processes that were involved. Please read this to understand where we came from as a first step to discussing where we are going. :D:D
I have seen nothing, in my opinion, confrontational about this discussion, and some really good questions have been asked in the thread. I hope I am speaking for the majority here, as we would like the site to continue to grow. I think that change is hard for some and easy for others, while change is inevitable, how much will be the question.
Ok, I have to step in and say something here. I was hoping not to. Everyone keeps saying this is Rick's site. For those of you that do not know who Rick is, that is me.
Yes this site is owned by me. I do not consider it my site. I created this site many years ago to help the Geocaching Maine community unite. I have never and will never run this site as a dictator.
I remember when the board was created. I was the one that pushed to have it created. I did this for two reasons.
- To have feedback and help from a group of people that I could ask for opinions from without have to deal with the long drawn out discussions in the forums. Sometimes it takes a long time to get something resolved in a forum discussion.
- In hopes that some day the Geocaching Maine web site and group would become an Association. I knew that with its growth that someday this would be needed.
My main point here is, this is not Rick's site. This is your site.
That's why we like you, Rick. LOL!Quote:
Originally Posted by attroll
I checked out the "Maine Geocaching Association" site and it appears to be just links to shopping.
it's parked domain displaying ads to earn some revenue. it has nothing to do with geocaching or Maine.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fins_Up
It may well be less than it was at one time.Quote:
Originally Posted by cano
I know very little about it - other than the fact that it exists. I believe it was a fairly active organization at one time.
This is one of the countless links you have posted that most people cannot access, so I'm just wondering who actually has access to it? A list of people would be nice. Shouldn't be a problem, right?Quote:
Originally Posted by WhereRWe?
Sorry - I may have posted a non-accessible link a couple of times (I recently posted a link for the benefit of 1 member only - stating that it was restricted. I probably could sent it in a PM, but thought it was relevant to the discussion.Quote:
Originally Posted by cano
I certainly have not posted "countless links" that are not accessible (two, perhaps?), and my only point in posting what I think are relevant links is to try and clarify - or correct erroneous information - posted by others.
And certain threads were restricted to the people actually involved in the discussion.
I've removed the link.
:D:D
All the more reason to have a board, IMHO.Quote:
Originally Posted by attroll