Get to know your nominees!

With this being an election year (our first election year) there are many nominees that are willing and able to take action in shaping the future of geocaching maine. But there are also many people out there that do not konw the nominees as well as some of us do. So the purpose of this thread is for the nominees to step up and tell a little bit about themselves to help educate our members about who they'll be voting for. :D

So to start this thread off I'll tell you a little bit about me... (into the mind of Hiram...)

I have been addicted to geocaching for over a year (since June 07, 2005) and have been a premium member of geocaching.com for almost as long. I joined geocachingmaine.org on sept. 9th, 2005 and am a donating member of the site. I choose to put my money to these causes because I love this sport, and it would not be possible without these sites. I want to see the sport and it's communities grow in positive light, over the last year I've been working with the Kennebec Land Trust to help them know where caches are on their properties, introduce them to the cache owners that have caches on their properties, and I am currently working with them to map out their properties and trail systems with GPS to provide them with some nice detailed trail maps. I've been active with geocaching right from the start (and draggin others into with me!) I've organized a couple memorable events such as "Hirams FTF-A-Thon" and the world famous "4x4 Cache Rally" If elected I would like to not only help the site organize to build a sustainable future for itself, but I would also like to dedicate more time to putting out the good word of geocaching to land owners and land trusts to help ensure that the sport has a future in the great state of Maine. So vote for me! Hiram357!!!!! and I'll give you a free candy bar! (just kidding about the candy bar, but you will get the satisfaction of knowing that you have done a great service to this website and the world of geocaching by voting for me) :D

Sheesh! I've been around for a LONG time! LOL! Everyone knows me, and either loves me or hates me, so I don't think campaigning would change anything! :D :D

If you want to check my caching experience, click on the link below.

;) ;)

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Originally Posted by WhereRWe?

Sheesh! I've been around for a LONG time! LOL! Everyone knows me, and either loves me or hates me, so I don't think campaigning would change anything! :D :D

If you want to check my caching experience, click on the link below.

;) ;)

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Oh, c'mon Bruce, You're not helping the cause of the thread... :rolleyes: You could at least say a few things to those who don't know you (like, run while you still can) What about all the new people that have joined within the last month that don't know you? If you don't say something about you... I'll write it up for you... then you'll be sorry... :p :D

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Originally Posted by Hiram357

Oh, c'mon Bruce, You're not helping the cause of the thread... :rolleyes: You could at least say a few things to those who don't know you (like, run while you still can) What about all the new people that have joined within the last month that don't know you? If you don't say something about you... I'll write it up for you... then you'll be sorry... :p :D

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No, I don't think I could add anything that isn't already in our profile. :p :p

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Originally Posted by WhereRWe?

No, I don't think I could add anything that isn't already in our profile. :p :p

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alright, have it your way...

Bruce is a big shy cuddly teddy bear kinda guy. He has been a ballerina for almost 10 years now. He loves the opera and long walks on the beach. His favorite beer is Corona Extra, and he uses a Magellan. He's never been out of maine because he has a phobia of squirrels, so he hides in his basement most of the time. His favorite hobbies include knitting, cross stitching, and pottery. He has 3 toy poodles named larry, moe, and curly, he loves to put pink ribbons in their hair (he thinks it scares the squirrels away) Yeup, that's Bruce in a nutshell for ya! :D

(see the importance of letting people know who you are now? :p )

Maybe he is embarassed about writing about himself, I know I am. But here goes anyway. I have been caching since July of "03" after meeting up with the infamous Brdad who met me at a cache in China "The China School Forest Cache" which I now own after adopting it from the original owner and his class of students there. I haven't looked back since. This activity has brought me to many places in Maine that I wouldn't have ever seen were it not for geocaching.

Another of the advantages is the friendships I have made over these last 3 years and not just acquaintances but really true friendships.

I have not hidden many caches but the ones I have hidden have always been special to me and have gotten many good responses. I was instrumental in the BRLT adopting all of the caches on their preserves as they were falling into disrepair and they now are the stewards of all of those caches on BLRT lands (Boothbay Region Land Trusts).

I'm not running for any particular board or office but think that the time is coming when we will be asked to account for ourselves and I think this organization will at least be on the right track to being and doing what is good for all Geocaching in Maine.

I hope whomever is elected will do the very best for what ALL of Maine geocaching stands for.

I think many cachers know who I am as well, but I’ll post to keep in the spirit of things. As a person, I am in my 40’s and a self-employed handyman. I have a bit of a sense of humor and incorporate it into nearly everything I do. I was a single parent for 15 years or so before geocaching came along, and had a little over 100 finds before I found the best cache prize, msteelee (I’m gonna score some points on that one, eh?). Since then we have found most of our caches together, although we maintain ourselves as individuals. The Br in my caching name stands for Brian, my son, and the dad stands for me. Brian doesn’t do many caches nowadays as he is at the age where hanging out with us old people just isn’t cool. I wish caching had been around when he was a lot younger.

As a Geocacher:
I have been a charter member of Geocaching.com since June of 2002 and am active in the national forums, the official chat, as well as the GeocachingMaine forums and chat. I was an active member when several discussions and votes were taken, not limited to the official Geocaching FRS channels and the public domain Geocaching logo (Which I still host on my site). I have found caches in many parts of the state as well as a few out of state. I even hunted a few benchmarks just to see what it was all about. I was actively trying to help when “The Team” was compromising Augusta area caches. I remember when some of the Northern Maine Virtual Tour caches were traditional and had to be turned into virtuals. I remember when there were no PQs, no maps on cache pages, and underground (non-listed) caches existed. When no one requested Yellow Jeep travel bugs the first year, Groundspeak contacted me and asked me to distribute them. I have helped many new cachers start the sport, both virtually and in person. I agreed to be interviewed by the Lewiston Sun, something that is not typical of me, but I did it because I thought someone might benefit from reading the article and enjoy Geocaching as much as I have. I have hidden five caches, all of which have been well received. I have promoted diversity and quality in Maine Geocaches. I have promoted quality containers and the use of signature items. I have promoted communication, honesty and friendliness among cachers. I have spoken up to protect geocaching.com standards and ethics even when I risked being disliked. I believe I have made a positive impact in Geocaching.

My caching beliefs:
The numbers are relative. Some cachers have to work 10 times as hard to find a cache as another cacher might. There are way too many variables to make any comparison of finds between two cachers valid.
When you remember your most memorable micros, more than often you will remember only the hide.
When you remember your most memorable full size caches, you will more often remember the surroundings and the hide.
If you don’t sign the log (or prove you were there, opened the cache, and that the log could not be signed), it’s not a find.
The validity of a find should be between the cacher and the cache owner, even if it breaks the previous belief.
There can be too many caches for a given area, even when abiding by Geocaching.com guidelines.
Cachers should read my Anatomy of a Great Cache Hide article before hiding caches.
It’s just a game, dammit! - dboggny


I believe the elected board members:
Should incorporate the decisions of as many members as possible when possible.
Should work well together and keep their minds open to all ideas.
Should work to get useful information for cachers and landowners readily available on the web site.
Should work on a plan to gain membership and to keep the members interested, both in the site and in Geocaching.
Should not make any rules regarding how caches are found or hidden; instead they should promote caching via geocaching.com standards.
Should not assume they know what other cachers think about any issues.
The fewer rules, the better!

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Originally Posted by Hiram357

alright, have it your way...

Bruce is a big shy cuddly teddy bear kinda guy.

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Well, Sheesh! :o :o :o

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Originally Posted by brdad

The fewer rules, the better!

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All this and a Republican too! Msteelee you are one lucky lady!;) :)

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Originally Posted by pjpreb

All this and a Republican too! Msteelee you are one lucky lady!;) :)

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Please keep politics out of geocachingmaine.org. Thanks. :D :D

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Originally Posted by WhereRWe?

Please keep politics out of geocachingmaine.org. Thanks. :D :D

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Give her a break! She meant to write Repairman, and the time limit kept her from editing! :rolleyes:

Most of you know me. If not from caching with me then from one of the events I've held or attended. I have long said that the people are what make Geocaching what it is. Not just the cachers but also the landowners that allow us on their land. I've been playing this fun game since July of 2003. I've found a good number of caches, including quite a few in other states as well as Canada. As the phrase I coined says "Maine, the way caching should be" is something I truly believe. I've also place quite a few caches and hosted a fair number of events. My hides cover the gamut of nanos all the way to a Island Hopping multi. I feel I do have something to offer this new organization. Thanks for listening. And believe me this was not easy for me to write. I am not one to talk about myself.

I'm like Bruce, don't want to talk about myself, but after seeing what Hiram did to him, I should probably say a few words.
I started caching Xmas of '03 and haven't looked back. I love the travel, learning about the hidden corners of Maine and the jems hidden in my own town. (Who'd have known how many parks there are just in Bangor?)
I started meeting other cachers "in the wild" starting with Parmachenee and many since. The caches are fun to find, the cachers are even better. I'm proud to be in this group of people (and hope to see many of you Sunday on the ferry)
As far as my "resume", I've found almost 600 caches, placed 8, let FFJ talk me into an interview on Ch. 5 news and (with a lot of help from others) got the 2005 coins made and distributed.
Hiram, is that enough, or am I in a pink dress too?:D

Well... what do you want to know about me... what can I say about myself? For starters... I can't compete with writing a nine-page novel and/or using scientific terms, but nonetheless, we all have one thing in common and that is geocaching.

I have been geocaching since 2004 and also been a member of here at the same time. I have made many friends and I think that's what counts. I enjoy going new places and finding places that I never knew existed. I am not a numbers person, if any of you know what I mean. I am in it for the game and for the adventure! I know anyone on the nominated for the board would make a good board member and I wish the best for you all.

Last year, I held my first event and although the weather wasn't the best, we had a great time. It was a lot of working, seeing how I didn’t have the chance to meet the southern cacher’s before and scheduling where and what do to but worth every minute of it. I am currently excited to host the next annual event, which is coming up next month in Limestone, Maine and hope most of you can attend. To say the least, I like meeting new people and having a good time.

Being up here in the north isn't so bad, but people think we are all hicks... and there is nothing wrong with that! I am an all around person who is active in many activities and like to stay active and busy. I am a go-getter and don't believe in failure. Besides geocaching, I enjoy disc golf, mountain climbing, mountain biking and spending time with my family and friends. I am an outdoorsman at heart and like hunting, fishing and camping. I am a proud Christian. I am currently a junior in college at UMPI studying criminal justice.

I have been told I am outgoing and enjoy dealing with people. I have been a firefighter for three years and I will be taking my EMT license this fall. You can’t always take me very seriously. I like jokes and funny TV shows. I am a bike motorcycle person and like to travel. I am big fan of the Red Sox and I am also an umpire for schools and organizations up here. I like old cars (Some people tell me I am addicted to rust!) I have a weakness for ice cream. I don’t know what else people would like to know about me, but don’t be afraid to ask. Quite honestly, I don't even know if I am board material but whatever gets thrown at me or not, I am always looking for a new challenge. PS, vote for Pedro!

Well Ok, all these cachers have shamed me to writting about myself, GEEZ, I didnt have to do this when I ran for M.S.A.D. #3 School board and won two years ago and just got re-elected for another three year term. Although I must admit, I am forced to give my opions to the public when faced with the questions.

Anyway, as many that know me, know that I keep rather quiet as far postings and chat. However you may also know that I am usually around when something that regards caching is going on. I was introduced to caching via some Ham Radio Friends, ( one of my other hobbies) I started caching in March of 2002 when, if i recall there was about 113 caches in the WHOLE State and i had to travel dozens and dozens of miles every weekend to get to areas that had caches.( wow, over 4 years ago ) I became a Charter Member of Geocaching.com soon after the spring of 2002. Yes, at first I was out for the numbers but soon realized, ( or at least I feel that it it much nicer to truly enjoy the caches that i do instead of doing them in hast and moving on to the next at lightening pace. I try to have an open mind about the do's and dont's of caching. EX. If one does not like Micros, than one should not do micros. etc. As long as a cache is maintained and there is good communication with the owner, current email etc. , then I leave it up to the owner. One of the greatest things about caching is the many places that one discovers that they would have never knewn existed otherwise. I wish everyone could have that expierience of discovering the great places. And of course the next best thing about it is the great people you meet from all walks of life and areas. but yet have a common interest. I sometimes write about caching in my local news column where I am the news corresponant for the Town. Or at least i write the cacher's post of local caches to share with the people to read. I find that most people I tell caching about find it very interesting and want to give it a try. If only all the people would use those GPS's that they got for Christmas. The great thing about caching, you can do it with a cheap version or an expensive version of a GPS.

Lets see, about myself. HMM> I am also the Treasurer of the W.C.A.R.A. ( Waldo County's Ham Radio Group) ( Involved with the local Booster Club) I work in My Third Generation Family Business In the Mid Coast. I am closing in on 575 Finds, althougth i dont feel that makes me anymore expert then someone with 100 or less. Or less qualified that someone that has found 1000. Have had two newspaper articles written about me and geocaching. Have had one of my caches ( 1 of 60 ) in the Hard Cover Published book "Local Treasures: Geocaching across america". I recently took up golf again of which I play with my teenage son. This has taken some time from my caching, Not enough time in a day to do it all.

But to put in simply, I Guess I would say that My License plate says it all. "GPS4FUN" This often starts up a conversation in a parking lot either interested people in GPS's or caching. Its All about the fun really, If we take the fun out of caching, then what do we have. It is no longer a hobbie. No need for tons of rules, Geocaching.com has it layed out for the most part. Simply, unite as a group with a common interest. Although be it, very difficult to make everyone happy in any hobbie, I would hope whom ever is on the board could give it a good try and make the Hobbie the best it can be for all cachers in Maine. Like everything, Organization of any Hobbie or group can only make them stronger. GOOD LUCK.

Since this thread was started to talk a little about ones self. I guess I am obligated to say something on my behalf about myself and what I have done for the geocaching community. Those of you that know me will know what I have done to help the geocaching community here in Maine. For those that do not know me I will go on to explain a little. I feel weird doing this because I am not the one that likes to boast about myself. So here goes.

I officially started geocaching on 6/5/2003. I will not go into the story that got me started because you can read that in the thread in the forums. After caching for about one year we attended our first geocaching event on 19 June 2004. After meeting the people involved in this sport/hobby we knew we were in love with this and the people. I found out about the yahoo forums that the group was using and went and checked them out. I was so disappointed by these forums that I knew right then that I had to use my experience and create a web site with forums for this group. So I put the name of the web site to a vote on the old yahoo forums. The majority picked geocachingmaine.org so that was what we went with.

On 22 June 2004 the new web site began. I set it up on a section of my server that I maintain for other things I do on the internet. I have not asked for any money in doing this. I had the room and was more then willing to give back to something that I enjoyed doing. The web site has grown without looking back.

Here is the last six months of our web site stats for those interested.

http://geocachingmaine.org/monthlystats.gif

Since the start of this I have worked with skydivergear http://www.skydivergear.com/cgibin/clubgear.cgi/gcmaine and had a couple of shirts made and added them to our cafepress web site selling our geocaching shirts at cost at http://www.cafepress.com/gcmaine.

We have coordinated three events last year and one this year so far. I have continued to try and pull the geocaching community together along with my wife.

I coordinated the committees and the meeting for working towards our organizing.

I have tried to keep everyone happy with how the web site is run and have asked every time there was a change or asked for inputs. I have never done anything without asking first. I do this because I want people to think of the web site as their web site and not my web site because it is their web site. One is trying to keep everyone happy, but when doing so there is always someone that is not. So you can not please 100% of the people.

Those of you that know me know that I am not the type of geocacher that is in it for the numbers. I am in it for the fun and to go places where most people will never see and go to. This one of the reasons I got into geocaching. The other reason that has kept me in it is because of all the wonderful and interesting people I have met caching and at events. I can honestly say I like every cacher I have ever met.

Over the last two years since the start of the web site I have been sort of filling all the rolls that the board members will be filling in the future. I have written to other organization, contacted groups and been an ambassador to the geocaching community along with answering emails sent to the web site. Running the web site has kept me very actively involved and has started to run me into the ground. I am glad that there will be board members to help take some of the load on now. I can just worry about the web site and work with them if I am not elected to the board myself.

Here are my political views of how I foresee what the 5 member board should do and be run.

I feel that we should not add any more rules or regulations above and beyond the basics on the geocaching.com web site and stick to there geocaching ethics that they have posted as our guidelines.

I feel that there is no reason to start charging any dues for being a member of our organization and that we should leave just the donation button on the web site to help defer the cost of running the web site and renewing the software being used.

I feel that anyone hosting an event should know what they are in for ahead of time and should not charge to have others attend the event. A donation box can be placed at the event if they would like to accept donations, but in my opinion all events should be free to the public. If you are going to host prizes at the event then that is up to the people hosting the event to get the prizes and not to charge the public for them by charging to attend the event.

I believe the board members should stay in contact with the geocaching community and should also make every possible attempt to attend every geocaching event in the state of Maine. They should also help to keep the community geocaching community alive and in good standards with the community, state, parks and any other organizations. They are actually our public relations for our organization.

I feel that the board member should set a good example of good geocachers and any board member that does not set and follow good geocaching ethics should not be appointed to the board or should be removed.

I could go on and on here but if you have read this much you are probably read to fall asleep if you have not already.

Thank you very much. I just want to make sure what we started here continues and it was not all for nothing and I will hope for you vote in the next couple of weeks. LOL.

I want to thank you all for this thread! I'm still a newbie to all of this and sometimes not sure where I should jump in. It is SO helpful learning about all of you, it makes it more comfortable to think about posting. I can't speak for any other new members but sometimes it is easier to be a "lurker" when you don't know people.

Okay, here goes. I feel the same way as the others about spilling on personal details so if anyone has any questions of me or any of the other nominees, feel free to ask.

My name is really Cameo. In real life, I am a staff accountant. I handle the accounts payable for a chain of 25 hotels in Maine, New Hampshire and Michigan.

I started caching in June 2004. I was introduced to this community by Mike of the G-Team in July of 2004. Since then, I have completed 419 caches, a few benchmarks here and there, and lots of letterboxes. I feel very fortunate to have made such wonderful friends and caching buddies along the way.

It is very important to me that the sport of geocaching has a good name and reputation here in the state. Most recently, we had an issue with a cache that was placed in a sensitive area without permission. Several logs had indicated that cachers had been stopped from accessing the area. I tried at length to get a hold of the owner and wasn't able too. I asked to our approver to step in and try to contact. When that failed, he archived the cache. I arranged a meeting with the property managers (Maine Department of Transportation) and discussed with them the sport and they decided to remove the archived cache. We also spoke of future placement and even with the concerns of this other cache, they agreed! We walked the property together and we chose a location together that would work. I think by stepping in and not letting them wonder why people continued to visit this sensitve area, that I was able to prevent some negative thoughts. I look forward to working with this group as I place a new cache there in the next week or so. This is just one example (very recent, still fresh in my mind) of how I have tried to help keep geocaching in a good light here in Maine. So many other states and areas have either banned or restricted geocaching and I would not like to see that happen here.

There is also another group of caches that do not get maintained by the owner. To make a long story short, the owners have refused to maintain them and will not let anyone adopt them. Since three of them are in such great locations, I have chosen to maintain those so that future cachers can enjoy these areas.

In February of 2005, I came up with the bright idea of having a Maine geocoin. The work initially was pulling together information and researching on design, price, quantity, and maintaining a database of promised orders. As the process continued to grow and grow, and my time to commit to the project got less and less, another cacher stepped in and completed the project. Thanks to all that helped me in this process and kudos to Sudonim for everything. Our Maine coin is a truly unique and special work of art.

For the past year or so, I have been working as a Forum Moderator at this site. This position entails working side by side with Rick on behind the scene items to ensure the technical side of this website grows smoothly. It also entails simple moderation on the visible side of the site. I have learned a great deal about the intermost finer details of how this forum is structured, and what must be done to make it look and act the way that the members expect. I am currently in the beginning stages of building my own test clone site so that I can experiment, learn, and impliment changes. At some point when I feel comfortable with my new abilities, I will be able to back up Rick 100% when he is away on vacation, trips, etc. I am still amazed at what Rick has been able to build and maintain here, and look forward to having him as my guide as I continue this intricate project.

So with that said, I hope to get the chance to continue to build and grow this community with the new organization idea. I look forward to having a group of committed individuals who all believe and support our endeavors here. Good luck to everyone!

Here you go . . . . . . A little about me and some of my views . . . . . . . .

A good friend of mine introduced the great fun of geocaching to me in early 2004 and I have enjoyed it immensely from the very beginning. Imagine this - my family says I am addicted! Some even think I have joined a mysteriuous cult!! As a result of this great hobby, I have seen more of Maine than I ever imagined I would. I have also been able to cache in other states and know that I have seen places that I wouldn't have otherwise. That experience alone is one of my favorite aspects of caching. The second is the opportunity to have met so many great people and to have developed so many friendships along the way.

My professional life is in the arena of healthcare. I have been involved in imaging (x-ray and ultrasound) for far more years than I care to admit! The vast majority of that time has been as a sonographer in the specialty of high risk pregnancy. Though very rewarding and exciting, it is also a very stressful role to fulfill. Geocaching has provided a wonderful opportunity to “de-stress” when not at work. Whether it is a walk in the woods to find an ammo box under a pile of sticks, a creative puzzle leading to a great hide, a challenging micro, or an event – I enjoy each and every aspect - even the DNF’s!!

When I first began caching, a big part of it was “about the numbers” for sure. I admit that it still is, though for a very different reason now. At first it was pure competition - with myself of course!! Now I like to see my numbers go up because it means that I have had a chance to cache - I don’t get to go nearly as much as I would like to. I especially love it when geocaching is combined with another interest of mine – beachcombing. I spend as much time as possible combing the beaches for treasures that I can use in my small business as a sea glass/beach treasure artisan.

I believe that geocaching has a great deal to offer anyone interested. The guidelines outlined through GC.com that touch upon the most important “do’s and don’ts” are sufficient to me. Providing tips and hints would be great, but I see no need to add layers of rules and guidelines. Outside of that, we get to partake in this activity for whatever reason is meaningful to each of us as individuals – there is no right or wrong reason.

I like that this is family oriented. I am the proud mom of a 15 year old. Unfortunately, he has no interest in joining the fun of caching, but I think it is great that other families have the opportunity to share the adventure. I would like to see that aspect continue to grow not only on the searches, but at events. I like the diversity of caches that are available and hope that this aspect will continue to blossom – I believe we can help ensure that it does. I like the story telling that exists. I enjoy sharing my tales and woes of caching – I love to laugh about the adventures that I have had – some of them are not very graceful treks, I can assure you! They make the best stories! Hearing about the experiences of others is great fun. I also greatly appreciate that this website and community provides a great venue for sharing wisdom and ideas about caching. I have turned to this site a number of times along the way. I would like to see that aspect of the website continue to develop and think that there is great potential for it to do so. I would like to see us engage with the public, the state, landowners, parks, trusts, etc. in a professional, positive, and coordinated way. We have a great deal of knowledge to share.

I think that organizing in some shape or form is a natural next step with this website and individuals who participate in it. I appreciate all that Rick has done to date – it is phenomenal!!! I am excited for him that he has seen enthusiasm amongst his caching peers and that there is interest to take this to a new level. Support of his efforts has grown over time, taking this next step will ensure it continues to do so. Pulling a group together will help us to move ideas forward while allowing for the involvement and feedback from everyone on the website. That is a very exciting venture.

Choosing only five people from the list of individuals might very well be a challenge – I know it will be for me. Each person on the list brings experience, enthusiasm, and a passion for the sport. Combining energy and effort has great potential to further grow the GeocachingMaine community – I look forward to seeing that happen whether I sit amongst the five or not.

Good Luck to everyone on the list!
Thanks to all those who will take the time to share their vote and help the GeocachingMaine community move forward with this concept.

Great, thanks. I have met almost everone who has excepted a nomination but don't really know any of them. This forum will help me greatly in the voting since I am still having a hard time narrowing it down;)

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Originally Posted by FuddsGirls

This forum will help me greatly in the voting since I am still having a hard time narrowing it down;)

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To be honest, each of the nominees is very well qualified to represent GeocachingMaine. I've known all of them for years, and I'd have a VERY tough time eliminating anyone from the list. :D :D

Yes ,it would be nice to see all of them represented. It will be hard for me as well. Maybe they can be on one of the ad-hoc committees if the board decides to go in that direction.

Many of you know me from posts, the chat room and from events that I’ve hosted and attended. I am very committed to keeping Geocaching fun for all, cachers and land owners alike. I started caching in January 2002, have found over 600 caches in 26 states and several countries. I am possibly the southern most cacher in Maine, living in Kittery! Numbers are not important to me, but the stories are! I want to keep the stories coming and keep them as adventurous and fun as they have been. GeocachingMaine.org is at a cross roads. We have outgrown our informal, “round the stove” talk site and are now need to be a little for formal without loosing what we have become.

Why should you support the efforts to organize?
1. We need to establish a clear way to determine and carry out the wishes of all the members, not just the most vocal. Projects, such as the 2005 Coin were very difficult to finish. There were plenty of good intentions and effort, but there was no way to fairly say what the forum participants wanted.
2. We need to preserve land access. When I started caching, there were less than 100 caches. Now, there are over 1300. As the popularity of caching increases, so does the concern on the part of land owners and mangers. Some land owners and managers are very open to working with individuals, but some simply will not.
3. We need to resolve issues that come about during the sometimes heated discussions we have. It would be easy to find and copy a set of forum rules or guidelines from some other site and get a small number of moderators to enforce the rules. Without an engaged approach to moderating, we risk alienating members and having split off groups that feel left out of the process.

How should we organize?
The best way is encourage participation and input from everyone and the worst ways concentrate decision making in the hands of a few. The group decided last week to create a five member board to make decisions on the future organizational structure. The five member board may or may not be the best way to balance the need to make timely decisions and the need to satisfy all of our members. The measure of success of our new structure should be your satisfaction. If the methods developed are successful, our members will back decisions even if they do not always agree.

What do I have to offer?
1. I work in research and development. I routinely work to find and implement new ideas. With a systematic approach, all ideas can be considered and evaluated without bogging down in endless discussion.

2. I am currently working with The Nature Conservancy to restore Geocaching at Mt. Agamenticus. I expect to have approval next week. I am particularly proud of the plan because we will be able to be an important tool in meeting the goals of the land owner. Geocaching can be a sought after activity if cachers and land owners realize the potential of Geocaching.

3. We will have difficult, complicated and confounding decisions to make. There may be more than one right answer or no right answer. The group must make decisions and back them. I am a consensus builder.

We are very fortunate to have so many great people to volunteer and I look forward to helping in any way I can.

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Originally Posted by tat

We are very fortunate to have so many great people to volunteer and I look forward to helping in any way I can.

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That just says it all...thanks Tat. I think we all feel this way. I feel a big group hug coming on...;)

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Originally Posted by WhereRWe?

To be honest, each of the nominees is very well qualified to represent GeocachingMaine. I've known all of them for years, and I'd have a VERY tough time eliminating anyone from the list. :D :D

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I agree Bruce...I declined because of time constraints but I'd feel comfortable with any of those who accepted to represent gc.org.

Thank you all for sharing your bios and ideas. I belong to a couple of National Dog Clubs and this is how we "get to know" the judges who are nominated to judge our specialities before voting.

Not as nice as knowing them in person [:)] but better than not knowing anything about them at all.

Thank you all for sharing. There are many more on this site, well qualified, but time does sometimes limit the abiliity to participate. I respect those who recognize their limitations.

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Originally Posted by hollora

Thank you all for sharing your bios and ideas. I belong to a couple of National Dog Clubs and this is how we "get to know" the judges who are nominated to judge our specialities before voting.

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Hmmm Blogging dogs? Interesting! ;) ;)

This was a great idea since it really allows folks to express not only their commitment to geocaching and this site, but also their own philosophies . . . choosing just a select few will be a difficult decision.

I haven't been as active a participant of these forums, or of Geocaching in Maine, as I should have over the last year. However, as one of the founding members of another organization (the Geocachers of Kentucky) I think this organization is off to a great start.

Had I been more of a participant this year, I might have thrown my hat in the ring. I hope to become more active in Geocaching this year (not that I'm campaigning for any future elections - grin).

In any case, I think these posts have been very helpful in getting to know the candidates, and their stances. It does not help me vote, however. The people who have been nominated all seem to be capable of representing the site and the sport in Maine quite well, and in the end it's tough to choose five from the twelve nominees.

For those of you who are elected, thanks in advance for the work ahead, and for the rest of us, let's stand ready to help in any way we can to forward the sport in Maine.