GEOMEO offices

With the latest push on the geocoin, it's obvious that some sort of treasurer will be needed to handle the money.

wbdent I was talking to Cameoooooo tonight in chat for an extended period of time. She has volunteered as treasurer and she thinks we need a president too. But seems to think it should be me. I would take the reign if everyone wants me to. But this is all pending everyone’s approval. Unless you all want to have nominations and go through the voting process? We are doing this so that we can set the group up as a non-profit organization. That is the main reason and also so that Cameoooooo can set up a bank account to handle the money for the coins.

wbdent We feel guilty that we are shoving thin down everyone’s throats. But we need to get this done for the non-profit side of things.

wbdent Lets here some feedback on this.

Well, it makes sense. I suppose it poses the question about a formal organization again. I don't have any concerns about this arrangement and commend you both for your willingness to step in and assume the roles. If there are concerns from others that this is too quick and too informal, perhaps we could consider it a temporary establishment of officers and then hold an election at a later date. Either that or we could move forward with establishing an organization and then work on the coins.

Does establishing an organization as non-profit legally require certain activities such as meetings, quorums, minutes, elections, by-laws, etc. ? And if so, how will we move forward with that in the interim? eek - feels like it has the potential to get complicated quickly.

Thanks for raising the question - my guess is that you did so with a bit of trepidation:eek:

Establishing an organization as non-profit does not require legal activities such as meetings. It does not really even require a president. Just someone to submit paperwork to the IRS. The only reason we say we need a president is because we do need a temperary treasurer to handle the geocoin money. It would look silly to have a treasurer without a president. If that makes any sense. The president would be only for paperwork for now. If we actually become an organized group with scheduled meetings and things of that type then we could hold offices later or we could hold them now. We just thought we would mention what we thought about and see if everyone agreed. If not then we can throw some suggested officers out there now and vote on them.

You guys sound like you have everything under control. I would be willing to do whatever is needed to keep it going. I have no idea what is envolved in setting up a non-profit group, but if you tell me I can assist. I Do like the accronim GEOMEO. It sounds very global. ;)

Well guys if this is what needs to be done then I'm all for it. Do we really need to setup nonprofit just to handle the coin money, after all we are only talking about a few hundred dollars not several grand. Just a separate account in cameooo's name should do. we can give her a title, I like coin queen myself, if you want and attroll can be grand poobough. beats getting the IRS involved in something as small as a group buy on coins. Now if we want to be and official club that is a different matter all together. I with you either way.



ALL HAIL THE QUEEN!!!!:D

As I hope someone will recall, I suggested the idea of a Maine Geocaching Organization back in November, and I still think it's a great idea. Here are my comments on the latest ideas:

1. I don't like GEOMEO. Sounds silly. How about just GeoME - short for just Gocaching Maine - with out the "O" for Organization?

2. Much as I respect Rick, as the webmaster he has a LOT of work already, and as a organization president, he would be spread awfully thin. How about Brad or Dave as President. (Dave has already shown great organizational skills).

3. Membership/Dues. Much as people dislike having to pay to be a part of an organization I think that dues are necessary, if for nothing else than to fund the website. I also think that membership should be a 2-tier system, i.e., membership would be free (anyone can visit the website), but paid members only would be able to participate in forums, chat, and post pictures to the site (extra benefits similar to premium membership on geocaching.com).

OK - lets keep this discussion going!

I use a business lawyer in Bangor for my business, and he has handled a temporary "for profit" group for my mom in the past. I can call him this week and see what is required for a non-profit to legally form and if he thinks it's necessary.
-Would we form this group for a 1-shot purchase of coins? Or would we maintain the bank account, and the legal organization, for future coin purchases (extra demand for the current coin, or, as people have suggested, changing the back of the coin from year to year.
-How would retained profits, if any, be disbursed back to members of the group? And what does that do to non-profit status. Maybe instead, hold them in reserve to drop future price of coins, or donate to a charity.
-Does forming this group expose the members to any liability? "I ordered these coins and didn't get them, I'm suing" (Ridiculous, but you see it on the news all the time)

I think that the first question is the key. If we plan on a one-shot, I would think it would be a lot less formal, but we'd have to do it all over again for another order.
Any other things I should ask the lawyer that you can think of, let me know.

Ok - and as far as funds are concerned, I think we need a PayPal account instead of, or in addition to, a band account. That way people could pay directly, and the treasurer wouldn't have to worry about waiting for checks to clear, etc, especially from people "from away" who want coins.

There would be some people who would want to pay by check, but PayPal is becoming increasingly popular for payments such as this.

Thanks Rick - for clarifying - sounds like it could be kept quite simple. I'm all for whatever works and again commend you both for your time, energy, and efforts.

GEOMEO - hmmmmmm - not sure. I think I like GeoME better. Maybe there are other acronyms that would work as well. Perhaps this could become an item to take a poll on. But in all actuality - I am comfortable with either of these.

PayPal sounds like it would be a great option to explore.

:D HAIL to the Queen:D

WhereRWe?

wbdent To answer your question, Cameoooooo is in the process of going to open a savings account this week for the coins. The reason she is opening a savings account is so that she can open a paypal account.

wbdent Also if anyone is not happy with this we can nominate others for the two positions. I will not be offended. I don’t care if I hold the position or not. I am more then willing to help though and I will do everything that I can to better our group.

Beach Comber

wbdent Cameoooooo came up with the name GEOMEO. It did sound cute and I laughed my butt off when she first typed it. But we did no decide on that. I just titled the subject that way to get everyone’s attention. I am wondering is she came up with that because it rhymes with her name. LOL.

Sudonim

wbdent I almost forgot to answer your inquiry. Anyone can apply for a non-profit organization. I have another web site that is registered as a non-profit organization. You can do it right on the internet. The only stipulation is that your organization can not make more then $5,000 a year. I called and talked to the IRS on this when I did it for my other web site. If you want you can check with you lawyer if you want. I have no problems with that.

Rick

No problem on the name - I think having an acronym would be fantastic. Whatever we use will be fine ;) If it is honor of Cameo, perhaps it should be:

GeoMeooooooo

hehehehe ;)

I didn't get much of a chance to talk to either you or Donna yesterday! Next time!!!

Sounds like an Italian opera "GEOMEOOOOOO......lol :D

I'm glad to be home again. Too many micros. I didn't bring the rain. I like GeoMe. As for the officers, I second the thanks for stepping in and taking the reins. President and Treasurer, that's ok with me. We should think towards the future. We will have many coins and do alot of transactions. Paypal certainly seems like the way to go. Dues for the organization? I'm not sure that we should limit anyones access to the web site, for any reason. I have no problem funding the coin or paying dues. But I have the ability to do so. Geocaching is relatively free, and our web site should be too. That's my 2 cents. :cool: :cool:

I see no reason to pay dues for anything. What do we need to pay dues for? When an event is held everyone brings their own food to cook and at reastuants everyone pays for ther own food so I can not see any reason for dues. If we need money we can always ask for donation or put out a box again. But this is just my opinion.

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Originally Posted by attroll

WhereRWe?

To answer your question, Cameoooooo is in the process of going to open a savings account this week for the coins. The reason she is opening a savings account is so that she can open a paypal account.

Also if anyone is not happy with this we can nominate others for the two positions. I will not be offended. I don�t care if I hold the position or not. I am more then willing to help though and I will do everything that I can to better our group.

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Thanks. I think you'd make a great "association" president, Rick. Again, my only concern is that you may be taking on a lot.

(I still get to be Chief Parlimentarian, right?) :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by attroll

I see no reason to pay dues for anything. What do we need to pay dues for? When an event is held everyone brings their own food to cook and at reastuants everyone pays for ther own food so I can not see any reason for dues. If we need money we can always ask for donation or put out a box again. But this is just my opinion.

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Well, here are some reasons:

1. Every member should contribute - (again) - especially to maintain the web site.

2. Dues could fund door prizes, etc. for our events. We can't keep hitting on Delorme, The Map Store, etc. And perhaps we could also produce a custom pin from BumbleButtons for participants at a geocaching event.



:)

I kinda like CacheME or CacheME, if you can

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Originally Posted by Beach Comber

If it is honor of Cameo, perhaps it should be:

GeoMeooooooo

hehehehe ;)

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That's the funniest thing I've heard all week. Man, BC, you are really a funny girl. :p :p

During the conversation with Rick last night, I threw out a lot of acronyms...that was just one of them. I did think it was funny, but I'm not sure either if it's perfect. At this point, there is no real significance to this....I was just looking for a laugh. At some point, maybe we can register those websites and link them here. (For instance, www.geomeo.com, www.geome.com, etc.) Then again, that's more money. Bottom line is that we want to maintain the "Geocaching Maine" name. The added "O" was for organization, which is the direction we are going.

Personally, GeoMe makes me think of a gnome. :eek:

Two things are for sure, we will be buying coins, and we need a place to keep that money. Pending more discussion, I do not expect to realize a profit on the coins and will sell them at cost. If people would like to make a donation for the operation of this site then that's fine, it should be completely voluntary. I don't think restricting access to anyone will be a positive thing. By the way, I thought the ammo can at the event yesterday worked really well! Are there others who did not attend that would like to donate? What would be the best option for them? Paypal....I wonder about the fees. I'll check on that soon.

Thanks everyone for your comments...they are appreciated. :)

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Originally Posted by cameoooooo

That's the funniest thing I've heard all week. Man, BC, you are really a funny girl. :p :p

During the conversation with Rick last night, I threw out a lot of acronyms...that was just one of them. I did think it was funny, but I'm not sure either if it's perfect. At this point, there is no real significance to this....I was just looking for a laugh. At some point, maybe we can register those websites and link them here. (For instance, www.geomeo.com, www.geome.com, etc.) Then again, that's more money. Bottom line is that we want to maintain the "Geocaching Maine" name. The added "O" was for organization, which is the direction we are going.

Personally, GeoMe makes me think of a gnome. :eek:

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I agree with Haffy - GeoMeo sounds like an Italian opera, or a geocaching cat.

But I do like the idea of buying the Geo Maine related domaine names. But it takes money. Dues, anyone??? Sure beats setting out an ammo can whenever we need money...
:p

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Originally Posted by WhereRWe?

Thanks. I think you'd make a great "association" president, Rick. Again, my only concern is that you may be taking on a lot.

(I still get to be Chief Parlimentarian, right?) :D

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The more I think about it, if we are going this route...than the officers should be voted in, not just assume the role.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WhereRWe?

I agree with Haffy - GeoMeo sounds like an Italian opera, or a geocaching cat.

But I do like the idea of buying the Geo Maine related domaine names. But it takes money. Dues, anyone??? Sure beats setting out an ammo can whenever we need money...
:p

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Could members register the domains and donate them to the group?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cameoooooo

Could members register the domains and donate them to the group?

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(Well, this will be my last comment today...)

Yes, members could do this, but experience has shown me that in any organization, you get a few individuals that ALWAYS do the bulk of the work or donate the most when money is needed, etc. Which is why I'm a proponent of dues: the costs are share EQUALLY by ALL members. If you can't help support the organization, you shouldn't be a member.

I gotta cook supper...

:D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WhereRWe?

Well, here are some reasons:

1. Every member should contribute - (again) - especially to maintain the web site.

2. Dues could fund door prizes, etc. for our events. We can't keep hitting on Delorme, The Map Store, etc. And perhaps we could also produce a custom pin from BumbleButtons for participants at a geocaching event.

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1A. $38.95 a year for a web site is not very expensive. I can spring for that. I am not going to sweat $38.95. I enjoy working with the web site and keeping it going. It is more then just a hobby it is an addiction for me.

2A. If we are going to have door prizes at event caches then it would not be right for new comers to attend and not be able to in the drawing. Reason being is because the purpose of the event caches is to socialize and promote the geocaching sport. We would be isolating new people that attended and were not included in the door prize. That would make me feel out of place if I were new and felt like and outsider. That would probably make me not want to attend another one. I think that if we are going to have door prizes for members only then we should have a separate group gathering that is not an event cache. But that is just my opinion.

I still can not see needing dues for door prizes. I don’t think door prizes are even needed for cache events or gatherings. Sure I agree they are nice but having door prizes is not going to make or break someone’s decision to come to a get together. I am afraid that if we start having dues then it would discourage people from coming to further events.

Bruce is right on one thing though there are always only a few individuals in organizations that are the bulk of the work. But these are the ones that don’t mind. I am always more then willing to help when ever I cann.

Keep in mind too that event caches are posted on Geocaching.com not on geocaching.maine.org so as Rick stated the door prizes coundn't fairly be only for members of our Maine site. Events I host will have door prizes if I can wrangle them up. Yesterday proved you don't need them to get a good turnout.

It's apparent that there are some unique situations that have arisen as a result of dealing with money for two distinct areas, the support of the website and the proposed Maine geocoin. Keeping this as simple as possible is very important. Cameoooo apparently has taken on the responsibility of handling the geocoins and the associated costs. Perhaps the GeocachingMaine website should include specific contact information for anyone interested in purchasing these coins. I think this can be handled without a bank account or using PayPal but that's another issue. If people want to pay with a personal check, they should understand that they have to wait for it to clear. Otherwise they have the option of a money order. Rick, on the other hand, is dealing with a different issue and anyone interested in contributing to the website should contact him. I am against dues to belong to the geocachingmaine.org site unless paying members get some additional privileges such as gc.com has. Initially and on a basic level it should be free to everyone.

I will never charge dues for site access. So lets get that clear. ;)

If we need to raise money there are lots of easy ways. At the next event we could, have a bake sale, auction, raffle, a 50/50 drawing, and even a donation can. We can do this without dues. There are alot of people who have allready done alot and more just waiting I'm sure. This can easily be a team effort... I'm getting down now. hehehe ;) :D

My turn...

I have no issue with Rick and Cameo taking on the roles of President and Treasurer. I think they have put lots of time and energy into these endeavours and if they are willing to take on the responsiblity than we should thank them. In the future we can re-evaluate the situation.

I think PayPal is a cool idea to handle as much of the money related issues as possible. Including, in the future, a T-shirt buy for events etc. But one step at a time.

I do not think dues are appropriate at this time. I thought the ammo can worked out just fine. That way no one felt obligated, but most of the money needed was raised. And we can continue to do that as it becomes necessary, unless the situation changes.

As far as door prizes...we don't always need to ask business' to help us out. If everyone brought 1 thing...there would be plenty to go around. I can just imagine some of the gag prizes some of you would come up with!

I guess my point is....we don't need to make decisions today for 5 years from now...lets do what's right for today. As our needs as a club change than we can update and adjust.

Thanks,
John and Diana