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Thread: An Association?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Solon, Maine
    Posts
    5,965

    Default An Association?

    I think that most "regulars" in these forums and on this site are from the central Maine area, so it's as good a place as any to bring up this subject. Is any one interested in going a step further and setting up an organization such as a Central Maine Geocaching Association? In my internet travels, I've seen many local geocaching organizations - looks like they have a lot of sun - and I'm all for that.

    We could have nominal dues, establlish a CMGA logo and/or icon, we could create our own geocoins (although not loggable on geocaching.com), have "bumblebuttons" create a custom pin for our members...

    Any discussion/comments?

    Here's what I saw that got me thinking about this:

    http://web-ling.com/geocaching/ntgalogo.gif

    (Oh - and we;d have to have MEETINGS! (Beer & Wings, Wine & Cheese, Coffee & Donuts, even...)
    Last edited by WhereRWe?; 11-23-2004 at 07:30 PM.

  2. #2

    Thumbs up I'm in...

    Sounds catchy...

    *thinking*

    how about an online "today's cacher" type newsletter?

    or association only caches...

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Central, Maine
    Posts
    604

    Default What?

    You mean that rumor IS true!! There ARE two Maines!!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Portland, Maine
    Posts
    1,652

    Red face Imho.....

    I think having an organization would be fantastic, but would be disappointed if it were limited only to Central Maine.

    There are a number of active cachers in other parts of the state, both North and South. Would people be willing to consider a Maine organization, in general rather than starting with geographic areas? Perhaps if the organization became too big and unwieldy it could then be split into regions.

    Having a single organization might also help to move the cache events around the state - at least that is what seems to have been of interest as discussed at recent events.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Litchfield, Maine
    Posts
    3,592

    Default

    I like the idea. But why do we need to have a new name. This was something that I knew would come down the line sooner or later. I knew we would have some success after we put a web site together and did a couple of cache events. Not that it would not have happened without the web site anyway. But that was one of the main reasons what I was trying to emphasize creating the name of the web site to something like Maine Geocachers.org instead of Geocaching Maine.org. This way we could have used the name Maine Geocaching Organization. This way we could have used www.mainegeocaching.org for the web site. But at the time no-one wanted that name. I tried to point out this might happen but I guess I was the only one that was thinking ahead and no one would listen to me. If we do this why not make this web site part of the organization and use the new logo for this web site. We could change the name of the web site to match the name of the organization too.

    I am not downing the idea just pointing something out. If this comes to be I don’t think we should make this group just for Central Maine. We would be isolating it to just Central Mainers. So does the mean Beach Comber could not be part of it because she is in southern Maine. Why not make it all of Maine. Dues would be fine as long as it would not be too much. We would have to do the following:

    Decide what the dues are for.
    Register the group as a non-profit organization.
    Decide where the meeting places would be.
    How often we would have meeting.
    Elect officers.
    Blazing Troll

  6. #6

    Smile Well, there's an idea...

    I like the idea of incorporating it with this website. It could still be it's own thing...but for cachers to check in and update, they would come here.

    Ohhh...Ohh...I know it's NOT about the numbers, but how about a Maine Cacher Stat page?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Solon, Maine
    Posts
    5,965

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Beach Comber
    I think having an organization would be fantastic, but would be disappointed if it were limited only to Central Maine.

    There are a number of active cachers in other parts of the state, both North and South. Would people be willing to consider a Maine organization, in general rather than starting with geographic areas? Perhaps if the organization became too big and unwieldy it could then be split into regions.

    Having a single organization might also help to move the cache events around the state - at least that is what seems to have been of interest as discussed at recent events.
    I'm looking at the idea geographically - as most states have regional geocaching associations. I'd like to have meetings - they need not be more than quarterly - at which we get a regular membership. If people think that members of a statewide group would gather regularly, I'm all for it. I'm just wondering if cachers from "south of Portland or north of Lincoln" would want to travel to a central location repeatedly. And I for one would rather have local meetings than try and spread them out - Portland one time, Lewiston the next, Bangor after that...

    Hey - I opened the idea up. Lets keep the discussion going. We basically already have an organization with this web site. (And why couldn't "The Association" simply be called "Geocaching Maine" - geocache being a verb...)
    Last edited by WhereRWe?; 11-24-2004 at 09:41 AM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Litchfield, Maine
    Posts
    3,592

    Default

    I don't think I would join if it was going to be for Central Maine. I am not in Central Maine. I would like to join though. Why not make the meetings a geocache event. This way it also encourages people to come. Plus you would not have to have it in places in Central Maine all the time. I not saying have the meetings in places like Fort Kent. We could set a limit to how far though. But we could not do them in Bangor all the time. We could do them in between like Lewiston, Bangor area and maybe a little bit further. This would cover the middle of the state and people from Portland would could not attend the meetings that we so far away. They could wait for the closer ones if we were going to do it once a quarter.
    Blazing Troll

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Standish, Maine
    Posts
    140

    Default

    I think that Geocaching Maine is fine just like it is. Why fix it if it aint broke.

    You already have a lot going on, the cookouts/cache events, the gatherings for wings n beer, day trips and campouts to name just a few. From past experience the more complicated a group becomes the harder it is to do the things you want with out a lot of red tape. I haven’t had any luck making it to the events in the past year but from all the postings it sounds like there are some excellent people in this group putting in a lot of hours making it (Geocaching Maine) happen.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Solon, Maine
    Posts
    5,965

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by attroll
    I don't think I would join if it was going to be for Central Maine. I am not in Central Maine. I would like to join though. Why not make the meetings a geocache event. This way it also encourages people to come. Plus you would not have to have it in places in Central Maine all the time. I not saying have the meetings in places like Fort Kent. We could set a limit to how far though. But we could not do them in Bangor all the time. We could do them in between like Lewiston, Bangor area and maybe a little bit further. This would cover the middle of the state and people from Portland would could not attend the meetings that we so far away. They could wait for the closer ones if we were going to do it once a quarter.
    I'm easy to get along with. I'l go along with about anything. I just think we need a little bit of organization so that we can have a "central committee" planning geocaching events, not "catch-as-catch-can" like they've been done in the past. The pervious events have been excellent, but they were due to a couple of individuals putting out a lot of effort. We can't keep counting on INDIVIDUALS to host events. We all seem to like them, and we all seem to be looking forward to the next one.

    I just think that we need to move to the next step - from a web site where a group of cachers drop in once in a while to a formal organization.

    ATTROLL - can you make a banner out of the Geocaching Maine logo at the top of the page - sort of like the one in the link in my original nessage - or like the banner I use as my avatar?

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