I agree 100% with you Steve ! On 10/9/07, Steven Stringham wrote: > So, lets see - a free event - at the local burrito place. So, if I want > to eat, I get to pay for it myself. Great. No, problem. I can pay for > myself. I am a big boy after all. (some might disagree). So, effort to > bring this cache event into being? Talking to the local owner (some > courage required - ok), and a posting on the site. Maybe a signup sheet, > $20 for an ammo can to give away with some toys to put in from the $1 > store. Gotcha. > > Lets see - last years event - in Casa Grande. > Organizing the location with the owner of the property - and paying for > everyone's entrance fees for the property use. > Grass brought in and planted for the kids to play. > Props built and setup for the multiple events. This over many months of > planning, creation and expense. > Food provided, free of charge to all. Yes, donations accepted, in both > food and cash. > Many, many prizes given for door prizes and event given away. Including > multiple GPS units, Ipods, etc. Many donated, yes. Many, not. > A kids area setup, manned with baby sitting for event participants > children so they could enjoy the more active events of the evening. > A HUGE daytime event setup as a road rally. Those that participated > seemed to have a good time. But, many of the slots that were signed up > for, (with a waiting list, I might add) were no shows. > Transport for the props, etc. Setup/teardown - many many manhours from > many people (Shadowace and many others put in countless hours - I know - > I was watching them work - It is fun to watch others work!) > > Who paid for ALL this? Who organized this - over MANY MONTHS of hard > work and sleepless nights (the answer is not me by the way) Who got any > real thanks? Oh, and that was YEAR 4 of doing this (I know - I have > either been at or helped at each of them). Is it any wonder that costs > might be desired to be recouped? While, at the SAME TIME giving > consideration to the roots of the event - and its real participants? > Don't be petty people. > > > Brian Casteel wrote: > > > > Rather than getting into a battle over this, I'll answer once with > > what I know and leave it at that. > > > > There is some backlash to the cost because in the past it was free to > > attend, and at least in the case of the first HR that I helped > > organize, very few donations hit the table to even begin to cover the > > cost of food that was grilled, along with other items and materials > > used to create the HR environment. Subsequent years? I don't know > > because I moved to BigSky Country and circumstances haven't yet worked > > in my favor to be able to make it down there. I stated last week that > > if those who are complaining only knew what it cost to put one of > > these events on, attitudes might change a bit, but so far they haven't. > > > > The other backlash as I understand it is due to the fact that this is > > no longer a Geocacher ONLY event. It was opened up to the masses, > > presumably for reasons I can understand, but don't necessarily agree > > with. Posting on craigslist and azcentral the event information is > > counter-productive to sentiments regarding the event, which has always > > been about cachers. Rather than keeping it at the caliber it has > > always been at, perhaps it could have been scaled back instead, or > > simply not posted to those sites that turned this into a perceived > > commercial cache. While opening it up to the masses is a way to bring > > new cachers into the fold, I don't agree with the way it was done. > > > > But seriously though. The folks taking (in some cases repeated) shots > > really need to grow up and perhaps take the time to understand why > > there is now a cost to attend, whereas in the past there was not. > > > > Personally, I think mistakes were made on both sides of this. First, > > by turning it 'commercial' by publishing information about outside of > > gc.com, and then those who reverted back to 4^th grade immaturity in > > their stabs at the turn of events. > > > > Unless there are some changes (not sure what or how exactly), I > > suspect that this year will be the final HR. > > > > Brian > > > > Team A.I. > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > *From:* az-geocaching-bounces@listserv.azgeocaching.com > > [mailto:az-geocaching-bounces@listserv.azgeocaching.com] *On Behalf Of > > *ShadowAce > > *Sent:* Tuesday, October 09, 2007 11:02 AM > > *To:* listserv@azgeocaching.com > > *Subject:* [Az-Geocaching] Er? Halloween RadioActive Event > > > > I received an email from a friend saying they were glad to see that > > Team Evil Fish helped Tamo get a listing for Halloween RadioActive. > > > > I then asked what they were referring to and they said .. > > > > IamHungryFish: Geolizing Event #17 by Team Evil Fish GC16FHA is the > > listed cache for people to get a 'smiley' for attending Halloween > > RadioActive. > > > > I had to inform them that the event by evil fish is over 27 miles away > > as a crow flies and begins 2 hours after the HRA event. > > > > Now I am seeing all sorts of logs on the cache within a business > > called Someburros' is getting all sorts of notes that seem to be > > taking an attack at the Halloween RadioActive event. Am I missing some > > joke by Phoenix cachers down here in the southern parts? Or do people > > really think the HRA gatherings are that much of a waste of time? > > > > I am asking because we (my family) are putting in a lot of time again > > this year to ensure everyone has fun and we are trying to 'out do' > > what we have done in the past. Is this really something that > > geocachers are upset about? > > > > Maybe I am just confused, but logs such as: > > 'Oh great! A real event. I will be there with WhirledCache.' > > and > > ' Wow, you sure this isn't a typo? You know, it's funny, I didn't see > > a $20 admission charge here. I don't even need to 'pre-register'. Or > > would that be 'FREE-register'? Well, I happen to be FREE that day, and > > since you are considerate enough to make this a FREE event for the > > Geocaching Community, I'll feel FREE to show up! > > Looking forward to a REAL Halloween Event! > > Thanks, Evil(FREE)Fish!' > > > > seem to be pretty direct attacks on Tamo for all the work he and his > > family put into this. > > > > Is this what geocaching is now about? I keep hearing about how > > friendly and supportive the geocaching community is but then we see > > things like this and have to wonder what happened that we are not > > hearing about. Would any of the Phoenix cachers care to let others > > know what is happening? > > > > Thank you > > -Dirk/ShadowAce > > > > DISCLAIMER: This message is confidential, intended only for the named > > recipient(s) and may contain information that is privileged or exempt > > from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the intended > > recipient(s), you are notified that the dissemination, distribution or > > copying of this message is strictly prohibited. If you receive this > > message in error, or are not the named recipient(s), please notify the > > sender at either the e-mail address or by calling the telephone number > > associated with this transmission. Please delete this e-mail from your > > computer (or discard this fax). Thank You. > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > ____________________________________________________________ > > Az-Geocaching mailing list listserv@azgeocaching.com > > To edit your setting, subscribe or unsubscribe visit: > > http://listserv.azgeocaching.com/mailman/listinfo/az-geocaching > > > > Arizona's Geocaching Resource > > http://www.azgeocaching.com > > > ____________________________________________________________ > Az-Geocaching mailing list listserv@azgeocaching.com > To edit your setting, subscribe or unsubscribe visit: > http://listserv.azgeocaching.com/mailman/listinfo/az-geocaching > > Arizona's Geocaching Resource > http://www.azgeocaching.com >