Candidates for 2012/2013 committee elections

[Maple Leaf]

This thread is for the CV/Manifestos of the candidates and will be locked.

There is a discussion and Q&A forum here

The 13 candidates standing in the 2012/2013 committee elections are (in alphabetical order):

• *geocass*
• Bobo Frett (Steve)
• Countrymatters
• daddyanddude (Dax)
• Geocaching Womble
• JackieC
• Mollyjak (Lilian)
• northking (Jeff)
• sandvika
• Team Microdot (Pete)
• The Wombles (Dave)
• Walker Clan (Andy)
• Zomblou
  
  
• keehotee - withdrawn 20/11/12

The election of committee (8 places available) will be by email ballot between Friday 23/11/12 and Thur 29/11/12.

Following on from the Chair discussion thread and a committee majority vote, both the CVs and Q&A threads have been posted in the general area. Anyone can view, but only GAGB members can post.

20/11/12 keehotee has asked me to withdraw him from standing for election.

[Maple Leaf]

*geocass*

I'm Cass, *geocass* (Formerly part of the duo 'Cassandy'). I've been caching since March 2010, but in that time have found over 11,000 caches! I've maintained a Geocaching blog for most of that time (http://geocass.wordpress.com) which has many readers and subscribers. I enjoy long walks on big caching series, but also try to hunt out those individual caches which will provide a great adventure. I've contributed a lot of these caching adventures and photos to the GAGB Seeker magazines.

I've been on the GAGB committee for the past year, plus helping out a few months prior to that. During this time I've gradually taken on the role of webmaster dealing with the admin in the background and the everyday maintenance tasks. I also started work last year on a brand new, fresh GAGB website which I believe is desperately needed. I'd say that my site design is about 80% complete, however the final touches require a lot of re-coding which other commitments have delayed. I'm hoping that if I am reelected, I will get the opportunity to finish this project and upload the final redesign early next year.

So what can I bring to the GAGB? I truly believe that the GAGB is beneficial to Geocaching in the UK. After being on the committee for just a year I was surprised to see just how many people turn to the GAGB for help and advice on Geocaching and I genuinely believe that the GAGB provides an essential support for UK Geocaching. I would really like to help the GAGB develop and still firmly believe that I can contribute to the development with my technical abilities, ideas and enthusiasm!

[Maple Leaf]

Bobo Frett

Now then, I’m Steve, one quarter of Bobo Frett.

I’m a Scot based in Lincolnshire. I’ve been caching for nearly two years, which isn’t a long time compared to many of our Tupperware hunting brethren but I have fallen in love with it, as have the rest of my family, perhaps not as vocally (obsessively) as I.

In the real world I work as the creative manager for a theatre-in-education company, I am a youth worker and a youth offending worker for the council too. I am also a volunteer footpath checkerer for Lincolnshire council.

There was a lot of internal debate involved in me accepting my nomination. My youth, good looks and newness to the caching world were all arguments against.

But, I have a lot of time for caching, I have a positive attitude, I get on well with people and I am honest and critical without being demeaning. I know what it’s like to hide caches and I know what it’s like to find them.

I feel there is a lot of venom directed at the GAGB without good reason. I want to help build an association which is there to support cachers, to offer sound advice to members of the public and one which can be a positive force for caching. I would like to create the sense of community that we feel in our local forums and social networking groups across the UK geocaching masses because they are lovely places to be. Filled with debate and reasoned arguments from old and new cachers alike.

I want to help the GAGB be the voice of the lone cacher and the voice of the community. It should lend weight to complaints, queries or worries when cachers are dealing with the caching websites. Cachers should feel comforted knowing that they have the support of the GAGB behind them.

The GAGB needs to be an honest, transparent voice which reflects the opinions of the UK caching community and gives cachers the confidence that there is an association which will listen to them and support them if necessary.

If you’ve ever met me then you know you’ll get the above from me.

Cheers,
Steve

[Maple Leaf]

countrymatters

TERRY MARSH (COUNTRYMATTERS)

I take the view that GAGB should fulfil two basic functions: it should be a point of contact for external enquiries from the public, landowners and organisations; it should also seek to provide a service to its members. In the former case, it is vital to present an efficient and prompt service, in the latter a service that keeps members up-to-date with changes and developments in the geocaching community, as well as providing news about geocaching activities across the UK.

For my part, I have served on Committee, somewhat fitfully, for the last two years, but as an active travel journalist and photographer, and being somewhat distracted by academic research, I tend to be less of a mainstream participant. However, I introduced the idea of upgrading the GAGB newsletter into an online magazine - Seeker - and have now edited and produced eleven issues. It is far from perfect, but its usefulness to, and appreciation by, members is often commented on. This is where I can continue to offer to help; in producing Seeker, and contributing to Committee deliberations whenever I have something relevant to say.

For those who seek to know, I live in Lancashire with my wife, who also geocaches with me. I have organised quite a number of events both here in the North West and on the Isle of Skye, and I'm the author of 'Geocaching in the UK', the only UK-centred book on geocaching.

You can read more of my professional background at www.terrymarsh.com, but basically I write walking and travel guidebooks, I develop apps for iPhones/iPads/Androids and am currently developing a website to France (www.france-travel-guide.net), which is my specialist country. For 17 years I was Secretary of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild, and also served as a Committee member and Yearbook Editor for the British Guild of Travel Writers. I feel that this experience is something I can draw on to help further the aims and objectives of GAGB.

[Maple Leaf]

DaddyandDude

Hi my name is Dax, I’m one half of DaddyandDude (dude is my son and geokid!). I live in Tynemouth in the north east of England.

I have been caching since 2010 and can be found out and about with molliemooze (the misses) and our 2 beagles Benson and Abbey.

Geocaching has become an important social aspect of my life and was immediately smitten with the sport. A keen walker/hiker I was looking for a way to encourage my son to ‘follow in my footsteps’ (quite literally) when a friend introduced me to caching – we now have become a family of cachers and encourage many of our friends and family to take up the sport.

Building on my love of caching I invested in starting a caching business, which is growing steadily and now run a caching café. It is a fantastic way for people both new and old to the sport to come and have a chat with us and fellow cachers – everyday becomes a mini-meet and greet!

When not caching I am actively involved in scouting, running a scout troop of over 30 scouts, many who have their own geocaching adventures after plenty advice and encouragement. Many of them have then encouraged their friends and family outside of scouting to take up the activity.

As you can probably tell I am extremely passionate about geocaching and want everyone to enjoy this fantastic activity. I believe I can strive to promote the solid foundations laid by GAGB and build on them with a solid vision for the future and a voice for the caching community. Caching should be accessible to all and the members of the GAGB should feel safe that with someone as passionate as myself I will do all I can to promote the GAGB and their ideals.

Vote for me, and help me make GAGB a national voice for geocachers!

[Maple Leaf]

Geocaching Womble

I’m Geocaching Womble. Some of you may be wondering why you think you should vote for me in this election. I am a well respected cacher with several years of experience of varying styles and areas of management (please see my CV for more information.) I feel that, if elected, I would not abuse the power nor misuse it, I would try to repay your trust in me by using the power given to me for the benefit of the GAGB and it’s membership.

If elected I would bring to the committee a key skill I feel it has been lacking for quite some time, this is: the ability to actually understand what process a reviewer actually goes through in order to publish a cache. By this I mean I would adhere to make the GAGB Guidelines more in touch with the average geocacher in addition to making them more listing site friendly at the same time. When I say listing site friendly I do not mean just Groundspeak centred. I will make them fairly balanced towards all listing sites, not just one.

If I am given the opportunity to use my skills I will raise the standard of the already high calibre of the GAGB and will seek to employ a greater transparency into the dealings and arrangements that the GAGB already have. If permitted, I would also attempt to give greater flexibility and freedom to all members to allow members to feel they have more choice and actually what they say does matter.

I would also endeavour to try and keep my ear to the ground in relation to day-to-day caching activities and try to gain the average geocacher’s perspective on British geocaching on a regular basis (e.g. Once a month if possible.) I will then try to take heed of the information given to me by other cachers and act upon it to the best of my ability.

I have been involved in some form of geocaching since September 2008 initially caching as part of a team. Then from the start of November2008, I began as a geocacher in my own right. I have cached in the South East, The North East, Mid Wales and the West Midlands and currently reside in the North East. I have been an Opencaching.org.uk Management Committee and Team Member since late 2010. During this time I implemented the addition of a series of additional sub-forums and helped transform the OC UK forum into what it is today (although at first in an unofficial capacity as an advisor until the election came round at which point I chose to stand and then successfully won).I also helped design and write the OC UK cache placing guidelines.

I have experience of:

1. Website Management. This is something which I have been actively doing for a number of years now and would being willing to apply my wealth of experience and knowledge over to the GAGB.

2. Forum Moderation. This has been something I have become very adept at in the last couple of years and I am prepared to leave contentious topics that spark debate (e.g. I do not believe in censoring an unfavourable post for the committee. I would rather spend the time finding out what the reason for said post, then try and solve the problem rather than just editing it to make me look more favourable) while at the same time, I WILL come down hard on those who regularly abuse the system and or take advantage of my laidback forum moderation style.

3. Cache Approving. Having been ‘on both sides of the fence’ so to speak I have an almost unique understanding of what is physically practical for cache placements as well as what is actually legal in relation to this subject. This is a trait which I feel has been lacking from our committee in recent years.

4. Guideline Writing. As one of the OC UK Management team I played a key part in the setting up, writing and designing of the OC UK specific guidelines so I have had experience across all major cache problems and eventualities which were considered as part of the project.

5. Practical Promotion of Websites. I have spent a great deal of time actively promoting OC UK and hopefully will continue to do so for a very long time. If elected I would be happy to utilise those skills for the benefit of The GAGB.

6. The Ability to Take Responsibility. I have shown that I can work with other groups of people rather than just cachers during my time at OC UK.