Candidate Manifestos for 2014/2015 Committee Election

[LadybugKids]

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

There is a discussion and Q&A forum here

The nine candidates standing in the 2014/2015 Executive Committee are (in alphabetical order):

• Jackie Catterall/Jackie C
• Abigail Hamilton-Thompson/Abiherts
• Richard Lay/richlay
• Kim Leonard/Leonards193
• Terry Marsh/countrymatters
• Dave Palmer/Tegeingl/Mancunian
• Adam Redshaw/UKCACHEMAG
• Sharon Reid/Sharant
• Paul Weaver/Poole_Man

The election of the eight Committee places will be by SurveyMonkey email ballot between Sat 22nd – Fri 28th November 2014,and will be run by me who is serving as your Independent Returning Officer.

Each eligible GAGB member (prior to 1st Oct) will be able to cast a maximum of 8 votes (as per the Constitution - Section N)

[LadybugKids]

I’m JackieC and I’ve been caching since February 2004, I’m not a numbers cacher, but I am an very active event cacher (event tart!) and have organised and co-organised both camping events and day events in Scotland, with several events becoming annual institutions for the Scottish event calendar. I was part of the 2010 Mega Scotland team and the 2014 Mega Ayrshire team. I was the loud one!

I cache with my husband Will and the woofs, and travel to events in a motorhome with a large blue gazebo and now a green event shelter in which we become a catering operation to feed hungry cachers (curries and BBQs a speciality!)

For my day job I travel extensively in Scotland and Northern Ireland, occasionally into Northern England. This is great for getting caches in each area but it does mean I spend alot of time away from home. Plus I’m usually running late to get to the next work visit so I don’t get as many drive-bys as I should, but it does allow me to attend more midweek events.

I’ve now been on the GAGB team for two years, the first year is really to get to know what’s going on and ‘find your feet’, the second year I made a more significant contribution, and I hope to increase that contribution further in the coming year.

If elected I’d like to continue on working to make the GAGB more of a resource for organisations, landowners and groups to be able to access information on Geocaching in an easy to understand way, as well as look at creating a ‘press pack’ to ensure that Geocaching is reflected in a positive and accurate light (and reduce the number of ‘buried treasure’ articles). I see the GAGB as more of a helpdesk for these groups, such as the Scouts who wanted information for their Geocaching badge. Somewhere that a walking group or country festival or landowners body can contact and be able to get answers to their questions, from area specific literature even to presentations and working groups from a local cacher.

The member benefits are another area I’d like to expand, as well as updating the range of items available from the GAGB. All that, and ‘rolling up my sleeves’ and getting involved with anything and everything.

[LadybugKids]

I started geocaching in 2008 and have achieved a lot more finds this year compared to previous years including several extreme caches. I have attended several events including the Geolympix 2012 and cached with a wide range of people.

I'm a Health Walk Volunteer Leader for Hertfordshire Countryside Management Services helping to promote walking and encourage people from all areas of life to get active and enjoy the outdoors. We run regular weekly walks of various lengths which are suitable for everyone. I'm also studying a Global Ecology and Wildlife Conservation course with the University of Leicester with a view of going into the Environment sector.

I would like to improve the image of the GAGB and be readily available as a point of contact whenever needed. I have provided advice to fellow cachers' at the drop of a hat and would like to expand upon this as much as I can. I may not have much web or editorial experience but I do have excellent organisational and secretarial skills; and if voted onto the committee I will play a positive role within the GAGB using all of the above to help raise the profile of the association while assisting each and every individual cacher.

Thank you for reading and happy caching!

[LadybugKids]

I have had a great first year as a member of the committee, getting involved in as much as I can and taking on the role of treasurer and coordinating the events calendar. I would hope that most of you have had the opportunity to find out exactly what I have got up to on page 7 of the latest issue of Seeker and so I won't use this space to repeat myself but will set out how I see this year going.

As part of this process I have reminded myself of what I stated last year. I gave my background, a husband and father of two young boys. I enjoy all aspects of caching but prefer to be out on the moors with mates, or doing daft things to qualify for challenge caches and I love Church Micros. I stated that I can bring to the GAGB a sense of urgency, boundless enthusiasm and an absolute belief in the organisation as a whole. I am a proud (although adopted) Yorkshireman. I will say what I think is right, not what I think people want to hear. I consider myself a great communicator and am active across most social networks.

Obviously, none of that has changed. I stated that I see the future of the GAGB as focusing on the social aspect of caching, bringing people together through CITOs and Events and welcoming new players to our game. I believe I have helped steer the team in this direction, through the ownership of the event calendar, through getting out and meeting people at almost 50 events up and down the country and by personally welcoming several new players, via email when they have logged my caches and at my own events. I really believe this is a key way of developing the association in the next year and I want to push it high up the agenda.

But what I really want to stand on this committee for is accountability. I want to fully represent members and I want the committee to be taken to task when we fail. I want voters to refer back to last year's maifestos and meeting minutes and challenge us on what we said we would do and what we have delivered. I want to give members a reason to care about what we do and to involve them in much more this year, to really engage and feel part of an association that is working hard for them. I have been frustrated this year in the length of time it takes some ideas to come to fruition and deadlines not being hit. I want to work with Jen to impart my urgency and impatience across the whole committee and to challenge when we aren't meeting expectations. We may remember that we volunteer but we should be very mindful that we put ourselves in the position to represent members and that should carry an expectation.

[LadybugKids]

Hi there,

I am Kim of Leonards193, married with three teenagers, two dogs and a cat!

We started caching in 2009 and back then, caching really did take us to some brilliant locations we would not have found otherwise.

Some of the family show more enthusiasm than others... But the dogs never complain.

I am quite passionate about caching, I have converted plenty of muggles in my time as well as encouraged people to place caches.

In the last few years, the social side has become more important for us, we have organised quite a few events now as well as attended too many to name but the South Wales event a couple of years ago as well as the Wild West events (camping) stand out as most memorable.

We have attended Mega events too, WSM being our first, then Mega Wales, Gaydon, Halloween Mega (twice) Kent Mega and who could forget being part of the Giga or Bust coach trip to Munich this year.

I have done presentations and talks on caching, including at two Girlguiding County Days with very positive feedback.

I enjoy caching, finding our 1000th find last October underground in Browns Quarry and have recently found just over 2000 caches.

We have placed caches from 2009 onwards with now a growing number in excess of 230... Particularly like a good rural church to add to the church micro series. Occasionally, a nice urban church too such as Bristol Cathedral.

So, there you have it, caching is not so much about the numbers for us but about the good friends we have made along the way, long may that continue!

[LadybugKids]

I have served on Committee, since 2010, so if re-elected I would be heading into my fifth term of office.

As an active travel journalist and photographer, I tend to be less of a mainstream participant. I'm more often 'there' rather than 'here'. However, in 2011, I introduced the idea of upgrading the GAGB newsletter into an online magazine - Seeker - and have now edited and produced 23 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.

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 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 (now an annual), and I'm the author of 'Geocaching in the UK', the only UK-centred book on geocaching and now in its second edition. I am currently working with geocachers on the Isle of Man to organise a week-long series of events under the banner, ManxCacheFest (www.manxcachefest.com) for August 2015. I am also active, working as a consultant with the Mull and Iona Community Trust, to develop geocaching on the Isle of Mull.

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, I manage a website and related blogs to France (www.france-travel-guide.net), and to the Isle of Skye (www.skyediscovered.net).

[LadybugKids]

First, who I am.
My name is Dave Palmer, I've been married for 28 years and have 2 Adult Children. I am not only my Spouses Full Time Carer, but also my 2 Childrens’ Carer as well.

My Geocaching History.
I started Geocaching in 2002, after reading a Article in Computer Active Magaine in the August. I got a GPS in the September and my Spouse imediatly wrapped it up for Christmas. So the fist day I went out Geocaching was St Stephens Day 2002 [Boxing Day], I had the grand choice of just 3 caches within 30 miles. I found 2 and DNF'd one, and was hooked, despite getting Soaked to the skin

In 2004 I placed the very first Geocache in the UK, with Landower Permission in a SSSI. That involved working with the Land Manager a Contractor, BHPBilliton the Land Owner, and the SSSI Stearing Group, comprising of BHPBiliton, Flintshire and Denbighshire County Councils, Haven Holidays, Point of Atr Holidays, The Enviroment Agency, RSPB, CCW [now Natural Resources Wales] to obtain permission.

Also in 2004 I organised the very first and only CITO that year, in the UK. That involved obtaining Permission of CADW, as the Event took place at Flint Castle, a Scheduled Monument, and also Flitshire CC, who provided Gloves, Pick Up Sticks, Black Bags, a Sharps Container and arranged a special pick up of all the Rubbish collected.
This was just the start of a patern of working with Landowners.

In 2006 I was asked to become a Volunteer Reviewer for the UK. A role I fulfilled for eight years. In that time I worked with numerous Geocachers to resolve all sorts of issues and proved support. I worked with Numerous Landowners over issues created by Geocaches, placed without permission. In some cases by working directly with the Landowner, I managed to about turn a request for the removal of Geocaches, into Permission for them, even if it involved relocating the containers.

I also worked to help resolve a situation where a Muggle had relocated a container, discovered by accident, over 70 mile. By identifying the actual location the container had been relocated to, where it had been moved from, which cache it was and who owned it. The Cache Owner made a 140 mile round trip to recover the container.

As the above shows, I have the ability to work with people to reach a resolution, resolutions at times some have not agreed with, but the aim has always been to have the minimum impact on the hobby and UK Geocaching Community, and sustain the long term future for the hobby in the UK. Something I'm passionate about.

I am not one of the early Geocachers in the UK, still active, who has Rose Coloured Glasses about the past history of the Hobby. In fact there were extremely poor caches, and abusive Geocachers way back in 2002. The only differance is that a tiny percentage of a tiny number, is easy to ignore, where as today there are around 109,198 been active in 2014, in 2002 there was 100/200 active geocachers in the UK. With 179,054 currently active cache in the UK, there was just a few hundred back in 2002.

What I promise to bring to the GAGB Committee if elected, is a passion for the sustainable future of the Hobby in the UK. Support for UK Geocachers, in regards to issues. If I upset some to achive a sustanable future, that is a risk I am prepared to accept, because I want to see the Hobby in the UK and also the GAB, thriving in 20/30/40 years time. Not a hobby which peaks, goes into decline as the majority do, and fizle away into nothing, to achive that, involves major compramises, as the Hobby is no longer a Uderground, below the Radar Hobby. And every action has a potential negative reaction off Lanowners, without whose support, we have no Hobby.

Dave Palmer
Brenin Tegeingl
Mancunian on the GAGB [due to being a Member for so long, and having Mancunian as my original Geocaching User Name]

[LadybugKids]

Wow!

The last year has flown by!

Although I have not had a specific role on the team, I have contributed where I can.

This has mainly been by responding to a number of emails and voicemails that have been received.

The first year for me was about understanding how GAGB works and what it does, I feel, I have learned a lot and look forward to stepping up my game should I be re elected.

I would like to focus on events where we can interact with landowners and other organisations to raise awareness of geocaching in the UK. Part of this will be to try and forge links in representation of geocaching at lobbying that affects the outdoor pursuits.

I would like to see GAGB getting involved with media and other agencies as the popularity of caching is growing at an amazing rate thanks to many people now having smart phones.

Many people know I run a magazine all about geocaching and often travel the country to various events and cache locations. I feel I have a good understanding of many aspects of caching and have much to share with other, and also much to learn.

I look forward to getting your vote for re-election and hope I do you and the geocaching community proud should I be successful.

Many thanks.
Adam aka ukcachemag

[LadybugKids]

I’m Sharon from Team Sharant. I live in a market town in rural Staffordshire in the West Midlands region; I’m a mum with two children ages 12 and 8 years old and married to Ant. I was asked to jointhe GAGB committee in March this year as the Geocaching Landowner database manager (GLAD), owing to someone leaving. In my eight months I have dealt with queries from geocachers on how to place a geocache and obtain permission as well as liaising with landowners and negotiators of current agreements and with Chris (Graculus) who represents the Groundspeak reviewers.

One concern I had when I started was that we weren't sure exactly how up-to-date everything was –some agreements seemed quite unreliable due to time passing - so I have spent a lot of effort on contacting each of the agreement landowners to check and correct the information. I have also merged lists – for example the pre-existing agreements that Groundspeak had in place - as well as negotiating and adding new agreements. This means the GAGB landowner database now contains all the current geocaching agreements in one place! This year I have added 26 new agreements and 5 more ‘not permitted’ agreements. I’ve also contributed to GAGB in a few other ways, for example in Ayr I manned the GAGB stand to raise funds and to answer geocachers questions, as a Midlands committee rep I worked with the Cannock Chase AONB Partnership, helped new geocachers at the Avalon Marshes festival in June and hosted a GAGB CITO in September. I am also involved in the design of an online shop for the GAGB website – more on that next year, I hope!

I’m also a cacher – fancy that! I have been caching since January 2009 have slightly over 5,000 smilies – many of them in unique, beautiful, or surprising places! I really enjoy caching with my family, usually caching loops but what I enjoy most is solving puzzles and discovering Earthcaches (I am a proud to be a Platinum Earthcache Master) and I have completed my D/T grid. I do look forward to a challenging cache and have discovered some fabulous areas of the UK whilst caching and finding several caches in unusual locations, up high, under water, and underground!

Outside of caching, I am active in several other outdoorsy type organisations, such as Girlguiding and Scouting, and I held several different roles on the UK Mega 2013 committee that was held at Gaydon in the West Midlands - I managed the Mega website, coordinated the week’s side events and planned and laid the Mega cache loop that celebrated all the UK Megas up until that date.

What can I do for GAGB? I feel that the GAGB is vital to Geocaching in the UK, a place where cachers and landowners can ask for reliable help and advice, and not just hope that what they read on Facebook is right! I think the newsletters and other forms of reaching out to geocachers are great ideas, and would like to build on that – reaching out to actively help promote certain types of events that are difficult to organise, perhaps, and helping people implement their creative ideas, whatever they may be, as long as they meet the listing criteria of course ☺! I would like to promote the GAGB more within the geocaching community and help to increase their numbers and raise the profile of the GAGB. I especially enjoy CITOs and would like to promote this aspect of caching more, and to give back to the community I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the GAGB and I am committed to helping and promoting the GAGB in the future. I am honoured to be nominated to stand for this year’s election.

[LadybugKids]

Hi,

I am interested in standing for Committee as I believe I am more than able to help spread the word about Geocaching.

Due to my disabilities I am limited to the type of geocaches I can find and the type of geocaching events etc., that I can get too but this has made me more determined to promote accessible caching.

So far I have run one flash mob, at what was a brand new location for geocaching in 2014, and two local monthly meets in 2014 but plan to continue run more and to widen the quality of and types of events I run in 2015.

I also will help promote the annual GAGB weekend events as part of my plans for events in 2015, in doing so I will help both GAGB and GAGB members in communicating about our hobby.

In my day time job, I work with three friends running a web design and hosting business, I am able to manage both websites and social networking so believe I will make an ideal member of the new committee.

Please vote for me.

Thanks.
Paul aka Poole_Man