Category Archives: Committee

AGM and Committee Updates

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It’s that time of year again. On Wednesday 1 November, Geocaching Victoria held its Annual General Meeting. Here is an update.

Farewell heymissjo

It is with mixed emotions that we announce that heymissjo has made the decision to step down from the committee. As many of you will know, Jo, and partner Ross, have a large blended family of 5 children which would ordinarily leave most people with very little time to themselves. Not Jo however! Jo has managed to juggle a demanding full time job, and in addition, had accepted the challenge of leading Geocaching Victoria in her “spare” time.

Jo has been our President for the last two years and has made an incredible contribution to Geocaching Victoria. Jo is often working behind the scenes and has been integral in taking the organisation forward and leaves us in a much stronger position.

We are incredibly grateful for the tireless contribution Jo has made, and while we will miss her drive and energy, we know that the extra time in her day will be well spent with her family. A special thanks to Ross and the tribe for being so supportive over the last two years.

We look forward to seeing you out on the trail a bit more in future.

Welcome to the team

We are very excited to welcome our newest members of the Geocaching Victoria committee:

  • Jo – chooknchunk
  • Julie – letthemeatcache
  • Leah – cracknleelee

All three new additions to the committee are wonderful community members, and bring with them a range of skills that will further enhance the capabilities of Geocaching Victoria. As a volunteer position, we thank you for giving up your time to support the community, and help continue to grow Geocaching in Victoria. Please join us in welcoming them onboard.

We will take the opportunity to introduce each of our new committee members in more detail in coming weeks – stay tuned!

Officeholders

At each AGM, all positions are declared vacant. The following officeholders were elected for the coming year:

  • President – Andrew (RoamingHowie)
  • Vice President – TBA
  • Secretary – Adriaan (ahomburg)
  • Acting Treasurer – Bernie (bernieh)

We would particularly like to thank Bernie who has extended his tenure on a temporary basis to enable us to transition to a new treasurer. Importantly, if you would like to be considered for the Treasurer role, we encourage your to reach out to roaminghowie@geocachingvictoria.com.au. We are happy to assist with training and support as this is a role that must be filled on a permanent basis.

The road ahead

With big shoes to fill (and I’m already a size 15!), I am honoured to have been elected President of Geocaching Victoria and look forward to working with our very talented committee and the geocaching community to continue delivering on some exciting initiatives in the year ahead. Please do not hesitate to reach out to myself or any of the committee if you wish to pitch an idea, get involved, or share some feedback.

Enjoy the (long) weekend ahead and may your coordinates lead to endless discoveries.

August Events & Committee Updates

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Not sure how we got to August already – maybe it was the influx of all the caches and events published in July that has made it wizz passed so fast! But do you think August is really going to slow down for us – with so many great events already published I don’t think it will. Let’s bring on another great month of caching!

Be sure to check out the list of events and see if you can attend a few!

COTY Awards 2022 – Voting is Now Open

It has been great to see the votes starting to come in for the COTY Awards 2022 – If you haven’t already, don’t forget to place your votes. During the voting process, the following criteria applies:

  • Only caches and logs shortlisted will be open for voting
  • For all cache categories, it is recommended that you physically find the cache you are voting for.
  • You can vote for your own cache or log 
  • One vote per category per caching team is allowed. 
  • There will only be one winner per category
  • If in the event a category results in a tie, the Geocaching Victoria committee will cast the final vote

Voting will close 30th September 2023, with a proposed event announcing the awards scheduled for November (details to follow)

Click here to vote NOW! Good luck to all the finalists.

Geocaching Lists

What type of cacher are you? Are you an organised geocacher that likes to keep track of challenges and projects you are working on by creating various lists or are you more a spontaneous cacher and collect as many as you can? Maybe you don’t know how to create a list?

No matter what type of geocacher you are, we thought we would share a few tips and tricks to inspire you.

Supporting Geocaching Victoria

We are often asked “How can we help” and we are blessed to have so many amazing people in our community that volunteer their time either on a committee, a sub-committee or to support a particular initiative or event.

We are excited to share there is another way you can support Geocaching Victoria. As you are aware, we are a not for profit incoporation that exists solely to create amazing experiences for our community, but we have no ability to create income except through the various fundraising activities, council sponsorship or merchandise sales we undertake.

But after much interest from our community, there is now another way you can support. We have set up a “Support us via Donation” option via our shop. Below are some ways that you can contribute:

  • $5 – the cost of a coffee to support with our wepage,
  • $10 – to support a Wiser than Owls cache placement
  • $20 – to assist in the purchasing of sausages for our next planned fundraiser. 
  • $25 – if you would like to sponsor a cache event
  • $47 – to donate to the the value of a premium membership
  • $50 – to sponsor an COTY award / competition

All donations, no matter how small are gratefully received. Thank you.

Farewell Day Gowland

After a jam packed two years of Mega’s our beloved committee member Day Gowland has decided to step down and take a well earned break. We would like to take the opportunity to thank him for all his hard work and creative inspiration he has brought to our community. We wish him well – who knows he might even get some more time to go caching!

With Day’s departure, it does leave a vacancy on our committee.

Committee Vacancy

Are you passionate about geocaching? Do you have a flair for creativity and an eye for detail? Perhaps you have a strength in logistics and organising events or a gift in fundraising? Do you want to become part of the best geocaching team ever to deliver great experiences for our community?

We are looking for someone to join our team and are are willing to jump in and help with the following;

  • GVI Event organising
  • Facilitate fundraising activities
  • Support annual megas and their planning
  • Contribute to stories, website content and online collateral
  • Happy to join our monthly meetings and brainstorm together on creative activities for our community
  • Undertake support admin tasks as needed (we share these)
  • Be a team player and support the objectives of GVI
  • Be a representative of our wider Geocaching Community

If you are interested in applying for a committee role, please email Jo Cox at president@geocachingvictoria.com.au and provide an overview of what strengths you can bring to the team. Please feel free to share any past experiences that may support your application.

Mega Lead Vacancy

We are looking for someone with experience and skills in event organisation (large scale). This doesn’t necessarily have to be geocaching events, it can be in other large corporate, workplace, planning conferences or other volunteer events. Mega’s usually attract in excess of 400 geocachers across the country. Other key skills we are looking for is as follows:

  • Experience in leading a team or committee
  • Event planning, logistics or coordination experience
  • Budget and forecasting experience (not mandatory as support will be given)
  • Great communicator and stakeholder management (Sponsors and Councils play a bit part in Mega Planning)
  • A can do, fun attitude to ensure we create the best Mega ever for our community.
  • Willingness to see the Mega Event through (scheduled Nov 2024)

We certainly don’t want to scare you off, so if you are committed and passionate to giving it a go – please do reach out. It’s okay if you haven’t run a Mega before, you will have a Mega committee to support you but also the Geocaching Victoria Committte to also provide support and advice. We are all one big team.

If you are interested in applying for a Mega Lead role, please email Jo Cox at president@geocachingvictoria.com.au and provide an overview of what strengths you can bring to the team. Please feel free to share any past experiences that may support your application.

Upcoming Vacancy – Geocaching Victoria Treasurer

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Geocaching Victoria is in search of a new Treasurer with the position about to become available. After eight years BernieH has decided to not just retire from work, but also from his long held position on our committee as Treasurer. This has been in discussion for many months now and maybe I was in denial, maybe we were reluctant to let him go, but alas the time has come for me to make the annoucement and find a suitable replacement.

What we are looking for – The Treasurers Role

The Treasurer is a key member of the Geocaching Victoria Committee with the primary role of supporting the committee in all areas of financial governance to ensure that the Incorporation maintains its fiduciary responsibility.

In this role you will be responsible for assisting Geocaching Victoria and its sub-committees setting and maintaining budgets, maintaining a set of (online) accounts including data entry of income and expenses, reconciling bank accounts together with PayPal, Square and shop sales as well as financial reporting for committee and sub-committee meetings.

It would be beneficial to have an understanding of accounts including being comfortable with PC and web based programs and a willingness to embrace innovation.

If this sounds like something that excites you and you would like to learn more about the role or wish to apply, please contact Jo Cox aka heymissjo directly before Friday 26th May 2023 president@geocachingvictoria.com.au

A Massive Thank you Bernie

Of course it would be remiss of me to not extend a MASSIVE thank you to Bernie who has dedicated thousands of hours over the past eight years – from our humble beginnings until today. He has been instrumental to the success of our Megas, the establishment of Geocaching Victoria as an Incorporation and a much loved member of the team. Although he is ready to pass the baton on to become a fulltime geocacher, he will still be an avid supporter of Geocaching Victoria and we know that he will be not far away. All the best in your next chapter and go get those caches Bernie!

GVI Welcomes Donutholes and Grub62

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As we start to wind down for the holiday season, which for many is not just spending time with loved ones, but also prime geocaching holiday time, we thought we would share a quick announcement.

With 2023 set to be another great year ahead, Geocaching Victoria is super excited to welcome two more committee members to the team – Kim Baker aka Donutholes and Belinda Parker aka Grub62. By way of introduction, heymissjo thought she would get them to share a little of their geo-story with us all

Introducing Donutholes

We are excited to have you joining the GVI team, for those that don’t know you, can you please share with us when you started Geocaching and how you decided on your caching name.

I started Geocaching on 29/12/2013 after seeing an article online. Growing up in Kununurra W.A meant there wasn’t many to find so it was a very slow game at first. The name Donutholes came from a bakery my Dad used to take me after every footy game. The local baker would sell a bag of 5 “donut holes/dough balls” on a Saturday and they were my favourite. Also having the last name Baker helped

How do you like to play the game? Are you a numbers person, do you chase challenges, do you love the adventures or have your own approach to caching?

I like to Geocache two ways! I use it as a circuit breaker/me time. There is something calming about getting out in the fresh air and only concentrating on the task at hand. I then I use it as a social thing!! Caching with like minded people, having a laugh and just enjoy being in the moment. I have absolutely no targets or challenges I’m working on. If it happens, it happens

What is the craziest thing you have done in the name of caching?

A couple of things I’ve done for collecting a smiley face is waterfall jumping in remote W.A. The wet season in Kununurra is the best time to visit!! This year I did strip down to the birthday suit and go for a swim mid winter for a FTF

What is currently on your Geocaching Bucket-list?

I’m just really excited for when my children can join in on the adventures. Getting more caches overseas would be nice too.

What is the most remote or unusual place you have collected a Geocache?

Most remote place I’ve collected a Geocache would probably be an Island on Fiji. You had to walk around it when the tide was low and if you were to slow you would be trapped.

Introducing Grub62

Grub62 was a key member of the Whittlesea Mega Committee, so we are super excited that she has now agreed to join GVI. But for those that don’t know Grub62, we thought we would ask her some questions.

Can you please share with us when you started Geocaching and how you decided on your caching name.

Crustyvarmint introduced Bunadoorian and I to geocaching in  March 2016 in Tasmania. After nearly two years of finding caches with Bunadoorian and causing him a lot of frustration by asking for the description or what size the cache was again – I decided to get my own account in May 2018.  I choose my geocaching name as it was a childhood nickname and something to do with my birthday.

How do you like to play the game? Are you a numbers person, do you chase challenges, do you love the adventures or have your own approach to caching?

I enjoy the adventures and  where geocaching takes me – the places you get to visit, the history you learn, the views you see, the creativity of the cache makers/ owners.  I enjoy challenge caches where you have to plan to get certain caches.

What is the craziest thing you have done in the name of caching?

 I think one of the craziest things I have done in the name of geocaching  is agreeing to drive 24 hours so Bunadoorian can get a cache in Northern Territory over an Easter.

What is currently on your Geocaching Bucket-list?

Next year I hope to fill in the holes in my finds  by found date table and my 360 degrees from home table.

What is the most remote or unusual place you have collected a Geocache?

 The most unusual place I have found a cache was in Noumea when we got off a cruise ship .Luckily I had done some homework before hand as the cache description was in french.

The baton is passed on… Welcome Mister Doctor

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As the dust settles on GVI’s latest Mega, we have a slight change to our GVI Committee. Rod Lyon aka n0w0rries has decided the time has come for the baton to be passed on so that he can spend more time focusing on his wellbeing and with his family. We wish Rod all the best and thank him for his tireless efforts on the committee over the passed 18 months. Rod now passes the baton onto the the newest member of our team.

We are very excited to announce that Peter McClive aka Mister Doctor will be joining the team. Many of you would have had the chance to connect and meet with Mister Doctor over last weekends Mega, but others of you may not have had the opportunity and so heymissjo thought she would ask him some questions, so that we could get to know him a little more.

Thanks for chatting with me Pete, can you share with us when you started geocaching and how you decided on your caching name.

I’m a secondary science teacher with a PhD, and my students usually call me Dr McClive. Except, that is, for my sweet Year 7s, who start off calling me Mr McClive, get a little tongue-tied, and end up saying Mr Dr McClive. That sounded to me like a geocaching name, and so Mister Doctor was born. Once I had a name, I borrowed a school GPS one Christmas holidays in 2010 and found some local caches, but then found no more for 7 years. It was only when Optus finally shut down its 2G network in 2017 that I upgraded to a smart phone, and the Geocaching app was one of the first apps I installed. From then on, I was hooked!

How do you like to play the game? Are you a numbers person, do you chase challenges, do you love the adventure or have have your own approach to caching?

I think that discovering the local knowledge of an area is what keeps me coming back to geocaching. Each cache has a personal story attached to it and even a CO you can chat to, which for me makes this game so much richer than something like a Pokémon hunt, or the collection of munzees. So, I tend to target caches that tell a story and make a memorable impact. I’m not really about the numbers, although I do try to ramp them up just so I can earn favourite points to give away!

What is the craziest thing you have done in the name of caching?

I tend to be fairly risk-averse, so there are no crazy stories of having-to-get-that-cache for me. Having said that, I really do enjoy building caches, so I do have a crazy obsession with Op shops, hard waste collections and places like Resource Rescue! The caching corner of my garage looks like a cross between a kindergarten and a junk yard. Now, that I think of it, I do have a memory of building a large cache out of found objects, sitting astride a surf mat with the cache in my lap, and very cautiously paddling out to an island in the middle of the night to set it up. That was pretty crazy!

What is currently on your Geocaching Bucket-List?

I recently completed my first real challenge of filling my found dates calendar grid. This first started when I achieved a 7-day streak for Streak Week, but in doing so realised that maintaining such a streak could be grounds for divorce. Filling a calendar was much more family-friendly as I was ultimately able to spread the challenge over a number of years. Next on my Bucket-list is filling my D/T and Ausmer grids. At the recent Whittlesea Mega, I also committed to my first challenge cache (WCW Cache Local Mini Challenge), as well as definitely/probably/maybe completing the TWC geoart, so I’m not quite done with Whittlesea yet!

What is the most remote or unusual place you have collected a Geocache?

A few years ago, we took our kids on a holiday to Edinburgh, some 20 years after having lived there pre-kids and pre-geocaching. It was brilliant seeing a city we already knew well through a geocaching lens, and as a result GCH440 The Other Side of Edinburgh is now my most Northerly cache.

Welcome to the team Mister Doctor, we look forward to seeing what magic you can add to our community next year.

– heymissjo