MnGCA

[merkman]

What is Geocachers Exploring Minnesota?

Does it still exist?

Who is in charge of it?

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks
merkman

[LucidOndine]

GEM is a caching group in Minnesota. I'm not aware of any particular leader in it, but it certainly exists. It is comprised of some of the first geocachers in Minnesota. They're a fun group of people and they focus more around events rather than policy changes to geocaching in Minnesota. KC0GRN and KingBoreas can give you more info.
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The Lucid Network (tm)-- More Bars in More Places!

[merkman]

So they are Minnesota's first organized caching group, or was there an organized Minnesota caching group before them?

[Marsha and Silent Bob]

[Paklid]

Seems like some of the history is covered in a thread somewhere. I haven't been around long enough to have witnessed the early stages, and if I ever knew the whole story, I've forgotten it by now. But that won't stop me from typing what I think I know.

I believe GEM was a loose knit statewide organization of geocachers that morphed into the MnGCA. I don't know who were members of GEM - and it was likely a group of like minded people rather than a real defined membership, but it would be greybeards (male and female) like bobhiker, RJ, Centris, King Boreas, Towlebooth, Jillibean and I'm sure a whole lot more.

Like I said, I believe that GEM morphed into the MnGCA when it's leaders decided that an official Association in the state of Minnesota would provide the legitimacy and weight needed to work with the DNR and other entities to open up caching. This was probably in response to the DNR kicking us out of the state parks. I'm pretty sure that several members of GEM never joined the MnGCA since as an official association the MnGCA is required by the state to have its members record their actual names and addresses and some people feel this is an invasion of privacy.

So whether any of the former members of GEM feel that the group still exists or not, I haven't a clue. I do see King Boreas listing events using GEM as a host. My guess is that this is either a barb, or some nostalgic feeling, but maybe a group of them feel the club or whatever it was still exists.

The old timers did a tremendous amount of work getting geocaching started in the state. Towlebooth setting up the forums (again, as far as I know), KB giving people caches to look for, far sighted leadership provided by some of the others noted.

Like I said, I know that I don't have the real story. I, for one, would like to see an accurate history article written which would allow new cachers, or middle aged cachers like me, to know how Minnesota caching got its start, and how the MnGCA got its start. It would be a good thing to have linked to by the MnGCA home page.

Or I suppose you could just say it all came about like Commodore.
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-Paklid

[Marsha and Silent Bob]

GEM ended when there was a disagreement with the founder (I forget her name) and some of the other members (Bobhiker, towlebooth, Centris, and some that haven't been around since the VERY early days of the MnGCA). She owned the domain and the website and yanked em both.

Because the domain was gone (mngeo.com IIRC) the rest of the interested individuals had to start another organization and the MnGCA was formed.

Chad or Nola would know more but what Ian is doing isn't anything more than I stated above -- an organization that is nothing more than a name which in the grand scheme is fine as long as everyone involved with the events are happy.
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Sad state of affairs.

[merkman]

[Marsha and Silent Bob]

The best recognition of the "old timers" was finishing the project they started back in 2002 when the MnGCA was formed -- getting caches back in the State Parks.

As far as a history without politics would be:

GEM was the first geoaching organiztion in Minnesota which was shortly followed up by the MnGCA which has carried through until today.

I don't know what else there would be to say.
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Sad state of affairs.

[Marsha and Silent Bob]

I got in touch w/Chad and he's going to contribute his knowledge to this thread. I also asked if he would be willing to talk to me about it during the MOGA trip and he said he would do that as well.

Maybe we can get this all done up once and for all -- politics included
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Sad state of affairs.

[Posen]

I just toured GEM's new 8-story headquarters on 494 and 100, and it's wonderful! The archived cache container museum alone is a site to behold....(so much Tupperware, so little time)

From what I can tell, GEM seems to thrive on wonderfulness and happy caching as in days of yore (okay, since when have "days of yore" been just 6 years ago, I know...lame, but it's all I've got).

I don't think GEM has much more push, power or pull than RAGS (Roseville Area Geocache Society--"Saving leftovers one Tupperware at a time") or Riches (Rhode Island Cache Hounds Exploring Swampgrass--"Finding caches one tuft at a time")....it's just a group having fun.

Near as I can figure, there's no way to get in or out of most of these kinds of caching groups...like the Wednesday Evening Cache Crew (WECC?!?)...who's in and who's out...how do you get in, how do you get out?

...don't sweat it...just have fun, there's no whining, admit that we all suck at finding caches, and keep looking.

[MNMizzou]

[Arcticabn]

Personally, my favorite exhibit at the site was the, wait, the, wait, the:

Video clip of Slient Bob doing the Tick Dance.
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Airborne All the Way!

[Marsha and Silent Bob]

It's forever ingrained in Moe and Hooligan's memories.
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Sad state of affairs.

[merkman]

[Posen]

I was glad to see they didn't have the clip of Posen and Savanna doing the "dance of the angry hornet's nest" from last fall...that was a scary thing for our 7-year-old to watch...not even bad words, but many, many stings. Are we sure this is fun?!?!?