Looking for hidden treasure? Folks around the world doing just that in one of the fastest growing pastimes. It's called geocaching.Think of geocaching as a giant, hi-tech treasure hunt. Players use a Global Positioning System (GPS) system to "bury" and find containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") all around the world. The geocache itself is usually a small watertight container with a logbook and some kind of treasure (usually a coin, toy or some other small collectable trinket - often referred to as geoswag). The container can be as simple as a plastic 35mm film container, or as complex as a hand-made box.
Since September of 2000, geocaching has grown from 75 caches to over 670,000 active caches worldwide, with between 2 and 3 million participants.
To see where geocaches are hidden in your neighborhood, go to http://www.geocaching.com/
On November 1st, the first Masonic Geocaching Society meeting will be held in Washington DC at the Scottish Rite House of the Temple. Addressing the meeting will be author Dr. S. Brent Morris, who will speak about codes and ciphers (Brent argues that Masons were arguably the first geocachers—when Enoch and Mathuselah buried a golden plate with the ineffable name of God upon it, and buried it deep beneath the foundation of the temple). The event sign in will be at 10AM, Brent will speak at 11AM, and there will be prize drawings at 1PM.
For more information, contact Dean Alban at dalban@scottishrite.org
That's terrific!! I'm an avid geocacher in addition to being a MM. I even have my own geocaching podcast at geocachingwithhomerspack.libsyn.com. Wish I could attend that event!
ReplyDeleteChris Bursian
Northglenn, CO
Darn, Chris. I was about to write about Masonic Geocaching. ;) If brothers are really interested in Masonic Caching, there is a Facebook Group for the Masonic Geocaching Society. Just search under the group directory. Too bad I won't be in DC at the time of this event.
ReplyDeleteAlso, geocaching.com allows for keyword searches of Masonic caches. For anyone who hasn't tried out geocaching, it is insanely fun.
Nick
Rats. I have a wedding to go to; otherwise I'd be there! Joining Facebook group now...
ReplyDeleteThe following message was passed along today from Shauna Maggs, disabusing me of some misunderstandings:
ReplyDeleteGeocaches are never buried and geocachers pride themselves on being outdoor enthusiasts who actively preserve and take care of the environment. There are also millions of geocaching participants around the world, not 70,000. Let me know if I can provide any additional support or assistance.
Thanks!
Shauna Maggs
Director of Marketing
Groundspeak
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If you want to read more about Geocaching:
Geocaching Information
History
A summary of the history of geocaching can be found here:
http://www.geocaching.com/about/history.aspx
Geocachers
Geocaching participants include a large variety of people from all age groups. There are significant groups of families with children, college students, adults and retirees that enjoy geocaching.
Requirements for Geocaching
A GPS unit, online access and a sense of adventure are the only requirements for geocaching. A basic GPS unit can be purchased for less than $100.
About GPS - An online tutorial
http://www.trimble.com/gps/index.html
Hey I'm a geocacher too... I started geocaching as a way to do activity with my family and get out to some neat places I would otherwise not know existed.
ReplyDeleteToo bad I can't make it to Washington.
How cool! On a whim I googled the masonic geocoin that I created ages ago and found an image of one of them here! How happy was I to discover a society of masonic geocachers! Well done, brothers!
ReplyDelete