Get in the Game! with Geocaching

Give kids a palm-size computer/GPS, tell them to hunt for hidden treasure, and watch them go!  That’s just what we do through geocaching, a high-tech scavenger hunt that’s already adding excitement to outdoor Scouting programs nationwide.

Geocaching can be much more than a fun unit activity, though.  As part of our 100^th Anniversary Celebration, we’re using geocaching to get at a goal that’s important to every Scouter:  membership recruitment and retention.  Through the Get in the Game! program, Scouts and non-Scouts alike will be invited to Join the Adventure.  In addition to inviting them to participate in events, we’ll also reach out to kids that are actively involved with geocaching, but not Scouting.

This program is also a great way to find and reconnect with Scouting alumni who are active in the sport.

There are currently three components of the Get in the Game! program in our Council, with more to come:

·        Race to 2010 – This was introduced in the last issue of the e-Scouter newsletter.  It is taking a Scouting icon, the Pinewood Derby car, nationwide on the longest Pinewood Derby track (or rather, trek) in America

·        Treasures of Scouting – showcasing who we are as an organization and what we do through our programs.  We will be hiding five geocaches in locations around our Council themed to Scouting programs: Cache to Cub Scouts, Action! Boy Scouts, AdVenturing Crews, Volunteer Quest, and BSA Alumni Connection.  In each of these caches, there will be an information request form/drawing entry card.  Each month for the remainder of our Anniversary Celebration year, there will be a drawing for a special edition, trackable geocoin.  Two will be given away each month from February through December.  There will also be First To Find prizes for a 10% discount off Cub Scout or Boy Scout resident camping experiences or the Venturing whitewater rafting trip.

·        Pillars of Scouting – sharing the Scouting values of Leadership, Achievement, Community Service, Character, and the Outdoors through travel bug items that travel from cache to cache across the country

We are looking at a couple of other programs to implement throughout the year so stay tuned for further ways to Get in the Game!