Cub Scout Geocaching
• Geocaching is relatively new
• It's a high-tech treasure hunt
• It started in 2000 by an engineer in Portland,
Oregon
• In less than a decade, it has grown to over six
million active players
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What is Geocaching?
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Players hide and seek containers called caches
or geocaches
• Then they go online to report what they’ve
found and give clues to others that might want
to seek what they just hid
• It's fun, challenging, and interesting for
individuals, families, and groups
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What is Geocaching?
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Geo-Scouting is the partnership of Scouting and
Geocaching
• It can be used to help promote recruiting,
retention, advancement and public relations of
your Cub Scout Pack
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What is Geo-Scouting?
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Plan ahead - In their excitement players may not be as careful as they should be
• Don’t place a cache in an area that may lead to a dangerous situation
• Stay far from road traffic and railroad crossings
• Don’t place a cache higher than six feet or require any dangerous climbing to reach the cache
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Geocaching Rule #1: Be Safe
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Don’t require players to swim to reach a cache
• Use the buddy system
• Always use Two Deep Leadership
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Geocaching Rule #1: Be Safe (continued)
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Use Geocaching to teach Scouts how to have
fun, but “Leave No Trace”
• Hide a cache, but never bury one in the ground
• Avoid sensitive eco-systems
• Remember players will often make a beeline for
the cache, trampling vegetation in the vicinity
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Geocaching Rule #2: Respect the Environment
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Place caches so that they can be reached through existing trail access
• Don’t place caches in archeological or historic sites
• Don’t deface any object, natural or man-made
• Avoid hiding caches in light post bases, sprinkler heads, and other similar objects to keep them from being torn apart
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Geocaching Rule #2: Respect the Environment
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Get permission from land managers to use parks or Scout camps for your events
• Don’t put caches on National Park land or National Wildlife refuges
• Do not place caches in or near military installations
• Don’t place caches on elementary or secondary school property
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Geocaching Rule #3: Respect Private Property
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Don’t place caches on or near highway bridges,
dams, government buildings, or airports
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Geocaching Rule #3: Respect Private Property
Cub Scout Geocaching
• As with everything we do in Scouting, Geocache
abiding by the Scout Oath and Law
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Geocaching Rule #4: Be a positive ambassador
for Scouting
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Plan ahead and prepare
• Travel and camp on durable surfaces
• Dispose of waste properly
• Leave what you find
• Minimize campfire impacts
• Respect wildlife
• Be considerate of other visitors
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Geocaching and the Leave No Trace Principles
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Be prepared! Remember food and water, and
clothes to protect you from cold, heat and rain
• Use maps to plan where you’re going. Check
them along the way so you’ll stay on course and
won’t get lost
• Learn about the areas you plan to visit
• The more you know, the more fun you’ll have
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Leave No Trace - Plan ahead and prepare
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Walk and ride on designated trails to protect
trailside plants
• Do not step on flowers or small trees. Once
damaged, they may not grow back
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Leave No Trace – Travel on durable surfaces
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Pack it in, Pack it out. Put litter–even crumbs,
peels and cores–in garbage bags and carry it
home
• Use bathrooms or outhouses when available
• Keep water clean. Do not put soap, food, or
human or pet waste in lakes or streams.
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Leave No Trace - Dispose of waste properly
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Leave plants, rocks and historical items as you
find them so others can enjoy them
• Never destroy any natural setting whether
hiding or seeking a geocache
• Don’t place caches in places that may cause
others to disturb the natural setting when
searching for them
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Leave No Trace - Leave what you find
Cub Scout Geocaching
• If you want to have a campfire, be sure it’s permitted and safe to build a fire in the area you’re visiting
• Use only existing fire rings to protect the ground from heat. Keep your fire small
• Remember, a campfire isn’t a garbage can. Pack out all trash and food
• This is not really relevant for Geocaching but is good to know!
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Leave No Trace - Minimize campfire impacts
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Observe wildlife from a distance and never
approach, feed or follow them
• Human food is unhealthy for wildlife and
feeding them starts bad habits
• Protect wildlife and your food by securely
storing your meals and trash.
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Leave No Trace - Respect wildlife
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Be considerate when passing others on the trail
• Keep your pet under control to protect it, other
visitors and wildlife
• Listen to nature. Avoid making loud noises or
yelling. You will see more wildlife if you are quiet
• Be sure the fun you have outdoors does not bother
anyone else. Remember, other visitors are there to
enjoy the outdoors too
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Leave No Trace - Be considerate of other visitors
Cub Scout Geocaching
• The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-
based global navigation satellite system that
provides location information in all weather,
anywhere on or near the Earth using four or
more GPS satellites
• The GPS project was developed in 1973 to
overcome the limitations of previous navigation
systems by the U.S. government
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How does a GPS work?
Cub Scout Geocaching
• GPS was originally intended for military applications, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use
• GPS satellites circle the earth twice a day in a very precise orbit and transmit signal information to earth
• Commercially available GPS receivers are accurate from 3 to 15 meters based on the receiver circuitry used
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How does a GPS work? (cont’d)
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Signal multipath occurs when the GPS signal is
reflected off objects such as tall buildings or
large rock surfaces
• Number of satellites visible - The more satellites
a GPS receiver can see, the better the accuracy
• Buildings, terrain, electronic interference, or
sometimes even dense foliage can block signal
reception
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How does a GPS work - Sources of GPS errors
Cub Scout Geocaching
• GPS coordinates are broken down into Latitude
and Longitude
• Latitude lines run horizontally
• To remember latitude, imagine them as the
horizontal rungs of a ladder
• Degrees latitude are numbered from 0° to 90°
north and south. Zero degrees is the equator
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How does a GPS work? - Locations on the Earth
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Longitude lines run vertically
• Zero degrees longitude is located at Greenwich,
England
• The degrees continue 180° east and 180° west
where they meet and form the International
Date Line in the Pacific Ocean
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How does a GPS work? - Locations on the Earth
Cub Scout Geocaching
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How does a GPS work? - Locations on the Earth
Latitude Longitude
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Lines of longitude and latitude have been divided into degrees (°) minutes (') and seconds (")
• There are 60 minutes in each degree Each minute is divided into 60 seconds
• Seconds can be further divided into tenths, hundredths, or even thousandths
• The U.S. Capitol is located at 38°53'23"N , 77°00'27"W
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How Latitude and Longitude Work Together to
precisely locate points on the earth's surface
Cub Scout Geocaching
• All Cub Scouts are intrigued by technology
• Tiger and Wolf Cubs are not able to program the
GPS unit and will struggle to do more than just
“follow the arrow”
• Older Webelos Scouts like more challenge, and
can often change the GPS unit from one
waypoint to another by themselves
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How to introduce the GPS to Cub Scouts?
Cub Scout Geocaching
• When you begin try to only focus on the
features of the GPS unit that the Scouts actually
need to use for the specific activity at hand
• Games should be simple with easy rules
• Younger scouts really like getting a prize even if
the prize is just a sticker, or slip of paper with a
logo on it
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How to introduce the GPS to Cub Scouts?
Cub Scout Geocaching
• It may help to have the older Cub Scout go with
them on the hunt
• keep them in sight so you can monitor their
progress and see if they need help
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How to introduce the GPS to Cub Scouts?
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Your GPS unit can – and will fail
• Batteries may die
• You may be located in a spot where you can’t
get good satellite reception
• You may accidentally program in the wrong GPS
coordinates and be heading in the wrong
direction
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The Importance of Knowing Map & Compass
Cub Scout Geocaching
• The GPS is only going to tell you how far you
need to go and in what direction
• It is not always going to tell you about the
obstacles that may lie between you and your
destination
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The Importance of Knowing Map & Compass
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Any Internet use requires common sense as well as parental permission
• Never to give out personal information
• Never write to someone who has made you feel uncomfortable or scared
• Do not meet someone or have him or her visit you without the permission of your parents
• Tell your parents right away if you read anything on the Internet that makes you feel uncomfortable
• Remember that people online may not be who they say they are
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Geocaching and the Internet – Internet Safety
Cub Scout Geocaching
• earthcache.org
• lists locations where people can visit to learn about a unique geo-science feature or aspect of our Earth
• EarthCache sites do not use stored containers; their treasure is the lessons people learn about our planet when they visit the site.
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Geocaching web sites
Cub Scout Geocaching
• geoscouting.com
• created as a resource to the Scouting community
• focuses on Scout-related use and discussion of
ways to use geocaching for the Scout community
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Geocaching web sites
Cub Scout Geocaching
• geocaching.com
• comprehensive web site listing locations, hints
and maps for caches hidden
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Geocaching web sites
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Advancement
• Recruiting and Retention
• Public Relations
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How can I use Geocaching with my Den/Pack?
Cub Scout Geocaching
• There are many ways to use geocaching to help
your den advance
• The “lesson” does not have to be rote or boring!
• Setting up a good geocaching game is also a way
to get the older scouts to help the younger
scouts advance, but in a way that captures their
interest and involvement to a greater degree
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Geocaching for Advancement
Cub Scout Geocaching
• How do you get boys to join your Pack?
• Packs need to do exciting activities, both on outings
and at Pack meetings, to keep the current members
coming back for more.
• Geocaching offers a new twist on the solution, with
high tech “Fun with a Purpose” at play.
• Plan a geocaching event at a public park or a school
and advertise it as an Open House for your unit.
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Geocaching for Recruiting and Retention
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Public Relations means “a promotion intended
to create goodwill for a person or institution “
• We want people to think as highly about the
Cub Scout organization as we do
• The following geocaching activities are designed
to remind the public what good citizens we are,
and how much good we do for the community
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Geocaching for Public Relations
Cub Scout Geocaching
• The Cache In Trash Out program (CITO)
• We collect litter along the trails and properly dispose of it
• The CITO program is a wonderful way to merge Scouting values, Leave No Trace, and Geocaching
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Geocaching for Public Relations
Cub Scout Geocaching
• A travel bug is a small item with a registered
dog tag that travels around the world
• Travel Bugs have a “mission” – for example a
travel bug Scout Toy may have the mission to
visit as many councils as possible
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Geocaching for Public Relations
Cub Scout Geocaching
• The Cache to Eagle program
• The Cache to Eagle program consists of public
caches that are posted on the geocaching.com
website
• These are public caches that have been set up at
the sites of Eagle projects
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Geocaching for Public Relations
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Have your boys ever complained that Pack
meetings are boring?
• A good Pack uses every tool it can to keep
meetings – and outings fresh and entertaining.
• Coupling classic scouting skills with technology
is one way to do just that.
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Geocaching Game Examples
Cub Scout Geocaching
• All team members should “STAY TOGETHER”
• Do not RUN – WALK (no need to get injured)
• Do not step on things you shouldn’t (gardens, private property, etc)
• Attempt to involve everyone on the team. Everyone should have a job
• Clean up after you finish
• HAVE FUN!
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Geocaching Games - All games should contain
these rules:
Cub Scout Geocaching
• The Get to Know Me Game – a basic “get to know
you - introductions” icebreaker game.
• Join My Pack! - a recruiting game to showcase the
activities on your Pack calendar
• Path to Arrow of Light – uses tokens representing
rank advancement
• The Bobcat (or other rank focus) Game – designed
around the requirements for a specific rank
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Geocaching Game Examples
Cub Scout Geocaching
• The Activity Pin Game – use tokens representing
activity pin icons; can be tailored to show the
activity pins needed for each advancement theme
• The “Special Recognition” game – highlights the
path to earning special awards such as
Conservation patch or LNT award.
• Interfaith Game – showcases the religious awards
program.
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Geocaching Game Examples (continued)
Cub Scout Geocaching
• Geocaching can be used for Recruiting,
Retention and Membership purposes
• Geocaching can be used to improve Public
Relations in the community
• Geocaching can be used to create Advancement
opportunities for the boys
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Summary