Hi everyone

I am a volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America – scoutboy and I have been working hard for several years to get geocaching as a major piece of the BSA program. We have had some great successes! For example, we will be having a major presence in several initiatives for the planned BSA National activities for the 100^th Anniversary celebration where we are designing scout based geocaching activities to roll across the nation next year and beyond. We will definitely need the help of MANY geocachers from across the country for this and may be asking for your help.

 BTW – BSA now includes girls as part of the Venturing program and there is a LOT of GPS use in Venturing!

In the short term, if any of you are Scout leaders or know Scout leaders who want to do geocaching, there will be a great “Geocaching to Promote Scouting” class at the Florida Sea Base (located on Isla Morada) on Jan 11-16, 2009. Please help us pass the word for that too! Nothing tells BSA that geocaching has value for its program than a full course promoting the sport!

Flyer at http://cid-ab6e1a36696066ae.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Public

More info at http://www.bsaseabase.org/

Thanks for your help and hope to meet you all. Don’t hesitate to ask if you have questions.

Mary aka mousewiz

By TheAlabamaRambler

TheAlabamaRambler is Ed Manley, husband to GeoRose (Teresa), father of five wonderful humans, grandfather of two more, and an avid geocacher.

Now retired after a decade in the US Navy followed by 28 years of owning and operating Knowledge Management Systems, an IT consultancy specializing in Workflow Analysis and Business Process Improvement, Ed now has the time to pursue his hobbies: Fishing, Geocaching and Ham Radio... the order of importance changes daily!

He is also W4AGA, an Extra-class Amateur Radio Operator with a passion for serving the public through volunteer disaster-relief preparedness and response. Active as a Communicator and Disaster Relief Chaplain in the Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief, American Red Cross (Shelter Manager and ARCHIE Team Lead), the Salvation Army Team Emergency Relief Network (SATERN), Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES AEC - Jefferson County Assistant Emergency Coordinator and OES - Operational Emergency Station) and Assisatant Director of the Zamora Shriners Ham Unit, he can be found on HF daily on 3.965 and on VHF on the Birmingham Amateur Radio Club (BARC) repeater on 146.88.

If you have any interest whatsoever in serving and giving back to your community, saving lives and taking part in the wonderful community of amateur radio please visit http://w4aga.com to learn about the many volunteer opportunities.

Ed is the Editor-In-Chief (sounds high-fallutin, don't it?) of the free online geocaching e-zine The Online Geocacher. He can be contacted via email at mailto:TheAlabamaRambler@gmail.com or by phone at 205-914-6814 from 7 a.m. to Midnight CDT.

73 de W4AGA