I’ve had the honor of logging this trackable once before, as a representative of the 2018 Hike-n-Seek committee but this is even more special for me as it’s more personal.
It’s no secret I live in Illinois. I don’t hide that and there’s no shame in it. But when I first started caching, I quickly realized there were exactly NO geocaching groups that represented where I live in northwest IL. This is why I began gravitating towards IGO and its activities. When the by-laws were pointed out to me, I immediately requested voting membership status which I have held since 2013.
I’ve proudly served on the board for two terms but it seems that my presence was an issue for some very small people so I opted to step off rather than be a magnet for the board. That didn’t mean I didn’t want to stop helping though. I was thrilled to initiate our statewide “Ride with IGO events” and hosted several of them two different years. I also took over the role of Bucky during the challenge season. Now, I’m getting ready to host another Hike-n-Seek, my fifth I’ve played a part in.
I feel that being a member of an organization means pitching in to lighten the load. I’ve done it in my professional life, my kids’ activities, and here in my hobby. And I’ve learned something important that I need to routinely remind myself of…
All that matters is that I can hold my head high and say at the end of the day that I did the best I could for IGO. I’m sincerely hope I’ve done that. I know I couldn’t have done it without a few specific geocachers, and I know they know how important they are to me.
I promise I’ll keep doing what’s best for IGO!