2017 NoVAGO Events

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One of the hallmarks of NoVAGO is its events. For a number of years NoVAGO has held 4 quarterly picnics. Last year the addition of 4 seasonal CITOs was made to the NoVAGO calendar. At the first board meeting of the year a decision was made to revamp the event lineup for 2017. This year NoVAGO will hold two major events (Spring and Fall) and four CITOs. The reasons for this decision bear explanation. When NoVAGO began having quarterly events, geocaching had not yet matured through the use of smart phones and other common devices. NoVAGO was composed of a smaller core group of cachers. Social media which currently links our membership, such as FaceBook, was neither common or readily accessible. Today our membership has multiple venues to link up and share experiences daily. This change in technology was joined by the growth of regional events over the last five … Continue reading →

Welcoming in the New Year

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As we usher in 2017 I wanted to take the opportunity to express some quick thoughts as the new NoVAGO President.  At the end of 2013 I was approached by then NoVAGO President rufnredy about running for an officer position in NoVAGO.  Although I did not feel up to the challenge, I did agree to become a Director to assist NoVAGO as needed.  I did not realize then the ripple effects that decision would have. For the next three years I would serve as a NoVAGO Director, its PR Officer and finally the Secretary.  Last year I agreed to run for President.  Battling fierce opposition, I prevailed as the victor.  During my time in NoVAGO I have been fortunate to work with a varied and talented group of officers.  I see no change in that aspect of the job this year. My view of the job of NoVAGO President has … Continue reading →

NoVAGO turns 10!

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  According to TwoWheelIn’s forum post “Down NoVAGO Memory Lane 2004 – 2013” the Northern Virginia Geocaching Organization was officially established on January 1st, 2007.  It was this day that the first elected officers took power and started shaping the organization that we know and love.  The first hosted event by these new officers was held in Loudon County and was titled NoVAGO Kickoff and Caching Event and it fell on Saturday January 14th 2007.   It just happens that January 14th also falls on a Saturday in 2017, so hosting our annual Thanks event on the ten year anniversary of our first event is perfect.  Please join us at Wegmans Fairfax to thank all of the amazing volunteers who helped make geocaching in Northern Virginia more fun in 2016 and to welcome in the 2017 volunteers. Thanks! 10 Years and Counting! January 14th, 2017 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wegmans, 11620 Monument … Continue reading →

Congratulations 2017 Officers!

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After a closely contested recount of hanging chads, the jury is in! A quick review of our bylaws states “If a candidate is unopposed for an office they will be placed into office by default.” After a review of the nomination thread, we have the results that one person has been nominated for each position so no additional voting is necessary! With that, it is my great pleasure and honor to announce that NoVAGO will be ready jump into 2017! Congratulations to the 2017 Officers! Dephogration – President Nothereeither – VP Hooclass2002 – Treasurer Awesnap – PR Plato Addict – Secretary

Nominations are open!

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All the events and activities you enjoy throughout the year are the result of a very dedicated team, also known as your board! If you want to help give back to make NoVAGO even better, now is your opportunity. NoVAGO’s Officer Elections are fast approaching. Nominations will be open for the month of November followed by voting in December! NoVAGO’s Officer Corps consists of these five positions: President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Public Relations You can find the details about these positions in the NoVAGO By-laws. Nominations will close on November 30, 2016, at which point any necessary ballots will be assembled and posted. Head on over to the forums to make your voice heard! … Continue reading →

Thank You NoVAGO!

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Thank you to everyone who made donations at the “Hauntingly Familiar” NoVAGO’s Fall Picnic and Auction!  A quick scan through our books says this was our biggest day in quite some time.  Enough donations came in that will support most of next year’s events and ensure that 2017 will be set for greatness. From the pre-order signup sheets interest is high in the upcoming NoVAGO 10 Year anniversary Path Tags and geocoins. Thank you to all of the officers, volunteers, and family members who assisted with odds and ends of this event. From those of you who sold tickets, supplied pot luck dishes, cleaned up, or just threw in a hand where needed… It was a huge help.   … Continue reading →

NoVAGO is proud to announce the 2016 Cache series…

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(with Shameless plagiarism from Hooclass2002) Last year that dastardly Grinch mischievously sneaked his way around NoVA trying to ruin our holiday fun.  This year, his antics appear to be mere child’s play, as something far more sinister has taken place. Over the past seven months many of NoVAGO’s bravest and noblest souls have schemed and brewed up a new 2016 cache series – and this time it is a MURDER MYSTERY. To seek out the answer to the mystery just hunt down collect the clue from each cache. Once you work your way through the series you will know “who done it?” The fun starts this week with “2016 NoVAGO Series – Murder Mystery – The Preview!” Join us October 12th in the dining area of the Alexandria Wegmans for a town hall meeting with your favorite NoVAGO cachers. Grab some food from the cafe, enjoy the company, and then help us … Continue reading →

NoVAGO’s Fall Picnic & Auction

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Sunday, October 23, 2016 11 am – 3 pm Lake Accotink, Fairfax, VA Event Cache Page By: Hooclass2002 (with Shameless plagiarism from Derek Tiffany who thanked 2Wheel’in, NetworkCacher, and RufNRedy for much of the original text in this post! :-D) What the heck is this Silent Auction / Pick-a-Prize thing, and how does it work??? Well, here’s a little Primer on the subject…it’s good to read up, there should be some pretty interesting items up for grabs. The Auction Catalog (below) will be updated as items are donated, please check back often. Note that for this year, we will be using a mystery “pick-a-prize” format for some items. You may have also heard of it as a “penny social”, “tricky tray”, or “Chinese Auction”. The items are all caching essentials. Swag. Containers. Log Books. Trackables. Tools of the trade. You name it. EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PICK-A-PRIZE ITEMS … Continue reading →

Save the date for Fun Fall Festivities!

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Mark your calendars and prep your GPSs! Want to earn your CITO souvenir? Come join NoVAGO for the Fall CITO on Saturday, September 17th at Chinquapin Park. Stay tuned, we are trying to get an additional souvenir earning opportunity the following weekend as well. On Sunday, October 23rd, come out for NoVAGO’s Fall Fundraising Event. If you would like to donate anything, you can contact the event lead, hooclass2002. As we get the donations together, we’ll be posting additional information on the forums and don’t forget to read up a bit on what NoVAGO does with the annual budget. See you there! … Continue reading →

How NoVAGO uses its budget – By Hooclass2002

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Have you ever wondered what we do with 50/50 proceeds? Or how the fall silent auction turns into caching goodness? Well, wonder no more – in an effort to be transparent the NoVAGO board wanted to share some highlights of how NoVAGO’s funds are used – both now and in the future. First – NoVAGO currently has about $2,000 in its coffers. Our account stays relatively stable – keeping about the same amount of funding – having expended roughly $200 more than we’ve taken in so far in 2016 (given that the fall is our big fundraiser, this is expected). Our quarterly events are some of our bigger outlays. Where possible we do in-kind services (e.g. do a CITO or put on a geocaching 101 class for use of a shelter). That doesn’t always work, and we’ll rent a shelter for our festivities. Most food and utensils are donated by … Continue reading →