Tonight I will be placing a cache at Pope High School in East Cobb. It will be called "Ring Around the Pope". Keep your eyes peeled!

- Jehsom

OK, cache has been placed and submitted for approval. It should be appearing tomorrow with waypoint name GCMDK0.

While you're out here, visit my other cache, "Boomerang Humbug", GCM5YG, at the same time, since they are very close to each other. Thanks!

- Jehsom

Mtn-man says I've gotta get permission from the principal of the school before I hide this cache, so it may take a little longer than expected :-\

quote:

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Mtn-man says I've gotta get permission from the principal of the school before I hide this cache

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Don't be mad, be glad.

Seriously, school administrators are very sensitive about non-students being on campus. I can't even visit my own daughter at her high school without signing in at the office there, which is fine with me.

You may find that the principal is fine with the cache being there, but may ask that it not be hunted during school hours, for example. As a geocacher hunting your cache I'd rather see that warning on the cache page than be told by the arresting officer.

~erik~

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Originally posted by ~erik~:

Don't be mad, be glad.

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Heh, nah, I know the reason behind that. I'm not really "mad", but it was just disappointing that I wouldn't be able to see it online today...

- Jehsom

p.s. I'm still not listed as a member, so I can't see the members-only areas... can someone plz fix that for me? Thx :-)

Here's the email I sent to the principal. I always have such a hard time explaining geocaching succinctly in terms people will understand:

To: [email snipped]
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2005 07:46:09 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Geocaching

Hello Dr. Stowers,

I am a resident of the [...] subdivision, which is just around
the corner from Pope High School, for which I understand you are the
Principal.

The purpose of this email is to ask you permission for something. I
participate in a "sport" (more of a hobby, really) known as
Geocaching. You can learn more at http://www.geocaching.com/about/,
but simply put, it is a worldwide treasure hunt involving GPS (the
Global Positioning System) to provide the location of a cache, or
hidden container, which people then search for. Upon finding it, they
sign the log to prove that they were there (since it is usually
nontrivial to find a cache), and log their visit on geocaching.com.
If the container is large enough, it will usually contain some sort of
tradable items (trinkets and other relatively low-value items), just
to make it a little more entertaining.

Participants in the sport hide caches all around the city (there are
over 1000 in Metro Atlanta alone!), typically on public property and
in forests and other places, but must obtain permission from certain
places such as schools, since the administration may not wish a cache
to be hidden on the grounds.

That is the reason for this email. I wish to hide a cache (just a
rubbermaid container with some small items inside) [...]. In order to find the cache, though,
cache hunters need to collect data at various points around the 1.5
mile track that runs around the school. [...]

I apologize for the long-winded explanation, but that is unfortunately
the only way to explain this! I hope you will grant me permission to
do this. It will attract probably around 2-3 people per week, on
average, to search for it. If you do not wish to have these adults
walking around your campus, I understand if you'd not permit this.
Otherwise, I'd be obliged if you could allow it.

If you need any more information, or would like to communicate with me
in some other way, please do not hesitate to ask.

Thank you for you time,

Moshe

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jehsom,

Oy. I'm a fool. I disclosed the location in the last post before I edited it. Please be honest and don't peek!

May not hurt to follow up with a call to see if she has time to meet with you for 15 min or so "in case you have have any questions/concerns/comments".

FWIW...

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Originally posted by Cymbaline:
May not hurt to follow up with a call to see if she has time to meet with you for 15 min or so "in case you have have any questions/concerns/comments".

FWIW...

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That's a great idea.

You might want to edit out the principal's email address as well.
Some people might not like having their email address publically posted (although it may be on the schools website).
Helps cut down on SPAM.

Hope it works out with them and you get it approved.
Working with them will be the best way to get it to happen.

Kenneth

quote:

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Originally posted by kennethpruett:
You might want to edit out the principal's email address as well.

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Where oh where is my etiquette? I would feel the same way, indeed. I'll edit it out. Thanks.

Okay, I submitted the principal's approval letter to mtn-man, so hopefully we should see this active before long! *grins evilly*

Out of curiousity, how was her response? Obviously she gave the go-ahead, but.. was she positive about it? Excited? Indifferent?

Again, just curious..

quote:

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Originally posted by Cymbaline:
Out of curiousity, how was her response?

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Here is what she wrote back to me:

Mr. Jacobson, your hobby sounds very interesting. I do not believe it
would create a problem if the participants were only on campus in after
hours and weekends, not during school days from about 8:00 to 4:00 pm.
I am copying the Pope Campus Police Officer, Officer Willie Perkins, so
that he will be aware of the possibility of participants in your group
being on campus.