I'm sure many of you have been wondering why the Annual MGS Awards Nominations haven't started yet, as they have traditionally been awarded at the Summer Picnic. The awards are great way to showcase some of the creativity on display across the state and to recognize members who have helped raise the bar for geocaching in Maryland. Sadly, the reality is very few people actually take part in the nominations and voting. There have been many good suggestions over the years of how to get more people interested and involved in the process. In response, we have decided to open the nominations to the entire year and move the awards to the beginning of the New Year. We hope this will make the cut-off dates less confusing and give people the time to actually go out and visit the nominated caches.
How does this affect this year's voting?
The window for nominations for the 2017 Awards will open now, and will stay open until December 31st. Voting will open during the first week of January 2018, and the 2017 Awards certificates will be presented at the Meet the Officers event in early February.
How will this work moving forward?
Nominations for the 2018 awards will open in January and will be accepted throughout 2018. This way you won't have to try to remember all your favorites for 11 months – you can nominate them immediately. It will also make searches easier: anything dated 2018 will be eligible.
How do I participate in nominations and voting?
Think about which caches, cachers, logs, and photos from the past year have excelled in a particular category, then submit your nominations to 2017core@mdgps.org. Be sure to put ‘MGS Awards’ in the subject line. The top nominees in each category will be for member vote the first week of January 2018.
THE AWARD CATEGORIES
STATEWIDE
- Geocacher of the Year
Which cacher has been the most dynamic for geocaching in the state of Maryland?
- Geocaching Rookie of the Year
Which cacher has really jumped on the scene this year and served up notice to all of us that they embody all facets of caching and do it well?
- Cache Log of the Year
Which cache log have you read that really caught your attention, whether it be its detail, thoroughness, or humor?
- Cache Log Photo of the Year
Which photo attached to a log really caught your eye, be it beauty of the scenery, cleverness, or humor?
REGIONAL
(Specify one for each Maryland region: Western, Central, Southern, Eastern)
- Geocache Hider of the Year
Which cacher has consistently put out great hides all year and maintained them well?
- Best Cache Hide of the Year
Which one cache put a big smile on your face or earned your respect?
- Most Scenic Hide of the Year
Which cache lured you to a location that made you want to stay for a long time to relax and enjoy the scenery?
ELIGIBILITY RULES
- Rookie of the Year
- Any cacher who started caching on or after January 1st, 2016, is eligible
- Any cacher who created a gc.com account before 2016 but didn't start caching (or had fewer than 10 finds) until 2016 is eligible
- Any relocated cacher who began caching in the Maryland area on or after January 1st, 2016, is eligible
- Cache Log of the Year
- Log must have been written in 2017
- The associated cache does not have to have been placed in 2017
- The associated cache does not have to be located in Maryland
- Cache Log Photo of the Year
- Photo must have been taken in 2017
- The associated cache does not have to have been placed in 2017
- The associated cache does not have to be located in Maryland
- Best Cache Hide/Most Scenic Hide
- Cache must have been published (not placed) in 2017
- Cache must be located within one of the four Maryland regions
- Please include the GC code for the cache you are nominating
- Cache Across Maryland
- Since CAM has its own awards ceremony, CAM caches/logs/photos are not eligible for MGS Awards, however CAM bonus hides are eligible.
- Cut-off Date
- Since last year's cut-off date was May 31st, all 2016 caches/logs/photos placed/written/taken after June 1st are also eligible. (This rule applies only for the 2017 Awards. Beginning in 2018, only 2018 caches/logs/photos will be eligible for the 2018 Awards.)
THE MARYLAND REGIONS
• Western – Garrett, Allegany, Washington, and Frederick counties
• Central – Carroll, Howard, Montgomery, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, and Harford counties, and Baltimore City
• Southern – Prince George’s, Charles, Calvert, and St Mary’s counties
• Eastern – Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, Caroline, Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset, and Worcester counties
