CAM 2018 Information Thread

[littleblkdog]

CAM 2018 Pathtags are finally available for order. You can get them here:

Order CAM 2018 Pathtags

You will need this password to complete your order: MGSFIRST

The price is $20 per bag of 20 pathtags plus shipping. Don't delay ordering, MGS makes a small sum off of each bag and we normally sell out very quickly.

[littleblkdog]

What follows is the announcement that every MGS President hopes they never have to make:

Unfortunately, the CAM 2018 coins will not be ready for the picnic. A singular goal of mine was to make sure everybody got a coin on time this year. Last years officer's took concrete steps to address the issues of 2017 as they turned over to the 2018 Core and it still wasn't enough. Based on the experience of previous years, I was focused on the coin, cautiously optimistic and I believed we were on track until late last week when I was notified of production problems. At that time there was still some hope that the coins could be finished in time and shipped directly to me but I learned earlier this morning that there was no way the coins would make it in time. I also learned that the factory didn't follow the coin vendor's instructions which caused an even further delay which prevented us from receiving what the factory claims is ready for shipment. Production issues at the factory for the standard edition coin mean that it will likely take at least another month to complete our order.

While this is the result of many factors, many of which were out of our control, I take full responsibility for this situation and sincerely apologize to you all. Please know every effort will be made to get your coins to you as soon as possible.

By now it is no surprise that the coin manufacturing landscape has changed. Production in America simply isn't feasible on a cost basis. Coins have long been MGS's biggest expense at approximately $4000 for each years CAM coins. Cost and manufacturing rules make production in China the most cost effective but it obviously comes with significant risk. Other factors such as the increase in large scale events such as GIGA and a multitude of MEGA events mean that we are now a small fish in a much larger pond which makes it harder to be a priority. I know other coin purchasers have had similar problems.

I will say that the 2017 officers moved out aggressively to make sure the problems of 2017 didn't happen in 2018. The design contest was held months earlier and the design was finalized in December 2017 and the project started with the vendor, Compass Creek (formerly Cache Advance) on January 1, 2018. The production blueprint was approved on February 5th. From my point of view, 12-13 weeks for production certainly should have been enough. Clearly it wasn't.


Questions:

Q. Since there won't be coins, do I still have to come to the picnic?
A. Yes. If you found the required number of CAM caches and want to receive your coin for free, you must attend the picnic. Attending the picnic is part of completing CAM. With the exception of medical emergencies and family funerals, if you do not attend the picnic, you will have the option of paying the cost of the coin, $10, to receive a coin. We will be keeping track of attendance at the registration desk, so be sure to register with your passport when you arrive.

Q. How will I get my coin?
A. We hope the majority of you will be able to pick up your coin at another event. The Summer Picnic will be held on July 14th at Susquehanna. We realize this may not be a reasonable solution for many of you, so MGS is prepared to ship the coins out to those who request it. After the picnic we will post a form to collect addresses for mailing of the coins as soon as we receive them.
While not required, a donation of $3.50 towards the cost of mailing goes a long way to off-set this expense. (Shipping 200 coins at $3.50 each means $700 out of the MGS accounts)

Q. I ordered a Limited Edition CAM coin. Are they affected as well?
A. Yes, all coin varieties are part of the same order, and we expect to receive them all at the same time. If you already paid to have your LE coin shipped to you, we can ship your standard CAM coin in the same package for no additional charge. While not required, a donation of another $1 goes a long way to off-set this expense.

Q. Receiving my coin is my favorite part of the picnic. Will the picnic still be fun?
A. Of course it will! Ten new caches will publish at 1pm, and the venue boasts a unique attraction which promises to be loads of fun. This year's picnic will also feature the long-awaited return of the "Dunk the VP" booth.

Q. I'm allergic to rain. Does that count as a medical emergency?
A. No. And while we apparently cannot get coins produced on time, we do control the weather and it will be sunny and in the 70s. If it isn't you can feel free to blame the 2017 and 2018 Vice Presidents.


If you have any further questions, I will try to answer them all at the picnic.

Thank you for your patience and understanding with this difficult situation, and again, please accept my apologies. I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow!

Trying to be positive,
Phil
littleblkdog
MGS President

[littleblkdog]

Here is the link for CAM 2018 Picnic attendees to provide their mailing information.

A second link is for 10 or more CAM 2018 geocache finders who were not able to attend the picnic, and who have already submitted a CAM 2018 completion, to buy their CAM 2018 Geocoin and/or receive a certificate:


I completed CAM 2018 by finding at least 10 CAM 2018 geocaches AND attending the picnic. Now I want to provide my mailing address to have my CAM 2018 geocoin mailed to me.


I found 10 or more CAM 2018 geocaches but DID NOT complete CAM 2018 by attending the picnic and want to buy a standard edition coin at cost and/or have my certificate mailed.


We will be selling surplus CAM 2018 geocoins but not until all the Picnic attendees and non-Picnic attendees have reserved their coins.

[littleblkdog]

I received a status update overnight letting me know that the CAM 2018 geocoins are back under production. No estimate on when they will be complete but they are in progress. Fingers crossed for no further errors in production and shipping which POTENTIALLY means they will be available for the summer picnic. If you haven't already, please complete the form above as appropriate to prepare us for all eventualities.

Thank you for the understanding, cooperation and kind words as we work through these issues.