2012 Podcacher Secret Santa Gift Exchange

[Papa EGTH]

The entry deadline has passed.

We have 56 participants this year from 4 different countries!! If you missed this year's gift exchange then come back again in October 2013.

Hey PodCacher Listeners!

It’s October and time to begin the 2012 PodCacher Secret Santa Gift Exchange.

For those that are new to the gift exchange, I developed the multi-step entry process because we had an incident where a participant received a gift but did not send one out. They never responded to any of my emails therefore I assumed that they never received any of my emails. I really hate to think someone would have purposefully asked to participate and then not send out a gift. So in order to insure that we can communicate I use the following 4 step entry process:

Step 1:Send an email to me at PapaEGTH@yahoo.com (NOTE: this is different from last year’s email address) expressing interest in the gift exchange. If there are multiple participants in your household that wish to participate then please list all that are interested in joining. Expressing interest in the forums does not constitute a request for entry – you must send an email. Please be advised that the PapaEGTH@yahoo.com email account is only used for the Gift Exchange and is not my regular email account.

If you were a participant in the 2011 PodCacher Secret Santa Gift Exchange and have the same contact information (email and physical address) then please state this in the message and I will bypass Steps 2 and 3 for you as I still have the information from last year’s gift exchange.

Step 2: I will send an email back asking for your contact information. Please be patient as I am an active geocacher and may not acknowledge your message for a couple of days (especially on the weekends).

Step 3: You must send back a reply to my email with the following information (this will be repeated in the email):
1. Your Geocaching handle
2. Name
3. Mailing address
OPTIONAL
4. Age and Gender (mostly for the kids or the kid in you)

Step 4: If I have received your reply then I will email you back a verification message with the following subject line: You're on the 2012 PodCacher Secret Santa Gift Exchange LIST!

The deadline for entry is: Sunday November 18, 2012, 8:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST)!

I will make all efforts to send out Secret Santa Giftee notifications on or after November 20, 2011.

Important Note: If you sent an email asking to participate prior to November 18th and did not receive the “You're on the 2012 PodCacher Holiday Gift Exchange LIST!” verification message then send me a message through the Podcacher forums OR Geocaching.com as a secondary method of communication before November 20th. Once I send the Giftee information out it is very difficult to make reassignments.

A reminder to all: most postal services require some type of disclosure form when sending packages out of the country. Last year I think we had 3 countries represented.

As a general rule try to have your gift delivered on or before Wednesday, December 19, 2012. If you think, or know, your gift will arrive late then send me an email at PapaEGTH@yahoo.com with the expected delivery date and I will be happy to relay an anonymous message to your Giftee. If you have not received your package by December 31st, then I urge you to contact me so that I can see if your Santa had to postpone delivery due to a reindeer illness.

Last year we had 30 participants – which was 5 less than the year before. My goal is to have 45 or more participants. Once again I will offer this incentive: If we reach the magic number of 45 participants then I will commission a special 2012 Podcacher Secret Santa Gift Exchange Pathtag. Only the first 47 participants will receive a Pathtag (Based on an order of 50 Pathtags, I get one and the designer I commission usually requests two pathtags).

I conducted a poll last month regarding whether we should put a definition and/or limit on the gift itself and there were only 4 responses. Three out of the 4 responders stated they want to continue an open ended definition of what to give. So that is what we will continue to do this year. I would really like to see the number of participants increase. Therefore, if we do not achieve the goal of 45 participants this year then I will seriously consider imposing a gift definition/limitation next year.

Privacy Statement: All names, postal addresses, and email addresses will be used solely for the purposes of activities related to the 2012 Secret Santa. All emails with your personal information will be deleted from my email account at the end of February 2013. I maintain a database containing your email and address information so that I may conduct this Gift Exchange. Unless specifically asked by you, I will retain this database and your information until next year's Secret Santa so that I may streamline next year's entry process.
_________________
Papa EGTH
You always find the best way in...on the way out.

[goblincamper2004]

Did You get are Info? i sent to u?

[wanzong]

I just sent the signup email! Has this been announced on the show? I don't recall hearing about it yet this year... I just stumbled on the post while browsing the forums.

[Minnesota Boy]

I look forward to participating once again! Thanks for time you put into it!

[saltercreaserangers]

We're in !
email sent
_________________
Podcacher Supporting Member

[Sandy]

Email sent - Team PodCacher is in. Spread the word to your geocaching buddies!
_________________
Cachin' with my sweetie...
Sandy of Team PodCacher

[pacholik]

I am in.
_________________

[Papa EGTH]

Less than 2 weeks before the deadline and we have 31 names on the LIST and waiting for verification from 11 others. If all the verifications come in then we'll be up to 42 participants.

I'm hoping we reach my goal of 45 participants for a special Pathtag!!

Just a few more need to sign up...
_________________
Papa EGTH
You always find the best way in...on the way out.

[TAZ427]

I ordered my Secret Santa Gift. And they've been shipped

Actually I ordered 3 - 1 for this Secret Santa Gift Exchange, 1 for a local W.E.G.E. White Elephant Gift Exchange Event, and 1 to stick in my own stocking. I haven't decided which goes where yet. I love all three of the items I purchased so I'm still debating which one to give myself.
_________________
I'd rather be caching!

[Papa EGTH]

All emails have been sent out.

If you received a message informing you that you are on the LIST and haven't received your Giftee's information then contact me immediately at PapaEGTH@yahoo.com.
_________________
Papa EGTH
You always find the best way in...on the way out.

[Papa EGTH]

Hey first 50 Participants!

The PathTag blueprint has been approved!!

I have set the PathTag's profile to public so anyone that would like to see what it looks like can go to the PathTag website and look for tag #24879 in the gallery.

Please be patient as it takes up to 6 weeks for the tags to be produced and delivered.
_________________
Papa EGTH
You always find the best way in...on the way out.

[wanzong]

First To Receive Secret Santa Gift??

at least I'm pretty sure it's my SS gift... I don't recognize the return name/address and it's a cool geocoin!

Sorry for the fuzzy pictures.

[Minnesota Boy]

I finally got it all together and got my Secret santa gift shipped today via Priority Mail. Feels good to get it on the way. Now, I wonder when mine will arrive?

[saltercreaserangers]

My giftee just couldnt keep their hands away from their Secret Santa gift
The logging of the PathTags gave the game away

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE
_________________
Podcacher Supporting Member

[goblincamper2004]