This goes back to the whole idea of 'not all letterboxes are for all people'. Some people enjoy cooties (and I'm guilty of creating a few myself), and some don't.

Personally, I find the medicine bottle/film canister type of cootie more an aggrivation than fun, but I usually stamp in and try to pass it on as quickly as possible. A 'cootie drop box' as someone else mentioned would be a nice addition to a gathering, IMO. Easy for those who aren't necessarily interested in cooties the opportunity to get rid of them quickly and easily, and allow those who do enjoy them the opportunity to pass them on.

However, I find I have a certain grudging respect for clever cooties....those that are disguised and litereally HANDED to you, and you take them unknowingly. This takes a certain amount of planning, forethought and skill, and requires the same to pass it on. I admire that.

My personal motto? Leave no bag, jacket, sweater or other personal item open and unattended as often as possible. Sometimes, I literally leave them in the car, taking only what i NEED for exchanges/PTs etc and then reclaim my bag for the trail. If there's nothing there to put the cootie IN, I can't get it....Unless it's disguised and flat out handed to me, and my ingrained Southern manners don't allow for refusal. :-)

Just my opinions/suggestions.

Jenni P McD

Yeah, I have heard some people will literally let you just HAND them a cootie.

I have actually passed off quite a few that way, some not even "creative" ones, just confidently handed to someone when they, oh I don't know, ask me to hand them the event stamp.

Oh... I TOTALLY agree... you shouldn't go into other peoples things in any other situation, you shouldn't at a gathering. but if the bag is left unzipped... and one drops something inside without touching it... is it still an offense?

it would seem most of these gatherings are geared towards 'families'

I have to pipe up here and say that's a rather presumptious statement. I find most of these gatherings are for letterboxers. If the gathering has activities and opportunities specifically designed for children, wonderful, but first and foremost, this is a gathering of like minded people of all ages who enjoy letterboxing.

To force the idea that all people who letterbox should be 'kid friendly' isn't the appropritate way to handle the situation. Yes, most of the time, I letterbox and attend gatherings with my kids, and there are times I don't. However, when my children ARE going to be present, I insist they use some modicum of appropriate, mannerly behavior at the actual 'gathering' part. Putting cooties on people who have made it known they do not enjoy that aspect is rude and disrespectful. I would never encourage my children to participate in such behavior, nor would I condone it with "kids will be kids". To also be considerate, I know my children's limits, and for us on the trail, it's the time and place to run and enjoy being outside. When I know other boxers who don't have children are going with us, I always freely offer the information on what will happen and let them know I don't mind if they prefer to pass boxing with my family.

If my thoughts suggest I'm a product of an outdated, outmoded way of thinking, so be it. I believe that consideration is a highly lacking commodity in our society, and I don't plan to allow my children to fall into that pit either. You see, I *DO* wear the big girl panties in my house, as I'm the female parent.

Jenni P McD

just confidently handed to someone when they, oh I don't know, ask me to hand them the event stamp.


LOL

But, I still have a certain respect for that. It takes a certain flair to be able to pull that off successfully.

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If my thoughts suggest I'm a product of an outdated, outmoded way of thinking, so be it. I believe that consideration is a highly lacking commodity in our society, and I don't plan to allow my children to fall into that pit either. You see, I *DO* wear the big girl panties in my house, as I'm the female parent.

I agree with you 100%. I don't think it is an "outdated" concept. We just have a general lack of teaching kids proper etiquette and manners in our society. And for that manner, many adults have never learned this concept! My kids are now grown, but that is the way that we brought them up. I truly believe that we need to respect those around us, and behave accordingly.

Thank you!
LtW

In Short.....they are Stupid............and there are WAY to many of them!!!!!

Give them to me and I will take care of it!! :)

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My plan was to provide large red buttons or stickers that people could wear

Hi Sitzmak

Instead of providing cootie immunity buttons how about contacting Geishagirl and see if you can sell them to help in the expenses. I know I'd buy one.

Don

feeling hungry? You and Veronica would suit each other... she loves T Rex and eats everything in sight!

You apparently feel very strongly about cooties. Just curious, why do you hate them so?


I don't really enjoy them either. But I tolerate and move them along. I view them as a nuisance. I don't like the responsibility of having to keep track of them until I meet another boxer, I don't enjoy them wasting space in my bag, and I do not enjoy looking for the moment that I can leave one when someone isn't looking at their bag. I can tell you, though, that my husband, Giraffe, is absolutely intolerant of them. He gets angry about them. Why? I'm not positive. I'll try to explain.

First, you must understand that he never attends a gathering willingly. He doesn't "get" the social aspect of letterboxing and only attends a few each year with me because he loves me and is sweet that way. So, he's already sitting there against his will. He barely cares to talk to anyone, let alone have people stick objects on him. He just doesn't like people coming that close to him and leaving cooties behind. He is shy and doesn't like people breaking his space bubble. He sees it as a personal violation. It just bothers him. That's the only way I can describe it.

Amyrica

Yowza!
Step away from the boards for a bit, and a lot can happen! :)

I haven't caught up on all the replies, concerns, and suggestions yet, but from skimming through people's replies (especially the concerns), here are some of my plans, and ways to address some possible problems:

I am going to have posession of a "Cootie Cache", from which kids (or others) can get a few cooties at a time to spread. If anyone gets a cootie and doesn't want one, it can go right back in the cootie cache. If I find out about anybody misusing the powers of the cootie (i.e. - targeting people who don't want cooties in the first place), they loose access to the Cootie Cache. (I am a loving, but firm, mother of two, and was a high school teacher for years -- I understand how to say "No" and mean it.)

Yeah, there would be ways around it, but there are always ways around things if you try hard enough, and both adults and kids (both pro- and anti-cootie, mind you!) could be jerks about it. My job would be to keep people as happy as possible, while keeping the cooties as mobile as possible. :)

I appreciate everyone's feedback and ideas, and I look forward to following this discussion as it progresses.
- Sitzmak

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Instead of providing cootie immunity buttons how about contacting Geishagirl and see if you can sell them to help in the expenses. I know I'd buy one.

oooooooh! I love it!!!!!
I am forwarding this to her right now!
So, how much would you be willing to pay to be cootie free? :D

- Sitzmak

Do i get a prize if i get the MOST cooties???? Now that would be fun.

deniserows
but carries a vinyl see through bag with a serious zipper

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deniserows
but carries a vinyl see through bag with a serious zipper

But this doesn't stop people from making baskets into your very open purse.
:-)

Alaska HSM

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but if the bag is left unzipped...

There's nothing wrong with dropping one into an unguarded bag. I don't really like the cootie aspect of gatherings either. In fact though I usually stamp in with a fingerprint critter when I get one, I rarely record the find. My 9 yo OTOH is crazy about them, so next gathering any I get will be immediately passed on to my personal cootie disposal unit.

I do like the idea of a cootie box of some sort for those folks who just don't want to be troubled.

Knit Wit

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They will target those who profess they don't want them just to be annoying then giggle about it.

Yes and no. I think that, if some sort of "cootie immunity" is granted through buttons or whatever and parents are given enough notice to explain it to their kids, the kids can be held accountable if they cootie someone wearing the button. The "kids will be kids" excuse shouldn't be used if there is an express rule for the gathering that boxers wearing buttons are not to be cootied.

OTOH, if someone plans to wear the button, yet it can't readily be seen by the kids, they shouldn't get mad if they get a cootie. Maybe the button/sticker could be put on the back of the shirt so it could be seen while the boxers are chatting and doing exchanges. Stickers for backpacks might also be in order.

Knit Wit

And then there are those who take a cootie when you just say, "Hey, could you hold this for me for a second?"

See if I take anything from YOU at Greenwood!...lol ....

They will target those who profess they don't want them just to be annoying then giggle about it.

I can't speak for others, but I know that my kids would never cootie someone who was "inoculated" from them in some way... whether it be a button, a sticker, or a cootie-free zone. They would be absolutely respectful of someone else's feelings and wishes. That's just the way they are. I bet most of the other boxing kids are that way too.

Carianna of GG

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Or anybody have a better idea on ways to provide cootie immunity?

I think part of the problem is that there seems to be so many. Maybe an unspoken rule that you can only create one to take to an event, not ten. (or maybe one per child?) I have been guilty of this (in my carving zeal), but I don't know that it was a real problem, as we have had smaller gatherings here in the PNW. *shrug*

I'm not a huge fan of them, but I have seen some really cute, well-carved cooties. Since I am a collector of hand-carved stamped images, it didn't really bother me. Just all part of the fun. However, I can see where it could be come a problem if the kids passing them around were insensitive to some boxers feelings towards cooties.

Maybe cooties would be more fun if there were not a logbook involved - much quicker stamping and passing, as to not interupt the important work of exchanges and eating...

And I want to publically apologize to any boxer who is annoyed at receiving any cootie I have created.

~SHH :-)

I can make quote boxes... really I can.

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Maybe an unspoken rule that you can only create one to take to an event, not ten.

Or 36?? *staring pointedly at Brat Pack IL* ;)

TG

then the alphabet series I'm planning wouldn't be welcome? : )

So, how much would you be willing to pay to be cootie free? :D

- Sitzmak/quote>

$5.00 and that gives the person that has a cootie immunity button to use his or her cootie hammer on any transgression. On the cootie not the transgressor.

Don, looking forward to a smashing gathering.

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Recruit kid "protection" and you too can be cootie-free. ;)

This does work very well!
I made an agreement with Andrew (Penguin Patrol) at the Winter BBQ. Any time he caught anyone putting a cootie in my stuff or on me, he asked if I wanted to stamp the logbook. If I had the time I would, but if I was busy I didn't. Then he got to go infest someone else with it for me. I left without any (that I know of. I'm still wondering if that was the gathering that Pioneer Spirit made several magnetic cooties for. If something is on my car, it may never be found again! It is the messiest thing on the road!)

The idea of cootie buttons sparked an idea in my tired mind. People could wear certain colors at gatherings that signify their willingness or not-willingness to be cootied. Red for "Stop, get that thing away from me!," green for "bring em on!," etc. Cause like was mentioned before, if you wear a button on the front, a kid (or whoever) might not be able to see it if approaching from behind, or vice versa. Just a thought.

A special button or t-shirt would be way cool for the kids. My daughter is looking forward to cootying with me next month.

TS :)

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So, how much would you be willing to pay to be cootie free? :D

- Sitzmak

$5.00 and that gives the person that has a cootie immunity button to use his or her cootie hammer on any transgression. On the cootie not the transgressor.

Don, looking forward to a smashing gathering.

Hmmm.... I think I'll recommend to GG that we have a cootie-free zone, and free cootie immunity buttons. Now that I have some generous souls across the country that are sending me cooties, I don't want to be responsible for leading them to their doom!!

- Sitzmak

My son never pays attention to faces, since we started this....

Please be sure to affix your cootie-fee buttons to your back pocket as well as your bag.

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A special button or t-shirt would be way cool for the kids.

My plan at the San Diego gathering is to ask kids to bring along a blank t-shirt to be decorated. I'll have fabric paints there, and kids can decorate their shirt with their handprint(s), and can then decorate them Ed Emberley style to make cooties -- add eyes, mouths, teeth, feet, etc. The fingers of the handprint could either be crazy hair, or creepy-crawly legs. We can then write on the t-shirt "Cootie Crew", or "Cootie Club", or "Cootie Kid", or whatever we decide on (or whatever the child likes best). Assuming they dry in time to be worn that day (?????), the sight of a kid wearing that shirt would be good warning that a cootie is coming your way!

- Sitzmak

I can't be against Cooties, I could never not want another stamp no matter how little they are

Red Soup