Club Development Manual 
CONTENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION
2.0 WHY A CLUB?
3.0 CLUB PHILOSOPHY
4.0 CLUB ORGANIZATION
    4.1 Planning Ideas
    4.2 Communication
    4.3 Social
    4.4 Membership Fees
    4.5 Orienteering Events
    4.6 Club Focus
    4.7 Former Member Follow-Up
    4.8 Clubs Awards and Rewards
5.0 CLUB ADMINISTRATION
    5.1 Newcomers Welcome
    5.2 Resource Material
    5.3 Constitution
    5.4 Budget and Finance
    5.5 Membership List
    5.6 Dissolution of a Club
    5.7 Annual Report and Annual Meeting
    5.8 Liability
6.0 PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION
7.0 FUNDRAISING
8.0 EQUIPMENT
9.0 ORGANIZING AND RUNNING A SIMPLE ORIENTEERING EVENT
10.0 GETTING STARTED

FOREWORD

Club Development And Activity Program was developed to meet an identified need. Although many books were available in various aspects of orienteering techniques, training, coaching, competitive strategy, meet organization, course planning, map-making, etc. -none existed on the very important area of how to start a club and keep it healthy and growing.

A workshop on membership growth was held with the key elements for membership growth being identified as:

1. A healthy local club structure.

2. Personal introduction to orienteering through friends, acquaintances, etc.

This book was not developed to make the bestseller charts. It was developed to fill a void in the materials available to help a new orienteering club get started and to avoid the pitfalls encountered by many other clubs. It was also developed to assist existing clubs in their efforts to provide their members, community and local school groups with an active and effective schedule of activities. The Canadian Orienteering Federation extends thanks to all contributors to the Club Development And Activity Program with special thanks to Charlie Fox and Ken Robertson.

The catalyst to membership growth rests with the enthusiastic, well-planned and committed club. This package represents an accumulation of ideas THAT ARE PROVEN TO WORK, which we hope will ensure the acquisition of new members and the retention of old members for the security and future of the sport.

We must strive to retain previous members and we must grow in order to maintain and increase external support.

It is therefore incumbent on all of us to create a plan of action, implement it and reap the rewards of a larger enthusiastic membership thus ensuring the future of our sport.

The most important link and who has the greatest impact on membership growth is the INDIVIDUAL ORIENTEER. A clear hierarchy was established with the most important group at the top of the pyramid.

The INDIVIDUAL

then the CLUB

the PROVINCIAL ASSOCIATION

and the CANADIAN ORIENTEERING FEDERATION

AWARENESS; KNOWLEDGE; ENJOYMENT; PREFERENCE; COMMITMENT

If we can now combine these two pyramids and make them work in a united and effective fashion results will occur. This is the objective of the following package and only you can help make it work!

2.0 WHY A CLUB?

The first question to ask is, "Why have a club?" Discuss this with other interested persons and list the advantages and disadvantages of forming a club with a full understanding of how to keep a successful club operating.

In the formation stage of club development it is a good idea to decide upon what you are trying to achieve and write these goals down as reference points as well.

Remember, sports clubs are voluntary in nature. Sports clubs are also normally non-profit in nature and as such the members must assume most of the financial responsibilities.

Advantages

1.Meeting people and making new friends.

2.The joy of accomplishment.

3.Widening your interest while having fun.

4.Developing leadership qualities.

5.Opportunities for gaining experience in something different.

6.A chance to get involved.

Disadvantages

1.Time consuming for founders.

2.A need to ask others for help (many are willing).

3.Early expenses account before the revenues allow for a club bank account.

3.0 CLUB PHILOSOPHY: 
A STORY THE 3-F FORMULA OF A NEW "O" CLUB OR THE FOUNDING; FUNDING; AND "FILOSOPHIES" OF THE LOUP GAROU ORIENTEERING CLUB.

by Colin Kirk

1.The Founding.
As is sometimes the case with offspring, the birth of the Loup Garou Club was a result of circumstances rather than planning.

I had been a member of the Montreal 'O' Club for 12 years but upon moving to Ottawa, joined the Ottawa 'O' Club, with good opportunities of working on maps and organizing meets. If a new club had started in the area of the city where I lived, I would have joined. I would rather be a member of a local club, regardless how small, than affiliated with a large club located farther away. The thought of starting a new club had never entered my mind.

I had been working with some high school groups trying to get them involved in regular 'O' activities instead of only school meets. The spring events were encouraging with groups of students participating in most Ottawa area meets.

In mid-June events occurred that resulted in the formation of the Loup Garou Club. The Eastern Ontario Selection Meet for the Ontario Summer Games was being held in the Gatineau Park and a large number of students from the school groups planned to participate.

A requirement of the Ontario Summer Games is that competitors must be residents of Ontario and members of the Provincial Association.

There was also a COF rule which states that only members can compete on courses other than Novice. I don't know to what degree Meet Organizers follow this, but it is a rule. The school groups were contacted and advised that they would not be allowed to compete in the Selection Event unless they became members. At the time only a few of the students had joined C.O.F. and the Ontario Association.

Members were encouraged to join through a club/association. Any of the students interested in competing in the Summer Games would have to join the province in order to become a member of the COF. This involved a sum of over $2O.0O plus meet entry fees before competing in the Selection Race. Most of the students were not prepared to pay this amount at such short notice and decided not to participate.

This was discouraging as a lot of time and effort had gone into the school groups and many of them were close to joining.

As sometimes happens when things look dark and gloomy a solution appears and makes things bright. In this case the solution was, "Why not form a new club and structure it to meet specific needs?" I discussed the idea with Ted de St. Croix and we decided to give it a try. The club fees would be rock bottom to encourage people to join. On the spur of the moment the club was named the Pinetree Orienteering Club.

A meeting was arranged to discuss the new club, establish some policies and finalize the club name. Gord Hunter of the Ottawa 'Of Club was jokingly referring to us as the "Pineapple 0. Club" and our members as a bunch of pineapples (at least I think he was joking). A lot of names were suggested Forest Rangers, Forest Runners, Deepwoods, Northwoods, North Star, No Star, No Name, etc. When the name 'Loup Garou' was suggested everyone thought it sounded good but didn't know what it meant. Loup Garou is the French equivalent of the "Big Bad Wolf" or "Bogey Man" or "Werewolf" and is used in many fairy tales. It was decided that the club would be named the Loup Garou Orienteering Club.

Another decision was that we would only be affiliated with one provincial association in order to control membership fee costs. Most of the members live in Ontario and were not involved in the early days when the Ottawa 'O' Club was formed and affiliated with Orienteering Quebec. The decision was that Loup Garou would be a member club of Orienteering Ontario.

2. The Funding.
The Loup Garou funding philosophy is unique from most other "O" clubs. There is no actual membership fee to join the club. The club pays the necessary Ontario and C.O.F. fees on behalf of the members. It is therefore very easy for someone to become a member as it doesn't cost anything. All of our operating funds are earned from the organization of 'O' meets. Meet entry fees are used to pay the provincial and C.O.F. membership fees. This means that the members are paying their fees by competing in 'O' events organized by the club. In effect they are paying their membership fees on the installment plan.

Obviously the club coffers will never be full but having a large bank balance is not one of our priorities. Having lots of members participating in meets at a reasonably low cost is our main priority. We hope that by financing the membership fees in a different method we can attract more members and more participation.

Dependency on registration participation fees from "O" events to finance our membership fees means:

A. We must organize many meets in order to obtain sufficient funds to cover the necessary provincial and COF affiliation costs.

Organizing lots of meets agrees with our overall philosophy "to make orienteering available to our members on a regular basis in the general Ottawa area."

A problem we have is that we do not yet have any maps. Several areas have been identified and one or two will be selected and fieldwork started this year. In the meantime we purchase maps for our meets from the province. This puts a strain on the event fees and leaves less money from which to pay memberships.

B. We can only submit membership applications to Orienteering Ontario when we have funds and only for the amount of funds available.

In some ways this is not too bad. The members send their application forms to the club but do not send money. The forms are priorized as to available funds and who are the most active members and sent to Orienteering Ontario. For example: Ted de St. Croix would be the first application sent, as we know he will be active through the entire season. We retain the "less active" members applications until we have sufficient funds. The lack of funds provides a "built-in-time delay" on new members to see how active and interested they are before we invest hard-earned money.

3. "Filosophies" of Loup Garou.

Our main philosophy is to make orienteering available in the Ottawa area on a regular basis at a low cost. If our policy of "free" membership proves feasible then we will have taken a big step in the "low cost" direction.

Regular and consistent events. It is most important that orienteering activities are available every week to the "non-travelling" members or they will soon find some other activity to do.

Many of the events organized by our club are scheduled on dates when major events are being held in other locations, eg: Toronto, Montreal, New England. This is so that the "stay-at-home" members have a local event to attend.

Organizing many events in a year can put a heavy workload on a few people. Our solution is to get new meet organizers developed and provide opportunities to organize events. The club has already conducted a Level I Officials Clinic to teach "How to Organize 'B' Meets". Several members who only started orienteering are scheduled to organize 'B' meets this season. Senior club officials will provide supervision to the newer officials.

We do not see the need to have a large bank balance. We plan on keeping our funds in circulation by paying membership fees, producing maps, and if funds suffice, to provide 'O' suits to junior members. Most clubs need members not funds. By re-investing funds in the sport and/or to attract new members the club will get a steady influx of new members, new officials, new organizers. This will allow the members who had been carrying the workload to hand over the reins to the new generation.

In keeping with the philosophy of making orienteering available on a regular basis, the club organizes "Evening In The Park" training meets every Tuesday evening with Ted de St. Croix preparing the courses. Members can re-use their old maps from previous meets and compete for free or pay $l.OO and obtain a new map. Often these training meets are held on the same area as the previous weekend meet. The members have the chance to correct errors while the event is still fresh in their minds.

We are fortunate that the Ottawa 'O' Club is also active organizing many meets each season. Between the two clubs there is a meet in the Ottawa area almost every weekend. These plus the mid-week "Evenings In The Park" provide a good program of activities for our members.

Hopefully, some of the things we have done will be of interest to other clubs or groups thinking of starting a club. We are still a new club and have a lot of growing pains to go through before we can evaluate whether our concepts are successful. If hard work and enthusiasm can be measured against success then there is no way that we can fail. (Of course starting a new club with Canada's top male orienteer, Ted de St. Croix, as a member is also big help!)

4.0 CLUB ORGANIZATION
  4.1 PLANNING IDEAS.

(a) Planning Session
The pursuit of membership growth begins at the club level with a genuine desire on the part of the existing members to promote their sport through their club. To accomplish this, the key ingredient must be PLANNING. Prior to the commencement of the orienteering season it is recommended that a CLUB PLANNING SESSION be organized with membership growth being agenda item.

(b) Club Executive
In addition to the normal positions of President, Treasurer, Secretary, etc. the club executive should contain three very important positions:

This person also has the very important task of contacting old members to remind then to renew their membership. This is critical and represents our major weakness.

SOCIAL CHAIRMAN
Strive to ensure that every event features some "social aspect" which will encourage competitors to stay and socialize after the event.

(c) Club Meetings
The agenda for club meetings should feature a discussion on member numbers and the relative position of membership growth. Complementing the membership report should be a report from the other executive chairmen listed above on the progress and activities they have been involved in.

The meeting's focus should be positive -even if there is no significant growth in numbers there should still be many positive club activities and accomplishments, which need to be recognized and highlighted. Each person who is making a positive contribution needs to be recognized and thanked, these are important features of continued success and growth.

(d) The Club Membership
One of the ongoing facts about most clubs is that so much is done by so few. Therefore it is very important that the responsibility for club activities be shared. Aside from the executive, individual club members should be assigned tasks or at the very least made aware that they too will be called upon to contribute to the events and activities that the club takes on. Possibly, the general membership can be assigned to committees which are under the control of the executive e.g. new member committee, social committee, etc., in this way the responsibility is SHARED AMONGST MANY.

A large factor in this regard is the fact that people are hesitant to volunteer but if asked are more than likely very willing to help. Therefore, don't expect people to come forward, ask them and you will likely experience fewer disappointments. An idea that has worked very well in some clubs is a PHONING COMMITTEE.

4.2 COMMUNICATION IDEAS

(a) Welcome to the event
When a new participant comes to an event, make sure his address and other pertinent details are recorded and that he is recognized and welcomed. One club member should be assigned this task and if it is pursued with enthusiasm the participant will immediately develop a feeling of comfort and identity with the sport.

(b) Welcome letter
Following the event, a follow-up letter should be sent to the participant, it should include the following:

A welcome to the sport (he may not be a member yet);

The results of the meet they participated in;

Notification of the next meet or club activity;

Information about the club and the advantages that membership will bring;

A complimentary copy of the last (or next) club newsletter.

(c) Club Newsletter
Each edition of the Club Newsletter should include the names and some pertinent information about each new club member.(Include their occupation and in what area of the city they live etc.) It will be important for other club members to know this and hopefully a relationship or mutual identity with other club members will develop. This increases the chances that the person will stay a member for some time.

(d) Media Contact
In addition to normal internal club routines and communication it is important to have a club member designated as media contact person. Local papers are often very willing to publicize event results, fixtures and club information. The key to this is the following:

1. make personal contact with the sports editor, introducing yourself and the sport you represent in HIS community.

2. supply the sports editor with an information package about the sport and your club.

3. put the editor's name on the club newsletter mailing list.

4. provide the editor with current meet results from which the can create a story and in the process encourage new persons to come and try the sport.

4.3 SOCIAL IDEAS:

People do not join the sport of orienteering simply to compete in events. Every member starts as a recreational orienteer and works their way into the competitive mode after several years and many events. It is not these individuals we need to concentrate on in our endeavours to get new members they are committed. Clubs must realize that membership growth comes from two prime sources:

(a) retaining old members
This forms the base and we cannot afford to lose this base each year.

(b) encouraging new members.
Often members are not encouraged to remain a part of the sport because we over-emphasize the competitive nature of orienteering and forget our very roots -the recreational side. This is where the SOCIAL aspects become critical. To provide members with something other than a series of well run events. The club must provide the following:
event variety;
welcoming persons;
post event debriefing activities and social;
specialty events (weekends away);
social gatherings on a regular basis especially in the "off season"

There is no magic formula to the success of the events, but two ingredients will ensure they happen: planning and enthusiasm!

4.4 CLUB MEMBERSHIP FEES

The membership fee charged by the club to its members is a variable, which is determined annually by the executive. The amount of the fee will depend on the philosophy and intention of the executive. There are three basic approaches to the issue and no one of them is more correct than any other:

(a) Non membership fee.
Meet revenues pay for provincial and COF fees with excess monies going to the club activities.

(b) A membership fee which covers the provincial and national affiliation fee. All meet revenue is used to cover club activities and events.

(c) A membership fee which covers the provincial and the COF fees and also supplements the club's revenue.

The concept of discount memberships for first-time members is a consideration that has proven successful. The idea of discounts reduces the impact of membership fees in plans (ii) and (iii) above and has proven it can be effective.

Another idea is not providing discounts for new members, but rather to second year renewal members. The theory being that it is not the new members, but retaining the old, renewal members that is the main problem.

4.5 ORIENTEERING EVENTS

(a) Beginners Clinics
A feature of each and every event must be a clinic for those who are new to the sport. The clinic should be conducted by a club member who is enthusiastic and has good communication/teaching skills. It is important to not only TELL the newcomer about the sport, but to SELL them on the sport and this is the first and most important way-to do it!

(b) Event Planning
Each event should provide a course specifically designed for the new or 'first-time' orienteer. The course should be of the self-teaching type or else be simple enough that limited skills are necessary for success. It is critical that the person's first event be successful, they can always come back a second, third or fourth time for the more difficult courses and that is exactly what you want them to do.

(c) Post-event Debriefing
After a newcomer has finished his course, it is very important that a club member talks to them about their experience and reflect on all the POSITIVE experiences the person has had. The best forum to do this is at an informal social gathering following the event, e.g. over a cup of hot chocolate, a cool drink, at a wiener roast, at a post event swim, etc.

(d) Fixtures List Planning
Aside from the details pertaining to the individual events, the Club's Annual Fixture List must be thought out clearly with a yearlong list of events and activities being the feature. All too often orienteering is thought of as simply competing in events. This is not the case or if it is, the recreational club member will soon recognize the limits of the sport and decide that it is not for him.

Fixtures List Planning has to be thought out in units or sections as the various times of the year have climatic limitations, which must be worked around. The important thing is that this climatic limitation DO NOT INTERRUPT Club's proposed events and activities. The units might look like this:

January - Annual planning session, New Year's Day

February - event, film nights, training evenings, night 'O'

March - events, fitness sessions, ski 'O', armchair orienteering sessions.

March - officials and coaching certification clinics,

April - Wednesday night meets, training meets

May - small local park meets featuring a variety of types of orienteering (score, line, map memory, etc).

June - mid-week evening meets, major meets of

July - 'A' meet standard, variety meets

August - eg. bicycle event or canoe event.

September

October - year end activities e.g. film nights, slide and

picture sharing, club awards night, year-end social

November

December - Christmas social, volleyball evening.

There are many varieties of club-based events and activities, which have, over the years, proven to be effective and fun aside from the straight competitive Orienteering events, which each Fixtures List possesses. Some ideas that have come forward are:

Specialty Events - Valentines Day, April Fool's Day, Halloween, Run for the Roses Event - on New Years Day.

Club Weekends - where the club travels for a weekend to a cabin to participate in a ski-O, canoe or other event.

Armchair Orienteering -this always proves to be a valuable activity

Officials Clinics -with the increasing number of instructors these provide a necessary program to the growth of any club.

Wednesday Night Meets -wherever these have been tried they have been a great success. Once a week in some small city park and if they are well publicized they can't help but work.

Activity Nights -these nights are held at a local gymnasium and may include some fitness activities and games, e.g. volleyball, basketball, etc.

Social Events - club gatherings of a social nature help to bring the members together on a non-competitive level. Examples of these activities include: club awards night, Christmas social, Grey-Cup social with a lottery (half the proceeds go to the mapping fund).

The limit to these suggestions is infinite, and an enthusiastic Club Executive and Social Chairman can make it happen!

4.5 CLUB FOCUS

(a) National Orienteering Week
In May in conjunction with National Physical Activity Week, the Canadian Orienteering Federation promotes and encourages clubs to get involved in the promotion of orienteering. This provides a focus for a full week of orienteering events and activities, and with appropriate media promotion and event planning. Excellent results can be attained.

To complement a club's promotion activities, the province may be able to provide posters and pamphlets for display and use at these events. The materials are free of charge and if used wisely can create an inventory of materials.

(b) Club Outreach
Each year clubs should plan a project to expand themselves into one new area. The expansion is intended to introduce the sport in a community neighbouring their own and an area which has the potential for a viable enthusiastic membership and club. This type of outreach program not only brings in new members, but will benefit the existing club, for once a club is functioning in a neighbouring community, it will then create its own identity and fixtures list. This can only benefit all involved.

Club outreach program should focus on three things:

1. hosting of events;

2. media publicity and coverage;

3. obtaining contact persons who are interested and want to see the sport flourish.

At the club's spring planning session a project of this nature should be discussed and the appropriate planning and initiatives taken e.g. putting events on the fixtures list, media blitz, etc.

4.6 FORMER MEMBER FOLLOW-UP

Each year the clubs will have certain number of members who do not renew their membership for the following year. It is incumbent on the Membership Chairman to contact these people personally to ascertain if they will be joining and if not why not. The integrity of the club is at stake and member retention is the MOST significant problem in membership growth today. Therefore, it is
foremost on the task list of the Membership Chairman to find out what members are not renewing for the coming year. If there is a specific reason, then it may be necessary to find a solution for the future of the club.

Some examples of communication to previous members may include:

A letter from the club President (include a fixtures list and a newsletter to let them know what they are missing);
A phone call from the Membership Chairman or the President;
A postcard simply reminding them that annual membership fees are due!

4.7 CLUBS AWARDS AND REWARDS

For most orienteers, the enjoyment of participating in a well planned, well run event, is sufficient reward. But, for groups of people and individuals the need to have a more tangible memento of recognition is greater. Therefore, it is recommended that consideration should be given to the following:

(i) Junior Participation Program
This is a national based program designed to be an incentive for young orienteers and is participation as opposed to competition based reward. A suggestion is to have a junior member of the club in charge, one that exhibits the organizational skills to take such responsibility.

If that member follows through, they can supply the club newsletter editor with the names and accomplishments of the juniors and the information can be published on a regular basis.

(ii) Event Awards
a) Ribbons: People often feel ribbons are an added expense burden, but that need not be the case. A bulk purchase of professionally made ribbons or hand silk-screened ribbons can provide inexpensive recognition for the Ist to 3rd places in any event.

b) Certificates: These can be used for a variety of purposes and will provide for recognition of abilities and accomplishments. Often a club member who has some creative talents can design a certificate, which would make a lasting memento for the recipient.

(iii) Club Awards
As a part of the club program, it is valuable to recognize the accomplishments of some of the members at the season's end. Often this is one of the few ways to express a public thank you to acknowledge the efforts of those who endeavour to compete in and/or organize events.

Some ideas for club recognition might include: most improved junior, top junior, top senior competitor, organizer of the year, executive of the year.

The key is people like to be recognized and appreciated. Make this possible by having the clubs social committee organize a year-end function i.e. a pot luck dinner, weekend retreat or similar function.

5.0 CLUB ADMINISTRATION

5.1 NEWCOMERS WELCOME

THE NEWCOMER IS THE KEY TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ORIENTEERING IN CANADA.
The newcomer represents:

A new sporting friend; A future meet official; A possible Club member; 
A potential committee participant; A new source of competition; A possible fund raiser; A future mapper.

Another reason to justify the sport to our supporting government bodies.

We must greet newcomers with great care and enthusiasm, as they represent the future of the sport.

All meet directors are encouraged to designate a specific "newcomer official" for each meet so that we can welcome the newcomers to the sport in an efficient, effective, and enthusiastic manner.

Meet Responsibilities:

The following are a series of suggestions regarding the welcome of newcomers to the sport of orienteering.

1. Meet Directors are encouraged to have a designated "newcomer official" to welcome the first-time participants.

2. The "newcomer official" should arrange a separate newcomer welcome area with meet maps, orienteering information, a simplified registration procedure, and displays which will add to the beginners' understanding of the sport.

3. A pace counting area should be set up as well as a few sample controls for a pre-course walk through.

4. Have coloured ribbon and safety pins available to identify beginners and encourage other competitors to offer assistance to any beginners trying a course by themselves.

5. Conduct a beginners' clinic in the prescribed outline. It is suggested that shortcuts not be taken so that we have a consistent approach from meet to meet.

6. The newcomer official should arrange to meet with the first-time participants at the end of their experience, whether they accompany them through the course or not, to answer questions, distribute additional information, and solicit newcomer impressions and suggestions.

7. During the award ceremonies, the meet director should specifically thank newcomers for coming out and invite them back.

SAMPLE NEWCOMER INFORMATION HANDOUT

WELCOME TO ORIENTEERING!

On behalf of the members of our orienteering club, and our Provincial Orienteering Association, we would like to welcome you to the sport and recreational activity of orienteering.

We want you to have fun!

OUR MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

If you did not enjoy your first experience with orienteering, we will refund your meet registration fee. There is a catch though -you have to tell us how we could have made the day more enjoyable for you and what improvements we can make in welcoming beginners the next time.

NEWCOMER INFORMATION

RULE #1: IF YOU REGISTER TO GO OUT ON A COURSE, YOU MUST CHECK BACK WHETHER OR NOT YOU COMPLETE THE WHOLE COURSE.

There is nothing more frustrating for the organizers, than to conduct an unnecessary search for someone who has not checked back at the finish.

Now that we have Rule #l out of the way here is the game plan for today's activities.

1. Very shortly we will be starting our beginners' clinic. In the clinic we will tell you and/or show you:

b) A little about orienteering in Canada;

c) The equipment we use and how to use it;

d) How to measure your walking or running distance

e) What to do when you become disoriented;

f) What happens at a typical orienteering meet;

g) What the various meet officials do.

2. Following the beginners' clinic we will register everyone who would like to try a course, either by themselves or as a group. There is a small registration fee but -if you don't have fun you get your money back! Incidentally, if you try the first few checkpoints in the group and then want to try the last few on your own, that's OK with us (as long as you remember Rule #1.)

3. Next we will all go over to the start line and get ready to start. We will send the individual participants off first so that if they want to join the walking group a little later on they will only have a short wait at one of the controls. Then, we will start those who would like to try a course as a group with our "newcomer official" for the day.

4. Each newcomer will be asked to wear a participant ribbon - that way our "regular orienteers" will be sure to help you in the woods.

5. When you have found all the controls, or if you wish to return part way through, you will come back through the finish chute at the end of the course. Here the meet officials will take your map and punch card and mark down your elapsed time. The punch card, which we will explain in the beginners' clinic, will be checked for accuracy and a time will be recorded for you. A little later, your map will be returned to you as a souvenir of the competition.

6. After the meet, please help yourself to the juice or water, then come back to our welcome area. We would like to hear how you did, what you liked, what you didn't like, and what suggestions you have.

We would also like to give you some further information on the sport which you can take home with you -it is free -and we hope it will add to your understanding and enjoyment of the sport.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. We will be starting the beginners' clinic soon. But in the meantime, why not take a look at our display and map board.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK.

Rule books are extremely helpful as are meet procedures. This will save considerable time and effort in understanding the technical and procedural requirements of the sport. These can be obtained online from the provincial and national websites. Other helpful books and brochures are available from the aforementioned groups ie. Instructions, Coaching, Officiating, Course Planning, Improving Orienteering Skills, etc.

Every club president should compile a reference folder. The folder could contain copies of the latest information regarding orienteering. The references would then be passed on to the next club president when elected.

Some of the more popular books on Orienteering include:

'A' Meet Organizing Manual available from the COF Office.

'B' Meet Qrganizing Manual available from the COF Office

Course Planning Book by Gawelin and Nordstrom (Sweden)

COF Mapping Manual -available from the COF Office.

Armchair Orienteering I and II by W. Stott. Available from COF

Orienteering -Instructor's Manual by Jack Lee and JimGilchrist.

Orienteering -Skills and Strategies by Ron Lowry and Ken Sidney.

Orienteering Training and Performance by Ron Lowry Sidney

Be Expert With Map and Compass by Kjellstrom. Available from major bookstores and outdoor stores.

Level I Coach Certification Manual

Level 2 Coach Certification Manual

Level 3 Coach Certification Manual

IOF Symbolic Control Description Booklet

Procedures for Organizing Major Orienteering Events

COF Rulebook

5.3 CONSTITUTION

If you are small and informal, a constitution may not be required but if you plan to be of any size and organized nature, a constitution is a good idea. Your constitution should attempt to include details concerning the operation of your club as well as the philosophy and policies for the operation governing the club. Some of the things you will need are:

Name;

Membership;

Aim of club;

The officers ie.

Secretary, Treasurer;

President,

Vice-President(s),

Elections and appointment of officers;

Committees;

Meetings;

How to change the constitution;

Clause on disbursement of funds in case club ceases operation

SAMPLE CONSTITUTION

NOTE: Clubs should attempt to include details concerning the operation of the club as well as philosophies and policies of operation which govern the club. A constitution should contain at least the following information.

Re name

The name of the club shall be ___.

ARTICLE II:

Re membership

A) Membership shall be open to anyone (state the membership requirements.)

ARTICLE III:

Re aim of the club.

To create and develop the conditions and the conduct of and development of the sport of orienteering and to promote and compete in provincial association programs at all available levels; also to provide instructions and coaching for all members of the club.

ARTICLE IV:

Re: Officers

A)The executive shall consist of members as follows:

President

Vice President

Secretary

Treasurer.

B) The President shall:

1. .Serve as a liaison between the club and the provincial associations.

2. Preside at all general meetings.

3. Coordinate all club activities.

4. Inform club officers and members of the club of Provincial and C.O.F. policies and regulations affecting the club.

5. Hold a regular election of officers as stipulated in this constitution and then ensuring that new officers are welcomed to the club and prepared to serve with as much information and advice as is available.

C) The Vice President shall:

1 Assist the President in the operation of the club.

2. Preside at club activities and meetings in the President's absence.

3. Report to the provincial association (and C.O.F. if applicable) the results of all club associated competitions

D) The Secretary shall:

1. Complete a membership application form for each club member.

2. Complete an accident injury report as required.

3. Be responsible for all club correspondence and records.

E) The Treasurer shall:

1.Meet financial obligations incurred by the club.

2.Collect and record membership fees.

3.Record and report the financial position of the club to the executive.

4.Maintain all financial records of the club. Re removal of officers

ARTICLE V:

Re removal of officers

An elected officer can be removed from office by a petition signed by 5O% plus 1 of the voting club members and a two thirds majority vote of the quorum of the membership at the next club meeting.

ARTICLE VI:

Re elections

1) Voting - each member shall be entitled to one vote on any matter.

2) Elections -

A) There shall be an election of the executive officers (during the last meeting of the spring session.)

B) Elected officers shall take office the following meeting.

C) Positions shall be held for (two calendar years.)

D) Nominations shall be accepted from the floor at a meeting prior to elections.

ARTICLE VII

Re meetings

1. Meeting shall be held (weekly, monthly).

2.Additional meetings may be called by_______.

3. Quorum shall be (2O%, 1/2, more than 1O) of the membership.

ARTICLE VIII

Re amendments

The constitution or any part there-of can be amended by a two thirds majority vote of members present at a meeting governed by quorum.

ARTICLE IX:

Re club dissolution

In the event of the dissolution for winding up of the club, all the remaining assets of the club, after payment of liabilities (including reimbursement of members for personally incurred expense on behalf of the club), shall be distributed to one or more recognized orienteering, athletic, or charitable organizations in Canada. (See section on "Dissolution of a Club").

5.4 BUDGET AND FINANCIAL RECORDS

As mentioned previously, because of the voluntary nature of clubs, the members have to assume the responsibility for the financial obligations of the club. As such, a good place to start is a BUDGET. Keeping complete and financial records is not as difficult a task as some people think, all that is required is a little bit of time, a little bit of effort, and someone with a keen interest. All records, invoices, bills, etc. for items purchased or sold, meets held etc., should be kept. All transactions should be recorded in detail as either a REVENUE (money coming in) or EXPENSES (money going out).

Every attempt should be made to involve as many club members in the understanding of the budgetary process because while orienteering controls hang on trees money doesn't grow there and sound attention will be beneficial to everyone in the end.

On the following pages is a sample budget, a sample financial statement and a meet revenue and expense form, all of which will be helpful to you in keeping track of where your dollars are coming from and where they are going to.

(Under construction)

Sample budget:

Sample Financial Statement:

Bank Account

Initially a bank account may not be required. As the club grow however, and larger amounts of money come into the club treasury, a bank account is an excellent idea and appropriate signing authorities should be developed within the club executive. Normally, two signatures are required prior to the release of a cheque. So this procedure does not become cumbersome it would be a good idea to have at least three signing officers within the club.

It makes good sense to utilize the services of a Daily Interest Savings Account, if available, to make interest money. Term Deposits should be considered if larger amounts of money are available or otherwise lie dormant during the orienteering "off season".

And remember; make sure that good records are kept for cheques issued. Special chequebooks are available from your banking institution, and will make the process of reconciling your accounts much easier.

5.5 MEMBERSHIP LIST

A membership list is extremely handy for organizing events, for "spreading meet information", and for keeping up a sense of involvement.

Name

Address

Home telephone number

Business telephone number

Competitive class

Names of other family participants.

Another good idea on your membership information form is to put the sentence, "I would like to help organize a meet ( )". This will give you an idea of who may be willing to help without you having to ask. And if somebody does offer to help be sure to get them involved.

Sample Membership List:

Name Class Address Phone

5.6 DISSOLUTION OF A CLUB

In spite of the best efforts of the organizers, occasionally a club will cease operations. There are many reasons for this - a transient population, other competing activities, burnout of the organizers, etc. Regardless of why a club ceases to exist, it is important the wind-up be done effectively and completely. And a little bit of advance preparation for this possible contingency is well worth the effort.

Club Funds

After all outstanding bills have been paid, and members reimbursed for their personal expenses, the club should have a predetermined method of distributing the remaining funds. Because the funds were derived from the sport of orienteering it is natural that first consideration should be given to putting the money back into the sport. For example, the balance of the fund could go to either the COF, the provincial association, another club or donated to an orienteering charity such as the Sass Peepre Fund, Junior Development, National Team, etc.

Your advance plan for this possibility should include a clear statement in your constitution under the subheading "Dissolution Clause."

Equipment

Equipment should all be collected to a single source, itemized and packaged. The equipment can then be either sold or given to another club, provincial association, COF or such groups such as the YM/YWCA, a school where is in the curriculum, or groups like the Junior Forest Wardens. Try to be sure that the equipment will go to a group that will aid in the furthering of the sport of orienteering.

Membership List

It is a good idea on the dissolution of a club to make written contact with all the members of the club so that everyone can be properly notified. In the event that some of the members are not members of the provincial association and/or the COF, it would be appropriate to let those members know how they can keep current with provincial and national events for the future.

We hope the dissolution of your planned club never happens, but if it does, you'll be ready to handle the wrap-up in an effective and positive manner by following these steps.

5.7 ANNUAL REPORT AND ANNUAL MEETING

An annual report and meeting with your club is a highly desirable activity. It can range from very informal to a formal summary of the year's operations. In preparation for both an annual report and an annual meeting, the following should be maintained on a continual basis throughout the year and will serve as excellent preparation:

A complete list of members.

List of club executives.

Financial statement including income and expenditures.

Report on club activities, meetings, practices, special events, etc.

Note: a well-prepared annual report is an excellent planning tool for the new executive and club generally.

5.8 LIABILITY

Club members as well as non club members participating in club activities involves personal choice and participants should be prepared to accept the hazards involved in the sport as an integral part of the activity.

A sample waiver might look something like this:

I hereby release the Wilderness Orienteering Club, and the Yukon Orienteering Association, their agents, representatives, members and landowners from any and all claims or rights to damages for any injuries or losses incurred by me or my family directly or indirectly during the competition.

Signature of competitor or parent/guardian if under 18

Dated:

Address:

Phone:

Club:

6.0 PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION

This can be an extremely important area, especially if you want a successful club. If you do not give your local sports reporters a regular summary of your civilities, don't expect to hear or see anything about the results.

Having a few lines in the press or a few words on the radio or television will also be of help in your fund raising activities. It is worthwhile to get a list of appropriate contacts at radio and television stations as well as your local newspapers. Also target those areas where posters of your events will be more appropriately placed.

On the following three pages are a series of interesting helpful hints gathered from a number of books on public and media relations.

Publicity - How to Get it - from the book by Richard O'Brien.

Publicity is the art of furnishing or even creating news. People don't charge you when you give them news. They are eager for it, and quite willing, at their expense to disseminate it.

Publicity Principles

Become thoroughly familiar with whatever it is you wish to publicize.

Decide where to publicize the news.

A press release is basically a news story.

A phone call is valuable but should be followed up by a letter or news release and another phone call after that.

An absolute requirement of publicity is that one person deals with another person.

Think of places which might be interested in your news, make a list of them.

Newspapers are obvious sources. There may be one, two or more daily newspapers and then quite possibly a number of weekly newspapers that covers specific portions of the general area the daily newspapers reach.

Television and radio are obvious publicity outlets. News shows, interview shows, and public service bulletins provide ready potential for the public system. The trick is to check and see what sort of programming is done by your local stations. (All you have to do is look in your newspaper or TV guide).

It is a very good idea to make up a directory of names, addresses, and phone numbers of outlets you have found - that would be helpful to your future efforts and successor in your voluntary position.

New Angles

Figure out what your news angle is by deciding on the essential qualities of whatever you are hoping to promote.

You have to capture an editor's attention.

Only essential news is to covered in a press release.

Writing the Release

Name, address, and phone number at the top.

Indicate when you want it published. (For example - "For Immediate Release, Please").

Capitalize your headline - one line is ideal.

Next is the body of the release, the story you are trying to tell - always double space it, it will give an editor a chance to make changes and additions.

Provide ample margins on both sides - the release appears much more readable (and thus is more likely to be read) - margins can also be used for editorial corrections and instructions.

Journalism's 5 W's.

Who, What, Where, When, and Why might be a helpful starting point for writing the release. Use a headline, state everything in your headline in your first paragraph, amplify the first paragraph in succeeding paragraphs, and follow up on your releases.

Column items

Send out many, many items to increase your chances since most of them won't be published.

Gear your items to the kind of things that turn up in the column you are sending them to.

Use same basic format as press release.

The Press Conference

Make sure you have a story that will attract the press to a conference then pick a date that is good for the press and try not to confleict with other events that rate the press coverage.

Find a good place to hold the conference.

Write the release.

Call everyone who might be interested.

Send out the release.

Follow up on it.

Have a fact sheet ready for the press.

Steer the conference and follow up with the press after.

Effective Public Relations for Community Groups (by Howard and Carol Lavine)

Seven Steps in Program Planning

To find the objectives.

Formulate the central ideas.

Identify the public.

Select the media.

Set up a timetable.

Carry out the program.

Evaluate the results.

"Bag of Tricks" - Media Relations  Submitted by Nancy Craig

ORIENTEERS COMPETITION

These are headlines we'd all like to see in our local newspapers. In order for our sport to grow in Canada we have to firstly make the general public and the media aware of the sport and secondly. encourage them to come try the sport.

In Alberta we have been sending typed meet notices and phoning in results to local radio stations and newspapers for several years. But it is only recently that we've actually had the media calling us for information about an event.

Hosting the Canadian Ski-O Championships in February and the C.O.C.s this summer really boosted our relationship with the media in our province. We had an exciting event to publicize. If you've got a major event to promote. don't be afraid to tell the world about it.

MEDIA CONFERENCE

Two weeks prior to the C.O.C.s, the national team was at a training camp near Calgary. We used this as a reason for holding a media reception in a luxurious suite donated by the Palliser Hotel. We invited about 35 radio. T.V., newspaper and magazine representatives to come one afternoon to meet with several team members and C.O.C. organizers.

The benefits far outweighed costs, especially since hotel. Coffees, sandwiches Heineken were donated.

Although only four media reps came. we were pleased with the coverage. Both daily newspapers sent reporters who wrote stories (with photos! ) within the week. Several of the media who couldn't attend the reception arranged interviews with team members or COC. organizers at a different time. CBC-TV filmed and interviewed Kitty on a training day at Bow Valley Provincial Park just before the Canadians. Meet Director. Jim Webster, has perfected his broadcasting voice, doing several interviews prior to the big week.

Press kits, which included black and white photos of Ted, Kitty and Martin, biographies, press releases about the COC.s and orienteering brochures were sent to the Calgary. Canmore, and Banff weekly papers with a good chance of some coverage there.

Because of the effort in planning a media conference, I would suggest organizing them only for very major events or announcements. The majority of our orienteering news can be handled by mailing press releases or public service meet announcements or by making. personal visits to the media reps

Tips on Media Conferences:

1. Use only for big events, announcements or famous orienteering "celebrities."

2. Invite both sports and recreation media reps at least a week in advance. Call the news editor or public relations manager to ask who on staff has an interest in athletic or recreational activities.

3. Follow up invitations with phone calls several days before the event. Ask if they received the invitation, if someone can cover it, and, if not, can you provide them with more information, photos or interviews.

4. Prepare press kits including press releases, background material, biographies of key people, photos and contact name and number. Glossy orienteering folders can be purchased from COF to give your press kits that professional touch.

5. Plan a program, e.g. welcome and introductions, purpose of reception, introductory orienteering film, interview time and possibly a short indoor or outdoor "O" course.

ORIENTEERING FANS SEEK HIGHER PROFILE

6. If possible choose a time, which doesn't conflict with other major sports functions. Afternoons early in the week seem to be less busy for sports reporters.

7. Choose a central location. Check out possible donations of hotel suites, faculty lounges, social rooms, etc. Provide refreshments, preferably donated.

SPECIAL MEDIA EVENTS

Another way to draw public attention to our sport is to plan a special media event where the media personalities are invited to challenge each other at orienteering meet.

But we had a no-show. That afternoon the heavens opened up to drop a torrential rainstorm on our proceedings. Our spirits (and bodies and hot dogs) were dampened to say the least.

But once again we struck out with bad weather--this time with about eight inches of snow! The hardy regular club members who did run reported the visibility to be less than five metres at one point during the meet! Another no-show for our media challenge. But it was worth trying.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT (PSA'S)

Any club hosting an "A" event should take the responsibility of publicizing and promoting the event to both club members and the general public. When planning a meet, promotion should be given as much thought as registration, course setting and start procedures, etc. assign someone to handle the publicity.

Media outlets are generally cooperative regarding public service announcements. A few rules:

Send the typed announcement well in advance -several days before for radio, a week for daily newspapers, and several weeks for weekly papers. Magazines may require six weeks.

Keep it simple.

Include a contact name and phone number.

Sample: Public Service Announcement

Date:

Hello:

Please publicize the following orienteering events:

People interested in trying orienteering will have two opportunities this weekend. Orienteering is an outdoor sport in which a participant navigates his way round a course in a wooded area or park using a detailed map.

The Foothills wanderers Orienteering Club is hosting a "a" level orienteering meet at 11:30am Sunday May 27^th at Tunnel Mountain in Banff.

Late registrants should come early. A free instructional beginners' clinic will be offered an hour before the meets.

For further information, call us.

MEET RESULTS

If you have asked the media to help publicize a meet, its common courtesy to provide them with results. Also, the more often the public sees or hears about orienteering, the more likely they are to join in the fun some day.

Meet directors should assign someone to phone or send in results.

Before leaving the meet, have the following information: date and location of meet, name of meet, e.g. Alberta Orienteering Championships, total number of participants, length of course for each elite category, winners' names (correct spelling and pronunciation) and home town for each elite category.

Phone or send in the results as soon as you return home from the meet. Radio stations want "same day" news. Tomorrow may be too late! The radio stations will probably want only the winners of the men's and women's elite courses but be prepared to give more.

If there were any unusual or newsworthy happenings at the meet, be prepared to give details. The ultimate goal in publicizing our sport is to have the public demanding coverage of orienteering personalities and meets.

General Publicity Tips for Orienteering Clubs

At the beginning of each season, appoint a publicity volunteer. Look for someone who has some writing and speaking ability as well as the desire to do the job. Selling our sport requires some perseverance.

If the publicity person provides the media with regular and accurate information throughout the season, the media will in turn learn to recognize this person as a source of credible information.

The publicist should prepare or update a media list each season. Include names, addresses; sports department phone numbers, and a contact person for the radio and TV stations, daily or weekly newspapers. and fitness or recreation newsletters in your area. Check if there is a different evening or Sunday phone number--this is often when the meet results are phoned in.

The media list can be used to distribute meet notices. To send in meet results. To announce a new or important event or person, and to invite media to a reception. conference or special event.

Try to find a local your publicity

Send a thank you or make a telephone call to a reporter who has provided coverage.

7.0 FUNDRAISING

Fund raising is a subject all unto its own and will not be dealt with in this brief summary. Persons interested in fund raising should contact their local library for information and of course, ask around to other clubs, your provincial association and your national association to be sure you are not duplicating their efforts inadvertently annoying a potential sponsor.

SAYING THANK YOU

In the course of your club's activities it is likely that you will request and receive assistance from people outside of your club. Whether it is from a sponsor, park warden, newspaper editor, etc. it is important help that should not go unrecognized.

This is where the fine art of saying thank you comes in. A few minutes effort and the cost of a postage stamp will pay terrific dividends to your club and convey the message that it is a sincere organization.

In those instances where grants have been awarded to the club for some significant activity it is good courtesy to send periodic reports to those involved in the awarding of the grant. This also is an ideal means of maintaining contact with those providing assistance.

In addition to the thank you letters, and recognition on any maps or signs that the club produces, do not forget your club or provincial newsletter as a further means of providing recognition to those who helped you. (And forget to send them a copy of the newsletter as well.)

A series of sample letters follow which should be helpful to your efforts.

SAMPLE THANK YOU LETTERS

Further to our letter of April, I have enclosed a short release for your company's newsletter, the "Reporter", describing your company's support of the sport of orienteering.

The North American Championships were a great success, and I would like to thank you again for your support.

Yours truly,

On behalf of all those who attended our Newcomer's Meet on Sunday, May 30^th, I would like to thank you and your Company for sponsoring the food portion of our post meet wiener roast. The total cost of the rolls, wieners, napkins, etc. cam to $66.54, and we would appreciate receiving at you convenience, a cheque for that amount, payable to the Alberta Orienteering Association.

We could not have asked for a better day. One hundred and eleven people turned out and took part in the meet and wiener roast which followed. Attached is a copy of our pre meet instruction which were handed to all participant to read prior to registering. Your Company's contribution is referenced on Page 3. In addition, our newsletter which goes to approximately 250 individual or families in the province, will also contain reference of your support with a note urging our members to support our sponsors.

Thank you again for your help.

Yours truly,

Your promotional help and donation of prizes for the 82^nd Anniversary Bollnas-Harnosand ski Orienteering Meet and the recently completed Provincial O-Cup challenge have contributed greatly to our most successful year ever.

Thank you again.

Dear Minister:

I would like to commend and thank the Government of Canada for its support of the sport of Orienteering.

Compared to the long histories of orienteering in the Scandinavian countries, Canada has come a long way in a short period of time and many of us believe the sport is on the verge of a huge expansion in participation.

Without the support of the Government of Canada, through the Canadian Orienteering Federation, many provincial associations could not have gotten off the ground, let alone moving towards self-sufficiency as many of them are.

Yours in orienteering,

It is with great pleasure that I send you seven copies of recently completed Bruderheim Orienteering Map. The map was brought "on stream" during a four day Provincial Orienteering Cup Challenge event in Alberta which drew in excess of 100 participants each day from Alberta and British Columbia, as well as two visiting orienteers from Sweden.

The Bruderheim Map is an excellent orienteering map and will be used for major orienteering competitions for years to come.

Thank you again. We sincerely appreciate your support.

Yours very truly,

Just a note to thank you again for Eddie Bauer's most generous contribution towards the production of Canada's first Ski Orienteering film. Your support has been a major boost in allowing us to promote and develop the participation in this exciting winter sport.

To date over 300 people have seen the film including a large group at the Canadian Orienteering Championships in Barrie, Ontario. The film was extremely well received and the sponsorship of Eddie Bauer Outdoor Outfitters was well noted.

We trust that you will be able to find excellent use for the two copies which we provided to you.

Thank you again for your continued support.

Yours very truly,

A beginning club may not have to worry about purchasing equipment initially as this can often be obtained through another club or provincial association.

There may be a cost to borrowing; however, costs can be recovered from your meet fees.

Equipment can also be made and this can be a good early project for the club. For example, nylon controls can be replaced with orange coloured cards or other brightly visible form of markers. Control clippers can be replaced by safety pins or by having competitors use a pencil to write in control codes.

There are a number of alternative ways to cut costs until the club is in a position to start purchasing "A level" meet equipment. As long as your improvised controls are large enough, bright enough, and of course, properly placed, you can hold a good meet.

Orienteering equipment is available for purchase at major events and online on various websites.

How To Make Control Stands (by Jim Clay)

The control stands, which were used at the COCs were very fast and cheap to produce, and proved to be more than adequate in strength. We also used them to attach signs to (i.e. washrooms, info, etc). The stand was simply a length of construction fir 2 X 2 with a 14" piece across the top in the form of a "T". The only thing holding the crossbar to the uprights were two triangular gussets, which were glued and stapled to the sides (7/8" air staples).

To make the gussets take 8" square pieces of 1/4" fir ply (G.l.S) and band saw across the diagonal. By buying lO foot lengths of 2X2 you'll be able to get 2 stands per length with no waste.

(NOTE: This is rough carpentry saw lengths do not count). The point is band sawed off very roughly by eye. The punches, control code and control itself were all added later, as shown. Obviously all dimensions can be adjusted to suit your personal needs.

Good Luck -have fun!

Sew… You Want To Make Control Flags! By Colleen Lowan

What do you Need?

At least one competent seamstress and as many assistants as possible.

An existing flag to use as a model.

Nylon fabric in orange (PMS 165) and white.

Each side is 12"by 12"

Do your math to determine how mach fabric you must purchase. There would be very little waste as you can alter the flag size a bit for fabric or the wire length.

Wire for top and bottom we used 1/8" aluminium welding rod.

Lots of good quality thread.

Now What?

1. Make a cardboard template for cutting fabric. You can tqake apart your model control for this and transfer it onto cardboard. This is what we came up with:

*Mark this side as it is crucial to maintain the vertical on this piece.

2. Cut 1 large and 1 small of each colour per flag.

3. Sew diagonals first:

4. Sew vertical sides to create a tube. Zigzag or French hem (hide) this seam as it will fray.

5. Roll the top and bottom ½" and ½" again to hide the raw edge. Secure start and finish with backstitch, leaving ½" gap to thread.

6. Bend wires to form equilateral triangle that overlaps ½" at open ends so that it is stronger.

7. Thread wire through flag casing, working open ends beyond seam opening so that it will not work its way out.

8. String the top (white) from the midpoint of each of the 3 sides. We used a nail heated by a gas burner to sear the fabric and create a hole for the cord.

NOTE: Undertake this project only if you can make these for half the cost of buying them. Make tea, serve beer and have fun working with the gang.

9.0 ORGANIZING AND RUNNING A SIMPLE ORIENTEERING EVENT

The highlight of an orienteering club is, of course, hosting a major competition such as the Provincial, National or International Championships. But that is likely a little ways down the road and for the new club, hosting B level or fun meets is an ideal place to start.

The best place to gain experience is in helping the organizers of a major meet, asking questions and learning from the experience that veteran meet organizers can pass along. Then, when your club is ready, you can put to use the collective knowledge of many veteran meet organizers.

As a starting point we have reproduced, with permission, the section titled, "Organizing and Running a Simple Orienteering Meet" taken from the Calgary Board of Education Curriculum Action Project titled "Orienteering-Level 2". This is an excellent guide for first time organizers.

A more thorough organizing guide and a must for new meet organizers is the COF publication "B Meet Organizing Manual". This manual is a description of the COF "B" meet standards, meet organization plan, course planning standards and many helpful samples.

As organizing skill progress, club members may wish to obtain the to level COF publication, "A Meet Organizing Manual" and the "Organizing a Major Orienteering Event." These manuals provide clear, concise guidelines for organizing competitions. Order instructions, sample colour maps, critical path details, and excellent sample materials are included. The kit also includes a copy of the IOF control descriptions for describing the locations of orienteering control markers and competition terrain.

A. EQUIPMENT NEEDED

1.Map

Without a map, there can be no orienteering event. The type of map depends on the objectives, the age level of the students, and the students' understanding of the orienteering skills.

The map could be:

a) a street map;

b) a floor map of a building;

c) a student-made map;

d) an orienteering map such as maps provided of various city parks.

A marker must identify the control site than can be readily seen. Three-dimensional, red-and-white, regulation markers can be purchased or homemade markers can be made. If homemade, they may be constructed from cardboard, seismic tape, tin cans, or plastic bottles.

Any size of rectangular or square cardboard can be used depending on the size of the area being used and the amount of vegetation (3 cm squares indoors and up to 30 cm square outside). For outdoor use, it is best to laminate the controls. So that the controls can be seen from all sides, there is an advantage to making them 3-dimensional.

b) Tape

Coloured seismic or surveyor's tape attached to the control helps make them visible. The tape also stands up well in all weather.

c) Tins, cans or plastic bottles

These make good markers if they are first painted. The disadvantage to these is that they are cumbersome to carry.

Note: A regulation punch may be purchased. This punch eliminates the need for pencil and control letter.

3. Control Cards

Each student carries a control card. On the control card, the student has a place to record the following:

control letter or punch mark

start time, finish time, elapsed time

student's name

Should the teacher decide to time the meet, he/she may start the students at timed intervals (a technique which is utilized at regular orienteering competitions) or utilize a mass start to save time. This latter method works best in score orienteering.

5. Compass

After the teacher has introduced the compass, students will require compasses during the various activities.

B. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

1. Setting the Course

Determine the objectives of holding the activity. What particular orienteering skills should be developed? Set your course so that these skills can be practiced.

It is important that everyone is able to successfully complete the activity. Nothing will harm the success of the program more than having students unable to experience the satisfaction of finding all the controls. Therefore, controls should not be hidden. In addition, it will be important to plan a course on relatively even
terrain for inexperienced students.

2. Choosing Control Sites

All control sites must be definite features on the map and in the terrain. Examples are: corner of a table; a goal post; a building; N.W. corner; path or junction.

The distance between controls will depend on the type of map that you are using, the type of activity, and how difficult the feature will be for the average person to locate.

When choosing control sites for a point to point orienteering activity, keep in mind the following:

A beginners' course should range in length from 1 -2.5 km with 8-12 controls.

The distance to the first control should be a bit longer to spread out the participants.

The first control should be relatively easy to locate so that a large number of students aren't "lost" and "milling around" trying to find this first control.

Avoid placing controls which force students to double back.

Students going in to #2 will see students leaving #2 to go to #3. Therefore, control #2 requires less orienteering skill to find. This problem can be avoided by adding a control.

3. Putting Up The Control Markers

Make sure that each control marker is located on the correct feature as shown in the center of each circle on the map. Check also that the marker show the correct control number.

DO NOT HIDE THE CONTROL MARKERS.

This is not a treasure hunt; rather it is a test of navigational skills. When the student is approximately 10m from the control marker he should be alb to see it. This is a good reason to try to use 3 dimensional markers if possible.

4. Safety Considerations

If in a difficult area, students must know a safety bearing. If the student gets lost, this safety bearing should lead him to a major road or trail that leads back to the start area. Students must carry whistles. Thus if the student becomes lost or injured, he can blow the whistle to seek help.

Types of Events

Orienteering meets come in all shapes and sizes with specific courses designed for beginners through experts. Ski resorts mark the slopes according to difficulty; you'll find the same distinctions at an orienteering meet. A white course indicates an event for beginners; a yellow course in for the intermediate; and the red course for experts. Fundamentally, meets can be categorized as Point to Point or Present Course Orienteering. Both require good map and compass skills, but each approach the sport from different vantage points. The following are brief descriptions of the kinds of events that make up the sport of orienteering.

1.Point to Point Orienteering or Cross Country Orienteering

Although cross country orienteering has almost becomes synonymous with the sport, it is really only one type of point to point orienteering. Point to point meets provide participants with the control points they must fine, but do not designate the routes participants should take to reach them. This means that each competitor must make split second decisions about which route is the fastest to each control point, based on his map and compass skills.

2. Relay Racing

The type of orienteering emphasizes team effort. The procedures for a relay event are similar to those used in cross country orienteering, with minor adaptations to a team situation.

The course can be laid out in any design as long as each team member returns to the starting line with a stamp, to allow the next member of the team to start off on his leg or the relay. Generally, the course is designed with individual legs of the total course fanning out from the hub or starting point. If teams of four are competing, it might be laid out in the shape of a four leaf clover. It teams of five are involved; it might be shaped like a 5 pointed star.

3 Score Orienteering

Unlike cross country and relay orienteering, score orienteering does not require participants either to visit every control point or to visit them in any particular sequence. The officials designate a certain number of control points, usually twelve to twenty, and assign a value to each based on its distance from the starting line and the difficulty of the surrounding terrain. Since no singly competitor could possibly visit all the control points, he or she must select ones based on the above criteria in order to obtain the highest possible score during the meet's limited amount of time. A participant is penalized for any time exceeding the limit established by the meet officials.

This type of event is also well suited to team efforts. They may work as individuals and add their scores together or they may select individuals with great ability to visit the more difficult control points and those with less experience to visit points equal to their own ability.

School and community groups will find score orienteering an ideal group activity that can be used at school sites with large playground areas or at community centres adjacent to city parks and recreation areas.

4. Line Orienteering

This type of orienteering challenges the participant to follow a designated course and mark the control points on a map as accurately as possible. The course is usually between two and four miles long and can involve up to twelve control points. By examining how accurately the control points have been placed on the map, the officials can determine how accurate the participant was in using his map and compass to stay on the course. A missed control point means that the participant went off the course at one point.

5. Permanent Course Orienteering

This is a variation of score orienteering without a time limit. It is a leisurely and non competitive style of orienteering suited ideally for families. It also offers a more relaxed pace for senior citizens. Markers are set out and maps showing the markers' locations are distributed through the community. The markers may be left for amount of time so that participants can become acquainted orienteering at their own pace. It gets people outside to exercise.

6. Ski Orienteering

See Ski-Orienteering manual available from the provincial office.

Organizing Advanced Orienteering Events

The COF has developed a set of manuals in the effort to standardize the organization of orienteering events. These manual are used with the National Officials' Programs.

10. GETTING STARTED

Now that you are ready to get going, a few last suggestions:

Obtain a file folder with index tabs for:

a. Club Constitution;

b. Membership List and Phone Numbers;

c. Budget and Financial Records;

d. Rules and Meet Procedures;

e. Minutes of Meetings;

f. Correspondence;

g. Club and Provincial Meet Schedules;

h. Club Development and Activity Program;

i. Other information;

j. Equipment Inventory.

3. If you have any last minute questions do not hesitate to call your provincial association.

Summary

There is nothing that can beat well-channelled enthusiasm to lead to good fun and good times.

Good luck!