Chairman's chat
November 2017
Roger, serving Annabel at Fyne Court
Roger reflects on the ups and downs over the last two months, with contrasting fortunes for our early season offerings. Nearly all our Saturday JOG sessions and first few club nights have been popular but not so our club nights of late and our senior events.
Roger C
Dear QO member,
Welcome to the new membership year!
Members will be receiving reminders from British Orienteering (BOF) soon about renewal for 2018. Those who would like to join now will receive:
- a sizeable discount: two free months of membership
- cheaper entry fees to all orienteering events
- no charges for JOG
- renewed BOF insurance cover (your initial insurance only lasts for three ‘taster sessions’)
Presentation from BOF at Club Night
The Club Night programme, sponsored by Sport England, started with a ‘bang’. We had a good turnout for the Welcome Evening (34 adults and children). Tess’s coaching sessions were well supported up to half term, but as the evenings have become darker and colder, and as the Park Room ‘seminars’ became more specialised and focussed the numbers have dropped. Although disappointing, we have committed to the Project for another term and will try and build on the initiatives we started to justify the Sport England Award.
Physical & technical training at Club Night
Would any of these topics interest in next term’s programme?
- Setting up SI for events
- Advanced ‘O’ skills
- Planning events beyond JOG level (Mike Crockett will give two evenings to this in January)
- First Aid and safety revision
- Purple Pen: further features
- Routegadget for beginners
- Mapping skills and data gathering
I will try and set up a ‘Survey Monkey’ poll to explore the enthusiasm for these before the Grant money runs out. We will try to include more social evenings and a quiz night. As always we finish with refreshments and an opportunity to discuss events, maps, courses, and Club matters.
Tess will also need more support if she to continue to travel from deepest Devon for the few dedicated (usually Modica’s!) families. Have a look at her training programme here– there must be a skill she is offering that will make your weekend running more enjoyable?
Millfield School join the JOG ranks
In contrast, the Saturday JOG activities have swelled their numbers! Judy has tried several different times and formats over the years, and seems to have found the right one. Our new planners have come up with attractive new ideas to challenge the senior members and the parents of the children who have gained the confidence to ‘go on their own’. Jenny West planned a CATI at the Silk Mills Park ‘n Ride in Taunton which was a success and Millfield Junior School under the organisation of Matt Carter and his family have added to the ‘fun’. Matt is one of several new members who have come in through the JOG programme; 42 out of our 45 current junior QO members started out at JOG, as well as 30 adults.
Long O Score, Quantocks
Credit: SB
Events are at the heart of the QO programme, and although we have only seen one QOFL this term we were very unlucky to have to postpone an exciting higher level event at St Audries on the only Weather Warning day in October! We are hoping to use the area, planning, and facilities next April for our Galoppen. Mark Maynard has planned our next QOFL at Wind Down on Saturday, 18 November as our final experiment to see if JOG members find Saturdays more attractive. Rosie Wych produced another w/e of Long ‘O’ on the Quantocks and Exmoor for a highly selective group of dedicated Orienteers. Another dedicated group start their series of ‘after dark’ events (QOAD’s) this month. Why not have a try – we provide all the equipment. It is magical if the conditions are right!
Finally my thanks to those volunteers who have supported our Activities and events this term – we heavily dependent on their co-operation. Thanks to Jeff, in particular, for providing a constant stream of information, well-illustrated about what has happened and what is coming.
- Roger Craddock, 5 Nov 2017 (Happy birthday Angela!)