QO Awards Life Membership to Mike Crockett
Mike- taking (root) stock
Credit:
NGOC website
After honouring Bill, Roger and Judy last year, QO now recognises long-serving club stalwart Mike Crockett with life membership.
This time last year we marked the retirements of Bill, Roger and Judy, by making them life members. But there is another club stalwart who quietly stepped away from the spotlight a few years ago who is just as deserving of the honour. So we are pleased to announce that QO is awarding life membership to Mike Crockett.
I am personally very pleased about this, as Mike was the first QO member I met. After seeing an advert for Quantock Orienteers in the 1990s I went as a complete newbie to a QOFL on Lydeard Hill, and met Mike. I asked how it all worked, and he gave me an enthusiastic and friendly welcome and got me going.
The other day I had a chat with Mike about how he got started:
I believe it was Bill who first got you in to orienteering?
Yes. We worked together, and one day I saw him with a map. A chat resulted in him offering to take me along to the Quantocks for an event one Saturday. But when we arrived there was nobody there! Never mind, there's another one next Sunday in the Forest of Dean. That turned out to be the BOK Trot, so quite a serious event. I got to the top of a hill only to realise I'd dropped my control card at the bottom. So I had to go all the way down and back up again. I was totally lost and sat down. But then I saw a control and went over to look, and it turned out to be mine!
I think if it hadn't been mine I would have given up and that would have been it. But I finished, and I wasn't last! So I was hooked straight away, and then took the family along. As I did more we decided to form a committee.
So you were at the start of QO, what role did you play?
I became Secretary, a role I held for some time. Bill, myself and Roger Phipps used to do everything! We'd split the three roles between us, I'd usually be planner or controller but sometimes the organiser. I have also been Treasurer, sometimes at the same time as being Secretary. I have also been Membership and a long standing committee member. But I was never the Chair. I was edited the QuOnicle newsletter from 1999 to 2009 before passing this on to Adrian and finally I was club President 2011 to 2016.
I qualified as a Controller and moved up the various levels. I controlled the British Championships in 2000, and joint planned the JK in 2001, although this was delayed until 2002 due to foot and mouth. I controlled many other events and was IOF Advisor at another JK. I controlled the Capricorn Mountain Marathon at Aberdare - this was one of my favourite events to take part in and it was satisfying being able to give something back to Pendle Forest Orienteers.
And you were also a successful competitor I think
I never won the JK or British Champs but often came 2nd or 3rd, and I was M60 British Night Champion for three consecutive years.
Bill and I did the Karrimor (now the OMM) and we won the Veterans category several times with handicap. I enjoyed attending the World Masters and have competed in 16 different countries including Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech, Denmark, France, Lithuania, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. Also my three sons all competed - Dave was a successful junior running for England in Sweden and Ireland.
Our thanks to Mike for his magnificent contribution over the years.
Richard Sansbury
Read more:
A profile of Mike written by Adrian in 2011:
https://www.quantockorienteers.co.uk/archive/quote-mike-crockett
Mike's recollections of the early days of the club:
https://www.quantockorienteers.co.uk/info/about/history-of-the-club