emoa logo

Chairman's spot

Here we are in deepest winter and looking forward to the festivities. Winter is a loose term these days given the changes in our weather and unfortunately the lack of a prolonged cold snap this year means that brambles are still up making many areas less enjoyable than they usually are by this time of year. We have just had the warmest October since records began and November 30th saw the highest temperature ever reached on that date. Combine this with increasing amounts of rainfall and we find ourselves wondering when best we can use some of the areas in the region. Many areas of mostly flat forest or flood plains are becoming less attractive and members are going further afield in search of good running at the expense of many local events. This is of course having an effect on club finances and I would ask you all to seriously consider supporting local events as otherwise you will find ever decreasing numbers of them available to you.


The dramatically lower numbers attending some events has also made a bit of a nonsense of the pricing arrangements for e-punching within EMOA. The flat rate 'simple' system we adopted is now actually deterring the use of SI when numbers are expected to be low as the cost becomes disproportionate.


We will have to review this before the next AGM but in the meantime we have decided to assist LOG who are particularly badly hit. Clubs with a larger spread of events can cover the odd shortfall and whilst not as productive as they used to be, badge events do still help top up the coffers.


The same thing applies to Northampton events which are put on by LEI to support the few orienteers down there and to try to promote the sport in that area. BOF through EMOA asked LEI to service that area when NVO folded but despite great efforts most events in that area are not well supported.


The executive committee agreed at the December meeting to make a grant of £125 to LOG to fund their use of SI at their next event, with the profit generated, which would not otherwise have been received, being kept on one side to help any shortfalls on future events. This has been taken from the development fund which is now almost extinguished and will be closed down until we appoint a Development Officer at which point the whole strategy and funding of development activity will be re-visited on the lines suggested by that officer (see advert elsewhere)


That meeting also agreed the major events for the next two season. Advance notice for your diaries, The Midlands Champs 2002 will be at the Wrekin on April 7th and 2003, Chatsworth on April 13th. The East Midlands Champs will be at Clumber, Feb 17th and Belvoir March 30th. The two 2003 events are of course still to an extent provisional.


Still on the subject of major competitions the Gallopen presentation will be at Burbage Common on May 12th .


Another major event on the horizon is of course JK2004 day two which we are to run. The committee had two volunteers for this position both backed by very able teams and given the distances involved in that the event will be in Cumbria, we can be proud as a region of having such committed members. LEI are providing the organiser for the event and one point made in discussions about the planner was that the jobs should be spread around the region if it is an EMOA event.


To avoid personalities coming into the equation the executive had a secret ballot collected and counted by the BOF Chairman and only he knows the number of votes cast but the successful team now has the backing of the whole committee.


Steve Buckley will be planner subject to the approval of BOF technical committee and is a of course a very experienced competitor. He is a grade 2 controller although more often found in an organising role given his expertise in that field. He is backed up by John Duckworth who has planned several badge events.


I should like to thank Peter Hornsby, the other volunteer who was not successful on this occasion. Peter is also a grade two controller and has planned and controlled badge events in the past and did plan the highly complimented courses for the regional heats of the CompassSport Cup last year. He would have been backed up by Sue Bicknell of LEI and OD who is working towards regaining her controller grade two status after it lapsed whilst she spent some years abroad. She has in fact controlled a National event in the past. The third member of that triumvirate would have been Roger Phillips (providing a young pair of legs) and I would like to thank all five volunteers for their interest and willingness to put themselves out for us.


I should also like to congratulate those young orienteers from the region who took part in the junior international at Pembrey. England once again won both the individual and relay competitions but with a revised scoring system it was much closer than in previous years. David Hodkinson, Colin Olivant, Alison O'Neil and Rose Hodkinson all featured well for England and Sian & Rhys Roberts for Wales.


I am pleased to advise that we now have a volunteer to take over the EMEWS editor role and I would at this point like to express my sincere thanks to John Cooke for so ably holding the fort whilst we filled this position. Mike Gardner of DVO will be taking over after this edition. He has in fact done the job before albeit many years ago. We now hope to revert to our traditional 6 editions a year which will follow each of our executive committee meetings. These are usually held on the first or second Mondays of August, October, December, February, April and June and anyone wishing to have articles printed in the editions due out in those months should try and get material to the editor, preferably in electronic form, by the start of those months.


EMEWS also appears on our web site which continues to develop and members can now see our development plan on the site which may be of interest to any potential applicants for the Development Officer post.


Finally I am sure I speak for all the orienteers throughout the East
Midlands and beyond in offering Andy Jackson our deepest sympathies for the
tragic and sudden loss of Karen.


Roy J Denney


MINUTES OF THE 37th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

OF THE EAST MIDLANDS ORIENTEERING ASSOCIATION

HELD ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER l0th 2001

AT THE RED LION, KEGWORTH

Present: J.Woodall (NOC), M.Godfree (DVO), L.Godfree (DVO), D. Walker (DVO ), R.Bames (NOC), P.Olivant (NOC), H.Palmer (NOC), E.Williams (LEI), R.Denney (LEI), A.Bennett (LOG), J.Bennett (LOG), R.Edwards (LEI), R.Alderson (NOC), Jim Morton (LEI), G.Johnson (DVO), A.Hawkins (DVO).


1. Apologies for absence: R. Mcdonald, P. Leake, J. Cooke, C. Philips, J. Holt, T. Spalton, S. Ford, H. Rice, J. Palmer, D. Woodall.


2. Minutes of the 36th AGM. These were accepted as a true and accurate record of the meeting.


Proposer R. Bames


Seconder R. Alderson


3. Chairman's report


This has been a very difficult year for everyone, but clubs in the area have all managed to run some sort of programme. Electronic punching is now being used by the clubs where appropriate but mapping has been on hold and members will have to accept that some maps used will be a little stale. We now have this new venue for our meetings which is very welcome although still a bit distant for members travelling from LOG.


I am pleased to report that since the last AGM Ranald Macdonald has accepted the position of Vice-chairperson with the thanks of your committee and offers himself for formal election by the members this evening. Similarly Mike Godfree has been co-opted as mapping adviser and with members' approval his position will be formalised tonight. We seek your approval of the creation of a position of Development Officer and also to some tidying up of the constitution.


I would like to re-iterate my congratulations to the various class winners at the East Midlands Championships. It seems a lifetime since I presented the prizes amidst the flurries of snow at Blidworth last February.


We had no night league last year due to the slowness of clubs getting events arranged but we have already agreed next year's league so this problem has been resolved. Our Galoppen was truncated due to the outbreak of disease but we decided to award prizes on the best four from seven basis. This worked out very well in that of the 14 classes NOC, DVO and LEI each got 4 winners, with LOG and WBS each getting one. The prizes will be presented at this years first Galoppen event which will be at Ratby, all being well.


Juniors in the area again did well and must be congratulated for being selected for representative competitions or training camps. As far as I have been able to identify them these are:-


Liz Day, Helen Palmer, Nick James, Sian Roberts, Colin Olivant, David and Rosemary Hodkinson, Sarah and Alison O'Neil and Tom Billam of NOC, Chris Williamson of LEI and Matt Dickinson of DVO.


I am grateful to John Cooke for stepping in as a temporary measure to produce our newsletter but hope for a volunteer tonight to relieve him of this extra duty. I should also like to thank all the other officials and representatives for all their work and in particular Bob Alderson for his excellent work as treasurer as his three year tenure draws to a close.


During the year DVO have been awarded a grant of £500 to assist their work in producing maps and promoting events through the streets of the various towns on their patch. I hope my second year will see a bit more activity although foot and mouth is still breaking out in the area.


I must end on a sad note in recognising the contribution made to the sport in our region by Judy Buckley who passed away during the year.


4. Secretary's report


EMOA has started to make an annual collection of statistics, so that year by year developments can be accurately charted. Some inaccuracies in this process were identified, and it is hoped they can be addressed next year. Amongst the figures collected, EMOA had just over 400 members last year (2000), and put on a total of 79 events of various levels.


5. Treasurer's report.


Members numbers are almost the same as last year. The accounts have been affected by the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. Event levies were down, but coaching opportunities and therefore costs were also down. Some of the grants to up and coming juniors are now paid direct by Sport England. Insurance has had to increase to cover Electronic Punching equipment. The net result of these changes has been that income exceeded expenditure by a substantial amount.


Thanks were given to Bob Alderson for his prudent handling of the Association's finances.


6. Approval of Balance Sheet and Income & Expenditure Statement


Thanks were given to Dave Walker for his work in "independently financially examining" the Association's books. The final accounts for the year ended 31.08.01 were circulated and accepted.


Proposer: E. Williams


Seconder: J. Woodall


7. Amendments to the Constitution


7.1 That rule 2.2(b)- Additional Officers- be amended by adding Mapping Adviser and Development Officer


Proposer: R. Denney


Seconder: C. Phillips


7.2 That Rule 6.1 (General Meetings) be amended to read "The Association shall hold an AGM within 120 days of the end of the financial year" This is to enable the AGM to be held early in the autumn as usual, but taking account of the earlier end to the Association's financial year.


Proposer: R. Denney


Seconder: C. Phillips


7.3 That Rule 6.3 be amended to read "Notice of the AGM or an EGM must reach voting members 14 days before the meeting. Included with the notice should be an agenda and any proposed amendments to the constitution. In the case of an AGM all proposed amendments must be received before August 31st and notice may only be given after September 1st each year. A quorum at a general meeting shall be 15 voting members"


Proposer: R. Denney


Seconder: C. Phillips

All three of these changes were carried unanimously.


8. Election of principal officers


The chairman stepped down and John Woodall took the chair.


Chairman - Roy Denney (who then resumed chair)


Vice Chairman - Ranald Macdonald


Secretary - Andy Hawkins


Treasurer- Bob Alderson has to step down after three years.


There were no volunteers for this post at the meeting, so Bob has agreed to hold the fort .


9. Election of other officers


BOF Council - Ray Bames


Mapping Adviser - Mike Godfree


BOF Technical Committee - Emie Williams


BOF Coaching Committee - Hilary Palmer


Fixtures Secretary - in lan Whitehead's absence, to be decided later


Development Officer


There were no volunteers for this post at this meeting.


10 Appointment of Independent Financial Examiner


Dave Walker agreed to continue in this role.


11 Appointment of EMEWS Editor


There were no volunteers for this post at the meeting.


12 Budget projections (for year to 30.6.2002)


No significant changes were proposed from this year's budget, but, in the light of rising costs, it is expected that Emews will move to four issues per year, in place of the previous six.


13 Fixing of charges


No change in membership fees, although these have not been changed since 1995,


so the new Treasurer may be obliged to increase them next year. No change either in Event levies or hire charges for Electronic Punching equipment.


14 Plans for the coming year


Chairman: Looking forward to the season ahead we have an exciting Galoppen in prospect. We have thirteen scheduled events spread throughout the region and your best six efforts will count towards the league. The rules of the Galoppen have been refined and are outlined in Emews by the co-ordinator, Roger Williamson.


Presentation to last year's Galoppen winners will take place at the C4 at Ratby Woodlands on October 7th which is the opening event of this year's competition. Next year we hope to revert to normal practice and present them at the first C4 after completion of the league.


We also have an interesting programme of seven night events, two each from NOC, DVO and LEI and one from LOG. We intend to run these as a league as has been done in the past and are currently looking for a volunteer to process the overall results.


The development competition in its present form will not be run this year pending the appointment of a development officer and in any event the development fund is now fairly low. If we decide on a programme of development which requires funding we will have to agree some mechanism for topping it up.


Amongst the items causing much discussion at present is the report of the BOF Membership Working Group chaired by our Vice-Chairman, Ranald Macdonald. As I understand matters the main aims are to simplify membership structures, define the relationships between BOF, Clubs, Associations and ordinary members and to give more of a say to clubs and members by the vehicle of an annual club conference. It also addresses the definition of 'family' membership. It concedes the need for the retention of local members but suggests these would be de facto members of their regional association if one exists, without the need to pay additional membership fees. The refining of membership structures will have an impact on how regions run and the following open forum will be a good opportunity to have a say as to how you feel EMOA should go forward.


This report will be discussed at length on the Saturday afternoon before the Newborough Forest B0C2001 event next month.


Looking further ahead, we are to run day 2 of the 2004 JK and are currently putting together a team.


Meeting closed at 8.30pm, and was followed by an interesting and thought-provoking open forum, centring mainly on how we might attract more adult newcomers to the sport.



Wanted

Development Officer

EMOA are looking for someone with an interest in promoting the sport both by increasing membership in our heartlands and introducing the sport to new areas and populations.

The job is a new position and can be tailored to the skills or interests of the successful applicant and the job can be very much what you want to make it.

We see the need for someone to keep updating our existing development plan and direct our efforts towards the aims contained within it and to work on those areas where they feel they could have most impact.

All out of pocket expenses will be paid.

We would like to see someone in place by the early part of next year as the first major opportunity to have an impact would be during National Orienteering Week (NOW)

June 8th - 16th 2002

During this week clubs in the region intend to have some form of activity on every day.

For further information or a copy of the existing development plan contact the EMOA Secretary - Andy Hawkins 0115 9854 2634

or

speak to the Chairman, Roy Denney on 0116 233 8604


On yer Bike

DVO are holding another Bike-O as featured in the editor's illustrated article in the last EMEWS on Saturday 2nd February.Same format of 3 hour score event (you are welcome to take less time if you wish).Using a specially drawn 1:100,000 map which extends to Ashbourne, Leek & Buxton, so the whole event fits on an A4 sheet for your handlebars.This time it is based on Hartington Youth Hostel (SK 132603) with a mass start at 12:30 p.m.
All are welcome but please phone the organiser, Mike Godfree on 01332 515862 a few days before so I can gauge the number of maps to print. Cost £2.All on roads or the trails.


Mike Godfree

BRAMCOTE LORNE SCHOOL ARE DECLARED BRITISH SCHOOLS ORIENTEERING CHAMPIONS

A Story of Perseverance and Preparation

Bramcote Lorne School, from Retford, North Nottinhmashire, have been crowned British Schools Champions in the sport of orienteering. The success came at the recent British Schools Orienteering Championships, held in Sherwood Pines Forest Park, near Edwinstowe. A remarkable achievement when you consider that the school only has got 110 children from Year 3 to Year 8.


Orienteering started in the school as an evening activity and a small team entered the British Schools Championships for the first time in 1993, when they were held in Clumber Park. The first results were encouraging but it became apparent that to achieve the highest honour both the coaching staff and the squad had to have more experience of orienteering technique and competition.


During the next four years results in the British Schools Championships improved steadily and in 1997 the team achieved 2nd place overall in the Middle/Preparatory School Championships, held at Farley Mount, near Portsmouth, being beaten by Millfield.


Encouraged by this the team kept trying and achieved 3rd place in the 1999 championships, at Watford and 2nd again in 2000 when they competed in Huddersfield. To achieve their goal and to be crowned National Champions needed that little extra, it seemed that every year the team were being beaten by a small margin.


What was to be done to finally make the breakthrough and actually be the best ?


Team coach and Deputy Headmaster Mr Robert Parkinson, always one who likes to prepare children well for competitions, decided to start earlier than ever before. In April, some six months before the next National Schools Championships, he selected a team of Year 4 and Year 5 children to compete in the Bassetlaw Youth Games Orienteering Event, held in Kings Park, Retford. The children competed in pairs and performed superbly, winning the team trophy and filling the first four places in the event. The mould was set and these children were to be the backbone of the squad for the next Schools Championships.


Experience was gained at the Nottinghamshire Youth Games when the children helped Bassetlaw District to take 2nd place overall.


Once the new academic year had started the squad trained every Monday evening, using the map of the school that was drawn with the support of the Nottinghamshire Schools Orienteering Association. On Saturdays they attended the SMILE events (Saturday Morning Lowkey Introductory Events) organised by the Nottinghamshire Club and also travelled to other Schools events in the local area.


Preparation was going well and included competing at the British Schools Score Championships, held in Sutton Park. The Boys finished 2nd overall and the Girls 3rd overall in this event (not 2nd and 3rd again we all thought). This meant that of the twenty children who attended 16 returned with medals.


With the National Championships approaching it was time for team selection and a decision to run in pairs or singles had to be taken. Once the team was selected it was a case of the fine-tuning and some fitness work, all leading upto the big day.


On arrival at the event we soon saw that all of the 'big guns' where there. Barnardiston Hall Preparatory School, who were last years winners, Kingswood from Bath, Oldfield Hall Middle School and Sandford Middle School, to name a few.


Off to the start and away the children went into the forest. Back to the finish dashed Robert Parkinson to count them in and then the wait.


It was with great pride that we saw our hard work come to fruition and children getting into the top ten individual placings. As the results came in it became apparent that it was going to be a very close fought contest between Barnardistion Hall, Sandford Middle and Bramcote Lorne.


It was announced that Bramcote Lorne were second at one point to Sandford Middle School but all we could do was wait until everyone had finished and the results had been calculated.


So it was off to the prize giving. This was very efficiently organised but it is always a long one and of course the whole school awards are always at the end. Eventually the announcement came. Yes, we had done it ! The Bramcote Lorne contingent greeted the result with great cheers.


It had taken eight years to win this event and in a way it seemed sweeter for it. We were at last the Middle/Preparatory School Orienteering Champions of Great Britain. Truly a story of perseverance and preparation.



Sports Club of the Year 2001

Derwent Valley Orienteers was awarded third place in the Sports Club of the Year Award 2001. The award was made by The Foundation for Sport and the Arts, funded by the football pools firms, at a dinner as part of the Central Council for Physical Recreation's National Conference on 28 November. As well as a splendid plaque the Club received a cheque for £1,000.


We were surprised to reach the last three - out of the over 80 nominations - given that Walton Chasers won the award a couple of years ago. The winners were a surf life saving club from North Devon, with second place going to a sports club for the disabled based in Windsor and Slough. Eight members of DVO - the Godfrees, Johnsons, Macdonalds and Shooters - attended the dinner, representing some of those most actively involved in the activities which were recognized for the award.


The nomination, together with that of CLOK, was made by BOF and we are grateful for their recognition of what we have been doing over recent years as part of our Development Plan. This includes extensive mapping of schools, old coal mining areas and the Royal School for Deaf in Derby. Further maps have formed part of our Urban Orienteering programme which also recently won us a £500 grant from EMOA. We have also been active as part of the Derbyshire and Peak Park Sport and Recreation Forum and hope soon to achieve Active Sport status, which will see us receiving additional funds for training courses for coaches, instructors, organisers, mappers, etc.


Further details of the nomination will appear in the next edition of Newstrack and on the DVO website.


Ranald Macdonald

Vice-Chair and Development Officer

Derwent Valley Orienteers


LOG News

Many people when thinking about the East Midlands Orienteering Association think of DVO, LEI and NOC (strictly alphabetical order you will note, no favouritism). However there is another club out there (ignoring closed clubs such as college or universtiy) and that is LOG. John Bennett has written the following note to enlighten us on their current position and maybe to dispel a few myths about them.


We are by far the smallest non-college based club in the region, with about 50 'membership units' (individuals/groups/families) and as such are not able to put on as many events as our larger neighbours. A badge event is still a distant dream, but you never know. Neither do we have the spectacular areas that other clubs have, but I'd hate anyone to think that we are an orienteering backwater. As a small club we know that if a few crucial club members leave the area we could fold at any time, so we have tried very hard in recent years to recruit and spread the word of orienteering in Lincolnshire. We have some very good media contacts and press coverage has been great this year. Consequently we are in the happy position of a consistently rising membership year on year, despite natinal trends, and every year we put on more events. We currently produce 3 C4 events, a night event, a summer league, a summer relay and various CATIs throughout the season. On January 27th we will have our first e-punching event at Stapleford, please support it. Largely because of fixture clashes we have failed to break the 100 barrier at our last three C4s, despite having nearly 300 at Stapleford and Bourne not too long ago. I would like to formally thank EMOA committee who are giving us a development grant to cover the whole cost of the SI kit for Stapleford, just in case we have a low turnout again. All clubs have low-turn-outs at some point, but recently we haven't had the big crowds to offset them. So please keep an eye on LOG events, we always get good feedback on our courses and organisation, so don't let anyone tell you we are an orienteering backwater. Oh yes, next June 12 of us are off to Aviemore to train on some real terrain, so watch out for next season!


John Bennett


Karen Jackson

Many of you will already be aware of the sudden, unexpected and tragic death of Karen Jackson. Karen had lived in the East Midlands for a number of years and was a member of DVO and formerly of LEI. I suspect most peoples reaction was much the same as mine when they first heard the news, a stunned disbelief , had I heard it right? had there been an accident?


Gerry and Thelma Spalton of LEI remember when Karen first came to the East Midlands:


Karen Jackson nee Karen Heap


It is very hard to believe it must be almost twenty years ago - even in those days though Thelma and I were fairly new to orienteering Thelma was already club secretary - when we received a phone call from a new student at the University of Leicester wanting to know how she could continue her involvement in orienteering while she was a medical student.


Karen was a slim, fresh faced, quiet and eager young woman who already had more experience than we had of high quality orienteering. She was then a member of MDOC and joined the University orienteering Club (remember that!), and was eager to go to as many events as possible. We well remember many Sunday mornings waiting in the car outside the student residences on Ratcliffe Road at the crack of dawn for Karen to appear so we could get to some distant Badge Event. Karen could never tire of orienteering even then. She seldom had a bad run, but never complained if she did. Karen joined LEIOC as a full member in 1986 and became involved in planning and organising events for the club.


At Karen's memorial service, the photograph on the service sheet captured the spirit of the same young woman we had met all those years ago - we can hardly believe she has gone and the world is poorer for her loss.


Gerry Spalton/Thelma Spalton


Earlier this year Karen's commitment to fitness and general attitude to life were recognised at the DVO Club Dinner where then Chairman Ranald Macdonald made the following announcement:


"Finally, nominations and voting took place for the Club Personality of the Year. Normally an opportunity for ritual humiliation, this year we were able to recognise commitment and human endeavour of the highest order - tinged perhaps by an element of lunacy - as the award went
to Karen Jackson.Karen had been to circuit training on the Friday night, took part in the Badge event at Blidworth on the Sunday and gave birth to Matthew on the Monday - he probably thought he'd had enough of all that activity and wanted to get out for a rest.The following week she was back at circuit training with Matthew not quite emulating his sister, Nicola, in urging Andy on to work harder!"


My own memories of Karen are of a very fit competent orienteer, but one who was not above making a total mess of a course occasionally. Greatly to her credit she accepted these setbacks with equanimity.


I remember at one major event, I think it was a JK, I had spent 20-30 minutes vainly trying to relocate only to eventually discover that I had been off the map. Having relocated, I was wading through some chest high bracken when I found a control card with the name Karen Jackson LEI on it. It wasn't a lot of consolation, but I thought, well at least I am not the only one having a bad day.


I am sure that I speak for everyone in the East Midlands orienteering fraternity in extending the greatest sympathy to Andy, Nicola and Matthew in their loss.


John Cooke


Editorial

As I said in the first issue that I edited, I am only doing it on a temporary basis. That temporary basis has extended to five issues, however we now have a volunteer to take over the task. From the next issue your editor will be Mike Gardner of DVO. Mike has edited EMEWS before, albeit some time ago. You can find Mike's details on page 2, so there is no excuse not to flood him with copy for the next issue.


With a new editor I believe the idea is to revert to the bi-monthly format that coincides with the EMOA committee meetings. The copy date for the next issue is 28th January, which is hopefully after you receive your copy of this edition but as it is now the first week of January as I write this, it is by no means certain.


Whilst on the subject of time I apologise for the lateness of this edition but unfortunately several thing came together at the same time. The main one being planning the Yvette Baker Trophy final at Beacon Hill (see report elsewhere). I had forgotten just how time consuming planning an event can be. Together with producing LEI News and sorting out permissions for LEI this meant that something had to suffer and I afraid that EMEWS had to take a back seat.



NOC win Yvette Baker Trophy again

Congratulations to NOC on winning the Yvette Baker Trophy for the third time in a row. In the five years that the event has been staged NOC have been Joint 1st, 2nd, 1st, 1st and 1st.


The final this year was staged by LEI at Beacon Hill on Sunday 9th December (presumably on behalf of EMOA?).


This is a competition for young orienteers based on Yellow, Orange, Light Green and Green courses. The event also included a standard colour coded event for all comers. In total over 500 competitors participated.


NOC's continued success in this event is a tribute to their Youth Policy and bodes well for the future success of the club.


Andrew Kelly, the English Development Officer for BOF presented the trophies on the day. He also later thanked LEI and complimented the club on the organisation (Roger and Ursula Williamson) and planning (modesty forbids me from mentioning names) connected with the event which was controlled by Chris Bosley.


Ed.


Final Result
(unconfirmed)
NOC 777
SO 762
WCH 756
OD 756