FROM THE PRESIDENT
Bob McCreddin, President, Orienteering Australia
ONE of the fascinating aspects of the conduct of Orienteering across Australia for me is the extraordinary high level of personal commitment that all orienteers make to ensuring that events of all levels are conducted regularly, efficiently and smoothly, using challenging and interesting courses on so many varied and excellent maps. The commitment that orienteers in all regions across all States make to ensuring that there are regular events of a first rate standard throughout the year is a staggering achievement. There is a marvellous sense of community among orienteers. It exists at the club level due to the need to support one another in competitions and in the conduct of events. It exists at the State level because of the cooperation provided and the commitment given to seeking to provide first rate experiences for friends who have previously done the right thing by us. It similarly exists at the national level because of the appreciation of the efforts made by all State groups to conduct first quality events for appreciative orienteers from across Australia who have become genuine friends. I am, personally, enormously proud of the manner in which clubs and States so genuinely and successfully conduct such first rate club, state and national programs of Orienteering events. However, this extraordinary commitment by so many participants may also be part of the reason that Orienteering fails to appeal to so many who visit our sport. We can all recount stories of people who came to try Orienteering, enjoyed the experience, but were worried about getting too involved because of the obviously high levels of volunteerism sought of our members. We consciously choose an organisational pattern for Orienteering that in comparison to other sports and recreations is high on volunteerism and low on fees. We can all quote examples of huge event entry fees levied in other sporting and recreational activities. We may need in future years to again seriously review the model for the conduct of Orienteering in order to decide the most appropriate funding model.
The commitment that orienteers have shown to competition and organisation at the State and national level has increasingly resulted in Australian orienteers participating in events and activities internationally. With the Junior World Orienteering Championships in Dubbo in July 2007 and the World Masters Orienteering Championships out of Sydney in 2009, Australian orienteers again have the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to the sport and its competitors at the international level, so please start to plan your participation accordingly – recall that the JWOC Carnival will include the normal October activities of the Australian Championships and the Schools Championships with the Oceania Championships then being conducted in Canberra in October. - Keep spiking those controls! Bob McCreddin
Sports Au s t r a l i a n
F o u n d a t i o n
Support your Sport through taxdeductible donations to the Australian Sports Foundation Check out the details and download the donor’s form from
www.orienteering.asn.au
VICTORINOX AWARD Orienteering has always been “The Thought Sport” but in recent times that image has been taken to a higher level by Jason McCrae’s excellent articles on Sport Psychology. He has made us think about our preparation for Orienteering in a different way. His advice and suggested action plans for major events have meant a whole new approach for many of us. Jason is a worthy winner of the Victorinox award. He receives a Victorinox Voyager with 20 tools and features including a watch/alarm/timer; retail value $109.95
MARCH 2006 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 5
