SAX member Nick Barrable wrote:

Is it me or there others out there who think having SO District Event on the same day as a WIM (neighbouring club?) Regional Event is a bit foolhardy? I know there is 70 miles between the 2 events but Surely the preference would be to go to the Regional? I think so and have entered for WIM event.
However, I always like to have my cake and eat it and would it not have been sensible to have the District Event on the Saturday, as there are also Regional Events at Thetford and Cannock (another careless clash too IMHO) which people might be tempted to also on the Sunday. On the Saturday, apart from the SeNiLe on Wimbledon Common in the evening (not in BOF fixtures for some reason), the nearest event is a Local in the Forest of Dean.
If you dont get many to Clapham, dont be surprised…
Any chance of changing it...!?!?

Ooohhh - I love a good poll :-)

I prefer District to Regional events, anyway ...

I voted for SO District event before Nick sent this because I able to go straight to my daughter’s birthday party after this event to my home about 2 miles. Also I would like to challenging this event for my home. It is more interesting for me rather than WIM regional.

Lee

A lot of effort goes into fixtures meetings to ensure that there is a balance of events to cater for the needs of all orienteers. Orienteering is inclusive and many do not want or are not ready for Regional. In the next few months almost all Sundays have a regional and it is refreshing to have a District event nearby. Cheaper and smaller ‘carbon footprint’. I believe it was decided after some thought that the event at Wimborne was far enough away not to be too big a conflict. We will certainly go to Clapham and did not even consider anything else.

I am not involved with the paperwork and administration of this event but I know changing things involves an enormous amount of extra work and is extremely undesirable.

However, this is a sport that is growing and developing and ‘Saturday Disrict’ might have a place in the future. Some people I understand are questioning the need for District events. I believe they provide a stepping stone for newcomers to the sport, are cheaper, a better range of courses, and are usually closer to home. Perhaps there is some value in discussing having some ‘Saturday Distric events’ at club and fixtures meetings.

Noted. I appreciate people putting in the time on these committes - often a hasle and often they do a good job - however I am still faced with some Sats/Suns where I am spoilt for choice with multiple events and other Sats/Suns where I have to travel hours… IMHO, if a committee has to debate a clash, it will inevitably be a clash that effects some people and thus should be avoided by changing the day. (It amazes me how some people on Fixtures committees still end up with thinking they can justify such crazy decisions such as putting the British and Scottish Night Champs on the same day.)

I question the whole ‘big events on Sunday, small ones often on Sat.’ Who cares/minds, etc. if big events or small events are on either Sat or Sun!? WIM could have had theirs on Sat and all would be happy and this would be even more ‘inclusive’! Even the keenies amongst us would like to go to a new area like Clapham and get some ranking points and race against people in our class in a better field of runners - in the same weekend!

A SO person is likely to favour their own club event, but think about your surrounding clubs?! However, I note a SoG and KOL upcoming are similar low key events (Hindleap and RiversWood: barely 12km apart) yet on the Sunday there is no event in the South East. Are we doing anyone any favours by organising our fixtures like this? I guess KOL start times are normally over midday (11 - 13) so with the SoG start times being early, you could actually do both! But few will…

Indeed. The registration with BOF and any landowners needs to have a date change - the latter may not be possible and there maybe several of them. Omit the adjectives in this sentence and you probably have the truth ;-)

Food for thought…

WIM does not seem to me to be a neighbouring club being “active on the Eastern edge of SWOA covering most of East and North Dorset”

Also WIM is not a SEOA member and their Regional Events do not qualify for the SE League.

As the event is not listed in the usual SO or SEOA listings I suspect many (like myself)would not have been aware of its existence but for Nick’s posting.

SO and SEOA Regional and District events (almost) always have my preference.

Like the “carbon footprint"comment, Les

I agree with you Les, perhaps the future is to have District events on Saturdays. I wonder if part of the issue with the WIM event is that it is actually further east than some recent SOC events.

A real revolution would be to change the major orienteering events from Sundays to Saturdays. This would make so much more sense since a large number of orienteers are also runners. However, it is almost impossible to go to any running events if you orienteer every weekend.

February is a month packed to capacity with Regional events, yet we are being encouraged to stage non-conflicting district events to make the sport more inclusive. The non-age class specific courses of a district event offer a slightly different participative/competitive opportunity to the outright competition of a Regional. There is a demand for both types of event.

Scheduling fixtures is a process of compromise, and generally, the lower down the “importance” list (starting with International Championships and ending at low key local events), the less influence your event has on what else is being staged. Regional events (with more competition, national ranking points etc.) take a higher priority than District events. Additionally, fixture co-ordination begins at a regional level and the requirements of SO (in the South East Orienteering Association) have little direct effect on those of WIM (in South Central). Having said that, there is always some attempt to avoid cross regional border conflict of interest, but the whole thing is a bit of a balancing act.

In defence of this specific event at Clapham Woods, it is on a Brand New Area to Orienteering (rare in the SE!) where as the WIM event (and indeed all the others mentioned) have been well used in the past. Organiser, John Morris, has been putting an awful lot of effort and thought into making the event as attractive as possible (It seems to be organised with the same attention to detail as a major event, judging by the emails that I’ve been seeing recently!). The Clapham event should be a good one.

Don’t you think that this is an interesting “problem”: too much choice of quality orienteerng!
.....Now when I were a lad..............!

Seriously, there may be some merit in trying to schedule more events on Saturdays (hopefully not at the expense of SOGs!), but mainstream O is traditionally on a Sunday (with the target audience of all of these events used to fitting O into their schedules on a Sunday), and I’m not sure about the specific access limitations for using this particular area. Whatever the reasons for choosing Sunday 17th February for Clapham, rest assured that there is always a lot of (relevant and appropriate) deliberation when choosing a particular date for any given SO event.

What about the Angmering Estate Trust Park Regional opposite Clapham woods in the future? It is includes the Monarch’s Way. I run it alots and it’s huge. Have you got a map already for Angmering Park?

2008 South East Sprint Championships SATURDAY August 30th - Sussex University plus whichever bits of neighbouring woodland I decide to add in.

I voted for None of the above, as I am in Hungary at the moment. However, if I was in Britain I would most certainly go to the District event, not only because it is closer, because I like colour coded competitions and not even out of loyalty to SO, but because it is on a NEW AREA. That should be unique not only in the South East of England but in most other places (Hungary included).

Just one quick comment on the Saturday versus Sunday debate: in Hungary almost all events are of two days duration. It necessitates staying away all the time and it would definitely interfere with leagues, like SOG, but how about giving it a thought?

As Peter said - we are so very lucky to be having a debate about where to go orienteering because there is too much on offer!

I think there is a fairly large contingent that like to stay relatively local for their events, and do not feel a need to go to the highest ranking event on the day.

We are very lucky to be members of Southdowns; many of the smallest events the club puts on are better organised and attended than larger events elsewhere.

I voted for the WIM event because I love orienteering in the New Forest.

The pull of a New Area is also very strong. However, if I don’t go this time, it means it will be a new area for me when the next event is held there. If I were to be told that this is a special one-off access which is unlikely to be repeated, that might persuade to forgo the delights of the New Forest. But without that information, I shall hope to have my first experience of Clapham at a SOG next year.

Talking of clashes, there are two evening street events scheduled for Thursday 21st February, one LOK, one in the Kent Night Cup. KNC events are not always Thursdays, perhaps this would be a good one to move?

Ian - thanks for bringing this to my attention.
I dont always spot the LOK Street Events as they are a bit irregular - and checking the SEOA website/mailer, it is not on there.
I think we had a Forest KNC last year clashing with a LOK street event but it was quite a bit apart.
Anyhow, I will change it to Tuesday - KNC 21 now on 19th Feb.
Everyone is a winner :-)
N