|
|
|
|
|
To the Editors
Whistle Blowing
Whatever happened to the orienteers' whistle ? I seem to remember it was an essential part of the kit; compass, map case, pen, whistle (and glasses).
Maybe now is the time to re-appraise the whistle's value.
The original use, I believe, to call up help if you had an accident and could not get back unaided. I think this is still important -- how long might someone be missing before being found ? I suggest that there could be a point in strongly recommending it to the young, the old and newcomers, and pointing out its value.
Here is another reason for suggesting carrying a whistle, especially for all young children using urban woodland. Carrying a whistle would give children an added sense of security and when blown would deter any 'unsavoury characters' and alert nearby adult orienteers.
Yours sincerely
Basil Thompson
(Basil's letter was inspired by a couple of incidents affecting his own family at
Calverley. What do you think ?)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Letter to the Editors
Club League
Dear Sir and Madam
I was disturbed to read in the January A.A. that the club league co-ordinator was considering introducing a new method of scoring the club league.
His article implied that is was only due to pressure of time that had prevented him from finalising his ideas and introducing the change already.
The current system was adopted at a club A.G.M. and, in my view, should only be changed at another such meeting. A review of the scoring system is no doubt overdue but surely the correct procedure is to place any proposed changes to the membership as a whole rather than for the committee to leave the decision to one person after an email discussion..
Yours,
Tom Crowther
(….and it looks as though we'll be able to consider this for 2005...eds)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reflections on Gilling and dibbers from Dennis Ellison
I enjoyed my first event (Gilling, 25 Jan) since suffering a painful foot injury at Blackamoor in November. From checking the results and seeing how long some people took on Green, my choice of the lighter shade of this colour was the correct one.
When walking back from the finish, I saw a young man walking around searching among the mixture of leaf litter and mud. It turned out that he had lost his dibber.
Being almost a match for the mud it had dropped into, it was like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack. At £20 to replace an SI E card it had become an expensive day out for him.
This happened to me a couple of years back , but fortunately it fell number side up,otherwise in the semi darkness under a beech tree , I would not have seen it against the carpet of copper coloured leaves it had fallen on.
The important thing with these expensive little Gizmos, is not to rely on the elastic to prevent it from slipping off your finger, especially when the elastic band has become wet from sweat or rain. You should have a " belt & braces" outlook and attach it to your wrist by a loop of cord which goes around the wrist and through the small hole in the dibber.
|
|
|
|
|
|
