Cold wintry weather, yes but ...

don't let that slow you down!

Save the Date: FWOC AGM - March 16, 2021
Behind the scenes II
TNTs - running with a purpose!
Volunteers Needed: FWOC BOD 2021
Spelling Bee #5
Map Primer
2021 Member Registration
Spelling Bee answers

Behind the Scenes II

The hard work of the Board of Directors is supported by FWOC volunteers working to bring you new maps, great events and a strong club. Over the next few newsletters, we'll try to highlight some of our terrific volunteers.

Marion is outstanding in a field of outstanding volunteers!

It is hard to say what volunteer role she hasn't taken on. Marion is our O-100 guru, a regular Wednesday course planner, and a mentor for new and more experienced course planners and event directors! Marion has taken her skills to the highest level, having course planned for 2018 Canadian Orienteering Champs and been the controller for the 2019 Western Canadian Orienteering Championships. She is, of course, involved in the 2021 Canadian Rockies Orienteering Festival. We're lucky to count such a skilled volunteer in our number:)

Gabrielle and Clarence are legends

when it comes to coaching SOGO (and before that the junior program). The number of hours they've spent volunteer coaching is hard to calculate. In addition, Gabi has been involved as Safety Chief for the provincial, regional and national championships while Clarence has often been the Site Crew Chief for these events. Clarence and Gabi are also regular TNT or Wednesday course planners. Clarence has also coached Navigation 101 and 201.

Andrew is a one of our youngest volunteers! He has organized a Wednesday night event and is set to run a TNT in February. We really appreciate when young people take on these leadership roles!

Janet and Jim are FWOC's Keepers of the Equipment.

They have taken on the responsibility of storing our equipment and maintaining it in good shape for some years now. Truly behind the scenes, most of us don't even know how much they do! Janet's and Jim's efforts have saved FWOC loads of money in replacements and storage not to mention the workload.

Thank you all! We appreciate all you've done!

TNTs 2021

St Andrew's Heights & Crescent Heights & Signal Hill

The TNT series is going strong. Gabi and Karen have already hosted TNTs this year, St Andrew's Heights and Crescent Heights respectively!
The last TNT (Signal Hill) was planned by a new CP, Lourdes (yay Lourdes!)

with Marion as mentor. In fact, Lourdes created a new map using the Open Orienteering Map website (how-to instructions are on our website under Resources). While the OOM pseudo map has certain limits as you can see from the above one of Crescent Heights (i.e. no contours, colours not accurate), it is easy to do and makes orienteering possible in any neighbourhood! It has been terrific fun to run in different neighborhoods, and, in this COVID time, to have a reason to get out and run! We have 5 TNTs more in the works!

FWOC needs YOU in 2021

FWOC is looking for volunteers to serve on our Board of Directors and various committees. This year both the Treasurer and Secretary are stepping down. If you have the skills for Treasurer, please contact Tim at president@orienteeringcalgary.ca or David at pastpresident@orienteeringcalgary.ca." If you'd like to join the Board but have little Board experience, we will guide you through being a Board member and have some resources to hand to help out. You don't have to be an expert orienteer to volunteer on the Board, first and foremost, we need members with a great passion for orienteering! Help us grow our club and introduce this great sport to other Calgarians!

Know your Maps!
Part 1

Good map reading, as you know, is the key to orienteering success. A good map reader, walking, can beat a runner who doesn't know a knoll from depression on a map! Maps tell you so much if you can only understand all the information they offer.

This year with a lot of luck, we'll be able to get back to competitive orienteering! 2020 was not a good year for orienteering. We only held a few events this past summer, all "training" style, on urban maps with distancing encouraged. Going over route choices is a distant memory! Running on a forest map only to be dreamed of. Members who started orienteering this fall may not realize how different (read exciting and challenging!) a forest map might be! A urban competition map is also slightly different from a TNT map. Over the next two newsletters, we offer map primers. This month it is a visual comparison of the differences between a competition map and a TNT "map":

For added practice "reading" a competition map, click on the map name to get a jigsaw of the NAOC Sprint Course 4a map.

2021 FWOC Membership
The 2021 FWOC membership registration form is open! Good news in tough times, though - the Board of Directors has decided to maintain the $10 / person membership fee for next year! There will be a maximum of $40 for a family.
Sign up now!