Briar Patch Archives

Briar Patch – Index of Articles in Past Issues

Newsletters are in PDF format. Select the date to download. Some files are large so be patient.

Fall 2008
(download)
  • What DVOA means to me (H. MacMullan III)
  • Note from the editor: Thank you!
  • Sweden, Here we come (J. Porter)
  • Junior Trip to Sweden (A. Campbell)
  • My Adventurous Trip to Deaf-O in Denmark, (T. Acuff)
  • Event report: Clash with the Creek (R. Tolbert)
  • Event report: Fair Hill (R. Tolbert)
  • Event report: Quail Hill Scout Camp Orienteering Day (R. Rycharski)
  • Event report: A Day or Two in the Medieval Forest of Elk Neck (T. Acuff)
  • North American Orienteering Championships (D. Babushok and C. McGrath)
  • Leg of the Issue: Red course, Hickory Run, Sept. 2008 (C. McGrath)
  • O-Puzzle: O-Movies (J. O’Conor)
  • Epunch Update (F. Reed)
  • The Most Dangerous Wildlife in the Woods (K. Geist)
  • Keep your ankles active (T. Overbaugh)
  • Juniors: Update on CASD Orienteering
  • Oreinteering is not about finding controls (C. McGrath)
  • Presentation (H. Lape)
  • Q&A from the DVOA E-board: is it better to push up hill, down hill or on the flat?
  • Top-Class Hickory Run (T. Hollowell)
  • Orienteering Family Style: Burton Family
  • Revisiting Rutgers Preserve (R. Rycharski)
  • President’s Column: T. Walsh
Spring/ Summer 2008
(download)
  • President’s column: Tim Walsh elected president
  • Note from the editor: Your contributions needed
  • Ringos’ service awards: Steve Aronson and Sharon Siegler, Ralph Tolbert, Ron and Ali Bortz
  • Top 10 lists and club rankings
  • How the rankings are calculated (K. Shaw)
  • Event directors job description (reprinted from Orienteering San Diego, March-April 2004)
  • Orienteering in Arizona (N. Sharp)
  • Event report: 2008 President’s Cup at Warwick (R. Tolbert)
  • Short: Warwick’s Charcoal Interpret Trail
  • Short: 50th anniversary of Chester County Parks and Recs Dept
  • Happy New Year: reflections on orienteering (J. Cambpell’s posting on DVOA eboard)
  • DVOA’s good—but always opportunities for improvement (D. Babushok)
  • O-Puzzle (J. O’Conor)
  • Rec-O-lections of DVOA (B. Putnam)
  • Where are they now: Matt Scott
  • Grid: Skills vs experience level
  • Fair Hill 6-hour rogaine announcement
  • List of navigational aids and techniques for intermediate and advanced orienteers (compiled by T. Overbaugh, reprinted from BP Dec 2001)
  • What is USOF?
Dec 2007
(download)
  • DVOA plants 40 trees to mark 40th anniversary (K. Urban)
  • Trail Orienteering (F. Kuhn)
  • President’s Column (R. Tolbert)
  • Relocation: How to find yourself again, (excerpted from Orienteering: The Skills of the Game by Carol McNeill)
  • From the DVOA Archives/Caroline Ringo
  • DVOAers named to 2008 standing team
  • Iron Hill Park
  • Event report: Iron Hill Fall 2007 (R. Tolbert)
  • Lehigh University A Event (M. Bertram)
  • First O Marathon at VF (results)
  • A Brief History of Orienteering from www. Orienteering-history.info
  • 2008 O-dates of interest
  • O-Puzzle: The Reverend Spooner goes orienteering (J. O’Conor)
  • How to improve your orienteering skills; comments from DVOA’s e-board
  • How to make use of unused maps from events (R. Tolbert )
Mar 2007
(download)
  • Pres Column (Tolbert): Where we’ve been, where we’re going
  • Recollection of DVOA’s formative years (C. Ringo)
  • 2006 Top 10 Lists & Club Rankings
  • Ringos’ Annual Service Awards: Mike Bertram & Kathy King, John Campbell Family, Robert Rycharski; also, overview of winners since 1993
  • Photos from annual meeting
  • Setting our sights: growing DVOA (M. Frank)
  • Brainstorming session
  • Map from first event at Valley Forge Nov 5, 1967
  • Notes from a new course setter (J. Brodsky, reprinted from Tucson Orienteering Club, Aug 2007
  • Getting to There from Here/Peter Amram (Reprinted form NEOC Times, Feb/March 2006)
  • Was Emily Bronte an orienteer? Spellbound
  • O Haiku/Kathy Urban
  • Event report: President’s Cup at Hibernia R. Tolbert)
  • You know you’re an orienteer when (reprinted from San Diego orienteering newsletter, Sept/Oct 2006)
  • News from DVOA Library
  • What is orienteering?
  • Valley Goat 3: Photo and short write up
  • What is an E-Event? (S. Fillebrown
Dec 2006
(download)
  • President’s column: looking back, looking ahead
  • Valley Forge Park: 225 years old, still changing
  • Aging “O” eyes (K. Geist)
  • Don’t Loiter at Controls (E. Custer, reprinted from BAOC)
  • O-Puzzle: The Last Control (J. O’Conor)
  • Event report: Lehigh River Canoe-O (S. Aronson)
  • Event report: Fair Hill (R. Tolbert)
  • Event report: Quail Hill (R. Rycharski)
  • Take Time to Explore (C. Ringo)
  • Batona 500 thank you (V. Masalkov)
  • Fox Chase advert
  • O Techniques (excerpted from Canadian O Fed Level 1 handbook)
  • DVOA help-wanted ads
Sept. 2006
(download)
  • Event report: O-mazing Daniel Boone Spell-O (R. Bortz)
  • President’s Column: falling into another season of O
  • 9th Annual Susquehanna Stumble
  • Snakes on a course (K. Geist)
  • Name that O-tune
  • Teaser: Fox Chase
  • O Games for a Rainy Day (Reprint: Tuscon OC, Aug 2005)
  • Missing jogger survives 4 days stuck in swamp (FLO)
  • Muir: Any fool can destoy games
  • O Events Unlimited (From Grapevine newsletter June 1996)
  • Looking to the future: Growing orienteering through our young people (C. Ferguson, USOF president)
  • Moments in compass History (reprint/Tucson O Club Aug 1994)
  • Advert: Batona 500 A-event
June 2006
(download)
  • Want to improve your O skills? Try DVOA’s training weekend
  • FAQs
  • Event report: Ilick’s Mill Rain-in (S. Aronson & S.Siegler)
  • Event report: Valley Goat 2, or How I learnt to love e-punching (M. Bertram)
  • Event report: Thundering into Tyler (S. Fillebrown)
  • Event report: Springing into O at Brandywine State Park (M. Cassidy)
  • More adventures at Brandywine (Delaware State Park’s adventure race series)
  • Event report: Fair Hills (D. Babashok & C. McGrath)
  • Adventure Race Courses (S. Fillebrown)
  • Event report: Iron Hill (T. Overbaugh)
  • Boulder Field at Hickory Run (C. Ringo)
  • Batona 500 A Event
  • Batsto Story
  • O-Puzzle (J. O’Conor)
  • Getting to there from here (P. Amran, reprinted from NEOC Times Feb/March 2006)
March 2006
(download)
  • Annual awards presented at winter meeting
  • In o, as in life, change is the only constant (president)
  • History of orienteering at VF (Caroline Ringo)
  • Happy birthday to DVOA (40 years in 2007)
  • Competition awards
  • E-punch updates
  • Service awards: Hartleys, Paters, Rick Whiffen
  • Notes from winter meeting (R. Tolbert)
  • How the rankings are calculated (K. Shaw)
  • President’s cup at Hibernia (R. Tolbert)
  • Event director’s job description (reprint from Orienteering San Diego)
  • O skills and strategies: route selection (Lawry & Sidney, published in Orienteering Ontario)
  • Using meets as training (D. Wildfogel, reprinted from LA Orienteering Sept-Oct 2001)
  • The Fitness Edge (Buckley, reprinted from St. Louis O Club, March 1999)
  • Bizarre Event Problems (B. Teahen/NZ(from Tuscon Nov ’98)
  • O Puzzle- Anagrams and more (J. O’Conor)
  • Giant Hogweed
Dec. 2005
(download)
  • Editor’s column: New look
  • Photo: lost (Wilkison)
  • Junior News/photo (Porter)
  • Boosting Juniors (DVOA has funds available)
  • DVOA on the web
  • O-Puzzle: Cryptic O #3 (O’Conor)
  • Training Tip: Everything you wanted to know about orienteering (J. Sankus, reprinted from NEOC Times Sept 2003)
  • More of what we love about orienteering (besides the map part) (J. Porter)
  • Walls of Brandywine photo contest
  • Short: I went to the woods (Thoreau)
  • 4th Annual DVOA long-O (S. Aronson & S. Siegler)
  • Charcoal burning platforms (P. Kusko, reprinted from BP Dec 1986)
  • Short: AWAD – copse
  • Playing in the snow: Nockamixon (J. Porter)
  • Back to Hickory Run: Training Weekend (F. Kruesi)
  • Request for recipes/rice pudding recipe
  • What is USOF (& ap form)
  • Event report: Fair Hill (R. Wood)
  • Trail O: What is it and how it came to be at Fair Hill (Sharp)
  • 8th Annual Garden State Scout-O (R. Rycharski)
  • Event report: Iron Hill (M. Cassidy)
  • The map at Pooh Corner (reprint)
Sept. 2005
(download)
  • Scoring: In the beginning: Scoring (B. Putnam)
  • Nat’l O Day (R. Rycharski)
  • Event report: Pakim Pond (M. Cassidy)
  • Event report: Hickory Run (R. Wilkison)
  • Making the Mt. Misery Map (Bertram)
  • Event report: Mt. Misery (M. Bertram)
  • Short: we all travel the milky way together, trees & men (Muir)
  • A Tale from the Colorado five-day relay
  • What was I thinking (D. Parson)
  • O Puzzle : Sudoku-O (O’Conor)
June 2005
(download)
  • Texas or bust: report on Venture crew’s trip (J. Porter)
  • USOF Jr Team (J. Porter)
  • E-punch update
  • Short: any fool can destroy trees (Muir)
  • Happy anniversaries – major membership milestones
  • O-Cross (J. O’Conor)
  • Short: Blanket Toss Game (volunteering)
  • Building your O word power: Base map – knoll
  • Warning: O Virus (P.. Kusko)
  • Know Your Sport: Interview w/S. Rachitskiy (P. Beal, reprinted from NEOC’s Grapevine)
  • Event report: Brandywine State Park (M. Cassidy)
  • Event report; NJ DVOA Garden State Scout O champs (R. Rycharski)
  • Event report: Ilick’s Mill (S. Aronson & S. Siegler)\
  • Event report: Green Lane Nature Center premier (J. Porter)
  • Event report: Memorial Day Weekend at the Water Gap (S. Fillebrown)
March 2005
(download)
  • O-Puzzle: More Cryptic O: Double Definitions (J. O’Conor)
  • Keeping in shape out of the woods (D. Darrah)
  • Short: chaparral
  • DVOA’s annual service awards: Heath, Robinsons, Balls
  • Venture Crew’s road to Texas (J. Porter)
  • Deaflympics news
  • Congrats to DVOA members chosen to USOF team
  • Adventure races, Delaware Parks
  • Letter to the masses: O is for everyone (R. Damtolft, reprinted from Chicago Area, May 1999)
  • What is orienteering? (reprinted from Quebec Orienteering’s May 1999 newsletter)
  • Event report: Brandywine, Dec 5, 2004
  • Event report: Fun running in the fields of Central Manalapan, NJ (R. Rycharski)
Sept-Dec 2004
(download)
  • Franks receive Silva Award
  • The Early History of Briar Rabbit (C. Ringo)
  • Proposal of new uniform designs
  • USOF convention report (L. Searle & C. Ringo)
  • Beginner’s Quadrant: Relocation is finding your way when you’re lost (P. Akin, reprinted from Possum’s Tale, Jan/Feb 1999)
  • Event report: Tatum Park Scout O (R. Rycharski)
  • Event report: Iron Hill (R. Tolbert)
  • Event report: Long-O at French Creek North (S. Aronson & S. Siegler)
  • Event report: White Clay Creek State Park (T. Overbaugh)
  • Event report: Iron Hill (S. Fillebrown)
June 2004
(download)
  • TT Parallel Errors (Minium)
  • DVOA’s first A Event: recollections of Mark Frank
  • O’Puzzle (J. O’Conor)
  • Junior Team Selections
  • Report from DVOA’s A-Event coordinator (R. Hall)
  • Event report: Nockamixon (J. Porter)
  • Event report: Core Creek (T. Marino)
  • Event report: Colliers Mill (B. Burg)
  • Event report: Evansburg (D. Darrah)
  • Event report: VF Fatlands (M. Bertram)
  • Event report: Willows & Skunk Hollow (T. Walsh)
  • Event report: (T. Overbaugh)
  • Canoe-O
  • DVOA’s summer picnic and relays (with recipes)
  • Training Tips: Beginner’s Clinics: Using Contour Lines; Beginner’s Clinics: Parallel Errors (M. Minium, LAO, Sept/Oct 2001)
March 2004
(download)
  • From the A Meet to Future Growth (E. Weyman)
  • Help wanted: Registration table worker (M. Frank)
  • How to fill out a pink card
  • Ringos’ service awards: B. Gross, V. Meyer, G. Smith)
  • 2003 year in review
  • Event report: President’s cup D. Boone (E. Scott)
  • Event report: Valley Goat (M. Bertram)
  • Event report: Back to Susquehanna (R. Tolbert)
  • Intro to orienteering at Brandywine Creek State Park (R. Tolbert)
  • Training Tip: What on earth is a reentrant? (extracted from Tucson Orienteering Club’s newsletter)
  • DCNR charts future with new action plan
  • Some good news for Penna.’s state parks
Sept. 2003
(download)
  • O Business—and Pleasure—at the USOF 2003 Convention (C. Ringo)
  • Nat’l O Day is coming to DVOA parks (R. Rycharski)
  • Going, going…where did GO come from? (C. Ringo)
  • Orienteering at 4-H State Achievement Day (J. Snyder)
  • What’s the deal with Sprint-O? (W. Riley)
  • Event report: Elk Neck (R. Tolbert)
  • Event report: VP Relay (R. Tolbert)
  • Event report: French Creek mini rogaine (S. Fillebrown)
  • Event report: 2nd annual Long-O champs at French Creek West (S. Aronson & S. Siegler)
June 2003
(download)
  • Equipment necessary to get started with SportIdent electronic (E. Custer, reprint)
  • MidAtlantic Region Junior Program (J. Porter)
  • Training Tips: Can we learn from other’s experiences (reprinted from NEOC Times, Apr/May 2003)
  • Orange course navigation (R. Shannonhouse, reprinted from The NEOC Times)
  • What is USOF?
  • The Billygoat: This might be the event for you (S. DeWitt, from the Western Conn. Orienteering Club’s web site)
  • Potpourri of Introductory Events
  • Event report: Hibernia County Park (R. Tolbert)
  • Event report: Ridley Creek State Park (M. Frank)
  • Event report: French Creek Central (C. Robinson)
  • Event report: Core Creek Park (J. Eagleton)
  • Event report: Valley Forge Mt. Joy (M. Bertram & K. King)
  • DVOA Library
Mar 2003
(download)
  • 2002 year in review
  • Ringos’ Service Awards: D. Prine, A. Fitch, Menendez Family
  • Four Seasons of Orienteering (K. Geist)
  • Holiday Family Orienteering Club (J. McNicholas)
  • How old am I, in O terms (classes)
  • Training Tip: Beginners Clinic: Use Contour Lines (M. Minium, reprinted from St. Louis Hudson Valley Navigator 6/99)
  • Two Attack Terms (J. Nash, reprint from Hudson Valley Navigator))
  • French Creek Mini Rogaine
  • Event report: Ridley Creek (M. Bertram & K. King)
  • Event report: President’s Cup
  • DVOA Library