2007 Service Award Winners

ROBERT RYCHARSKI

Although he had orienteered as a boy scout, Bob discovered orienteering as we know it about 1977 in a hike with a ranger in Rocky Mountain National Park, along with college classmates Bill Jameson and Guy Olsen. He continued to orienteer with his home club, Hudson Valley Orienteering, and feels he really began to develop his skills when he started helping with course design.

He was instrumental in mapping Quail Hill, a scout camp in Monmouth County, NJ and established good relationships so that the park(camp) is available for our club events. He also helped map nearby Holmdel Park, site of our dual meet this past year with HVO. Bob has helped with both the Mid Atlantic Scout Championships at French Creek and the NJ Scout Championships at Washington Crossing SP. This inspired his annual scouting event at Quail Hill, and he has also supervised an Eagle scout project (Alan Smith, O club member) which installed a permanent course at Holmdel Park, and also helped revise/field check a pre-existing Perm O (map) at Quail Hill (2006, with DVOA's mapping directors help). Bob has also helped at local and A-meets sponsored by DVOA.

On a national level, Bob has been the guiding force for USOF's National Orienteering Day which takes place every year in September. In the year 2000 only 25 clubs participated. By 2004 participation had grown to 60 clubs. Bob used telephone, internet, news media and O promotion skills to publicize special NOD newcomer events. He collected donations of baseplate compasses, hats and other items to be given away, and stored and then distributed them to O clubs all over the country. He has also assisted as a vetter for a recent West Point (USMAOC) A meet.

By profession, Bob is an electrical & systems engineer with Computer Sciences Corp, and works on a military support base. His wife, Annette, is a college adjunct professor at Felician College. They have a thirteen-year-old son, Greg who also orienteers. Their hometown is Haskell, New Jersey which is up near the New York state border (nearest O map, HVO's Ramapo SP (1 mile hike to visit). Bob owns a twenty-one foot sailboat and is also a new member of the Garden State HO Model Railroad Club. He volunteers to assist with various scout activities, organizing scout camporees or cub scout hikes with orienteering themes, even remapping two local klondike derby event maps. He has been advisor on four Eagle or Gold scout projects, and occasionally writes about them for ONA magazine (see March 2006 ONA issue). Although Bob lives far from most DVOA locations (he stated he would love to work in PA so he could Orienteer at even 'more' DVOA events: make him an offer), we thank him for his work on a national level, his enthusiasm for introducing scouts to orienteering, and his efforts to provide more orienteering options in New Jersey.

 

 

MIKE BERTRAM AND KATHY KING

Mike orienteered in England for a couple of years before coming to the United States and he joined our club in 1987. At that time he listed his occupation as a computer manager and his hobbies as squash (he later gave up squash to focus on orienteering) and correspondence chess. He is married to Kathy King and their house is on the Mount Misery map of Valley Forge. That is fortunate for us, as they are responsible for mapping not only the Mount Misery area but also the new Valley Forge West map which includes the Freedom Foundation which we used for the first time this past year.

Kathy was an engineer, though she and Mike are now both retired. Mike introduced Kathy to orienteering soon after they met. They are active in conservation organizations, doing such activities as trail cleanup and removal of invasive plants, which further good relationships with the parks we use. We depend on them to keep us up to date on the planned improvements at Valley Forge. Besides mapping new locations, they have served in many helper jobs and have been meet directors at French Creek, Warwick, Horseshoe Camp, Ridley Creek and all four locations at Valley Forge, among others. Mike also serves as A-meet and environmental coordinator for our club.

Mike and Kathy got married in 2006. They had a small wedding comprising a party of 4 people, the other two people (the witnesses) were long time club members John and Peggy Edwards.

 

 

THE JOHN CAMPBELL FAMILY

John Campbell started orienteering in 1969 in his native Scotland and traveled to many events throughout Europe prior to coming to this country. He was a member of the Scottish Team in 1984 and a member of the winning team of the inaugural "Scottish Islands Peak Race", an adventure sailing / hill running race off the west coast of Scotland.

However, when deciding to come across the Atlantic, he must have investigated clubs in the US before he came. In August, 1985 Kent and Caroline were walking from the parking area to the assembly area at the Scottish 6-Day Orienteering event wearing our O suits, (the old style with the smiling bunny), when one of the fellows directing traffic hailed us and came over to introduce himself. It was John Campbell and he must have been watching for the DVOA logo. He explained that he was planning to come to the States, which he soon did and joined our club in October of the same year. At first he had an individual membership, but by 1990 he was engaged to Carol and a family membership followed.

John is an Architect and his wife Carol an Artist and Design Resource Librarian. They live in Center City Philadelphia. John listed his hobbies as travel, photography, skiing, and hill walking. Carol's were very similar, being art, travel and hiking.

John has always been an active volunteer in our club, helping in any capacity needed locally and at national events. He has led the advanced training at our annual Hickory Run Training weekend for several years. Back in the 1990's he swerved as a club trustee and was recently elected to serve again as a trustee. Carol helps occasionally, but her biggest contribution is supporting the rest of the family in their enthusiasm for our sport. John and Carol have two daughters, Alison 15 and Heather 11, who are ranked nationally and have brought home championship medals in their age categories. Alison in particular has her dad's passion for the sport, enjoys helping at events, contributes regularly to the e-board and does a lot to interest other teens in orienteering.