Job Descriptions for Local Events
Check the volunteer signup page
REGISTRATION
The registration crew is often the first contact a prospective member has with our club. It is especially important that we are helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly.
Some important things for registration people to know or do are:
- Before opening up the registration area be sure some registration forms have had the map numbers filled in the blanks. Always start with numbers over 200 so we don't duplicate the numbers already assigned through the express registration lists. If two or three clipboards are being used, make the first page of each start at least 100 beyond the last one. ...200, 300, 400 etc.
- Set out the Express Registration These people can fill out their own cards and will need no additional assistance except perhaps some change from the cash box.
- Costs are $7.00 for members and $12.00 for non-members. We tend to recognize visitors from any USOF club as a "member", and have specific agreements with QOC, SVO and POC. For youth groups such as Scouts, 4-H, Campfire, etc, if one leader or parent is a member we give the entire group the membership rate. If no one is a member, we still discount the group to $7.00 per map. One leader should be given a clipboard, or one of the group registration forms in the meet directors box, and asked to fill it out for the entire group.
- Do your best to determine the skill level of those you sign up for courses. The vast majority of people trying Orienteering for the first time need to be on White. A few may be fine on Yellow and only the most experienced hikers will be ready for Orange. No one who has never been on a real Orienteering course before should be sent out on any advanced course.
- Try to discourage groups from signing up for advanced courses. Those that insist should be reminded that loud talking in the woods, or any other activity that tends to disclose the location of a control, is not appropriate on any course, but especially on any advanced course.
- Be sure they have signed the waiver and filled out the information required such as number in their group and automobile license number and description. We need this data in case they forget to check in at finish and we have to check the parking area or consider a search and rescue operation.
- If the event uses the older, pin punch system, be sure the pink card data is accurate and complete. We need age group, course, name, and map numbers on the card when they arrive at start.
- Don't let newcomers leave the registration area without at least some instruction as to what it is they are expected to do. The start crew does not have the time or people needed to give instruction. Get it done before they go to start. There is always someone standing around or in line that can give a 5 minute introduction.
- Registration closes by 1:30 PM during daylight savings time and at 1:00 PM during standard time. Explain that this is to allow us to retrieve our equipment before dark. Some event directors may allow more time if they have made special arrangements with certain groups or helpers.
START
- The registration crew should be sending everyone to start with pink cards completely filled out. Check to be sure that is happening and notify registration if there are problems.
- Use the start lists provided in the event directors box. They are a simple grid and are filled in by putting the map number of the starter in the proper box in the column under his course and the row beside his start time.
- When the start time is determined, the pink card stub should be removed from the card. The card is attached to the map and the map is put into a plastic bag. The stub should be marked with the start time and sent to the finish crew. The runner will probably expect the time to be recorded on the card he carries in his map also.
- You may start as many different courses as you want at a given minute, but should space runners on a single course out by at least 2 minutes. It is often a good idea to spread out large groups by 5 minutes or more, especially if they have come to the event together and are likely to merge later. Big groups tend to clog trails and obscure controls from others that need to see them. It is possible that two courses share the same first control. In this case the course setter should advise start so that those two courses always get different start times.
- People are not supposed to study their maps before their time is called. You should gently remind people of this rule. There are usually enough experienced orienteers standing around holding their maps upside down waiting for their start time that only a few of the least observant don't get the point.
FINISH
- As the card stubs come in from the start arrange them in order by map number.
- Record the finish time and map number of each finisher as they reach the finish.
- Write the finish time on each card stub.
- Calculate the total minutes and seconds of elapsed time. (not hours and minutes) example: write 85:22 not 1:25:22
- Check the punch sequence against a set of masters provided by the course setter, or if none is provided compare the first three finishers on each course, and if in agreement with each other, use their cards as masters for the remainder of the day.
- Hang stubs on a string in time order by course, or send them to the area where they are to be hung by a results person.