Congratulations to Jim Merchant

Garingal’s New Life Member – Jim Merchant Congratulations to Jim Merchant on being awarded life membership of Garingal for his many years of outstanding service to the club. Since he joined in 1984, his service has included many activities, but a major contribution is the many maps he has made. Jim has been involved in field work and cartography for over 18 maps! Including: the 1992 version of Curl Curl Lagoon, the 2005 version of Mitchell Park, Amazing Wahroonga Park, The Clay Pan, and The Chase. As part of the 3 Amigos team he has also had a major role in finding new locations that are suitable for making orienteering maps at State League level. Another important contribution has been to act as Events Coordinator – TWICE. Jim has also spent many hours setting orienteering courses at the highest levels. Some of his most memorable courses were: NSW State Champs 1993, and the Qualifier for the JWOC Middle distance champs at Dubbo in 2007. Jim has also been involved with nearly 50 club events, and has a wealth of course setting experience which he is happy to share with newer setters. Finally, Jim is Garingal’s club statistician. He keeps detailed records to calculate who is the club champion each year, and also has a historical database and facts and figures.

ONSW awards 2018

 GO at the Awards:  

Garingal couple John and Liz Bulman have won Orienteering NSW's new Volunteer of the Year award for their tireless efforts at many events.

John & Liz are passionate volunteers who regularly assist at ONSW, club, and SOS events.   For ONSW, they help at school regional carnivals, school programs, Space Racing, and promotional events. Both regularly donate their rostered days off work and have even been known to take leave to help out. Whether it be driving around Sydney collecting equipment, running a start for hundreds of eager but inexperienced students, sorting a zillion p-Cards, coaching beginners, running the results computer, course marshalling, or putting out or collecting controls, they get through a mountain of tasks and do it with a smile on their face - and they do it enormously well.

The SOS events in particular are a weekly commitment. Our winners are always among the first to arrive putting controls out and setting up as well as last to leave after collecting controls at the day’s end. Always cheerful and always helpful, their skills and experience are highly valued.

For Garingal, they assist at events in many ways. This year they have organised an ultrasprint but also volunteered to assist putting controls out, collecting controls, beginner coaching and much, much more.

Something special about this couple is that not only do they regularly volunteer as part of rosters or pleas for assistance - they foresee a need and offer to assist even before a request is made.

They are worthy winners. They are excellent representatives of orienteering: always cheerful, always helpful, and always thoughtful.

At the ONSW presentation day on Saturday, Garingal members won 23 OY badges: four for first place, 13 for second, and six for third.

from the fast world of MTBO

 GO on the track:  

A handful of GOers made the trek to Wedderburn Aerodrome last weekend for the annual NSW MTBO champs. This is orienteering on mountain bikes. You must stick to the tracks, which are denoted by their rideability rather than their width as in Foot O.

Carolyn Haupt was the only competitor in W40 in the Middle Distance on Saturday, conducted in temps of 30C and involving a 5km ride to the start, and the same 5km from the finish back to the assembly!

Ian Jessup was third in the "Recreational" class, an 8km ride that took him just on an hour. John Brayan was 5th in M50, while James Lithgow mispunched in M60.

On Sunday, with temps 10-15C cooler, Ian moved up to 2nd in the Long ("Recreational" was anything but: 16km = 2 hours), John Havranek was second in the eBike category, James 13th in M60, while Michael Ridley-Smith got the dreaded mp in M40.

Thanks to Uringa and Big Foot for these events.