Terradan wrote the following as an instructors' outline for the Columbia River Orienteering Club's annual Scout-O (several CROC-ers led Beginner Clinics). It works well for any beginner although it is aimed at Scouting (BSA & GSUSA) youth.
control marker (bag and punch), control
descriptions, punchcard, compass
pre-marked sample map
How many of you are here to have
FUN?! (cheer!)
How many are here to learn to find your way so you DON'T
GET LOST & DIE? (Grin)
so.... PAY ATTENTION!!!
Today's courses are NOT easy (except Course
1 for the Brownies and Cubs)
--but they ARE fair!
(You'll probably want to refer to the
example map during this clinic):
BattleGround Lake O
Map with Example Course
Begin your course at the START TRIANGLE
(find it on your map)
Staggered Starts @ 3 minute intervals.
FINISH at the double circle (find it on your map)
"Bail out time" (quit & come in by) 3:00 pm !!!
(3-hr limit is standard)
From the Start, find Control #1 (on your
map a circle with a "1" by it)
The connecting line from the Start triangle is
only there for conveniece,
it's usually NOT your best route!
The control marker ('flag' or 'bag') has a number on it called the Control Code.
Confirm you found the correct
marker by checking its CODE
("CHUCKO" in the example above)
with the code on the Description Sheet for your
course.
Confirm to us that you found the correct control using the attached pin-punch to punch the appropriate box on your Control Card.
Find the controls IN ORDER 1,2,3,4...
Scouts do NOT cheat! (It changes the course)
But... how you get from #1 to #2 to #3 etc is your route
choice!
(although you MUST stay in bounds!) (Show any
out-of-bounds area on map.)
Trail running is faster, but accurate shortcuts can still save
time! (route choice)
DO NOT DISTURB MARKERS! (Scout Law #1 means don't lie, cheat or steal)
Always STAY IN CONTACT WITH YOUR MAP!
Relocate onto obvious (collecting) features.
DO NOT FOLLOW! Run your own race & avoid others' errors.
If you quit for any reason, you must still go to the Finish to check out!
FIND ON MAP:
The Good Lord gave us two thumbs with which to orienteer. (& they're NOT to use for "hitchhiking"! ;-) One rule of thumb is to always keep your map oriented, the other thumb keeps track of where you are on your map!...
Line it up with obvious linear features or use a compass. In Orienteering, we ignore magnetic declination from True North and simply use local Magnetic North! To orient your map using your compass:
Now your map is lined up with the real world! Follow your map (not compass!)
Stay in contact with the map so you always
know where you are!
Hold the map so that your thumb marks your location. As you
run/walk, shift your thumb so that you constantly keep track of
your position. When you need to relocate yourself, you only need
to glance at the map rather than stopping to re-orient and
re-trace your route.
------------------------------------------------
& BEFORE you run up to
punch,...
know which direction is the next control so you can leave
immediately!
By hanging out by the control, you unfairly help others find it.
Oh, & don't yell out "Hey, I found it!!!" when
you see the control marker!
Yes, it's a race, but completing
your course (finding all the controls, generally within a 3-hour
time limit) is a WIN!
If you get a "DNF" (= Did Not Finish), you may have
chosen a course too difficult for your present level of
navigational skill.
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