Yesterday we celebrated the contributions of some longstanding members – today, at the opposite end of the spectrum, we look at the involvement of one of our younger members.

Holly Stodgell

Holly has just finished a stint of 3 years as President of Stirling University Orienteering and Hill Running Club. As well as being the mainstay of the club, Holly took on organising the Scottish Student Championships and completed her Club Coach course with flying colours – all this in her final year at University.

We wish Holly all the best in whatever the future has in store for her.

In celebrating Holly’s achievements, we also remember the contribution of all the members of student clubs who give their time and effort to give other young people the chance to take up orienteering and support their development.

On Thursday June 5, Pittencrieff Park in Dunfermline welcomed pupils from all across Scotland, hosting the much-anticipated Scottish Schools Orienteering Festival. This year’s event was a resounding success, bringing together almost 400 enthusiastic pupils to showcase their navigational skills, sportsmanship and teamwork.

Today we are celebrating the contribution of two long standing members who have fulfilled a huge variety of roles in their time and continue to support their clubs in a myriad of ways – both mappers but so much more besides and coincidentally one from the northernmost club and one from almost the southernmost.

David Ritchie – Moravian

David has supported local, regional and national orienteering for many years. Event organisers will be aware of his contribution to the orienteering community as a reliable map printer, but he works tirelessly – negotiating access for his local club, Moravians, supporting visitors who want to train in our lovely Moray forests, organising events such as the recent Lady Culbin SOL and mentoring fellow club members. He even finds time to do some mapping! David always has a joke to share, and is a pleasure to work alongside in delivering for the orienteering community. Fit a loon! Suzanne asked him for a photo, got sent all these and couldn’t choose between them. So – the ages of Dave Ritchie and barely a map in sight!

Tara Black

The INVOC President’s Quaich for services to the club was awarded to Tara Black at the last AGM. Since 2017, Tara has collated and distributed the weekly newsletter which is always a mine of information, beautifully organised and promptly distributed. Tara also updates the INVOC facebook page as part of her publicity role. She is a long serving member of the committee and regularly helps at events. Her forte is cake stall organising, and she excelled herself at the Scottish Championships last year.

Today we celebrate two members, both Davids, who have a wide reaching commitment to many aspects of orienteering, fulfilling multiple roles to keep their clubs running smoothly.

David Esson

Jim McCormack

We start off volunteer week by celebrating the life of someone who contributed a huge amount to orienteering over the years. This heartfelt tribute comes from Terry of STAG in memory of his friend Jim McCormack.

Jim had been involved with STAG for over 30 years. Not a regular competitor himself but more a ‘hands on’ approach including part of the Lochaber 2001 S6Days Equipment Team and always available to lend a hand. Over the years with permission from his good lady, Marie, he was able to get time away to join in Club Weekends including The Purple Thistle @ Balmacara and wee day outings to support his former colleagues from Kilbowie Outdoor Centre @ ECKO’s local events. Being a Geography Teacher his passion was maps and making learning FUN and taking young people from Lanarkshire, where he himself was born and bred, into the Great Outdoors through the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme where he was an Expedition Leader.

Last week was World Orienteering which aims to increase the visibility and accessibility of orienteering to young people. We are very proud that Scottish clubs held 33 events and activities across Scotland increasing the visibility of the sport. This included a Scout Orienteering Festival, parkrun takeovers, schools tasters and coaching aimed at adult beginners, alongside events. In this article we highlight a few of the activities that happened throughout the week

Inclusivity is a fundamental principle of Sportscotland strategy and one which as a sport we are in terms of our funding are bound to promote. Having pulled together a group last year to discuss inclusivity within the sport and ways in which we could encourage the sport to be more inclusive we are looking to hear your views.

Scottish Orienteering Association is committed to clean sport and supported UK Anti-Doping’s (UKAD’s) Clean Sport Week campaign from 19 – 23 May.  

We are notifying all members of an Extraordinary General Meeting being held on Monday 9th June at 7pm online. The EGM Booklet detailing the proposed membership changes is attached and includes a printable proxy voting form together with a link to an electronic proxy voting form.