Scottish Orienteering Association wrote:New membership option for 2018
The SOA would like to announce that from 1st November, we will be adding an additional membership option, to give existing and new members the option of joining their local club and the SOA only. We'd like to emphasise this is an additional option, for people who primarily orienteer locally. There will be some limitations on event entry and taking on official and coaching roles, but it will be cheaper. The standard club, SOA and BOF membership will still be available and will remain the primary option for members who enter major events, and who wish to take on official and coaching roles.
There is more information in September's SCORE (page and on the SOA website, including the Terms of Membership which outlines the impacts, benefits and limitations this new option will have. Please read and share!
Members will be able to join or renew with this option online through the SOA website. We will let you all know when this new option goes live.
Scots opt out of BOF
Moderators: [nope] cartel, team nopesport
46 posts
• Page 1 of 4 • 1, 2, 3, 4
Scots opt out of BOF
WOC2024 Edinburgh
Test races at SprintScotland (Alloa/Falkirk) and Euromeeting (near Stirling).
Test races at SprintScotland (Alloa/Falkirk) and Euromeeting (near Stirling).
-
graeme - god
- Posts: 4724
- Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2004 6:04 pm
- Location: struggling with an pɹɐɔ ʇıɯǝ
Re: Scots opt out of BOF
About time, plenty of orienteers in northern Scotland (mostly) who only take part in local events. To demand they pay the same as someone who competes over all the Home Nations is a wee bit unfair. Should also make it easier to attract new senior members.
- Big Jon
- guru
- Posts: 1895
- Joined: Tue Nov 14, 2006 11:59 am
- Location: Dess
Re: Scots opt out of BOF
Will Club+SOA members be eligible to enter the British Championships (in Scotland next year)? or other major events like the Scottish Champs?
-
greywolf - addict
- Posts: 1416
- Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2007 12:45 pm
- Location: far far away
Re: Scots opt out of BOF
Will the net result of this really be:
a) a lot more people signing up to SOA that were put off before, or,
b) a few people saving a few quid who would have signed up anyway?
What it certainly could be - if this becomes the norm - is a further blow to BOF's already parlous finances and the state of funding for things such as the junior British team, particularly if adopted by other associations in the UK.
(costs for those fortunate enough to represent GB (eg at forthcoming JEC) already have to be wholly funded from athletes ).
a) a lot more people signing up to SOA that were put off before, or,
b) a few people saving a few quid who would have signed up anyway?
What it certainly could be - if this becomes the norm - is a further blow to BOF's already parlous finances and the state of funding for things such as the junior British team, particularly if adopted by other associations in the UK.
(costs for those fortunate enough to represent GB (eg at forthcoming JEC) already have to be wholly funded from athletes ).
-
baronmax - off string
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2014 10:53 pm
- Location: Auld Reekie
Re: Scots opt out of BOF
greywolf wrote:Will Club+SOA members be eligible to enter the British Championships (in Scotland next year)? or other major events like the Scottish Champs?
For BOC, I guess No, given the SOA document says:
ToM wrote:For some championship races at larger and national events, members will need to be BOF members to enter and compete for prizes; however at these events there will usually be courses available to enter, charged at a non-British Orienteering member fee.
In the past non-member courses have often been limited to colour-coded up to say Light Green. It will be interesting to see if SOA extend this, or offer non-BOF-member entries on parallel courses...
Scottish Champs, less clear.
But on a current topical issue I guess they won't get ranking points for anything (Which over time might start to impact on whether Club+SOA+BOF members get ranking points as well, if there are insufficient ranked participants at an event)
- Snail
- diehard
- Posts: 709
- Joined: Wed Nov 30, 2005 8:37 pm
Re: Scots opt out of BOF
Snail wrote:But on a current topical issue I guess they won't get ranking points for anything (Which over time might start to impact on whether Club+SOA+BOF members get ranking points as well, if there are insufficient ranked participants at an event)
Its Brexit all over again!
Orienteering - its no walk in the park
- andypat
- god
- Posts: 2856
- Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2009 9:58 pm
- Location: Houston, we have a problem.
Re: Scots opt out of BOF
Interesting development which might have unforeseen outcomes - although I see from reading the SCORE article that British Orienteering 'supports the SOA in providing this option'. Just wondering - does Northern Ireland provide this option as well?
- DavidJ
- light green
- Posts: 289
- Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:37 pm
- Location: Berkshire, UK
Re: Scots opt out of BOF
and if the Scots can do it then why not the Welsh ?
or for that matter any of the English regions.
All clubs have members who rarely run anything but their own local events, and certainly don't travel outside the region, so there shouldn't be one rule for the Scots and one for everyone else.
or for that matter any of the English regions.
All clubs have members who rarely run anything but their own local events, and certainly don't travel outside the region, so there shouldn't be one rule for the Scots and one for everyone else.
- SJC
- diehard
- Posts: 625
- Joined: Fri Sep 08, 2006 9:45 am
Re: Scots opt out of BOF
Big Jon wrote:About time, plenty of orienteers in northern Scotland (mostly) who only take part in local events. To demand they pay the same as someone who competes over all the Home Nations is a wee bit unfair. Should also make it easier to attract new senior members.
That's just a Scot Nationalist view (to which you are quite entitled Jon!), but the same argument applies to ANY region/Orienteering association in the U.K where people may only orienteer locally.
I think we have rehearsed the debate many times before about local vs national members and concluded that in the greater interests of ALL orienteers in the U.K they should become members of the national governing body, BOF.
A slippery slope if you ask me.....
- RoT
- orange
- Posts: 145
- Joined: Tue May 16, 2017 8:14 am
Re: Scots opt out of BOF
Agree RoT. In a way WCOC (and quite a few other clubs) has solved(!) the problem by having a zero membership fee. The only subscription, therefore, for members is the joining of the NGB, which is being kept at a reasonable level. And is the same for everybody, to cover the basic benefits that we all enjoy from BOF (NGB) membership.
However, our income is then derived from participation fees, and with the higher BOF levy on entries the club ends up being the 'tax' collector.
The future health of the sport depends on participation numbers, whether that is BOF members or large numbers of people trying local orienteering on a casual basis. If we don't have 'many, many thousands' orienteering every week of the year then we are doomed to a slow death as a sport.
However, our income is then derived from participation fees, and with the higher BOF levy on entries the club ends up being the 'tax' collector.
The future health of the sport depends on participation numbers, whether that is BOF members or large numbers of people trying local orienteering on a casual basis. If we don't have 'many, many thousands' orienteering every week of the year then we are doomed to a slow death as a sport.
- RJ
- addict
- Posts: 1021
- Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2006 1:52 pm
- Location: enjoying the Cumbrian outdoors
Re: Scots opt out of BOF
SJC wrote:and if the Scots can do it then why not the Welsh ?
or for that matter any of the English regions.
All clubs have members who rarely run anything but their own local events, and certainly don't travel outside the region, so there shouldn't be one rule for the Scots and one for everyone else.
For reasons of cost and geography alone, I doubt the slippery slope will spread as far as England. I believe the "Scots" will be taking on the membership admin. and insurance for these members. Plus many English BO members live close to regional boundaries and some clubs straddle them.RoT wrote:A slippery slope if you ask me.....
- maprun
- diehard
- Posts: 685
- Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2011 10:37 am
Re: Scots opt out of BOF
RJ wrote:In a way WCOC (and quite a few other clubs) has solved(!) the problem by having a zero membership fee. The only subscription, therefore, for members is the joining of the NGB, which is being kept at a reasonable level. And is the same for everybody, to cover the basic benefits that we all enjoy from BOF (NGB) membership.
That works quite well at keeping the membership cost low (£10), but the SOA is unusual in that it charges an £8 regional fee, plus most clubs are still charging as well. So the average adult membership in Scotland is currently £22.59 with a few clubs at £28. Removing the British Orienteering fee brings that average down to £12.59 or £18 for the clubs with higher fees.
To be fair, the nation regions will have additional costs above an English region, so it's understandable for them to need additional funding from membership fees. The SOA also charges an additional regional levy on larger events as an extra fund raising measure, I don't know if Wales and Ireland do the same.
The slippery slope mentioned by RoT could get even steeper if club members start thinking "I only ever go to my local club events, why do I need to join the region, what do they do for me, can I just join the club?".
I'm reminded of the Monty Python sketch, What have the Romans ever done for us?
- Paul Frost
- addict
- Posts: 1176
- Joined: Sat Feb 26, 2005 6:25 pm
- Location: Highlands
Re: Scots opt out of BOF
I think it is just a sneaky move by some of the Scottish clubs to keep their membership down so that they qualify as small clubs for the CompassSport Trophy
"O wad some Pow'r the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!"
Robert Burns
To see oursels as others see us!"
Robert Burns
- Jethro
- green
- Posts: 302
- Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 5:26 pm
- Location: Among the Hills
Re: Scots opt out of BOF
My immediate concern on reading this is that we are creating a rod for our own backs as it appears to me that regional only members will not be allowed to plan or organise events.
Who is going to put them on?
Who is going to put them on?
- EddieH
- god
- Posts: 2513
- Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 4:04 pm
46 posts
• Page 1 of 4 • 1, 2, 3, 4
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 136 guests