Mappers Beware

[Red Adder]

As many mappers are probably aware there has been a change to map registration procedures which now alligns the map to an event in registration terms.

If you work with schools on a semi-professional basis (basically travelling costs an a bit of pin-money) as I, and I suspect many other "amateurs" do, the question comes to mind as to how to register your school maps to gain your insurance as such maps are unlikely to be ever used for BOF events.

The answer I have received from Dave Olivant - the new chiar of the map group is

[color=#4000BF] Below is the response from British Orienteering about insurance for mappers.

Insurance

The insurance position is that all mappers, who are members of British Orienteering who earn under £6,000 pa from mapping work are covered by British Orienteering public liability insurance. This operates regardless of whether an area is being mapped for an event, or is under consideration for mapping/permission. For other maps such as schools where these are not a British Orienteering activity it is recommended that mappers confirm that they will be covered by the Third Party insurance of the organisation commissioning the work. [/color]

I read this as meaning that if you do a bit of mapping for a school or other organisation (eg the scouts) you are not, and possibly never have been, covered by BOF insurance.
Food for thought.

[madmike]

Hopefully the key word is activity not event

Training, participation projects, community orienteering etc are surely activities?

[Red Adder]

They are generally not activities run by BOF or its agents (ie us) - unless you are actually going in to schools to lead the activity. I suspect that in most cases (in all in my case) teachers have received an induction course (often organised by the School Sports partnerships) and then do things using the maps as part of the curriculum, based on this training . Clubs or individual coach are not involved.

[madmike]

Can't you find an activity like training mappers perhaps?

[Big Jon]

Simple - get yourself some public liability insurance, then you're covered - up to whatever limit you specify. Not too expensive.

[Clive Coles]

many mappers are probably aware there has been a change to map registration procedures which now alligns the map to an event in registration terms.

I gather another change to registration procedures that the mapping group are wanting to bring in is that in the future the event number must be printed on the map at each event even if the cartography has not changed in any way.

I just asked an innocent question of our Regional Fixtures Secretary as to why BOF have introduced a visible event number on the new fixtures database. It seemed to me to be a 'so what' bit of information ~ unnecessary clutter. But apparently we do now need one ~ this feedback was contained in his reply:

YES the number (on the map) should be changed for each event as well as ( my understanding of their requirements ) sending the OCAD file before the event and paper copies as used by the competitors after the event to the map group

Looks as if the map group are going to be inundated with paperwork in the future ! Do they really need this ? ~ one of our school maps gets used regularly each month at a club night event.

Perhaps someone from the map group would like to clarify the requirement

[AndyC]

In another thread we were talking about the re-use of excess maps at future events -apparently not now possible without an overprint.

[Mrs H]

Yes Andy that is exactly what I was thinking - but Clive's extract still doesn't make it clear WHY this requirement is being made. Can anyone shed any light on the reason?

[graeme]

Since we're using last year's courses, all competitors at Dechmont will be notified of the requirement to write 08009 upside down on the back of their maps.

[AndyC]

Graeme -a numbers only datestamp should handle that specific issue!

[Clive Coles]

I wish I knew WHY the map group need to undertake this level of scrutiny Mrs H

Then I might be understanding. For now though it seems the sport is going loopy.

I would rather be orienteering.

[Paul Frost]

I wonder if I should give up being involved in the organising/support of orienteering events and become a volunteer tax advisor. I suspect there might be less paperwork and clearer rules and guidelines.

There will be less oportunities to orienteer anyway, as the number of trees that will need to be felled to provide the paper for all the extra copies of maps and forms will mean less forests. Oh I forgot, we don't want to run around forests any more do we, we prefer the local streets/park, so that's alright then.

[EddieH]

YES the number (on the map) should be changed for each event as well as ( my understanding of their requirements ) sending the OCAD file before the event and paper copies as used by the competitors after the event to the map group

[Roger]

YES the number (on the map) should be changed for each event as well as ( my understanding of their requirements ) sending the OCAD file before the event and paper copies as used by the competitors after the event to the map group

... or else ?

[Mrs H]

Whose responsibility is it to send these off? The mapper, the planner or the event organiser? And where does the map group live at BOF HQ? I wonder if they're prepared for the small weekly avalanche of paper work.