club of the Year 2008

[Mrs H]

I see the BOF website is touting the Club of the Year 2008 competition - my advice is that unless you are OD, don't bother entering - they will obviously and quite rightly win - and for the amount of time and effort involved in entering you could earn more money and have more fun and do the sport more good by putting on a well publicised , family friendly event (local newspaper adverts)

[EddieH]

Not being in the West Midlands I don't really know about OD's credentials, (although GG obviouly works his socks off) - but are you in danger of forgetting there are other parts of the country. We have two pretty effective clubs up here in the form of GRAMP and MAROC that might have some say in the matter.

[SeanC]

Is there not some value (including publicity) from coming second or third?

[gg]

not so much now i live in stockholm

[Barny of Blandford]

Just received my Future Fitness magazine (as part of my membership of Physical Education Association) and found orienteering mentioned in it - Warwickshire Schools Sports Awards ceremony in Coventry recently - top awards went to athletics and sailing but top junior award went to Julie Emmerson of Clinton Junior School - Primary School Award to Clinton Junior School for Orienteering and volunteer in sport award to Stuart Dunn - Clinton Primary School.

Well done to them

[Gonzo]

I see the BOF website is touting the Club of the Year 2008 competition - my advice is that unless you are OD, don't bother entering - they will obviously and quite rightly win

I would be interested to know the criteria you are applying to this. I know that OD have been extremely successful over the past three/four years - 3 CompassSport Cup wins, 2 Yvette Baker wins and 2 second places - but there are many many areas where clubs do great work and these should all be recognised.

Not being in the West Midlands I don't really know about OD's credentials, (although GG obviouly works his socks off)

I do think this statement is a dangerous one. GG no doubt worked very hard while in Coventry / Warwickshire but one person does not make a successful club. There are loads of non-paid hard-working people in all clubs OD included and they are the ones that make a club successful. I spoke to someone in OD once and they made an interesting point -

clubs get the members they deserve

. He did say this was very much a personal opinion but it is an interesting point.

Just received my Future Fitness magazine (as part of my membership of Physical Education Association) and found orienteering mentioned in it - Warwickshire Schools Sports Awards ceremony in Coventry recently - top awards went to athletics and sailing but top junior award went to Julie Emmerson of Clinton Junior School - Primary School Award to Clinton Junior School for Orienteering and volunteer in sport award to Stuart Dunn - Clinton Primary School.

And here we probably have the source of many of OD's successful juniors. They also have King Henry VIII school in Coventry - second only to Ulverston in success over the last (10?) years.