OREAD -- October 1999

The OREAD is the unofficial e-mail newsletter of Orienteer Kansas. There is also an OREAD home page at www.geocities.com/colosseum/field/7306. Both the home page and the e-mail newsletter are edited by Michael Eglinski (meglin@juno.com).

The OK internet discussion forum is at http://www.geocities.com/colosseum/field/7306

COMING EVENTS

Tuesday evenings a group of OK and Possum Trot members has been meeting at Shawnee Mission Park for trail jogs. If you're interested, e-mail me for info (the meeting time and place change) at meglin@juno.com (or if it is a last minute request try me at work mike_eglinski@kcmo.org).

October 9 -- Johnson County Parks and Rec is sponsoring a map and compass clinic/ beginner class. Possum Trot Orienteering Club will do the teaching. The class is on the Ernie Miller Park map. Pre-registration is required through JCPR at 913-831-3355.

October 10 -- Possum Trot is hosting an event at Shawnee Mission Park. Registration begins at noon.

October 23 -- Burr Oak Woods is sponsoring a map and compass clinic/beginner class at Burr Oak Woods. Again PTOC is teaching. Call 816-228-3766 for registration and info.

October 24 -- PTOC is hosting an event at Fleming Park. Registration begins at 10 a.m.

December 4-5 -- PTOC and OK are hosting a weekend of orienteering. Saturday will be a short event near Lawrence and Sunday will be the third Possum Trot (a long event). This will be a big weekend of orienteering -- mark your calendars today !!

More details about PTOC meets are on the PTOC web page (there is a link from the Oread home page).

WOW 99

OK and Possum Trot provided an introduction to orienteering at the Women's Outdoor Weekend (WOW). WOW is an annual event at Smithville Lake and is sponsored by the Clay County Parks Department. This was the third WOW and the second time orienteering has been offerred.

The O' session lasts a couple of hours. We begin with a short introduction, then break in to small groups for map walks. We then have a talk about using the compass and take a refreshment break. The session ends with a score O' course. The map we use is a simple O' map (about an hour of field checking) or a park/boat launch area.

About a dozen women participated and all were successful. Instruction was provided by Kevin S., Dick L., Dan M., Mary and I.

US CHAMPS

Ten OKers competed at the US Champs on the east side of Lake Tahoe (on the Nevada-side) -- Magnus, Sanna, Fritz, Peggy, Kean, Raymond, Jenny, Dan, Mary and I. Possum Trotters sent a smaller contingent -- Dick L., Dick N. and Nancy N.

Unfortunately, we didn't win any championships. Dan had the best result -- a silver medal in M35.

THAT IS ALL FOR NOW

I probably have more news, but I'm in a hurry. Mary and I bought a house and are in the middle of moving. In case you are wondering, yes it is in Kansas City. The rumors about us moving to Minnesota, Wisconsin, Seattle or San Jose are, at least for the next couple of years, nothing more than rumors.

-- Michael Eglinski (meglin@juno.com), October 03, 1999