About Volunteering

We always need volunteers to help with events – Event Director, Course Designer, Registrar, Starter, etc. Here’s this year’s schedule of events, with open spots to fill. Take a look at the schedule below, and let us know when and where you can help!

Please contact Howard Montgomery directly to sign up for a slot – howard@neooc.com

The club is able to put on events only because of the AWESOME volunteers who give their time. There is no paid staff. We are not part of any park system or government funded outdoor recreation program. Everything is done by club members and friends who enjoy orienteering and want to see it continue in our area. If you would like to see orienteering survive and grow here, please volunteer to assist with an event.

We are in almost constant need of volunteers to help staff future events. And the more people who offer the generosity of their time, the less likely anyone will be burdened with too much work and not enough fun.

Job Descriptions

There are many ways to help, regardless of your orienteering skill or experience. If you are new to volunteering with us, please know that you will always be working with a more experienced orienteer/volunteer on the team (most likely the event director) who will walk you through the process of what you will need to do. If you are ready to step up to something more challenging, such as course design or being an event director, we can arrange for a mentor or more experience partner to help you through your first time or two.

Event Director

The Event Director is responsible for the following: bringing all equipment and signs to the event, putting out signs prior to event; getting master maps from course designer and discussing any changes that need to be announced to participants; making such announcement. The Event Director instructs volunteer team gathered by Event Coordinator. He or she also coordinates control pickup, reconciles event proceeds, tabulates event results and submits them for web posting. Finally, in the rare circumstance it is necessary, the Event Director is also responsible for coordinating any emergency response that is required.

Course Designer

Scout the area for appropriate control locations and map accuracy, design courses and seek approval from the appropriate park official (most commonly a park naturalist). The Course Designer is responsible for setting the course, purchasing water for the finish and for the water control stops (reimbursement is available from club Treasurer or Event Director). It is the club’s philosophy that any course is a good course, so do not be intimidated by being a first-time course designer. And there are always experienced course designers available to help you with your designs.

Registrar

Register participants, collect event fees, pass out maps and plastic cases, sell safety whistles, direct participants to starter.

Starter

Collect participants form and put in binder, assign start time, tear off and give control card to participant, call out start times.

Timer

Collect control cards from participants at finish, mark finish time, check punch cards, calculate event time, post results.

ePunch Timer

The ePunch timing volunteer setups and tests the ePunch Printout Station prior to the event. Then, helps and instructs the participants on how to use the ePunch system. As the event progresses, the ePunch Timer transfers ePunch results to the official event Timer for tracking and posting. When the event is complete, the ePunch Printout Station must be packed and made ready for the next event.

Instructor for Beginner Event

Following an instruction packet provided by the Education Officer you turn directionally challenged citizens into confident orienteers. You do not have to be an expert to be a great teacher.