Club Beginnings, 1976-1983

The earliest recorded history of orienteering in Northeast Ohio appears in a 1976 Lake County News-Herald clipping: “Orienteering Attracts 40. About 40 persons came away from yesterday’s orienteering workshop at Kirtland’s Chapin Arboretum with such enthusiasm that another meeting to organize a club around the sport was set.” 

In July 1976, the club’s first meet was held at Hell Hollow Park in Lake County. Participation cost $1.00, and the map was printed in black and white.

One of the most detailed accounts of the club’s formative years was written by club secretary Bob Titus in The Grapevine in June 1979:

A Brief History of the Northeastern Ohio Orienteering Club

by Bob Titus, The Grapevine, June 1979 

The Northeastern Ohio Orienteering Club was formed in 1976 by Kent Scott, a Lake County Metropolitan Parks District naturalist, and Dave Pintar, a recent Ohio University graduate and former intercollegiate champion.

After an exploratory workshop in February that year, the club was officially launched, under the auspices of the Parks District, on March 25th. Its first officers were: Dave Pintar, president; Kent Scott, treasurer; and Bob Titus, secretary. There were 8 members.

Only 3 meets were held in ‘76, all in Hell Hollow Park in Leroy, but by October the club was financially self-sufficient. By year’s end, NEOOC was 30-strong, with a bank balance of $70. Its inventory consisted of 10 compasses, 20 painted Clorox bottles and a short stack of black and white maps.

1977 was very successful, largely due to the work of Dennis Holloran, who accomplished much in his four short months as president, Nick Baldwin, the publicity chairman, and Dave Kreider, our president at that time. These and other members worked hard producing the club’s first 4-color, “official” map, staging the year’s 10 meets, making meet equipment, and sponsoring workshops for various organizations The membership count was 70 when ‘77 closed out, five of whom attended the nationals in December. 

NEOOC plans to continue its growth, the first priority of becoming a USOF affiliate having been accomplished in 1978. We are presently planning another Class B for 1979 sometime in October.

By the end of the club’s second year, members and volunteers could already see the rapid progress being made. President Dave Kreider reflected on that growth in the December 1977 newsletter:

“As a club we’ve grown in size and experience. We now have about 70 members. Among the advances we’ve made this year: new control points, made by club members, a new orienteering map, made by club members, and posting results at the meets. But I can’t look back on the past year without thinking about all the good times, and I hope everyone has had as much fun as I had. The thoughts that come to my mind are of a lot of things: the campout, smiles on people’s faces as they come in off the course, just being with friends and doing something that’s really fun.”

After the club’s successful start, leaders and volunteers began planning a major event for Northeast Ohio: the 1980 North American Orienteering Championships. Hosting a national-caliber event was a remarkable achievement for a club that had started with only eight members a few years earlier. The championship was held at Brecksville Reservation and attracted 391 participants from the United States and Canada. 

Momentum continued after the championships. By 1981, membership had reached 96. Volunteers were creating new maps, updating existing ones, holding workshops, and hosting events at multiple venues. 

Within a few short years, the club had established a strong foundation. What began with eight members and a single black-and-white map had grown into an organization capable of hosting nationally significant events and introducing countless people to orienteering.