Award Schemes

Explorer Challenge

This is an award scheme to encourage and reward young orienteers who are new to the sport.

How does it work?
This is a five stage incentive scheme based on participants successfully locating controls. The stages are as follows:

The Acorn certificate is a quick introductory incentive. The awards are achieved in blocks of 25 controls and at each stage an A5 certificate is awarded. Achievement is monitored by recording controls in a log book which you will be provided with. Controls located for one award count towards the next.

How do I get a log book?
Log books will be provided by the club when you attend your second event.  Please bring either your map or results slip from your first event when you come along to your second event and we will enter the results on to your log book.  You will then take your log book away and should then bring it along to any future orienteering events that you enter. 

How do I earn a control?
You can earn controls at any orienteering event but only one course will count from any event.  Just remember to bring your log book along with you so that your controls can be recorded. If you are competing in an event, every control (subject to a maximum – Tree 16, Copse 14, Wood 12 and Forest 10) you visit will count as one control. All controls claimed must be signed off by the club’s organiser for that event.

How do I get my award?
If you attend a club event give your log book to the event organiser or helpers who will then give you your award. If you do not come to a club event but have gained controls at a competition, simply email a copy of your fully signed log book with your contact details to Kerrie Flippance at kflippance@me.com and the certificate will be sent out to you.

The club provides you with all the awards for free.

If you have any questions regarding this awards scheme, please do not hesitate to get in touch on the above email address or speak to any of our very friendly helpers at one of our club events.

West Midlands Colour Coded Badges

All Junior members of the club are encouraged to try and gain their West Midlands Colour Coded Badges. These can be earned as you move up from the easiest courses on to the more difficult ones. The Colour Coded courses included in the scheme, in increasing order of difficulty, are White, Yellow, Orange, Light Green, Green, Blue and Brown, and badges can be obtained on each of these. Colour Coded Badges are particularly important for Juniors as they are used for selection into the West Midlands Junior Squad. (see http://www.wmjs.co.uk and http://www.wmoa.org.uk/aboutjuniors.html )

The easiest way to obtain Colour Coded Badges is by taking part in any of the West Midlands League events. A competitor qualifies for a Colour Coded Badge by achieving the Colour Coded Standard for that course on three separate occasions at these events.

A White Colour Coded Standard is achieved by anyone who successfully completes the White course.

For courses other than White the Colour Coded Standard is calculated using whichever of the following two methods gives the larger number of qualifiers:

* The time that is achieved by at least 50% of those who started the course, which includes those who retire or are disqualified.

* 150% of the winner’s time.

The Colour Coded Standard time for each course is often included in the final results, but if not can be easily calculated using the above.

Juniors who have obtained the three required standards are automatically awarded the appropriate Colour Coded Badge, but if this doesn't happen then they should contact Hilary Simpson of Octavian Droobers at her e-mail address: colourbadges@wmoa.org.

The ten West Midland League events for 2013 have now been finalised, although as for all events please check on the appropriate club web site a few days before the event for any last minute changes.

Events for 2013 agreed by the WMOA Fixtures committee are:

• Event 1 28th April........OD......Brandon Woods.......
• Event 2 10th Febuary.....HOC.....Lickey Hills....
• Event 3 3rd March......WCH....North Sherbrook........
• Event 4 17th March.......POTOC......Bathpool Park and Birchenwood....
• Event 5 14th July.........OD.....Sutton Park....
• Event 6 22nd September.......WCH...............
• Event 7 13th October........WRE...........
• Event 8 10th November........WCH.............
• Event 9 1st December........HOC...Postenplain.......
• Event 10 8th December.......OD......Coombe Abbey.......

British Orienteering National Championship Badge

The British Orienteering Badge Scheme is an incentive scheme which aims to recognise individual performances across the full range of disciplines at Britain's highest level competitions. Gaining Championship Badge qualifying times is particularly important for more experienced Juniors as they are used for selection onto the various British Orienteering summer tours. Championship Badges are awarded each calendar year to competitors who have achieved the Championship Badge qualifying time at any three of the following events:

• The British Long Distance Orienteering Championships
• The British Middle Distance Orienteering Championships
• The British Sprint Distance Orienteering Championships (A Finals only)
• The British Night Championships
• The Jan Kjellström Sprint
• The Jan Kjellström Individual Events (treated as two separate races)
• The Northern, Midland and Southern Area Championships
• The Scottish and Welsh Championships (if they are registered as Level A events)

A qualifying time is only available on the highest class in each age group (Elite, Long or A) and is calculated as the Winner’s time * 1.25.

Full details, including how to claim your Badge, can be found in Appendix J: The Badge Scheme on the British Orienteering web site at: http://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/page/rules