Mason Neck

WOW, what an awesome day! On Sunday we had our second Introduction to Orienteering event for the new season and it was a great success. We had 165 participants come out and try the sport, most for the very first time. Thanks to our excellent corps of eight instructors, our training sessions flowed smoothly. After learning new skills, 94 groups went out to experience one of two courses (several did both) that took them on paths through mature forest, down to a beautiful marsh, and finally along scenic Belmont Bay (a lovely place to watch the sun set!)

The event could not be possible without the hard work of our many dedicated volunteers. It takes a lot hands to prepare and run our events so I’d like to extend my deepest gratitude to……. course designer, instructor, and creator of our Into- to-O event David Onkst; instructors Jim Chaplin, Don Davis, Jeff Haskell, Gary Smith, and Tom Strat (also the mapper; ASL instructors Mark and Patti Mace; “the registration machine” of Kathleen Lennon, Scott Sharp, Dasa Merka, and Alexis Merka; E-Punching experts Valerie Meyer, Mike Haskell, and Trish Strat; course roamers Bill Wright and Kim Jepsen; start/finish assistants and cheerleaders Marit Davis and Scott Sharp; and Valerie Meyer who once again printed all of our maps. And, of course, a HUGE “thank you” to all the volunteers for helping with set up and clean up. You guys are FAB!

To all our new orienteering friends who attended the event, be sure to take advantage of your trial membership and come out to some more events this fall. It’s going to be a great season!

Heidi Onkst, Meet Director