The New England Orienteering Club

Spring Scout-O, Hale Education, Westwood, MA
April 23, 2022
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A huge thank you to everyone who participated and helped this year. For those who have participated in previous Scout-O events, you may not have realized that it was possible to orienteer without being cold and wet! The roughly 250 participants at the 2022 Spring Scout-O definitely enjoyed the blue skies and warm sunshine.

The three Teaching courses were well received and seemed to be used by most of the 21 groups who attended. "Teaching 2" was apparently harder than the other two, so good for those who managed it. The route choice “walk all the way around on the trail” vs “crash through the impenetrable swamp teeming with green prickly bushes of unusual size” helped illustrate that following the purple line between controls is maybe not always the best bet!

There were 80 recorded starts on the standard 5 courses – 13 on White A, 21 on White B, 12 on Yellow A, 18 on Yellow B, and just 6 on Orange. About half the groups used QR-code timing, while the other half used pin-punching. Most seemed to appreciate having the choice. There were some great times (16:37 on White A and 56:30 on Orange) and some even better team names. Still trying to decide if Dashing Dads refers to their speed or their style...

Like all Scout-O events, this would not have been possible without many, many volunteers. Special thank you to the instructors Channon Ames, Ed Baldwin, Pete Lane, Jim Paschetto, Mark O’Connell, Bob Redus, and Xevi Fradera, without whom there might still be scouts lost in the woods! Julie Baldwin thankfully maintained registration even when I wandered off randomly. Bruce Wester and Pam Smith gamely dealt with Start & Finish, deftly navigating the never-tried-before combination of QR codes and pin punches. And thanks to Diane & Ken Menzies and Mark O’Connell for relieving the morning volunteers. Pete Lane & Jim Paschetto (and the fact it wasn’t freezing rain) made control hanging on Friday go very smoothly. And none of this would be possible without Jim Paschetto (website & registration) & Mark O’Connell’s (QR codes & results) computer wizardry. Also thanks to the Hale staff for being such pleasant folks to work with.

The controls will all remain up at Hale until May 8, 2022, so feel free to go back and try the courses again. The gate attendant has all the leftover maps (White, Yellow, & Orange) if you need more.

Next Scout-O events (pending permit approval):

  • Fall Scout-O - October 29-30, 2022 at Nobscot Reservation in Sudbury, MA
  • Spring Scout-O - April 15, 2023 at Hale Education in Westwood, MA

Found

Insulated jean jacket, camo knit cap, green compass case, string of orange beads.
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found SPscoutO