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Orienteering Skills Clinic

Saturday, April 13, 2024
Clifton E. French Regional Park
12605 Rockford Rd

Plymouth, MN 55441

Event Details

The Three Rivers Outdoor Recreation School is hosting this clinic presented by the Minnesota Orienteering Club (MNOC).  Learn map and compass skills from the MNOC experts through classroom instruction, skill stations geared for beginners, guided practice courses, and an official “sprint” course with electronic punching. Equipment provided. Beginners can arrive for either Noon or 1pm classroom sections. Participants with previous orienteering experience, who are not interested in attending a classroom session, may arrive between 12:15 and 2:00pm to run the courses. Courses close at 3 PM. Pre-registration for this event is encouraged and closes 24 hours prior to the event time.  Day-of registration is also available. $13/person if pre-registering, $18/person if registering day-of.
Schedule

Registration/check-in at the park visitor’s center starts at 11:30 am.

INDOORS: Class Schedule

(Inside visitors center)

12:00 pm – Classroom Session I

1:00 pm – Classroom Session II

OUTDOORS: Hands-On Activities

(Outside visitor’s center, open from Noon -3:00 PM)

Navigation Game 12 - 3 PM

Guided Courses 12:30 - 2 PM

2.6k Orange (medium level) course 12 - 2:15 PM

Volunteer

The event is 12:00-3:00 but we need folks from 10:00-4:00 (you would not be required to be there the entire time however!)

 

Volunteer Needs at the Skills Clinic: (volunteers should have experience doing an orange or brown course)

  • Set up outside/inside

  • Staff registration table

  • Staff MNOC table

  • Greeters

  • Guiding beginners

  • Run yellow and orange starts

  • Control Retrieval

  • Clean up

 

Note: The event is free for all volunteers which includes a Sprint Course with e-punch and treats.

Please email us - jimorkathi@gmail.com - if you can help and let us know if you have preference regarding time or assignment.

Pricing 

Pre-registered Pricing:

$13: Adults and Juniors**

$8: JROTC Cadets (with Group Membership)

 

Day-Of Pricing:

$18: Adults and Juniors**

**Juniors are 19 years old and under

 

Pre-registration is available up to 48 hours before the meet.

 

Location

French Regional Park is situated on the north shore of Medicine Lake in Plymouth, MN. Take the County Road9/Rockford Road exit from Interstate 494 and head east. The entrance to French Regional Park is less than one mile east on the south side of Rockford Road. The skills clinic will be held at the park visitors center.

 

Come Clean, Leave Clean

The Minnesota Orienteering Club practices a Come Clean, Leave Clean policy. This helps us maintain a good relationship with the parks we utilize, sets a good example for other users, and limits the transfer and spread of many of the plants that make our venues less enjoyable.

Race Results

Race results are usually published within 24 hours of the event. View our Race Results page to see the results.

 

Race Management

Race Director:

Setter: Kathi Mullin

Vetter: Jim Mullin

 

Questions

If you have questions or comments about this event, please feel free to Contact Us.

Orienteering Etiquette

Here are a few tips to make orienteering enjoyable for all:

 

  • Stand Back: Move at least 5 meters away from check-points after you've punched. Doing so 1) allows other competitors easy access to punch, and 2) doesn't give away the control location to other competitors.

  • Seal the Lips: Do not shout to others in the woods. Especially avoid shouting "it's over here!" - that's not fair to others on the course who want to find the control themselves. So if you are in a group, stay within speaking distance.

  • Encourage Participation: If you are in a group with less skilled orienteers, let them navigate to every other control in order to practice their skills.

  • Don't Follow: Don't follow other orienteers on the course (except when specifically allowed in Minnegoats and other special events). Run your own course and refine your orienteering skills. Besides, they may be running a different course or may be making an error.

  • Keep It Clean: The park should be left in better condition than you found it. Be aware of, and cautious not to cause damage in, sensitive areas such as wet spots and steep slopes. Also, artifacts in the woods should be left as you found them, and don't damage trees or plants. And please do your part to pick up trash and leave the park cleaner than you found it.

  • Keep It Clean #2: Please avoid profanity and adult topics.  Small children are typically present at almost all MNOC meets. Help us create a fun and family-friendly environment enjoyable for all.

  • Share The Trails: Be courteous and respectful to other park users and be sure to yield right-of-way when on trails.  The city and state park departments are kind enough to let us hold events in their parks, so please help in retaining that valuable relationship.

  • Be Courteous: Please be nice to our volunteers. Everyone working at a meet is volunteering their time. Volunteers are often trying to do two or more things at once, so be patient.

  • Control Retrieval: If you can, please stick around until the event is done to help with control retrieval.  This simply entails going around the park and collecting the check-point flags that were used for the event. We like to have 6-8 volunteers help with this at the end of every event.

  • Volunteer: Orienteering events, along with the entire MNOC club, is run by volunteers.  We'd love for your help in running the events, so please sign up to be a volunteer if you have a few hours to spare. We'd greatly appreciate it.

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