Benefits for Members

Advantages of Membership

  • Cheaper weekly fees
  • Local club membership, with associated social activities
  • Monthly WA newsletter (Split Times)
  • Tri-monthly national magazine
  • Orienteering coaching and training
  • Discount prices with some of our sponsors
  • Access to the O Library, for books, games and videos

A membership application form can be downloaded as a PDF (70kb).

How You can Help

Your most important contribution is to enjoy an event and tell other people about it, particularly at work. You will not be pressed to do anything else if you do not want to, but if you would like to put something back into an activity you enjoy, just contact your club convenor.

A lot of effort is needed to organise even a routine event. Only a few people are involved beforehand, but on the day about twenty are needed: towing gear, in the administration caravan, instructing novices, fundraising with food and drink, collecting controls and packing up afterwards. Your club is completely responsible for about one event out of four so there are plenty of opportunities to lend a hand.

Many of the recurring jobs are easy to learn as you go along and fun to do. Help is always needed.

After a year or so you may like to help set courses, with someone more experienced, and later try more complex events before perhaps controlling one and maybe eventually even organising a national event.

Each year your club will be looking for members for the Association's Standing Committees which are jobs that are interesting to learn, encouraged by the committee convenors, and not at all difficult to do.

Enthusiastic people are also needed each year to replace Council members and major volunteers when they retire from their leading roles in the Association, with willingness to take part being the main requirement. If you have any special skills eg. first aid, or mechanical abilities, light equipment construction, and would be willing to use these for orienteering, please let this be known.

Information Sources

This Web Site

Everything that you need to know about orienteering in Western Australia -- available here! If it's not on the site, contact us and let us know.

Public Enquiries

Public enquiries should be directed to the Promotions Convenor or The Secretary. Enquiries about orienteering in schools should be directed to the Sport Development Officer, or Convenor of the Schools Committee.

For your first contact, please use the contact details at the top of this (and every) page.

The Next Event

Where is the next event? The West Australian newspaper's Saturday "Sports Diary" column, inside the back page, gives details of the next event, with directions and a telephone number for enquiries.

Results for place getters usually appear in the sports pages early in the following week.

For more details of current and coming events, follow the Events link at the top of this page.

State Newsletter

Split Times is the major medium for up to date information about orienteering in WA. It is produced monthly, except in mid summer, and distributed free to members. It contains:

  • Names and contact details of officers and other key people in OAWA and its clubs

  • Notices of forthcoming events and entry forms for these when needed

  • Notices and articles by Association Officers affecting all members

  • Articles of topical interest and information on all aspects of orienteering including social and related activities

  • Club news and notices

  • Results of recent events.

Reading the newsletter is the best way of keeping up with what is happening in OAWA.

The Australian Orienteer

This illustrated national magazine is produced by OA four times each year and distributed free to OAWA members. It contains a wealth of articles by experienced Australians about the wider aspects of orienteering, with advice on nutrition, training and navigating techniques. Reports of national events, Australians overseas, photographs and maps are included. Details of forthcoming major interstate and international events usually appear in both state and national publications.

Program of Events

The annual Program of Events, containing the Winter season schedule plus other basic information, is distributed to members and interested organisations early in each year. It is available to the public on request.

Leaflet: Getting Started

A leaflet, Orienteering for Newcomers, describes for newcomers how to prepare for and enjoy their first few events in the bush. It is available free from Promotions people, the Secretary and at events.

Notices

Urgent notices and reminders about Association and club activities may be found at events, either on the trailer or near the results display.

O Library

An expanding collection of pamphlets, videos, books, and periodicals on all aspects of orienteering from novice to advanced athlete level, is available free to members, via the librarian, either at events or at home. Subjects covered range from basic navigation and fitness to advanced techniques, coaching, administration, mapping etc.

Learning to Navigate

For new members of the association Orienteering -- Simple Navigation may be purchased cheaply from the O Shop or is available on loan from the library.

Technical Manuals

Planning An Event

This technical manual for event organisers is available on loan from your club technical representative, or on the Web. A hard copy is kept in the caravan for reference during events. It describes how to reach the standards of planning expected at OAWA events and is essential reading for all setters and organisers.

Administrators Guide

The Administrators Guide, describing how to avoid common problems of event administration, containing equipment instruction sheets and samples of stationery, is kept in the caravan.