Zero to Orange Course

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October 14 - October 29
Saturday - Sunday

From Beginner to Intermediate Orienteering In Just Three Days! Bob Turbyfill's "Zero to Orange in Three Days" course is designed to take you from knowing nothing about orienteering to the skill level you'd need to compete on an orange (intermediate) level course.

WHEN: 14-15 October 2017 with day 3 on 29 October (and again in the Spring of 2018 - watch for future details).

EVENT: Zero to Orange Training Course

LOCATION: Patuxent River Park, Upper Marlboro, MD (Oct 14-15) and Prince William Forest Park in Triangle VA (Oct 29).

REGISTRATION: Advanced registration is required; online registration including payment is now available via this form.

COURSE FEE: $35 dollars for all three days which includes cost for the maps.

COURSE NOTES

Bob has developed a systematic approach to teaching and coaching orienteering over a 30-plus year period. His in-depth and broad involvement and his intimate familiarity with the sport enabled him to apply a common, worldwide language to understanding the sport, based on a logical and systematic progression. His skills and techniques development scheme makes good sense; is easily taught and understood; and has the potential to revolutionize the instruction of orienteering far beyond the borders of the USA.

In 2013, Bob co-authored, along with Chuck Ferguson, a comprehensive guide to the sport entitled Discovering Orienteering, which was published in cooperation with Orienteering USA. The royalties from the sale of this book will benefit American orienteering for decades to come.

Bob has tirelessly dedicated himself to raising the level of proficiency across the US, and we are grateful that he has volunteered to lead this weekend’s course (which he and fellow QOC member Chuck Ferguson) have developed.

RegistrationRegister and pay online via this form
ScheduleSaturday, October 14
8:00 am - 1:30 pmZero to Orange Course: Zero to Orange in Three Days
Course NotesZero to Orange Course

SYLLABUS

BEGINNING ORIENTEERING

“Zero to Orange in Three Days”

Patuxent River Park, 16000 Croom Airport Road, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 08:00 AM, Sat, 14 Oct 17 – 4:00 PM, Sun, 15 Oct 17 And 10:AM Sun 29 Oct 17 At Prince William Forest Park, Pine Grove, Triangle, VA

I. GENERAL INFORMATION:

A. Course Description: The Quantico Orienteering Club October 2017 Fall Session is designed to prepare the prospective graduates to acquire minimum skills for recreational and competitive orienteering using a map and handheld compass. The course covers the history of orienteering in the United States, International Orienteering Federation (IOF)symbols, use of standard orienteering compass, and navigation skills.

B. Prerequisites: None.

C. Credit Hours: One (only if your institution school agrees, based on the syllabus and your certificate of completion).

D. Pre-registration Required by Midnight, Wednesday, 11 October – No Walk-ins: ALL attendees must pre-register logging into the qoc.us.orienteering.org and going to the events page including name, mailing address, and cell number. Fill out the registration form and sign the waiver. Because the staff must prepare student material in advance, all who request registration should pay the course fee (see paragraph E below), even if they are absent.

E. Course Fee: The course fee is $35 per student (includes photocopied material, orienteering map costs, facilities fees, and administrative costs). Pay on line by pay pal or credit card.

F. Locations and Transportation: Classroom sessions – Visitor’s Center, exercise area is a few-minute walk the first day and the start for day two will be provided in class Transportation to and from the course and between the classroom sessions’ location and the field exercises’ location will be the personal responsibility of each participant.

G. Lodging, Beverages, Snacks, and Meals: Participants are personally responsible for their own accommodations and meals. Snacking that is not disruptive will be allowed in the classroom. Maintaining adequate hydration by drinking water or Vitalyte during the course is encouraged. Remember to being a bag lunch on Saturday.

H. Instructor: Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Robert F. Turbyfill (240) 210-3493 (cell) or (301) 705-7541 (home). Former Coach of three United States Orienteering Teams and Navigation Coach for two CIOR (La Confédération Interalliée des Officiers de Réserve, or the Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers) teams, Professor of Military Science at Brigham Young University, a former United States Marine Officer, Land Navigation Instructor at Officer Candidate School and the All-Marine Orienteering Champion, United States Orienteering Champion, Inter-service Orienteering Champion, North American Orienteering Champion, 2014 Silva Award Winner, co-author of Discovering Orienteering (which is based on this course). See textbook for additional information.

I. Textbook: The instructor will provide handout materials. Recommended personal purchase (available at Amazon.com): Ferguson, Charles and Turbyfill, Robert. Discovering Orienteering: Skills, Techniques, and Activities. Ed.: Orienteering USA [United States Orienteering Federation]. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2013. Print.

J. Hours of instruction: 19.

K. Safety: Each student must bring their own compass and whistle, and use them with skill and prudence. An orientation and safety briefing will be provided before each field exercise. Field exercises will proceed despite inclement weather, such as rain or low temperatures—dress accordingly. Field exercises will be canceled ONLY in the event of hazardous conditions (such as lightning or dangerous winds) or a natural disaster. Seasonal temperatures in the training area typically range from 55° F to 75° F. Be prepared: check the local forecast before traveling to the course. Take precautions against sunburn, blisters, ticks, thorns, and poison ivy.

L. Personal Equipment: Students are responsible for their own clothing. Clothing should be lightweight, breathable, wicking, and quick-drying, worn in layers that can be adjusted for changing weather conditions. Bring a rain shell in case of inclement weather. Several changes of socks will help prevent blisters. Street-running shoes or trail-running shoes are preferable to boots. As directed in paragraph K, Safety, bring a compass (and a back-up compass) and a whistle. Begin hydrating three days prior to the course at a level suitable for vigorous activity and bring a canteen or water bottle to continue hydrating during the course. Handouts will be provided to participants.

Notes: The class size is limited to 30 students. First come, first serve.

• Bring your own writing instruments and a 2-inch, 3-ring binder for the handout materials you will receive.

• Each student MUST have a working and reliable watch—a cell phone will NOT be an acceptable substitute.

II. COURSE OBJECTIVES:

A. Academic: At the completion of class room instruction and without the aid of notes, the student will be able to recall the significant elements of orienteering history, skills, techniques, and identify and properly label international orienteering map symbols.

B. Exercise: Using a map and compass, the student will be able to negotiate obstacles in the terrain and find the orienteering markers within the time specified for each event.

C. Final Exercise: At the completion of all classroom and field practice exercises the student will be able to navigate a final field exercise using a map and compass without the aid of others. Other specifications for this final event are:

(1) Date – The final exercise will be conducted on Sunday 29 October 2017.

(2) Requirements – The final exercise must be accomplished in a time limit under 2 hours. Point will be granted for those markers located in the allotted time. All overtime will result in the loss of 10 points for each minute or portion of a minute over the 2 hour time limit. After 2.5 hours or 150 minutes, students not returning will be given a zero on the final field exercise and a search party will be organized to locate them.

(3) Finishing – Failure to return to the finish with your score card or scoring device will be grounds for failure of any session.

(4) Independent Efforts – All final navigation on Sunday will be the result of Independent effort by each student. Personal decision-making on the final event is a requirement.

III. GRADING:

A. Criteria: Quizzes 200, Final Exam 200, Initial Field Events 200, Final Field Event 400

Total 1000 + BONUS POINTS (not more than 40 per student)

B. Grading Scale:

A 931-1000 B 831-870 C 731-770 D 631-670 A- 900-930 B- 800-830 C- 700-730 D- 600-630 B+ 871-899 C+ 771-799 D+ 671-699 F 599&Below

C. Quizzes: The course schedule includes two announced quizzes. The subject material will be drawn from previous class lectures.

D. Final: The final exam will be based on accuracy of information as given in class and through handout materials. The quizzes will be the basis of the final and should be used as study materials. All quizzes will be surrendered before the final. Those who do not surrender the quizzes will not be allowed to take the final.

E. Attendance: Attendance at class and field exercises is mandatory. Absence can only be excused by making prior arrangements with the instructor. Illness will be excused by a physician's note only. Students with unexcused absence will not be able to make up work missed.

IV. CODES OF CONDUCT AND APPEARANCE:

A. Personal Conduct: The United States Orienteering Federation’s rules of orienteering and personal conduct (as well as the policies of the course’s host organization and all training facilities, and your personal institution’s / agency’s honor code) apply throughout this course for all in-class and out-of-class activities. Violations of USOF, host organization, training facility, or personal institution / agency rules may be cause for dismissal, without refund or certification, from the course.

B. Dress and Grooming Standards: Dress and grooming standards that are in accordance with good taste and judgment for participating in a public forum (that is, common sense standards) apply at all class activities both in and out of class, and include being fully clad in appropriate clothing.

C. Cheating: Cheating will not be tolerated. Students found cheating will be immediately expelled from class. Cheating refers to but is not limited to the following actions:

(1) following another student during a field exercise,

(2) sharing information with other students about the contents of or answers to examinations and quizzes or other evaluation measures during the evaluation,

(3) getting another person to take an exam or quiz in your place or to prepare papers and other homework assignments, which are then submitted as your own work,

(4) while taking an exam or quiz visually or otherwise obtain information from another person's exam or quiz,

(5) using "crib" sheets or other unauthorized information while taking an exam or quiz,

(6) gaining access by theft or by any other means to an exam quiz or other evaluation means before it is given to the class,

(7) unauthorized use of an instructor's manual or prepared case analysis of the written material returned to students who have already taken the course.

It is the student's responsibility to avoid situations or circumstances in which the appearance of cheating or wrongdoing may be perceived.

V. COURSE SCHEDULE:

NOTE: This is a tight schedule and we all need the full cooperation of all students to accomplish all of this training. Be on time!

DAY EVENT TIME LOCATION

Saturday, 14 Oct 2017 MEET IN CLASS ROOM BY: 8:00 am Park Visitors Center

Introduction 8:05 Classroom

  • Compass 8:30
  • Break 9:10
  • Map 9:20
  • Pace Course & Terrain Walk 10:20
  • First Quiz 11:20 Classroom
  • Meal/Break 12:00 pm Classroom
  • Review Quiz 1 12:40 Classroom
  • O Skills / O Techniques 1:00 Classroom
  • Event Preparations 1:40 Classroom
  • First Field Event 2:00 On Map
  • Quiz 2 3:30 Classroom
  • Dismiss 4:00 Park Visitors Center

    Sunday, 15 Oct 2017

  • Second Field Event 8:00 am PRP
  • Third Field Event 10:00 PRP
  • Review Quiz 2 12:00 pm PRP
  • Lunch 12:30 On the Map
  • Fourth Event 1:00 PWFP

    Sunday, 29 Oct 2017

  • Final Exam 9:00 am TBD
  • Final Field Exercise 10:00 PWFP
  • Exam/Course Critiques 1:00 pm PWFP
  • Depart for Home 1:30