Happy autumn to all NEOC members,

The Fall Point Series is back again for 2022!

This series provides a bit of light-hearted competition and encourages members to attend local events. Scores are tallied by course (white, yellow, orange, brown, green, and red). Participants need to run the same color course for at least 3 of the 5 events listed below. No special registration required. Mark your calendars now!

• Sept. 25: Rocky Woods (Medfield, MA)
• Oct. 8: Bigelow Hollow Saturday (Union, CT)
• Oct. 9: Bigelow Hollow Sunday (Union, CT)
• Oct. 24: DCR Pearl Hill (Ashby, MA)
• Nov. 20: Event location to be announced soon

Here are the details

Read more ...

• Ease into the 2022 fall orienteering season with our season starter at Horn Pond(Woburn) on Aug. 28. There will be beginner introduction available at this event. We are looking for volunteers to help our crew. Sign up here.
• The annual Wanderings event will be held over Labor Day weekend – you can bike or run this event. We will also have BYOM events at two updated/new locations this fall (Pine Bluff in Stow, MA and Nickerson State Park on the Cape).
• NEOC's website posts events hosted by other orienteering clubs in the region. Two upcoming events that draw folks from all over are:
    ◦ Sept. 3: WCOC Corn Maze-O in (Sunderland, MA)
    ◦ Sept. 10-11: Up North Orienteers' Pawtuckaway Event (Nottingham, NH).

The 2022 Junior Orienteering World Championships opens in Portugal on Sunday, July 10. The U.S. team includes three NEOC members: Anna Campbell, Bridget Hall, and Keegan Harkavy.

Photos courtesy of OUSA and EvalinMae Photography.

Follow their exploits on the JWOC Recap page on the OUSA site.

Events Canceled Due to Fire Risk

On July 8, JWOC organizers announced:

Due to extreme risk of fire, that has developed over the last couple of days resulting in multiple forest fires in various parts of Portugal, the Portuguese government has issued a total ban on access to its forests starting on Friday 8th July – and so far lasting until Friday 15th July. ... As a result of the ban, all training and other activities in the forest is strictly forbidden. The JWOC Sprint will be organised as planned and the IOF and the JWOC organisers are currently working together to organise additional JWOC sprint competitions during the JWOC week. Information about this will be given as soon as the deciding bodies within the IOF has made a decision about this.

Read the full announcement, and the U.S. team's response, on the Junior team's Facebook page.

• May 30: Norwottuck (Holyoke, MA): This event will be on the Monday of Memorial Day Weekend. It is open to the general public as well as to training weekend participants. If you have some extra time, consider volunteering. Here is the link. We look forward to seeing you at our Spring 2022 Western MA event.
• June 5: Houghton's Pond (Milton, MA): It will be the last weekend event of the spring season. We will have a Score-O (get as many controls as you can within an hour) and a beginner course. Bring a picnic lunch and stay around to chat and eat. We will have the club's Annual General Meeting (AGM) starting at 12 pm, with election of Board members. Read about the candidates & voting.
• Check out the photos and the write-up from the DCR Great Brook Farm National Ranking Event this past weekend! Here is the NEOC write-up, and here is the Orienteering USA (OUSA) write-up. Thanks to the meet directors and volunteers for pulling this off in the 90 degree weather! Fantastic job! Thank goodness for ice cream!
• Thursday Spring Park-O Series: See results for the 5th event in the series at DCR Hammond Pond. Next event is at Magazine Beach in Cambridge on June 2. You must register by Tuesday, May 31. Event details can be found on the NEOC Schedule.

• Join us Sunday May 22 for a fun event at Great Brook Farm in Carlisle, MA. We are excited to be able to offer both recreational and national ranking courses at this event - it truly aims to offer something for everyone - including ice cream:-) There are still a few volunteer slots that need filled. Sign up here. Course details are now posted on-line.
• May 30: Norwottuck (Holyoke, MA): This event will be on Memorial Day and will have participants from the training weekend as well as anyone else who wants to join in the fun. Sign up here to volunteer.
• June 5: Houghton's Pond (Milton, MA): This event will be a Score-O and will also be the club's AGM (Annual General Meeting). Bring a picnic lunch and stay for the fun. It will be the last weekend event of the spring season.
• Thursday Spring Park-O Series: See results for the 4th event in the series at Edmands Park (Newton). Next up is Hammond Pond (Chestnut Hill) on May 26th. You must register by Tuesday May 24. Series rankings posted soon! Event details can be found on the NEOC Schedule.
• With hot weather expected for the weekend, it will be a great time to check out the Winter Challenge Write-up. We thank Bridget Hall for organizing the challenge for the 2nd year in a row! It was great to see so many folks get into the woods during the winter months.