EVENTS AND COMPETITONS COMMITTEE
Minutes of Meeting held on Saturday 2nd July 2016 at Carrs Lane Centre, Birmingham.
Present: Chris James, Chairman (CJ), David Maliphant, Board Rep (DM), Ernie Williams (EW), Barry Elkington (BE), Mike Hamilton, CEO (MH), Mike Cope (MC), Terry Smith (TS), Judith Holt, BOF Chairman (JH), Gill James (Min Sec),
EOG – Event Officials Group EP&P – Event Programme and Publicity
ESchG – Event Scheduling Group ESysG – Event Systems Group
MAG – Map Advisory Group TAG – Technology Advisory Group
Agenda Item
1 Apologies for Absence: Chris Phillips (CP)
2 Chairman’s Opening Comments: MH opened the meeting as CJ was delayed by engineering works on railway.
MH explained the delay in CJ reaching the meeting. Members expressed their sympathy!
Actions from previous meetings:
· Rules: It was noted that the Competition Rules for the British Sprint Championships had not been updated on the website to take account of possible changes for 2016. Action: BE/HE
Competition Rules have been updated on the website
· The Board has decreed no Rule changes before 2017, other than corrections. CP will re-check David May’s report to ascertain which operational changes can be made to the British Sprint Championships. Action: CP Actioned and changes made
· Day 2 of JK as a Middle Distance to have broader consultation for future years. Already agreed for 2017. MC to take this to ESchG meeting in 3 weeks for further discussion with Associations, reporting back to July 3 meeting of E&CC. Action: MC/ESchG
Actioned; 2017 and 2018 will be staging a middle on Day 2.
· WRE: Protocol Document re applications to hold WRE in UK agreed. CP to circulate Regional Fixture Secretaries and email requests. WRE can include Level B events. Document about WRE to be included in British Orienteering library for events. Action: CP
Actioned
· Rankings: MH/TS awaiting meeting with the developer Action: MH/TS
MH has spoken with the developers and will produce a response to the ranking recommendations
· Sprint Relays: Logistics of Sprint and Middle distance BOC on same weekend. ESchG to decide whether flexibility is possible. MC to come back to E&CC. Action: MC/ESchG
Actioned
· Membership: Where Open Club has members in different Associations, the Club must make it clear to which Association the club belongs for purpose of certain competitions. To be clear in competition Rules. TS to see what changes are necessary Action: TS
This is more complex than appears at first glance and members appreciated that it is within the authority of associations to resolve this problem – at the very least competitions rules can be used to define the clubs and their members able to take part in an association’s competition.
· Event Safety Workshop: This is mandatory for all Event Officials by 1st January. 2017
Confirmed and action is being taken in many parts of the country. MH to remind Clubs of this in next edition of his E-news (Actioned)
· Training for Different Levels of Officials: Training for Organisers to be discussed at next meeting. Simplification is needed overall.
Agenda item
· The Yvette Baker Trophy Coordinator role has now been taken on by Sarah Mansel
· Major Events Conference: Agenda item; Chris Philips is leading on the organisation of the conference. MH has removed the clauses from Appendix C as requested.
· Contact & contactless cards: Advice regarding these two types of card not being used in the same competitive class has been published on the website.
· Elite: Changing course criteria for JK is an agenda item.
· Strategic Plan: Agenda item
· Rules: Agenda item
· Something Old and Something New: Agenda item
3 Operational Matters - Group Activity Updates
· EP&P
Controllers Report. British Sprint Championships 2015.
As agreed at the last meeting CP responded to David May’s report. There are a number of items in David’s report which require the consideration of E&CC.
Late starts system: David’s proposal is as follow:
“Anyone arriving late to the start, but before their actual start time will be rushed through to -1 if that is possible, if not feasible and for those arriving after their actual start time they will be directed to the late start lane and allowed to start on the next half minute.” [British Sprints 2015]
“Latecomers will be accommodated via a late start lane, starting when a slot is available. Start times will be recorded but your result will be from your pre-allocated start time.
Seeded competitors will have to wait for an available seeded start time.
Be aware that due to the large entry on some courses you may have to wait a considerable time.” [British Middles 2015]
Appendix A gives the rationale behind the decision of British Sprints 2015 to vary (with E& CC’s knowledge) the late start criteria so that half intervals were used to accommodate late starters. This principle was accepted by competitors and has led to no adverse feedback.
As a result, CP proposes that the BOF Competition Rules be updated to be in line with the proposed IOF Rule amendment as per Appendix A, that is:
“If the competitor is at the Late Start start line less than half the start interval after their start time they should start immediately.
If the competitor is at the Late Start start line more than half the start interval after their start time they should start at the next available half start interval.”
After discussion it was agreed that the proposal be adopted.
Course Length Measurements: TS provided an updated table which was adopted with a number of minor changes.
Map Scale: A number of changes have been recommended by David May and CP recommends that these are passed on to Map Group for consideration. This was agreed.
Action: TS
JK 2018 Request for Courses Changes Day 2: Request by Andy Yeates, coordinator for JK 2018 to change all courses for Day 2 to Middle Distance based on the areas being used. This change was agreed.
Major Events Conference: Will be held on Saturday 17th September at Charnwood School, Loughborough. CP asked for agenda ideas to be put forward for consideration.
Ideas for consideration include:
o Inviting Mark Dyer to speak about the BOC Long re his report and recommendations to E&CC
o How we should reinforce good practice
o Is Major Events the appropriate title for the conference? Or is it a conference about larger, significant events? Action EW discuss with CP
o Event Planning
o Event Safety and possible need for postponing starts or cancellation of Event
CJ will contact CP to ask him to Chair the Operational side of E&CC, leaving CJ with Strategic matters. Action CJ/MH/CP
(Agreed by telephone post meeting.) [MH has arranged that all emails addressed to E&CC Chair are received by both CP and CJ - actioned since meeting.]
· ESysG
TS prepared a table comparing Age Classes with Colour Coded Courses so that both could be run at Major Events with no extra work for the Planner. Proposal agreed that Colour Coded courses from Light Green upwards should cost the same to enter as Age Classes whilst White, Yellow and Orange courses, with entry on the day should be cheaper to encourage newcomers and families to take part. Explanation to be given to Organisers and Planners. ‘N’ and ‘V’ courses to be removed as they do not attract significant entries. Set out in single table. Action TS
Club affiliation to BOF and Association will be discussed at next meeting Action TS
· EOG
Hilary Quick, SOA Education Officer, with input from others, has updated Planner material. With her agreement this should now be circulated nationwide. Action EW
Bentley Woods: decision made that if less than 10 competitors in M/W 21 Elite Classes then the Club has to option of stating they will run 21L. Action BE
WRE: The Talent Group has to be responsible for determining which events should attract WRE status. Action: CP
Need to check if the Elite want M/W21E classes at the 2016 Southern Championships. Route request through David Schorah and discuss with BE. Action: TS.
WRE: the appointment of IOF Event Advisers wherever possible from GBR list for 2017-2018 Events – maximum of 3 Sprint and 3 Long or Middle Events. Action EW
Common Start and Finish problems article from SOA’s Coordinator of Controllers, Rob Hickling, to be distributed as widely as possible via Region/Club Newsletters and/or National magazine. Action EW
Training for Different Levels of Officials: Training for Officials was discussed and will be further discussed at next meeting. Felt that we should be ready to use the person who has the best skills for the job. Action: CP
MH reported that the consultancy work to develop an Organiser training package has been halted although work will be continued to build on existing material. Action: CP
· JK: Simon and Helen Errington (SE and HE) have been tasked with looking producing a new table of courses and classes for the Middle and Long distance races at JK 2017. Rules will need to be updated for this competition. Who should review the proposed changes? Rules discussed later in meeting. We need to make sure that changes are notified to Clubs and Associations so that they implement them. We need to encourage Organisers to make notes so that Best Practice can be carried forward from one year to the next. Need a process that can update changes within a few weeks Action BE/SE/HE
· Elite Matters:
David Schorah’s report, due to a technical glitch was not received by all prior to the meeting. It was read out and circulated after the meeting by MH to members of the Committee. It contained the results of a survey received from members of the GB squad. E&CC will discuss in detail.
· Board Update:
DM is now Vice Chairman – congratulations.
The debate about cost of levies and membership fees will continue over the summer and be discussed at the EGM at the start of the Club and Association Conference on 29th October 2016. We have to be aware of raising money as Sports Council funding levels will not be known until January and likely to be considerably less.
In Sally Pygott’s (SP) absence on maternity leave, Derek Allison (DA) has been appointed to cover some of her work associated with major events. BO is employing an organisation to develop events targeted at sports tourists. Events being planned like the Robin Hood, called “The Route”; a few pilot events will be run between Autumn and April.
Several questions asked with SP away and DA offered to help. He did help Tim Pribul with BOC Sprints as the location meant a huge culture change from our normal venues as it is commercially run and involved 3 weeks of MH time to go through all legal implications. Must be aware that similar problems are likely to increase and we currently have a significant problem with some Forestry Commission areas.
There is a need to evaluate the performance of Officials at Major Events to help with training and passing on information. Event Safety can be an issue when weather changes dramatically during a race as at JK which, this year, had Risk Assessments in place and emergency procedures ready. Action CP/EW
4. Strategic Issues
JH gave a presentation on the Board’s Strategic Plan through to 2025. This will focus on orienteering being recognised as the “go to” outdoor sport where people challenge themselves physically and mentally.
Growing competition will be at the heart of the Strategy with the emphasis on increasing the number of competitive runs. Good Practice will be central to bringing on competitions such as Xplorer to the wider public with a view to encouraging them to move to Club Orienteering. Local ‘Club’ events vary enormously from 16 people to 500. Need to build Volunteer Capacity. Rules will be reviewed and a start has been made on this by JH and MH supported by the document produced by Chris Johnson (CJo) of BOK to simplify presentation. The aim is to keep Rules which must be adhered to separate from Guidance and Best Practice, with the aim that Rules for the different level of events from local through to national are clear and easy to follow for all Event Officials, new or experienced. 80% of our documentation refers to Major Events only. There will be exceptions and a process to manage these happen. Have someone to lead, then a forum to check. Most sports have International Rules which are used by their national governing bodies. MH to write draft overview and send out before we tackle Volunteer Strategy: Action: MH
Event Structure: Any consideration for change should wait until the Rules Presentation update has been established
Event Officials: Trying to reconcile to the Rules/Guidelines Website. Does the Controller or the Organiser have the authority? Who is responsible to BO? Can be changed but must be defined. Needs to be clear in the Rules and Guidelines what is required, e.g. Risk Assessment, checking everything meets best practice. EW to look at qualifications and accessibility on the National web site so that it can be seen what is required re Major Event appointments in line with 'My Qualifications/My Volunteering' proposals outlined in 'Mike's E-News, June 2016' Action: EW