Discussion: Banned

The WA state rogaining champs scheduled for June has been cancelled because the Department for Parks and Wildlife will no longer let us camp on Crown land as we've been happily doing for the past 30+ years. Of course the other part of the problem was a lack of setters to actually organise the event so that didn't help otherwise there was the potential for getting somewhere involving private property.

Unfortunately for WARA, the pool of setters seems to have disappeared overnight (actually so have the competitors) with no vetters so far for either of the two events run to date and one committee member setting two events already this year.

Sounds a little grim. Is the disappearance limited to a particular demographic?

I haven't gone into that much research. I'd say last year's drop was due to the significant membership fee increase (~150%) killing off the once or twice a year competitors. Will be interesting to see what this year's event fee increase (~25%) will do.

In our club we have had a rather sharp decrease in event organisation by the older club members who are now in their 70s plus. Quite a few are long term stalwarts of the sport, having organised many events, set many courses and done much for the sport. Age does weary them. It seems to have happened all of a sudden. This year it has been harder to fill the roster for our 35 or so bush events. Its looking better now. But early in the season I found myself stepping in to fill the void. Will be setting five events this year. The plan was three. Whilst it takes longer and longer to fill the roster, Parks requires more and more information and requires it earlier and earlier. The sport will adjust, but the shape of the adjustment may be a surprise to some.

Invis - that is a frightening list of losses. Makes our 2 seem puny but we are also concerned about using to death certain of our maps with little prospect of resting them. We're also faced with hefty fees on some which cuts our meager profits so we try to use our "free" areas wherever possible.

Next year you may see some events with a limit of 27 entries, and rather vague access directions. Possibly also no arenas, with obscure starts and finishes.

Did you mean no arenas and with obscure starts and finishes?

And 'group' entries?

Yep, added the missing comma.
But not group entries. The rules are explicit that with 30 + people one needs a permit.

One of our clubs is struggling to find setters this year so at present of their nine events, three have been taken over by other clubs (two of those are our club) and another three don't yet have setters (that I'm aware of). The reason I've heard is the one of age as you've mentioned above but I also think part of the problem is that the club convenor is trying to get setters by emailing people, which we know from experience never works.

Every other club has had a meeting and filled their respective rosters that way (unfortunately by the few people that turned up to the meeting, and me, who didn't go to our club's meeting due to the MTBO trials). This is the biggest club I'm talking about too and they have the same number of events allocated to them as our club does.

Sometimes I muse that the shock of cancelled events may stimulate volunteerism...

A dozen years ago my club held a SGM to consider winding up. We decided to renounce calendar expectations, and run events when hands went up to do them.

Ha ha ha. I pulled that stunt once. I was Secretary of a climbing club. The President and I wanted off, but no-one put up their hands. So we called a special AGM to close the club and distribute the (minimal) assets. The next generation was incensed and started forming a coup group to oust us. They took a block of votes to the meeting and took over all committee positions. I don't think they quite understood why the old guard was smiling.
I do like that "run events when hands go up" approach. What was the outcome?

www.mapsport.co.nz/hvoc/particip16.html

I can see the next crash coming via more fancy-pants and less grass-roots events. But the cycle can continue:-)

The issues at Kooyoora seem to be ones of current management being unsupportive rather than anything specific in the park's management plan or any specific problems with endangered species/diseases etc.; from a longer-term perspective it may not be such a bad thing to rest it from significant events for a few years and then bring it back for something major (2027 nationals?) once the current managers have moved on.

Maybe I should suggest to WA Rogaining to count participation as one per every three hour block too in order to make their numbers look good again.

Its also the ranger in Bendigo, who seems to resent the fact that Parks have users. ie its not just orienteering. He position reminds me of the efficient hospital without patients in Yes Minister.