The COVID-19 pandemic caused the Orienteering ACT Board to develop a different structure for the Annual Awards for 2020, to fit within ACT Health’s guidelines for a COVID-safe function. The venue was the Kambah Woolshed and the timing was changed to late-morning after the Second Sprint Series event # 8 on a new map of Namadgi School. Although greatly altered, the Woolshed is one of the remaining buildings from the Kambah Homestead property. The number of awards was also reduced, with no ACT League age-class awards, but the Awards ceremony was well attended with as many or more attendees than the usual, more formal, evening ceremonies.
The recipients of major awards were:
Mike Cassells Award for Services to Orienteering. Paul de Jongh for his rising to every challenge that 2020 has created and for far exceeding the normal duties of his role in OACT Administrative Officer. The full citation is here.
Jim Sawkins Award for Services to Event Management. Tate Needham for his initiative in not only creating the 10-event ACT Sprint Series, but also for ensuring the success of the first Series, and in creating a second Series, which is nearly completed. A third Series is now being planned.
Services to Coaching. Mark Gregson for learning coaching skills from Scholarship Coaches and then putting those skill to good use in conducting regular coaching sessions for high school and older primary school students in the Blue Lightning program.
The full citations for Tate Needham and Mark Gregson are here.
The presentation of the Wehner Cup is covered in a separate story.
Phil Walker also presented the 2020 OACT President’s Awards to ten people who had made a significant contribution to Orienteering ACT and/or their clubs. Seven are pictured below (from the left), Colleen Mock, Lawrie Brown, Jon Glanville, Bob Mouatt, Matt Stocks, Hind Needham and Ann Scown. Absent, John Harding, Patrick Miller and Susanne Harrysson.
