You are currently viewing The Buzz – Bushflyers News February 2021

The Buzz – Bushflyers News February 2021

Welcome to all Bushflyers, especially to our newer and younger members.
This newsletter comes as we look forward to a less disrupted year than last year but with a continuing awareness that things can change at a moment’s notice. To twist the words of the great writer Robert Louis Stevenson who said, “It is better to travel hopefully than arrive”, I suggest that it is better to travel hopefully and not arrive than never to travel at all.

Let’s look forward to not only travelling hopefully but also plenty of arrivals in 2021!

It is my pleasure to welcome our new members to the club. At this stage of the year we are updating members’ details. Please check that we have the correct contacts for you.

We do hope that you’ll continue to be a part of the Bushies family in 2021. It is now time to renew your membership for this year, if you haven’t done so already. The easiest way to do this is via Eventor. If you need assistance, please contact the OACT office ().

Summer Swarm

Summer has almost run away with us, so it’s going to be an early Autumn Swarm to start off the new orienteering year! For those of you who are newer club members, a swarm is an informal social gathering of Bushflyers…

The next Bushies Swarm will be straight after the Wednesday twilight event at Aranda Snowgums on 3rd March.
This is a Bushflyers’ event, and the final twilight event of the season. We will provide pizzas and fruit but please feel free to bring your own snacks/picnic tea if you prefer. You will need to bring your own drinks and a chair. Keep an eye out for the Bushies flag. Everyone is welcome, especially our new club members – we’d love to see you there! Some of you will be aware that we were considering having our next Swarm after a Sunday sprint; although this is a school night, it seemed useful to use one of our own events as a suitable opportunity to gather together.

This year we have decided not to make our annual awards; however, it would be great to acknowledge some of the successes over the past year – in spite of the difficulties we have remained quite active in orienteering here in the ACT. Let’s share our stories.

Please RSVP to Valerie at by Saturday 27th February if you plan to attend this swarm.

(NOTE: I shall have a range of new and used club uniform items for sale/give away, plus a mix of Schools clothing which will be ideal for training – free to a good home! Please see the note below.)

The Bushflyers Story

This year OACT turns 50! Stay tuned for details of how this will be acknowledged and celebrated.

The Bushflyers club is not much younger, however. A potted history of the club, and the news archive dating from 2013 is available here.

Some of you may not be aware that OACT has undergone an important structural (constitutional) change in the past few months, in line with governance changes happening at the national level of Orienteering Australia. These do not impact local members directly; however, as of December, we no longer have two levels of responsibility within Orienteering ACT. While there is still a Board, elected as in previous years, there is no longer an OACT Council (which met three times a year). To replace the Council, which was originally seen as a forum for the voice of the clubs, a number of small committees are being formed, with representatives from all clubs.

In particular, I would like to acknowledge that Matt Stocks is the Bushflyers representative on the new Event Planning and Management Sub-Committee. Currently, Matt provides an invaluable service to Bushflyers in his management of the event roster, co-opting organisers, course planners and day helpers all of the Bushies events.

Unlike some of other other ACT clubs, Bushflyers do not have an AGM and elected officials; instead we function more informally with the help of interested members. I took over the role of Club Convenor some years ago (following Dennis Trewin’s move to Victoria), and have been well supported by so many of you who have offered to help.

Of course, there are also a number of Bushflyers filling a range of roles across OACT:

  • Currently Bushflyers have several members on the OACT Board: Peter Miller (Treasurer); Jane Barnett; David Stocks and Valerie Barker. Please feel free to contact any of these Board members if you have any queries. (Check the ‘Board Shorts’ section on the News page of the OACT website for a summary of the minutes of the most recent Board meeting).
  • Paul de Jongh is our wonderful Go To person in the OACT Office; Jesse Piiroinen has been the face at the computer over the summer twilight events; Susanne Harryson (OACT Development Officer) manages the very successful SC-ORE program and you will often see Tom de Jongh taking photographs at events.
  • The Board has also just announced that Tom de Jongh and Jane Barnett have been reappointed as the ASOC (Tasmania) managers for 2021.

If you would like to become more involved in Bushflyers or OACT organisation, please let me or Matt Stocks know; any contribution is welcome.

Summer events; thank you!
2021 – Your club needs you!

We have been fortunate to have been able to continue both the Twilight and Summer Sprint series over the summer, even as other events, such as the Xmas Five-Days, were being cancelled around us.

A big Thank You goes to everyone who has assisted with the Bushie-organised ACT Twilight orienteering events. For those who put their hand up on top of their rostered duties, the events could not have run so smoothly without you. In particular, we would like to thank: the Stocks family (28 October at Stromlo West – complete with a storm just as controls were being collected in the dark); Ari and Jesse Piiroinen (25 November at Stromlo Forest Park); and Alan Sargeant and Jo Hobson (3 February at Black Mountain).

We have two more Twilight events to come (17th February, Arachnicopia South; 3rd March, Aranda Snowgums). Our first event for the Classic program is the AL#3 event at Mt Clear on 2nd May.

This is a call to all members for assistance with our Orienteering ACT 2021 Main Program events. Organisers, setters, controllers (for ACT League events) and on-the-day helpers all required! Matt Stocks has already sent out a request but the roster still has a small number of gaps on it. Every hour that you are able to volunteer ensures a more successful and enjoyable event for everyone.
If you have not already indicated your availability or you would like further information, please contact Matt Stocks ().

If you don’t have experience in a particular role, offering your assistance is a great opportunity to learn new skills and support our sport. I challenge you to give it a go! Don’t sit on the sidelines; we’ll support you along the way. Just let us know if you need a bit of extra guidance. And don’t forget – all helpers will have the chance to run on the day!

Bushies Uniforms – New Order

As we look forward to a more regular orienteering program this year, I would like to place a new order for running tops and jackets. While I still have some stock available, I am in short supply of popular sizes. Over the past few years we have redesigned our Bushies O-top, and also introduced a Club jacket. Both look great and we have received quite a few compliments. If you would like to place an order, read on!

As a rough guide (for women), I wear Trimtex Women’s Small, I have a Siven XS, my usual clothing size is 8 (to 10) and I’m 160cm tall.

In the meantime, please remember that I have a small number of both the old-style (Trimtex) and new (Bryzos) Bushflyers orienteering tops and jackets at hand, if you would like to purchase them directly from me. They are as follows:

  • O-top new-style (as above) Cost $55:
    • Women – 4 x Medium; 3 x Large;
    • Men – 2 x Small; 3 x Medium; 1 x Large; 1 x X-Large
    • Children – 1 x 140cm; 2 x 130cm
  • Jackets (as above) Cost $65:
    • Men – 1 x Small; 1 x Large; 2 x X-Large
    • Women – 3 x Med, 2 x Large
  • O-tops older style (Trimtex):
    • Women’s XS (x 3);
    • Men’s XL (x 1);
    • Children’s (1 x 150cm; 3 x 140cm)
      Cost only $25 (less for children). Many of us are still currently wearing these.
  • Several second-hand adult’s tops:
    • Trimtex: (1 x Small; 1 x Med; 1 x Large)
    • Very old-style (1 x 2XS; 1 x XL)
  • I also have two of our ‘aprés-O’ tops (a white t-shirt style), both Women’s 12. Cost $15
  • One pair of three-quarter O-pants in Club colours, but no logo, Medium. $40

We also run an informal Children’s O-shirt Library. Current stock is: 4 x 150cm (used). The new shirts, listed above, are also available for loan if preferred.

If you have had shirts on loan from the Library that your child no longer fits or needs, please return these to me as soon as possible. (Please just find me at the next few events). If you have a Library shirt on loan – and you would like to keep it for the rest of the season, or for your next child – please also let us know, including the size of the top.

If you have any Bushflyers children’s O-tops that you would like to pass on to other children to use, as a donation through the Library, these would also be much appreciated.

Upcoming Events

  • The Australian Easter Carnival, 2 – 5 April, based around Orange and Molong, NSW comprises a range of events, including the traditional Easter Three-Days series and the Family Prologue/Sprint. This is followed by the NSW Middle and Long-Distance Championships at Eugowra the following weekend (10 – 11 April), and some sprint and middle-distance events mid-week as well.

    The Easter events are traditionally significant selection events for our younger orienteers who have goals of JWOC, and World University Champs (COVID-19 restrictions permitting), and both weekends also offer challenging and exciting orienteering to competitors all ages. If you are competing, at whatever level, we wish you well. The Bushflyers banner will be flying at all events over both the Easter and following weekends – if you are there, please join us!

    We plan to have a Swarm over the Easter weekend, probably on the Saturday or Sunday evening – this will be an informal meal together at a central location in either Orange or Molong, to suit the accommodation plans of the majority of us. I will give further details later, when I have an idea of how many Bushflyers are entered in the Easter events and where you are all staying.
  • The Saturday Metro season starts on 2nd May.

Congratulations to 2020 OACT Award Recipients:

  • Mike Cassell’s Award – Paul de Jongh
  • President’s Award for Service to Orienteering – Matt Stocks, Patrick Miller, Susanne Harryson

Did you know

Bushflyers has a Facebook page. “Like” our page and keep up to date with what’s happening in our club.

OACT Annual General Meeting – Advance Notice

The OACT AGM will be held in mid April, 2021.

I wish you a happy and successful 2021,

Valerie Barker (Club Convenor)

6251 5459 / 0410 151 554

For Bushflyers Orienteering – where no-one gets left on the bench!