Scout Orienteering Championships
Briones Regional Park
Date: (Sat.) Sep. 24, 2022
Location: Lafayette, CA
Event Director: 
- 925.934.6567
Course Setter: Gavin Wyatt-Mair
Type: B; 28th annual Scout-O and Championships for all scout levels
Related Event Information
Event Results Concurrent BAOC Event Latest Previous Event (2019) Attackpoint Event Page (https://www.attackpoint.org/eventdetail.jsp/event_54338)
We are pleased to announce the Twenty-Eighth Annual Bay Area Scout Orienteering Championship.
Who will be champions this year? Everyone stands a chance!! Some practice, some fitness, and some thinking will get you a long way. So come on out—bring your compasses, running shoes, and your brains—and have fun!
The format for this year's championships is described below. Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of all ages are welcome, and the competition is arranged to accommodate any skill level. In addition, the courses are arranged to meet the map and compass requirements for First Class, Second Class, or the Orienteering Merit Badge.
There will be patches. Anyone who has not yet received a patch for a prior year's event can get it at this year's event, or by contacting the Meet Director. The patches are "progressive", so that a scout can participate in multiple Scout-Os and add to his or her patch sequence.
We will have electronic punching again this year. (Be sure to clear your finger stick before you start, and be sure to punch the START unit when you start.)
Note that the Start is about 800 m, with 75 m climb, from the parking lot. It takes 15 to 20 minutes to walk there.
There is limited water on the courses. You might want to carry your own!
More information is available on the page for the concurrent BAOC event. In particular, you might want to read the Course Setter's Notes.
Information About the Scout Starts
The Start opens at 10 AM, and it is first-come first-served. There are no pre-assigned start times this year!
Please allow 20 minutes to get from the parking lot to the Start. It is a 75-meter climb over 800 meters distance.
For two teams from different troops on the same course, allow a 2-minute interval between starts.
For two teams from the same troop on the same course, allow a 6-minute interval between starts.
It is expected to be a warm day, so an earlier start will make for a more pleasant time.
Competitive Categories
Scouts will compete against other scouts with the same orienteering experience. Four courses will be offered, as described below. The course details and Course Setters' Notes should be available before the event—be sure to read them.
Course 1
- Daisies, Brownies, Cub Scout dens, Webelo dens, Tenderfoot, and Junior scouts—or scouts with very little (less than 2) prior orienteering experiences: Dens and younger scouts will run in groups of 2–6 with an adult advisor who should follow his or her group, not lead it; Tenderfoot scouts will run in pairs.
Course 2
- Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, Second Class, and First Class scouts—or scouts with minimal (2 to 5) orienteering experiences: Compete in pairs.
Course 3
- Seniors, Ambassadors, Star, Life, and/or Eagle scouts, or scouts with substantial (more than 5) orienteering experiences: Compete in pairs.
Course 4
- Advanced, experienced orienteers of any rank: Run alone on a typical Orienteering USA Orange-level course.
Adult course
- All leaders and parents are invited to compete on a course similar to, but separate from, Course 3. They may run in groups or alone. Leaders/parents should also pre-register. Leader results are for bragging rights only, and will not affect troop scoring.
Note: Choose your courses carefully—there are more points available for doing the harder courses (we are encouraging scouts to "move up" a notch), but don't get on a course you can't finish, because then you will likely lose points. As a rule of thumb, the points available for Course 2 are about 10% more than Course 1. Course 3 is about 20% more, and Course 4 is about 30% more than Course 1.
Afternoon Meet
All scouts may compete in a troop event in the afternoon. Both morning and afternoon events will contribute to the troop total score to determine the troop championship.
Hint: The more scouts that attend from a given troop, the better the troop usually does. We combine the top N scouts' scores from the morning and afternoon events to get the troop score. The value N is set by the Meet Director on the day of the meet, based on conditions and attendance.
Registration Information
All troops participating in the Scout-O must be pre-registered and prepaid.
Registration will close on Tuesday, September 20, 2022. The cost of the event is $10.00 per scout or participating leader. Choose your teams carefully, because they must remain together all day. Mixed-category teams are possible, but will compete on the course of the higher-ranking scout. Each troop may have one 3-person team to allow for odd numbers.
Registration forms were included in the bulletins that were sent to scout troops. If you do not have a registration form, we prefer that you download this
Excel spreadsheet (58KB), enter your troop's information in the file, and email the completed file to the Meet Director ().
If you are not able to use that file, you can use this
printable PDF file (23KB), and (snail) mail the completed form to the Meet Director at the address below.
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Note Regarding File Links: If you simply click on one of the file links on this page, your browser might open the file (i.e., in the browser). To download a file to your computer, click on the link using the right-hand mouse button (or, if you're using a Mac, hold the control key and click). Then select "Save Target As...", or "Save Link As...", or whatever equivalent choice your browser provides.
Excel Spreadsheet (58KB) Printable PDF File (23KB)
Troops may obtain registration forms and detailed information from the Meet Director:
- Gavin Wyatt-Mair
- 20 Folin Lane
- Lafayette, CA 94549
- Tel: (925) 934-6567 (home)
- E-mail:
Schedule
The meet will be held on Saturday, September 24, 2022. Instruction will begin at 9:00 AM. The pre-assigned start time of each individual team will be determined by the entry date of their troop. In general, start times will begin at 10:00 AM and go until about noon.
The afternoon event will run from 1:00 to 2:30 PM.
The awards ceremony will begin at 3:15 PM, and the meet will be closed at 3:40 PM.
The pre-assigned start times will be posted here on Friday, September 23rd.
It is advisable to arrive at the meet by 9:00 AM. We will stick to the pre-assigned start times—it's less confusing that way.
The Start and Finish will be close to the Assembly Area and parking.
Remember: Everyone must report to the E-punch download tent, even if they have not completed their course.
Bring compasses, and remember, we go rain or shine!
Prizes
Awards will be made to the best teams on each course. The champion troops will be determined by the results in all categories including the afternoon event. As before, there will be medals, certificates, and a Troop trophy.
There will be awards for the top "Junior" Scout troop (cubs, webelos, daisies, brownies, etc) as well as the top Girl Scout troop if a Boy Scout troop wins, or the top Boy Scout troop if a Girl Scout troop wins.
Each participant will receive a progressive (by course) participation patch. There will be other awards for answering some puzzle questions.
Equipment
You will each need strong trail shoes, long pants (the park has stickers!), a pen or pencil, a watch, and a compass. You may want a water bottle, hat, sunscreen, etc. if it's hot, or rain gear if it's rainy. Bring your own lunch.
Driving Directions
Registration will be at the West entrance to the park, off of Bear Creek Road. (This address might be useful: 1611 Bear Creek Rd, Lafayette, CA.) The approximate coordinates are N37.9271,W122.1578.
To get there, take Route 24 west from I-680 or east from I-80. Exit at Orinda, heading north on Camino Pablo. After about 2 miles, turn right onto Bear Creek Road. After about 3.5 miles, the park entrance will be on your right, and is well sign-posted (don't be fooled by the parking area on the left—that's not it).
The park has an entry/parking charge of $3 per vehicle (and $2 per dog), collected at the entry kiosk. Please carpool if possible, since there will probably be many scouts attending.