Plaid Coalville

WELCOME TO PLAID COALVILLE

CAN WE BE OF ANY ASSISTANCE?

Plaid Coalville is one of the oldest ‘closed' orienteering clubs in England having been involved in the development of the sport of Orienteering and the technology that supports it since 1974.

We have been amongst the first clubs in England to advocate and occasionally trial various innovative ideas both in electronic scoring, results and mapping, many of which are now adopted by the sport in general

Members meet at least monthly throughout the year and actively support events organised by open clubs to which most of our membership belong.

Many of the membership live in north and north west Leicestershire as our name suggests but we have members either living or working in,  or members of clubs from Scotland, Cumbria, North and South Yorkshire and the Home Counties.

Membership is strictly by invitation only but anyone requiring help or assistance in mapping, computing or event organising is invited to contact our Technical Officer and Webmaster at mapping@lineone.net

We are a group of like minded people who work to develop and promote orienteering and the skills and technology required to support such endeavours.

We number amongst our membership many who are active mappers, planners and controllers working with the open clubs to which they are members and the region and national committees of the sport.

Our present constitution is on this web site.

We encourage interested parties to join 'Open' clubs and to participate in mainstream orienteering and with this in mind members have over many years given talks to various groups to promote the sport.

Members have also assisted Schools, Scout and Guide Groups, Local Authorities and other organisations to put on introductory events and to map small areas, playing fields etc. We have also assisted other non-orienteering organisations to stage events by utilising permanent orienteering courses in public parks.

Plaid Coalville will continue to work to develop the concepts and ideas behind the sport of orienteering and the technical means to advance such activities.

We do not stage events in our own right, not being directly affiliated to the British Orienteering Federation (BOF) but at all times work within their guidelines.

WHAT WE ARE DOING

A large proportion of the committees of both the Leicestershire Orienteering Club (LEI) and East Midlands Orienteering Association (EMOA) are members of our group.

For over 20 years our members have acted as overall co-ordinators of the very successful summer league run by LEI

The present Chairman, Treasurer, Technical Officer and Webmaster of EMOA are from our number.

We have members representing the sport on The National Forest Access Group, The Leicestershire and Rutland Rights of Way Users Group and The Local Access Forum.

Members have in the recent past been heavily involved in the organising team of the British Championships and the Day Two Organiser of the 2004 JK Festival of Orienteering is also one of our members.

Members currently represent EMOA on the BOF Council and BOF Events Standards Committee.

We were amongst the first, if not the very first club to use computers for mapping areas, initially using Corel Graphics and then OCAD when it became available. We have produced help-files, symbol sets and dedicated orienteering fonts and one of our members has won a national prize for services to orienteering mapping (THE BONNINGTON TROPHY).

He has also staged mapping courses for both his local club and the region.

 Our members have produced literally dozens of orienteering maps for use by the open clubs and continue to do so.

We number two Grade 2 and several Grade 3 Controllers amongst our members and regularly help open clubs plan, control and organise events.

Our members also regularly put on BOF Planning and Controlling courses for the regional association.

We are currently experimenting with the best way to stage events using electronic controls particularly at the small local end where manpower can be limited.

CONSTITUTION AND STANDING ORDERS (last update 1996)

• The Group shall be a 'Closed Club' called PLAID COALVILLE (using the abbreviation PC) and its aims shall be to develop and promote orienteering and associated leisure activities and the skills and technology required to support such endeavours.
• PC will strive to encourage interested parties to join 'Open' Clubs and to participate in mainstream Orienteering but will continue to work to develop the concepts and ideas and the technical means to advance such activities.
• PC will utilise all available technology to broadcast the ideas of the Group and to absorb new concepts to enable the Group to support the activities of individuals and clubs involved in orienteering and other map and compass activities.
• PC will organise occasional events and training opportunities and will try to act as a focal point for other parties interested in these matters.
• PC will at all times abide by and comply with the Rules, Regulations and requirements of the British Orienteering Federation.
• Membership of Plaid Coalville will be strictly by invitation and the Group will be run by a Committee comprising a President and / or Chairman, who will chair all meetings, a Financial Secretary and a Technical Officer, each of whom shall serve until replaced by a vote of a majority of the members at a meeting called for that purpose.
• Twenty five per cent (25%) of the membership approaching the Financial Secretary (or in the event that such an official no longer is in post any other member of the Committee) may request such a meeting which must then be held within 28 days, with the entire membership having been given at least 14 days notice of the time and venue of the Special Meeting.
• The Group known as Plaid Coalville shall be self-funding but if any subscription shall be required it will be set by the Committee on an annual basis. The Financial Secretary shall produce an accounting of the finances of the Group if so requested to do so by twenty five per cent (25%) of the membership, and in the event that the Group shall cease to exist any remaining funds and assets after settlement of any liabilities shall be donated by the surviving membership to any registered charity of their choice.

Revised September 2003