THE PEACH

IT IS. ARE YOU?

The OUOC Newsletter, No. 1 - 0th week, Hilary Term 1995

Presidential Address

Welcome back to Oxford and welcome to my first newsletter. This one should be a bit of a bulbous bastard full of lots of info which you need to know if you don't know it already but which should be pretty familiar if you have been through it all a couple of times before. Before the technical bits I just want to say that I hope you have a Happy New Year full of lots of stoaty things.

Now if you thought that last term was a peach then you ain't seen nothing yet. This term should see the second round of the Churchill Cup against Bristol and Wales, we don't know when this is but you should keep your eyes peeled. If we win this round we go through to the final at BUSF. The first event is the colour coded event on Sunday. You can probably just turn up to this one but to ensure your place let Alistair know you are coming. Then there is the training weekend in Paulineland, your final chance to hone those O skills before the Varsity and meet lots of JOKers. This should be a stoat of a weekend and it is joint with the Jesus Orienteering Klubb which is the ex-Oxford club The Town vs. Gown at Burnham Peaches (in Marsdenland) is also the Varsity selection race. The competition for places in the Men's and Women's A teams is pretty damn fierce I can tell you. I've been training all vacation to try and secure my place but it will be tough. Everyone should be entered for the 21L courses so that they can count for the Town vs. Gown match. This will also help me to pick the Varsity teams. As far as I see it the majority of men are definitely in the running. At the moment I can't remember exactly how many are in the women's team so I can't make any comments.

The Varsity Match will be on Cannock Chase and is being organised by the Tabs (Cambridge). There are three main events to consider here. The first is 'the' Varsity Match on the Saturday. Various teams of 6 for the men and 4(?) for the women with 4 and 3 scorers respectively, will compete on O courses of roughly 19A standard. The second event (in chronological order) is the boat race. Very important this! We tooled last year but hopefully no one will be throwing in their pints this year, hey Jake. You need to get some practice in for this but it will be an ad hoc team so no pre selection. Finally there are the relays on the Sunday. This involves ad hoc teams with tooly tabs slowing your team down. Generally a chance to run off that hangover.

The Varsity is the event to be at this term. The tabs have failed to organise a good party in the past but I will ensure that this doesn't happen again. It doesn't matter if you don't make the A team there are always the B and C teams to run for (with shorter courses!). There should be lots of JOKers there and it is always a really bulbous beer (or whatever you like) guzzling social weekend. Whoever you are, where ever you are we want you to be there.

After the Varsity there are some good badge events for you to maintain that peak performance level you've reached, ready for the Easter break. The three major events in the orienteering calendar for the nation are in the spring break. It all starts with the British Orienteering Champs which are in some amazing new terrain that everyone is dead excited about. Then there is the British University Sports Federation (BUSF) weekend. This is where we will have the final of the Churchill Cup and it has a pretty amazing social too. This is followed by the training week in the Lake District which Jon M is masterminding. The Lakes, the BOF club coach...need I say more? Finally there is the JK festival of orienteering. Always thought this was a pretty pretentious title but then I have never been to one. This is probably the most prestigious event in Britain and it is immediately after the TW. More info will come out on these when we get nearer the time but for the moment pencil them in your diaries and sign down in the book. You know it makes sense.

In the far off future there is...the OUOC Summer Tour. Jeremy Smith is the tour supremo and for this commitment we are truly grateful. Talking with JOK and others we are reckoning that we could end up going to the Italian 3 days (near Genoa) and then the French 5 days (in the Jura near Geneva). That will take up the 7th to the 15th July with a few days either side for beaching and transport. After that there is the Scottish 6 days at the beginning of August which has got some really stoaty areas which people are getting excited about. I will be there and if there is enough demand we will probably take the bus up. There is an early deadline of January 31 before which entries are cheaper. So if you are sure you want to go get your name down early.

All this talk of tours and stuff is important because we should go where people want to go so if you have any views or want to know anything make sure they are aired. The ideas above are not definite and they can be changed. That's enough O talk for now.

Training

We haven't really got round to sorting out a new training programme so for the moment it is the same as last term. The trouble is I know that there are just hundreds of you dying to go training with the club but are busy when in the evenings. If there is any of you who would prefer to train during the day (like me) let us know when you are free and we will try to sort things out. The bad news is that JonS has injured his elbow quite badly and won't be with us for a couple of weeks. I gather that he won't be orienteering when he gets back. Bit of a bulbous mare so I hope he gets well soon.

Social

The social calendar hasn't quite been sorted out yet but needless to say it will all be too hot to handle. Club lunch will take place as usual in the Chris Cox Room in New College at 1pm on Wednesdays starting in 1st week. I bought my last Club lunch last term and so we are looking for some fresh blood to organise it. If anyone has a half hour free and two arms and two legs on a Wednesday morning then they are more than eligible. Drinks on Sundays at Exeter bar will start in 1st week at 8.30pm. Be there.

I am having a dinner at my place on Thursday 1st week at 8pm so everyone can catch up on what everyone else has been doing. Please come but try to let me know if you'll be there by Club Lunch. Please bring a bottle.

Looking further ahead I have a few ideas floating around for socials. Ice skating, street-O, Pancake party, etc. If you have any ideas of things to do let me or Sam know and we will try to sort something out. One event that is definitely happening this term is the annual dinner. This is a black tie affair and is normally pretty riotous. People have failed to make it to the first course for being too wasted. We haven't actually got a venue yet but we are working on it. It should be in the middle of 6th week - not to be missed.

Final blurb

It seems to me that this term is going to be such a peach that it just doesn't bare thinking about. The days and hours till it starts seem, each one, to last an eternity. Good luck to Simon on his viva - we hope that you triv it. Rob and Jenni when you see them next will be bulbously tanned from their holiday in the sun. Jon Asker has left us for good to go back to his home down under. Jolanda and Thalita have also gone home to Holland but hopefully we can persuade them to go on tour with us. Isabelle is now working in London but should be joining us for some orienteering. To those of you who put in all that effort in cleaning up the room after the Christmas party - thanks, but I'm afraid it was somewhat in vain. We have been fined for leaving the room in an unacceptable state and Alistair has been banned from hiring a room again. That's about all I can think of for the moment apart from the gutting news about JonS.

Steve

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