A score-orienteering activity was featured at Dainfern College’s annual Founder’s Day on Friday. Although the sport is not new to the school, many of the participants (children and a few parents) were first-time orienteers. 42 students took part, most in pairs.
Orienteers Gavin and Leila Venter, who have two children at the school, are the movers-and-shakers behind the orienteering activities. They’ve run a number of events there since 2010. To vary the activities on the school map, which Gavin drew, they’ve presented night, score and also inter-house events.
“For the last three years we’ve presented a night event for the Grade 1s, which ends with a family braai,” says Leila. ” There are usually around 70 start cards.”
“We’ve held inter-house courses for the Grade 9s for the past two years. They run in groups of two and three and there are usually around 40 cards. These courses have included a couple of stations where they have had to perform design and technology tasks,” she adds.
“The score-type events have been used for a couple of different grades and we’ve also organised a compass-training event.”
An orienteering family, the Venters are sharing their knowledge and talents with the parents and children at their children’s school. A wonderful way to expose more families to this unusual sport.
Founder’s Day score-event winners, Stephanie and Hannah. This pair of first-time orienteers are cross-country runners and, evidently, solid navigators too.