Starting a Club | USOF Promotional Brochure | Land Use Information
Tax Exempt Information
Competitive Expertise (incl. Rules of Competition)
USOF Convention Information | Electronic Punching
IOF Technical Articles
Program Development
Board of Directors Information

Much of the information formerly contained in the USOF "Virtual Binder"
on Robin Shannonhouse's Web site has been moved to and
incorporated into the USOF Web site. Please visit the new
Binder Web pages for USOF Board news, information, forms,
records, and documents.

USOF Virtual Binder

How We Can Help Your Club

Orienteering USA provides assistance to its member clubs in many ways.

Racing to the finish line

Starting an Orienteering Club

We can help new clubs get started with advice about how to plan your first event and setting up programs for young orienteers (Little Troll Program). The documents below should help you with your new club.

Why Form an Orienteering Club?
Description of an Orienteering Event
Planning Your First Event

In addition, if you want to charter your club with Orienteering USA, you will need one of the following forms:

Regular Club Charter Application:   pdf
     (for clubs with 8 or more members)
Associate Club Charter Application:    pdf
      (for clubs with fewer than 8 members)

Annual Club Recharter information

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Orienteering USA Promotional Brochure

The Orienteering USA promotional brochure is a short, concise explanation of our sport, ideal for distribution to new and prospective orienteers. It includes a space for your club to add a label or stamp with local contact information. Ordering information

Orienteering Land Use Information

new! IOF paper: "ORIENTEERING: a Nature Sport with Low Ecological Iimpact" (pdf, 1.79 Mb), published January, 2010

» Also see the IOF's Review of Research into the Ecological Impact of Orienteering (pdf, 510 kb), published in 2005.
» Other environmental impact documents

Tax Exempt Information

Information for Tax Exempt Organizations - IRS publication

Competitive Expertise

Member clubs can call on various committees for advice on almost all aspects of orienteering. The documents below should help you with your competition, from local meets to A-meets.

Insurance Certificate: If a park requires proof of insurance coverage, clubs must apply for a certificate at least a month in advance from our insurance carrier. Chartered clubs can use the application form available through this website (or contact the webmaster for a form).

Local Meets

A-Meet Documents

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US Convention Information

Electronic Punching

"Electronic punching (e-punching or EP) is a faster, better way to record your visit to each control on an orienteering course. Instead of carrying a paper card and punching it at each control location, you wear a plastic e-card, or 'finger stick,' which contains a microchip. At each control site, you insert the finger stick into a control unit, which records the control number and time onto the microchip.

"When you finish the course, you download the data at a transfer station, and receive an instant printout of your time and splits. Even better, you can view compiled printouts that show everyone's splits for the course, so you can see where you gained or lost time."

Description courtesy of BAOC

International Orienteering Federation (IOF)
Technical Articles

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Program Development

USOF can help your club develop recreational and promotional programs. To take advantage of these services, contact your regional Club Development Director.

Regional Club Development Directors
Heartland - Ian Harding, 651-779-6143
Mid-Atlantic - Mary Frank (director), 610-792-0502
Midwest - Pat Meehan, 513-868-7535
Northeast - Barb Sleight, 315-458-6406
Northwest - Mike Schuh, 206-783-3960
Pacific - Bruce Wolfe, 510-428-0701
Southeast - Jim Hall, 828-479-4356
Southwest - Miki Snell, 214-369-1823

Board of Directors Information

Next Board Meeting — Saturday, October 16 at the US Classic Champs — EMPO

Orienteering USA members are always welcome to attend the Board meetings. Please note that this meeting room has a capacity of 21 people (including board members); early arrivers will have the advantage.

All Board meeting minutes
Annual General Meeting minutes

Orienteering USA Documents (a.k.a. Virtual Binder)

  • A-meet Planning Documents
    • Obtaining Sanctioning
    • Sanctioning Package
    • Suggested Checklist
    • IOF Map Test Sheet
    • Sanctioning Fees computation form
    • Competition Awards guidelines
    • Course Setting and Vetting guidelines
    • Sample Search and Rescue plan
    • Guidelines for Trail Orienteering Championships
  • Forms
    • Membership
    • Insurance Certificate requests
    • Links to A-meet and Club Chartering forms
  • Rules of Competition
  • Board meeting minutes and summaries
  • Administrative Documents
    • Treasurer's Reports
    • Fund Budgets
    • Regional Election Guidelines
    • Summary of Insurance Coverage
    • Endowment Fund documents
  • Annual General Meeting
    • AGM Agenda
    • AGM Minutes
  • Fund Policies
    • Operating Fund
    • Competition Awards Fund
    • E-Punch Fund
    • Funds on Endowment
    • Insurance Fund
    • Junior Team Fund
    • Map Funds
    • Program Development Fund
    • Ski-O Team Fund
    • Sponsorship & Marketing Fund
    • Team Fund
    • Trail-O Team Fund
  • Administrative Policies
    • E-mail Voting
    • Conventions
    • Coordinators
    • Land Use
    • Life Memberships
    • US Calendar listings
    • Sponsorships
    • Volunteer Dismissal
  • History and Competition, including —
    • History of Orienteering in the United States
    • USOF Presidents, past and present
    • USOF Champions (Individual, Relay, Intercollegiate, Interscholastic)
    • Silva Service Award winners
  • Board Documents, including —
    • Meeting information
    • Position Descriptions

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Last update: July 30, 2010

Photo: Aims Coney
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