Discussion: No compass

I have the same experience - in none of the programs that I have taught on school grounds and small parks have the kids been bummed that we did not use compasses or asked about them. Not even in programs where the teachers will mistakenly have announced a day before that they will get to use compasses and then find out that is not the case. And that whether using e-punches that day or not.

Agreed, definitely no compasses for their first experience.

This is often a big revelation for teachers. At conferences, we're finding the same surprise.

Compasses are for when you get so deep in the woods that you can't see any identifiable features, more or less.

@jjcote - yes, we know that, but it is that uphill battle against these ingrained expectations about what orienteering presentations should be about and orienteering supposedly is. Somehow the info I work out with the organizers does not make it all the way to the teachers who send notes home and tell kids what next day's activities will be. So when told the activity is "orienteering", the message that goes to the kids is "compasses", the drawing on whiteboards at the entrance about the "guest today" or "the field trip" or the like will almost always have a compass on it and almost never a map.

Yes, I agree completely. What I meant by that is that it's the message that you want to convey to the people involved, but I understand the challenges in doing so. There's probably some analogy with some other activity where you don't start out with the advance equipment. Maybe like a water activity where you use the mask and snorkel and fins, but you aren't going to need the air tanks for quite a while yet.

My hunch is the teachers see the word orienteering and memories kick in of what their previous experience with an activity with that name looked like. When I did "orienteering" in boy scouts there were compasses but no maps involved. Until this misunderstanding in terminology is corrected it might make sense to do like ARK and just avoid using the word entirely.

We will never change the image of "orienteering" if we just run away from using the word.

Yes, I'm sure 10,000 pajama-clad enthusiasts will be able to change the image held by 50 million non-enthusiasts. Not a battle I would pick.

Many have long held the belief that the word is hopelessly tainted (and of little merit to begin with), and that we should leave it behind in favor of something better. So far there's been a lack of consensus as to what the best choice would be.

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