Gary Aitken
Gary Aitken relied on several methods to promote orienteering. The first of these was encouraging students from John Forrest Senior High School and their parents to attend the first events. Several students continue attending events into 1974 and 1975.
The second was the use of word of mouth and friendships within the University Amateur Athletic Club (UAAC). Many of the people that formed the OAWA in August 1974 were UAAC members. Aitken used his position in the UAAC to encourage attendance at orienteering events and to promote the use of orienteering as an aid to training, particularly in the longer track events.
His third method was to use printed media. Before the first public event in December 1973 Aitken arranged for articles to be published in the Tom’s Northern Suburbs Weekly and the Weekend News. (1) (2) Many of the longer articles were written by reporters who Gary Aitken knew from Hale School or other connections. The most common articles were snippets that publicised events or described the results of events. These articles were designed to show orienteering as an exciting sport containing elements of intelligence and athleticism and personal challenges. (3) The University of Western Australia Guild produced a weekly newssheet called the Silver Guilder and it was here that Eric Isaachsen would regularly promote events. (4) Roy Hiller (a future influential figure in OAWA) learned about orienteering when daughter Mandy brought home a Silver Guilder. (5) Publicising the first meeting of the OAWA was done by word of mouth, the Silver Guilder, The West Australian (6) and The Stirling Standard. (7) To get interest, and more so, to explain what orienteering is, articles in The West Australian newspaper were written particularly at the beginning of the year before the winter season started at the time when people were choosing a sport. (8)
The fourth method that Aitken used was film and video. Aitken organised for ABCTV to film an orienteering event at JFNP in October 1974 which went to air in March 1975. This was a major coup as it enabled ABC viewers to observe orienteering as a sport in WA.
Making the Most of Every Opportunity
In early 1975, in concert with the visit of the Swedish orienteers, Per Olof Bengtsson and Roland Offrell , the OAWA also tried to promote orienteering by developing interest among other groups such as the Boys Scouts, Girl Guides and the YMCA by training group leaders at courses and seminars. (9), (10) John Turley was a group leader of the YMCA who attended the YMCA course in March 1975 who immediately became a long serving member of the OAWA. (11) Aitken also ran introductory courses for various social groups to promote the sport. On another occasion he took the opportunity to promote orienteering at the Royal Agricultural Show with demonstrations on Children’s Day. (12)
Promotion and Education
It was through schools that Aitken focussed his promotion of orienteering. In a letter written to Mr T E Styles, Superintendent of Social Studies, Aitken asked for “Education Department support and backing in an approach to the Minister for Forests seeking his department’s cooperation in providing a service of benefit to schools, and ultimately, to the Community”. Aitken outlined educational outcomes of orienteering and pointed out the development of orienteering in WA since its inception. Aitken’s arguments implied that the Education Department must also support orienteering in schools. (13)
Under Aitken’s direction between 1974 and 1986 a promotions-education coordinator was responsible for generating interest in orienteering in the community. The thinking behind this was that promotion should come through the schools. This concept was entirely historical and had no proven basis. There had been no research into whether there was a flow of members due to educational activities. What Aitken’s efforts achieved was a number of schools in which teachers used orienteering as a teaching strategy to develop skills in physical and outdoor education and in some cases to develop self-esteem in their students.
Schools
Aitken established the Schools Championships in 1975 which was a focus for students and teachers who had attended special training days for schools at Kings Park and JFNP. Aitken also invited a group of schools that had an interest in orienteering, then widened this group to almost any school that showed an interest by mailing letters to Physical Education administrators. (15) (16) The outcomes of Aitken’s efforts were modest but he had established a number of links with the Education Department personnel and teachers began to teach orienteering in their classrooms.
Steve Doyle 1976
At the 1975 AGM it was decided that a number of positions would be created to lessen the work of the elected office bearers. One of the positions was the Education/ Promotions convenor who convened an informal committee and was responsible for a heavy portfolio. In April 1976 the first issue of the OAWA Newsletter was published. It was aimed at members and orienteers and promoted orienteering within the association. Gary Aitken was Secretary and Newsletter editor and focussed on these roles; in fact, Aitken did significantly few promotional activities after this time.
Steve Doyle took on promotion. There was no job description and it was basically left up to Doyle to choose the direction in which he wanted to take it. Education was still a part of the promotion role and schools’ activities were organised.
Doyle set courses and organised orienteering events early in the orienteering season. Working with event controller Don Young, Doyle planned an event in June at Reabold Hill-Perry Lakes that was “…an attempt … to give this event widespread promotion through the media and other avenues.” Doyle wanted orienteers to act as instructors for the expected large numbers of people and to make an impression on them so as to promote the sport. Around 100 competed in this event compared to between 40 and 70 in previous events and 80 to 90 in events after, so the promotion was to a degree successful. (17) Attendance at events depended then, as now, on things such as weather, distance from Perth but also on promotional events such as that in June. The concern was whether these numbers would be converted into membership.
A trim maps promotions day at Walyunga National Park was held on the 24th of October. This event was organised by Eric Isaachsen and was essentially a media event designed to promote trim courses with the education department, forests department and other dignitaries. The press and the TV channels were invited and it was a successful event. (18)
Different strategies Doyle tried were advertising in the West Australian and the Western Teacher late 1976 to announce “Come and Try It” introductory courses of orienteering for teachers and lecturers, and an introductory two-day event over the March long weekend and a film screening promotion event. There was one disappointment for Doyle. The 1976 Schools’ Championships that he set, with Don Young as organiser, had to be cancelled due to insufficient numbers.
References
(1) Weekend News 1st December 1973
(2) Tom’s Northern Suburbs 10th November 1973
(3) The West Australian June – July 1974. Various newspaper articles
(4) Silver Guilder
(5) Interview Roy and Jo Hiller August 2006
(6) The West Australian 1st August 1974
(7) The Stirling Standard
(8) The West Australian 12th April 1975
(9) Court, B.B. Letter from Scouts Association to Eric Isaachsen April 3rd 1975
(10) Isaachsen, Eric. Letter To Mr N Hutchinson YMCA Activities Director 17th March 1975
(11) Interview John Turley/ Turley Biography
(12) Carter P.T. Letter from RAS 18th February 1975. Attachment: minutes of previous meeting
(13) Aitken, Gary. Undated letter to Mr T E Styles
(14) Aitken, Gary. Letter to selected schools re Schools Championships 30th May 1975
(15) Aitken, Gary. Schools Championships information to Education Department Senior Masters and Mistresses of Physical Education 10th June 1975
(16) Newsletter #3 June 1976 P2
(17) Isaachsen, Eric. President’s Report 1977 AGM P3
