In June 1974 Gary Aitken attended
the OFA Annual General Meeting in Canberra and committed a to future WA orienteering association affiliating with the OFA. (1) When Aitken came back from the OFA meeting to announce what he had done, the group (of competitors) saw this as a natural development and welcomed it. (2) Aitken and Eric Isaachsen organised a meeting of interested orienteers in a Chemistry room at the Perth Modern Senior High School at 7.30pm on August 1st to form the Orienteering Association of Western Australia (OAWA). Those present at the meeting were: Tom Reynolds, Trevor O’Sullivan, Eric Isaachsen, Gary Aitken, Peter and Ann Green, Pat and Pam Murray, Nola Marriner, Sue Gawned, Frank and Phyl Evans, Sue Isaachsen, Terry Tate, John Carras, Ken Collidge, Lester Joyce, Terry Fennessy, Peter Collings, Des and Chris Wallace and Bill Pullman. (3) Many of these people were indirectly or directly from UAAC. (4)
A proposed constitution based on those of the Victorian, ACT and NSW orienteering associations was circularised with notes of the development of orienteering in WA since November 1973.(1) The agenda document envisaged that the meeting would be for over an hour with most of the time reserved for viewing of orienteering films. Forty-five minutes were set aside for the election of office bearers and discussion on the proposed constitution. In fact, Trevor O’Sullivan addressed the meeting outlining the purpose and objectives of the meeting. Trevor emphasised that the proposed organisation would require a sound charter (constitution) within which to operate. The meeting examined and discussed the proposed constitution. (1)
Nominations were then called for the three executive positions of President: Eric Isaachsen nominated, elected unopposed, Secretary: Gary Aitken nominated, elected unopposed and Treasurer: Trevor O’Sullivan nominated also elected unopposed. The meeting decided to defer the question of payments of membership fees. The meeting concluded with the screening of two films: “The Thought Sport” and “O – the Sport for Swedes”. (1)
In an interview in 2006 Isaachsen was asked: “what was the feeling of the people who attended the meeting?” He answered: “most of them were already interested so we tried to entertain them with a couple of films on orienteering to further their interest.” He continued: “We then went on to lay out the calendar – who was going to do what event. We moved the organisation on from Gary being the setter and me the controller to others taking an active role.”
The choices for executive positions were wise ones. Isaachsen had been involved actively in a number of organisations at a fairly high level. He said “Gary [Aitken] pushed me forwards because I had been a delegate at the Sports Council of UWA, Vice President of the Sports Council, Guild Representative on University Sports Facilities Committee, I chaired the Sports Facilities Committee, and I chaired the council of the WA Athletics Association (WAAA); I had that sort of experience.” When asked if his election was unanimous, Isaachsen quipped: “nobody else was silly enough to put their name forward!!” (4)
The treasurer was Trevor O’Sullivan who also had considerable experience with the WAAA and had been the treasurer there for many years. Aitken’s experience as secretary with the UAAC, the WA Marathon Club, and various Hockey Clubs also put him in an advantageous position. (4)
OAWA
The reasons for the formation of the OAWA were simply to have representation at a national level (the OFA) and to spread the load at the local level. The feeling that state government authorities were more likely to speak to an association rather than to individuals purportedly representing a group gave members confidence. Even though the association was under no illusions as to how much financial support they would be likely to get from state government bodies they were more concerned in getting access to forest areas and maps of these. Although forming a state association was momentous in itself the group itself did not take themselves too seriously. When one considers that the decision to set membership and event fees was deferred at the first meeting in spite of the fact that as a group they did not have access to huge funding (i.e. they were running on a very slim budget) the feeling of camaraderie and “can-do” caused members to put in enormous efforts for only intrinsic rewards. This attitude remains with the association to this day.
Why first day of August?
This small article was posted in the (OAWA) newsletter of September 1977:
“Thoroughbreds’ Birthday
August 1st slipped quietly by, but those in the know were toasting the occasion with due ceremony and the appropriate three candles. While in the equine world, the sport of kings’ status symbols were receiving sugar lumps for birthday presents, the sport for all in WA merely braced itself to charge on into its fourth year. So there.” (5)
References
(1) Isaachsen, Eric and Aitken, Gary. “President’s and Secretary’s Report”, unpublished report to members of the OAWA March 1976.
(2) Don Young “Profile: Gary Aitken”, The Australian Orienteer Feb/Mar 1981, (p16)
3) Aitken, Gary “Brief Notes on the Development of Orienteering in WA”, Unpublished document, December 1977. (3pp)
(4) Interview with Eric Isaachsen August 2006
(5) Newsletter No 13 September 1977 P 3
Pictures: (top) Article “The West Australian” 1 August 1974; (bottom) invitation to the meeting. Click on the pictures to enlarge.
