WPOC had another successful year in 2016.  We sponsored 12 local events, including 9 regular events, one ski-o that had to be canceled for lack of snow, Raccoongaine and our training day.  The associated page  shows information about each of these events, including location, meet director,  type of courses offered, total starts, member starts, total number of participants and meet fees collected.  The course abbreviations used are:  W (white-beginner), Y (yellow-novice), O (orange-intermediate), Br (Brown-advanced short) and R (red-advanced long).  The same page shows our membership at the end of 2016.  

Attendance at our events in 2016 compared to 2015 was up in total numbers by about 50 people and also up in the number of starts by about 50.  By virtue of the fact that we had people sign waivers only once during the year, we can also say that of the 949 people who attended our events, more than 590 were unique individuals - many of our members get counted repeated among the 949 because they come to multiple events.  It is also true that few people attended more than 1 or 2 events.  The higher number of starts is probably attributable to a couple events with larger than expected turnouts (Frick and Pine Ridge) and the fact that we had one more event at which starts counted than in 2015. Thanks to all of our meet directors (Alexis Rzewski, Al Sheaffer, Jim Wolfe, Andy Strat, Sherry Shank, Ryan Knecht, Joe Logan, Yaki Barak, Jim Trautmann and Naomi Jarvis-although her event was canceled), vetters (Alexis Rzewski, Dave Battista, Joe Logan  and Jim Wolfe), and event day volunteers (too many to list) for making all of the events run smoothly, even when the number of participants was very low or very high.  Also, thanks to Ryan Knecht for coordinating the volunteers and Sherry Shank for maintaining membership records.

Electronic punching was used for many of our events during 2016.  We are in the process of creating two "event kits."  Each will have sufficient control flags, control boxes, SI cards (finger sticks), and computer equipment to manage an e-punch event.  We already have one such kit.  We purchased most of the control boxes we will need for the second kit during 2016.  By the end of 2017, we hope to purchase the other items we need for the second kit.  Having two kits will make for a much simpler transition from one event to the next for the meet directors.

In addition to the events, WPOC members also conducted a number of presentations, workshops or classes to educate a variety of people about orienteering.  Most of these included an orienteering exercise of some type.  Thanks to Jen Livingston, Jim Wolfe, Joe Logan and Alexis Rzewski for conducting these sessions.  This section of the club's activities declined somewhat from 2015; we put on significantly fewer workshops in 2016.  We made presentations to about 58 people and had 299 get instruction and do an exercise (these numbers do not count our training day).   You can see the complete list of these activities at workshops.
 
The club continues in a variety of ways to try to publicize orienteering. This is done through the club's web pages, Facebook page, Twitter feed, the Attackpoint website, various meet-up groups and other social media.  For Raccoongaine, there is another Facebook page and Twitter feed, as well as a Yahoo group.  Much of this is handled by Alexis Rzewski on behalf of the club; he also hands out printed material at REI and other locations around Pittsburgh.  We remain partnered with Get Outdoors PA by promoting our workshops on their event listings.  Jim Wolfe put notices in the Johnstown Tribune Democrat to advertise our events in Indiana, Cambria, and Westmoreland counties. 

A lot of mapping work was done in 2016.  Alexis Rzewski finished the map of North Park sufficiently so that we could conduct a regular meet in the southern part of that park; he also updated the Frick Park map and elements of the Raccoon Creek map.    Jim Wolfe added to the Prince Gallitzin map; he drew a foot-o map for Laurel Ridge State Park; he made maps of two school grounds and the old Rosedale plant (for LHHV); and he began to map Northmoreland Park.