The awards were conceived by a past president Peter Taylor in the early nineties and were initially presented by Peter and Dru Patkin. Peter continued the awards till 2001 and since then have been presented by Peter Milnes. The awards also provide an opportunity to recap on the years events and give further recognition to the setters.
If you have a suitable story please share it with fellow rogainers by sending it to Peter Milnes.
“MIDNIGHT SERENADE”
24hr State Champs June, Middleback Ranges
Setter: Geoff Mills
After leaving the hills, this team became bored trudging back across the plains in the dark. To relieve the boredom they started singing songs. One of their favourites was American Pie but they couldn’t remember all the words. Fortunate to be in mobile phone range they downloaded the song and were able to give a perfect midnight rendition of the 1970s hit to all within earshot.
The midnight serenade award – Zara Soden & Lauren Gillis
“FAILING TO SEE THE LIGHT”
24hr State Champs June, Middleback Ranges
Setter: Geoff Mills
This guy had problems with torches at the World Champs in the Warrumbungles, where he ended up using a keyring light for a few hours and suffered RSI in his thumb for several weeks from holding down the button. At the Middleback Ranges he came well prepared for the moonless night with two torches and spare batteries. Unfortunately his partner had only one torch and no spare batteries. Around midnight he was unlucky enough to lose one of his torches and shortly afterwards his partner’s torch died. With only one torch between them they decided it too risky to go on in total darkness so they decided to abandon their route and head back to the hash house.
The failing to see the light award – Paul Hoopman
“SPELLCHECK”
6hr Asthma event July, Saunders Gorge
Setters: Evelyn & Craig Colwell
When the Asthma Foundation were compiling the clue sheet for their event they inadvertently described one control as a corpse of trees instead of a copse. We heard that several teams were expecting to find a dead body or skeleton amongst the trees.
The spellcheck award – The Asthma Foundation
“A SENIORS MOMENT”
12hr Spring Rogaine September, Williamstown
Setters: Jo Powell, Karen Wishart
This team decided that the wife would fill in the intention sheets and the husband punch the control card. Late in the night when the sheets became covered in dew, the wife’s pen refused to write on them so the husband took on both jobs. With time running short at the last control, he punched the card, filled in the intention sheet and they raced to the finish. Arriving back totally spent he reached into his pocket where the punch card always goes and was horrified to find it wasn’t there. He frantically checked his other pockets but still no card. He then thought he must have dropped it at the last control. After checking in they retraced their route looking for the card. They arrived at the control and looked around but still no card. Their only hope was that another team had picked it up and handed it in, otherwise they would be disqualified. As they approached the hash house for the second time they were analysing what they had done at the last control. When the husband remembered writing on the intention sheet his mind immediately focused on the pen he used and he reached into his narrow pen pocket and there was the punch card tightly wrapped around the pen and squashed into the narrow space.
The seniors moment award – Craig & Evelyn Colwell
“Giving a Helping Hand”
Minigaine 3 hour
Setters: Sally Caston & Katie Corner
The admin team had 5 entries on the day, and to facilitate their entry an organiser supplied the extra questionnaires that were needed only to discover after the event start, that these particular questionnaires also had the correct answers.
The giving a helping hand award – Katie Corner
“Packed so well no one was going to find it”
Half way through the year the word went out to the committee, had anyone seen the light boxes used by admin for checking the punch cards. They hadn’t been sighted since the Argadells event in April 2013. After a lot of enquiries and checking with Argadells they were still not located. The equipment officer who hadn’t sighted them for some time decided to have another thorough look in the SARA storage container. The 20′ shipping container storing our equipment at Ironbank is very full. To maximise space a lot of equipment and tubs are stacked 3 and 4 high. He had what he thought were 3 new empty tubs stacked on top of each other at the back. After lifting 2 off he lifted the lid of the third and bingo, two light boxes were staring him in the face. He then had the embarrassment of telling the committee that they were in the container the whole time.
The packed so well no one was going to find it award – Peter Milnes
