GUIDELINES
FOR THE USOF LITTLE TROLL PROGRAM
The USOF Little Troll
program was designed by USOF's Youth Committee under a grant from the U.S.
Olympic Committee. The program's continuing support is funded by USOF
membership dues.
The purpose of the program is
to give parents a method of teaching their children to orienteer. All children
participating in the program must be accompanied by a parent while orienteering
on a String-O or White course held as part of a USOF member club regular event.
Similar activities held by orienteers outside of club events or held by Scout,
school or other youth groups do not qualify to received Little Troll stickers
or patch awards.
Cards and stickers are
available, at no charge, to USOF member clubs by requesting them from the USOF
Office. They are not available for use by any outside organization. Clubs
should provide each child participating in the program with a new card when the
child begins the program and whenever the child's card is full of stickers. The
child's parent should decide the level card the child gets. Clubs are
encouraged to help parents make an informed choice. The club may not charge for
Little Troll cards or stickers, although the club may require its normal
"meet fee" for participation in the club's event.
The Little Troll program is
available to all children attending USOF member club orienteering meets,
whether they are USOF members, club members or visitors. There is no membership
requirement. Each child participating in a qualifying event can earn a maximum
of 1 sticker per participation day to put on his/her Little Troll card. At the
time the sticker is issued, a club meet official should date and sign the
child's card next to the sticker. If the child participates in more than one
course on a given day, he/she cannot earn extra stickers. Each child can hold
only one Little Troll card at a time. Although the child can start at any
level, all levels must be taken in order: Little Troll (yellow), Chipmunk
(orange), Rabbit (green), Roadrunner (red). If a child starts at orange level,
for example, he/she cannot go back later and get yellow. If he/she starts at
the red level, he/she cannot go back and get any other levels. The Little Troll
(yellow) and Chipmunk (orange) levels can be done on either the String-O or
White Courses. Rabbit and Roadrunner stickers can only be earned by a child
accompanied by a parent on the White Course.
Once a child's card has
stickers for each designated sticker circle (i.e., the card is full), the child's
parent can mail the card, plus a $1 fee, to USOF Little Troll Program, Box 7, Blooming Grove, NY 10914. The
child will receive an award patch from USOF for completing the card.
If the parent so wishes, the
child can be kept at a given level thru multiple cards. This should be done
when the parent decides the child has not yet mastered the skills of that
level. Therefore, a given child can receive multiple award patches at a given
level. A child should only be moved to the next level when the parent is
satisfied he/she is ready to orienteer at the next skill level. Directions for
each skill level are on the back of the card.
11/08