1982
a. Parkway High School Survival Club was approached by the NE State University Army ROTC Orienteering Club about the "sport of Orienteering" and an O meet they were sponsoring at Camp Beauregard, Alexander, LA.
b. I had no idea what Orienteering was and put all of us, my JROTC Cadets and me, on the Orange course - because the Captain ask if I knew anything about map and compass and I said I did.
c. None of the Parkway AFJROTC Survival Club finished but met the NESU Army ROTC Captain, members of the Houston O Club, and an AFROTC Cadet from LA Tech O Club - Mark Wilkins. (Note: Mark was an "fast burner" who taught us how to make O maps from "doctored up" USGS maps - which was the beginning of the OCAD maps we construct today. Mark graduated, went into the Air Force, and became a F-15 pilot. I have not heard from him in many years.) The HOC group gave us a couple of short O clinics.
d. Mark set up an O meet at Barksdale and we attended.
e. Mark, Bill M., and I did lots of field checking at Barksdale and put on O Meets using the maps we produced - and controls my lovely wife - Lois - made with her own hands. Some of the controls are still in use today (4/07).
1983
a. The PHS O Club was established as part of the Parkway HS JROTC program and we attended meets at Camp Beauregard, Barksdale, and Huntsville, Texas. Note: I recall, vividly, that we were at the Camp Beauregard meet when word come about the terrorist bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon.
b. The PHS O Club held together and progressed from white lever runners to yellow and orange.
1984
a. The PHS O Club expanded to attending meet put on by the NTOA, a new O Club in the DFW area.
b. Cadet Allen Eubanks, Commander of the Parkway HS AFJROTC, and O Club, being a great leader and observing the NTOA and HOC, came up with the idea of a local O Club. He developed the name, The Ark-La-Tex Orienteering Club and drew the original "ALTOS Runner" logo.
1985 ALTOS was born.
1986 Allen Eubanks got his degree at NWSU where he established an O Club and was active in the NWSU Rowing Club. He eventually became the Coach of the Centenary Rowing Program and, as such, put on the first rowing Regattas in this area. See The Ragatta. He is now a professor, and Rowing Coach, at a large University on the east coast - I don't remember which one.
All are requested to update, add to, correct, etc. this history. Thanks!