Dear Inland Empire Coaches and Coordinators,
The 2020-2021 season looks to be a year of changes. Odyssey of the Mind Headquarters and many from all over the world have been hard at work developing this program in a way that all can participate safely and creatively. The SoCal Odyssey board after much research, review and careful consideration made the decision to offer online tournaments only for the 2020-21 season for the safety and well-being of all that participate in the program. The regional directors and three board members from the Inland Empire region felt that they could not support the national, state, and regional program and resigned from the program. The state board is exploring which option will be best for leadership in the Inland Empire moving forward. Until that decision is made, the state board will be managing all Odyssey of the Mind activities in the Inland Empire for the 20-21 season, including coach and judge training, outreach, and the IE regional virtual tournament.
For now, any official communication about Odyssey in the Inland Empire will be coming from me, the state director. The state board will also organize and host a regional tournament for Inland Empire teams. Teams advancing from the regional tournament will advance to a virtual SoCal state tournament. Teams advancing from our SoCal state tournament will advance to World Finals.
The state board appreciates the support of all coaches, coordinators, and teams during this time of transition. We know that IE teams will be creating amazing and creative solutions for our virtual tournaments this year. Please know that everyone will be given the support needed to have a successful year.
I’m looking forward to an incredible season of creativity and teamwork! If you know of anyone who would be interested in stepping into a leadership position for the Inland Empire, please let me know. We need a regional director (can be co-directors), a secretary, and a treasurer for the regional board.
Sincerely,
Lynn
Lynn R. Larsen, Ph.D.
Volunteer State Director, SoCal Odyssey of the Mind
www.socalodyssey.org
https://www.facebook.com/SoCalomer/
