Author Topic: Might have to form a UK archery club. Any advice?  (Read 2622 times)

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Offline stuckinthemud

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Might have to form a UK archery club. Any advice?
« on: June 14, 2021, 04:07:19 pm »
In order to encourage my village soccer team to be a decent neighbour, I might have to  form an archery club to remind them the park pitch isnt for their exclusive use and they need to take care of it and the wider community properly.   Any pearls of wisdom about starting off an archery club in the UK (Wales)?  Best association to join, access to funding, etc., any and all comments welcomed

Offline Hawkdancer

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Re: Might have to form a UK archery club. Any advice?
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2021, 01:56:28 am »
 >:D It is probably gauche to use their footballs for moving targets while they are practicing! (SH) (lol).  Del might have some ideas!
Hawkdancer
Life is far too serious to be taken that way!
Jerry

Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Might have to form a UK archery club. Any advice?
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2021, 11:31:05 am »
I took over a bankrupt archery club, the previous officers had been stealing the tournament proceeds, the club was deeply in debt and had worn out 3D targets.

The club had been hosting 3D shoots on a ballfield at night that were open to the public. I held the same tournaments, I started out with the patched and worn out targets and found I could make enough per tournament to buy several new targets. In short order I had a complete set of 20 new McKenzie's and had been able to pay off the debt. Good targets bring out a bigger crowd.

Here is my advice; start with a few members who absolutely love archery and share your passion for the sport and most of all will WORK. Host tournaments open to the public, let the working members shoot for free in exchange for setting up and running the tournament. Use the proceeds to upgrade the targets and provide nice trophies for the winners.

I made a special family rate for tournaments to encourage family participation, kids under 13 shot for free.

This was back in the 80s, on a good night I would have 75 shooters at $5 pop, with soft drinks and snacks sold as well the money added up quickly. Don't get greedy about entry fees, make it so a family or average Joe and have a nice evenings entertainment for less that it costs to go to a movie.

Don't go for a huge membership, the members that won't work are deadwood anyway, I would rather have the money from John Q Public than have members that stand around and watch others work.

Have your spies out during tournaments to catch score cheaters, there will be a bunch of them, even people you never thought would do such a thing. A cheater turning in bogus scores will frustrate the honest shooters who could win and they will stop showing up for tournaments.

You are going to run into some real horses A$$ at tournaments who complain about everything, make these people be like water rolling off a ducks back, smile and play dumb when they start their antics. Any conflict at the tournaments will drive people away who see it.
« Last Edit: June 15, 2021, 11:40:56 am by Eric Krewson »

Offline stuckinthemud

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Re: Might have to form a UK archery club. Any advice?
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2021, 05:20:56 pm »
Thanks Eric, that's lots to think about, Hawdancer, please don't tempt me!

Offline Del the cat

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Re: Might have to form a UK archery club. Any advice?
« Reply #4 on: June 22, 2021, 06:37:17 am »
I'v no real experience, but certainly finding a venue is probably the hardest part and overcoming the suspicions and misconceptions of the public and/or local council/police).
I think it's a toss up between keeping it very small and informal (assuming permission from the land owner) or, if possible cultivating contacts with the locals/council, maybe with a have a go or a demo, (pizza and beer may be needed). I'd strongly suggest keeping it to wooden bow only to minimise overshoot as compounds etc (spits on floor) can easily shoot 1/4 mile.
Start small and low key if possible.
Our "club" is just a few fields where we rove with permission of the farmer for a fee... we are not allied to any official organisation, I don't think there is any specific insurance and numbers are normally between 8-15.
It also depends on what sort of archery... target, field or roving.
If it's for roving and longbows only, it may be worth looking at/contacting the ILAA.
Dunno if any of that is helpful.
Del
PS. Membership of any archery organisation (even if it doesn't cover what you are doing) may be helpful.
E.G. I'm NFAS and ILAA. So if I get stopped by the police, whilst driving carrying bows ,or maybe testing a flight bow on the M11 ;) I can at least use the membership as some sort of proof of competence. (Being bald and nearing 70 also helps rather than being a leary 18 yr old ;) )
« Last Edit: June 22, 2021, 06:43:13 am by Del the cat »
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Offline Eric Krewson

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Re: Might have to form a UK archery club. Any advice?
« Reply #5 on: June 22, 2021, 09:07:49 am »
We had an indoor range as well that we maintained for the city, we hosted Boy Scouts for archery orientation which helped with our image.