WSC Archery 2014 Year End 1 from the Archery Chair HAPPY NEW YEAR! It s January 1, and all of us involved with WSC look forward to new challenges and accomplishments. But first, let s take a few glimpses back at a very full 2014. Realizing I ll probably leave out some things, this is just a reminder of the range and scale of activities we can create with an active and involved membership! We kicked off the year with a major project; tramping through the woods laying out a new 3D course, avoiding the Sporting Clays so we can leave targets up for the season. A great crew of trailblazers had fun (and exercise) cutting through brush and clearing trails, checking target lanes and safety buffers. Getting the targets from the container out onto the course was quite an experience - with snow deep enough to bury the ATV and stop the tractor, it was up to hand-pulled sledges. Fortunately, we had a large volunteer force to spread the workload. Also in January we put on a 3D training event to teach our new archers how to participate comfortably in organized competitions, like the Granite State Bowhunters event we host 3-4 times a year at Westford. A perfect day for woods archery, a warm fire, and dutch ovens brimming with home cooking. We might have to do this again!
WSC Archery 2014 Year End 2 2014 bow making kicked off with PVC; this is a great introduction to archery as functional bows can be completed in a matter of hours, at minimal cost. These bows work fine, and also serve to help new archers develop form and muscle for later equipment. It s also relatively simple to create many different bow designs and draw weights; we ve done target recurves, short horse bows, and a number of special effects types. The one at right simulates the Hunger Games District 12 Primitive Bow, which we gave away as a drawing prize. Our first formal 3D Shoot was scheduled for March, and as the snow-covered trails melted, the thaw uncovered lots of tangled debris and flooded a number of lanes. To make the trails walkable, more hands with rakes, axes, chain saws, and rolls of marking tape were deployed just in time for the season opener. Over two hundred twenty archers enjoyed the new layout during our March and April shoots, which greatly helped us build a budget for additional programs. With WSC Kitchen Chair Tim Codyer we arranged a new Archery Cafe layout and menus which encouraged more customers to enjoy breakfast and lunch. After the shoots, we surveyed GSB members who helped us uncover some course flaws, which we resolved with some new target locations, routings and lane changes. The changes were well received -and we got a good repeat crowd for our final shoot in August.
WSC Archery 2014 Year End 3 But not all the work was aimed at 3D. After years of wishing, we finally had a chance to remove the big debris pile in back of the archery range. A large volunteer crew tackled the logs, branches and stumps, helped out by the late, sorely missed Bob Cronin and Dave Gilson on the tractor. The space was cleared for a new range. With hay bales from the 3D targetcovered Apple Blossom Float, we could finally put together our new bale range, built to help us do better junior teaching. Meanwhile, Dave Martin helped prep our wood bow making program by working out a simpler pyramid design for our 2014 clinics. With white oak, ash and elm blanks, we were able to get a record number of people off to a fast start. If they missed the fun of shaving down a branch from scratch - they didn t say :-)
WSC Archery 2014 Year End 4 With a lot of new bows to equip, we needed to make a lot of strings. Here s a July clinic teaching how to wind Flemish Twist nylon strings. Participants learned how to hand-wind string loops, twist up a string that would hold together, and how to serve the center where the arrow fits. Archery crafts were not our entire focus in 2014. From early in the year, we were expanding our roll of qualified archery instructors with the goal of creating a formal WSC target archery program. USA Archery Level III Coach Shinji Yue joined us, and hosted multiple Level I and Level II instructor qualification classes for interested WSC members. Also, with proceeds from our shoots and clinics, we invested in some modern target recurve bows and arrows for more standardized training. The old closet by the clubhouse Archery Corner was cleared out and equipped with racks for the new equipment, while Mike Onesty made us some new metal arrow holders for the range. It looks better all the time.
WSC Archery 2014 Year End 5 Before the annual WSC Open House, we collected another work crew and repainted the archery tower. Dave Gilson took on some sorely-needed carpentry to secure the upper tower. It s now in the best shape in many years. The Open House in October was a great success - with equipment demonstrations and waiting lines for archery lessons throughout the afternoon. The new Bale Range was put right to work letting young folks have their first-ever shot with a bow and arrow. Jeff Kemp spearheaded the effort to demonstrate PVC bow making, by completing a bow from scratch during the event. We finished up with our traditional Archery Bingo contest, and handed off a new PVC Bow with arrows to the lucky winner. With the coming of Fall, we were able to start scheduling regular Target Archery Clinics. We soon had enough interest from members and visitors as well, to register a USA-Archery club Arcus Artists to provide for achievement recognition awards, under the JOAD (Junior Olympic Archery Development) and Adult Archery programs. Although this season was short, our members have already improved their shooting significantly, and earned a number of awards. We expect this program to become well established next year.
As the year wound down, a number of younger folks wooden bows remained uncompleted. - which isn t surprising, as wooden bows normally require all the persistence and patience an adult can muster. But this crew had stuck with it for many months without giving up. We had experienced builders volunteer to coach a couple more weekends, and soon we d gotten a number of new bows strung, tillered, named, signed and shooting. Congratulations are in order! WSC Archery 2014 Year End 6
WSC Archery 2014 Year End 7 looking ahead to 2015 Last year s archery program was fun, but I fully expect us to top it in 2015. How much we do, and when we do it, largely depends on membership interests and participation. So let me know (kentowl@earthlink.net) which activities might appeal to you this year - and be prepared to help us make everything happen. Here are some projects I m currently working on or planning: 3D Target Refurb We ve got a number of worn and/or bear-bitten targets - and a supply of target-foam repair materials to refurbish them. The archery container has been electrified and organized as a workshop, so we just need some willing artistic hands - and solvent masks! 3D Youth Shoot and 2014 Awards Ceremony Our intro to 3D went so well last year I know folks would like to repeat it. If you re interested start looking for dates in mid-later January and plan something for the pot luck. We can also use help setting out some targets in the clubhouse area for a 5-6 target loop. This should be a nice time to finish handing out awards earned in 2014. I ve finally managed to get them from USA Archery - it s a good story! Granite State Bowhunters March 8 Shoot We re committed to having our course ready for this event, our last of the 2014-2015 3D season (The coming season dates will be selected in January). This will probably take a couple of workdays in January/February (more if the snow is deep), to recut the trails and get targets out. We re also planning a few course improvements, so experienced 3D shooters are encouraged to share their suggestions. Arrow making Clinics We already have requests for arrow making these should kick off soon. Participants will learn to cut, straighten and taper wooden shafts, install field tips and nocks, and feathers using a fletching jig. If we have enough interest later in the year we ll also cover broadheads. Accessory Clinics Leather work has always been an integral part of archery craft; we ll do one or more sessions on basic leather work, and creating your own arm guards, tabs or quivers.
WSC Archery 2014 Year End 8 Bowmaking Last year we focused on first-time bowyers, with both PVC pipe bows and wooden bows from precut blanks. If there is enough interest to justify repeating these clinics, we will. But we re expecting to move forward with some new challenges, including bows from staves (I have a supply of seasoned limbs just waiting to split, in a variety of classic bow-making woods including Black Locust, Hop Hornbeam and Elm) and backed bows; these are most suitable for those who have some experience with tools. Target Archery: The outdoor range target season is a bit ahead of us, but if we have a volunteer willing to organize outings, we might arrange to visit local indoor clubs or ranges for shooting. Coach Shinji Yue is also very much involved with competition archery during the Winter, and hopes our members can observe or participate in sanctioned events. Archery Corner: We ve been cleaning and organizing a downstairs activity center throughout the past year. The latest update is be our Milestones bulletin board which should be up by the January meeting - where we ll post lists of award winners, top scores, and photos of newly completed projects. Not to mention our RIP posts - where broken bows go. Last year we had far too many participants, contributors and volunteers to thank individually - you know who you are, anyway. But we have room for more - so don t hold back. If you d like to join us - let me know your interests and Welcome! Happy New Year from the Archery Chair - Ken Towl