ARCH - What If

[Mills, Scott]

I have strong feelings on the topic of award/no-award. However, I feel that
these are topics best not discussed in this forum and goals that are better
achieved quietly.

As far as archery being a "fringe" activity, I would have to disagree.  At
least three events this past year where I was running the range or helping
run the range, Bordermarch Baronial, Greywood's Battle of the Pines, and at
Gates Edge Midsummer Faire, there were more archery participants than either
the Chivalric or Rapier lists.  

If archery is in anyway a "fringe" activity it is only because the archery
range is for safety reasons off by itself and sometimes removed and not even
visible from the main list fields and common area.  As a result people often
don't even make the short walk to come be aware of what is happening at the
archery range.  When choosing an archery champion of a group it isn't even a
given that the Baron/Baroness will show up at the range to see their
champion chosen. (although many do and Ulsted even chose to act as
marshal-in-charge while his champion was being selected.

As far as how much archery takes place at calendar events, here is what I
can say about the coastal region.

----
Bordermarch
Always has combat archery at melees and chooses target champion at baronial

Loch Sollier
Has archery at Most of their events and chooses a champion annually

Stargate
Has archery at many/most events and chooses a champion annually at baronial

Gates Edge
Has archery at essentially every event and for 11 years has chosen a
champion

Seawinds
Has target archery occasionally at events and combat archery at Siege of the
Abbey

Stone Bridge Keep
Has target archery at most events and chooses an annual champion

La Marche Sauvage
Has target archery of sorts when the sites permit

Basically in the Coastal region if the site permits archery then in all
likelihood there will be archery taking place.
----


We won the IKCAC this year and did well in the IKAC.  Our best archers and
crossbowmen like Sebastian, Robert, Roger, Walter, etc. certainly can be
competitive anywhere they go in the Known World.  I think that if they took
the great pains with precision matched arrows and tricked out bows and
crossbows they would be as good as any archers in the known world.  Robert
shoots a 200 IKAC which is considered an excellent score anywhere ya go and
last time I saw him shoot he was doing it with a ~$30 solid fiberglass bow
and ordinary (meaning not precision matched) arrows.


I do not think that "Archery" in itself is a Art or Science or a Combat art.
Is a little bit of both and sometimes more.

In Service,

Eadric, Coastal
eadric at scabrewer.com
 



-----Original Message-----
From: Pug Bainter [mailto:pug at pug.net]

Patrick J. Cuccurello (pat at adtelusa.com) said something that sounded like:
>   It is my feeling that perhaps you could solve this problem in the near
> future by chartering an award on par with the Centurion (for Chivalric
> fighting) and the White Scarf (for Rapier).  In this manner you reinforce
> the defense of your Kingdom and recognize worthy gentles who have labored
to
> your need for so long.

Ok, despite being in the west kingdom, I am confused. Several people
have brought this up, so I am not picking on Pet for this.

Why does Archery deserve a GoA level award? Why doesn't Equestrian? Why
do we feel like we are being shunned when there are plenty of other
areas that are fringe like us as well? Until we are more visible, we
can't expect to be more visible even with a GoA level award. It is us
that makes the difference not a piece of regelia or a title.

Ciao,
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