[Ansteorra-archery] A Look Back at 2002

[Eadric Anstapa]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Dewart" <gilli at hot.rr.com>
>
> Every year, there will be personal and group triumphs to cheer about.  As
> the years move on, more things will attach themselves to us because it is
a
> good thing to do, because it is a right thing to do.  Don't get me wrong.
> We have some very strong supporters out there, God bless everyone of them.
> But for all their support, "we" still have to pull the string.
>

I dunno where you get the idea that people aren't pulling the strings.
Perhaps your group has not but others certainly have.  If you compare
September through November last year there were 16 events that submitted
Royal Round scores during that period.  This year during the same period
there were 20 submissions.  These events were as far as I can tell well
attended and two weeks ago there were over 40 people total at two separate
events pulling the string on a single weekend.  It seems to me that is at
least a 25 percent increase in the pulling of the strings during that
period.

Perhaps people just aren't pulling the strings ins YOUR favorite archery
formats.

>
> To win war points with archery you must be the better archers.  BTW, this
is
> where we normally get our collective butt kicked.  The only way I know to
> become a better archer is to shoot better archery and more of it.
>

Yes I agree with you that you have to practice to get better but I just
established above that people have been shooting more  AND we WON the
Archery War Point last year.

>
> How does one quantify the number of archers we have out there?
>
> All of the things that have been mentioned are admin tweaks of one kind or
> another.  No where did you say the quality of our archery has improved.
>

Well, in our third year of tracking, the number of Archers in the Royal
Round database continues to increase, AND averages continue to improve.
That's how I quantify it, with hard data.

>
> 2. A general lack of discipline.  While fun shoots are just that, "fun",
> they do little to improve one's skill.  You either do the task and
progress
> to the next round or go have a seat and watch.  Relatively few folks will
go
> through the effort to shoot a full IKAC or IKCAC.  It's like any other
type
> of exercise, you have to build up to it.  They are good practice for the
> WAR.  If you can't hit it standing still, only a luck shot is going to hit
> it in combat.  And guess what, there's a WAR POINT for archery-it uses the
> IKAC not a RR.
>

WRONG!  The War Point for Target Archery at Gulf War will remain the Royal
Round as it has been for a number of years.  They offer a full IKAC for
people who wish to shoot them and say they will submit the IKAC scores, but
the Royal Round remains the official War Point Round for Gulf Wars.  Just
check http://www.gulfwars.org/archery.html

Just because a shoot is fun does not mean that it does "little" to improve
peoples skills.  Lets see, two weeks ago there were approximately the same
number of people at two separate archery events.

At one event they were shooting at flat pieces of paper with colored rings
printed on them at static 20, 30, and 40 yards.  Those targets are nowhere
near period and in period they would not have likely been shooting at such
extremely close ranges.  But yes, they recorded scores and I am sure the
archers enjoyed themselves.  I am also sure that the archers improved
themselves but they improved their skill in a completely modern and
non-period format.

The same weekend, at a separate event, there were archers shooting at 3D
animal targets at unknown ranges with the positioning/angles of the targets
and their ranges changing in each of 4 rounds.  All archers got to shoot in
all 4 rounds.  Unless I am very much mistaken shooting at animals to put
meat on the table was a very period endeavor.  These archers also had fun
and doubtless managed to improve themselves while doing something that
approaches a period form of archery.   Archers at this event also recorded
Royal Round scores and IF they had wanted to they could have recorded IKAC
scores.

One of the great things about the SCA and our Archery endeavors is that
there are so many different flavors to choose from.  When you get bored, or
want a different challenge, or what to learn something new you have many
choices.  The IKAC and IKCAC are some of those choices and there are other
equally valid and good choices.  Those format choices are as valid as the
choice an archer makes when he chooses to use a recurve rather than a
longbow or a crossbow.

There are many other format choices as equally valid as the IKAC or IKCAC
that do as much or more to enhance the skills of our archers and fulfill our
charter to educate.   Personally I think when people ENJOY what they are
doing they are more likely to show up (and they are), participate (and they
are), and improve (and they are).  Lets let everyone play and enjoy
themselves without beating them over the head to do something that they
don't want to do.

Always in Service,

Lord Eadric Anstapa
Kingdom Archery Marshal, Ansteorra
eadric at scabrewer.com