[Ansteorra-archery] Re: Youth Archery: Slight change in subject

[g_r.cathan at att.net]

I would like to wade in and change the subject slightly.  What I want to say has to do with getting people, the young and the old, to come over and try arching.

For most people their first view of archery is at an event.  So they hear there is arching going on somewhere to the left of the list field (my left or your left?).  They wonder over and see a number of archers sitting under a pavilion talking.  Nobody is shooting and unless the archers look up from their discussion they may not see the approaching prey.  Sometimes one of the poor benighted people will come up and ask about shooting and they are told that no one can shoot until the competition starts.  "Don't want anyone to have an advantage over the fighters on the list field.  By the way the competition starts at 3."  This has happened on a number of occasions.  It was originally going to be this way at Stargate Baronial but cooler heads prevailed and we were allowed to shoot earlier.

What I am trying to get at is sometimes archery is set up to fail.  It's far from the list field and if someone does find it they may not be allowed to shoot while they are there and you may never see them again - a lost opportunity.

Maybe the fact that the archery field is open, and where it is located should be announced in court and on the list field a few times during the day.  This might be a good time to practice kidnaping.  If you know someone who seems interested in shooting it might be a good time for some genteel persuasion.  Just invite someone.  You might be surprised at how many people did archery in high school and college.  If the archers who are going to compete in a competition can not warm up until the fighters are through with their s&m jollies then this would be a good time for a novice shoot.  Maybe one of the novices would like to enter, and they should be allowed to if they are truly novices (no sand-baggers)

Well I think I will crawl back under my shrub,

Geof Cathan