[Archers] Trying to make some sense...

[John Atkins]

Fen,
I completely agree with your points below.  I underscore your comment
that many autocrats do not fully understand the archer's need for a
large area for SAFETY sake.  Unfortunately archery is too often stuck in
the "back 40" out of sight and out of mind.  But your point of working
with the autocrat is a good idea for working out a solution suitable to
all.  And I would recommend that contact begin long before the actual
event, in the planning stages.  In the case of a hostile autocrat you
could perhaps just have them go down range and hold a paper plate in
front of their chest!  :-)  (Archer humor there.)  I should think that
as Atlantia is known for its archers that raising the issue of a hostile
autocrat to higher levels would get some satisfaction.  But I also go
back to "you can't fix stupid."  At one event at the Elkin Castle site
we were doing a clout shot the full length of the range when I heard
someone chopping wood in the woods behind the target we were shooting
at.  I called a hold and sent a fellow marshal down to tell the person
they were on a live archery range.  About 30 minutes later the marshal
returned.  When asked why it took so long they responded that the wood
chopper said they would only be a few minutes!  Some times just
continuing to shoot would really clean up the gene pool.  The paperwork
is really a hassle though!  Did I mention you can't fix stupid?
 
But this leads into another but closely related subject I would like to
bring up here for discussion.  At Pennsic a few years back the East king
came to the range to meet the archers before the masters shoot.  He
confessed that, as a heavy fighter, he always thought archery was really
easy.  He decided to give it a try for himself.  Because of this he had
a whole new appreciation of what archers can do and the skill required.
Perhaps this display of skill is something we should all think about
trying to incorporate into the shoots we plan.  Think of ways to involve
more of the non-shooting populace in a skillful way.  At Gulf Wars this
is the idea behind the Grand Exhibition Tournament held in front of the
fort on the battle field.  It pits the best archers of each attending
kingdom against each other in a high skill tournament format in front of
the populace.  Simply stated, it brings archery out from the "back 40"
for the populace to see.  If we can do things to help destroy the myth
that archery is easy and anyone can do it, we may gain a bit more
respect from otherwise hostile autocrats.
 
Just some thoughts,
cog
 

From: fenrisulven at comcast.net [mailto:fenrisulven at comcast.net] 
Sent: Monday, July 19, 2010 12:34 PM
To: John Atkins
Cc: archers at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org
Subject: Re: [Archers] Trying to make some sense...



 

Not exactly.  On the day prior during setup, the area in question was
indeed a concern.  I watched and listened as several Marshalls exercised
the diligence you would expect of them, and attempted to fix what was
seen as a potential hazard.  After much discussion, assurances came from
the autocrat that the area would be blocked off and the building door
locked so it couldn't be used as an exit.  

 

On the morning of the shoot, that gradually didn't happen.  Parking
creeped into the range fan, holds were called, and owners were told to
move their vehicles.  Some refused.  Later in the day, pedestrian
traffic began to skirt the right side of the range fan and the safety
zone began to gradually decay even further.  Now, I understand that
regardless of the cause, we should have simply closed the range down at
the first encroachment and fetched the autocrat.  But it should be
remembered that this range had been moved once from its originally
intended (and safer) location, and this was already an effort to adapt
on the fly.   

 

None of that excuses what happened.  I only bring it up because from my
own perspective, this topic should not only be about a need for new
rules or more vigorous marshal training, but also about handling
breakdowns in communication between those in charge of an event. And
until that is addressed, I fear the instance will repeat itself -
because autocrats tend to not fully appreciate how much our need for
space revolves around safety.  Several months after all this, another
archery course had to be adapted on the fly because troll was placed
inside the range fan.  

 

When it comes to safety, we can't continually adapt on the fly and
expect Murphy to show us mercy.  People are hurried and trying to make
it work.  Something will slip through.  So I think:

 

1) MICs need to educate their autocrat about our safety requirements.
Strongly if necessary, to prevent our range fans from being crowded out
and carved up

 

2) Marshall training should include advice on how to work around an
autocrat that is hostile and unapproachable.  (do we go to the
Seneschal?)

 

3) Autocrats should not have the authority to change the archery space
after the MIC has set his safety zones

 

 

Cheers

Fen

 

 


----- Original Message -----
From: "John Atkins" <cogworks at triad.rr.com>
To: "Siegfried" <siegfried at crossbows.biz>, "Jay Nardone"
<jaynardone at comcast.net>
Cc: archers at seahorse.atlantia.sca.org
Sent: Sunday, July 18, 2010 11:35:12 PM
Subject: Re: [Archers] Trying to make some sense...

In my opinion the rule was a "knee jerk" reaction to a potentially very
dangerous situation that should never
have happened had the marshals in charge been diligent which, to me,
indicated that the issue was not a 

new rule but the training of our marshals. 

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