[Archers] I'd like to point out.....

[loreleielkins at aol.com]

 Greetings,

Many of us have discussed on and off about the lack of recognition or the seeming lack of respect that the archery community often appears to get.  I want to address this.  First, it is the nature of our discipline that causes us to be relegated to the back-40 of most events.  For safety reasons this is not a bad thing, but it does make archery out of sight (and therefore out of mind) for many of the populace.  How do we get around this? 

Easy answer: It is up to us to change things. Each and every one of us. Period.

Hard answer:

1. Invite Royalty/your Baronage to visit the archery range....every event, every time. They will eventually make it out there.

2. Make sure archery awards, results of shoots and tournaments get recognized in court on equal level with other disciplines. Talk to the people you need to ahead of time. "I will be awarding the prize for the shoot....." or "Could you have the Baroness award the prize for....."

3. If necessary, write it out for the autocrat/herald/Baronage, etc., who, what, where, they did, why it was amazing.

4. Submit fellow archers for awards.  If there is not an award specifically for archery, put them in for something service oriented and spell out how their efforts are a service and how they enhance The Dream.

5. Talk up archery prior to events.  Make sure your information is posted on event fliers, but post that to all the e-lists as well, more than once.

6. Invite newcomers to the range (make provisions for this ahead of time.)  If they loved it (and they will if you're doing it right), they will tell everyone about it and come back.

7. Look Good!!  Okay, yeah...we already look good....we're archers, its in our nature.  BUT, go the extra effort so that when people see you there with your kit they say, "Wow, s/he looks great. I want to be like them."

8. Encourage youth to the range...encourage the non-fighting community to the range.  Many people want to participate in an art of warfare but will not put on the armor.  No problem, we'll give them archery.

9.  At all times, be a good representative of the Atlantian archery community. Hold yourself to a higher standard. Don't piss and moan in public about not getting the glory.  Instead, make it happen.

10.  Teach archery, Teach atlatl, Teach our youth, share, encourage, cheer archery. Loud.  Make noise. 

11. Make sure at every Collegium and University or even at events that there are archery related classes offered. Request them, or offer to teach them.  History, shooting technique, fletching, target making, point smithing, how to build your kit, whatever your passion is.

I'm sure other people will have additions to this list and I welcome your thoughts.  I understand that at one time in this Kingdom archery was perceived as the read headed step child of SCA activities.  Many people have worked long and hard to bring it to the status it now enjoys.  It has come a long way, in both participation and legitimacy.  Do your part to make sure archery is always in the forefront at events, demos, awards, etc. 

Also, if you have not yet participated in the SCA Census. It can be found here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SCA2010Census I encourage you to fill it out.

In service to the archery community in Atlantia and to The Dream
Lorelei Greenleafe
 
 


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