[Archers] Trial Balloon: Period Archery Collegium

[Garth Groff]

Noble Friends of the Bow,

I'm just starting work on an event "aimed" at the period archers among 
us. Before I commit a lot of effort to this project, I want to run my 
idea by all of you to see if there is any real interest, and maybe pick 
up some of your ideas.

The collegium would be a one-day event to be held near Charlottesville 
sometime during the fall of 2016. Open shooting at period targets and 
special shooting classes given on the range will be offered. Also there 
would  be sit-down classes. I'm thinking six classes, so far: making 
period-style arrows (my class), thumb ring shooting (someone said they 
would do this), how to build period-style targets, and probably three 
other classes TBD. University credit can be arranged. A hearty lunch, 
possibly featuring venison stew would be provided in the gate fee. We 
can pretend the deer was poached from the King's forest.

The event is for shooters of European period bows, yumi bows, horse 
bows, native American bows, and yes, crossbows too. Non-period shooters 
who are thinking of taking the plunge will be welcome, and can bring 
their modern bows, but hopefully we can find some period loaner bows for 
them to try. The site cap will be 20 guests plus staff. We have a lovely 
location in the Blue Ridge foothills west of Charlottesville.

If this event works, we could expand it in the future to include more 
people and period/primitive camping across a whole weekend. See the 
current issue of PRIMITIVE ARCHER for great story on a non-SCA meet like 
this in Iowa.

So here's what I need to hear from the archery community:

1. Would you possibly attend this event? (Just a straw poll for now!)

2. If you attended, would you be willing to teach a class? What would 
you teach?

3. What would you like to have presented that you don't know how to 
teach? Ideas, please. Flemish string-making? Flint napping? Period 
armguards? Rather than just history here, I'm looking for classes that 
teach skills or show garb and gear that can be copied.

4. What would you feel is a fair charge (remember there is going to be 
lunch)? $25?

Please don't be shy. Let me hear your opinions and ideas. I need some 
serious buy-in from Atlantian archers before I go much further.

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, The Archer of Mallard Lodge