[Archers] Ideas for future WoWs and some issues that need to be addressed.

[Garth Groff or Sally Sanford]

Hello Mistress Lorelei and Fellow Archers,

WoW archery as it was this year is definitely not able to support a 
week-long archery event in the future. For various reasons, there was a 
shortage of archery marshals to fully support WoW this year. This meant 
that the existing marshals had to work longer shifts with less 
opportunities to shoot themselves and enjoy other WoW activities.

The range itself limited what shooting activities could be provided; 
although you, Lorelei, did a great job in being as creative with targets 
as you could in the space available to have something for all levels of 
archers. The range space did not include a 100 yard safety zone, and the 
fence right next to the range was the boundary of an enclosure where 
farm animals were loosed into around 4:30 PM each day.

There needs to be a separate youth/children's range that is not on the 
same shooting line as the adult range. This was originally planned, but 
the lack of available archery marshals to cover on all the days made 
this separate range impossible. There were not (and never are) as many 
kids or adults who have never shot before who want and need large 
targets at 10-15 yards as there are people who want to shoot on the 
adult range. As a result, there is a lot of waiting around while all the 
people on the adult range finish shooting. It also happens the other way 
when a new archer or child needs more help and time to shoot; then the 
adult range shooters have to wait.

The grass on the range needed better mowing. The children's range had a 
swath of thick, tall grass on one side which was a real arrow eater. 
Even when a metal detector was used, arrows could not be found.

It would have been good to have porta-pottys next to the archery range 
which could have been shared by the archers and the thrown weapons 
folks. The closest ones were located by the fighting area next door and 
to use them would have meant crossing into actual fighting spaces. 
Otherwise, the next closest ones were near the entrance from the camping 
area to the trail that led through the woods by the pond to the fighting 
area and the thrown weapons/archery ranges (about 1/4 a mile from the 
entrance to the archery range).

More archery nets were needed, and they were needed in the daytime, not 
just what was used in the Night Shoot. Speaking of the Night Shoot, it 
was not mentioned in the printed schedule that bows and other archery 
equipment needed to be inspected before the archer arrived (in the dark) 
to the Night Shoot. This information was on the WoW website, but there 
were people who showed up at the Night Shoot on Friday who had to be 
turned away because they had not come earlier and gotten inspected. We 
need to make sure this inspection requirement gets better announced in a 
variety of formats to help avoid disappointing people. Also in regards 
to the Night Shoot, there should not be any special archery classes or 
other events scheduled on the archery range after 4 PM on the day of the 
Night Shoot. It took time (including a supper break) to set up the range 
in the daylight remaining for the Night Shoot along with marking the 
path to the range with lights to guide people to the Night Shoot.

Sincerely,

Lady Sarah Sinclair
Shire of Isenfir
a.k.a. Sally Sanford
Charlottesville, VA
sarahsan at embarqmail.com

On 10/30/17 3:47 PM, Lorelei Elkins wrote:
> I'd love to have a discussion about how archery at WoW can run 
> better.  I agree with Lord Janyn's comments about signage so that 
> people can find the range easier.  This year had some unique 
> issues....like walking through the battlefield area or navigating the 
> berm.  One could have a golf cart to bring you up there but that means 
> walking to someplace to find a golf cart to bring you up there.  It 
> was proposed that next year we have designated routes and stops for 
> the golf carts for those with mobility issues.
>
> My biggest concern is that we need more marshals.  Seriously.  We had 
> about half of what we should have had this year. We need more people 
> involved in planning prior to the event.
>
> What I'd like to do is form a work-group dedicated to addressing WoW 
> archery.  Currently we have the range open half a day Thursday, all 
> day Friday and Saturday and a few hours on Sunday. There is a plan to 
> make WoW a week long event. The way archery is happening right now, we 
> can't support a week long event.
>
> Two years ago or so I wrote a document called, "How to run archery at 
> War of the Wings".  I'm happy to share this and add to it from the 
> work-group suggestions.  We need to get some things set as the event 
> is likely to be turned over to the Kingdom.  We need to start treating 
> it as a Pennsic-style range, which means some hard and fast rules and 
> whatever else we want to do.  What do you like about Pennsic archery?  
> Gulf Wars?  Other big, multi-day events you've been to?
>
> The current budget for archery is $100.  That's not enough.  I've been 
> trying to get it bumped up to at least $150...which still isn't enough 
> but it's better.  Every year I eat some of the cost.  If you volunteer 
> to run archery next year, plan on doing that.  Naran spent a lot on 
> his prize shoot and so did Mungo and Sarah.  Creativity appreciated!  
> This is ours to write the way we want it to read. I am not running 
> archery next year for WoW but I'd like to get some of the details 
> worked out.
>
>
> What do you think?  I can start a google chat/messenger or a Facebook 
> page or an email forum.
>
> Mistress Lorelei Greenleafe
>

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