South Oxon
Archery Club
Newsletter
February 2010
Greetings!
Since the publishing of the last newsletter, end of 2008, there have been a few
changes in the Committee including an assistant newsletter editor! Marie has been
promoted and is now the Treasurer as well as newsletter editor. As she is extremely
busy, I have taken over the reins for this edition and am trying to bring a new look to
the newsletter, with some additional features that I hope you like and find useful. If
there is anything you feel could be improved, please drop me a line or give me a call
- I am always open to suggestions and you could even write an article to be included
in the next issue! I hope you enjoy this issue.
Chris.
SODC AGM Sunday 13th December 2009
This year's AGM was held at Abbey Rugby Club and was very well attended with 19
members present. Fred did a great job as secretary and has produced extensive
minutes. I believe you all should have received a copy but if you need another just let
me know. Some of the important information and decisions are listed below (see the
minutes for full details):
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16 New members joined this year.
New equipment was purchased through the year. This should be sufficient for
the next year.
The club house has needed some TLC and has been repainted - thanks
Bryan! We may need to organise working parties this year to maintain what
we have.
John K is looking into becoming a coach.
Club fees are to go up by £1 this year for seniors to £26.
Officers elected:
 Club President - John Schofield.
 Chairman - Chris Pollard.
 Secretary - Fred Golding.
 Treasurer - Marie Byrne.
 Captain - John Schofield.
 Records Officer - Chris Pollard.
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Social Secretary - Linda Manson.
Range Officer - John Kendall.
Newsletter Editor - Marie Byrne.
Child Protection Officer - Moira Kendall.
Club Coach - This position could not be filled as there is no-one in the
club qualified. John Kendall hopes to be trained for this position.
Election of other committee members:
 New Members’ Representative - Liam Higgs.
 Assistant Captain - Martin Fisher.
 Assistant Newsletter Editor - Chris Legg.
Following the AGM a Committee Meeting was held on Thursday 18th February.
Minutes to be published soon. Most of the content of the meeting is included in this
newsletter - see the minutes for any further details. Date of next Committee Meeting
is 22nd April.
Useful Dates
Beginners Sessions
4 x 1 hour sessions to be run for those looking to join the club. the sessions will be
run at the club house from 7 to 8pm. Dates for these will be:
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Tuesday 4th May
Tuesday 11th May
Tuesday 18th May
Tuesday 25th May
If you know anyone interested please bring them along and give them the chance to
see if it is a sport they would like to take up - the more the merrier. Please let John K
know the names and numbers at least a week beforehand so he can organise the
event.
Indoor Shoot
On 15th March there will be a Fun Shoot - details to be confirmed.
The indoor season will finish on 22nd March with the Club Indoor Championships.
Club Dinner
This will be held in The Shoulder of Mutton (Playhatch) on Saturday 10th April. Linda
will send out mails with the details.
County Championships
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Outdoor - Sunday 20th June
Indoor - Sunday 5th December
Permanent Summer Target
It is planned to erect this on Sunday 9th May. This day may also be used as a range
day for some maintenance and sorting of the club house - details to be confirmed.
Safety / Faste (Thanks to John K for this contribution)
With an increasing membership, forthcoming Introduction Course starting 4th May
and compliance with requirements for Child Protection, we have to reinforce and
establish our safety procedures.
We clearly have a different attitude to safety now than in our distant past ie: To
engender a better defence of the realm, Henry first in the 12th century issued an
edict that any man who, while practising with bow and arrow accidentally killed
another man, should not be indicted for murder or manslaughter. Henry eighth in the
16th century revived the old rules of Henry first, exempting from arrest or
imprisonment any man who shot and killed or wounded a person running between
the shooter and the target. If a shooter saw an interloper he must shout, ‘FASTE’
(fast!), which means to other shooters, ‘Holdfast’. Similarly ‘Loose’ was the command
to shoot the arrow, hence our expression ‘Fast and loose’.
We may have overlooked stressing this important safety command ‘Faste’ (fast!) to
new members – so please all remember, for whatever reason, if anyone shouts
‘Faste’, even when at full draw, immediately unload the bow, DO NOT RELEASE
THE ARROW, replace the arrow and put down the bow.
Anyone should shout the alarm ‘Faste’ (fast!) to alert other archers to danger, for
example: encroachment of people or animals in front or behind targets; likely
equipment failure; an arrow falling from arrow rest or being overdrawn; target falling
over etc.
Repeat: on hearing ‘Faste’, DO NOT RELEASE THE ARROW, replace the arrow
and put down the bow. Await further instructions from the Field Captain.
An examination of our safety precautions, summarised in a current Risk
Assessment, will require some additional safety measures in our Rules of Shooting
and roping off certain areas when shooting.
General Safety Rules
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Never load an arrow into the bow unless you are on the shooting line.
Never draw a loaded bow except in the direction of the target.
Never shoot an arrow until the Field Captain (person in charge of shooting
range) has signalled permission to start, usually by a whistle.
Never go in front of the shooting line until the Field Captain has signalled
permission – he will only do this when everyone has finished shooting.
Never interfere with any equipment that does not belong to you.
Indoor 20 yards and Frostbite 30 metres
How times have changed. Along with other laws to encourage archery practice,
Henry eighth, in 1542 established an Act that, ‘No man who had reached the age of
24 years might shoot at any mark at less than eleven score yards (220 yards)
distance!
Summer Shooting Discipline
We want to bring more interest and variation into our shooting, also restore an award
scheme to encourage new members to improve.
We are working on a programme for the year, to familiarise members with different
distance rounds, also fun shoots.
Sunday shooting still goes on, from 2 pm. Start, but when Summer Time begins we
will gather at 2 pm. For prompt start at 2.30 pm. We plan to have targets for different
distance rounds, set out according to the programme but members can set up
targets at any other distance of their choice, providing they are ready to shoot at the
start time. Those not ready to shoot by the start time will have to shoot at the
distances already set out.
Shooting Line
You will have noticed that when a significant number are shooting (and we hope that
numbers increase with the warmer weather and new members) the shooting line is
too congested and there is inadequate space for a waiting area behind the shooting
line.
We are therefore considering to move the normal shooting line forward of the
obstructing ‘mobile’ home and renumbering the distance markers fixed to the fence.
The fixed target left out during the summer would therefore be at 60 yards from the
shooting line instead of the normal 80 yards. It would of course still be possible to put
out targets at 80 and 100 yards if required.
Handicap and Classification
All are encouraged to complete known ‘rounds’ and leave score sheets, for the
Records Officer to calculate handicaps and classifications ( 1st, 2nd and 3rd Class,
Bowman, Master Bowman and Grand Master Bowman).
The club handicap table will be displayed on a new notice-board to allow interested
members to note their progress.
Development
We propose to help with improvement training in the summer and use a system of
award badges for juniors and beginners.
Caption Competition
Please let me have your captions
and they (those that can be
printed) will be printed in the next
edition! There may even be a
prize for the best if I can organise
something!
And Finally....
King Harold was inspecting his troops on the eve of the Battle of Hastings, chatting
with them a bit, trying to raise their morale, that sort of thing.
He went to the swordsmen first, choosing a soldier at random from amongst the
ranks. "Do you feel ready for the battle tomorrow?" he asked.
"Oh yes, sire," the swordsman responded eagerly.
"Handy with that thing are you?" Harold asked, indicating the man's sword.
"Reasonably so, sire," the man replied. "Watch." He bent down, picked up a handful
of grass, flung it in the air, and waved his sword about. When the grass fell down
again, it had been cut into a neat line of soldier figures.
"Good work, man," said Harold, impressed, "and good luck in the battle."
"Thank you, sire," said the soldier.
King Harold proceeded to inspect the pikemen. "Are you looking forward to the
battle?" he asked one of their number.
"Yes, sire," the man replied.
"Good with your pike, are you?" the King asked.
"Not bad," the pikeman said. "See that flock of birds?" Harold nodded, and the pike
flashed in the soldiers hand. It went sailing through the air, right through the centre of
the flock, and when it came down five birds were skewered on it.
"Well done," said Harold, "and good luck in the battle tomorrow."
He then went to the archers, who stood proudly with their longbows, looking
intimidating even to someone on their side. "Are you ready for tomorrow's battle?"
King Harold asked one bowman.
The man squinted at him a bit, then said, "Good Lord, it's the King! Um, yes I'm
ready."
"What can you do with that bow, then?" Harold asked him.
"What? Oh, this thing? I dunno. Someone gave me it yesterday and told me to stay
with these people here."
"Well... do you see that barn over there, about twenty yards away?"
The archer peered in the direction of Harold's pointing finger. "Oh yes, I see it," he
said at last.
"Do you think you could hit that?"
"I think so." He lined himself up with the barn, grunting with the effort of drawing the
bow, and loosed the arrow. It sailed past the barn, five feet too high and ten feet to
the left.
"Did I hit it?" he asked.
"Er, yes," said Harold, clapping him on the back. "Well done, and good luck."
Then the King turned to the captain of archery and said in an undertone, "Watch out
for that man tomorrow, will you? He'll have somebody's eye out with that thing."
Archery jokes seem to be very rare! If you have anything better, please drop me a
line and we can include it in future editions.
Assistant Newsletter Editor: Chris Legg (email - enquiries@kctrainingltd.co.uk)