No I’m not talking golf, this an archery blog after all.

I believe a club is far more than somewhere you turn up once or maybe twice a week, shoot a few arrows and maybe chat with other archers.

Clubs are made up of groups of individuals with a common interest, archery. How they approach these interests will also be individual but it is a common interest. If you have either been involved with any club or organisation you will know there are always a few characters in every club.

One thing to remember in any or all clubs, no matter its size, needs the support from members.

So far in our archery life we have been actively involved with 2 clubs (Black Arrow and Artemis both being Derbyshire based) With moving house last July we have left these two behind and joined Severn Valley. That is not to say we have forgotten about them. I still get emails and calls from colleagues at these clubs to swap notes and ask advice.

Like people clubs have their own personality and characteristics. Some might be very traditional, favouring traditional style bows, other clubs might be competitive, or interested in new styles of bows or the latest compound gadget and sight, but they are all there to support the archer.

Black Arrow  is a small club with a small but very challenging course on a hillside. If you want to learn how to shoot up, down or across a hillside its a great proving ground. Largely a wooden arrow club with many fine longbow and recurve archers.

Artemis based not far from Belper, might be familiar to EFAA archers as they have both a NFAS course and EFAA course. Artemis are also well-known on the circuit having run a few shoots and laying a course at national championships.

So the new club  to us is Severn Valley, one of the oldest field archery clubs in the UK. It is due to celebrate its 60th anniversary later this year.

Likewise membership of a club is commitment by the individual to the club and supporting its activities, whether those activities be running shoots, laying courses, running have a go sessions at country fates or shows, or doing the hard work down the wood repairing target bosses, digging in steps, clearing snow in the winter, clearing undergrowth in the summer.

Club need members to help out

Charles blog has a recent entry on how individuals efforts can support a club or a shoot.

So if you are a member of club may I suggest that you make a new years resolution that you do your best to support your club and its executive body.

Thanks for reading.