Club News

Fri 9th Sep 2011

Island Archers Annual General Meeting

Island Archers' Annual General Meeting is scheduled for 7pm on Wednesday 28^th September 2011 in the school canteen of Sgoil nan Loch (Lochs School), Cameron Terrace, North Lochs, and consequently there will be no shooting on that date. The Club would like to apologise to any member wanting to shoot on that Wednesday (especially those who have shiny new equipment to play with!) but it is a meeting we constitutionally have to hold around this time of year - sorry, but leave the bow at home this week, eh?!

The Agenda for discussion is as follows:- (click 'read more')

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Club News

Thu 16th Jun 2011

Long-awaited outdoor season proving popular

After a delayed start due to gales and torrential rain, Island Archers members have been enjoying the more varied challenge of outdoor archery in unprecedented numbers for the Club, shooting the longer ranges afforded by the open space of Sgoil nan Loch's games pitch whilst having to contend with 'aiming off' to compensate for the breeze.

Whilst it is extremely gratifying to see the grins on the faces of members enjoying the challenge, the Club would like to remind everyone of our 'conditions of use' for the games pitch for outdoor shooting to ensure that the health and safety of other users is assured:

• Warning signs shall be placed at all entrances to the shooting area before the start of shooting and taken down after shooting has finished.
• The direction of shooting shall be approximately from the north-west corner towards the south-east corner of the pitch.
• Shooting shall be controlled by a safety officer, who shall be an experienced senior member of the Club and shall not also shoot.
• Archers are not permitted to use all-carbon arrows. If they are in any doubt, they should consult the safety officer.
• Shooting shall not start unless the Club's metal detector is on-site and has adequate battery power.
• If an arrow is lost during the session, shooting shall cease until it is found.
• If a lost arrow cannot be located in the time available, both the archer and safety officer shall fill in a 'lost arrow report', which shall be handed to Sgoil nan Loch staff, and additional efforts to find the arrow should be made at the first available opportunity.

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Club News

Mon 30th May 2011

Bad weather delays start of outdoor season - Sports Centre stay extended

Due to the absolutely abysmal forecast for its weekly shooting session on Wednesday 1^st June, Island Archers has decided to postpone the start of its outdoor season on safety grounds.

With winds forecast to top Force 7, with gusts of F9, and torrential rain, the Club has instead booked an additional session in the Games Hall at Ionad Spòrs Leòdhais (Lewis Sports Centre, Springfield Road, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis), but between 8pm and 10pm on Wednesday 1^st June, since other users have booked the hall from 7pm to 8pm.

The Club would like to apologise for any inconvenience due to the later-than-normal start time, especially to its younger members and those who have to travel long distances to get to Club shooting sessions.

It is hoped that the Club can start its outdoor season on 8th June on the games pitch at Sgoil nan Loch, despite the current long-range forecast predicting a bit of drizzle and lighter winds.

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Club News

Wed 27th Apr 2011

Joanne proves she is veritable Robin Hood

New Island Archers member Joanne Pedder stunned those assembled in the Lewis Sports Centre for the Club's weekly practice session on 27^th April, shooting into the back of her own arrow which was in the target at 20 yards range, in not only her first shooting session with the Club, but also in the first few ends of practice. Talk about making an impression early!

Named after the fabled mythical archer, due to the legend that he once split an arrow in the target to win an archery competition, a 'robin hood' is statistically extremely unlikely, in that one arrow seldom strikes another in the target hard enough that the striking arrow is driven down the hollow shaft of the arrow in the target, with the usual outcome being damage to the nock or fletchings (or both) of the arrow in the target as the striking arrow is deflected away into a different part of the target, and many archers go through their entire archery careers without ever having achieved one.

Although it's theoretically possible to extract the rear-most arrow and use it again (the arrow in the target is usually a write-off), it is traditional that the two arrows are kept in the condition that they are discovered in the target, and mounted or framed by the archer as proof of the precision of their shooting ability.

However, characteristically modest, Joanne later commented, "It's a shame it hit the arrow in the black. It would have been better if it had 'robin-hooded' one in the gold, but I'm kinda pleased as it's never happened to me before. The only problem now is that I'm down a couple of arrows!"

Welcome to Island Archers, Joanne!

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Club News

Wed 6th Apr 2011

Island Archers moves back to the Nicolson

Due to the as-yet unresolved issue of the janitorial overtime ban at Sgoil nan Loch, Island Archers has been forced to temporarily return to the Nicolson Institute assembly hall for its weekly Club shooting sessions.

It is planned that Club sessions will be held at the Nicolson Institute on Springfield Road, Stornoway, between 7pm and 9pm on Wednesday 6^th and Wednesday 13^th April, before moving over the road to the sports hall at the Lewis Sports Centre for six weeks from 20^th April.

The Club would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

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