UK Student Archery Association

When the well runs dry [08/Mar/21]

Student clubs normally have a rapid turnover of membership and every year they would expect to lose a large chunk of their top shooters and senior organisers to graduation. That will still be true in 2021. However this season, clubs have been largely unable to replenish their supply of members with new beginners.

This will leave most clubs significantly downsized. Additionally, at the start of March, clubs are approaching a key moment of the year, AGM season. AGMs are normally held well before the mortarboards get hurled skywards, in order to ensure a smooth handover.

A lack of numbers may leave clubs in trouble when it comes to filling key committee roles and meeting minimum membership requirements in advance of the 2021/22 season.

BUCS EMG has reached out to clubs by email. If you think your club might have a problem with filling committee posts, particularly those requiring more specialist knowledge, or coaching roles then please get in contact with them.

The EMG has also had disucssions with ArcheryGB to find out what kind of help they can supply. There's potential support from the Archery GB Regional Development Officers to highlight coaches and "normal" clubs that might pair up and help. Coaching courses with ArcheryGB are now modular and ArcheryGB are investigating if a voucher system could be made available to those needing to make a full payment due to union funding.

ArcheryGB also look set to provide a pro-rata'd individual fee for the remainder of the affiliation year 2020/21 to those University Archers whose clubs may not be able to justify/afford the en-bloc fee.

UKSAA strongly recommends discussing the topic of who will run your clubs next season ASAP. Work out who is around next year. Establish which roles require technical knowledge and which require enthusiasm. Tap up local non-students, e.g. recent graduates, local clubs.

TL;DR - Plan now, avoid face-planting later.

Once your club's new committees for 21/22 is in place, please contact UKSAA with details so that the Club Directory can be updated.

Also, a reminder to clubs to look at the BUCS Outdoors proposal that they have been emailed and to provide feedback as appropriate. The headline change would be that, for 2021 only, the WA1440 round on the Saturday would be replaced by a WA900 - 2.5 dozen at 60m, 50m and 40m.