There are special tournaments that can be planned according to the season of the year. For example, near Thanksgiving time the outline of a turkey can be fastened on the target and points worked out according to the various parts of the bird. For Hallowe'en, witches, cats, or pumpkins can be used; for St. Valentine's Day, hearts of various sizes.

Wand shooting has been handed down from the days of Robin Hood himself. An old English legend relates that "Locksley [Robin Hood] returned almost instantly with a willow wand about six feet in length, perfectly straight and rather thicker than a man's thumb. He began to peel this with great composure, observing at the same time that to ask a woodsman to shoot at a target so broad as had hitherto been used was to put shame upon his skill . . . walking deliberately to the other end of the lists, and sticking the willow wand upright in the ground said, 'he that hits that rod at five score paces [one hundred yards], I call him an archer fit to bear both bow and quiver before a king.' " *

Many are the modern archers fit to bear both bow and quiver before a king, if judged by Robin Hood's standards. Today the Wand Shoot is offered occasionally as a part of a separate novelty competition. The archers shoot at a board six feet high and two inches wide at a distance of one hundred yards for men and sixty for women. A surprising number of arrows strike the wand during a contest. Beginners usually like to shoot at shorter distances. For practice, it is a good plan to place a two-inch strip of paper vertically over the center of the regular target.

Robin Hood and His Merry Men, as the movies pictured them.

* From a book of old English yarns.

Those who have archers' clubs in school like to hold a tournament occasionally. The tournament is usually held according to national regulations set down by the National Archery Association so that the scores can be compared with those on record. Several committees are appointed to help the affair along. One committee outlines the program and determines what rounds and Novelty Shoots will be best for the space and time available. A publicity committee arranges for posters to announce the meet and to see that the results get into the school and local papers. A field committee lays out the field and sees to it that the targets are set up properly. If a large crowd is expected, the field committee ropes off a section back of the shooting line for the spectators. If prizes are to be given, a committee should arrange for them. Sometimes small homemade pieces of equipment are quite satisfactory for this purpose.

A General Tournament Chairman oversees the work of the various committees, appoints a Captain of the Green or Lady Paramount, and awards the prizes. In all tournaments, there is a Field Captain, or Captain of the Green, who takes charge of the men's shooting line and a Lady Paramount who oversees the women. If it is a mixed shooting line, that is, if both men and women are shooting on the same line, only a Field Captain is necessary.

The Field Captain and the Lady Paramount may be outstanding archers who shoot in the tournament or guests who have had previous archery experience. Their duties are to blow the whistle when the archers are to begin shooting and when they are to move up to the targets to retrieve or gather up arrows. They also settle any small difficulties which may come up over scoring.

Targets are staked to the ground in all kinds of weather to keep them from blowing over. If a target should blow over when it is full of arrows it might break every arrow - a sad and rather expensive experience for the archer.

A Tournament in Full Swing.

Archery can be an all-year-round sport. In many parts of the country, the tennis player and the golfer must put away their tackle but the archer can go ahead with his shooting with the north wind blowing a blizzard outside. He merely transfers his activities from outdoors to indoors. Indoor ranges arc not so difficult to set up as one might suppose them to be. By using a light bow, one can improve his shooting form a great deal. Even tournaments can be held indoors. Small target faces that measure sixteen inches rather than forty-eight inches, such as those used outdoors, make it difficult enough to score, even at short range.

After Tony and Maris became archery enthusiasts, they found that archery is a sport to be enjoyed with others or to be pursued alone. Some of the greatest fun comes from competing with oneself and trying to improve a score from week to week and month to month. Few, if any, persons ever become so good that they cannot improve. There are always new scores to attain and better ways of sending the arrow whistling to its mark.

Some Interesting Things To Do

1. Make a list of places in your neighborhood where an indoor archery range might be set up.

2. Find out how much it will cost to make a good bow of lemon or yew wood.

3. Write a letter to a friend with the purpose of interesting him in archery.

4. Make a list of the different events that could be included in an archery tournament.

5. Work out a program for an archery club luncheon or banquet. Make a menu with archery names for the food (quiver jelly, point-of-aim salad). Make a sample place card in the shape of a target or quiver, and plan table decorations. Plan brief but peppy talks for entertainment.

6. With other members of your class, plan an archery tournament. Appoint the following committees and officials: (1) General Chairman. (2) Field Captain or Lady Paramount. (3) Program committee to decide the events and arrange the schedule. (4) Publicity committee to make the posters, write articles for newspapers, etc. (5) Invitation committee to invite archers and guests. (6) Awards committee.

7. Find out if there is an archery club in your community or state. If there is, attend one of their shoots.

8. Write an article for your school paper on Archery as a Sport.

9. Design an archery club emblem which might be worn on the sweaters of club members.

The ancient Assyrians fought with bows and arrows.