Declining shoot attendance - Any ideas ??

In some areas, at non-sanctioned 3D shoots, no formal score keeping is done, no 20 classes of bows and gear, no judges, coaches and crap, just folks shooting arrows at targets. - Sometimes individuals keep a score between them selves, but the shoot is only for fun and the prizes are door type prizes, all awarded by a draw.

How do folks feel about this - would it be more fun, perhaps draw more folks

The reasons for low shoot attendances are simple. 1. The cost has risen from $10 to $15. (yes I know it was $10 for years but it is still a main reason). 2.The price of Gasoline.3. No trophies anymore just simple medals . (yes I know its okay for some but people do like to get trophies.) So the cost of the shoot , the price of gas and a meal cost added and it has become an expensive day especially for a family. These are the main reasons, like it or not its a fact. Archery in my opinion is at an all time low and I believe it has peaks and valleys.It will be up again in the future but there will have to be something attrctive to get people out. Most are now shooting in the woods at targets or simply reserving their archery for hunting.It would seem that as the dynamic admin and volunteer types are getting older and less energetic ,Last year at my clubs 3D set up the members averaged 55 years old.There were no younger people there. They are not being relaced by up and coming newbies. Younger people are finding it harder to obtain vehicles to get them to shoots and clubs. etc etc etc. Just a few of my opinions and hope it does not offend anyone. John.

You may find that numbers of membership, ergo shoot attendance will increase after the Olympics. I have found when I was involved with a club in England that after any televised event the number of peopel wanting to learn archery went up. However, in England there is a bit of a surge in promoting archery so numbers are rising. This is mainly for target archery though, I believe as we do not have the space to accomodate many field clubs and we are not allowed to hunt. Many clubs run what we call beginners' courses which last for 6 weeks which give about 50% sign up and ergo give a small percentage that will attend shoots. I do not know whehter your club shoots mainly target, field or hunting so I cannot say what would increase the members attending shoots. I would also presume that the membership for Nova Scotia is relatively low, we have 25000+ Grand National Archery Society (GNAS) members in GB with shoots of one type or another every weekend. As a judge though I have noticed a decline in some large shoots over the past 3-4 years but the smaller local shoots have shown increases. I do not know whether this will help in any way or whether I have just been wittering. I am visiting Nova Scotia again in October and hopefully I will be able to visit a shoot, this will interest me as a coach and judge in GB.
Seán A. Gleeson Snr.