There has been discussion, by myself included, to bring an archery discipline to the Marysville Rifle Club.  With the closure of the Tyee Bowmen years ago, there are no archery ranges available to the shooter that is not interested in a two-hour round trip from the Marysville area.  This would provide another draw for membership.

In order to make this happen:
- The memership needs to approve the addition
- A chair for the discipline needs to be identified and appointed
- A range area needs to be identified, planned and built
- Equipment will need to be secured for target stands, target making, etc.
- A weekly/monthly league or shoot will need to be planned, executed and manned

The e-Committee would like to hear your thoughts on this.  Please post replies to this topic below or contact the President on the Contact Us page.  If you cannot post to this topic, you either are not logged in or not added as an MRC member.  Sorry, I haven't got the latest membership list scrubbed against registrants on the site.  Contact me through the Webmaster link at bottom-left and I will get you added.

For what it's worth, the following issues need to be addressed before a decision is made/vote taken:
As Sean Overman asked: What area will archery activity take place? The area that I see as available for archery is the grass meadow by the upper range house. I would not want to sacrifice any existing range areas or their availability to accommodate archery. Questions that come to mind are:
-How big does an archery range have to be to accommodate the archers?
-What is required to have a safe archery range? (back stops, range rules, equipment allowed, e.g. crossbows?, etc.) Arrows, like bullets, cannot leave the range.
-What is the cost for building an archery range and who will fund it? (Will we have enough fee-paying members to cover the start-up costs? Will archers have fund-raising events to cover costs?)
-Will membership fees and requirements be the same for archers as it is for shooters? (I say yes, because an archer can also shoot a firearm once they have access to the range.)
-If archery is added, do we change the club name to the Marysville Rifle and Archery Club?
Other members will probably have more questions.
I don't have any objection to the idea of an archery range as long as it does not negatively impact the shooting sports and we have satisfactory answers to the questions above.
Chris Seung
Shotwad Editor

I think that the addition of an Archery Range would be a positive step for the Club. I am sure there are many questions that need to be answered but I am sure that was the case with all of the other shooting sports the Club supports. I am willing to help research the addition of an Archery Range. However, we can't change the name of the club until we use the 2500 Business cards I had printed.
Michael Selders
#321

"However, we can't change the name of the club until we use the 2500 Business cards I had printed."

I had actually thought about that one a while ago.  Since we do Rifles... and Shotguns... and Handguns....  and Muzzleloaders.....

If we add archery, a future proposal might be to change to the Marysville Sportsman's Club.  I know ladies, not totally P.C. but better than "Rifle Club", and that's a topic for another day and time.

Here's what I can pitch in at this point, having been a member of the Silver Arrow Bowmen for several years in the 90's

"How big does an archery range have to be to accommodate the archers?"
20 yards is a minimum.  We could have 10 and 20 yard targets.  To be really useful and decent prep for hunting season, up to 50 yards is preferable.  The challenge would be in finding an area where we could stagger targets like the pistol range.
 
"What is required to have a safe archery range?"
Very much like the pistol range, only without the steel backstops.  At the SAB, we used a hydraulic press to compress bales of hay.  1 1/2 bales were fed into the hopper and the press squeezed them to about 1/2 their starting size.  These were banded with steel bands and stacked.  It took a whole lot of shooting before an arrow even thought abouit reaching the othe side.  Rules and SOPs would need to be established to ensure members shot safely including eliminating 'cheating' on the draw. 

"Will archers have fund-raising events to cover costs?"
Sure, why not, but which comes first, the range or the event to cover the range.  Without a range, we have car washes and bake sales.

"Will membership fees and requirements be the same for archers as it is for shooters?" I would see it as another discipline offered at MRC like shotguns and muzzleloading.

I think this idea is a bad one. Why does MRC have to be all things to all people. It is a wild departure from MRC’s core competency.
If you want to spear chuck – use bay 9 or the pistol range and make do. The danger of a arrow leaving these ranges is nill.

Don Jones

Is a MRCPS Approved or MRCPS Solo Approved sticker required to solo practice archery in an action bay?

At this time, archery is not allowed at the club and doesn't look like it ever will be if the minority vocal membership has anything to say about it. I'd suggest looking at Silver Arrow Bowmen in Mt Vernon. We just installed range lights so you can shoot on the flat range at night. The walk-through course is $2.00 and membership is all of $30/year.

http://www.silverarrowbowmen.com

Individual or small group archery practice isn't expressly forbidden in the bylaws or SOP at MRC. Bay 9 is what, the BP range behind the CAS range? While it would be nice if the club provided a portable stand, I think I could provide my own for an afternoon practice

Also, don't see a big need for a name change if archery is added as a descreet discipline; I've been a member of multiple gun clubs/ ranges back east in NM, ME & IL over the years; all of which made some provision for archers, most were still only called a "gun" or "rod & pistol" club.

accidental double post.