1) The end of 'apply by post enclosing a cheque' events - it's 2020 FFS, not 1970!
2) Compulsory use of electronic timing systems at RS events
3) same for 'proper' lighting of each target for indoor comps
...and I'm interested in what peeps from other counties have experienced in this regard.
I shoot in Yorkshire which I would say is one of the best atered for counties in the UK in terms of both what the Yorkshire Archery Association put on for a very small YAA payment each year and the number and type of available competitions.....
Application to events - taking cheque payments for a lot of people is much simpler than trying to match up electronic payments to application forms coming in.... The larger clubs and longer running events are starting to move across to things like Eventbrite for bookings and payments, but I would think that local club run competitions, of which we probably have 8 or 10 each year in Yorkshire just in target, will continue, and I personally can understand that, treasurers have enough to do...
Electronic timing at RS events - someone may correct me, but im sure that part of being an RS shoot is that it must be timed..... I cant see what the issue with this is? If you dont like being timed, dont go to RS shoots?
Proper lighting - this is totally dependant on what the local facilities are that the club can hire, and this again comes back to how much people are prepared to pay. As an example, my club hires a school gym three sessions a week, which costs the thick end of £3k a winter. The lighting in there is perfect as its set up for people to play basketball, indoor cricket etc. For comparison, my local archery shop has a full size indoor range which, if you have an AGB card, you can turn up to for a pay and play session, at £5 for 2 hrs. It is purpose built with lighting etc BUT I cant see the shibuya fibre sight pin in there as the lighting is set up to be diffuse at the shooting line and brighter down at the target, so theres not enough direct light to illuminate the fibre as much as our hall does, giving a totally different shooting experience.
Do things need to change in archery? I think that is totally dependant on which club you shoot with and which county your in. For me, at my club and in Yorkshire, no... Our club covers both competitve archers, like me, and fun archers who turn up and shoot when they feel like it, plus recurve, ELB, barebow, horsebow and compound... .We have two level 1 coaches and a very active level 2 coach, all of who are available to anyone who asks, and we run coaching sessions for anywhere between 1 and 5 people as and when there is a need or opportunity.....
We shoot target, but have plenty of fun shoots through the year, including a clout competition but using jelly bows only, so at about 65 yds....
There are local field courses about the area if people want to try that, as well as clout comps, we dont run any as we dont have the facilities, but make sure people know where they are and encourage people to try them if they want to.
I appreciate our club is a lot different to lot of other places, but I dont believe any of this is down to AGB, its about how your club is structured, and your area.. bottom line is, if you dont like it or want something different to happen, you have four options..... lobby the committee to make it happen, get on the committee yourself and push it through, put the activity on yourself, or leave and go somewhere else...
2p... ker plink