Welcome to P.A.C
A very warm welcome to Portsdown Archery Club. You have joined a club steeped in history and have chosen an excellent sport to pursue. Archery can be frustrating at times, but it is also addictive and so very rewarding. I hope you enjoy it as much as I and hope to see you at the range very soon. I also hope you will use the club to its full potential and take part in our excellent program of club shoots and social activities too, and that you will feel confident enough to join us in a competition or two. After all, we’re very proud of our achievements as a club and in our trophy cabinet! Happy shooting.
On behalf of the Chairman and the Committee.
Fees to the Club and AGB
​
Club renewals are due by the end of March each year. You will receive a reminder but it is your responsibility to make the payment if you want to keep shooting! AGB is mandatory, and fees are payable via the club (unless you are an associate member). AGB fees are payable at the end of September, again you will get a reminder. Don’t forget, if you join the club at a different time of year your fees will be pro-rata,. The membership secretary will be able to explain how your fees have been calculated.
Club Constitution and Rules
We hope will be a long-standing member of our club. To do that, we ask that you read and familiarise yourself the club constitution and follow the club rules at all times, many of which are for your safety and for the safety of other members. We also ask that you are respectful of all club members and bear in mind that we are an amateur sports club run by non-paid volunteers who happily offer their time and energy to keep the club running. We all have a duty to look after the communal areas of the club and to keep those areas clean and tidy. So, if you see a small job that needs doing then please do it.
Link into the Club
Useful links
https://www.quicksarchery.co.uk/
https://portsdownarcheryclub.com/
Whatsapp and Facebook
Join this group, and its communities, and you will always have contact with the other club members. It is a useful way to see who is at the range and when it is open. Follow us on Facebook to keep in touch and share your achievements.
To join the Whatsapp group, ask a Committee member
Meet the committee
Richard Poate —Interim Chair and membership secretary
Maria Mallett– Treasurer
Russ Cast– Field Captain
Nigel Huxtable—Maintenance officer
Mark Denney– records officer
Emma Poate—Interim Secretary and 252 and Junior member officer
Behind the scenes are many members of the club who kindly volunteer their time to maintain the grounds, keep the website updated and run the beginners courses. If you would like to volunteer in any way please speak to a committee member.
When is the Range Open?
The range is open whenever an official key holder is present. You can only shoot when there is a key holder present and you must leave if they leave. Otherwise, the range is open for club shoots every Sunday and everyone is welcome. They start promptly at 10am so please arrive no later than 9.30am to get set-up. We also run a program of summer evening shoots, we’ll publicise when these take place but they are generally Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings at 6.30 p.m.
Clubhouse and store facilities
In the club house you will find the target faces and resources such as clipboards, record sheets and pens . There is a selection of tools and other aids to keep you shooting and are for all to use. Please return them to where you found them after use.
The kitchen and toilet facilities are available for every member to use. It is also everyone’s responsibility to keep them clean and tidy.
Club shoots—what to expect and keeping safe
The field captain decides which round will be shot at the club shoots. ( see program on the website and on the club house wall)
You may decide to join in with the specific shoot or you may decide to practise at a shorter distance, either will be fine. Discuss with the other members present which target you would like to shoot at. Club shoots are often busy so it is likely you will need to share a target with another member.
Set up your bow and position it behind the waiting line inline with your target.
The Field Captain will control the shoot to make sure everyone is kept safe. They will explain what the club shoot is and give notice about when the shoot will start.
At the correct time the field captain starts the shoot by blowing the whistle once. This is the signal to come up to the shooting line and begin to shoot. Once you have shot your arrows you should return behind the waiting line.
Once all archers have shoot their arrows, the field captain will blow their whistle 3 times. This is the signal that it is safe to retrieve your arrows.
At the target, record your scores ( there are various free apps to do this or use our paper record sheets) . You must not to touch your or another members arrows until all scores have been recorded.
You should all be familiar with FAST and what it means. If you hear anyone shout ‘FAST’ then all archers must repeat it immediately, lower their bows, remove the arrow and return behind the waiting line. This is for the safety of everyone, after all we operate a live shooting range. We do run unannounced drills so keep your ears open and be prepared!
You should all be familiar with FAST and what it means. If you hear anyone shout ‘FAST’ then all archers must repeat it immediately, lower their bows, remove the arrow and return behind the waiting line. This is for the safety of everyone, after all we operate a live shooting range. We do run unannounced drills so keep your ears open and be prepared!
