HOW CAN I START ARCHERY WITH CHEWTON ARCHERS?
In short - easily! Chewton Archers offers a two-hour come and try session for you to experience archery with us. In a small group (8 person max) you will learn how to be safe and shooting technique under the guidance of an Archery Australia accredited coach.
If you enjoy yourself, you might consider joining our Club. Typically you will need to complete a further two Come and Try sessions (see below 'How can I join Chewton Archers?')
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
Chewton Archers is committed to inclusivity and accessibility. Anyone 8 years or older is eligible to participate in a Come and Try Session at Chewton Archers, provided that they agree to be bound by the Club’s Code of Conduct when signing in prior to beginning the Come and Try session.
As far as possible given our resource constraints, we will do our best to support all abilities participation, so please contact us at chewtonarchery@gmail.com if you have any queries and we will explore ways to support you.
WHO RUNS MY COME AND TRY SESSION?
Chewton Archers, with the help of its Archery Australia accredited volunteer coaches, runs all Come and Try sessions. The Club is affiliated with Archery Australia which means that our coaches are up to date with the latest archery practices and you will also be covered by Archery Australia’s insurance cover.
SESSION COSTS
The cost for each of the sessions is $35 for an adult, and $30 for those under 18 years old.
The Club is registered with the Victorian Government’s Get Active Kids voucher program: https://www.getactive.vic.gov.au/vouchers/ If a person <18 years old qualifies for this voucher program, a voucher for $200 can cover the cost of participating in Come and Try sessions, Club membership and/or Club vouchers for range and equipment fees. Please contact us at chewtonarchery@gmail.com to discuss the most appropriate package for you.
SESSION TIMES
Come and Try sessions are generally held three times per month: one Saturday afternoon from 1-30 to 3-30 pm and two Sunday mornings from 10-00am until 12 noon.
BOOK FOR JUST ONE, TWO OR THREE SESSIONS – IT IS YOUR CHOICE
You can book just one Come and Try session, without obligation to proceed to a second or third. However, if you think you might become a member; please consider booking all three sessions.
HOW TO BOOK
To view available sessions and to book please visit our booking site at:
https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=1035695&
If the available times do not suit you, please contact us (see below for contact options) and we will see what we can do for you.
ENROLLING JUST YOUR CHILD?
The Club Code of Conduct requires that a person under 16 years old must be accompanied by a responsible adult while participating in Club activities. In our experience, those who have enrolled only a child discover that they also would like to participate.
There are not too many sports where parents/carers, grandparents and children can all participate together, so here is your opportunity. Standing side by side at the shooting line, target archers can set themselves personally appropriate levels of difficulty by changing the target size and distance. A person can shoot at a large target just 10m away, while the person next to them can be shooting at a smaller target up to 90m away.
So you might like to consider booking both yourself and the child for first Come and Try session. You and the child in your care will enjoy the experience more if you do it together - you can help each other as you progress. Further, you have nothing to lose and you might be surprised – many of our current members discovered their enjoyment of archery in this way!
WHERE ARE COME AND TRY SESSIONS HELD?
All sessions are held at the Club’s premises, Chewton Archery Park, 663 Pyrenees Highway, Chewton, Victoria 3451: https://goo.gl/maps/34SqzmbHKweKv3Mt5
WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING TO MY COME AND TRY SESSION?
Yourself, a water bottle, a sun hat and sunscreen (we have sunscreen if you forget). We provide you with all other appropriate safety and shooting equipment and ensure that you understand how to use it before we commence the session.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE ATTENDING YOUR FIRST COME AND TRY SESSION
Statistically, archery is a very safe sport. However, for the safety of you and others attending your session, please note the following important safety instructions:
1. When shooting, the bow string travels at considerable speed close to your body. So it is important to make sure that the string will not become tangled with anything. Prior to commencement of the session:
- Hair must be tied back off the face;
- Loose jewellery (eg bracelets, long necklaces, chains) removed ; and
- Some facial piercings may need to be covered or removed;
- Loose or bulky clothing (eg a scarf or puffer jacket) removed, so consider wearing a fitted top (but not necessarily tight fitting eg polo shirt, long sleeved shirt, etc)
- Chest pockets should be emptied of bulky items.
2. Arrows have a sharp point at the front and can be quite sharp at the rear of the arrow (the ‘nock’). So to prevent injury from dropped arrows etc:
Footwear should be closed over the top of the foot – flat sole shoes, running shoes, walking boots and similar are all suitable. (thongs, sandals and similar footwear are not appropriate, and you will be unable to participate if you wear unsuitable footwear)
3. We spend time outdoors, so protection from ultraviolet radiation is important:
- Bring a hat (many archers use a ‘bucket hat’ because baseball caps can interfere with your shooting),
- If you have one, an SPF 50+ shirt (or tight woven shirt), with long sleeves and a collar, is ideal. Otherwise, a long-sleeved shirt or sun sleeves will be sufficient.
- Consider bringing sunglasses – some archers shoot with them.
- Finally, please and apply your sunscreen (to avoid allergies) to all exposed skin. However, there is sunscreen at the Club if you forget your own.
4. Please ensure that you are not under the influence of alcohol or any other substance that could affect your participation at this session.
5. If you have any pre-existing medical condition that we should know about, please let us know – we will do our best to make any adjustments so that the session is as enjoyable as possible for you.
HOW CAN I JOIN CHEWTON ARCHERS?
For safety reasons, prospective members of Chewton Archers must meet required safety standards before being accepted for membership.
Different pathways to membership are described in a separate information sheet: https://www.chewtonarchers.com/p/membership.html
However, most prospective members will need to complete a program of three of these Come and Try sessions. Over these three sessions you will develop your archery skills and knowledge while you continue shooting. You will learn more about your shooting technique, archery equipment, different types of archery and participating in a scored shooting round.
