Members of Amador County show off their archery skills at the Lodi Bowmen Archery School, which recently graduated 24 people from its fall 2008 class. Sign-ups are being taken for next year. Photo by: Courtesy to the Ledger Dispatch Twenty-four people from Amador County recently graduated from Lodi Bowen Archery School; the class included three seniors, 17 adults, two young adults and four youths. Photo by: Courtesy to the Ledger Dispatch

Lodi Bowmen Archery School held a graudation for 19 beginning archers and five advanced level archers recently from its Fun for Families program.

Three seniors, 17 adults, two young adults, four youth and one cub spent four consecutive weekends in a hands-on intensive course, learning correct shooting form, safety, equipment selection, and finishing up the class with a proficiency test and a class tournament.

"The course provides individuals with the knowledge to take them from beginner to Class A shooters (expert level), and is especially good for youngsters as it promotes self-esteem, confidence, and ethics" said head coach Brent Sloan. "It also gives the family a common activity where all members can participate together.. The overall focus of the course is safety and having fun."

Kim Crippen of Pioneer said, "I had a wonderful time. I enjoyed the company of the other students and all of the instructors were great. They were all so patient and dedicated without being too serious - had more fun than I had even hoped for."

Several families participated in the 32-hour course over four weekends. Andrea and Darby Bates of Pine Grove, parents of 10-year-old Darby Jr., said they heard about the archery class through the Amador County Recreation Agency on-line newsletter. They had a terrific time and would recommend this course to everyone. "Our son is home-schooled with Visions in Education," said Andrea. "We are always looking for ways to get his physical education accomplished. We were thrilled to find that we could take an archery class as a family. The price was right, the equipment was provided, and the training was excellent. I still can't believe how much we learned."

Andrea Bates continued, "We were amazed that the class not only provided all the necessary equipment, but we were allowed to take it home and practice, too. We were assigned homework along the way, a test was sent home for the whole family to complete, and plenty of help was provided to help us purchase the correct equipment in the future. The end of the class was a blast. We went out in a beautiful setting to compete in a tournament with fun targets and then we ended with a graduation ceremony and barbecue."

Brent Sloan, certified National Field Archery Association master instructor and 2006 NFAA National Champion, along with five advanced certified instructors; Lynn and Bob Shield, Dennis Parrish, Victor Morrison, and Jeff Bowles dedicated six weekends to class activities. Randy Johnson was Safety Monitor and committed four week-ends to make shooting safe, and Elyse Sloan was up early each morning making coffee and hot chocolate. According to the club in its e-mail, all of these dedicated volunteers have made it their goal to share the sport of archery with the students and make it a fun learning experience.

Hazel Joyce, a retired business woman of Sutter Creek said she never excelled at sports. "I have never been athletic, but my friend and coach Lynn Shield told me about archery and it sounded like fun, so I signed up. I know I wasn't the best of students but the score on my proficiency test suggests I must have learned something. I am using the bragging rights to my family and friends."

Students who have completed 32 hours of classes and acquired their own equipment are able to participate in tournaments that take place almost every weekend within a reasonable driving distance. The regulated handicap system used by the NFAA allows archers of all skill levels to participate for ribbons and prizes. Once necessary equipment is purchased, the cost of competing in the sport is limited to travel expenses, tournament registration and food and drink; no alcohol is served.

Lodi Bowmen, Inc. was formed about 50 years ago to support archery in the United States. The archery own its archery range in Ione near Lake Camanche, which consists of 95 acres. The range has a large practice area, 42 archery targets laid out similar to a golf course, and approximately 45 acres committed to wilderness for 3D animal targets to increase hunters' skills. Lodi Bowmen is associated with the NFAA, which regulates rules and safety requirements.

The next class will be given next October 2009. Classes are held at Lodi Bowmen's archery range, located on Buena Vista Road near north Lake Camanche. All equipment is provided, and the cost is $100 per individual, or $150 per family unit. Those interested should contact Brent Sloan at 571-1618 or e-mail archeryplus@pacbell.net to get on the list. Participants will be notified in July 2009 and will have the opportunity to reserve their spots at that time.