The founder of the Osoyoos Traditional Archery School is hopeful a public plea to rejuvenate the club is successful or it might have to fold.
Brock Paton, who is one of the very best traditional archers in the country, said it has been very discouraging to watch club membership dwindle from more than 50 to less than 10 over the past two years.
“The bottom line is that if we don’t get several new members in the next little while, we’re going to be left with no choice but to close down,” said Paton.
Paton and two of his students, Sarah Martin and Alex Rousseau, recently returned as national champions in their respective divisions after claiming gold medals at the Canadian National Traditional Archery Championships in Lac la Biche, Alberta.
Club member Cliff Young joined the club after age 70 and within a few months had captured the provincial senior championship in his age division.
When Paton opened the archery school in the spring of 2011 inside the Desert Park recreation facility, club membership immediately soared and there were more than 50 members by the end of the first year of operation.
However, that all started to change when a flood closed down a large section of that building in February of 2012.
Since moving the club to its outdoor facility located on Strawberry Creek Road near the Osoyoos Rod and Gun Club in the mountain behind the Buena Vista Industrial Park in the summer of 2012, membership has slowly, but surely eroded.
“We had as many as 52 members when we were at Desert Park … and now we’re down to eight or nine,” said Paton. “We would really love to keep this club going as it has brought a lot of attention and recognition to the community and it’s a great family sport where mothers and fathers can come out with their kids and enjoy a sport together.”
Because of his passion for the sport, Paton inquired about moving back to Desert Park, however, the lack of current membership and request by town staff to remove the club’s equipment after every practice made a return there impossible, said Paton.
The new outdoor facility is one of the best of its kind anywhere in the province, said Paton.
There are 30 permanent targets set up and plenty of space available to run a large and successful club, he said.
Martin and Rousseau have proven to be national-calibre archers and showcased that a small club in Osoyoos can compete against the very best in Canada, said Paton.
The membership fees are extremely fair as it costs less than $300 for a family membership and $140 per year for an adult and $112.50 for a junior member.
A membership allows an archer to practice every single day of the year if they so choose, said Paton.
Regular practices take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
A membership also covers the cost of joining the British Columbia Archery Association and the excellent insurance coverage provided by that umbrella organization, said Paton.
Paton said he is very proud of what he and several of his students have accomplished on the provincial and national level and he hopes several new members will join over the next few weeks.
Anyone who might want to take up a sport that is challenging, fun and allows you to meet good people will hopefully consider joining the club, said Paton.
“The tough part is getting people out … because once they come out, they usually love it and join.”
Anyone interested in joining the Osoyoos Traditional Archery School can contact Paton at 250-495-7878 or 250-485-7663.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
