Girl Scout Name: Ada
Girl Scout Badge: Archery
Girls must complete one activity from each of the 5 Steps of the badge.
1. Get to know archery equipment
April 28, 2022
Parts and types of bows - I learned the parts of compound and recurve bows (riser, limbs, cam, string, cable rod, and cable slide for a compound; just a riser, limbs, arrow rest, and string for a recurve)Parts and types of arrows - I learned the parts of an arrow (fletching, shaft, nock, tip)
I also learned about what type of bow is best for me - a light recurve, with a 15 - 20 pound pull weight; also that arrows with feathered fletching fly the straightest on recurve bows.
2. Learn about archery safety
April 11, 2022
I went to Hit or Miss Archery Center. There, they sound a bell when you can retreive your arrows, and call out "clear" when everyone is done shooting, and you're not supposed to shoot while the red light is on. I wore shorts and a t-shirt, so nothing got caught up while I was shooting.3. Practice archery before you go on a range
April 11, 2022
I went to Hit or Miss Archery Center and got lessons from an instructor. We covered stance, grip, pullback, and how to nock an arrow. I used a compound bow. I went to Hit or Miss Archery Center a second time and got lessons from an instructor. We covered how to judge the distance to a target, how to shoot accurately, and how to score. I tried shooting a panther (not real) to see how far off the target I needed to aim to hit where I was shooting. We also covered the steps of getting ready to shoot. I used a recurve bow, and it was harder to pull back the string, but I liked it more than the compound bow.4. Shoot on an archery range
April 11 - 28, 2022
For all of my lessons, I went to an archery range. I learned the specific rules for that range and shot at some targets.5. Create an archery challenge
June 4, 2022
On my birthday my older brother came over to visit, and we set up archery challenges for each other with blocks of wood in my backyard (just FYI, we used foam arrowheads so nobody would get hurt if we accidentally shot over the fence). I we used the bow and arrows I got as a birthday present from my parents, and as a bonus I had to assemble my bow, because it was a takedown bow. 😆
I chose this badge because...
I wanted to learn archery before I knew about this badge and I like being outdoors.
My favority activity was...
I really loved when my brother and I made challenges for each other, because it was really fun and we came up with all sorts of weird ideas. For example, he stacked a slab of wood on two planks and we both tried to get an arrow through the arch without hitting anything (we both failed).
This badge taught me about...
How hard it is to aim at your target while holding up a super heavy bow, how to be safe while practicing, and get your arrow where you want it to go.
The activities for this badge fit under these parts of the Girl Scout Law...
- Courageous and strong - It is very hard and dangerous to practice archery. You have to really focus, be able to pull back far enough on the string of the bow, and hold it up long enough to aim.
- Responsible for what I say and do - You have to be careful not to break your bow or arrows or use them the wrong way.
- Respect myself and others, respect authority - You cannot shoot an arrow when someone is in the target area of an archery range, and if you are getting lessons, you always have to listen to your instructor.
- Use resources wisely - Again, you have to be careful not to break the bow or arrows you are using, especially if they are not yours.