Archery Group Forming for Young Men and Women

Young men and women ages 14 to 20 from Ocean County are invited to join a new archery club organized by the Boy Scouts of America's Jersey Shore Council that aims to build skills from the ground up.

An introduction and general sign up for a Venture Crew for Archery will be held 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 7 at Boy Scouts of America Clayton Scout Service Center, 1519 Ridgeway Rd., Toms River.

The Venture Crew, which has a $20-per-year fee, is a partnership between the Jersey Shore Boy Scouts and Black Knight Bowbenders of Jackson Township. All equipment will be provided by the Bowbenders. The crew will meet the first Tuesday of each month in various locations.

“They will learn about competing and the history of archery, which is a tradition that goes back thousands of years all over the world,” said Lacey Township crew advisor Joe DeRado. “It’s an opportunity to learn something new and gives those who are less athletic an opportunity to compete.”

DeRado said the Archery venture crew will learn how to shoot, fletch arrows, build Flemish bowstrings, and compete in archery tournaments.

The Black Knight Bowbenders is a group of archers who participate in field archery, target archer, 3-D shooting and bow hunting. One of the organization’s purposes is “to assist in the instruction of new archers when called upon to do so, especially in the area of safety and sportsmanship,” according to their website.

Even though Boy Scouts learn about archery at Boy Scout camp, DeRado said they are usually taught by teenage Boy Scouts when earning their Archery badge. Participants in the venture crew will receive instruction from skilled archers.

“These kids will be very proficient with a bow within a year,” he said.

Venturing is a youth development program where local community organizations match “their people and program resources to the interests of young people in the community,” according to the Boy Scouts of America website. 

Venture crews can specialize in various hobby and occupation interests.  Participants become skilled and can act as a resource for younger scouts or other groups, which can offer leadership experience.

“Venture crews broaden the opportunities for kids to get involved with something you don’t see every day,” said DeRado. “It takes a specific piece of scouting for older kids and gives them an avenue to be with their peers outside of scouting and be at a more challenging level.”

For more information on venturing through the Boy Scouts of America Jersey Shore Council, visit their website at www.jerseyshore-bsa.org.