POLICIES OF THE EAST KINGDOM CAPTAIN-GENERAL OF ARCHERS

 

I. REQUIREMENTS FOR ARCHERY OFFICERS

 

A. All warranted archery marshals are required to maintain membership in the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc.

1. A marshal's warrant is voided by a lapse of membership and will not be renewed until the appropriate proof is provided to the Captain-General.

B. All warranted marshals are expected to exhibit a minimum level of activity.

1.Marshals that report little or no activity for a prolonged period of time will not have their warrants renewed.

2.Persons applying for warranting must have a current Royal Round average on file with the Kingdom Scorekeeper. Marshals who have had their warrants revoked must establish a Royal Round average before reapplying. These are the only instances where a Royal Round average is required.

C. All marshals must be of legal age in their state of residence.

D. The individual requirements for each office are outlined below.

1. Archery Marshal

a. Must be a current member of the Society for Creative Anachronism

 b. Must successfully complete the warranting procedure.

c. Must have been added to the official roster by the Captain-General.

2. Company Captain

a. Must be a warranted archery marshal.

b. As the position is a local office, the approval of the local seneschal is required.

c. It is strongly recommended that the archers of the group approve of the appointment.

3. Archery Scorekeeper

a. Appointed by the Captain-General.

4. Lieutenant-General

a. Must be a warranted archery marshal.

b. Appointed by the Captain-General.

5. Regional Archery Commander

a. Must be a warranted archery marshal.

b. Appointed by the Captain-General.

6. Principality Archery Commander

a. Appointed by the Coronet.

7. Captain-General of the Archers

a. Appointed by the Crown.

E. The warranting procedure for archery marshals is outlined below.

1. Regional Archery Commanders and Lieutenant-Generals will administer the warranting procedure to candidates for the archery marshallate.

2. Candidates for the archery marshallate will be required to successfully demonstrate their knowledge of the Policies of the Captain-General to the warranting marshal including the following:

a. Responsibilities of the archery marshallate.

b. Equipment standards.

c. Procedures for running a shoot.

d. Rules for scoring.

e. Rules for Royal Rounds.

3. The warranting marshal will assess the candidate for their knowledge of range safety standards and for their ability to monitor an archery range for safe operation.

4. The warranting marshal will assess the practical archery experience of the candidate in order to provide for the adequate training of archers by the candidate.

5. The warranting marshal may administer the warranting procedure as an oral, written, or practical examination.

6. Upon successful completion of the warranting procedure by a candidate, the warranting marshal will submit the following information to the Captain-General, the Regional Archery Commander and the Scorekeeper:

a. The candidate’s SCAdian and mundane names in full.

b. The candidate’s contact information including street address, phone number, and if available, e-mail address and fax number.

c. The candidate’s local group.

d. The date and site of the warranting procedure.

e. The name of the warranting marshal.

f. Any further recommendations regarding the candidate

7. The Captain-General will determine the inclusion of the candidate on the official roster of the archery marshallate based on the recommendations of the warranting marshal.

 

II. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ARCHERY MARSHALLATE

 

A. No archery shall take place at an event without a warranted archery marshal present, hereafter referred to as the marshal-in-charge.

1.In the event of any disagreement, the marshal-in-charge shall resolve the dispute.

2.The marshal's commands are to be followed explicitly by all the archers while on the archery field.

a. Failure to follow direction will result in the archer being removed from the field for the day.

B. The marshal-in-charge may request the assistance of other marshals in running the line and inspecting equipment, but the responsibility for safety remains with the marshal-in-charge.

C. The marshal-in-charge or the assisting marshals shall inspect all bows, arrows, and strings for damage and/or improper materials.

1.Equipment that does not adhere to the standards set forth in Section III shall not be used in Eastern archery.

            2.Equipment deemed dangerous by the marshal shall not be used.

D. All marshals are responsible for the enforcement of the rules and safety standards for East Kingdom Archery.

E. Archery marshals attending large regional and interkingdom events will be expected to assist the archery marshal-in-charge upon request with any necessary marshalling responsibilities in order to ensure the safety of the participating archers.

1.The marshal-in-charge will determine what assistance is needed from the marshallate in order to run the archery range in a safe and efficient manner.

2. Archery marshals attending Pennsic will be expected to provide at least 4 hours of marshalling service during the event.

3. Failure to provide such marshalling service at large events may be grounds for revoking a marshal’s warrant at the discretion of the Captain-General.

F. The individual responsibilities of each office are outlined below.

1.Captain-General of the Archers

a. As defined by Kingdom Law.

2. Principality Archery Commander

a. As defined by Principality Law, and otherwise as a Regional Archery

Commander.

3. Regional Archery Commander

To oversee archery within their region by:

a. Receiving and monitoring the reports of captains and marshals residing within the region.

b. Training the marshals within the region and administering the warranting procedure.

c. Organizing an annual regional archery war practice and overseeing the muster of archers in time of war.

d. Reporting the status of the region's marshallate to the Captain-General twice annually, as defined below.

e. Keeping the files of the office in good order.

4. Lieutenant-General

To assist the Archery Commanders with their duties by:

a. Training marshals and administering the warranting procedure.

b. Organizing an annual regional archery war practice and overseeing the muster of archers in time of war.

c. Reporting their activities to the Captain-General twice annually, as defined below.

d. Keeping the Regional Archery Commanders advised of their activities.

e. Keeping the files of the office in good order.

5. Archery Scorekeeper

To maintain a database of Royal Round averages by:

a. Receiving, recording and publishing the scores submitted by marshals throughout the kingdom.

b. Keeping the files of the office in good order.

6. Company Captain

To foster the growth of archery in the local group by:

a. The formation of a company of archers.

b. Providing archery activities at local events.

c. Arranging a practice site for the group's archers and administering a regularly scheduled practice.

d. Representing the interests of the group's archers at local meetings.

e. Arranging for the recognition of those archers that have advanced in rank.

f. Reporting the status of archery in the group to the Regional Archery Commander twice annually, as defined below.

7. Archery Marshal

To foster the growth of archery throughout the kingdom by:

a. Assisting Company Captains with their duties.

b. Providing for the organization and running of archery activities whenever

needed.

c. Reporting their activities to their Regional Archery Commander twice annually, as defined below.

d. Keeping the Company Captains advised of their activities.

F. Schedule of Reporting Deadlines

1. All marshals and captains shall report to their Regional Archery Commander on, or before, April 1st and October 1st of each year.

a. The report shall contain the marshal's SCAdian and mundane names, address, phone number, local group, office held and a brief letter detailing recent or upcoming activities. Proof of membership must also be included.

2. Archery Commanders shall report to the Captain-General on, or before, May 1st and November 1st of each year.

a. The report shall contain a detailed listing of the marshals and captains that filed reports, and also a list of those that did not.

b. Updates to the roster of marshals should also be included. (i.e., new addresses, proofs of membership, etc.).

c. The report must also contain a detailed letter on the status of archery in the area. Any problem areas should also be defined.

3. Lieutenant-Generals shall report on the same schedule as that used by the Archery Marshallate, April 1, & October 1.

a. The report shall contain a letter outlining the officer's activity during the period, and include observations on the state of archery in the kingdom.

4. All marshals who fail to report will be brought to the attention of the Captain-General by the Regional Archery Commanders.

a. Those that fail to report at the end of a period shall be considered inactive, and removed from the roster.

G. Failure to fulfill the requirements and responsibilities listed above may result in removal from the roster of warranted marshals.

1. Those removed from the roster shall be allowed thirty days to apply for re-warranting.

a. The reason(s) for removal must be corrected before applying.

b. After thirty days, applicants for re-warranting will be required to undergo the warranting procedure.

 

III. EQUIPMENT STANDARDS

 

A. Bows

1. No compound bows are allowed.

2. Adjustable or fixed sights may not be attached to straight bows or recurves.

a. Marks on limbs are allowed.

3. There are no draw weight limits for target archery bows.

4. No modern spring/flipper rests or plunger buttons are allowed.

a. Wire rests are not allowed.

b. Simple one-piece plastic attachable rests are allowed.

c. Plastic or nylon bristle rests are allowed.

5. Bow straps are allowed.

6. No stabilizers, clickers, or modern string release devices are allowed.

7. Bows with cut out risers (i.e.: those you can see through from the side) must have the openings covered so as to present a solid surface and an appearance more in keeping with medireview archery.

B. Crossbows

1. No center-shot or split-prod styles are allowed.

2. No compound prods or break-cocking styles are allowed.

3. Ballistas of any kind are not allowed.

4. Rear peep sights may be attached. Front sights are not allowed.

5. Limb coverings are not required.

6. Slings may be attached to the bow, but may not be used as an aid in shooting

7. Stocks made out of any material other than wood must have any openings that you can see through in profile filled or covered to appear more period.

C. Strings

1. All strings must be appropriate for the bow type and weight.

2. Strings may not be constructed of material prone to failure, such as natural sinew or gut.

a. Linen, silk and artificial sinew strings are acceptable, as long as they are constructed properly.

b. Strings that have become knotted, or those that have been repaired by knotting strands together shall not be used. This rule does not forbid those string designs that incorporate knots in their original design.

3. A nocking point may be attached to the string.

a. Both metal and tied-on nocking points are acceptable.

b. A single nocking point is allowed. The nocking point may consist of one or two locators, which may be of any type.

c. The locators may not extend above or below the arrow nock in such a way as to allow them to be used as sighting mechanisms.

4. String silencers may be used.

5. It is strongly recommended that the ends of the string be served, and that a serving cover the nocking area of the string.

a. It should be noted that Japanese and Flemish style strings, which are rarely served at the ends, are acceptable.

6. Peep sights mounted on the string are not allowed.

D. Arrows & Bolts

1. All shaftments shall be of natural wood.

2. No broadheads or tips that cause excessive damage to targets shall be used.

3. Fletching

a. Arrows shall be fletched with natural feathers.

b. Bolts may be fletched with any period material.

4. Nocks

a. Nocks for arrows may be of any material.

5. End caps, rings, or wrapping are not required for crossbow bolts.

E. Miscellaneous Equipment

1. Any type of quiver may be used, with the exception of those that attach to the bow.

2. It is strongly recommended that an armguard or bracer be worn.

3. A glove or finger tab may be used.

4. All equipment should adhere to the spirit of medireview archery.

 

IV. PROCEDURE FOR RUNNING A SHOOT

 

A. The marshal will call the archers to the line.

B. The marshal will state the number of arrows to be shot, the distance to the target, and the rules for scoring.

1.For timed shoots, the marshal shall also state the amount of time allowed.

C. The marshal will look to see that the range is safe, and will check that there is no one downrange with the cry "Is it clear down range?"

D. The marshal will issue the command to commence shooting.

1.For untimed shoots, archers may spend as much time as they wish to shoot.

2. For timed shoots, the marshal shall follow the procedure below.

a. Archers shall be allowed to start with an arrow nocked and drawn, and crossbowmen may start at aim with a bolt loaded.

b. The marshal shall inquire as to whether the archers are ready.

c. When the archers are ready, the marshal shall count down in seconds from five to one, ending with the command "Shoot" or “Loose” at the beginning of the timed interval.

d. Five seconds before the end of the interval, the marshal shall again count down by seconds from five to one, ending with the command "Hold!" at the end of the interval.

e. If an arrow is released before the command to begin shooting or after the hold, and it strikes the target, the highest scoring shaft of that round for that archer shall not be counted.

f. Arrows released on the call of "Shoot"/“Loose” or "Hold" shall be counted.

g. The use of a tape recorder or similar device with a recording of the countdown is permitted.

E. When all archers have finished shooting, the marshal will issue the command "Bows Down".

F. After checking to see that all archers have set down their bows, the marshal will give the command to retrieve arrows.

V. SCORING RULES

 

A. The scoring area(s) on any target shall be clearly marked with a solid, continuous line.

B. Any arrow touching the line marking the outer edge of a scoring area shall be scored as if it were within the scoring area.

1. An arrow touching the line between two scoring areas shall count for the higher of the two values.

C. In the event of a pass through or a bounce off, if it can be ascertained where the shaft struck the target, it will be accorded the witnessed value, else it will be accorded a value of zero.

1. For shoots recorded on standard five color round targets, such as the Royal Round and IKAC, if a pass through or bounce off is not witnessed, it shall be accorded a value of three points.

2. In order for a pass through or bounce off to be accorded its witnessed value, someone other than the archer who launched the shaft must attest as to its value.

D. The decision of the marshal-in-charge as to the point value of a shot is final.

E. For shoots that require a standard five color round target, such as the Royal Round or IKAC, the following rules will apply.

1. Scoring shall be on NAA-FITA standard 60 centimeter round targets only.

2. Targets shall be divided into five concentric circles of contrasting color, divided by black lines.

3. The order of color, from outside to center shall be white, black, blue, red, and yellow.

4. The point value of each ring, from outside to center, shall be 1, 2,

3, 4, and 5 points respectively.

 

VI. RULES FOR SHOOTS

 

A. The Royal Round

1.This is a standardized shoot upon which is based the East Kingdom's Archery Ranking System.

a. The Ranking System is described in section VII.

2. This shoot shall be shot at standard five color round targets, as described in section V., item E.

3. The center of the target shall be placed no less than two and no more than four feet above the ground.

4. The shoot will consist of one end of six arrows shot at the distances of 20, 30, and 40 yards, and a thirty second timed round at twenty yards.

a. All distances shall be measured, not paced.

5. The rules in section IV shall govern the running of the Royal Round.

a. It is the marshal's discretion as to in what order the ends will be shot, save that all ends and the speed round for a given Royal Round must be consecutive.

b. The same bow must be used to shoot all ends of a Royal Round, except in cases of weapon failure.

c. Archers must declare the beginning of their Royal Round. It is not permissible to shoot several Royal Rounds and then pick the best four consecutive scores.

d. No restriction is placed on the number of Royal Rounds that may be shot on any given day.

6. The rules in section V. shall govern the scoring of the Royal Round.

a. In order for Royal Rounds scores to be eligible for submission to the Scorekeeper, they must be witnessed and recorded by a warranted archery marshal, and shot at an event or practice that has been published in at least a one local newsletter.

b. Only one Royal Round score may be submitted for an archer on a given day.

c. The archer shall have the option of which score to submit.

7. Rules for the Royal Round as to type of equipment, divisions, and specifics of the shoot will be amended as new regulations are released from the Office of the Captain-General, or his/her appointed deputy.

8. Royal Round scores for submission are to be sent to the Archery Scorekeeper within thirty days of the date shot, (regardless of one score or one hundred scores), and must include all of the information listed below.

a. The recording marshal's full SCA name.

b. The date and place that the Royal Round was shot.

c. The archer's full SCA and mundane names.

d. The name of the archer's home SCA group.

e. The score shot at each range and the total, in the following order: 20 yards, speed round, 30 yards, 40 yards, and total score.

f. The type of bow the score was shot with. This must be either Longbow, Recurve, or Crossbow.

B. The rules for other standard shoots may be found in the Appendices of the Archery Marshal's Handbook.

 

VII. THE ARCHERY RANKING SYSTEM

 

A. The ranking system is designed to provide the archers of the kingdom with a method of comparing levels of skill. It is administered solely by the Captain-General and staff. The rankings are not to be considered titles and carry no rank on the Order of Precedence.

B. Rankings shall be determined by averaging the three highest Royal Round scores shot and submitted to the Archery Scorekeeper within the last 12 months.

1. Scores that are older than 12 months from the date shot will be dropped from the records and may not be used in calculating an archer's average.

2. Archers that have submitted less than three scores to the Archery Scorekeeper will not appear on the list of published Royal Round averages.

C. The rankings and their required averages are listed below.

1.Any archer that has submitted three Royal Round scores has attained the rank of "Archer".

2.Those with an average of forty or greater, yet less than sixty, shall be adjudged a "Marksman".

3.Those with an average of sixty or greater, yet less than eighty, shall be adjudged a "Bowman".

4.Those with an average of eighty or greater, yet less than one hundred, shall be adjudged a "Master Bowman".

5.Those with an average of one hundred or greater shall be adjudged a  "Grand Master Bowman".

D. Each archer is entitled to wear a badge that signifies his/her rank, as described below. With the exception of Grand Master Bowmen, who are allowed to keep their ranking permanently, all archers are allowed to wear only the badge that signifies their current ranking.

1. Archers may bear four fretted black arrows on a field of silver, within a bordure of black.

2. Marksmen may bear four fretted black arrows on a field of silver, within a bordure of blue.

3. Bowmen may bear four fretted silver arrows on a field of red, within a bordure of silver.

4. Master Bowmen may bear four fretted black arrows on a field of gold, within a bordure of red.

5. Grand Master Bowmen may bear four fretted black arrows on a field of gold, within a black annulet (a thin line which is inset from the edge of the badge).

 E. Presentation of Badges

1. Archer, Marksman, and Bowman badges may be presented by any of the following: the Company Captain, a Lieutenant-General or Archery Commander, the Captain-General, or a member of the local nobility.

 a. The local Company Captain is encouraged to add some form of ceremony to the presentation.

2. Master Bowman and Grand Master Bowman badges are of sufficient note that the Crown of the East reserves the right to present them at Royal Court.

3.The presentation of Master Bowman and Grand Master Bowman badges must be arranged with the Captain-General.

a.   A warranted archery marshal must provide a letter to the Captain-General.

b.   The letter will include the archer’s full SCA name and group, the rank achieved, and the next two Royal Progress events that the archer will be attending.

c.   If possible, the name of the recording marshal(s) and the place and date of each score should also be included.

d.   No ranking will be recognized until the Kingdom Archery Scorekeeper has received and accepted the necessary scores. This will be confirmed by the Captain-General.

 

 

 

Policies of the East Kingdom Captain-General of Archers

Revised 1/5/02