Summer of Badges

Wot, No Purple?

So here we are in the "summer". Archery is outside where it belongs. We are shooting DISTANCE - no longer a sport suitable for telephone boxes. Faces are no longer postage stamps as we have our fav 80/122cm ones back. Admittedly the weather is a little more problematic than the air conditioning being too vigorous or the heating being too aggressive. Still, it’s great to be outside once more. However, you are a new archer and are not sure what you should be doing during shootie outdoors ... it can’t all be sausages, whinging and gossip, can it? Well, that is quite a bit of what we get up to but this summer, we have a challenge for you ... the 252 Award.

Created by Archery GB and administered by individual clubs, the 252 Award is a badge scheme that appeals to both the novice and the rabidly obsessive types. We have an full article on this round for you to read (see above link for full details) but here is a quick overview that will perhaps tempt you.
The below is for a recurve archer ... each bow type has its own scoring levels but the process is the same for all.

Using a scoresheet or a scoring app on your phone as a record, you shoot 36 scoring arrows at a set distance. Thus, as a novice, you'd start at a short distance - 18m shooting at a 122cm face. You score by colour - white = 1, black = 3, blue = 5, red = 7 and gold = 9. This is called Imperial scoring. If your total score for the round is 252 or greater ... you are 50% of the way to earning a badge. Shoot the round again at some point during the summer ... successfully score 252 or greater ... and congrats, you have earned the green 252 badge to record you taking that first step to improving your archery. The two successful attempts don't need to be consecutive so don't worry if you have an off day. Now we move the target back a bit. Next distance is 30m, the same 122cm face, you still need 252 ... this time its for the White badge. 30m is going to be a bit more challenging requiring more consistency but it is doable. And so it goes. Step by step, distance by distance, badge by badge. Making incremental improvements each distance till you find yourself shooting for gold at Olympic distances (70m) and wondering how you got to be this good!

7, 5, 5 ... need two 9's to catch up dude!

Pro tip: 252 is an average of 7 over the 36 arrows so don't panic if you shoot a blue (5pts). It just means that for every blue you shoot, you need to shoot a gold (9pts) to catch up.

If you are interested in starting a 252 badge chase, have a word with one of the usual suspects at the club. They'll get you started on what is, to be honest, a gateway award to a horrible badge addiction! Badges, gotta earn them all!

The badges cost £3.50, are very attractive and make a great start to your collection of archery awards. It’s not a generic or store bought badge ... our 252 badges (pic above) are exclusive to Glasgow Archers. We designed them and had them commissioned. Very definitely collectable and we've been told they are pretty damn gorgeous! :o)