Last month our Troop, like many others, attended a council ran week long scout camp. One of the great things about these camps is the shooting sports. As there are a few rules and regulations with the three shooting sports merit badges (Archery, Rifle, and Shotgun), I tend to suggest to the scouts that they should complete these at camp rather than try to find a merit badge councilor in the neighborhood.

The one thing to remember is that the Range-master is the final say on his or her range. They are the one in control and responsible for everything that happens on “their” range. Sometimes as Scoutmasters and Leaders we tend to try and voice some help to the scouts as they are attempting to hit their targets. It’s best to wait and not cause a distraction that could cause the scouts to miss their target or cause them to look back at you with a loaded fire arm to figure out what your trying to tell them. Safety First!

One of these safety items is found in requirement 1 of the Archery Merit Badge.

State and explain the safety rules: Three safety rules when retrieving arrows.

• Retrieve arrows only when the shooting line is clear and the range officer signals “Retrieve your arrows”

• As you walk forward to the target waiting line, pick up any arrows on the ground (your own and all others as well).

• Only one archer may pull arrows from the target at a time; all others stand 6 feet back from the target at the target waiting line.