Contenders of the Faith: Archery

There are many references to the bow throughout Scriptures...

Now therefore take , I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison   Genesis 27:3 

(Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)  2 Samuel 1:18 

He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow. Lamentations 3:12 

Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow. Genesis 48:22 

Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow. 2 Kings 13:15

ARCHERY:
Part of our Contenders of the Faith skills will be learning archery. Our Keepers at Home will be included in the lessons as well. Here is a full listing of all the skills through both the Contenders and the Keepers books. There are more than enough skills to master to keep us quite busy.  The youngers will earn a silver disk their first run-thru, the olders will earn a gold as they repeat many of these skill lessons.  We are debating over making vests for everyone to put their disks on, or perhaps a large family banner.




Ed Scott, part 2
Ed Scott, part 3
Ed Scott, part 4
Ed Scott, part 5
Ed Scott, part 6
Ed Scott, part 7
Ed Scott, part 8



Here is a nice pictorial from a hunter chat forum of crafting a good, sturdy, wood bow.

Making a primitive bow via Primitive Pathways, part 2, part 3, part 4

Making a 60# PVC bow yourself
Here's another DIY PVC bow tutorial note: he 'bends and forms' his bow with your kitchen stovetop...

credit: Centenary Archers page

You'll need arrows...Arrow Making for the Common Man 
or, Making a Common Man's Broadhead 
or, The Swiss Arrow

Of course I had to share a YouTube for crafting a replica Medieval arrow as we are studying the Middle Ages all year. Big Bow Brum has a nice set of videos on making a medieval arrow bag as well.

  

Here are some other notes:
How to shoot a longbow
some hints on arrow making
Archery terms to know

credit: wiki robotz

Contenders of the Faith & Keepers at Home Clubs

We did the Boy Scout thing when our eldest son was young. We went through the first several levels of Girl Scouts with our eldest daughter was young.  They are fine programs and have served well for their years of existence.  We don't exactly line up with some of the common teachings that underscore so many of the groups these days, so we went in search of something else we could do as a family. 
Are you familiar with the Keepers Clubs? Here's a great description via Timberdoodle:

Contenders for Boys, Keepers for Girls

Contenders for the Faith is for your sons ages 6 to 16. It provides guidelines for 89 different skills, each an important component to preparing our sons to be godly men.

Keepers at Home is typically for daughters 6 - 14, but with guidelines for over 100 different skills, some older daughters will continue to find their handbooks quite useful. Because there are no real age limitations, older children are free to participate. 

Family Life, Nature, Homemaking, Crafts, Leadership, Sports...

Each handbook is organized according to topic; Family Life, Nature, Homemaking, Crafts, Leadership, Sports and others, with outlines of what Keepers of the Faith has felt were the minimum requirements to master that skill. You, of course, may wish to modify their list by adding to or removing some of the requirements. There are some how-to's included, although for crafts in particular, you will want to augment the handbook; there is just not enough space to teach it all. 

Some of the topics for the girls are camping, fire safety, home decorating, organization, sign language and scheduling. 

The Contender's manual follows the same format adding additional practical skills, with more scope and complexity for the older boys. Topics include organization, foreign language, fishing and small engine repair. 

Follows Traditional Guidelines of Masculine and Feminine Behavior

The skills for each book follow the traditional guidelines of masculine and feminine behavior. We will make no apologies for that, but merely suggest that if you feel your son or daughter should acquire proficiencies not traditionally ascribed to boys or girls, teach them. These handbooks should in no way limit what your children learn, but instead, they will free you up from thinking through the steps of each skill. If you would like to mix and match from both books, you will not be prevented from doing so. 

Achievement Pins Available

For children that complete the requirements, top quality pins are available directly from Keepers of the Faith. More information is included with each handbook. Of course, pins are not a necessary requirement to use this program; you can acknowledge your child's achievement in any other fashion. And yes, boys can earn pins from the girl's handbook and visa versa. 

I have gone through several of the Keepers at Home and Contenders of the Faith projects with the children. We discovered these great programs many years ago and have enjoyed their skill lessons since. They fit our family quite nicely, and encourage and support the skills we want to teach. The 'curriculum' has been a great addition to our homeschooling over the years.

The website for Keepers of the Faith has all the information you need to get your children started with Keepers at Home or Contenders of the Faith. There are groups gathering everywhere holding organized Keepers meetings, after school programs, church youth, etc.  The program is also perfect for a family to do as an individual unit as well. The site has so many tips, information, lesson plans, forms and more that will help you along. With all of the skills presented, you will have more than enough to keep you busy throughout the years you work the program.

We are starting back up here. Not sure if we will make a simple vest for each child or a plain sash. We may go for a family banner to showcase our badges as they are earned.