Club History
Guildford Archery Club was founded in 1954.
The club's inaugural meeting was on 11 December 1953 at Stoke Hotel. From January to March 1954, 21 members enrolled. A field, rented from a farmer for £10 pa with a club hut rented from Stoughton Football Club for £3 pa, was located at Worplesdon. The club's first shooting ground.
1954:
- First President: Mrs S Langford-Lloyd, member of Royal Toxophilite Society
- First Chairman: Mr E Bevan
- Club agrees to bank at Lloyds
- Design of Club badge agreed
- Club upper limit of 40 members put in place
- President's Cup trophy donated by President
- First Acorn Trophy Shoot held on 19 September
- Club Championship first shot on 3 October - trophies include President's Cup, Howard Wiseman trophy and Founders' trophy
- Entry to winter postal league taken up
- Annual adult subscription set at 2 guineas
- Junior section formation agreed, limited to 8 members between 12 and 16
- Annual General Meeting held at Star Inn, Guildford (venue for at least next 10 years)
1955:
- First Have-a-Go arranged at Guildford Fair 25 June
- Members issued with membership cards including club rules and fixture list
- First Club Opening Shoot on 3 April
- Club tassel colours approved as "halves of royal blue and magenta red, with gold net and magenta red cord" (for longbows?)
- Black Prince Trophy presented by J Banyon (first Secretary) for best junior score in Club Championships
- Acorn Runner's Up Shield acquired; agreed that GAC members should not compete in Acorn Trophy Shoot (127 entries)
- Proposal to move to Friary Sports Ground
- Committee reduced to 7 member/posts
- Club hut purchased from Stoughton FC for £12
1956:
- Move to Friary Sports Ground and sale of old Club hut for £6
- Introduction of "Guildford Round" - 4 dozen at 100 yards and 2 dozen at 80 yards - for internal use only
- Doctor Godfrey Wotton first attends Committee meeting - appointed Match Secretary
1957:
- Trophies (shields) for Opening Shoot incorporating flint arrowheads presented by Mr D Hawkins (Armourer)
- Bruce Trophy (a cup) presented by Mr G Bruce to be awarded to the "Junior showing the most promise during a season"
- Acorn Sub-Committee set up
- GNAS Handicap Medal received for annual award
- Additional trophy for Club Championships (lady with most hits) agreed at AGM to match Founders' Cup which has always been won by a gent
1958:
- Opening Shoot includes clout target
- MidSummer Trophy Handicap Shoot first mooted
- Application to GNAS to make the Acorn Trophy an Open Shoot
- First attempt at Club Annual Dinner and Prize Giving - cancelled
- Club library mooted
1959:
- Mrs Langford-Lloyd resigns as President; replaced by Mrs Angela Barnsdale
- "American Handicap Tournament" introduced: 5 (later reduced to 4) declared rounds to be shot between May and September as a Club internal tournament for which a new set of arrows and medals would be awarded
- Club Dinner held on Valentine's Day (20 members at 5 shillings a head)
- First Midsummer Trophy Handicap Shoot held on 21 June - "Quiver" trophy (designed to be worn!) presented by D Hawkins
- Acorn entry of 223, using 36 targets
1960:
- Field Ground rent increased to £25 (from £15) a year
- Club Dinner held on 12 February (21 attendees)
- Subscriptions held at 2 guineas; honorary auditor appointed
- Acorn entry of 240, using 40 targets
- Doc Wotton became GAC's first Master Bowman
1961:
- Club Dinner held on 10 February (23 attended)
- Field Shoot Trophy presented by President
- Second Field Shoot Trophy (Hunting Horn) presented by Bill Sutton (retiring Armourer)
- First Field Shoot on 5 October, second one on 5 November
- Second Club Dinner, including prize giving on 18 November
1962:
- Colin Ellesly joins Junior Section
- Membership of 29 seniors, 7 juniors
- Acorn limited to 252 entrants
- Club Championships on 14 October, Field Championships on 27 October
- Club Dinner on 1 December
- AGM agrees that Club should pay for engraving on trophies - Committee not happy to implement (costs!)
1963:
- Doc Wotton appointed Team Manager of National Team shooting in World Championships
- First Agincourt Trophy Handicap Shoot on 20 October (nearest Sunday to St Crispin's Day) for trophies presented by Gordon Bruce
- Club Field Championship on 29 September, Club Championships on 13 October
- Acorn set up for 46 targets
- Club Dinner on 2 November (45 attendees)
- Additional trophies presented by President for
Opening Shoot, Midsummer Shoot, Championships and Agincourt - Barnsdales
Two club members, Mick Brown and Les Powici, did a 24 hour archery marathon and were in the Guinness Book of Records.