I am currently teaching kids archery at Good Shepard school in Barrington N.H.. Now this is not patting myself on the back but it reminds me of all of you out there who are doing the same thing. 

I have kids from 5-15 who are shooting. Some can't even pull the bow back alone. So I help. If you are also teaching our next generation to enjoy the sport of archery, I want to commend you for what you are doing. 

The future of our great sport depends on us. I once had a conversation with the late and great, Fred Bear and one of the most important parts of this conversation revolved around his love of the sport and his desire to pass it on. It was during this part that he asked me to teach the kids. He was right about a lot of things but one thing for certain. Whether you are volunteering or getting paid, it does not matter so long as you are passing on our heritage.

From Boy Scout instructors to camp instructors and school instructors you are our future.  You are helping to preserve our sport, our way of life and our heritage. You who are out there showing, teaching, helping and giving high fives when some one hits the target are going to be the reason why archery lives on.

You hundreds of instructors out there deserve the thanks of the whole archery industry. Your dedication and commitment to the kids is what will bring this next generation to the ranges and fields. These budding archers will become the leaders of the world. Doctors, lawyers, school teachers, engineers, entertainers. And what you are giving them can not be measured in dollars and cents or hours or even rewards. 

What you are giving them is something they will take with them the rest of their life. They will remember you.  Not for what you taught but for what they learned.  Patience, responsibility, dedication and concentration. They will also learn the fun of archery, companionship and hopefully the love and appreciation of nature and our place in it. 

People teach for a lot of reasons. Love of the sport, love of the kids, love of passing something on, love of the feeling that comes when some one you have tutored succeeds at a tournament or with that first deer. Whatever the reason, what you do is vital in so many ways. 

So, to all of you out there helping to pass on the love and heritage of archery, I and thousands others just like me offer our thanks and appreciation.

If you are not one who has the inclination to share and teach, perhaps it's time you did. It will be the teachers and mentors that help preserve what we now have. It is everyone's responsibility to help in some way to make sure it continues. 

So if you are now involved, thank you. If you are not, please think about it. And you don't even have to go farther than your own home or neighborhood?

That's the way I see it in my "View From Behind The String".