Spotlight on Massillon

MASSILLON  When the Lost Arrow Archery Club was organized in 1981, it was one of three archery clubs in and around Massillon.

Today, it is the only archery group still holding regular meetings and shoots for its members and the public at large.

Located at 3370 17th St. SW, which is north of U.S. Route 30 and west of state Route 21 off of Carmont Avenue, the club sits on 67 acres of partially wooded farmland. Lost Arrow boasts 30 3D targets with six tree stands on its property.

According to the club's website, the targets used in its early days were homemade cardboard cutouts in animal shapes. Today the club owns more than 40 3-D, life-sized animal targets, consisting of deer, bear, wolf, coyote, elk and mountain goat, many of which are brand new.

The public at large is invited for scheduled shoots, but members can really take advantage of the club's facilities in that they are welcome to practice all spring, summer and fall to prepare for bow hunting season.

Rich Happoldt, club president, said Lost Arrow is family oriented and does not place any emphasis on competition or scoring.

Janine Hartman, a longtime Lost Arrow Archery Club officer, echoed those sentiments.

"We love to have the little children come and we always give them ribbons and stuff saying they were a participant," she said.

Hartman added that the various bow disciplines are all welcome at Lost Arrow.

"We love to have longbows or compound bows," she said. "We even now allow — and we didn't used to — crossbows. And that's newer to any clubs around."

And if one family member is doing his or her "bow thing," there's always good food and friendly conversation for the rest of the family.

"It seems like the families do bring in food," Hartman said. "So we always have something good to eat on our shoot days."

The club's first scheduled shoot of the summer was a 3-D Shoot on June 11, followed by a 3-D Shoot just last Sunday.

Lost Arrow's first Wednesday night shoot is set for July 19, and will be a half-course shoot.

"Those go real well," Hartman said. "The guys get off work, they come out and they can shoot. The kids are off school and they can come out and shoot with dad. So that's a great, great thing."

Then, in September, Lost Arrow will host its Grand Two-Day Invitational Shoot, which is open to all visitors.

"We have a big pavillion and a big fire pit, so they can sit around the fire and visit afterwards," Hartman noted. "We usually have food there so they can sit in the pavillion and eat and visit and relax."

Younger members

While Lost Arrow has outlived other Massillon-area archery clubs, Hartman admits some fresh blood would be welcome as some of the officers and longtime members are getting up in years.

"There doesn't seem to be the young people involvement that there used to be," Hartman said. "I think (younger people) are just too involved with their kids, period. They don't have time for being members of things. So they come to the shoots but they don't want to be involved as much. That's a problem from what I hear for churches, schools and pretty much everything these days."

The Lost Arrow Archery Club is a non-profit organization established by a group of bow hunters and archery enthusiasts, so they could gather with others sharing the same sporting interest. It was originally located on the northwest side of Massillon on Gage Street. In 2012, it moved to the new location on 17th Street SW.

Through the years, the club participated in various community service projects, including the Hunters Feeding the Hungry program and more recently hosted benefit shoots to assist The Catch-A-Dream Foundation, which grants hunting or fishing trips-of-a-lifetime to terminally ill children. They currently participate in the Ohio's Adopt-A-Highway program.

Hartman pointed out that archery hunting season in Ohio is less than three months away and bowhunters would be wise to start sharpening their hunting skills at Lost Arrow's facility.

"Since there's only that many days left, they need to get out there and start working so they don't wound an animal, they just harvest an animal," Hartman advised.

"Any scheduled club function, anybody can come. But if you want to shoot on a non-Wednesday or a non-Sunday, then you must join the club," she said.

The Sunday shoots are generally held on the second weekend of the month into September.

July 19: 3-D Shoot — half course

Registration: 4:30-6 p.m. Limited kitchen will be open.

Cost: $3 members / $5 non-members

July 26: 3-D Shoot — half course

Registration: 4:30-6 p.m. Limited kitchen will be open.

Cost: $3 members / $5 non-members

Aug. 2: 3-D Shoot — half course

Registration: 4:30-6 p.m. Limited kitchen will be open.

Cost: $3 members / $5 non-members

Aug. 9: 3-D Shoot — half course

Registration: 4:30-6 p.m. Limited kitchen will be open.

Cost: $3 members / $5 non-members

Aug. 13: 3-D Hunter Course

Registration: 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Cost: $5 members / $10 non-members

Aug. 16: 3-D Shoot — half course

Registration: 4:30-6 p.m. Limited kitchen will be open.

Cost: $3 members / $5 non-members

Aug. 23: 3-D Shoot — half course

Registration: 4:30-6 p.m. Limited kitchen will be open.

Cost: $3 members / $5 non-members

Aug. 30: 3-D Shoot — half course

Registration: 4:30-6 p.m. Limited kitchen will be open.

Cost: $3 members / $5 non-members

Sept. 6: 3-D Shoot — half course

Registration: 4:30-6 p.m. Limited kitchen will be open.

Cost: $3 members / $5 non-members

Sept. 9, 10: 2-Day Invitational aka Fall Rendezvous with prizes, raffles, games, 50/50.

Saturday: 3-D Shoot - Registration 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. / Sunday 3-D Shoot - Registration 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Cost: Adults $12 per day; Juniors (10-17) $6 per day; Cubs (9 & under) Free

Lost Arrow Archery Club events