Archery Club hits the markWa-Xo-Be offers a 21-acre place to take your bow.

Wa-Xo-Be Archery Club is sprawled out on a 21-acre area of the township
surrounded by woods. Since the club was moved to the parcel in 1969, it
has provided archers with a place to go where they can relax and challenge
themselves at the same time.

a good place to get away," said Andy Roslewicz, a member since 1982. "I
really don’t think a lot of people know we’re here."

   The club is set up somewhat like a golf course as it boasts
a 28-target field course for competitive shooters, a 30-target course that
includes mock animals such as groundhogs and elk for area hunters to practice
their skills and plenty of friendly people to socialize or help more inexperienced
shooters along the way.

   "It’s like any other club," Mr. Joyce said. "We have a
chance to be with other archers. The more experienced members like to work
with the other archers in their shooting. It’s nice to be able to help."

Wa-Xo-Be Archery Club was started in Milltown in 1946. The name was derived
from the sacred hawk emblem of the Osage American Indian tribe. Twenty-three
years later, the club found a permanent home in South Brunswick and continued
to build a membership. In 1990, the club merged with two other groups —
the Robertsville Archers and Watchung Bowmen — that didn’t have their
own properties to shoot on

   "Nothing has changed around here — just the trees
got bigger," said Frank Kozielec Jr., a member since 1953 that started shooting
in competitions in 1969. He won the gold medal in his age bracket at the
1999 National Senior Games (The Senior Olympics) in Orlando.

are 110 members of the club, though only approximately 30 shoot year round.
Many of the 30 can be found at the club daily. The number of active shoots
does, however, increase at this time of year because of the onset of hunting
season.

   The club has 18 competitive shoots per year where members
can test their skills against those in their respective age groups and skill
levels. Wa-Xo-Be also has started running educational programs with groups
such as local Boy Scout troops and students at Rutgers University in New
Brunswick in an attempt to recruit younger members.

   "The whole organization is trying to bring more youth
into the programs," Mr. Joyce said. "The median age is in the 50s. And between
sports, rollerblading and computers, there’s a lot of competition."

of the club said they are always hoping to bring in new members and are
ecstatic to help people without experience. That’s because these guys are
always willing to talk about archery.

   "What’s nice is, if you take some initiative and ask,
you can learn a lot about archery," Mr. Roslweicz said. "We’ll help you."

   And the most heard response from people of "I’m not good
enough yet," doesn’t stick with this group.

   "I’m not good enough yet and I’ve been shooting since
1953," Mr. Kozielec joked. "You’ve just got to get out there and learn from
your mistakes."
The
Wa-Xo-Be Archery Club meets on the second Monday of every month. There
is a $100 initial fee to join with yearly dues of $100. For more information
on the club, contact Mr. Joyce at [email protected].