Robin Hood ry
Robin Hood ry is an Espoo based archery club. Our members represent all levels from beginners via hobby archers and even competing archers at international level. Age is no reason to quit archery, and even less an issue for starting. You’ll find Robin Hood members from 10 years up to their eighties.
Hood is part of the Finnish Archery Association / Suomen Jousiampujain Liittoon (SJAL), and about 20 archers belong to the Finnish Field Archery Association (FFAA).
History
About the name
Robin Hood is the figure of a heroic outlaw in English folklore, according to legend a highly skilled archer. He bettered his competitors arrow, shot into the dead centre, by splitting it into halfs with his own arrow.
Traditionally many archery clubs were named after him, and of course Greek and Roman gods as Artemis, Diana, Achilles, and also after the Swiss hero William Tell.
Robin Hood in Finland
In Helsinki gathered on 8.9.1946 a tiny group of archery interested people, and the decision was made to found a club named Robin Hood. Amongst their midst they voted Armas Kuula to be chairman, Sakari Louhisto to be secretay, Olavi Mäkipää to be purser and Sven Forsström and Matti Koskeli to be members of the board. The clubs statutes were legalized by the Ministry of Justice on 26.9.1946, Finlands first archery club was on it’s way.
About the same time during autumn 1946, also the archery clubs Amor Kerho, Helsingfors Bågskyttar, Artemis, Jousiveikot, Mohikaani and Vasama were founded, all in Helsinki. It turned out, that passionate archers became founding members of several clubs during that rush, and some of the clubs had only a very short life.
Robin Hood was represented with two members at a meeting on 14.10.1946, when Artemis, Mohikaani, Helsingfors Bågskyttar, Jousiveikot and Vasama representatives discussed the founding of an association. About two weeks later, 25.10.1946, the Finnish Archery Associaton (SJAL) had it’s founding meeting at the Hotel Helsinki. As chairperson of the meeting A. Kairenius of Amor Kerho was voted, secretary Armas Kuula of Robin Hood. On 1.3.1947 Robin Hood Kerho ry became member of SJAL.
At the SJAL meeting on 28.10.1948 Armas Kuula of Robin Hood became chairman of the association. When he was transferred abroad the following year, the club he ran with all his passion turned into a “Sleeping Beauty”. In 1953 the chairman of SJAL, E. Lithellä, declared Robin Hood ry as ”Inactive for the time being”.
New rising
1976 the Finnish Archery Association SJAL saw it was the time for founding an archery club in Espoo. The gathering at the youth club Heikintori learned the name Robin Hood had been already registered. Getting in contact with Armas Kuula, the decision was made to revive Robin Hood.