Archery promoter and Fred Bear Museum curator
Frank Scott honored at Range Dedication
On December 14,
2011 a dedication to the memory of
Archery Hall of Fame member and lifelong archery
promoter Frank H. Scott, was given to honor his
devotion for years of promoting archery,
bowhunting and bowhunter education.
According to Steven Robbins of
the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission, the recently completed construction
of an elevated shooting platform and pavilion in
2011 for the bowhunter education courses at the
Easton Newberry Sports Complex in Newberry,
FL. needed a name. Steven was asked to come up
with a name for the structure, and he suggested
the Frank H. Scott Bowhunter Education Range.
As Steven stated,” I felt it was an appropriate
suggestion to name the range after Frank Scott,
as he was a true friend of our agency and
bowhunters everywhere”.
The ceremony and presentation was given on a
field trip to the Easton-Newberry complex during
the 2011 Archery Trade Association Summit which
was held in Gainesville, Florida.
Upon knowledge that Frank Scott’s surviving wife
resided in Florida, she was invited to the
ceremony to receive a plaque honoring Frank...
Planting the seed.
Frank went to work for Bear Archery in 1940 at
the age of 17. In those early years the
promotion of the sport of archery for the young
Bear Archery business also coincided with the
beginning of Michigan’s first separate
bowhunting season in 1937. Though you could hunt
with archery equipment previously, you had to do
so among those hunting with firearms. Promoting
the sports of target archery and bowhunting in
those days meant everything from shooting
exhibitions at a small vacation resort to
shooting in front of large numbers at sports
shows as well as successful hunting stories for
newspapers and time sitting at vendor booths.
So, how did Frank become such a nationally
recognized and respected promoter? According to
Frank as included in the eulogy he gave for
longtime friend and mentor Fred Bear at Fred’s
memorial service, as Bear Archery’s only
salesman in the early days there was a lot
riding on him. One specific time after a week on
the road without a sales order in his briefcase
Frank was totally demoralized. When Employer
Fred Bear asked him how he made out, Frank’s
answer was “Fred, I tried, I would lead the
horse to water, but I couldn’t make him drink”.
Fred’s reply was that “there were two things
wrong, number one we don’t call our dealers
horses and number two as a salesman, it is
not your job to make the horse drink, it’s
your job to make him thirsty!”
That one sentence not only summed up the
philosophy of salesmanship, it changed Frank’s
life.
The art of promotion and salesmanship.
Through the early years of target archery and
bowhunting and into the later boom years of
archery equipment sales, Frank knew the future
of bowhunting specifically and target archery
depended on education. Through the years Frank
would attend youth camps such as the Ted Nugent
Kamp for Kids, sporting organization events and
functions to not only help imbed the importance
of being an ethical bowhunter and the fun of
target archery from the young to adult, but to
provide everyone the history of the Bow and
Arrow.
Many of these appearances included his personal
recollections of the early days at Bear Archery
or other tales about adventures that would bring
a smile and peak the interest of even the most
experienced archer and bowhunter! Frank was more
than willing to share his history knowledge and
his profound comical stories. In May of 2000 he
was asked to be a speaker at an annual statewide
gathering of Hunter Safety Instructors in Ocala,
Florida. With Fred Bear Museum artifacts for
show, Frank spoke about archery and bowhunting
history and as usual the 2 hours he spoke could
have easily lasted 2 hours more. He was that
entertaining.
Lead by example.
Today in a time when some complain about having
to take time to obtain a needed Hunter Safety or
Bowhunter Education certification and question
why they should because of the “hunting
experience” they possess, Frank was again
unique.
In 1999 Frank called Steven Robbins, also the
Regional Hunter Safety Coordinator in Florida
asking if a class could be scheduled at the Bear
Archery facility. The reason, Frank was going
hunting in Canada and needed Hunter Safety
certification knowing he would not be
grandfathered in under their new regulations.
The result was a class of students, Frank being
one of them and also ensuring that free passes
to the Fred Bear Museum which was still at the
Bear Archery facility at that time, were
presented to every graduate of the Hunter Safety
program classes throughout Florida for years1999
& 2000
Though
Frank Scott
passed away on November 4, 2000, this is one
tribute to not only honor the man, but what he
lived his life for. Among the many organizations
he belonged to and a couple he founded, Frank
was also a proud charter member of the Michigan
Bow Hunters Association. To check out the
archery programs available at the
Easton-Newberry Sports Complex visit
http://www.eastonnewberrysportscomplex.com
Special thanks to Elly Scott and Steven Robbins
for supplying information in this article.
|
