Karl Radde
1915
Hooked on Archery


Karl entered archery through a side door. In 1938 he worked for the recreational program for the Glencoe, Minnesota, School district. One of his duties was teaching wood shop where the students learned to make archery equipment - bows, arrows and strings. Karl then coached these students in the use of that equipment. Soon he was giving archery demonstrations for the local schools. He took his interest in archery with him to California in 1939. In California he joined the California Highway Patrol and worked as a motorcycle officer until his retirement. He won many archery titles: California Outdoor 1966, 1970, and 1972. The State Indoor 1966, the Southwest Regional Outdoor 1967.

In 1972 the State Archers of California (SAC) was formed - with Karl's help - and he now concentrated on that organization. He served on the SAC Board of Governors 1972, 1973, 1974. Since 1974 he has been the Secretary/Treasurer. In 1972 he was elected the Western Region governor for the National Archery Association and continued until 1984 when he assisted with the International Olympics held at Los Angeles. Karl had developed a reputation as a capable officer and administrator in addition to being respected and admired as an archer.

Karl is known to hundreds of archers as an official, but he became involved with officiating by chance. In 1973 at the Pacific Coast Championship in Sacramento the tournament needed an official, Karl was appointed. Not long after that, he completed the requirements and became a National Judge certified by the NAA.

He still finds time to put on archery demonstrations for schools and churches in Los Angeles, coaches for the Far West Wheel Chair Association. At the same time he has served as Tournament Director for the Pacific Coast Championships, the Western Region Outdoor, the National and Western Region Indoor, the California State Outdoor, the National and Western Trials, officiates at the National Outdoor, and has helped organize the Western Region Archery Association. This does not leave much lime for Karl to shoot but he does not view these activities as work, they offer him the most gratification of all - the fellowship of archery.

To Karl, winning does not carry great importance. He admires the person who is just out to have fun and see friends. The best compliment he can give a fellow archer is "He sure enjoyed himself." Karl feels that the mainstream of archers are being overlooked in the emphasis on winning.

Above all, Karl believes in sensible rules, and fair officiating. The humor that he brings to the field as an official puts the tournaments in the proper perspective. While officiating at the archery event of the California Police Summer Games several years ago, Karl looked around at the grave faces of the competitors. He understood that this competition was very serious. When asked to settle a dispute on the scoring of an arrow he brought out a magnifying glass, minus the glass. Holding the circular frame of the magnifying glass over the shaft he slid it straight down to the target. "Yep," he said, "It's out."

Karl intends to keep doing just what he's doing for as long as he can. Although he has thought briefly that winning a state title was his most important achievement alter reflection he will tell you there is something more important than that. In fifty years of archery, Karl has made a lot of friends.

Karl Radde, archer, coach, official, and most important a friend.

Inducted 1998