HISTORY NOTES: Robin Hood in the UK: Continuing the Robin Hood tradition

The Merrymen and Robin Hood were ambassadors all over Oregon in the late 1940s.

They went to the Newberg, Forest Grove, and Salem. They marched, took floats to parades, and performed skits. They had a summer festival in Old Town. Then, in 1950, a group called The Sylvan Archers hooked onto the festival and challenged the Nottinghamshire Archery Society to an annual match which still happens today.

It is done “long-distance” now, and the results used to be posted on the Post Office door on Sunday of each year. The very first time, the Sherwood Archers actually went to England and “Robin Hood” was presented to the Queen. NBC actually televised the event.

Edward Whither, Sherwood High School’s first foreign exchange student in the 1956-1957 school year remembers the televised event just before he was chosen to come to America. He was summoned up north to Nottingham to bring a special rose bush to Sherwood as a gift. (I wonder if we could find that rose bush today.) Edward had a wonderful time in high school and has returned to the U.S. two more times during his life.

Pioneer Days success and upcoming events

We are finished with Pioneer Days this year. We had eight schools of fourth graders and ended up teaching 437 students in total over the course of three weeks.

June 15 was the Cruisin’ Sherwood Car Show and the Art Walk, featuring the works of Sherwoodians June Reynolds and Clyde List.

July 10 starts Music on the Green and July 20 is the Robin Hood Festival. Aug. 3 is Family Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free. Experiencing history will be the order of the day for children and adults. Come by the Sherwood History Center and help us collect history!