The Manitoba Lawn Bowling Association is one of our province’s oldest organizations having been formed in 1907. To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the association now known as Bowls Manitoba is holding the President’s Centennial Cup Tournament July 20-22. The tournament at the Dakota Bowls Centre is a mixed triples competition and the celebration will include a dinner Saturday evening.

County Court Judge R.I.Myers served as the first president of the provincial association from 1907 to 1917 when the Hon. John T. Haig was elected president. Formed in 1890, the Civil Service Club located where the Law Courts now stand was the first lawn bowling club in Manitoba. The St. John’s Club in Winnipeg’s North End celebrated its centennial in 2004.

By 1931, Winnipeg had 19 clubs. The group included clubs in city parks, private operations and ones for employees. The CPR had two groups with one located by the station on Higgins Ave. and a second across from the Weston Shops – white collar and blue collar as it were. The Canadian Lawn Bowling Association was formed the following year. In the early years, the primary players and promoters were men with English and Scottish heritage. In 1941, the women at the Norwood Club formed their own division known as the Norwood Coronation Ladies Lawn Bowling Club. The national ladies council wasn’t formed until 1972.

Shirley Fitzpatrick Wong and mother Clarice Fitzpatrick will be bowling for Canada in the Atlantic Games in Ayr, Scotland July 13-22. Shirley will skip Mom in pairs and also skip the fours team with Clarice playing second.

Fitzpatrick and sister Marilyn Baron won the provincial women’s pairs played June 15-17. That same weekend Nick Panko, Gerry Venderbos, Gord Horton and Bob Simmons won the men’s fours. Also off to the national championships for the umpteenth time are Elaine Jones and Gord Law. At the provincials held June 22-24, Jones won the women’s singles crown while Law and partner Ron Tester retained their men’s pairs title. These days Jones also carries the title of Bowls Manitoba director of marketing and promotion. When asked if the victories could be considered upsets, her curt response to your columnists was, “Hardly.”

Jones and Fitzpatrick also will compete in the Canadian Senior Triples Championships along with teammate Anne Wright. Maurice Van Walleghem, Ian Hamilton and Vince Scaletta make up the men’s squad. They won the provincial senior triples June 4-6.