The walls of the Mayfair Lawn Bowling Club’s clubhouse are decorated with history. Photos, trophies and other memorabilia, including a pair of concrete bowls, catalogue the organization’s 100 years of operation, creating a time capsule of achievements, growth and evolution.
When Mayfair first opened its doors on May 25, 1925, it was a men’s-only club, overseen by then-president Major Binni. While women were allowed to join the club in the late 1920s, it came with restrictions, such as only bowling in the afternoon and a requirement to wear dresses. However, after a fundraising event held by the female members to help cover the cost of a new clubhouse and an additional green, those conditions were dissolved.
Flash forward to now, Arlene Chermishnok — the most recent woman to take on the president role —is now leading the club and its roughly 90 current members through a century celebration.
“Those of us who are bowling now enjoy the fact that we are able to get out there and bowl and the ground is still being used by people who carry on the tradition and the fun of the game,” said Chermishnok regarding the club’s 100-year anniversary.
It hasn’t always been easy to keep things running, Chermishnok admits, but through the power of their club community as well as help from grants and other financial assistance, like the Sask Sport Membership Assistance Program, funded by Sask Lotteries, they’ve been able to continue to host major events and bring in new members.
Sometimes those two goals even go hand-in-hand. Mayfair currently partners with the Saskatoon Catholic and public high school systems to offer lawn bowling courses for all special physical education (SPED) classes, which offers students the opportunity to learn sports not part of the regular curriculum. The project not only helps Mayfair generate self-funding but also exposes a new generation of bowler to the game, even if it’s not until later in life that those students return to bowling.
“Several hundred students came through,” said Chermishnok of the high school sessions, which ran in May and June. “So, it’s not that they don’t get exposure, it’s just that the kids are so busy doing other sports that they don’t get a chance to come back [to bowling] until maybe they are in their 40s.”
But once they do come back, members are typically hooked for years, with several hitting the quarter-century (or more) mark. While Chermishnok was brought along to bowling by a neighbour 10 years ago, the club has given out several 25-year membership pins in the last few years, including 2025, and have more slated for the coming years as well. It’s that kind of club history that that she is most proud of.
“Mayfair has enjoyed a reputation of being as friendly as possible, providing the best food we can possibly provide and making sure that everyone is welcomed to our club…each and every one of us are here to ensure that those who come to bowl, are enjoying the game. And that’s all you can do.”
