About 100 years ago, British Egyptologist, Sir Flinders Petrie discovered the implements of a game that is very popular today called BOWLING in the grave of a child. The grave was 7000 years old!
Bowling may be one of the oldest, if not the oldest game, in existence today. Perhaps it is even older than chess, which is reported to be over 4000 yeas old!
What has this got to do with anything? Well, for one thing, the Scarborough Citadel 5-pin bowling league, although not 7000 years old as yet, has just completed its 20th consecutive season!
Initially, the league was established to provide a weekly activity for people in the church who wanted an exercise program with social flair! The purpose of the league was simple- to have fun and to enjoy fellowship. The League was launched Wednesday, September 11, 1986 with 12 bowlers. Play began at Comet Lanes - a tiny bowling alley located at the corner of Brimley Road and Lawrence Avenue in Scarborough.
In its inaugural year, the league was both an instant hit and a great success. When season two rolled around in September 1987, the membership increased from the original 12 to not less the 30! The number now included a few people from the community.
The League has never looked back. It is alive and well, and continues to fulfil its original mandate: to have a lot of fun and great fellowship for everyone involved. And it continues to serve as a ministry in the community as well.
Membership in the bowling league has hovered between 30 and 40 bowlers every year. The only exception was the year 1996-97 when there was a grand total of 43 bowlers!
The league has experienced a few unique happenings over the years. One such event occurred when four of our bowlers met each other for the first time at bowling and became two couples. They obviously enjoyed the fellowship so much that they decided to get married!
The league has also produced some impressive results. One that stands out is the flat scores (bowling scores before adding a handicap) obtained in a few single games. A score of 300 or more in one game is a significant achievement, to say the least. In the 20 year history of the league only four bowlers have scored over 300 in one game - the highest score being a shopping 353! Even the best 5-pin bowlers in the world struggle to get scores that high!
In recent years the Scarborough Citadel 5-pin bowling league has entered a select team in the Scarborough Seniors’ Games. They have managed to capture the gold medal twice - in 2001 and 2003. This is quite an achievement when considering there are 24 teams competing from all across Scarborough.
Five-pin bowling has proven itself to be a very successful activity at Scarborough Citadel. It is one of the longest-running fellowship groups ever.
Over the years the league has changed its venue twice, as well as the day and time of play since its early years at Comet Lanes. But the league’s outreach ministry of sharing the Gospel and having a person relationship with Christ remains the same. The league also plays an effective role in ministry to the church members of Scarborough Citadel and to the community at large.
Maybe some day, way off into the future, a “Canadianologist†during an archaeological dig will discover four dusty, old wall plaques with the inscription, SCARBOROUGH CITADEL 5-PIN BOWLING LEAGUE. He will be convinced that those bowlers from Scarborough Citadel way back in the 21st century sure knew how to have fun.
Ian Howes
Scarborough Citadel