Welcome to the Thistle Lawn Bowling Club!
About Us
The Thistle Lawn Bowling Club was established in 1879 and was incorporated as the Thistle Club of London, Limited on April 21, 1903. Currently still in operation, the Thistle Club is the oldest lawn bowling club in London, Ontario.
The mandate of the Thistle Lawn Bowling Club is to encourage, promote, and provide facilities for the game of lawn bowling, as well as other activities that are considered desirable by the Board of Directors. In addition to lawn bowling, the club offered tennis (until 1906), curling (until 1929), and a five-pin bowling alley (until the mid 1940s).
The administrative structure of the club has changed since its inception, but it has generally consisted of a Board of Directors, Executive Officers, and various committees. Committees included (but were not limited to) the tournament committee, the membership committee and the grounds committee.
When the club began, its primary constituents were men. In the late 1920s, the Thistle Ladies Lawn Bowling Club was created, with its own by-laws, executive, and committees. The ladies club reported to the general (men’s) Board of Directors. The men’s and women’s executives and committees merged on November 7, 1979. Between 1975 and 1991, the club received several grants from the New Horizons Program for seniors, allowing for significant equipment and infrastructure upgrades.
The Thistle Club of London was originally situated on Piccadilly Street, near Richmond Street. The club moved to its present location at 25 Beaufort Street in 1983.