ARCHIVES : USWCA : A BRIEF HISTORY *
In January, 1945, a group of women at a Bonspiel in Milwaukee conceived the idea of a national organization to promote and conserve the best interests of the game of curling among women throughout the United States. The first meeting to form the Association was held February 20, 1946. At the second meeting, on October 23, 1947, delegates from the five founding clubs met. They included Indian Hills, Wauwatosa, Exmoor, Skokie, and Appleton. On November 10, 1947, the delegates elected Officers, Directors, and an Executive Board. Dues were set at 25 cents per member and $2.00 for the 5 clubs. At the next meeting, held in February, 1948, dues were collected and the Glen View Witches became members. By 1949, the Utica Glengarries, the Milwaukee Kilties, the Oak Park Acorns, and the Wausau Highlanders had joined the USWCA. Membership was 544 with 11 total clubs. Individual membership reached an all-time high in 1977 with 5,116 women belonging to the USWCA. The highest number of clubs was in 1987 when 93 were eligible to send delegates to the Annual Meeting. From the nucleus of the 5 founding clubs, women from Alaska to Cape Cod enjoy the opportunity to meet and share the benefits of the Association.
The first USWCA National Bonspiel was held in Wauwatosa on February 24 - 27, 1949. Five Canadian rinks were included. The entry fee was $20.00 per team. By 1952, only member club entries were permitted. Club and regional playdowns were held to determine the 32 teams allowed to compete. At the present time teams are drawn by lot from good faith entry fees. The Annual Meeting is held in conjunction with the National Bonspiel. The Bonspiel site each year is the current National President's home area. Regions include the East, Central, Wisconsin, and West Areas with the election of the President rotating.
Plans for a tour of Scotland by U.S. and Canadian women began in 1952, the 16 member team of 8 women from the U.S. and Canada arrived for a month of curling in 1955. A return tour of 16 Scottish ladies curled 2 weeks in Canada and 2 weeks in the U.S. during January and February, 1958. The first tour held exclusively in the U.S. was in 1963 when 24 Scots were hosted by the USWCA. The first all USA team toured Scotland in 1966 and has since been invited every 10 years. The Scots tour, also every 10 years, is held 5 years after the U.S. tour of Scotland. The primary purpose of these tours is to promote the fun of curling and international goodwill.
The All American Event was first sponsored in 1966. Special pins are furnished without charge to each participating club from the USWCA to encourage involvement by clubs' individual members. Flexibility of rules allows for a variety of sizes of clubs to participate.
The first Women's National Championship was held in 1977 at Wilmette, Illinois. The first World Championship was held in Perth, Scotland. The winners of the USWCA Championship participated in that event. The USWCA continued to sponsor the National and World Championships until 1988. In that year, the U.S. Olympic Committee would only recognize one national governing body for curling. The USWCA was a charter member of the Women's Committee of the ICF (now the World Curling Federation) organized in 1978, and sponsored the 1987 Women's World Championship at Chicago with the United States Curling Association. All of the Championship trophies were donated by the USWCA to the USCA.
Junior Women's National Championships were first held by the USWCA in Madison, Wisconsin in 1987. Feasibility studies began in 1980 as to the potential of adequate numbers of junior women to have a national event. Through the encouragement of women within the USWCA this event came to pass. Since 1988, the USCA has been the sponsor of this event with trophies donated by the USWCA.
A Senior Ladies Bonspiel was first hosted by the Heathers of the Chicago Curling Club in 1983, and is now held every year in January. It is open to any member women over 55 years of age. It has been traditionally a 16 team event and has encouraged smaller clubs to bid to host it. The participant's pin is a replica of the antique teakettle given for winning the Bonspiel. The event is also rotated among the 4 Areas of the U.S.
The Senior Friendship Tour between Canada and the U.S. for women over 50 years of age became a reality in 1991 when 16 Canadian ladies and 4 U.S. couriers toured by bus to clubs in Minnesota and North Dakota. In February, 1994, 16 U.S. ladies were drawn by lottery to tour the Maritime Provinces of Canada in November, 1994. The Canadian ladies will return in 1997. In 2000, the U.S. will return to Canada. The tour will rotate through the 4 Areas and is intended to promote curling friendships with our Canadian neighbors.
In 1993, the Women's Challenge was introduced in response to the need for women with 5 years or less total curling experience to develop skills in skipping by playing against their peers and to experience the fun of bonspieling on a regional basis. It was modeled after a popular event within the Grand National Curling Club. The USWCA provides plaques to be displayed in the winner's club, and pins to the winners are supplied through fees collected by this self-sustaining event. The first Challenge was played in 1994 and was enthusiastically received by the participants.
These events and the promotion of curling among women in the United States is due to the devotion of the members of each club in the Association, and to the dedication of the Officers, Committees and Chairmen who provide the leadership necessary to sustain our existence.
The USWCA continues to be an active sponsor of USCA programs to benefit all curlers at the club level. A representative from the USWCA has been a USCA director since 1991. The affiliation is to work together to strengthen curling in the U.S.
Every year, the Association strives to improve curling for all women. The most recent challenges include developing a Junior National Bonspiel and a membership of Members-at-Large for those retired curlers who have moved south and still want to be informed of the activities within the organization.
This brief history began as an effort to provide to the membership some sense of the work done by the women who have served the USWCA. Each year the Past-presidents are reminded that they are all advisors to the current President, and they fulfill the assignment with wisdom, encouragement, advice and humor. The Boards and the Representatives have struggled with many situations over the years and have become stronger and more capable through the democratic process. Perhaps the best parts, however, are the friendships sustained over a lifetime as a member.
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