Over the years, the town of Newmarket has been prominent in producing many of today’s Hall of Fame members for York Simcoe and Carolyn Fletcher is just further proof of that fact.
Newmarket native, Carolyn was born on February 26, 1947 and while growing up in the town, was a member of the first graduating class of Huron Heights Secondary School in 1964. All this time Carolyn saw many of the changes that were happening in town on the bowling scene. First there was Kronins Pool Hall on Main Street, which also housed three bowling lanes, where her dad Herb, used to set up pins. Then another three-lane centre on Davis drive, followed by Counter Bowl on Eagle street, where Carolyn started bowling as a teenager, sparing part time on her mom’s team. When Counter Bowl closed, the bowling scene shifted to Odeon Bowl. At Odeon, many of today’s Hall of Famers began developing their skills as bowlers, coaches, builders and executives, and Carolyn was no different. Many of the same people that had an influence on Pauline McNaught, had that same influence on Carolyn. Bill and Marg Ingram, who suggested that she should start working with the Youth Bowling Council even though she didn’t have any children herself registered in the program and Tom and Betty Horton, who by now had become very prominent on the bowling scene, are just a few names that had an impact. Both Carolyn and Betty, along with Tom Nash, joined the Master Bowlers Association in 1979. Once again, changes occurred in the bowling scene as Newmarket Bowlerama, formerly Odeon, closed and Superbowl opened.
As Secretary of the Office Speciality league, Carolyn would regularly attended the York Simcoe’s Annual meetings as a voting delegate and as a result of this exposure, became involved with the Association in 1978. Her first position as an Executive was that of Publicity Chair, one of the most frustrating and thankless jobs that you can have. I’m sure Sid Morris will agree when I say that it’s very frustrating when you can’t get your local paper to put in an article about 5 pin bowling, or the sports editor does a hatchet job on your article when you went to great length to prepare it. I’m sure this was the case with Carolyn as President Jack Hill introduced her, at her first Annual Meeting in 1979, as the newest member of the executive and hoped that she would get more involved, well, Jack got his wish. In her second year, she was elected as the Secretary of the Association and spent the next ten years on the York Simcoe executive. Other positions included, Awards, Booster, Lottery, Vice-President and a two-year stint as President. When her home centre, Superbowl, became a De-centralized Association, Carolyn, with her background in accounting, took on the treasurers’ role for five years.
Like so many other executives, Association work was only a portion of their volunteer bowling commitments. In 1982, as league Secretary for the aforementioned Office Specialty league, a position she held for fifteen years, Carolyn was awarded Executive of the Year honours. As well, Carolyn spent seventeen years in the Master Bowlers Association and nineteen years with the YBC. In the YBC at Superbowl, Carolyn coached numerous teams in the Four Steps to Stardom tournament, with two of those teams, a Bantam Girls team in 1986 and a Junior Girls team in 1990 advancing to the Provincial Finals. While in the Masters, Carolyn held the position of Zone Delegate for two years.
While involvement in these various organizations played a big part in her career, Carolyn also enjoyed success as a bowler. In league play her average ranged between 225 to 230 on a consistent basis in the Office Specialty league. She bowled her highest single and triple games of 387 and 897 in the Tuesday Night Ladies league at Newmarket Bowlerama. In 1983,while at the top of her game, Carolyn and her team-mates, Barb Eves, Betty Hodgens, Karen Vanderhenny and a very pregnant Heather Walsh, who now goes by the name of Cresswell, were victorious in capturing both the Provincial and National titles of the Export A National Classified tournament. For this accomplishment Carolyn received an achievement award from the Province of Ontario, as well as letters of achievement from the Mayors of both Newmarket and Richmond Hill. When the Office Specialty league folded, she, along with Pauline, Betty Wolfreys, Betty Horton, Pauline Babuik and Allison Tugwell formed the only ladies team that bowled in the men’s league at Superbowl. In Open competition, Carolyn represented York Simcoe at the Provincials a total of ten times, with eight appearances on the Ladies team and two on the Mixed team.
While a baseball injury forced Carolyn to retire from the game much too soon, we are grateful for her years of dedication and commitment to the Youth Bowling Council and the Master Bowlers Association as a coach and instructor and the York Simcoe 5 Pin Bowlers’ Association as a bowler and executive. We welcome, yet another, Newmarket resident into the Hall of Fame. It is only fitting that Carolyn and Pauline are inducted together, as they have so much in common, even the same birthday, February 26.