A twenty-member Scottish women's team is chosen every 10 years to compete and represent Scotland in the United States. Tour participants are selected based upon several criteria including physical and social stamina as well as dedication to the organization and game of curling. The USWCA (United States Women’s Curling Association) sends women to Scotland and Canada every 10 years for a Friendship Tour. Bobbie Greenspan represented Aksarben in 2006 and Nancy Myers represented Aksarben in 2012 for the Canadian Friendship Tours.
The Denver Curling Club invited Aksarben women curlers to participate in this year’s Scot Tour games. Twenty women from the Royal Caledonia Curling Club Ladies’ Branch Membership traveled to the US for a month of curling at clubs in the Midwest and East Coast. Representing curling clubs from all over Scotland, these ‘lassies’ are outstanding, life-long curlers.
Sally Ashmore, Lois Imig, and Nancy Myers joined with the women of the Denver Curling Club to play against the Scots. We found the Scottish women friendly and eager to share about their families and their country. They talked about many things, noting that the Queen of England had been in Scotland at the time of her death. Much reverence and love were expressed for Queen Elizabeth, who had been an important icon for the Scots. We toasted the tour participants by singing a resounding version of Auld Lang Syne and Scotland the Brave.
We appreciate the generosity of the Denver Curling Club and are reminded that curling truly is a sport based on camaraderie and community.
