MY CROKINOLE BOARD

One contributor’s touching tale of treasuring a favourite keepsake from childhood.

One day back in 1936, a neighbour up the road, Mrs. Hicks, stopped to talk to my mother while on her way home from downtown. Mrs. Hicks announced that she and her husband were retiring from farming and, due to the fact that they had no family to inherit the farm, they were selling it. Then she turned to me and asked if I would walk home with her as she had a present at her house that she wished to give me. I remember every step we took all the way to the farm, wondering what it was.

After arriving, she removed her coat and hat and took me into the living room where she presented me with a shiny crokinole board. They had owned the board for 50 years and now wanted me to have it as a keepsake. I lifted the board only to realize that it was too heavy for me to carry all the way home. Mrs. Hicks suggested I leave it there until Dad could come in the car to take it home. I thanked her over and over again. I ran all the way home to announce what I had been given and I am sure I pestered Dad until he took me back in the car to pick up my treasure. I was only nine years old, but knew well the value of such a fine board game.

When I received it, the crokinole board was already well-used, but it has been cared for over the years and used regularly by my family, including at crokinole parties. Today the board still sits ready for use.

Over the years, my father also made many crokinole boards—well over 100—some were hexagon-shaped, while others were square, but I never received one from him as I already had a good board of my own.

Recently though, I did inherit one of Dad’s square boards. I now have two keepsake boards, one is 40 years old while the other is at least 130 years old, both in top condition. This just proves that when something is made from quality material and properly cared for, it will last for many lifetimes.

Crokinole is a game of skill and practice, played by two or four people, and enjoyed by all ages, as long as you have a finger to shoot with—now let the games begin! n