For many years of his short life, Perry Folk was a fixture at the Weyburn Golf Course. He was a pretty good golfer, but he was an even better socializer -- widely regarded as the friendliest guy in the clubhouse. When Perry died in 2009, local businessman and fellow club member, Al York, donated a plaque in Perry's honor. After discussions with the Folk family, it was decided that the Perry Folk Fellowship Award would be given annually to a Weyburn Golf Course patron who, through personal interactions in the social setting, made the clubhouse experience more enjoyable for others. As has become the pattern, the previous season's winner is announced at the annual Perry Folk Classic memorial golf event. The 2012 PFC took place this past weekend with over 100 golfers and even more socializers. During the proceedings, at the 19th hole, Barclay Charlton was announced as the 2011 Clubhouse MVP and winner of the Perry Folk Fellowship Award. Past recipient Chad Bailey, a member of the winning foresome at the best-ball event, was on hand to pass the plaque on to its new owner.
Interestingly enough, the Perry Folk Classic is run jointly by two guys who were among Perry's best friends, namely Dale Strawford and newly crowned Clubhouse MVP Barclay Charlton himself. This year was the third annual PFC, which has raised several thousands of dollars yearly for the junior golf program in Weyburn.
Perry Folk's brother, Kevin, said this about Charlton winning the award." Well, there are no ballots here. We get a club executive member to go around and informally poll course patrons and staff alike, in order to get annecdotal feedback on candidates. Then, after processing the information, he tells our family who should win. I asked him if it was going to look "fishy" when the guy who runs a fundraiser tourney named after Perry wins the Perry Folk Fellowship Award and he said that running that tournament certainly shouldn't hurt his chances of winning the award. He said Barclay met all the other criteria AND he runs a fundraiser which this year alone saw seven Weyburn youth receive brand new clubs and membership fees. My family is delighted that it was Barclay's name which came forth this time. What would be fishy though, is if co-organizer Dale Strawford won it next year", Folk chuckled. "There is no real risk of that, Dale misses out on the course membership requirement stipulation."
Folk went on to say, "The Weyburn Golf Course was lucky to have had Perry as a member, but it is even luckier that Perry had Barclay and Dale as friends. What those boys have done for junior golf since his passing, is a wonderful thing." -Submitted
