Prior to 1954, bowlers were members of the Sir Francis Drake Trust,  a charity set up in England to cover the whole of the British Isles. However, Scottish bowlers felt they were not getting a fair deal from the Sir Francis Drake Trust, as no monies were distributed north of the border.

In 1954 four prominent Scottish bowlers set up the Scottish Bowlers' Fellowship. They were :

Ernest Noakes - Kingston Bowling Club

Hugh Docherty - Kingston Bowling Club

Dr John Cockburn - Hyndland Bowling Club

George Bennie

Membership of the Scottish Bowler's Fellowship would be open to all bowlers through payment of an annual fee, which would be invested to create a fund. The fund would allow the Fellowship to provide bowlers in Scotland with grants and other support in times of need. A constitution outlining the principles and objectives of the Fellowship was drawn up and duly registered. 

Since inception, the Scottish Bowlers' Fellowship has funded over £420,000 of support, by way of death and emergency grants, and the provision of specialist equipment to improve access and participation in the sport by impaired bowlers.