Discussion on General Association News http://forums.bowl.com/index.php Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:12:17 +0000 60 http://forums.bowl.com/index.php?showtopic=346
With over 100,000 lane beds there is on average less than 2.5 certified junior bowlers per lane bed way down from the days when Saturday morning sanctioned programs alone were often double shifts.


I'm wondering just what is going on at the conference tables in the new headquarters of BPAA/USBC. What kind of meetings are taking place to try and turn all this around and is there anyone from outside the inner circles being called upon to attend 'out of the box' think tank meetings to seek a way to rid bowling of what does not work and test something or other that might work? Is there anything new being tested right now?

Does anyone in a position of leadership think all this will bottom out anytime soon without undertaking major, painful to some, changes in the top to bottom system now in place?]]> Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:33:36 +0000 http://forums.bowl.com/index.php?showtopic=346 http://forums.bowl.com/index.php?showtopic=300
Does USBC have a recommendation as to whether a local should have term limits or not? Also, what is the rationale for each?]]> Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:50:01 +0000 http://forums.bowl.com/index.php?showtopic=300 http://forums.bowl.com/index.php?showtopic=203
I wonder if there are local association officers getting more information on this than is available on Bowl.com that can be shared. Is national looking to establish committees of volunteers from locals within each regional for specific projects, working with contacts at bowling centers within each region for specific projects and perhaps with reps from corporate sponsors within each region, establishing bowling councils to try and get away from each local and each center doing it all by themselves?]]> Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:10:34 +0000 http://forums.bowl.com/index.php?showtopic=203 http://forums.bowl.com/index.php?showtopic=195
How many know exactly how their membership dues are spent and if there are outside activities (like brackets 50/50 drawings as examples) that produce income how much there is and how it is spent?

How many have not ever seen a local/state annual financial report?

How many have never seen a national financial report and if not do you think certified bowlers should have access to it or is it not important at all to see one?

If there is transparency at national levels how much information should be available? Should certified bowlers be able to read on Bowl.com itimized income/expense reports, know it all? Should certified bowlers be able to read an itimized list of income from membership fees and net income from every other source of income (USBC Nationals, Go for the Gold junior, commissions from sale of rings, products listed as membership discount opportunities, membership mailing lists as examples); an itimized list of expenses for membership services and other activities such as support for women's bowling in their Open and on tv, support for the PBA, support for Team USA, etal?]]> Sun, 04 Oct 2009 02:43:37 +0000 http://forums.bowl.com/index.php?showtopic=195 http://forums.bowl.com/index.php?showtopic=187
Thank you so much!

Bonnie McDonald]]> Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:50:24 +0000 http://forums.bowl.com/index.php?showtopic=187 http://forums.bowl.com/index.php?showtopic=135 I want to share some very sad news; Roger Stewart died Saturday September 5th. Roger was the Association Manager of the Chicagoland USBC (2nd largest association in the country). Roger was serving on the USBC National Task Force, and inducted into the Chicagoland USBC Hall of Fame in 2007 for meritorious service. Roger, your passion for bowling and your calming, professional demeanor will be missed. Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:05:53 +0000 http://forums.bowl.com/index.php?showtopic=135 http://forums.bowl.com/index.php?showtopic=107

For me it is all about trying to accomplish at national levels what needs to be accomplished at local levels first. There should be bowling councils at local levels, 100% merged and larger where it makes sense. Associations, center owners and local outlets of corporate sponsors who support bowling should be meeting, planning and jointly financing programs of mutual interest.

If that was in place there should be qualifying events at local levels to send their best juniors, adults to repesent them in state and national tournaments. good entries at local levels because there is in place solid training opportunities and activities to encourage becoming very good, more than a few self made good bowlers all over this land and far less good training and activities then there could and should be.

To think just by advertising a major national event for men and women when there is very little in place at local levels to support it is just not going to result in anything different than what bowling has in Detroit no matter how much money is offered, along with a tv finals, especially if it is entrants bowling for their own money, minus expenses.

Aside from all that which is pretty much being ignored, to think many outsiders would take the time off from work, pay the entry fee, the costs of travel and the costs of staying several days in an extended tournament to bowl against women and touring pros who have been bowling for a month on the conditions to be used in the final event qualifying is asking far too much.

If local areas did have a working, supportive relationship with each other and ran qualifying events using the tournament conditions, had those conditions available for free or deeply discounted rates to practice, the award for coming out on top an all expense paid trip to the tournament in Detroit methinks the entry turnout would have been substantitally better, the publicity in the local media for their reps and the events themselves a lot better; ditto for the quality in the U.S. Opens, Masters/Queens, high school and collegiate bowling, etal but it all has to start at local levels not at national to be successful.]]> Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:24:43 +0000 http://forums.bowl.com/index.php?showtopic=107 http://forums.bowl.com/index.php?showtopic=58
Bonnie McDonald
Midcoast Region USBC]]> Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:07:20 +0000 http://forums.bowl.com/index.php?showtopic=58