I took over as Secretary/Treasurer of my Thursday nite league this year.  Because sandbagging has never been a problem, we have never bothered with a 10-pin drop rule.  Our rule is...First nite of bowling you use your league average from last year in our league, book average from last year, or if you didn't bowl a sanctioned league last year you establish an average/handicap the first nite.  For those with an average from last year, after you've bowled 3 games in our league, that's your average.

Well, we have some new bowlers this year.  And all of them "Um, I think my average was about..."  I've looked up their averages, and they have all been close.  For instance, one guy said he was a 196 average, last year he was in 3 leagues - 197, 197, 200.  All 3 leagues had roughly the same amount of games.  

If they were giving wildly different averages, I would be suspect.  "I was about 165" when in actuality they average 200.  But a pin or two won't matter for handicap.  I bowled in 2 leagues last year, one full time, one sub.  I can tell you I was 211 full time, and 200 as a sub.  HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW YOUR AVERAGE!?!?!?!
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It IS next year!