Okay, I'm not being sour grapes here, but I do want something clarified since I worked hard on my average.  According to what I read in WIBC rules, MIB is determined by the point difference between your end average and your beginning average (to a whole pin).  Now it is the beginning average that gets me:

New bowlers go by the 21 game rule, right? Rule 56d
Returning to league bowlers go by end of last season? Rule 56b
Bowler with last season book average, but in a new area/league goes by last year.  Rule 56c

Here's the deal.  Last year (my first)I ended with a 156 in my only league.
This year I finished with a 174 (amazing what spare shooting can do for you) in the same league as last year and a 168 in another league in a different house and region.  At this place they only accept scores from their region so I had to go with the 21 game rule.  It is not written down, it is just their "rule".  Well, by 21 games there I was already within 5 pins of my final average. The winner had an 8 pin increase and was in the same league last year.  They get nothing for this accomplishment.  My actual 12.47 pins meant nothing.  I shrugged it off since I didn't feel the 168 was my best anyway.

Well, in my returning league the secretary took the average of improvement from the 21 game mark for every bowler (we didn't know she was doing this until the awards were announced).  So in that case the extra work I put in which increased my average about 5 pins before the season and the rest during the season was unrecognized.  Now, in this league you get $20.  At 18.79 pins improvement, I would have blown everyone (returners and new bowlers) out of the water.  The winner was a new bowler who went from a 95 at 21 weeks to 108.44 final for a 13.44 increase.  I'm happy she did so great and I have encouraged her all season, but she basically went from putting the ball in the gutter to keeping it on the lane.  At this rate, next year I will have to go from 174 to over 186 which we all know is much harder to do since it is about stringing strikes.

Now besides the principle of it, there is this side of me that wants a pat on the back.  See, I am the best bowler on this league (not saying much, but it means something since I also have the 10th highest women's series (666) and game (264) at this house so the shot is not easy to score on - I am just lined up with it pretty good).  As a result everyone thinks I have always been a 174 bowler. Since memories are short (how many women really remember other women's averages anyway?) the returners have no recollection of last year's 156 finish.  Half the league is new and has always thought I was a "good" bowler.  Just having people hear that I went from 156 to 174 meant something to me -- I admit it.  Many on the league are 150s bowlers and they have gotten so they are "settling" for that.  I try to tell them that they can work on their shot too and they just respond "Oh, you're just a natural."  Okay, I think I am almost at the end of my rant.  The secretary makes these rules decisions without input all the time and it annoys me. It is not her job. She just got revoted in -- excuse being "she has the computer program already."  Who cares!  The league paid for it and we pay the secretary to get it right.  Next year I was voted VP -- the president is also on my team.  The rules will not be so arbitrary in the future. I'd be ragging on this even if it was someone else beaten out of a fair shot at MIB -- three other returners would have also been higher than the person who got it if last year's averages were used.

Bottom line: Anyone else use the 21 game rule for MIB regardless?  Not having a written change, should it have been this way?

I improved 39 pins this year, and still someone improved more than that, and got the award. I would have liked it, since this was my first year bowling, and I improved alot.
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If you bowl bad, blame the equipment.

serice --

"It's just a matter of a vote at the beginning of the next season to get that rule changed. Propose it, state your reasons for using last season's book as the benchmark, and then take the vote. If your proposal passes, the secretary has no choice but to base the award on the previous season's ending book."

Deb said it all.  The exact method of determining ALL awards should be spelled out in your league rules and strictly obeyed.  Then there's no argument.  --  JohnP

Debina... good luck with that goal!

As for approaching the secretary, the president has approached her several times about making rules calls without consulting her or the team captains.

I have become a bit of a rules person and the bowlers often come to me for clarifications.  I have had to bring to the attention of the officers several corrections that actually "hurt" me or my team's position.  But, of course, ill gotten gain isn't worth it.  Example, I had a gutter jump 10 pin spare that everyone missed seeing since they were talking.  Without the spare, we lose the game and second place is at risk with only 2 weeks left in the season.  I inform the teams and make the change.  Everyone knows I'm fair and looking out for what is right, so the issue of personal gain would not come up.

Serice - place your disgust where it belongs - on the league board of directors for allowing league mismanagement to occur. This includes the officers AND team captains.

Most people who get elected to any position other than secretary or treasurer assume there is no work or responsibilty attached to the position - other than league president running meetings, etc.
I constantly run into people who don't understand that a team captain has REAL work to do in that position - as do president, VP, etc...

You might ask your association to hold a class called league officer 101 and team captain 101 to acquaint people to what's expected...
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Ability is what you're capable of doing.
Motivation determines what you do.
Attitude determines how well you do it.
 - Lou Holtz

Like bones said, no regular bowler wants to get the MIB award.  That is usually an award for new bowlers just learning to bowl and improving their game as they go.

  However, due to odd circumstances, I am leading my league in this department and am a little embaeassed by it.

  At the first of the year, I was having personal problems and after 21 games had a 192 average.  I usually average 215-220.  After getting my things worked out, I am now at the 212 level, but according to the secretary, I am leading in the MIB because after 21 games you re-rate your average, whether it is up OR down so mine went down to 192, and since then has been raised back to 212.

  Only three weeks remain in the league, so I cant quit now, my team needs the points, but NOBODY can catch me as I am 7 pins ahead of anybody else and am on a hot streak.

  Boy, I feel bad about it, and I didn't do it on purpose, but sometimes it just works out this way.
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Just call me Darreyl, it's much easier to say!