"2.  In states a rule that bans any bowlers from participating in scratch tournaments if you make over 3k a year.  (I have isse with this one since it banned a young man from tournaments"

 

 

Edited by JOE FALCO on 2/19/2011 at 7:44 AM

     Maybe you should show up for the Association meetings when they vote. All tournament dates are voted on by association members and the board, there is nothing that is just done for the sake of doing it. Being in the same association as you, I have to disagree with you on some of your issues. (#2) The rule about the 3k was voted on at the state level and passed by a large majority, so it is obvious that there were many people that had problems with  the bowlers who are bowling regionals on a regular bases being involved with this tournament  I am not saying it is right or wrong just stating it was voted on at the State Association meeting. (#1) As stated above all tournament dates for the City, Senior All Stars and Regular All Stars were voted on in the Association meeting which was attended by numerous members along with the board. You want to make a difference, you want to voice your displeasure in how things are done? Show up to the meetings, make your case and call for a motion you might just make a difference. (#3) If I am not mistaken, the poor turnout was the year after they put out a sport pattern for the local Regular All Stars, seems not to many people wanted to bowl on that after their poor showing the year before. That was actually voted on to change back to the house pattern to increase turnout for the qualifier, kind of silly since the state will be on Kegel Highway to Hell this year. Your Association President actually has a Kegel sport pattern put down every Saturday for bowlers to come in and pot bowl on. Some bowlers come in and just bowl on it without getting in the pot. You should come down, with your talent you might just win a few bucks. 

      I attend the meetings and voice my opinion. I had strong disagreement with the city tournament going out on post this year because of the extra time it takes to get on. They voted and they passed to go out to the base center. First day only 5 teams showed up to bowl, you can't blame that on the announcements or the Association President. His choice was to not go out there, but it was put to a vote and the motion to move it back to the in town center was defeated. What I am saying is, if you want things to change get involved and voice your opinion there may be others who feel the same way. 

 

In some ways I agree with both you guys. We do need new, younger blood in all of the local associations. The old guys have ran these for years in most cases and are unwilling to change. I did join as did several younger (based on the average age in the association) about the same time. We even made some headway into the inside circle, but we never made any noticable change in the way things were done. Just were flat out voted and over powered. The two guys at the top just told everyone what was going to happen and it was approved. Don't go along and they would push you out or in some cases kick you out. Locals are a viable part of the process, but there has to be a way to get even younger guys and girls to get in and make a change. In some areas, like ours, I think  this will only happen if USBC terminates all the current local assocations and prevents any of the old gaurd from being part of the new. We are not merged and with the hatred that this subject has created never will be unless forced and at that point the Mens (open) association will not have any control or say in what happens in the future. The ones that will suffer from such a change are the bowlers. The other two groups do absolutely nothing to inspect, promote and participate with the leagues and bowlers.

 

 Now on the other side. Outside of being the clearance house for thousands of magnets and hundreds of honor awards. The only thing a local really does is run the city tournament, the state every four years and answer local rules questions. The open associations also conducts all center inspections and lane inspections. That is really all they do and then once a year send delegates to vote on rule changes. Most of the time the delegates blow off any meaningful change at the convention too, so don't do much there to make improvements to the game.

Roll with 900 Global.

Made in Texas! 

One thing to keep in mind.

 

The majority (the big majority) of USBC members are not "serious bowlers". 

 

So the job of the local association is to find a balance to keep the 140-170 casual league bowler just as happy as the 190-220 bowlers, so they are all not screaming "what about me".

 

Think about it like this.  Hypothetically if there are exactly 2 million members in USBC.  And 70% agree to a rule change, which is a clear land slide vote.  You still have 600,000 upset members who feel like USBC is not listening to them.

 

Most local associations I have had to deal with are not made up of serious bowlers.  They are, for the most part, people who care about bowlers.  All bowlers.  Whether you average 90 or 190.  Because most local associations are dealing with the majority of bowlers.  And I'm sorry to say, that ain't "serious bowlers".

 

Serious bowlers do not make up the most USBC members and serious bowlers definitely do not bring in the most money in bowling centers.  Recreational leagues and recreational bowlers do.  That is why USBC focuses on them.

 

Get used to it.  Follow the money!

 

 

 

By serious bowlers I was referring to bowlers willing to join a league and get sanctioned.

 

There are still millions of casual bowlers who bowl a time or two a year.

 

I agree in that you can't cater to the 10% who happen to average 200+.