Is the United States Bowling Congress in trouble? Is it losing membership nationally because bowling centers and leagues are choosing not to sanction?

Jim Salisbury, the proprietor of Park Lanes in Shippensburg, Penn., thinks so. His column in a recent issue of Bowling Industry magazine outlines six steps the USBC can take to help in stopping the decline in membership.

• Restructure the lane certification process. The USBC should establish a nationally administered lane inspecting program which would add consistency of center compliance through the highest degree of fairness. The process also would eliminate the "Good Ol' Boys" network in local associations which lead to fractured relationships between centers and association volunteers, and eliminates local rumors and innuendo.

• Adopt lane conditioning and equipment specifications. Lanes would be dressed with no more than the minimum amount needed to protect the surface. It's also suggested to ban balls which use particle technology, eliminate devices which enhance the action of flat gutters, kickbacks, side boards, edge boards and pin decks; and require all pins to have the minimum weight of three pounds, eight ounces.

• Establish a national record book. The book would include all bowler averages and other useful information to local associations, compare ranks of all certified centers in scoring environment and list all USBC-certified tournament results for each bowler to eliminate sandbaggers.

• Establish a regulation and equipment specification group within USBC which is independent from any special-interest or industry groups.

• Set up a department to deal with community relations and municipal governments. The group would review zoning and tax laws, along with government involvement in ownership and operation of centers.

• Allow unsanctioned leagues to join USBC as associate members. Participants would only pay national dues, and have their league bonded, provided procedures for handling of league funds are followed. The league would be required to compete on USBC-certified lanes, and members would be allowed to participate in all sanctioned tournaments at the local, state and national levels. They would receive identification cards, but wouldn't be eligible for awards programs.