USBC CONVENTION PART 1: No U.S. Women’s Open in 2011: SMART Program gets management overhaul, Bohn Finishes 7th in Voting for 4 USBC Directors

St. Louisan Steve Moehrle named to SMART team 

by Scott Simon

The 2010 USBC national convention proved it could make some news that will wake up bowlers but also decision were made that mirror what major corporations do when handling scholarship money.

The big news that is buzzing in El Paso at the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open  is the 2011 tournament has been cancelled. Money is a reason but also because there is little sponsorship interest from non-bowling retailers. It’s become a regular decision in recent years; there were no U.S. Women’s Opens in 1997, 2002, and from 2004-2006.

Tammy Boomershine is the defending champion and the contenders are Kelly Kulick, Liz Johnson and Carolyn Dorin-Ballard. Kulick averaged 230 for the first 8 games of qualifying.

Only one St. Louisan is in the field. Gwen DeBok of Fenton is 80th after round one. The only other bowler from Missouri, Samantha Swanson of Warrensburg, is in 55th place.

OFF THE LANES: (Scholarship Management and Accounting Reports for Tenpins) doesn’t just have a new board, it’s now an separate corporation.

Bowling Hood has learned one of the new SMART board members is Dr. Steve Moehrle, Associate  Professor of Accounting at the University of Missouri-St. Louis who’s also an active and skilled bowler. Outgoing USBC President and St. Louis native Jeff Boje’ told www.bowl.com, “This corporation was created to have a total focus on the care of SMART funds and promote youth bowling scholarships," USBC President Jeff Boje‚ said. "This board will remain consistent with people eminently qualified to manage those funds."

Dr. Moehrle tells Bowling Hood the other two members of the management board are Wally Hall and Sandy Hansell. If you don’t know Hall, he owns a pair of centers in Maryland but is the former CEO of Fair Lanes, Inc., past president of the BPAA and is one of the foremost promoters of marketing – a value where bowling trails other sports and recreation activities. Hansell has been the the industry’s leading real estate broker for 33 years, heading Sandy Hansell and Associates. He’s also a licensed attorney.

Let’s see – Moehrle’s a Certified Public Accountant who’s also a university professor, Hansell’s an attorney and Hall was a corporation CEO. These are three Really Smart Guys – an attribute the bowling industry has needed for years to manage finance and economics.

The three already have met and named Hall the board’s chairman. They also are in the process of writing a “Recipient Bill of Rights” and a “Provider Bill of Rights.”

They’re on the “right” path. A solid mission statement is a must. Can anyone recite the USBC mission statement?

Bowling Hood hopes the committee and USBC as a while will rely on the experience and expertise of Tom Bluth. The son of Hall of Fame bowler Ray Bluth is a USBC board member, an attorney and Certified Public Accountant in Ft. Lauderdale, and works for Ellis Diversified, Inc. as its Chief Financial Officer and general counsel.

BOARD OF DIRECTOR’S VOTE: Two incumbents and two new directors were elected to the USBC board. Carolyn Dorin-Ballard and Michael Italia of Warrington Pennsylvania were reelected. The approximately 1,000 delegate also elected Mark Martin, association manager for Metro Detroit USBC and bowling columnist for the Oakland Press along with Deanna Rose of Fairport, N.Y. are the board’s newcomers.

St. Louis USBC Association Manager Dale Bohn received 205 votes and finished seventh out of the nine people on the ballot.

This was the last convention for outgoing USBC President Jeff Boje’ who’s term officially ends August 1. He will be replaced by USBC Vice President Darlene Baker of Mahomet, Illinois. A fine bowler in her own right, her credentials as a bowling leader are more impressive.

Baker has been on the Illinois USBC Women's Bowling Association Board of Directors since 1993 and served as third vice president for nearly six years. She has been a director on the Clinton (Ill.) USBC for two years, and is serving her first year as third vice president of the Champaign Area USBC. She also has served on the Illinois State USBC Youth Board since 1994, with eight years as second vice president. She was Illinois Bowling Council secretary-treasurer for eight years and spent 20 years on the Clinton (Ill.) WBA Board, including three years as president. She is a member of the Clinton WBA Hall of Fame and Illinois WBA Hall of Fame, both for meritorious service.

Part Two of the USBC Convention recap coming out soon will explain some of the new rules on and off the lanes.

St. Louis Press Radio TV League renamed to honor Hall of Fame bowling writer John J. Archibald

by Scott Simon

Effective immediately, the St. Louis Press Radio TV has been changed to the John J. Archibald St. Louis Press Radio TV League.

Members unanimously voted for the name change on April 26 during to honor the long time St. Louis Post Dispatch bowling writer who also was a league member for 60 years until retiring in February 2009 after suffering a stroke.

Archibald, a 1949 graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, worked at the Post Dispatch his entire career from 1950 until his retirement in 1990.

He covered St. Louis bowling for 40 years including the night in 1958 that the famed Budweiser team of Dick Weber, Don Carter, Ray Bluth, Pat Patterson and Tom Hennessey shot a then-ABC record 3858 team series at Floriss Lanes. John also covered the the PBA from its formative period in the 1960's until his retirement. He is a life member of the Bowling Writers Association of America and was their President in 1970.

John was elected to the St. Louis USBC Hall of Fame in 1985, the PBA Hall of Fame in 1989 and the USBC Hall of Fame in 1996. He also authored the book, Bowling for Boys and Girls, published by Follett Publications in 1963.

Outside the newsroom, John steadfastly promoted and participated in the Press Radio TV league, formed in the 1930's for workers at the St. Louis daily newspapers at the time, the Post Dispatch, St. Louis Globe Democrat and St. Louis Star Times. During his 60 year membership in the league, he witnessed league changes from a newspaper employee-only league to including workers at the city's radio and television stations and finally the inclusion of women in the league for the first time during the 2009-10 season.

The league will honor John Archibald with a plaque and celebrate the league's new name in September at Olivette Lanes when it begins the 2010-11 season.

Questions submitted to St. Louis USBC candidates

Neither candidate chose to answer the questions, although Darlene Elston partially answered question #1.

1. What are the top 3 priorities that must be addressed by the St. Louis USBC from 2010-2012 and why?

2. Since both candidates have been board members prior to this election, what 3 issues did St. Louis USBC from 2008-2010 address as priorities that still need additional work during the upcoming term?

3. St. Louis USBC membership is down 7% this season. Do you feel more efforts are required to recruit members or is the decline solely the result of the recession?

4. If a member were to ask, "What are your strongest assets to be President of St. Louis USBC, what would your answer be?"

5. If a member were to ask, "What are your weaknesses that need to be improved in order to be President of St. Louis USBC?"

6. What services need to be improved by St. Louis USBC for its members?

7. Do you endorse or oppose the USBC/BPAA partnership and why?

8. Should the Red White and Blue lane patterns be required for honor scores to be sanctioned?

9. What other things or issues should St. Louis USBC be offering its members?

10. If the USBC financial situation were to worsen into possible bankruptcy and reorganization, what are your recommendations to solve the problem?

Editorial posted on www.bowlinghood.com April 15

A Bowling Hood Editorial - The Presidency of St. Louis USBC

This Saturday, members of the St. Louis USBC will be voting new officers and directors for the association.

There are two candidates in the race for President, incumbent
Jim Mooney and current association Vice President Darlene Elston.

BOWLING HOOD a week ago submitted questions to both candidates
that were compiled from a focus group of 8 St. Louis USBC members
regarding their positions on current issues.

Neither candidate filled out the questionnaire but did make reply statements. The questions submitted can be found following this editorial.

Mooney wrote, "Even though I like the idea of having the membership know the candidates, and their positions on the matters of the association, they are about to elect to a position on the board of their bowling association, I do not feel that it fair for my opinions are posted without consideration for a candidate from the floor the same opportunity.

"It is a good idea for the membership to know the candidates. This may be hard to enact, we could have this type of questions & answers available, in print format at future elections."
Elston replied, "COMMUNICATION is our number one problem.  This is addressed at our meetings and hopefully with the addition of other members this can be addressed and put into action.

"Please be assured that it is not up to the President or any one member to make these changes.  By our by-laws, any changes require BOARD approval."

Mooney's response about letting members know the candidates exposes the communication problem with St. Louis USBC and its members. While we appreciate his position the members should know the candidates, Mooney as the incumbent president did not make it happen for this election, nor was it a priority during his term.

In fact, most St. Louis USBC members do not even know who is running, not even on the association's official website, www.stlusbc.org.

Mooney's explanation why he didn't answer the focus group questionnaire is puzzling. He passed to give opportunity for nominations from the floor. Members expect more from their leaders when they choose to run for an office, even more so when the candidate is asking for another term. Members want them to be proactive during a campaign so that they are informed on what the issues are and future items that need addressing.

Have you ever seen a candidate for office state that they were not publishing their platform in deference to write-in candidates?

Elston addressed communication but did not offer any proposals or solutions. Again, members expect proactive leadership from those already in offices and especially from those aspiring to a higher position.

Jim Mooney and Darlene Elston have served the membership on the executive board and most definitely are qualified to be president. Their intentions for the board and the organization are good.

But based on their records and replies, Bowling Hood supports Darlene Elston to become the next President of the St. Louis USBC.

We clarify that this is a support recommendation and not an endorsement because the analysis is incomplete due to lack of answers to the questions submitted to them by the membership focus group. Elston partially answered the first question, "What are the top 3 priorities that must be addressed by the St. Louis USBC from 2010-2012 and why," but failed to give two more priorities.

Mooney didn't answer any of the questions. Communication from him to members regarding this election, issues and other important matters regarding the association should have resulted in better execution during his leadership.

Bowling Hood agrees with Elston that communication is the number one problem for the association. No group succeeds with little-to-no communication with its members. Groups always have the chance to grow when it communicates effectively. St. Louis USBC membership this year is down seven percent according to Association Manager Dale Bohn. Not all of this can be blamed on the recession. Bowling encountered a recession just after the attack of 9/11, yet industry analyst Wally Hall noted open play growth for at least two years after the incident because of bowing’s affordable pricing and locales close to people's home ensuring more safety.

A good example where communication and proactive leadership succeeds is in Wisconsin. Bowling centers became no smoking venues several years ago because of state law. Yet, according to comprehensive report compiled by Vicki Bowman of the Kansas City Bowling Proprietors Association, their membership drop was much less than other states which enacted similar laws.

Bowling can grow. It will never become extinct. However, the rock bottom benchmark can only be defined when the simplest of tasks by those in positions of authority stabilize current member activity. That's the true challenge of bowling in the St. Louis USBC jurisdiction with upcoming obstacles such as the new no-smoking law to go into effect Jan. 2, 2011 and the continuing soft economy that will continue for a while according to the current St. Louis Region Beige Book Report by the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank.

For full disclosure, I bowled with Jim Mooney and consider him a friend. If this editorial was based on personal knowledge and friendship, he would have received the endorsement or support. But this is about the greater good of the association and the sport of bowling. I can say that Jim should be commended for his solid and consistent promotion of sport bowling. He was doing it years ago before PBA experience leagues became popular. Jim’s work in this area should be a model for other association leaders.
In conclusion, is St. Louis USBC up to the challenges? Only the new board - and you members - can make that decision Saturday at Tropicana Lanes during the St. Louis USBC election beginning at 1 p.m. (Pictures courtesy of St. Louis USBC)

This editorial has been submitted to both candidates and they have been offered opportunity for reply which will immediately be published prior to the election.

Editorial – The Presidency of St. Louis USBC

This Saturday, members of the St. Louis USBC will be voting new officers and directors for the association. There are two candidates in the race for President, incumbent Jim Mooney and current association Vice President Darlene Elston.

BOWLING HOOD a week ago submitted questions to both candidates that were compiled from a focus group of 8 St. Louis USBC members regarding their positions on current issues. Neither candidate filled out the questionnaire but did make reply statements. The questions submitted can be found following this editorial.

Mooney wrote, "Even though I like the idea of having the membership know the candidates, and their positions on the matters of the association, they are about to elect to a position on the board of their bowling association, I do not feel that it fair for my opinions are posted without consideration for a candidate from the floor the same opportunity.

"It is a good idea for the membership to know the candidates. This may be hard to enact, we could have this type of questions & answers available, in print format at future elections."

Elston replied, "COMMUNICATION is our number one problem. This is addressed at our meetings and hopefully with the addition of other members this can be addressed and put into action.

"Please be assured that it is not up to the President or any one member to make these changes. By our by-laws, any changes require BOARD approval."

Mooney's response about letting members know the candidates exposes the communication problem with St. Louis USBC and its members. While we appreciate his position the members should know the candidates, Mooney as the incumbent president did not make it happen for this election, nor was it a priority during his term. In fact, most St. Louis USBC members do not even know who is running, not even on the association's official website, www.stlusbc.org.

Mooney's explanation why he didn't answer the focus group questionnaire is puzzling. He passed to give opportunity for nominations from the floor. Members expect more from their leaders when they choose to run for an office, even more so when the candidate is asking for another term. Members want them to be proactive during a campaign so that they are informed on what the issues are and future items that need addressing.

Have you ever seen a candidate for office state that they were not publishing their platform in deference to write-in candidates?

Elston addressed communication but did not offer any proposals or solutions. Again, members expect proactive leadership from those already in offices and especially from those aspiring to a higher position.

Jim Mooney and Darlene Elston have served the membership on the executive board and most definitely are qualified to be president. Their intentions for the board and the organization are good.

But based on their records and replies, Bowling Hood supports Darlene Elston to become the next President of the St. Louis USBC. We clarify that this is a support recommendation and not an endorsement because the analysis is incomplete due to lack of answers to the questions submitted to them by the membership focus group.

Elston partially answered the first question, "What are the top 3 priorities that must be addressed by the St. Louis USBC from 2010-2012 and why," but failed to give two more priorities.

Mooney didn't answer any of the questions. Communication from him to members regarding this election, issues and other important matters regarding the association should have resulted in better execution during his leadership.

Bowling Hood agrees with Elston that communication is the number one problem for the association. No group succeeds with little-to-no communication with its members.

Groups always have the chance to grow when it communicates effectively. St. Louis USBC membership this year is down seven percent according to Association Manager Dale Bohn. Not all of this can be blamed on the recession. Bowling encountered a recession just after the attack of 9/11, yet industry analyst Wally Hall noted open play growth for at least two years after the incident because of bowing’s affordable pricing and locales close to people's home ensuring more safety.

A good example where communication and proactive leadership succeeds is in Wisconsin. Bowling centers became no smoking venues several years ago because of state law. Yet, according to comprehensive report compiled by Vicki Bowman of the Kansas City Bowling Proprietors Association, their membership drop was much less than other states which enacted similar laws.

Bowling can grow. It will never become extinct. However, the rock bottom benchmark can only be defined when the simplest of tasks by those in positions of authority stabilize current member activity. That's the true challenge of bowling in the St. Louis USBC jurisdiction with upcoming obstacles such as the new no-smoking law to go into effect Jan. 2, 2011 and the continuing soft economy that will continue for a while according to the current St. Louis Region Beige Book Report by the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank.

For full disclosure, I bowled with Jim Mooney and consider him a friend. If this editorial was based on personal knowledge and friendship, he would have received the endorsement or support. But this is about the greater good of the association and the sport of bowling.

I can say that Jim should be commended for his solid and consistent promotion of sport bowling. He was doing it years ago before PBA experience leagues became popular. Jim’s work in this area should be a model for other association leaders.

In conclusion, is St. Louis USBC up to the challenges? Only the new board - and you members - can make that decision Saturday at Tropicana Lanes during the St. Louis USBC election beginning at 1 p.m. This editorial has been submitted to both candidates and they have been offered opportunity for reply which will immediately be published prior to the election.

THE FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS SUBMITTED TO CANDIDATES

1. What are the top 3 priorities that must be addressed by the St. Louis USBC from 2010-2012 and why?

2. Since both candidates have been board members prior to this election, what 3 issues did St. Louis USBC from 2008-2010 address as priorities that still need additional work during the upcoming term?

3. St. Louis USBC membership is down 7% this season. Do you feel more efforts are required to recruit members or is the decline solely the result of the recession?

4. If a member were to ask, "What are your strongest assets to be President of St. Louis USBC, what would your answer be?"

5. If a member were to ask, "What are your weaknessses that need to be improved in order to be President of St. Louis USBC?"

6. What services need to be improved by St. Louis USBC for its members?

7.. Do you endorse or oppose the USBC/BPAA partnership and why?

8. Should the Red White and Blue lane patterns be required for honor scores to be sanctioned?

9. What other things or issues should St. Louis USBC be offering its members?

10. If the USBC financial situation were to worsen into possible bankruptcy and reorganization, what are your recommendations to solve the problem?