Bowling, The Wright Way - February 8, 1999 by Don Wright
If They Want To Play, Make 'em Pay!

A lot of league secretaries are now using various software programs to track their leagues. These programs are great and my wife uses one to maintain her league records. They are great and I often wonder how we did it before the software.

Some of the software programs and league secretary/treasurer duties are being performed in-house by the center. The centers promote it as a service they provide, but I am not convinced about that. I like a secretary, treasure, or any league officer for that matter to be responsible to my needs at any given time. I don't want to have to call the center to get information on my league. I want to call my elected officers.

Most treasurers in my area using in-house services are nothing more than money counters. They sit the entire league time counting money collected that evening, ensuring the envelopes are marked properly, and in between they try to bowl and someone else watches over the funds.

Some of the bowling software posts the amount of money teams are in arrears. It absolutely amazes me when I see leagues $400 to $700 in arrears. And, these are not big leagues, 16 to 20 teams.

I accept the fact that there will be times when a team or individual could be in arrears. But, I don't accept teams or individuals in arrears for hundreds of dollars. Bowlers should be told at the league organizational meeting the costs that they have incurred by signing up for the league. If the bowler is not at the organizational meeting it is incumbent upon the team captain to make sure the bowler realizes his financial responsibility. Once that is established, the league must enforce payment of league fees. Most leagues adopt some rule allowing for certain arrearages. The key is to enforce the rules.

Allowing an individual or team excessive arrearages neither helps those people or the league. How many times have you heard someone say, "we'll take it out of their prize money?" That's not the answer.

League officers from the President down to team captain have to enforce the rules. If you go to a movie you have to pay to get in. If you go bowling you should pay to play.

I believe the league secretary/treasurer who, in most leagues is the backbone of the league officer's, should be more than a money counter. Team captains need to ensure they collect their money promptly and in full, or the league officer's needs to get involved. Allowing a person, or team to hold the league at hostage until the end of the season with no one knowing how much money is actually in the prize fund is simply unacceptable.

Make 'em pay, or don't let them play.