Bowling, The Wright Way - October 17, 2002 by Don Wright
What Is This Bowling World Coming To?

By the time you read this column board members of the ABC, WIBC, YABA and USA Bowling will have considered the 200-page proposal that will put the United States Bowling Association into motion. If, and I am sure the document will be approved, it will then would be forwarded to the associations' delegates for a vote at their annual meetings in the spring.

A recent Bowlers Journal International Reader's Poll is currently running about 50/50 with half of their readers believing that the USBA legislation will pass, and half believing it won't. Personally, I'm in that 50 percent that says it will. Whether that's good or bad remains to be seen.

In my lifetime I have had the opportunity to be a member of many organizations, associations, councils, or whatever name they adopted. I'll refer to all of them as "Group." I have held office and continue in many of those groups in some capacity. When I look back on them I realize that in the beginning all of them had lofty goals, eager leaders, a solid agenda and standards that they lived by. Everyone wanted the group to make a difference, serve those they supported, and have a voice in their particular field. Unfortunately, over the years that has become less and less the focus and those groups are more a social club than a viable group.

Groups are formed for many reasons. They are formed to govern, companionship, fellowship, and partnerships. Most formal groups, especially those wanting to govern establish officers, directors, committee chairpersons, mission statement, goals, standards and lump them into a document called a constitution and by-laws. Although many try diligently to uphold the constitution and by-laws, you can bet as time passes we hear the common phrase, "that's the way we've always done it." Or, "historically we have done it this way." Usually, if there is a historian he doesn't have a record of it and the secretary doesn't have the minutes of the meeting where that decision was made. They have simply done it that way.

Committee's should have goals of their own and each committee member should know what they are. All too often committees are formed and they do nothing. Some committees have three or four people and only one does any work, or the work isn't done at all by the committee and someone else picks it up. How many times have you seen the President or the secretary take on a role simply because no one else will do it?

Elected individuals should have term limits. Although many begin their term well intended too often they become complacent and are not effective. Moving up should not be a given. A marginal vice-president should not become the president because he, or she, is next in the pecking order. The goal should be to have the best qualified in the position. Isn't that how President Bush got elected?

Life membership can be a valuable asset to any group, or it can be a cancer. I don't care what group you belong to there will always be cronyism. However, cronyism should never be used as a tool to control a group. Many groups have life members with voting rights and as those life members grow and the cronyism increases they become the voice of the group and can literally control the vote, the goals and mission of the group. Individuals who through longevity have taken control of the group and impose their will on the others dominate many groups.

Remember those life members will be around long after your elected officials have come and gone.

Youth. A simple word, but most groups I belong to don't have it. I belong to several fraternal groups and using the SWAG system I estimate the average age to be 50 and that might be conservative. One group in particular is probably 90 percent retirees. It is very difficult to get young people to join. Maybe they think no one will listen to them, or they have not been introduced to the group, or they are aware of some of the things I wrote above. Regardless, every group needs new, young and innovative people. I belong to one group that when you talk about computers, web pages, and e-mail they look at you like a deer caught in the headlights. Another group I belong to that was previously all male now works very hard to enlist women, but doesn't put forth that same effort to get younger adults, male or female into the group.

So, what does this have to do with the USBA? Everything. The USBA will consolidate many entities. There will be reorganizations, volunteers, paid employees and changes throughout the bowling organizations. It may be the best time for everyone to look at their association and plan for the future. It won't matter what we are called our objective will still be to serve the bowlers and provide bowlers with the best possible organization. To meet their needs and ensure we do the best possible job.

That should apply to any group you belong to.

See you on the lanes.