Sanction fees

[wolf army soldier]

Didn't see an existing thread so..

I understand the USBC is raising sanction fees again and doing away with all awards except the ones mere mortals will
probably hardly ever attain: 300,700,800 etc. Then I also heard if the league you bowl in decides to NOT pay the sanction
fees you won't be allowed to bowl in any tournaments.( Isn't that like paying someone to hold you hostage?) It was also
mentioned if you don't pay the fees you can't use the governing rules--which would allow I guess all kinds of funny stuff
to be happening, like someone powdering the approach--for example.
Anyone else hear this or is it just rumor?

[bowl1820]

Didn't see an existing thread so..

I understand the USBC is raising sanction fees again and doing away with all awards except the ones mere mortals will
probably hardly ever attain: 300,700,800 etc.

As for the fees and awards.
Go to The USBC website for up to date info. It is http://www.bowl.com/

Then I also heard if the league you bowl in decides to NOT pay the sanction
fees you won't be allowed to bowl in any tournaments.( Isn't that like paying someone to hold you hostage?)

It doesn't matter if your league is sanctioned or not. If YOU don't have a USBC sanction card, You can't bowl in USBC Sanctioned tournaments.

As for unsanctioned tournaments, the USBC has no say.

It was also mentioned if you don't pay the fees you can't use the governing rules--which would allow I guess all kinds of funny stuff
to be happening, like someone powdering the approach--for example.
Anyone else hear this or is it just rumor?

Unsanctioned leagues and tournaments can use any rules they want. The USBC can't stop them from using their rules if they want too.

[bowl1820]

Here I found this about the dues and awards:

USBC to cut special achievement awards
Posted: Thursday, March 7, 2013

Mike Pettinella's Pin Points bowling column appears on Thursdays during the bowling season in the print and online editions of The Daily News

The United States Bowling Congress announced last week that it no longer will be providing special achievement awards for average-based games and series, association championship tournament awards and end-of-season league awards to its members.

Effective with the 2014-15 bowling season, the purchase and distribution of awards of this type (currently bag tags and lapel pins) will be the responsibility of local associations.

High score awards such as rings, plaques and trophies for 300 games, 800 series and 11-in-a-row achievements and Sport Bowling awards are not affected by this change in policy.

As a representative of the USBC, I -- along with other state association officials -- had the opportunity to take part in a conference call last Thursday with USBC staff members Pete Tredwell, managing director, membership/events; Mike Larsen, regional director; and Robin Marshall, Northeast regional manager.

Among the reasons the USBC trio gave for this action:

-- Statistics show that winning these types of awards are not why people bowl.

-- Local associations know what their bowlers want and are better equipped to set up their own awards program. "The one size fits all" model doesn't work anymore.

-- The USBC will be able to use the money that was spent on awards toward membership-building programs. (Incidentally, the USBC will contract with a vendor to offer these awards to local associations at a discount.)

While these may be valid reasons, I am not convinced that this is the right thing for the USBC to do -- and I let my opinion be known during the conference call.

The USBC is losing members each year, with many of those leaving because they don't see the value in USBC membership. By taking away an existing benefit of any kind, it will only make it a "tougher sell."

In attempt to soften the blow to local associations, the USBC Board of Directors will be seeking a bylaw change at the USBC Annual Meeting to remove the cap on local association dues. This would have to be approved by a vote of state and local delegates at the Annual Meeting in May in Reno, Nev.

USBC officials contend that by raising local membership dues, local associations would have more money to support their own awards programs.

Currently, USBC membership dues consist of the following:

-- $10 to USBC national located in Arlington, Texas;

-- Up to $10 to USBC local associations to run local tournaments and programs;

-- $1 to USBC state associations to run state tournaments and programs.

So, that's a maximum of $21 that can be charged for a yearly USBC membership.

The problem with this proposal is that only 8 percent of local associations across the U.S. are at the $10 cap now; most local associations are charging their members $5 or $6. My belief is that the USBC, by proposing a local association dues cap increase this year, is just setting the stage for a national dues increase proposal in the not-too-distant future.

The USBC reported that it spends about 50 cents per bowler on its current special achievement awards program. However, according to Larsen, that's only one-fourth of USBC's awards budget; three-fourths of the budget goes to pay for honor score awards which are given to approximately 3 percent of the USBC's nearly 2 million members.

In other words, the USBC is dropping a benefit to the rank-and-file -- the majority which supports it the most -- in favor of continuing a more costly award for the few (comparatively) who roll a 300 game or 800 series. That doesn't seem fair to me.

I also asked if youth bowler special achievement awards would be discontinued. The reply was that youth awards are decided by the International Bowling Campus Youth Committee and are not included at this time.

[got_a_300]

In other words, the USBC is dropping a benefit to the rank-and-file -- the majority which supports it the most -- in favor of continuing a more costly award for the few (comparatively) who roll a 300 game or 800 series. That doesn't seem fair to me.

Yep sure does sound like the average Joe Smoe league bowler is getting the shaft on this deal
and only the cream of the crop will be getting rewarded from the USBC.

It doesn't really affect me personally not to be receiving awards such as the bag tags and lapel
pins from USBC as I have won so many of them in the past and this and last season that I just
stick them in a drawer and mostly forget about them.

The only thing is for some it is something they are truly trying to achieve in their league bowling
as it is a mile stone for some bowlers to receive the pins and bag tags and key chains from the
USBC for doing well.


The way I see it is if the purchase and distribution of awards will be the responsibility of local associations
and they expect local associations to raise the cost for awards then the USBC should drop the cost of national
membership fees also.

Our local association tried charging the $21.00 fee for a while but lost so many members that they had to go
back to $17.00 to get some members to come back and some never returned to bowling with the increase in
prices on food and drinks and linage and league fees.

[bowl1820]

One thing if the Local Assoc. took over the awards, You might get some nicer ones.

The Assoc. here use to give away some nice local Assoc. awards. Like a plaque for your first ever 700 and then after a small wood bar plaque for your first 700 of the season and some nice patches.

Plus if it was me I'd want to source the awards from a more local vendor, than use a vendor contracted by the USBC and Keep the money local.

[Perrin]

One thing if the Local Assoc. took over the awards, You might get some nicer ones.

The Assoc. here use to give away some nice local Assoc. awards. Like a plaque for your first ever 700 and then after a small wood bar plaque for your first 700 of the season and some nice patches.

Plus if it was me I'd want to source the awards from a more local vendor, than use a vendor contracted by the USBC and Keep the money local.

I would definitely be willing to pay more for local sanction if they did this. just the keeping the work local would be great

[wolf army soldier]

Alot of good info ! Thanks everyone for replying! I do have another question though---

When bowling in a USBC State tournament is it a local practice to NOT ask the participants to show their USBC card? Just curious.
I just bowled in our state womens tournament and we didn't have to show our cards.

[J Anderson]

Alot of good info ! Thanks everyone for replying! I do have another question though---

When bowling in a USBC State tournament is it a local practice to NOT ask the participants to show their USBC card? Just curious.
I just bowled in our state womens tournament and we didn't have to show our cards.

When I've bowled in local USBC tournaments, the registration form for the event asks for your USBC membership number. The only time I've been asked for any thing besides the entry fee and completed registration was the first time I cashed and was using the current years average instead of the book average, and I had to get my league secretary to verify the average.

[bowl1820]

At the USBC state and other tournaments here you (or the team captain) have to show your card at check in.

[billf]

I've had to show my card every year to check in for the state tournament. That's the only tournament that I have ever had to present it.