Ray, it is easy to get all that info off Doss/then Win Labs and it used to be included  in our yearbook with year to year changes that mirrored what you posted.  Until 2000 we published all the award scores from the past up to  the present but stopped it when it got to involve too many pages.

As for me, I am all for USBC getting out of the awards business altogether and offering a wider variety that individuals and leagues can purchase.  As mentioned before, I wish there had been that opportunity years ago as I would have collected yearly 700 emblems, as I did yearly national tournament emblems, if they had been different themes each year to make them worth saving.  Instead of rings/watches  USBC could offer many other things for purchase for a 300, 299, 298, 800 momento, things to wear or display.

One of my golfing buddies got a hole in one two years ago that won him the opportunity to spend $70 for a placque at the pro shop and picking up the tab for dinner for eight to celebrate the occasion.  By not hitting the green most of the time I lessen my chances of winning the same.

Don Gates

p.s. you get some promotional stuff on the Women's Open from USBC; think posters and other stuff would have a better chance of getting into bowling centers if it all went to locals and house reps delivered and, with permission, posted it?

I totally agree about not giving out rings anymore for 298 and 299 games. I honestly cannot stand plaques either because most of them do indeed look incredibly cheap.

I have to totally agree with you.  In case anybody hasn't figured it out yet, USBC is treating its membership just like the rest of the non-bowling world views us...as ignorant rednecks that are stupid enough to fall for anything!

As soon as they took over, they began taking away awards from high scores, and giving what little bit of junk they actually did give out to low-average, low-achieving bowlers.

They made it to where you had to have less than a 210 average to get a 700 award, and then gave out stupid leather coasters, that weren't worth 15 cents.  Then, they stopped giving that junk away, and went even cheaper.

The 11-in-a-row awards, which were a beautiful plaque from ABC, turned into a stupid dime-store piece of wood with a piece of paper attached.

As for the rings being worth $300, like that other poster said, then why do they only give you $40.00 credit toward it when you upgrade to gold?  To top that, if one happens to get lost, they charge the local association $90.00 to replace it.

They increase our dues, reduce our benefits, raise the price of all the tournaments, reduce the cost of the sanction cards.  Then, to top all that off, they mail the sanction cards out as a "non-profit organization"!  What a load of bull!!!!!

All they've done since USBC took over from ABC/WIBC/YABA is take more money from the bowlers, and give out less and less.

The "line" we got from our local representatives was that they were trying to get bowling recognized as a "sport"!  WOW!!!  Now that's going to do me a lot of good!

The last time I checked, and I've been bowling league since 1967, and have been a secretary and other officers for the last 10 years, bowlers go out to have fun, drink beer, eat fatty foods, and relax!  WHO IN THE WORLD GIVES A CARE IF THE REST OF THE WORLD THINKS WE'RE PLAYING A SPORT!  I'm not going to be on TV, nor do I want to.

I want to feel like the organization that I pay my money to, and have been paying my money to for many years, appreciates it, respects me, and cares how I feel.  THAT IS ONE THING I KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT USBC DOES NOT DO.  They could give less of a care what any of its members think!  They are thieves, liars, and don't even have the courage or nerve to stand up for themselves.

When I send in complaints to the national organization, rather than offering an intelligent response, I get form letters, and they forward the complaint to the local association to actually deal with the problem, or figure out a way NOT to deal with it. 

I HATE USBC, AND EVERYTHING IT STANDS FOR!  Awards are only the beginning of the lousy treatment they're giving their members.  If there were ANY other orgization to sanction leagues, you can bet I'd be out the USBC door, and wouldn't have to be told not to let the door hit my butt on the way out!

In my mind, there is not a single redeeming quality about USBC, and I'd rather bowl in leagues that totally support themselves and don't care a thing about USBC's national tournaments or anything else about them.

USBC IS AN INSULT TO BOWLERS, AND ESPECIALLY TO LONG-TIME, HIGH-ACHIEVING BOWLERS!

USBC's new Philosophy #2 is a simple-minded excuse, intended for simple-minded individuals.  Where is the coaching?  I haven't seen anything but a simple-minded magazine and a website that costs them virtually nothing!  They're certainly not doing anything at the local level in Houston to benefit the bowlers. 

Last time I checked, the coaches were volunteers, spending their own time and effort, and were not in any way supported by USBC.

Membership has dropped off because the sport has priced itself out of the range of a fun family time out.  It's VERY easy, at $5.00 plus per game, and $4.00 per pair of shoes, for a family to go out and spend WELL over $100 in a couple of hours.  Especially when you consider that they're expected to pay football stadium prices for sodas, burgers and a beer.

USBC has done nothing for bowling other than to reinforce the common public opinion of organized bowling, and that is that we are Jeff Foxworthy's relatives...rednecks with no brains, class, or self respect.

If you think paying for them is unfair, you should go out and actually have what you pay for appraised. 

I took one of my 300 rings and my 800 ring (gold upgrades) to a jeweler for repair, since the stones fell out (MANY TIMES, might I add).

The jeweler told me that they were the most cheaply made, poorly crafted jewelery that he had seen in years, and that neither of them was worth even $100.00.  WOW!  Since they each cost nearly $500.00, how badly did I get burned by USBC and Keepsake???????

They not only expect you to pay for the awards now, but they won't even deal with a re***ble vendor that sells a quality product!

Have you ever had to deal with Keepsake due to a problem??  They are THE most disrespectul, disre***ble company that I've ever had the displeasure of dealing with!  They fit right in the mold with USBC!

Man, you should really think a bit before replying!  USBC has only been around for 3 years, and they've not done ANYTHING to make things easier, except for low-average, under-achieving bowlers!

I've been bowling in organized leagues since 1967, WAY before USBC, and bowlers have dropped out of ABC, WIBC, and USBC, because they felt that the organization taking their dues was treating them like idiots, and wasting their money on things that mean nothing to the individual bowler.  USBC is the KING of stealing and wasting bowler's money.

Prices have gone up so much, both for league and open play, that bowling isn't affordable to the average person any more.  Twenty-five years ago, I bowled 9 leagues a week, and it was hard to find a spot in a lot of those leagues.  Double shifts every night, including Sundays, and there just weren't enough lanes to fit all the bowler who wanted to bowl.

Now, centers have trouble filling up a center for one shift 3 or 4 nights a week.

As a matter of fact, I'm a secretary in one of the busiest centers in Houston, and I have the ONLY league that fills this 32-lane house on any night.  When I was younger, I worked at a 40-lane house that we couldn't find enough room for all the bowlers in.  Kind of makes one wonder why the bowlers have left, doesn't it?

Rwoodin wrote:

Man, you should really think a bit before replying!  USBC has only been around for 3 years, and they've not done ANYTHING to make things easier, except for low-average, under-achieving bowlers! I've been bowling in organized leagues since 1967, WAY before USBC, and bowlers have dropped out of ABC, WIBC, and USBC, because they felt that the organization taking their dues was treating them like idiots, and wasting their money on things that mean nothing to the individual bowler.  USBC is the KING of stealing and wasting bowler's money. Prices have gone up so much, both for league and open play, that bowling isn't affordable to the average person any more.  Twenty-five years ago, I bowled 9 leagues a week, and it was hard to find a spot in a lot of those leagues.  Double shifts every night, including Sundays, and there just weren't enough lanes to fit all the bowler who wanted to bowl. Now, centers have trouble filling up a center for one shift 3 or 4 nights a week. As a matter of fact, I'm a secretary in one of the busiest centers in Houston, and I have the ONLY league that fills this 32-lane house on any night.  When I was younger, I worked at a 40-lane house that we couldn't find enough room for all the bowlers in.  Kind of makes one wonder why the bowlers have left, doesn't it?

Another satisfied customer, if you feel you are not getting your monies worth, don't spend it. Take your $20 and fill your gas tank, oh can't do that either. If you are not happy quit, why get aggravated, I sure you can find a non-certfied league in the Houston, Conroe area.

At least they are sending you a card.  All of the bowlers in my sport league this summer were told they would have to print their own because they had run out of the cards.  Some of our bowlers who didn't have computers went to libraries and used theirs.  Some of them just said, what the he double ll, I don't need the card for anything anyway.  If they don't get back to an emphasis on service to all league bowlers, they won't have to worry about cards because there will be no one out here that wants one.

BTW, I am one who believes they should have gotten away from awards the day they yielded to the proprietors and cry baby bowlers and adopted the System of Bowling and the 3 unit oil rule. 

Rwoodin wrote:

The only non-certified leagues I've been able to find are no-tap leagues, and I stopped needing that crutch when I was a teenager.   What we, as members of USBC, need to do is not quit, but stand up to them and let them know how lousy a job they're doing.  I have EVERY right to get aggravated, and down right angry at them for stealing our money.   Their salaries are increasing, and our benefits are decreasing!  If you don't believe that, then ask them for the financial records for the last 5 years!   People who just take the sc***ing we're getting and keep their mouths shut deserve whatever they get.  Like any other member-based organization, it's up to the members to get the changes made.  We need to dump the sorry administrators we've elected and hired, and put people in who want to do more than line their own pockets.  That might be hard to find.

Well what are you going to do, and how are you going to go about dumping the present leaders, please enlighten us. Can you prove the USBC is stealing our money????

Imagine how upset you'd be if you didn't get Secretary's salary, free lineage and free practice (if you want it).

Personally, I think you are probably getting more for money from the national portion of your certification fees than you are from your local dues.

Don't forget... as long as you follow the rules, your league's prize fund is bonded by certifying with USBC... and if there is ever a problem your bowlers are covered...

That alone should make your $10 national certification fee worth the cost.

I agree with the post about the awards... you want Niemen "Marcus" awards for accomplishments bowled on a dime store shot... and your center at one time was the highest scoring in the nation...

USBC will one day only offer awards for SPORT league accomplishments, with anything accomplished in standard league house shots available for purchase.

Sorry... I'm on the other end of the spectrum from your stance on USBC.

You'll be waging your war without me. 

Well, if you're at the opposite end of the spectrum from me, when you can look at their own financial reports and see that they've raised their own salaries by 2.7 million dollars, while reducing every benefit that the bowlers who pay those ridiculous salaries get, then you are a complete failure in your job as President of the Pasadena Association.

When I was growing up in the Pasadena Association, through the 60's and 70's, the local association was about taking care of the bowlers.  Of course, there was only 1 house in the Pasadena Association when I started out.  There's weren't 2 until Fair Lanes Spencer Square was built in the mid 70's.

Now, you've shown one of the main reasons that I won't bowl in Pasadena anymore.  Even the elected representatives choose to turn a blind eye to the very obvious facts that USBC is stealing from its membership, and play like they're noble by talking about purchasing all awards except for sport league awards.

Who cares if the fight goes on without you.  In the end, the association will end up going on without you as well, because most Pasadena Bowlers, by far, won't appreciate the fact that they're being stolen from, or that their elected leaders endorse the fraud and theft that USBC is perpetrating.  And, be assured, my friend, Pasadena will hear about it VERY soon, when the leagues at Armadilla lanes are the first to start receiving the petitions to dump the thieving leaders of USBC.

Well, at least I am able to state opinions without personally attacking you and your job performance.

Is there any chance the salary increase that IS noted on the Financial Statements has anything to do with the increase in staff due to the merge of ABC/ WIBC and YABA?
Could it be something to do with buyouts of contracts for laid off employees or possibly a one time hit that had to be denoted somewhere?

As for our Pasadena Association not taking care of our members like they did 30 years ago, I will offer a response, even though your remarks don't warrant one...

I can assure you, my leadership is ALL about providing our members with valur for their membership dues.  My fellow Board members support that philosophy.  We are well aware of the cost of local certification dues and continually strive to look for ways to provide programs and tournaments for our membership to participate in...

If you care to personally attack me and my leadership skills, you can be assured you are barking up the wrong tree.  I will back my abilities against anyone... of that you can be sure.

I've been bowling 16 years now, I've put in a lot of hard work and time learning this game. At one point and time I was at a 197 average on nicely oiled lanes that were'nt easy to shoot on. Now the lane condition are drier making it easier for the lower average bowlers to score high games and more honor scores. When the lanes started changing to the drier conditions i had to alter my game, in the process i had a wrist injury that caused me to sit out a year because of a surgical procedure. I came back last year my average is down 25 pins and i struggle often.  Last Saturday i came into the bowling alley feeling good and ready to bowl. I started the night out respectively with a 245 game it had been so long since I had bowled a game higher than 200 iwas estatic. The next game i started out with the front five and my husband said babe, you look good out there you've hit your target evey frame, keep up the good work. Well needless to say i did before i new it, i had front nine. When i got in the tenth frame I'll i thought about was, all the hard work, time and suffering bowling has caused me, I said to myself if I can make through these next three balls it's finely going to payoff,  the first ball in the tenth had a very slow falling ten pin , but it fell the next ball I put in the whole very plush the last ball number twelve, I stood up on the approach and my knees got weak my hand started to shake, I knew i had to get that ball down the lane quick so I did, she looked a little wide from where i was standing so I started praying, she hit the whole a little lite and I left a wobbling seven pin. I was still proud of my 299 and everyone gave me hugs and congradulted me. Then my league secretary told me, all i get is a plaque that says i shot 11 in a row. I was a little disappointed in that, I'm not one of the ones that every year or six months post a honor score, I really worked hard for mine, Maybe usbc should have considered the bowlers who never had honor scores, before the changed the rules about the 298 and 299 rings its a shame that because of the house personal laying down the easier shots those of us who truely deserve regonition are never really gone to get it. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't change anything about that night and I am proud of what I did.