Absolute Vindication
Since you won’t hear it from anyone else, let me say what ought to be said to you.
You got it right when everyone around you had it wrong. Congratulations!
Of course, the sad part is that no one will remember that you were right all along. And few will believe you when you tell them. They’ll just remember that you were picky about something where no one agreed with you. This is not the path to popularity.
I suggest you have that entire e-mail exchange with you when you attend your league organization meetings for next season. But stay away from “oddball” leagues with less than 8 full, guaranteed-to-show-each-week, teams. THAT is your “lesson learned” from this experience, it seems to me. After all, if you live in New Jersey, there must be other bowling centers to choose from, aren’t there?
Posted by KGrupa
05/12/2009 at 11:20 AM
Well done, Drew. Now that you’ve got the black and white clarification, you’ll have to take the battle back to the same people who refuse to believe they’re in the wrong, and get them to want to make a change. That’s the trick, they’ll have to want to.
Question: Will the USBC void this leagues membership/certification if they continue to pursue using an invalid bylaw made in contravention to the USBC Rules?
You might be further ahead to do what KGrupa suggests: Find a league that cares about the USBC Rules and actually adheres to them. I think you’d be happier there.
Answering AGTiger:
No, the league is not in danger of being de-certified. There’s an appeals process. The team captain points out, in a particular set of circumstances, that his team is wronged by the application of an illegal rule. He points this out to the league officials, who confirm the continued use of the illegal rule. The team captain submits a written protest, which should include all relevant details, to the league. The league is then obliged to call a Board of Directors meeting (all team captains plus league officers - president, vice-president, secretary-treasurer, and sgt-at-arms, if any), to hear the protest and resolve the issue. If the Team Captain persuades a majority of the Board that he’s right, the matter ends there. If not, the Team Captain then appeals the decision to the local Association. If the Local Association ignorently sustains the illegal league rule (unlikely, even in New Jersey, I should think), THEN the team captain can appeal to USBC, where he will win.
As for finding another league, I meant only a league where you didn’t have to worry about vacancy scores. Drew’s problem was a league with only 5 teams, plus one or two extra people who occasionally showed up to bowl on an incomplete 6th team. He posted about the situation at the start of the season - the harsh choice between trying to make such a weak league work, or send the 5 good teams away with no league. I would have walked away - bowling should be fun, and bowling in a league that weak is not fun.
Posted by KGrupa
05/13/2009 at 11:00 AM
Thanks for the answer KGrupa, much appreciated.
(Side-comment: I’m finding Drew’s posts about the bowling and the rules behind them surprisingly enthralling. They’re opening my eyes to a whole world I didn’t know existed!)
05/12/2009 at 08:24 PM
