|
 George Freeman's Expert Bowling Tips
Don't Miss Your League Organizational Meetings
08/22/2001 - By George Freeman
With fall leagues starting up all over the country, organizational meetings are taking place. The organizational meeting is the first meeting of the league, where officers are elected and rules are decided. In many cases, a fraction of bowlers from the league actually show up for this meeting. This is perhaps the most important meeting the league will have, and it is vital for as many bowlers from the league to attend. Here are some things to look for when going to the organizational meeting:
Electing officers. In most leagues, a President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, and Sgt-at-Arms are elected. You want to nominate and elect people who are reliable to be there most every week, and have at least a fundamental understanding of ABC and/or WIBC rules. Also, you need to appoint a team captain from your team. These captains plus the league officers make up the "Board of Directors", and often times are called into meetings to discuss any situation that arises that affects the entire league, so choose these people carefully. Many associations offer Officer Schools, where bowlers learn the ropes of how to be a President, or Secretary, or Sgt-at-Arms. If your association offers this course, take advantage of it if you plan to be an officer.
After officers are elected, the meeting will go over the league bylaws. The bylaws are a set of rules that your particular league goes by. Every league is a little different, so no two sets of bylaws are exactly the same. It is important to pay close attention to what the bylaws state in your league, because the bylaws take precedence over ABC rules. Anything not covered in the bylaws will be covered by ABC, however. You will have a chance to discuss and vote on each one. If there is something you think should be changed, make a motion to change the rule to what you think it should say. If someone seconds your motion, there will be additional discussion, after discussion the President will call for a vote. If there is a simple majority in favor of the change, your change will be put in.
VERY IMPORTANT--Once your bylaws are ratified, meaning after all the rules are gone over, a motion will be made to accept the bylaws as written and amended. Once that motion is passed, if any rule is to be changed, it would take a 100% vote by the board of directors to make any changes. So make sure you have every opportunity in the organizational meeting to have your voice heard, because after that it is next to impossible to get any kind of change to the bylaws through.
Having a good league many times means having a well-prepared league. This can be done from the very beginning through the very first meeting of the league. Good luck this fall in bowling.
|