In this week's e-News:

Convention registration now available
Legislative update meetings
Enhanced version of BOWL.com
Duplicate membership cards
Dexter/USBC High School All-American team
The USBC Platinum Visa card
Convention registration now available

Convention registration now available
Registration is now available for workshops and activities for the 2012 USBC Convention and Annual Meeting. All delegates, alternates and guests are encouraged to register online for workshops and any other activities they plan to attend.

While some events may not require a ticket for entrance, advanced registration assists us in properly setting up rooms. To register for 2012 Convention and Annual Meeting, please click here.

An updated Convention schedule can be found on BOWL.com/convention, or by clicking here. The schedule now includes days and times of workshops as well as added nightly activities for attendees.

For those delegates looking into travel, please note that in order to receive the discount with the Sheraton, you will need to call the hotel directly at (817) 261-8200. The discount cannot be used when booking online.

For updates on Convention events, stay tuned to the e-News or visit BOWL.com/convention.

Legislative Update meetings
USBC Board members and regional managers will host a series of meetings about upcoming legislative and policy items. The board and staff would like input about some important issues.

Please save the following dates and we encourage you to attend one of these discussions sessions:

Thursday, Feb. 9 from 7 - 9 p.m. - Arlington, Texas (International Bowling Campus)
Friday, Feb. 10 from 7 - 9 p.m. - Houston (Hilton at Hobby Airport)
Saturday, Feb. 11 from 1 -3 p.m. - San Antonio (Hilton San Antonio Airport)
Sunday, Feb. 12 from 1 - 3 p.m. - St. Louis (Holiday Inn at St. Louis Airport))
Thursday, Feb. 16 from 7 - 9 p.m. - Seattle/Tacoma, Wash. Area (TBD)
Friday, Feb. 17 from 7 - 9 p.m. - Oakland, Calif. (Courtyard Newark Silicon Valley)
Saturday, Feb. 18 from 1 - 3 p.m. - Orange County, Calif. (TBD)
Saturday, Feb. 18 from 7 - 9 p.m. - Chicago (Embassy Suites at Schaumburg)
Sunday, Feb. 19 from 1 - 3 p.m. - Denver (Holiday Inn Lakewood)
Sunday, Feb. 19 from 1 - 3 p.m. - Detroit (Clarion Hotel at Detroit Airport)
Sunday, Feb. 26 from 3 - 5 p.m. - Columbus, Ohio (DoubleTree)
Thursday, March 1 from 7 - 9 p.m. - Orlando, Fla. (Boardwalk Entertainment Center)
Friday, March 2 from 7 - 9 p.m. - Atlanta (Best Western Plus at Atlanta Airport)
Saturday, March 3 from 1 - 3 p.m. - Baltimore (Holiday Inn Washington Dulles)
Sunday, March 4 from 1 - 3 p.m. - Scranton, Pa. (Hilton Scranton & Conference Center)

Association managers and presidents, please pass this information to your association's delegates and members, as the information will be important for the 2012 USBC Annual Meeting.

If more information is needed, please contact your Regional Manager.

Enhanced version of BOWL.com
Beginning Monday, Jan. 23, BOWL.com users will have the opportunity to explore the improved BOWL.com. When you go to BOWL.com, you will have the option to go to the redesigned site.

We encourage users to check out the redesigned BOWL.com during this testing period and provide feedback on their experience. Users interested in providing feedback can send their comments to feedback@bowl.com.

Duplicate membership cards
USBC has received feedback from some associations expressing concern that a handful of members received duplicate membership cards by mail. USBC intentionally sent a second card to members who had applications processed during the first few weeks in the season. This was done to ensure all members received the new card style including bag tag attachment.

Additionally, some members who have the USBC Nationwide credit card may receive duplicate membership cards from the vendor as well. This unintentional duplication is a very small number and should not be cause for concern.

USBC has faced many unexpected challenges with our card vendor this season. We understand this has put many of our local leaders in a difficult situation trying to explain the situation to our members. The issues should now be corrected and we greatly appreciate your support and understanding.

Dexter/USBC High School All-American Team
The deadline to nominate a standout high school bowler for the Dexter/USBC High School All-American Team is rapidly approaching. Selection to the Dexter/USBC High School All-American Team is based on bowling accomplishments, academic achievement, letters of recommendation, extracurricular and community involvement, submitted essays and resumes.

Each year, five male and five female USBC High School members are selected for the Dexter/USBC High School All-American Team and each receives a $1,000 scholarship. The awards will be presented at the North Pointe Junior Gold Championships in Indianapolis, July 14-20.

For more information and nomination forms, go to BOWL.com/highschool, or click here. Student-athletes and/or family members may not handle nominations. Coaches or team administrators must nominate eligible contenders, and nominations must be postmarked no later than Friday, March 23.

Apply for the USBC Platinum Visa card from Nationwide Bank
An online credit card from Nationwide Bank does everything you'd expect a bank card to do - without costing you a lot of money to do it. Pay less on what you borrow with attractive rates, no annual fee and additional benefits that you'll appreciate. When you choose a Visa credit card from Nationwide Bank, you have the power to put money back in your pocket with valuable cash back rewards on your everyday purchases. You also get peace of mind of having responsive customer service available when you need it. USBC members must enter promo code 08050009 when applying to receive benefits.

To discover the benefits of the USBC Platinum Visa card, click here.