2023 USBC Convention concludes
April 28, 2023
LAS VEGAS – Delegates elected three board members and voted on nine legislative proposals at the 2023 United States Bowling Congress Convention and Annual Meeting, which concluded Thursday at South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa.
The ballot for the USBC Board election had five candidates slated by the USBC Nominating Committee – Glenda Beckett of Palmetto Bay, Florida; Brandon Bowman of Mukilteo, Washington; Mike Cannington of Fort Myers, Florida; Adam Mitchell of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Cheryl Younger of Leavenworth, Kansas.
On the first ballot, incumbents Cannington (497 votes) and Beckett (417 votes) were re-elected, with Bowman also gaining election (392 votes). Younger received 385 votes, and Mitchell received 325. A candidate had to receive a majority of the 689 votes cast to be elected.
Team USA athletes re-elected Nick Pate of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, to a second term and elected Kris Prather of Plainfield, Illinois.
The newly elected board members begin their three-year terms Aug. 1, 2023.
Robert Cincotta of Massapequa Park, New York, and Elizabeth DeWerth of La Vista, Nebraska, are joining the International Bowling Campus Youth Committee, which also returns current members Matthew Orvis of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Allen Soloman of Neptune Beach, Florida.
Additionally, on March 6, 2023, IBC Youth Chairperson Chrissie Kent appointed Brooklyn Gagnon of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to the Youth Committee. The Youth Committee met and approved the recommendation. Gagnon will serve out the remaining term of a vacant position, and her term will expire on July 31, 2024.
In addition to the board elections, delegates voted on five proposed bylaw amendments and four proposed rules amendments (two league and two tournament).
Delegates rejected a bylaw proposal to allow remote electronic voting for future USBC Annual Meetings. Voting results for all the proposals are noted below.
In other news, North Texas USBC was awarded the Association Excellence Award. Beckett, who also serves on the USBC Awards Committee, surprised the North Texas USBC delegates as part of the USBC Convention awards ceremony.
The presentation of national awards, including the Alberta E. Crowe Star of Tomorrow Award to Katie Heady of Richardson, Texas, and the Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow Award to Zachary Andrews of Jacksonville, Florida, also took place.
USBC Executive Director Chad Murphy introduced a new multi-faceted brand awareness campaign featuring current USBC certified bowlers. The campaign, titled “Why I Certify,” features USBC members talking about the importance of USBC certification and what bowling certified means to them. The campaign features its own website at WhyICertify.com.
Murphy and USBC Senior Director of Equipment Specifications Tom Frenzel delivered a presentation detailing the USBC’s most recent research on string pinsetters and announced USBC will certify string pinsetters and string pin bowling as an independent category of equipment and competition effective August 1, 2023. More information can be found at BOWL.com/equipment-specifications/string-pinsetter-research.
USBC President Melissa McDaniel and Murphy presented their annual reports, and delegates heard reports from the USBC Strategic Planning Committee and from International Bowling Campus Youth Development.
During Convention week, delegates attended a variety of educational seminars. The agenda also featured presentations from USBC charity partners Bowlers to Veterans Link (BVL), which provides recreational and therapeutic programs and services to America’s active duty and veteran service men and women, and Bowl for the Cure®, the year-round fundraising initiative sponsored by USBC in partnership with Susan G. Komen®.
In 2024, the USBC Convention will return to South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa in Las Vegas in conjunction with the USBC Open Championships, with the event scheduled to run from April 22-25.
Visit BOWL.com/Convention to learn more about the USBC Convention and Annual Meeting.
RESULTS OF 2023 USBC ANNUAL MEETING LEGISLATIVE SESSION
2023 LEGISLATION
Bylaws (two-third votes needed)
Bylaws Proposal No. NB 1 – Rejected (283 approve, 402 reject)
USBC National Bylaws
Article VI, Meetings Section A. Annual Meeting
Allows for offsite voting at the USBC Annual Meeting
Bylaws (two-third votes needed)
Bylaws Proposal No. SB 1 – Approved (508 approve, 177 reject)
USBC State Bylaws
Article VII, Meetings Section B. Board Meeting
Authorizes the board to utilize mail, email or teleconference for voting.
Bylaws (two-third votes needed)
Bylaws Proposal No. LB 1 – Approved (604 approve, 61 reject)
USBC Local Bylaws
Article V, Board of Directors – Management Section C. Election of Directors
Allows the board to adopt a requirement for the submission of qualifications of up to 48 hours prior to the start of the meeting where director elections will be held.
Note: Proposal amended to be effective immediately (587 approve, 84 reject)
Bylaws (two-third votes needed)
Bylaws Proposal No. LB 2 – Approved (619 approve, 42 reject)
USBC Local Bylaws
Article VI, Officers Section B. Election
Allows the board to adopt a requirement for the submission of qualifications of up to 48 hours prior to the start of the meeting where officer elections will be held.
Note: Proposal amended to be effective immediately (614 approve, 54 reject)
Bylaws (two-third votes needed)
Bylaws Proposal No. LB 3 – Approved (563 approve, 115 reject)
USBC Local Bylaws
Article VII, Meetings Section B. Board Meetings
Authorizes the board to utilize mail, email or teleconference for voting.
League Rules (majority needed)
Rules Proposal No. LR 1 – Rejected (17 approve, 660 reject)
USBC Playing Rules
Chapter 4, League Rules
Rule 108b. Averages – How Established
Allows the player to utilize deliveries executed with either hand during the same game to establish an average.
League Rules (majority needed)
Rules Proposal No. LR 2 – Rejected (47 approve, 626 reject)
USBC Playing Rules
Chapter 4, League Rules
Rule 119c. Forfeits – Procedure for Bowling
In all forfeiture situations, the non-forfeiting team will receive all contested points.
Tournament Rules (majority needed)
Rules Proposal No. TR 1 – Rejected (75 approve, 592 reject)
USBC Playing Rules
Chapter 6, Tournament Rules
Rule 319a. Averages – Conditions that Apply
Requires the use of composite averages for tournament entry unless the tournament rules state otherwise.
Tournament Rules (majority needed)
Rules Proposal No. TR 2 – Rejected (via voice vote)
USBC Playing Rules
Chapter 6, Tournament Rules
Rule 328. Changing Delivery
Allows the player to utilize deliveries executed with either hand during all tournament competition.
The ballot for the USBC Board election had five candidates slated by the USBC Nominating Committee – Glenda Beckett of Palmetto Bay, Florida; Brandon Bowman of Mukilteo, Washington; Mike Cannington of Fort Myers, Florida; Adam Mitchell of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Cheryl Younger of Leavenworth, Kansas.
On the first ballot, incumbents Cannington (497 votes) and Beckett (417 votes) were re-elected, with Bowman also gaining election (392 votes). Younger received 385 votes, and Mitchell received 325. A candidate had to receive a majority of the 689 votes cast to be elected.
Team USA athletes re-elected Nick Pate of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, to a second term and elected Kris Prather of Plainfield, Illinois.
The newly elected board members begin their three-year terms Aug. 1, 2023.
Robert Cincotta of Massapequa Park, New York, and Elizabeth DeWerth of La Vista, Nebraska, are joining the International Bowling Campus Youth Committee, which also returns current members Matthew Orvis of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Allen Soloman of Neptune Beach, Florida.
Additionally, on March 6, 2023, IBC Youth Chairperson Chrissie Kent appointed Brooklyn Gagnon of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to the Youth Committee. The Youth Committee met and approved the recommendation. Gagnon will serve out the remaining term of a vacant position, and her term will expire on July 31, 2024.
In addition to the board elections, delegates voted on five proposed bylaw amendments and four proposed rules amendments (two league and two tournament).
Delegates rejected a bylaw proposal to allow remote electronic voting for future USBC Annual Meetings. Voting results for all the proposals are noted below.
In other news, North Texas USBC was awarded the Association Excellence Award. Beckett, who also serves on the USBC Awards Committee, surprised the North Texas USBC delegates as part of the USBC Convention awards ceremony.
The presentation of national awards, including the Alberta E. Crowe Star of Tomorrow Award to Katie Heady of Richardson, Texas, and the Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow Award to Zachary Andrews of Jacksonville, Florida, also took place.
USBC Executive Director Chad Murphy introduced a new multi-faceted brand awareness campaign featuring current USBC certified bowlers. The campaign, titled “Why I Certify,” features USBC members talking about the importance of USBC certification and what bowling certified means to them. The campaign features its own website at WhyICertify.com.
Murphy and USBC Senior Director of Equipment Specifications Tom Frenzel delivered a presentation detailing the USBC’s most recent research on string pinsetters and announced USBC will certify string pinsetters and string pin bowling as an independent category of equipment and competition effective August 1, 2023. More information can be found at BOWL.com/equipment-specifications/string-pinsetter-research.
USBC President Melissa McDaniel and Murphy presented their annual reports, and delegates heard reports from the USBC Strategic Planning Committee and from International Bowling Campus Youth Development.
During Convention week, delegates attended a variety of educational seminars. The agenda also featured presentations from USBC charity partners Bowlers to Veterans Link (BVL), which provides recreational and therapeutic programs and services to America’s active duty and veteran service men and women, and Bowl for the Cure®, the year-round fundraising initiative sponsored by USBC in partnership with Susan G. Komen®.
In 2024, the USBC Convention will return to South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa in Las Vegas in conjunction with the USBC Open Championships, with the event scheduled to run from April 22-25.
Visit BOWL.com/Convention to learn more about the USBC Convention and Annual Meeting.
RESULTS OF 2023 USBC ANNUAL MEETING LEGISLATIVE SESSION
2023 LEGISLATION
Bylaws (two-third votes needed)
Bylaws Proposal No. NB 1 – Rejected (283 approve, 402 reject)
USBC National Bylaws
Article VI, Meetings Section A. Annual Meeting
Allows for offsite voting at the USBC Annual Meeting
Bylaws (two-third votes needed)
Bylaws Proposal No. SB 1 – Approved (508 approve, 177 reject)
USBC State Bylaws
Article VII, Meetings Section B. Board Meeting
Authorizes the board to utilize mail, email or teleconference for voting.
Bylaws (two-third votes needed)
Bylaws Proposal No. LB 1 – Approved (604 approve, 61 reject)
USBC Local Bylaws
Article V, Board of Directors – Management Section C. Election of Directors
Allows the board to adopt a requirement for the submission of qualifications of up to 48 hours prior to the start of the meeting where director elections will be held.
Note: Proposal amended to be effective immediately (587 approve, 84 reject)
Bylaws (two-third votes needed)
Bylaws Proposal No. LB 2 – Approved (619 approve, 42 reject)
USBC Local Bylaws
Article VI, Officers Section B. Election
Allows the board to adopt a requirement for the submission of qualifications of up to 48 hours prior to the start of the meeting where officer elections will be held.
Note: Proposal amended to be effective immediately (614 approve, 54 reject)
Bylaws (two-third votes needed)
Bylaws Proposal No. LB 3 – Approved (563 approve, 115 reject)
USBC Local Bylaws
Article VII, Meetings Section B. Board Meetings
Authorizes the board to utilize mail, email or teleconference for voting.
League Rules (majority needed)
Rules Proposal No. LR 1 – Rejected (17 approve, 660 reject)
USBC Playing Rules
Chapter 4, League Rules
Rule 108b. Averages – How Established
Allows the player to utilize deliveries executed with either hand during the same game to establish an average.
League Rules (majority needed)
Rules Proposal No. LR 2 – Rejected (47 approve, 626 reject)
USBC Playing Rules
Chapter 4, League Rules
Rule 119c. Forfeits – Procedure for Bowling
In all forfeiture situations, the non-forfeiting team will receive all contested points.
Tournament Rules (majority needed)
Rules Proposal No. TR 1 – Rejected (75 approve, 592 reject)
USBC Playing Rules
Chapter 6, Tournament Rules
Rule 319a. Averages – Conditions that Apply
Requires the use of composite averages for tournament entry unless the tournament rules state otherwise.
Tournament Rules (majority needed)
Rules Proposal No. TR 2 – Rejected (via voice vote)
USBC Playing Rules
Chapter 6, Tournament Rules
Rule 328. Changing Delivery
Allows the player to utilize deliveries executed with either hand during all tournament competition.