USBC Convention information on BOWL.com
The 2011 USBC Convention is rapidly approaching and you can go online to BOWL.com/convention to find seminar and workshop descriptions, as well as a frequently-asked-questions section. The convention schedule has a day-by-day breakdown of events, and by clicking on an individual event you can get a brief description as well. Delegates are encouraged to register for these events online.

Also available to USBC Delegates is a special discounted price for admission to the Bowl Expo Trade Show. For $20, delegates will have access to the trade show on the afternoon of Thursday, June 30, and also will receive a general admission ticket to the ESPN taping of the U.S. Women’s Open that evening at Cowboys Stadium. Delegates can purchase these tickets by going to BOWL.com/convention, or by clicking here. Please note that you will need a user ID and a password to access the registration page.

March edition of US Bowler is available now
For the latest news and information about the sport you love, make sure to check out the latest edition of US Bowler. The interactive magazine features videos, outstanding coaching tips, fitness advice and much more to help with your game.

This month’s edition looks at Masters champion Tom Hess, a breakdown of the 4- and 5-step approach and the keys to each step, video coverage of Lynn Swann and other NFL stars on the lanes, and much more.

Click here to see the magazine.

YES program to help equip high school bowlers
High school teams now have access to top bowling equipment through a new grant program administered by the Youth Education Services Fund (YES). The program allows entire high school teams to apply for new bowling gear.

In order to qualify for the Students Equipped to Strike (S.E.T.S.) grant program, at least one member of the team must demonstrate an economic need for assistance. The S.E.T.S. grants are made possible with assistance from the Bowling Foundation, The YES Fund, Classic Products and The National Bowling Association.

The YES Fund is a joint initiative of the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America and USBC. The YES Fund also is supported by its founding partners Brunswick, Columbia 300, Ebonite, 900 Global, Hammer, QubicaAMF, Roto Grip, Storm and Track.

Applications for the S.E.T.S. grant can be found online at BOWL.com/highschool or bpaa.com/youth.

Bowlopolis launches redesigned website
The International Bowling Campus Youth Development Team announced the redesigned Bowlopolis website (www.Bowlopolis.com) is now available. The website is designed to be the destination choice to introduce bowling to children 8 years old and younger.

At Bowlopolis.com, children interact with the world of Bowlopolis through games, puzzles, coloring pages and videos. Visitors also can watch the first three episodes of Bowlopolis for free, and centers that use the Bowlopolis brand are listed on the Locator page.

Format for upcoming nonfiler automatic revocation list
The following information was reported on the IRS website and serves as a reminder that state and local USBC associations are under USBC’s Group Tax Exemption. One of the IRS requirements to maintain that status is to file a yearly return (990 report) which is due after August 1 and prior to December 15. Loss of exemption status will jeopardize an association’s charter. The information from the IRS:

"Most tax-exempt organizations, other than churches, must file a yearly return or notice with the IRS. If an organization does not file as required for three consecutive years, the law provides that it automatically loses its tax-exempt status. Loss of exempt status means an organization must file income tax returns and pay income tax, and its contributors will not be able to deduct their donations.

The IRS soon will publish and begin maintaining a list, updated monthly, of organizations that have had their federal tax-exempt status revoked. The Nonfiler Revocation List will be available in two formats, Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Excel, and will be divided into separate lists for each state, the District of Columbia, and all other territories and countries.

The list will provide, for each revoked organization, the name, Employer Identification Number (EIN), organization type (subsection code), last known address provided to the IRS by the organization, and the effective date of revocation. The effective date of revocation is the original filing due date, without regard to extensions, of the third annual required return or notice that was not filed."

eNews question of the week
As posted in eNews last week, the question for this week is: Where is the proposed 2012 USBC Convention going to be held? To answer, send an e-mail with just the answer in the subject line. At the end of the month, one person who answered a question correctly will be randomly selected and will have their choice of available prizes. One entry per person per week, please.

If you are reviewing this online but are not receiving in your e-mail inbox, please contact Mike.Donahue@bowl.com.