In the past two weeks, visitors to BOWL.com have been treated to a look back at the many milestones of the United States Bowling Congress during its first five years, from the historic merger of four major organizations to the return of professional women's bowling to the national spotlight and so many other achievements.

But the end of this first chapter in USBC history means the beginning of another. A look into that future reveals many challenges and opportunities that constitute exciting possibilities for the sport and the bowling industry.

"There has been significant progress in pulling a wide variety of bowling industry constituents together, but there remains a monumental task ahead of us," says USBC Executive Director Stu Upson.

Part of that monumental task, according to USBC President-Elect Darlene Baker, includes striking a balance between the National Governing Body and USBC membership, exploring a wider variety of membership options, and enhancing communication throughout the organization, especially between USBC headquarters and its many valued associations.

"Efforts to promote Team USA and elite bowlers, which is the responsibility of the National Governing Body, have led to some disenchantment of the associations and membership," Baker says. "We also have to provide for our members. We can't be everything to everybody, but we do have to figure out how to meet our responsibilities as the National Governing Body, a membership organization, and a part of the industry."

Outgoing USBC President Jeff Boje sees several challenges.

"Our biggest challenge will be funding the needs of necessary change without sacrificing service to our most loyal members," Boje explains. "The valued core membership and our primary source of funding have become so critically low that minor increases in the membership fee structure are no longer adequate to sustain the organization as it exists today. It is not too late, though. Strategies are in place that can avoid the continuing cycle that has failed us for nearly 30 years. People love to bowl and the USBC can deliver value to a much larger base and in many new and creative ways."

As USBC's next president, Baker also emphasizes new membership programs and initiatives as indispensable to this vision of a more unified and balanced organizational structure, and sees improved communication as an important means of enhancing the USBC membership experience.

"I believe some of the future focus has to be to improve communication, and to look at different membership options. Associations need to be given more direction, and have their role defined," Baker explains. "We can no longer be the same organization we've been, or the organizations before us; and that will be our biggest challenge yet."

While USBC's roots are steeped in the merging of several major organizations under one umbrella, even greater effort at unity -- both within USBC and across the industry as a whole -- is at the forefront of Stu Upson's agenda.

"The sport and industry of bowling is still too fragmented -- men, women, youth, seniors, associations, proprietors, manufacturers, media, and on and on," Upson says. "We are still not at the point of groups and individuals putting aside their own agendas for the greater good of the industry."

"We are asking many people to make fundamental changes in a very short period of time," Boje acknowledges. "We have and will make mistakes. These mistakes will cast doubts and disenfranchise some people along the way. We must not waiver. Love for our sport is our biggest strength. Doubt and fear are our biggest threat."