Nobody has had a better perspective on the first five years of the United States Bowling Congress than the people leading the organization during that time.

From initial President Michael Carroll and first Chief Executive Officer Roger Dalkin to current President Jeff Boje, past Chief Operating Officer Kevin Dornberger, current President-Elect Darlene Baker and new Executive Director Stu Upson, each has played a role in helping USBC get where it is today.

"The creation of the United States Bowling Congress was a critical achievement for the sport and the industry," Upson said. "The leaders who had the vision and fortitude to structure the USBC should be applauded. "

"It's hard to believe it's been five years," said Baker, an original USBC Board member. "The first, and probably one of the biggest challenges and accomplishments was just getting USBC organized."

That process officially began in the early days of May 2004 when the American Bowling Congress, Women's International Bowling Congress, Young American Bowling Alliance and USA Bowling separately approved the merger. Late in the following month, the USBC Board of Directors, which had members from the merging organizations and the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America, held its first meeting.

"Presiding during the period when we brought together five diverse bowling factions as the USBC Board of Directors, orchestrating its effectiveness to develop new strategies to 'grow the sport,' was a significant accomplishment," Carroll said. "Also important was starting to develop a for-profit atmosphere within a non-profit organization. That included realigning our operating philosophy and business attitudes and establishing new leadership skills for future business effectiveness."

That first board meeting and the remainder of 2004 laid the groundwork for the official launch of USBC on Jan. 1, 2005.

"I believe USBC's greatest accomplishment has been the growing unified understanding of the necessity of a major paradigm shift in both our mission and the process by which it is delivered," Boje, said.

"The national governing body of bowling created more than a century ago transformed bowling from a bar room pastime to a great sport. However, the principles that governed the organization drifted more toward overseeing a membership organization than a sport. Associations such as YABA, American Junior Bowling Congress, The National Bowling Association and WIBC were then founded largely in the face of societal pressures and industry conflicts. Bowling was America's sport, but its own fractured structure prevented it from truly being recognized as such. During our first five years, USBC has begun a rapid 100-year step into the past while at the same time embarking on new and forward thinking avenues to deliver its core mission."

The first eight months of 2005 were crucial to the merger at the state and local levels. Carroll said with USBC being a multi-tiered organization -- national, state and local levels -- that effecting change ranged from easy to very difficult depending on the issue.

"Unfortunately, the USBC paralleled the U.S. Congress during my tenure with some unfortunate political agendas oftentimes guiding the pace of effective change," Carroll said. "I always lead with the belief that big achievements usually come at a great political cost, but what's the point of being president if you are not willing to reach for them?"

Baker said the biggest challenge continues to be loss of membership, a trend which started before USBC's existence.

"Changes to programs have had mixed results and has led to the perception USBC has not cared about the associations," Baker said. "That's not the case, however, perception is reality and we have to change focus to the associations and membership.

"The fear at the beginning was youth would get lost in the transition. That hasn't happened, as youth have been a major part of the focus, leading to the feeling of alienation by the adult members and that has to change."

While the challenges have been daunting at times, executives strongly feel the positives far outweighed them.

"The most rewarding thing that happened was the commitment and support of the staff, delegates and volunteers in the transition to the USBC," Dalkin said. "By the time of the second convention in Nashville in 2007, the delegation and staff had developed a passion for the new organization of USBC, similar to that which they had displayed for their old organizations. Also a new crop of volunteers, led by the youth, were emerging at the convention."

Dalkin said his most difficult task was to reduce the staff to eliminate duplication of operations when the organizations combined.

"It sounds easy to just keep some and terminate others, but these were all talented and dedicated people who had just spent five years of their lives supporting a merger that was to put their livelihoods in jeopardy," Dalkin said. "How many of you would be willing to risk your jobs because it was the right thing to do?"

In 2007, the organization began facing its next big decision as USBC began talking with BPAA about joining forces in the same location. That idea became reality when USBC moved to Arlington, Texas, in November 2008 to begin the creation of the International Bowling Campus.

Dornberger, USBC chief operating officer at the time, said the move provided many challenges including: maintaining services and employees during the process; recruiting and training new employees; preparing the physical facilities; and ensuring the start of a working relationship with BPAA.

"Some would say that the relocation went as well as could be expected," Dornberger said. "If that is the case, all credit should go to the former employees of the organization, who evidenced extreme loyalty and effort in the face of losing their livelihood through no fault of their own, and the current employees, who endured long hours and high stress levels to ensure a smooth transition."

Baker agreed the loss of many dedicated staff members was difficult, but the move also opened many doors in the industry.

"It was a hard decision, but one that is for the best," Baker said. "We've been able to improve our relationships with the rest of the industry, and not only have USBC and BPAA been working together in the same building, but we also have the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, and now the new training and research center."

In summing up the executives' thoughts, perhaps the Frank Sinatra song "My Way" said it best with the line "regrets, I've had a few, but then again, too few to mention."

"As seemingly slow and painful as this process has been over the past five years, the progress is remarkable," Boje said. "Many walls have fallen and the road back to our roots continues to become clearer. I have been on the USBC Board since its founding days. I have witnessed what I believe to be the building of a new foundation one upon which our sport has the opportunity to thrive as America's sport. Convergence of a unified purpose and core values of the USBC by our national and local leaders and within the entire industry has been our greatest achievement."

Baker said the four merging organizations brought different ideas to USBC but collectively were able to "stay focused on the goal of becoming one."

"We were able to bring it all together and think as one group for one organization instead of several representing four groups and trying to protect their own," Baker said. "We also have proprietor representation which has provided the opportunity to improve the relationship between the member organization and the proprietor organization. We are working together better now than ever in the past."

Dalkin heard the concerns but remains convinced the formation of USBC was needed for the sport of bowling.

"I've had a number of friends and colleagues express concerns about the events of the past few years with general comments like this or that never would have happened had the USBC not been formed," Dalkin said. "Well they are probably right, but the founding organizations would have suffered a much worse situation had the merger never taken place.

"The formation of USBC was absolutely the correct thing to do at the time and I commend the volunteers and staff that made it happen in spite of the critics."