BWAA and NWBW facing writing dilemma -- To Merge or Not to Merge
04/18/06
Bowling scribes write about who is right when it comes to proposed merger but there is no final word since the controversy just boils down to personal opinions
Writers are supposed to report about news events, not create a news controversy among its own members. Unfortunately, bowling writers have been using the Internet to produce their own spat over the past six months.
Some members of the Bowling Writers Association of America and some members of the National Women's Bowling Writers Association want to merge and some do not.
I am one of those who see no reason to merge as the proposal reads. Does this make me right? No, not necessarily...it's just my opinion. Does this stand make me wrong? No, not necessarily...it's just my opinion.
And everyone should have opinion as the United States Bowling Congress prepares to open its first national convention Friday and Saturday at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.
The next day, Sunday, April 23, the NWBW members will meet and on the agenda is a proposal to merge with the BWAA. The BWAA members will vote on the same or similar merger proposal June 26-28 during its convention at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas.
Hopefully the discussions will be civil and informative. Hopefully there will be no rush to make a final decision on this merger issue.
I have great respect and admiration for the people who have been pushing the merger concept - people like Jackie Wyckoff, Hazel McLeary, Nancy Chapman, Bill Vint, Mike Hennessy and Lyle Zikes if my memory serves me correctly.
Nobody has a secret agenda, they are just trying to do what they think would be best for the bowling writers in future years.
I happen to disagree, I live in the present.
When I joined the BWAA in 1966 the conventions left a lot of be desired in my opinion if you did not come just to socialize and eat and drink. One of the former presidents of the Bowling Proprietors Association of America labeled the BWAA a bunch of partying freeloaders.
When I first suggested that the BWAA convention be moved from the ABC Convention week to the ABC Masters so the daily newspaper writers would have something to cover on a daily bases, I almost was thrown out of the organization.
When I suggested we hire a newspaperman from the area of our conventions to come out and speak and conduct a seminar, it was laughed at the first year.
But gradually the idea caught on and with help from friends like Chuck Pezzano, John Jowdy, Pearl Keller and Elaine Hagin, slowly the BWAA meetings became more professional, more informative and more news worthy.
We started up a lot of new programs like Bowler of the Month, Collegiate Bowler of the Year, Senior Bowler of the Year and Amateur Bowler of the Year to go with the old faithful awards - Mort Luby, John Martino, Rip VanWinkle and BWAA male and female bowlers of the year.
I also have been fortunate enough to attend more than 15 NWBW national conventions. The women writers do very good work and do a great service for bowling.
But they have a different agenda, primarily honoring their own writers in various categories. That's the reason they called themselves "the cheerleaders of bowling" for many years.
I am not sure the BWAA organization is a potent professional writing group any more because so many of the great newspapermen who were members when I joined have died or stopped writing bowling columns.
The BWAA still is strong from the standpoint of writers/editors/publishers of dwindling bowling publications and people who I consider just friends of the BWAA for the most part.
In other words, in my opinion of today's BWAA - like every other organization in bowling - is that it has lost a lot of its power and members. So maybe from the standpoint of total number of members it would be wise to merge the two writing groups into one.
I would not be opposed to that if the NWBW wanted to merge with the BWAA like the young American Football League did with the established National Football League or the upstart American Basketball Association did with the established National Basketball Association.
The NFL and NBA only grew stronger from the mergers.
I think the NWBW writers who are not already members of the BWAA would benefit from belonging to the BWAA and in turn I think the BWAA would benefit from expanding its membership base.
The BWAA members opened that door to a new type of membership during its convention last March in Baton Rouge, La.
I am told that the NWBW has more money in its bank account than the BWAA, which is great for the ladies who have used their conventions to raise money for charitable endeavors. If we were to merge under the BWAA banner, I would suggest the NWBW give all of its funds above the BWAA total to the National Bowling Museum in St. Louis or possibly the cancer charity the women so nobly support.
I do not agree with BWAA writers who have been bashing the possibility of a TOO close association with the United States Bowling Congress if the writers merge under the current proposal. For almost 50 years, the BWAA survived only because the ABC contributed vital help at almost every turn.
The BWAA, through modern technology and a stronger dues structure, has not had to rely as much on the ABC in the past few years but the ABC always has been there for the BWAA when needed.
Last March in Baton Rouge I invited the USBC's Roger Dalkin and BPAA's John Berglund to speak to our members on what they could expect if they voted to move the BWAA convention to the BPAA Convention in Las Vegas or go to the USBC Convention in Orlando.
Maybe because it was a choice between Las Vegas and Orlando but our members voted overwhelmingly to accept the BPAA offer for the first time. This does not mean that the BWAA should not hold conventions at the USBC site in future years.
And along those same lines, I see no valid reason for having a convention or so-called meeting at both USBC and BPAA national functions each year. That is a waste of money in my opinion, and I have been spending my own money to go to one convention a year since 1966.
I also object to those who question where the Chuck Pezzano Scholarship money has been placed. It's safe and that's the paramount issue to me so the Doubting Thomases should get off their soap boxes.
I think the Bowling Writers Association of America is the showcase writing organization in this country and everyone's energy should be trying to get people to join the BWAA and not regional writing organizations.
Regional bowling groups are good in their areas, but not for the entire country.
Mind you, this is just my opinion.
I harbor no hostility to anyone who disagrees with me on any of these points. What makes America great is the majority rules.
In Las Vegas this June, I will vote to retain the Bowling Writers Association of America but will urge an open-arm policy to anyone who wants to join.
If my concept of the BWAA's future is defeated, then I will adjust to the new organization and give it my full support.
I happen to think that is what a democracy is all about.
We should disagree if we have different beliefs but I do not think we should get upset if someone takes exception to what we write.
Too many writers are quick to criticize but don't like being criticized.
I call this the dreaded "thin-skin disease."
Email address: Evans121@aol.com
Column
By Dick Evans
Bowling scribes write about who is right when it comes to proposed merger but there is no final word since the controversy just boils down to personal opinions Writers are supposed to report about news events, not create a news controversy among its own members. Unfortunately, bowling writers have been using the Internet to produce their own spat over the past six months.
Some members of the Bowling Writers Association of America and some members of the National Women's Bowling Writers Association want to merge and some do not.
I am one of those who see no reason to merge as the proposal reads. Does this make me right? No, not necessarily...it's just my opinion. Does this stand make me wrong? No, not necessarily...it's just my opinion.
And everyone should have opinion as the United States Bowling Congress prepares to open its first national convention Friday and Saturday at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.
The next day, Sunday, April 23, the NWBW members will meet and on the agenda is a proposal to merge with the BWAA. The BWAA members will vote on the same or similar merger proposal June 26-28 during its convention at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas.
Hopefully the discussions will be civil and informative. Hopefully there will be no rush to make a final decision on this merger issue.
I have great respect and admiration for the people who have been pushing the merger concept - people like Jackie Wyckoff, Hazel McLeary, Nancy Chapman, Bill Vint, Mike Hennessy and Lyle Zikes if my memory serves me correctly.
Nobody has a secret agenda, they are just trying to do what they think would be best for the bowling writers in future years.
I happen to disagree, I live in the present.
When I joined the BWAA in 1966 the conventions left a lot of be desired in my opinion if you did not come just to socialize and eat and drink. One of the former presidents of the Bowling Proprietors Association of America labeled the BWAA a bunch of partying freeloaders.
When I first suggested that the BWAA convention be moved from the ABC Convention week to the ABC Masters so the daily newspaper writers would have something to cover on a daily bases, I almost was thrown out of the organization.
When I suggested we hire a newspaperman from the area of our conventions to come out and speak and conduct a seminar, it was laughed at the first year.
But gradually the idea caught on and with help from friends like Chuck Pezzano, John Jowdy, Pearl Keller and Elaine Hagin, slowly the BWAA meetings became more professional, more informative and more news worthy.
We started up a lot of new programs like Bowler of the Month, Collegiate Bowler of the Year, Senior Bowler of the Year and Amateur Bowler of the Year to go with the old faithful awards - Mort Luby, John Martino, Rip VanWinkle and BWAA male and female bowlers of the year.
I also have been fortunate enough to attend more than 15 NWBW national conventions. The women writers do very good work and do a great service for bowling.
But they have a different agenda, primarily honoring their own writers in various categories. That's the reason they called themselves "the cheerleaders of bowling" for many years.
I am not sure the BWAA organization is a potent professional writing group any more because so many of the great newspapermen who were members when I joined have died or stopped writing bowling columns.
The BWAA still is strong from the standpoint of writers/editors/publishers of dwindling bowling publications and people who I consider just friends of the BWAA for the most part.
In other words, in my opinion of today's BWAA - like every other organization in bowling - is that it has lost a lot of its power and members. So maybe from the standpoint of total number of members it would be wise to merge the two writing groups into one.
I would not be opposed to that if the NWBW wanted to merge with the BWAA like the young American Football League did with the established National Football League or the upstart American Basketball Association did with the established National Basketball Association.
The NFL and NBA only grew stronger from the mergers.
I think the NWBW writers who are not already members of the BWAA would benefit from belonging to the BWAA and in turn I think the BWAA would benefit from expanding its membership base.
The BWAA members opened that door to a new type of membership during its convention last March in Baton Rouge, La.
I am told that the NWBW has more money in its bank account than the BWAA, which is great for the ladies who have used their conventions to raise money for charitable endeavors. If we were to merge under the BWAA banner, I would suggest the NWBW give all of its funds above the BWAA total to the National Bowling Museum in St. Louis or possibly the cancer charity the women so nobly support.
I do not agree with BWAA writers who have been bashing the possibility of a TOO close association with the United States Bowling Congress if the writers merge under the current proposal. For almost 50 years, the BWAA survived only because the ABC contributed vital help at almost every turn.
The BWAA, through modern technology and a stronger dues structure, has not had to rely as much on the ABC in the past few years but the ABC always has been there for the BWAA when needed.
Last March in Baton Rouge I invited the USBC's Roger Dalkin and BPAA's John Berglund to speak to our members on what they could expect if they voted to move the BWAA convention to the BPAA Convention in Las Vegas or go to the USBC Convention in Orlando.
Maybe because it was a choice between Las Vegas and Orlando but our members voted overwhelmingly to accept the BPAA offer for the first time. This does not mean that the BWAA should not hold conventions at the USBC site in future years.
And along those same lines, I see no valid reason for having a convention or so-called meeting at both USBC and BPAA national functions each year. That is a waste of money in my opinion, and I have been spending my own money to go to one convention a year since 1966.
I also object to those who question where the Chuck Pezzano Scholarship money has been placed. It's safe and that's the paramount issue to me so the Doubting Thomases should get off their soap boxes.
I think the Bowling Writers Association of America is the showcase writing organization in this country and everyone's energy should be trying to get people to join the BWAA and not regional writing organizations.
Regional bowling groups are good in their areas, but not for the entire country.
Mind you, this is just my opinion.
I harbor no hostility to anyone who disagrees with me on any of these points. What makes America great is the majority rules.
In Las Vegas this June, I will vote to retain the Bowling Writers Association of America but will urge an open-arm policy to anyone who wants to join.
If my concept of the BWAA's future is defeated, then I will adjust to the new organization and give it my full support.
I happen to think that is what a democracy is all about.
We should disagree if we have different beliefs but I do not think we should get upset if someone takes exception to what we write.
Too many writers are quick to criticize but don't like being criticized.
I call this the dreaded "thin-skin disease."
Email address: Evans121@aol.com