friendsfriday

President: Joe Bradford

Vice President: Saundra Ramsey

Secretary: Mike Smigielski

Treasurer: Gary Martyn

Friends Friday Bowling League shall be sanctioned with the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) through the local associations. The league also will be a member of the International Gay Bowling Organization (IGBO).

Rule 1: League Management - The management of the league shall be vested in the Board of Directors that shall consist of the league officers and team captains. A majority of board members shall constitute a quorum at any official meeting. In the event that a team captain is unable to attend another member of the team is empowered to act in the captain’s absence.

No officer shall be elected as a team captain. However, in the event that the captain of a team is unable to attend an official meeting and an officer is a member of the team, the team shall be counted as being duly represented; however only one vote shall be allowed for the officer in question.

The Board of Directors shall adopt the league rules and the membership shall elect the officer. All officers shall be elected according to Rule 102a of the USBC.

The league shall elect the following officers: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. No one shall serve in two offices at the same time.

The President shall enforce all rules and regulations of the league. The president shall also have the following responsibilities:

1. Preside at all meetings of the league and the board of directors.

2. Appoint committees as necessary during their term in office.

3. Be an ex-officio member of all committees of the league.

4. Personally verify the monthly balance in the league’s bank account. If the league’s account is found to have an unexplained shortage the president must immediately report the shortage to the league’s board of directors for action by the bonding company.

5. Appoint the IGBO representative and its alternate.

The Vice President in the absence of the president shall perform the duties of that office and shall discharge other duties as may be required during their term in office. The vice president shall also have the following responsibilities:

1. Preside over the banquet/prize committee.

2. Responsible for league fundraising.

3. In the absence of the secretary and/or treasurer assume their duties for the time necessary.

4. Provide all team captains with a copy of prize fund.

The Secretary shall perform the following duties:

1. Forward the annual membership dues with the properly completed league sanction application to the local association within thirty days after the league begins to bowl. Dues for additional members shall be forwarded to the local association secretary within thirty days of receipt.

Upon receipt of the league sanction application the local association secretary shall issue a receipt of the same date and forward within thirty days to the league secretary. This receipt will be posted by the league secretary and replaced with the USBC sanction when it arrives.

2. Keep minutes of all league meetings, have charge of and conduct correspondence of the league, and notify the members or team captains of all league meetings.

3. Notify the league members of all local association meetings and any proposed changes in the local association dues.

4. Be responsible for a record of the scores of all team members and substitutes, and report all scores that are eligible for USBC and IGBO awards.

5. Provide all team captains with a copy of the league rules, prize list, and league schedule for the season.

6. Post and/or distribute a current standing sheet in the lanes and/or provide each team captain with a copy so that members may see their own average, total pins, and any scores eligible for special awards/prizes. A copy of the final standing sheet shall be given to the league treasurer for the distribution of the prize fund.

7. Furnish the names, individual averages, number of games bowled and total pins to the USBC local association and IGBO to the end of the league schedule and at other times as might be requested.

8. At the close of the schedule send a list of newly elected officers to the secretary of the local USBC association.

9. The retiring secretary shall turn over all league records to their successor in office.

10. Keep a waiting list of full teams and single bowlers interested in joining the league if necessary.

The Treasurer shall perform the following duties:

1. Be responsible for a true and correct account of all receipts, disbursements, and deposits of all money belonging to the league. Deposits shall be made in the name of the league within three business days after receipt in an insured recognized banking and/or insured credit institution. Withdrawals from the account shall be made only with the joint signatures of at least two authorized league officers.

2. Give league officers a monthly detailed financial statement showing all receipts, disbursements, and financial transactions of the league.

3. Make such other reports and statements to the president and the board of directors as may be required and/or requested during term in office.

4. Turn over to their successor in office all books, records and money belonging to the league.

Rule 2: League Schedule - The league shall consist of teams with a playing strength of four bowlers. The league will bowl on Fridays in accordance with the league schedule distributed at the start of the season. All scheduled matches will start promptly at the designated time.

The league will consist of one division with overall position rounds scheduled for week 30 and playoffs schedule for weeks 31 – 33 (see rule 20). Overall win/loss records will include weeks 1 – 33.

Any money not used will be added to the prize fund.

Bowling fees for the last three weeks of the season are due by the tenth week of bowling. All fees must be paid by week 30.

In the event a bowler is absent from bowling in any given week they are responsible for any outstanding fees incurred during their absence.

Games shall be forfeited by any team who has a member not current if their league fees (maximum of two weeks behind, $34.00). Minimum payment for any bowler that is not current is one week, $17.00. Any team that has a member or vacancy behind in payment at the end of the season will only be eligible for the designated cash award minus the amount in arrears.

The last three weeks of prepaid bowling shall be forfeited should a player withdraw from the league.

Roster change may be arranged in such a way that prepaid fees are transferred from one bowler to a replacement bowler only if written agreement is submitted to the secretary signed by both involved parties.

In accordance with USBC rule 114a, any league member withdrawing from the league is responsible for paying league fees for the following two weeks.

If a team has lost a member to withdrawal, the team will use a vacancy score and handicap until a replacement is secured. If a member merely remains absent for two weeks without paying league fees, the team would use the member’s absentee score.

The league will impose a penalty, equal to the penalty charged by the bank, to any bowler who bounces a check due to insufficient funds. After two bounced checks a bowler will not be allowed to pay by check for the remainder of the season.

Rule 4: League Salaries - All league officers shall be compensated for their duties by waving of their weekly bowling fees. In addition the secretary and treasurer will receive an additional .05 per bowler weekly paid at the end of the season.

Rule 5: Franchise - All regular bowlers of the current season will have priority status in returning to the league for the next season. To secure priority status the bowler must notify the league secretary of their intent to return to the league NO LATER THAN TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE FALL ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING. The league secretary will request for confirmation of teams through email, unless requested in writing that a phone call is needed. Any forms filled at the end of the season will be done with the only purpose of providing officers with current up to date contact information. Failure to follow these procedures will result in the bowler forfeiting their priority status. Bowlers forfeiting priority status may be added to the existing waiting list for a vacant team position.

Once a team is formed its members will elect a person to serve as team captain.

In the event that the combination of returning bowlers create more teams than spots are available, USBC Rule 104a and 104b regarding captaincies and franchises will apply.

The order to be enforced shall be:

The board of directors must decide disputes pertaining to captaincy or franchises.

Rule 7: League Funds - An account shall be maintained in the name of the leagues at a recognized banking and/or insured credit institution where funds will be deposited weekly.

Withdrawals from the account shall be made only with the joint signature of at least two authorized officers of the league (See USBC rule 102f-1 for verification requirements and procedures).

Rule 8: Prizes - During week 4 the vice president shall appoint a committee of at least three members to draw up a prize fund proposal. On week 8, the prize fund proposal will be distributed to the league membership for a vote.

To qualify for individual awards a bowler must have bowled in two-thirds of the scheduled games and be considered as a regular roster member (defined by rule 10) on week 33.

A team or individual is eligible to receive only one high game or series prize for which they may qualify on any week 1 – 33 with the exception of roll-off games to break ties. The order of determining awards will be: 1. High Game Handicap, 2. High Series Handicap, 3. High Game Scratch, 4. High Series Scratch

To qualify for team awards each bowler (regular member or substitute) must have an established average defined by rule 8.

Friends Friday Bowling League will always use a proportionate amount of its season funds to cover banquet fees for regular bowlers, cash awards and any other special awards. Team overall standing will receive at least 70% of the prize fund.

Rule 9: Entering Average - Returning bowlers or substitutes from Friends Friday with an established average (21 games or more) from the previous Friends Friday season will use that average until a new 9 game average is established. Averages will be recalculated each week after the 9th game.

In the event a bowler (regular or substitute) enters the league without an established Friends Friday average then the average used will be their highest USBC yearbook average. If neither of the above apply then their average shall be calculated after they have bowled 3 games in the league and will be recalculated every week thereafter.

Rule 10: Handicap - The handicap allowance shall be 90% and shall be based on the difference between an individual’s average and a scratch figure of 225.

The team handicap for each scheduled match shall be the total of the individual’s handicaps for the players in the line-up.

Handicaps will be based on the entering average for each member until a 9 game average has been established. Thereafter handicap will be based on the current average. Bowlers who do not qualify for an entering average will have handicap computed after they first complete a 3 games series to be applied on the games of that series and on the next series in which they compete. Bowlers in this category must bowl all games in the first series in which they compete to qualify for handicap.

Rule 11: Team Rosters - Rosters will be limited to 4 players. The combined entering average (as determined by rule 8) of all four members of the team roster may not exceed 735 for any match (even if a substitute bowler is involved). Men or women who are active members of a professional bowlers association are not eligible as regular team members anytime during the season or as a substitute bowler.

New players cannot be added to a team’s roster after completion of bowling on week 26. Exceptions will be made under extreme circumstances, to be approved by the Board of Directors.

Each bowler is committed to the full 33-week season. If a bowler leaves the league for any reason it is that bowler’s responsibility to find a replacement. If a replacement is made (official roster change) the new bowler assumes responsibility for the remainder of the season from the time they join.

No new teams may be added to the league after the third week of scheduled bowling. In the event a team joins the league within the first three weeks all missed games must be made up by the eighth week or forfeited.

In the event, one of the committed teams does not show up on the first night of bowling the opposing team will bowl against a blind score of 856, including handicap.

Rule 12: Substitutes - The league shall maintain a list of substitute bowlers. Men and women may substitute for each other. No one may bowl with more that one team for any regularly scheduled 3 games series.

Anyone wishing to substitute must be sanctioned through USBC and complete a sanction card with Friends Friday Bowling League prior to throwing their first ball. Any substitute not completing a sanction card with Friends Friday (regardless of being sanctioned in another league) will be subject to USBC rule 101b.

It will be up to the team to decide on how to handle the payment of fees for the absent bowler.

No substitute bowlers are allowed on any position nights or weeks 31-33.

Rule 13: Legal Line-Ups - A minimum legal line-up consists of a minimum of two current regular roster members. A minimum legal line-up must be present by the completion of the third frame of each game.

Rule 14: Absentee and Vacancy Scores - Absentee scores shall be allowed when a team has a legal line-up but less than a full line-up at the start of any game in a series. The absentee score shall be the absent member’s average minus 10 pins. The absentee’s entering average will be used until a current average of 9 or more games has been established. The handicap of the absentee player shall be figured on the actual average used.

When a team does not have enough players on its roster for a full line-up a vacancy score of 120 shall be used. Such score shall be the basis for the handicap of 94.

Rule 15: Bowling Against a Vacant Team or Forfeits- In the event the league should have an uneven number of teams or a team fails to have a minimum lineup and a forfeit is declared, the opposing team will bowl within 40 points of their team average in order to win the points for the game and series.

Rule 16: Pre-Bowling - An entire team roster may pre-bowl for the complete 3 game series for the upcoming week of scheduled bowling if the team is not able to field a legal line-up and lanes are available.

Pre-bowling may be allowed no more than 14 days in advance of your regular scheduled bowling and no team is allowed more than 2 pre-bowls per season.

It is the responsibility of the league secretary to reserve the lanes that the team would have used in the scheduled week of bowling. If the secretary is unable to reserve a pair of adjoining lanes normally used by the league then any pair of adjoining lanes may be used. The opposing team must be notified of the scheduled pre-bowling the Friday before the desired pre-bowl date and afforded an opportunity to bowl at the same time. Failure to do so may result in the pre-bowling request not being granted. Should the opposing team decide not to bowl at the same time the scores of the pre-bowl team scores will be revealed to the opposing team before the opposing team completes the corresponding game.

A player’s pre-bowled scores shall count the same as if the player was present for the regularly scheduled 3 game series.

Rule 17: Postponements - Postponements will be used only as a last resort. In extreme emergencies the captain of the team unable to attend shall notify the opposing team captain and/or the secretary or president of the league at the earliest possible opportunity (See USBC rules 111a – 111g). In such a rare case the Board of Directors will meet briefly before the start of scheduled bowling to decide if the reason stated warrant a postponement (majority rules).

Rule 18: Tardy Players - A bowler who arrives late may enter the game provided 3 frames have not been completed. Frames missed maybe made up.

Rule 19: Position Standings - Win/loss records shall be determined on a point basis. Two (2) points will be awarded for each game won and one (1) point for the high team series for each match. The total points awarded for a scheduled series of bowling shall be seven (7) for any two teams opposing each other. Standings shall be determined on the basis of total points won by the team.

Rule 20: Play-Offs - Friends Friday Bowling League will consist of one division. Week 30 will be an overall position round. After week 30 the top 8 teams in overall standings will qualify for a playoff spot. In the event of a tie(s) the team with the most pins will be awarded a playoff spot. If a tie in total points and pins occurs, a one game roll-off will take place.

Scheduling for teams in the playoffs on week 31 will be determined by overall win/loss record (first plays eighth, second plays seventh, etc.). Scheduling for teams in the playoffs on week 32 will be based on the won/lost record for week 31: Team series winners playing for position 1st – 4th and the remaining teams playing for positions 5th – 8th. See attached play-off addendum. Teams not in the playoffs will be scheduled at random on weeks 31 and 32 with adjustments being made to avoid teams bowling each other back-to-back. Week 33 will be an overall position round except for the eight teams in the play-offs.

Final overall league standings will be determined after the final week of bowling. All games bowled during weeks 1 – 33 (except roll-off games) will count toward overall standing, individual and team awards, and special prize awarded by the league.

Rule 21: Election of Officers - The president will select three(3) regular roster bowlers (not running for office) to conduct the election process (nominations, ballot counting, etc.). Nominations open during week 27 and close on week 28. Any regular roster bowler may self nominate for one office. All regular roster bowlers are eligible to vote on week 29. Voting will be done by written secret ballot. A simple majority is needed to win an office. Any run-off will also be conducted during week 29 between the top two candidates. The newly elected slate of officers will be announced on week 29. New elected officers will assume office the day following the awards banquet.