Many league secretaries now use various software programs to track their leagues. These programs are great; my wife uses one to maintain her league’s records. I often wonder how we did it before the software.
Some of the software programs and league secretary/treasurer duties are being performed in-house by the bowling center. The centers promote it as a service they provide, but I am not convinced about that. I like a secretary, treasurer—any league officer for that matter—to be responsible to my needs at any given time. I don’t want to have to call the center to get information on my league. I want to call my elected officers.
Most treasurers in my area using in-house services are nothing more than money counters. They sit the entire league time counting money collected that evening, ensuring the envelopes are marked properly. In between, they try to bowl, and someone else watches over the funds.
Some of the bowling software posts the amount of money teams are in arrears. It absolutely amazes me when I see leagues $400 to $700 in arrears. And these are not big leagues—16 to 20 teams.
I accept the fact that there will be times when a team or individual could be in arrears. However, I don’t accept teams or individuals in arrears for hundreds of dollars.
At the league organizational meeting, bowlers should be told the costs that they have incurred by signing up for the league. If a bowler is not at the organizational meeting, it is incumbent upon his team captain to make sure this individual realizes his financial responsibility.
Once that is established, the league must enforce payment of league fees. Most leagues adopt some rule allowing for certain arrearages—the key is to enforce the rules.
Allowing an individual or team excessive arrearages neither helps those people or the league. How many times have you heard someone say, "We’ll take it out of their prize money."? That’s not the answer.
League officers from the president down to team captain have to enforce the rules. If you go to a movie, you have to pay to get inside the theater. If you go bowling, you should pay to play.
I believe the league secretary/treasurer, who in most leagues is the backbone of the league officers, should be more than a money counter. Team captains need to ensure they collect their money promptly and in full, or the league officers need to get involved. Allowing a person or team to hold the league hostage until the end of the season, with no one knowing how much money is actually in the prize fund, simply is unacceptable.
Make ‘em pay or don’t let them play.
Don Wright is a member of the Bowling Writers Association of America. His web site is located at www.vvm.com/~wrightd.