Thomas E. Dale Jr. has been involved with the sport of bowling for over 30 years. Prior to moving to the Washington, D.C. area, Tom served the Gastineau Channel (Juneau) Bowling Association and the Alaska State Bowling Association in such positions as state president, state YABA vice president, and association president and vice president. In addition, he was a youth coach and a league secretary of at least one league for 13 years in both Anchorage and Juneau.
Tom, a program manager for a major accounting system with the United States Postal Service, moved to this area in 1984 with his wife, Andrea, and son, Tom, on a promotion. He immediately became secretary of the Anchor Mixed Tenpin League at Bowl America Duke in Alexandria. Under Tom's guidance, this league has grown from 12 to 28 teams. In addition, Tom became secretary of the Potomac Area Men's League the following season, and he has grown that league from 10 to 24 teams. He has remained secretary for both of these leagues even after moving 35 miles from Alexandria to Stafford in 1988.
Tom took over the youth program at Fair Lanes Seminary and held that position for four years. He has held many leadership positions with the VIR-MAR-DISTRICT YABA, serving as president from 1993-95, and he remains extremely active in youth activities. He has run the VIR-MAR DISTRICT 600 Club for nine years, expanding it from three to five tournaments annually. He also has served as assistant director for the VIR-MAR-DISTRICT Scratch Invitational Tournament for the past seven years. In addition, Tom has been a director of the Virginia State YABA Junior Olympic Gold Qualifying Tournament for the past three years.
Tom has held many leadership positions in the NCABA, serving as president during the 1995-96 season. When he chaired the Legislative Committee, he led an effort to update and revise the Policy and Procedures Manual in 1989. He currently is chairman of the Virginia State Committee and also serves on the Program Evaluation Committee. In 1994, he chaired the Hall of Fame Committee.
Tom has represented the NCABA for three of the past five years at the annual Veterans Day ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. In 1995, he was the first ABC bowler to represent the Bowlers to Veterans Link as part of the presidential color guard.
He has served as the lane director for Bowl America Duke since 1987 and for The Sports Garden since 1997. In addition, he has served as the lane director at both Bowl America Shirley and Fair Lanes Dale City for two years and at Fort Belvoir for three years.
Tom has worked at the NCABA Championship Tournament for the past seven years. He also has represented NCABA as an ABC delegate for 13 years and a delegate to the Virginia State Bowling Association for 10 years. After being a delegate to the Southeastern Bowling Association (SBA) for two years, Tom became a Virginia State director for SBA in 1996.
In addition to his many years as a volunteer in the sport, Tom has bowled two 299 games and many 700 series, with a high of 758. He has carried a high average of 211 during three different seasons.
Thomas E. Dale Jr.'s continued commitment to the sport of bowling has earned him an honored place in the NCABA Hall of Fame.