References that appear in italics within square brackets are citations to appropriate rules from the current version of the USBC Playing Rules. Often, a more detailed explanation of the rules may be found there or definitions for items not specifically spelled out here.
Article 1: Name, Purpose, and Organization
1.1 The name of the organization shall be the Beantown North GLBT Invitational Bowling League.
1.2 The purpose of the league is to promote and establish unity, communication, and fellowship within the gay men and lesbian community through recreation and competitive bowling. This league is open to all who paid all fees required and support the spirit and rules presented here without regard to any player's sex, religion, race, or sexual orientation. No bowler that has outstanding fees and/or dues from previous bowling seasons shall be eligible for membership unless they have paid them by the seventh game of the new season.
1.3 The league will be sanctioned with the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) through its local associations and follow all the rules and terms they define with others that are presented here. The league shall be a member of USBC and the International Gay Bowling Organization (IGBO).
1.4 The league will bowl every Tuesday night at Town Line Lanes in Malden, MA, per the schedule defined by the officers prior to the start of the league. The start of the league's season will be noted in the gay and lesbian press of metropolitan Boston and by other means these officers may decide.
1.5 The first week is a social gathering and for the setting up of teams. The schedule is split up into three trimesters, with the last week of each trimesters being a position round. Ties in points will be resolved by ranking tied teams by their overall handicap pinfall. Unequal weeks will be included in the last section. The playoffs will follow immediately after the schedule ends. A schedule identifying holidays or other days off will be distributed to all league members by the end of the third week of play.
Article 2: Governing Structure
2.1 The Board of Directors of this league shall consist of the Executive Committee and the captains of each team, which is in good standing with the league. Each director shall have only one vote and proxies are not allowed. A simply majority vote shall govern. The President shall run each meeting and can only vote to break a tie. Any director may be removed from office by a simple majority vote of the balance of the Board of Directors. Any team whose captain is expelled from the Board or who vacates the position shall present a new captain to the Board within two weeks. The President shall select any Executive Committee position opened during the interim. The Vice President shall succeed the President should that position be open. The Board is responsible for the adoption of the league by-laws and setting of any compensation for any officer. The Board's decision is final, unless a protest is lodged with the local association of USBC. [Rules 102b, 103a-b]
2.2 The Executive Committee shall be made up of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Sergeant-at-Arms, and the IGBO Representative. The league membership shall elect the Executive Committee by a vote at large before the beginning of the season. Any league member of good standing may be eligible for these positions. The Committee shall be responsible for resolving all protests in the league; declaring forfeitures or games null and void; and deciding on any questionable errors in scoring.
2.3 The President shall preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and the league membership at large. The President shall be responsible for the orderly functioning of the league as a whole, and shall settle disputes between member, directors, and officers. The President shall select members of committee as required in these by-laws or as a need arises. [Rule 102c]
2.4 The Vice President shall be responsible for the work of the committees set up by the President. The Vice President shall act in the role of President whenever the President is absent. [Rule 102d] The Vice President shall coordinate the substitute list and assign available substitutes to teams desiring them. The Vice President shall also be chiefly responsible for organizing the formation of teams during the first night of league play.
2.5 The Secretary shall maintain the records of the league. The secretary is specifically entrusted to report weekly to the bowling house the games bowled by the membership and to keep the official record to settle all scoring disputes. Each week, the Secretary shall ensure a tally of the current standings and league statistics. The Secretary shall record the minutes of all meetings of the league and provide a copy to all members of these meetings, except the minutes to general meetings, which should be given to the Executive Committee. The Secretary shall handle all member and league sanction paperwork and records. [Rule 102e]
2.6 The Treasurer shall establish and be mainly responsible for the bank account where all moneys of the league must be deposited weekly. This money may also be invested if the Board so votes. This account shall have at least the Treasurer and President's signature on the cards as a minimum. The Treasurer collects all Bowlers' fees as required by USBC, and these by-laws. Deposit of league funds must be made weekly. Withdrawals must be made with two officers' signatures. The Treasurer must present a monthly financial statement to the President and present the final statement for the membership at large during the banquet. [Rules 102c (6), 102f]
2.7 The Sergeant-At-Arms shall be responsible for administering the weekly 50/50 raffle.
2.8 The IGBO Representative shall be the league's official representative at at least two (2) IGBO meetings per year (selected from the IGBO Annual Meeting, the IGBO Mid-Year Meeting, and the Spring and Fall Northeast Meetings), maintain all appropriate records and inform the league of all IGBO functions.
2.9 The Team Captain shall represent his or her team at all Board of Director's meetings and be responsible for gathering the weekly bowling fee and dues. These team moneys must be brought to the Treasurer by the fifth frame of the first game. The Team Captain shall notify the Vice President if the team requires a substitute. [Rule 104a]
2.10 The Members of the league shall ensure they are in good standing with the league by paying all moneys required within the time specified. All members must be sanctioned through USBC in this or some other league. Once the sanction fee requirement is met, that member is deemed "eligible".
2.11 The Substitutes are those people who are not officially part of any team's roster. Substitutes may bowl whenever there is a space available on a team for a night and the team desires a substitute bowler. A substitute's scores will only count toward their eligibility for season-end awards if their scores are used toward the team totals for the games bowled. (Any games played as a non-scoring pacer will not count toward this eligibility.) All substitutes are eligible to attend the banquet and qualify for individual awards if they have bowled the qualifying number of games and all dues are paid. Dues and fees are the same for substitutes as regular members. Sanction fees are due by the 7th game of the season. All substitutes must be sanctioned through USBC in this or some other league. [Rule 107c]
2.12 A Pacer is a guest of the league who is not sanctioned and not an official member of any team's roster. A pacer is allowed to play in the place of a roster member of any team that does not have enough bowlers to complete their full lineup. A pacer's scores will not count toward team totals for any games bowled, and they will not count toward a player's eligibility for season-end awards, even if the pacer later pays the sanction fee and becomes a member of a team's roster.
Article 3: Meetings
3.1 A quorum for any meeting of the Board of Directors, general membership, or special committees shall be 67% of the eligible members. A quorum for the Executive Committee shall be 51% of the eligible total. The President shall preside at all meetings, unless the President is unable to attend, in which case the Vice President shall preside in the President's absence.
3.2 A simple majority of those in attendance at any meeting shall be sufficient for the passage of any motion. The President shall vote only to break a tie.
3.3 All league business shall be conducted under Robert's Rule of Order.
3.4 Meetings shall be called whenever necessary. There shall be at least one General Membership meeting per season.
Article 4: Fees and dues
4.1 Each member or substitute shall pay the established fee each week to the Team Captain by the end of the fifth frame of the first game. This fee is determined at the beginning of the season through negotiations between the house and the Executive Committee.
4.2 Each member shall pre-pay the last two weeks' fees, to be held in reserve by the league, by the fifth week of the season's regular play. When substitutes become members of a team, then they shall pay the same last two week's fees by the following week. Members who are dismissed or leave while owing the league money shall not have this money refunded.
4.3 All members and substitutes shall pay a sanction fee to the United States Bowling Congress (USBC), $15.00 for 2010-2011 season. This fee must be paid by the completion of the member's sixth game. [Rules 101a-b]
4.4 Each team is responsible for the total amount of fees each week regardless of how many members of the team are present on a given week. Fees will not be required for absent bowlers during any grace period provided by the house. If any member is absent, that member must pay the fees in arrears the following week. If a member does not pay the arrearage, the member will be designated ineligible. Any team with a member in arrears for more than two weeks shall be in forfeiture. No points will be awarded until the arrears are paid in full. No points will be awarded retroactively after an arrearage is paid forward. [Rule 110a-b]
4.5 The Team Captain shall bring the weekly fees, and other appropriate fees or dues, to the Treasurer by the end of the fifth frame of the team's first game.
4.6 Members may pay fees or dues in cash or personal check. If a check bounces, that member permanently loses the right to pay by personal check and must pay any bank fees incurred by the league.
4.7 The Treasurer shall render a written notice of arrears to all members in such a situation. The week after a member receives his or her second notice of arrears, that member is no longer in good standing and shall not be allowed to bowl in the league again until all fees or dues are paid in full. If a member falls out of good standing, that member also loses the deposit of the last two weeks of fees collected by the league.
Article 5: Teams
5.1 Returning teams who were in good standing in the previous year shall have seniority in making up the new teams. The team captain or representative must declare his or her team's interest in returning on the first night of bowling or forego their franchise in the league. [Rule 104b]
5.2 Each team shall include a minimum of four members and up to a maximum of six (with any additional members used as its own substitutes or for a rotating line-up). This roster shall be submitted to the league Secretary before the seventh game of the season. New bowlers cannot be added to a roster in the final trimester of the season without the approval of the Board of Directors. Each team shall field four members every week and maintain a legal line-up; otherwise a team may have to forfeit games. See Rule 6.1 below. [Rule 109a-b]
5.3 Each team shall select one of its members by simple majority of the team's total members as the Team Captain. The Team Captain shall be a member of the Board of Directors. If a team has not chosen a Team Captain by the end of the second week of the season, the Executive Committee will appoint one member to be the Team Captain.
5.4 Team members arriving before the first ball is thrown by any bowler in the fifth frame shall be allowed to make up the missed frames without any practice balls. Otherwise, each game shall follow the forfeiture rules.
5.5 Any team added after the start of the league shall be awarded the lowest pinfall and points achieved by any team at the time the new team starts.
5.6 Any member who has not been in communication with his or her team captain or any league officer for a period of three weeks shall be automatically terminated and scores removed from the standings. This member can be reinstated only if there is an opening and only if all outstanding league fees are paid in full.
Article 6: Scores and Averages
6.1 The league shall determine wins and losses on a handicap basis with a minimum of two team members, plus any other team members' absentee scores, and/or any substitutes' scores. At least two regular team members with an established average of at least nine games are required to constitute a legal lineup. [Rule 109a]
6.2 The absentee score for each game shall be the valid average of any absent team member minus ten pins per game. A vacancy score shall only be used when a team has less than three team members with valid averages and no substitutes are available. The vacancy score, used for teams with incomplete line-ups, shall be a score of 150 with a handicap of 67 pins per game. [Rule 105]
6.3 Bowlers will establish an average for the current season after six games have been completed. Until the bowler has established an average, the following is the order in which a bowler's average shall be determined:
a. Use the highest book average from the 2009-2010 season of the Beantown North league, provided that the bowler played 21 games or more in that league.
b. If (a) does not apply, use the book average from the 2009-2010 season of the Beantown South league, provided that the bowler played 21 games or more in that league.
c. If (a) and (b) do not apply, use the highest book average recorded in any league during the 2009-2010 season in which the bowler played 21 games or more.
d. If none of the above apply, the vacancy score (150 plus 71 handicap) will be used as the bowler's score for each of the first six games.
6.4 The handicap is 95% of the difference between 225 and a person's average. There shall be no maximum handicap and no negative handicaps allowed.
6.5 Standings for each trimester are based on the total points won. The team winning each game will be awarded two (2) points per game, and the team winning the overall series will be awarded two (2) additional points. In case of a tie in either the game or the series, each team shall be awarded one (1) point each. The win/loss tallies shall begin anew at the beginning of each trimester.
6.6 Teams bowling unopposed, whether by forfeiture or a bye situation, must bowl a minimum of their own team average minus 30 pins each game to be awarded points. Unopposed teams will automatically win the two series points, even if they do not bowl within 90 pins of their three-game averages. [Rules 110b, 114c]
Article 7: League
7.1 The Bowling season shall start on the first Tuesday in September after Labor Day and end prior to May 1.
7.2 Only members, substitutes and pacers shall be allowed in the tiled area. There is no food, beverage, or smoking in this area.
7.3 Bowling etiquette and sportsmanship shall be observed. The two captains shall settle any dispute in this whenever possible.
7.4 When the foul lights are not operating, it is the responsibility of the two team captains to ensure that fouls are called when they happen.
7.5 All members must be present when it is their turn to bowl, unless the captain knows of their location; otherwise, the bowler will forfeit that frame. Each forfeited frame shall be equal to 1/10 of the member's absentee score (see 6.2). Courtesy shall be given to league officers while conducting league business. [Rule 106d]
7.6 Pre-bowling will be allowed with approval of the Executive Committee if the request is made with at least 48 hours notice. Otherwise, the Board of Directors must give approval. [Rule 111a-g] All pre-bowled scores must be reported to a member of the Executive Committee prior to the start of bowling for that week. Additionally, a printed copy of the electronic scoring must be delivered to the Secretary prior to the start of league play for the night the player pre-bowled. Any scores not reported to the Executive Committee, and any scores for which there is no automatic printout, will be disqualified. Any games that are pre-bowled must be used toward the team's score for that game, with no exceptions.
7.7 Post-bowling is not allowed.
7.8 The officers will determine when there is sufficient cause for a cancellation due to inclement weather or other circumstances. A decision to bowl will be made at least two hours prior to the scheduled starting time of the league. The officers will send an e-mail to all league members in the case of an official cancellation as well as a post on the leagues blog. The bowling lanes will also be notified if the league is cancelled.
Article 8: League Playoffs
8.1 The playoffs will take place the week immediately following the end of the regular season.
8.2 The league schedule is divided into three trimesters. The highest finishing team at the end of each trimester, which has not previously qualified for the playoffs, shall earn a spot in the playoffs. Total pinfall shall decide all ties at the end of the trimester. Additionally, the team at the end of the regular season with the highest year-long point totals, which has not previously qualified for the playoffs, will earn the final "wildcard" spot into the playoffs.
8.3 In order to be eligible to bowl in the playoffs, a bowler must have bowled a minimum of one-third of the total number of games possible during the season, excluding any games played as a pacer.
8.4 All four playoff teams will compete during the playoffs, rotating among four lanes. Each team will bowl three games. The team with the highest total pinfall (including handicap) will be declared the league champion. If more than one team is tied for first place, the winner will be determined by a two-frame roll-off, with the team handicap calculated as one-fifth of each team's regular handicap.
8.6 The league shall run a secondary tournament during the playoff week for any bowlers not involved in the playoffs, as designed by the Executive Committee.
Article 9: League Banquet and Awards
9.1 The President will appoint a Prize Committee, which will be responsible for determining the types of prizes to be awarded at the end of the season. If cash is allocated to some of the awards, the Prize Committee will be responsible for proposing a breakdown of possible award allocations. Each team will have one vote among the proposed prize breakdowns, and the winning proposal will be used to award season-end prizes.
9.2 The Prize Committee will also determine the specific team and individual awards that will be given, and the nature of the award (cash prize, trophy, or both). Awards must be given to the League Champions and to the team earning the most points during the course of the regular season.
9.3 In order to qualify for an individual award, a bowler must have bowled at least two-thirds of the total possible games in the regular season, excluding any games played as a pacer.
9.4 The league will also give four additional awards:
a. President's Award – presented to an individual who has shown leadership, and has helped the league throughout the season. The President determines the recipient of this award (under advisement of the Executive Committee).
b. Sportsmanship Award – presented to an individual displaying exceptional etiquette and the most sportsmanlike conduct during regular league play. This award shall be determined by a ballot of the entire league membership.
c. Rookie of the Year Award – presented to the outstanding first-year bowler. The recipient of this award shall be determined by the Executive Committee. Nominations shall come from the Executive Committee.
d. Most Improved Bowler Award – presented to the returning bowler whose average increased the highest number of pins compared to their previous season's end-of-year average.
e. Most Improved Bowler Award (Rookie) – presented to the first-year bowler with the highest increase in average between their twelfth game of the season and their year-end average.
9.5 The banquet shall be held at a time not to exceed two weeks following the last night of the playoffs. The Executive Committee shall determine the location and food. The Executive Committee will make every effort to schedule the banquet on a Tuesday with due consideration to fiscal responsibilities.
9.6 The banquet shall include a meeting of the general membership with the final audit of the treasury presented.
9.7 Any members or substitutes who have bowled at least one-half of the total possible games in the regular season (including any games played as a pacer) will be eligible to attend the banquet. Any member or substitute who does not qualify for attendance by this rule may purchase advance tickets at a price to be determined by the Executive Committee. Banquet tickets may also be purchased for guests at a price to be determined by the Executive Committee.
Article 10: Nominations and Elections
10.1 Nominations for all elected positions shall be presented at the general meeting held at the banquet.
10.2 Each member that is nominated must be in good standing with the league.
10.3 This slate shall be distributed on the last night of bowling.
10.4 Every league member in good standing shall receive one ballot and must be at the banquet in order to cast a vote.
10.5 The results will be tallied by the Nominations Committee and the chair will announce the new Executive Committee at the banquet.
10.3 This slate shall be distributed on the last night of bowling.
10.4 Every league member in good standing shall receive one ballot and must be at the banquet in order to cast a vote.
10.5 The results will be tallied by the Nominations Committee and the chair will announce the new Executive Committee at the banquet.
Article 11: Committees
11.1 The President shall appoint the chair and at least two members to each committee.
11.2 The Executive Committee shall determine the awards before the end of the first trimester.
11.3 The Executive Committee shall determine the banquet arrangements by February 1.
11.4 The President of the league may create additional committees as needed, e.g., special events, audit, etc.
Article 12: Amendments
12.1 Any changes to these by laws shall be adopted by a simple majority vote of a meeting of the general membership at which a quorum is present.
Article 13: Dissolution
13.1 If, for any reason this league ceases to exist, any moneys held in account for this league shall be turned over to the local IGBO organization for the benefit of its programs.
