THE ELEVENTH FRAME - August 26, 2011 I would like to welcome all of you to the new season and hope that it will be a successful one for you.  I am going to make a concerted effort to communicate with you, the members, more often this season using this format.  Additionally, Ellen Smith has agreed to establish a Facebook presence for the association.  I will post further information on how to "friend" us in further postings. The main purpose of this column will be to convey information to you as the season goes on.  We will highlight high scores, rare accomplishments, tournament happenings and general thoughts.  I encourage all of you to share any thoughts that you may want to discuss by e-mailing me at scottwest@lowershoreusbc.org.  I want to ensure that all voices are heard so that we may have open discussions about the things that need addressing in the local bowling community. The Maryland USBC has announced some preliminary information regarding this season's tournament schedule.  Entry forms for the state Seniors Championship and the Mixed Doubles/Team tournament are now available at www.msusbc.org.  It is a great site and I recommend it to all who are interested in what is going on at the state level.  The Open Championships will be held in the Baltimore area this season.  It appears that it will be either Country Club Lanes off of Route 40 in Baltimore or Greenway Lanes off of Route 2 in Odenton.   We will keep you posted. We will be hosting the Ladies Championship and the state Pepsi Championship at Cherokee this spring.  I am especially excited about the opportunity that is going to be afforded to our kids to be able to bowl a state level tournament right in their own backyard.  I encourage all of you who have an interest in Youth bowling to make yourselves available to the coordinators in your center. I regret that my job with the Postal Service precludes me from being in the centers with the kids on Saturday mornings.  I can tell you the excitement that our sport generates with these kids and the enthusiasm can be very contagious.  USBC has done a great job in providing programs geared toward making Youth bowling an attractive option for kids looking for organized athletic pursuits. The Registered Volunteer Program (RVP) was a program designed some years ago to allow parents and kids a bit of comfort in knowing that all of the coaches in their centers have gone through a rigorous background check.  The Earl Bradley situation has given all of us too rude a wake-up call locally about how dangerous an environment is in place all around with our children.  USBC really got ahead of the curve on this and I applaud the staff at Headquarters for their efforts. I also want to remind those of you with kids that we now offer scholarships for the All Events Champions in our annual Youth Championship tournament (this winter at Ocean Lanes).  We gave out $800 last season to all levels of Youth bowlers.  Please remember that this competition is handicapped just as most of the adult tournaments are. I would encourage all of you to consider bowling in a Lower Eastern Shore USBC tournament this season.   We have tournaments for all skill levels.  There are offerings for seniors, ladies and (for this first time) we will be having a benefit tournament specifically to raise funds for Bowl for the Cure. Bowl for the Cure is a program run by USBC and the Susan Komen Foundation in which bowlers raise money for breast cancer research.  The Friday Fun Bowlers League at Cherokee used to run a fund-raiser each year for this cause and consistently lead the state and ranked in the Top 20 nationally among USBC leagues.  We are going to try to replicate this at the association level and will share more information with you when the dates are set.  I applaud our newest Board member (Jerry Cumbey) for taking the ball and running with this. Speaking of Board members, I encourage all of you to seek out your House Directors should you ever have any questions or concerns about your league or association (there names are listed using a link from the front page of this site).  Most of our leagues have at least one Board member bowling on them. In closing, be on the lookout for entry forms for the Youth/Adult Doubles Open as well as the Open Championships (both will be held at Ocean Lanes).  Be good to yourselves and one another and I hope to communicate with you all again soon. Respectfully, Scott West Association Manager - Lower Eastern Shore USBC