So how much money do you think the Association can waste on such a pointless exercise, if they have any spare money they should spend it back on Chevrons.
I agree that spare funds should be diverted to things like Chevrons or some kind of effective reward for achievement (more on that in a minute). The benefit of Chevrons is it gives average Joe something tangible for his money. Also, these should go across the loudspeaker at the beginning of league so all people in the centre can hear, this would then show that you can achieve something in the sport and may encourage social/potential league bowlers to sign on. In a small way it is its own cost effective way of advertising.
If that was to happen I would suspect that the average beginner/intermediate league player would be a lot happier handing over their $12.50 (or more) knowing that during the year they may receive something tangible. The key thing is to ensure everyone has the potential to achieve something for their money. The current practice of charging $12.50 for membership and then $x for doing something right is not recognition, its a slap in the face. Giving chevrons away is a small token to get the membership up.
Once the membership is captured looking at the other areas of concern such as promotion, funding of elite teams and elaborate junior development programs can, and should, be considered.
Now, back to the effective reward for achievement comment. As stated the benefit of a Chevron is it gives average Joe something in recognition for achieving a milestone in the game. This is especially good for juniors (especially beginners) as they have something to show their mates etc. The disadvantage is once you have received the Chevron once generally you do not appreciate the second, third, etc. and the value is not there. The question then turns from "What do I get for sanctioning?" to "What do I get and appreciate from sanctioning?", the second question currently is very hard to explain adequately for non-tournament bowlers, which is the vast majority of the membership.
So given that the value of Chevrons to the average Joe dwindles the reward scheme should be looked at. I think a potential solution would be to consider a scheme where the bowler has a choice between a traditional Chevron or a TBA Credit. The TBA Credit could be worth the same as the cost of the Chevron, so no cost to TBA, and used within sanctioned centres/accredited suppliers for bowling related expenses. Or even a sliding scale for achievement could be used based on the current achievement rates of an award. TBA Credits can then be saved up and used in one or more transactions.
The centres/accredited suppliers are then reimbursed the monetary value of the TBA Credits earnt so they don't lose out on any profits. The bowler then can save the credits up and use as they wish. This would surely encourage bowlers to strive further knowing that they could save on practice rates or maybe afford to get a new ball, bowling accessory, or pair of shoes at seasons end from a supplier of their choice.
The process of becoming an accredited supplier (and those of you running pro-shops here I am interested in your feedback) should be nothing more than filling out a form for the TBA stating you will accept TBA credits as payment. TBA could then publish it on their website, thus giving them a better picture of the industry. I am sure many members/administrators of the TBA have absolutely no idea about much of the bowling services out there and would appreciate not having to Google it.
Of course there would need to be further controls but I am throwing an idea out there. Something that seems to have been lacking for quite some time at TBA.
