What Does Moral Support Status Mean
By Sharon Stump—IGBO President
Republished from October 2006 IGBO Newsletter
October 2006—What does Moral Support Status mean and
application of Rule 319 b and c?
This article is written referring to USBC rule
numbers. Canadian Tenpin Federation rules,
in most instances, are the same but numbering
may be different. Bowlers in Australia and New
Zealand should find a similar situation.
IGBO Annual and Mid-year tournaments request
moral support status as a way to be inclusive
of all bowlers in our organization without
penalty of extra dues for non-certified
bowlers. With the proper application of USBC
Rule 319b and 319c, IGBO tournaments can
also use averages from non-certified leagues
thus following all rules in accordance with
USBC. First, let me explain moral support and
then why and how to apply rule 319b and 319c.
Moral support status is granted at the discretion
of USBC to tournaments conducted by
benevolent (to name the category we fit into)
organizations. Moral support status may be
granted to IGBO tournaments due to the fact
our tournaments fund raise and give money to
charities. Also, for Annual and Mid-year, participation
is restricted to members only.
Rule 301a. of USBC playing rules states that
participation in a moral support tournament is
restricted to participants who are affiliated with
the organization conducting the tournament.
Not stated in the rule but told to us verbally,
this also includes immediate family members
such as partners, parents, siblings, etc.
Moral support allows tournaments to be USBC
certified but does not restrict the participation
of uncertified bowlers as long as they are
a member, or immediate family member, of
the organization hosting the tournament, i.e.
IGBO.
Moral support status allows us to conduct a
tournament without charging our Canadian,
New Zealand and Australian bowlers USBC
membership fees as well as our American
bowlers who bowl in non-certified leagues.
A participant in a moral support tournament
that is not a member of USBC is not eligible
for USBC award recognition unless he/she
pays the USBC associate membership dues
which are approximately $20.00. The participant
is eligible for any prize or award issued by
the tournament without USBC membership.
The $5.00 USBC event participation fee for
non-USBC members does not entitle a bowler
to USBC award recognition. This fee enables
non-USBC members to participate in a certified
tournament that has not received moral
support status (rule 300c 1 b.)
IGBO Member Tournaments can also apply
for moral support status if they restrict membership
to IGBO members as stated above.
Since most of our tournaments are “Invitational”,
this should not be an issue but if it is,
bowlers who are not members or immediate
family members can be offered Associate
Member status with a completed application
and payment of dues prior to the tournament.
Officially, the applicant would not be a member
of IGBO until voted on at the next General
Membership Meeting but would be considered
“pending”.
According to rule 319a, tournaments that certify
with USBC can only accept USBC league
averages and rule 319b states if you do not
have an acceptable average, the bowler must
bowl scratch. This means our non-certified
IGBO league bowlers should bowl in Annual
and Mid-year with a 225 average regardless of
our moral support status. There is another sentence
to 319b that gives us a way around this
but I don’t see it used other than in Annual and
Mid-year. Tournaments can add to their rules
a specified minimum average which is assigned
to non-certified bowlers prior to participation.
There are tournaments that have not followed
rule 319a but I’m sure it is from not understanding
it. USBC has given us a way to follow
the rule and still be inclusive of all our member
bowlers. By using 319b, stating a minimum
average in your rules (IGBO has chosen 130),
you can verify a bowler’s average, as you always
do, and then use rule 319c and adjust the
bowler’s average upward. Averages can only be
adjusted upward thus the reason for choosing
130.
I hope this has given you some insight as to
ways you can certify your tournament and include
all IGBO bowlers. USBC/CTF certification
is free and not only gives bowlers a
chance to receive honor score awards but also
places a rules expert in your corner.
If you have additional questions, please feel
free to contact me and I will be happy to help
get the answer.
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