Firstly may I take this opportunity to thank all members of the County Association for their continued support of the Local Association & B.T.B.A. in general. I would hope that we as a Local Association of the B.T.B.A. can strive to look ahead, and that issues can be openly discussed and rectified, hopefully, to the members satisfaction.

I feel I can speak for all the members of the County’s Executive, General & Sub Committees, in saying that we as a Local Association, strive for the betterment of the Sport of Tenpin Bowling, and the benefits of all our members within our chosen Sport.

I would like to take this opportunity to answer some questions, which are asked frequently by members of the Local Association.

I have enclosed a list of membership benefits for your £12.00 Adults, £6.00. Juniors, per year, which you can take time out to read, by pasting and copying to Word, so that you may read them at your own leisure.

May I ask that any comments or questions which you might have, be posted on this website, for an answer if needed. May I ask a question of you? What do YOU (the members) realistically want for your 22p per week (11p Juniors) so that we, the Local Association, can endeavour to achieve it on your behalf.

The truth of the matter is, by B.T.B.A. law, the Local Association MUST hold a County Trials, to give every member of the Local Association a fair chance of selection to the County Teams. With the Juniors & YAC’s this usually means the Top 10 places. However, the Adults and Seniors Rules are different. The Trials are in place to select the Top Three Ladies & Men in both the Adult and Senior Teams, and those top three will be given the option of a guaranteed 2(two) games with their respective County Teams. Until those top three places are known, the County cannot select any Adult or Senior teams.

I am asked also concerning the Trials, that we should think of separate trials again for all the different teams, i.e. Seniors, Adults, YAC’s & Juniors. In order that each team can bowl on conditions that will suit them most, at their Team Inter-Counties, and that each Team Trials be held over a two-weekend period (rather than the full three, as operates now), giving the members the opportunity to select one of the two weekends, which their particular Trials are being run. Although initially it sounds a good idea, (The point of how the trials are run at this present moment, is, it gives all members of the Association a chance to bowl together as a COUNTY). on the system suggested each member only has to give up one Sunday to be selected to bowl in his/her County Team, could I ask that you give a thought to the small band of organisers in the County who would have to give up 8 Sundays, in order to run such a system.

The Economic truth of the Matter is every year, the County strives to pay for the lineage of EVERY County Team, plus the County subsidises the County Shirts. As well as the County awards etc. If it wasn’t for the efforts of a small a band of ‘fundraisers’ within the County, the County as we know it would not exist. These people put a lot of their own time & money into the everyday running of our County, for little or no return.

I would ask all members to realise, that the Lancashire Local Association run 12 (twelve) County Teams. Ladies & Men’s, in Senior’s, Adult’s, YAC’s, under 18’s, under 16’s & under 14’s. The bill for the joint lineage alone of our Teams in their individual Inter-Counties is huge, and far exceeds any contribution from the B.T.B.A. and with dwindling support for County Tournaments & Trials etc that bill alone is becoming increasingly harder to meet each year.

Other Counties, expect their members to contribute to the lineage bill as well as bowl, saying that it is an honour in itself to bowl for your own County (which of course it is). We as a County have always resisted this, and endeavour to find the lineage for ALL our teams EVERY year.

But;

The County’s Warmest Regards,