Over the years, our local association(s) have won several prestigious awards!

USBC Media and Communications Award

In November 2007, the United States Bowling Congress announced a revised and expanded news media and communications awards program designed to recognize excellence in communicating news and information about the sport of bowling to the American bowling public. The contest is sponsored by the United States Bowling Congress’ official membership publication, US BOWLER.The City of Firsts USBC Association received third place in the first USBC Media Awards Contest in the category of Overall Communications/Public Relations Program. First place went to Metro Detroit USBC Association and second place winner was the Ohio State USBC WBA.

The Overall Communications/Public Relations Program submissions were judged based upon a variety of factors —

Newsletter
Website
Placement of news/coverage in the local news media outlets
E-Mail Blasts
Originality
Professionalism
Submissions must have been produced between Jan. 1, 2007, and Dec. 31, 2007

ABC Service Award

The Kokomo Bowling Association received the prestigious AMERICAN BOWLING CONGRESS (ABC) SERVICE AWARD in 1998 for servicing its membership, for giving proper recognition to Board Members and the KBA membership, for being active at the state and national level, and for following the processes set forth by ABC. Points considered by ABC were—

• Gathering year-end follow-up information for next season
• Conducting pre-season Kick-off Meeting to deliver supplies and answer questions
• Receiving and processing league and award applications weekly or in a timely manner
• Returning cards or awards in the same timely manner
• Initiating the Local Awards Program
• Publishing a yearbook to every sanctioned bowler, the bowling centers, and some out-of-town tournament sites
• Appointing Center Representatives
• Promoting and encouraging delegates to attend the KBA Annual Meeting
• Processing ABC reports in a timely manner
• Having appropriate committees in place such as the Budget Committee
• Conducting and processing successful championship tournaments
• Increasing the KBA Championship Tournament participation
• Training new board members of duties, obligations, expectations, and requirements (Associate Director position—on the job training!)
• Providing to the board members the Bylaws, Operating Guidelines, and the LAOTC Manual

Association Recognition

• Director of the Year Award—An award given to a deserving director for service and leadership to the KBA and its membership
• Plaque in each bowling center identifying the KBA officers and directors
• The board is recognized in the Yearbook, newsletter, and at the KBA Championship Tournament in uniform
• Local Awards Program began in the 1997-1998 season
• The KBA Hall of Fame was chartered in 1986
  • The Veteran’s Committee—consists of other KBA Hall of Fame members who participate in a mail vote to determine the year’s inductee
  • Induction Banquet
  • Planned the First Joint Ceremony with KWBA for 1998 under the guidance of KBA Director Mike Brooke
  • Hall of Fame Plaque for each center

Activities

• Received two ABC grants
  • Applied for and received in 4/29/96 used to begin a newsletter
  • Applied for and received In 4/22/97 used to begin the local awards
• YABA Support
  • KBA donates to the YABA City Tournament
  • $1000 Scholarship for graduating senior bowlers
  • KBA took photos and organized a YABA City Tournament Champion picture board
  • KBA has a representative on the Kokomo Booster Club (YABA bowling council)
• Charity Assistance
  • Donations to Big Brothers, Big Sisters
  • Donations to YABA Booster Club for the YABA City Tournament
  • WE CARE—To date, we have raised over $50,000 for this worthwhile local cause
• Special Tournaments
  • Senior City Tournament
  • City Mixed Tournament
• Publicity
  • Newspaper—KBA Director Doug Arnold has a weekly column on bowling
  • Radio—Announce tournaments, the WE CARE Pledge Bowl benefit, and have had some tournament champions interviewed over the radio
  • Event Poster and Flyers
  • KBA Director Doug Arnold organizes and edits the KBA newsletter
• ABC/WIBC Local Inspection Committee—3 men and 2 women
  • Inspects all four centers’ lanes
  • Conduct honor award inspections
  • Conducted a Lane Certification and Honor Award Inspection Workshop
• Jamboree and ABC Convention
  • Typically have 7-10 KBA members participate at the State Jamboree
  • President and Secretary attend the ABC Convention; if one cannot attend, a KBA member replaces him
• State Involvement
  • A KBA member is a recent past president of the IBA and is still very active
  • KBA has had 4 members represented on State Committees in the last two years
  • KBA is bidding for the 2000 State Tournament
• The Monte Carlo Night Fundraiser
  • Initiated in 1996
  • Raised about $10,000 in one night for joint KBA and KWBA projectsYearbook
  • Joint Hall of Fame Ceremony
• A Website has been created by KBA Director Jon Kelley prior to the start of the 1997-98 season. Website includes
  • League Bowlers’ Averages
  • City Champions
    • Past and present
    • With pictures
  • Collection of bowling history articles published in the local newspaper
• Bowling History Research
  • KBA Past President and Director Jon Kelley spent hundreds of hours research Kokomo’s rich bowling history
    • Allows KBA past city champions to be identified
    • Information published in the Yearbook and now on Website
• Television Program
  • The KBA has been on two half-hour television programs. Topics were
    • The state of the KBA and KWBA
    • Interviews of the 1996 KBA’s Hall of Fame inductees
• Joint Committee to look for joint ventures with KWBA
  • Yearbook
  • Monte Carlo Night
  • Hall of Fame
  • City Mixed Tournament
  • League Kick-off Meeting/Workshop
  • Newsletter

WIBC Star Award