From The News Journal, Thursday, Nov. 5, 1998

DSBC hopes website catches bowlers' fancy

by, David Hughes

The Delaware State Bowling Council is barely in its infancy, but this week's launching of a website demonstrates how serious this organization is about revitalizing bowling in the First State.

The site (www.letskus.com/DelawareStateBowlingCouncil), contains pertinent council news and information, plus a calendar with reference dates for tournaments and meetings. This is an aggressive step for the DSBC, formed recently by area bowling enthusiasts concerned about the sport's future. The DSBC, which established two key committees during a meeting Sunday at Dover Downs, wants to create harmony, cooperation, promotion and progress among the Delaware bowling community.

The DSBC is comprised of representatives from state and local associations, clubs, leagues, media and management from bowling centers. The DSBC has established a communications committee chaired by Dan Sandridge, the DSBC president and manager at Price Lanes. The committee will travel statewide the next two months to recruit eligible members. A marketing and promotion committee, chaired by DSBC treasurer Clayton Gebhart, will investigate marketing possibilities to attempt to reverse an alarming decline in sanctioned membership. "We need to give bowling a boost here," said Sandridge, who's been at Price Lanes for more than 20 years. "We're losing too many bowlers. We need to attract people back to the sport."

Establishing the DSBC is a bold step toward reversing that trend. Input and ideas are welcome.

Our Progress

After two organizational meetings, the Delaware State Bowling Council got down to business. Sunday, November 1, 1998 at their meeting at Dover Downs in Dover, DE, taking solid steps toward beginning the work of attaining it's goals of harmony, cooperation, promotion and progress of the sport of bowling in the State of Delaware.

The newly formed Council, comprised of representatives from state and local associations, clubs, leagues, media and management from bowling centers, put into gear two committees and began the process of establishing it's own WebPages in the 2 hour meeting.

A Communications Committee, chaired by Council President Dan Sandridge, will be traveling statewide over the next two months in an effort to recruit eligible members of the bowling community and to communicate to them the importance of their participation in the functioning of the Council.

The Marketing & Promotion Committee, chaired by Council Treasurer Clayton Gebhart, will be investigating the possibilities of marketing the sport of bowling statewide through the use of the media and other areas in an effort to reverse the alarming decline in sanctioned membership over the last few years.

But the best news to come out of Sunday's meeting was the resounding approval given to the establishment of the Council's new website. It will be packed with pertinent Council news information and updates, including a calendar with reference dates for tournaments and meetings which will prove invaluable for all concerned in the scheduling of tournament and meeting dates.

Council media representative John Letskus will maintain the website (www.letskus.com/DelawareStateBowlingCouncil) and although currently under construction, the site will be available in the near future.

Bowling Councils have proven to be an invaluable asset throughout the country, and the Delaware State Bowling Council welcomes any input or ideas that could contribute to it's success in Delaware.