DEAF SENIOR BOWLERS of AMERICA

History of Deaf Senior Bowlers of America The idea of a bowling association for Deaf Seniors had been floating around in Minnesota for some time, but organizers were frustrated in their coordination efforts. Vernon Jones then contacted Carol Moers of Colorado and told her about the dream of an association for Deaf Senior Bowlers. Carol, with her many years of experience with organizing bowling tournaments, rolled up her sleeves and took action. She contacted with some of her trusted friends to look for the perfect bowling venue and to work on many other details. This took about two and half years of planning. During this process, they realized a need for bylaws in order to qualify as a new non-profit organization under ABC/WIBC rules. Bill Fry of California borrowed the Pacific Coast Deaf Bowling Association's (PCDBA) bylaws and revised them to meet ABC/WIBC requirements; these new bylaws were later approved by the IRS. An announcement was made of the first annual Deaf Senior Citizens Bowling Association tournament to be held at Sam's Town Bowling Lane in Las Vegas, Nevada in October 1997. This tournament was a great success. The following year, it was decided to move the tournament to The Orleans Casino and Bowling Center due to its better facilities and closer proximity to the Strip. At that time, the members voted to change the name of the association to the Deaf Senior Bowlers of America (DSBA). The bylaws had been modified and revised many times over the years to meet the desires of the DSBA members and ABC/WIBC, and the then current USBC rules. Over the past several years, the Vice President has worked on and re-organized said bylaws into two sections: the Bylaws for the Operation of Officers and Rules & Regulations for the Operation of Tournaments. The document was downsized to an easy-to-carry booklet, and is to be printed every four years, saving human energy, time and money. Former executive officers include Vernon Jones, Bill Fry and Carol Moers. DSBA recognizes these three people as co-founders, and the bylaws state that when their roles as officers expire, they will serve lifetime terms as Honorary Directors on the Board.