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WELCOME | BYLAWS | CONSTITUTION

Welcome

Bowling Basics • How to Score • Badges • Level Playing Field • Lane Fees • Money • Manners • A Bit More • Information

Welcome to Auckland Gay Bowling

AGBO Inc. was set up in 1991 by a group of gay Aucklanders who saw the need for a non-scene gay social and sporting body. The Organisation was modelled around the ideals of the International Gay Bowling Organisation (IGBO) based in the USA/Canada. IGBO is an umbrella group, which covers over 25,000 gay bowlers world-wide.
We are also affiliated with IGBO and our connections are reinforced at least once a year when bowlers from AGBO Inc. compete in the annual IGBO tournament, which is usually held in the USA or Canada.

AGBO Inc. is the umbrella Organisation in Auckland, and the Sail City League was formed under AGBO Inc. Other leagues could be formed under the control and umbrella of AGBO Inc. The Sail City League is the largest bowling league in New Zealand - gay or straight. Needless to say the growth and success of AGBO Inc. is considerable, and beyond the hopes of the originators. All bowlers associated with AGBO Inc. should be grateful to Alan Olsen, John MacKenzie, Keith Robinson, Tony Quayle, Keith Morrison and Peter Johnson for their energy and foresight in setting up gay bowling for Auckland.

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Bowling Basics

AGBO Inc. Facts:
The Sail City League plays three games each Sunday and each team should consist of 4 persons. A team may register with a maximum of four bowlers, but may allow a substitute bowler to take the place of an absent team member for any particular game.

Each team is to nominate a Team Captain whose duty is to ensure the collection of weekly lane fees, that the team is correctly loaded into the computer console and to advise the Vice President Tournaments if the team is short of players and requires spare bowlers.

The start time for bowling is 5:00pm sharp. It pays to arrive at least 15 minutes before hand, to get yourself organised with shoes, a drink, a ball of the right weight, to find your correct lane and to ensure that you and your team are ready for bowling.

On the back wall of the bowling lanes, beside the lockers, there is a notice board, and there you will find the Standing Sheet for Sail City. It contains useful Information such as which lane you are bowling on for that week, your team placing, your average etc. From time to time the Committee will also put information in your team envelope so please check your envelopes.

The bowling centre is licensed to sell alcohol and has food for sale. Do please remember that there are other leagues bowling after us so excessive time spent at the bar or food counter can really hold things up. A member of the bar staff will also be walking around servicing the lanes so you can order your drinks from the lanes. We have always found the staff to be most helpful and very friendly.

Do keep in mind that you may have to drive home and the drink-drive laws also apply to gay bowlers.

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How to score

The idea is to knock down as many pins as possible over a ten-turn (or 10 frame) game. The computer will automatically calculate your score and will show it accordingly. If you look at the over-head screen you will see two lines per bowler. The top line shows the number of pins knocked down for each bowl and the bottom line shows your running score.

For each frame you have two attempts. If all ten pins are struck on the first attempt, it is called a 'strike' and an X will appear on the over-head screen. In this case you will not get a second bowl unless it is the last or tenth frame.

If you don't knock down all of the pins on your first attempt you have a second attempt. If you knock down all of the remaining pins, this is called a 'spare' and a / will appear on the over-head screen.

If you look at the running total after you get a spare, you will see that you don't have a new total score. Don't worry, the good thing about a spare is that at your first attempt in the next frame, the number of pins you knock down is added to your total of the spared frame. The following example only has five frames in it.

2 4 3 3 6 3 5 / 4 4

6 12 21 35 43

Frame 1 is counted 2 + 4 = 6
Frame 2 is counted 6 + 3 + 3 = 12
Frame 3 is counted 12 + 6 + 3 = 21
Frame 4 is counted 21 + 5 + 5 + 4 = 35

Note: Remember that no running total will be shown until after you have bowled the first ball in frame 5 when it will added to the score for this frame.
Frame 5 is counted 35 + 4 + 4 = 43

If you have a strike, the pins that you knock down in your next two attempts will be added to the previous total. Using the same example as above your score would be:

2 4 3 3 6 3 X 4 4

6 12 21 39 47

Frame 1 is counted 2 + 4 = 6
Frame 2 is counted 6 + 3 + 3 = 12
Frame 3 is counted 12 + 6 + 3 = 21
Frame 4 is counted 21 + 10 + 4 + 4 = 39

Note: Remember that no cumulative total will be shown until after you have bowled the next two balls in frame 5 when it will be added to the score for this frame.
Frame 5 is counted 39 + 4 + 4 = 47

The last frame or 10th frame has 3 attempts built in. Depending on your luck or skill you may get 2 or 3 attempts. You will get a third attempt if you have bowled a spare or a strike in the second attempt.

It's sort of complicated, but you soon get the hang of it, and there is always someone to watch out for if you get struck or confused.

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Badges of Honour

The best scores are achieved by getting lots of strikes!!
If you get 3 strikes in a row, it's called a "Turkey", everyone yells a lot and you qualify for an award badge. 4 in a row gets you a "Four Bagger", 5 in a row, "Five bagger" etc. etc. You can also win award badges for great scores in a single game, before handicap (or scratch), or for a great cumulative score for all three games or the series.

Here is a list of available badges, and remember that scratch score means the score before handicap:

GAMES AWARDS	SPECIAL AWARDS	SERIES AWARDS
(scratch score) 150 (Women) 175 200 225 250 275	50 over average (women) 75 over average 100 over average Turkey 4 bagger 5 bagger 6 bagger 7 bagger 8 bagger 9 bagger All spare Big four (4-7-6-10 split) 7-10 split 4-7-10 split 6-7-10 split	(scratch score) 450 (women) 500 550 600 650 700 750 800 850

To claim your badge, obtain a form from the committee member who is looking after award badges. Complete it and don't forget to get a committee member to sign the form and return it to the person you got it from. At the next monthly meeting you will be presented with a badge, which you can attach to the header badge that you received when you first joined AGBO Inc.

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A Level Playing Field

AGBO Inc. leagues are run on a handicap (as opposed to a scratch) system.

What's an average - and what's my handicap?
After your first three games, the total of your three games will be divided by 3. This gives you your average.

Your handicap is worked out to be a number, which when added to your average will bring you to the same total as every other bowler in the league. The formula we use is 80% of 225. This means that you take your average away from 225 and divide the remainder by 80%.

225 - 120 (your average) = 105

105 x 80% = 84 (your handicap)

So as you improve over the weeks, gradually your average will increase and your handicap will decrease. You are really competing against yourself.

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Weekly Lane Fees and Shoe Hire

Each week, unless you own your own bowling shoes, you will need to hire bowling shoes from the bowling centre as you can not bowl in street shoes.

As well, we need to pay for the hiring of the lanes. This is payable by you at the beginning of bowling and should be put into the team envelope which will have been placed around the console screen. This money is the responsibility of the team and is to be given to the nominated committee member/s when it has been paid by all the team members. The committee member will then pay it to the bowling centre.

The Committee would prefer to receive cash for the lane fees and if you need to, the bowling centre does have an EFTPOS facility at the shoe-hire counter.

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All that Money

AGBO Inc. is funded in two ways:
The money paid each week for lane fees mostly goes to the bowling centre. A small amount left over goes towards administrative costs (printing, stamps, etc.), a social fund (the past few prize giving ceremonies have featured a super supper and $1000 on the bar), costs of trophies, cups, engraving etc., and the cost of all those award badges. Some funds are set aside for bowlers who, through illness, are unable to pay for their own bowling. Also, AGBO Inc. has a computer and printer so that the League Director has the freedom to conduct league business without being dependent on the bowling centre.

The weekly raffle and monthly grand raffle draw is self supporting. Each week about 3 or 4 prizes are raffled and they may be meat vouchers, alcohol, food parcels or vouchers from restaurants or retailers that we have bought or have had donated.

The Tournaments Fund is supported by part of the proceeds from the raffle. This fund helps bowlers who wish to bowl in other approved tournaments helping to pay for entry fees and uniforms. Sorry, you can't use it to pay for air fares or hotels!

Your membership fee pays for some initial administration costs, plus the cost of a "header badge". This is a badge specifically designed for AGBO Inc. by AGBO Inc. bowler Keith Robinson. It is worn as identification and to dangle off the masses of award badges that you win.

Until you are a financial member, bowling points won't be counted in your name.

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Bowling Manners

Some bowlers view the weekly bowling as a wild party time, and some as cut-throat serious. Most of us fit somewhere in between. It is up to the individual bowler and/or team to set the level that they feel comfortable with. The bottom line is consideration for others. For this reason there are some basic rules of etiquette that all bowlers observe.

Give way to the right. Before you get up to bowl, glance to your right and make sure there is nobody bowling, or about to bowl. The person on your right has the right-of-way. If there is another person on your left who is bowling, or standing on the approach, you must give way to them also. It is distracting to have someone bowling next to you when you are trying to concentrate on getting your own bowl just perfect. When giving way, you should stand completely clear of both the lane and the run-up area.

Turn up to bowling at the correct time. By not being late for the start of bowling, you won't be delaying the start of seven other people. If you are late and your team has bowled the first three frames, then you are not able to bowl for that game and you must sit it out as an absent bowler. You may bowl in the last two games as a normal bowler.

Learn to use the computer console. It's all about task sharing and expanding your own learning curve. You can't break the computer and the best way to learn is by a few blunders.

Be ready to bowl when it is your turn. There's always someone who is at the bar or the loo when they are supposed to be bowling. Again it comes down to consideration - and we gay folk are renowned for our sensitivity.

Commitment. Once you are in a team you owe it to your fellow team members to turn up, or to let them know that you will not be there. If you end up not being there for a few weeks in a row, you may find you have been replaced by someone more interested.

Just Getting Better and Better

Like any pursuit, the more you do it, the better you get. As a new bowler you can go it alone and develop your own style, you can seek advice from other bowlers, or you can get real serious and get lessons from a licensed professional at this or another bowling centre. The thing to keep in mind is that every bowler you see has been absolutely atrocious at one time. Natural athletes do not exist in amateur situations. They're out there making money teaching others to be humble.

Unlike many sports, 10 pin bowling has a reputation for more experienced participants helping out and giving tips to newer bowlers.

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A Little Bit More

As an Incorporated Society AGBO Inc. has a registered constitution, which the committee and members must follow. if you wish to have a copy of the constitution you may obtain one from the Secretary.

AGBO Inc. is run by a committee consisting of 11 members voted into office at each AGM. Please keep in mind that while these bowlers were elected to ensure the smooth running of the league and represent the views of AGBO Inc. members, they are also here to bowl and have their own fun. Please approach a committee member for assistance if your Team Captain or fellow team members are unable to help.

If you have any concerns or problems you may either bring it up at a monthly meeting, ask any committee member for assistance or write to the Secretary c/- PO Box 90 779 Auckland Mail Service Centre. Or email secretary@agbo.org.nz

In the years that AGBO Inc. has been around, it has evolved from a very silly, outrageously camp, 100% fun league, to a slightly competitive, outrageously camp, mostly fun league.

The spirit of the International Gay Bowling League is to foster the elements of unity, communication and fellowship.

We are the largest bowling league in New Zealand. We are gay and gay friendly and fiercely proud of it.

Have fun and high scoring.

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Information for 2008

The committee members are:

Office Bearers:

President: Tony Quayle. pres@agbo.org.nz
Vice President Administration:   Lyall Crawford. vpadmin@agbo.org.nz
Vice President Tournaments: Alistair Baikie. vptourn@agbo.org.nz
Secretary: Irene Symes. secretary@agbo.org.nz
Treasurer: Eugene Piercy. treas@agbo.org.nz
Email all of the above.     exec@agbo.org.nz

Non office bearers:

Sarah Young,
     Adrienne Owen-Jones ,
     Leanne Weaver,

Membership Fees: $25.00 annually for all members.
Weekly Shoe Hire: No Charge.
Weekly Lane Fees:      $20.00 payable into the team envelope.
Raffles: Cost $5.00 for a strip of 20 tickets.
Sold by the teams on lanes 17 and 18.
Jackpots: Cost $2.00 per sheet and can be played as a team or individually.
Minimum jackpot $50.00, Maximum jackpot $250.00.
Award Badges: Are given out on the following Sunday.
Be sure to fill in a badge claim form.

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