Verhovayak Lapja, 1950 (33. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1950 / Verhovay Journal
June 21, 1950 Verhovay THE FERRET SEZ !ßy Mrs. Jolán Lucas Branch 429, Dearborn, Mich. Journal —____________________FAGE 9 INDIVIDUAL WOMEN’S CHAMPION RECEIVES TROPHY Director Mike Korosy, member of the National Executive Bowling Tournament Committee, congratulates Stevie Balogh, winner of the championship trophy in the Individual Event, Women’s Division, Branch 14, Cleveland, Ohio, at pre^ntation ceremonies in Calvin Center. It was a great day for the Clevelanders . . . out of ten trophies they lugged away seven. “Love is a beautiful butterfly, but friendship is a long-lived tree.” —Anonymous. THE TOURNEY AGAIN! H’ya, Lads and Lasses! Do you want a typical story of Jack and Jill going up the hill, etc. and so on, or would you like Jill to do something different in the way of reporting? Just for fun, how about your Ferret deviating from the same old routine of narrating events as they happened and reporting on a Crusader basis? That’s for me — something different, always and forever! To begin over, according to journalistic standards, instead of giving a blow-by-blow description of who did what, why, when and where at the Seventh Annual National Verhovay Bowling Tournament held in Youngstown on May 26-27-28, how about writing a story my way for a change? Of course, you all know that with Henry Rettmann, former A-l editor of the Verhovay Journal, present at above mentioned annual affair, the readers will be able to follow a very accurate account of each hour spent in Youngstown. To complement Henry’s story there will be such excellent reporters as J. J. Hor-vath from Cleveland, with his biting pen, giving you his version of events . and of course, that very nice looking lad, Steve Mislay, from Youngstown, will also have his notes co-ordinated’ into a cheerful story. There may have been other writers also, hence, there is no reason fgr repeating myself. For a pies ant change, I ran around without taking notes. The usual program followed a definite set pattern which could be written with closed eyes by one who has attended each and every Verhovay Bowling Tournament since the first one in 1942. However, plenty of ideas and suggestions were floating around which should be reported, discussed and rediscussed. It is only natural that those of us who spend small fortunes to attend these VFIÄ bowling tourneys know what we want and HOW we want it. Just because a certain routine was satisfactory 'when there were only fourteen teams in 1942 does not necessarily mean that the same program should be followed when close to five hundred bowlers are involved. It- is always easier to say the nice things first and then’attend to the creative suggestions. Naturally, the first place to do any griping, or otherwise, is in the hotel arrangements. I believe that the majority of us were more than pleased with our rooms, meal arrangements and other items pertaining to our personal well-being. The bowling alleys were not too far from our hotel, although here we do have a peeve. After experiencing the crowded bowling schedules with reference to inadequate alleys, something should be done to ease this situation. In other words, regardless of the number of complaints I heard here in Detroit about bowling on two floors, wasn’t it much more efficient to have sufficient alleys so that only about three squads a day were necessary to run off a tournament nearly as large as the 1950 affair? If the tournaments must be held in the smaller cities, and if there aren’t enough adequate alleys to support about three squads a day, then I believe that two recreation centers should be considered. In Youngstown, in spite of the fact that the Champion Recreation Alleys were satisfactory to the majority (let’s forgeti fche few gripers here), it would have been easy enough to have some of the squads bowl on other alleys. Right next door to the Pick-Ohio Hotel, I noticed a very cool and satisfactory recreation center, with good food in the same building, and the necessary liquid refreshments. If this plan were followed, the bowlers would not have to lose one, or in some instances two and three extra days from their work. Next; year, we can plan for close to a hundred teams, I hope! If this is the case, a recreation center with only about 20-24 alleys will, again be insufficient. However, with only about 100 teams participating, there is still no need for more than two and one half days to be spent away from home to bowl off nine games. After all, the VFIA bowler, in most cases, finances himself 100%, and in return receives a crack at the prize fund, a dance or two and a dinner. Their convenience must be considered or we will find ourselves with only the original fourteen teams participating fn futurei Verhovay tournaments. SUGGESTION No. 1! On to suggestion No. 2 ... As is usual amongst winners (and losers!) of any sporting event, someone takes time out to be dissatisfied. Your Ferret heard many complaints to the effect that the bowlers should' be divided into booster and major classic squads. The low-average bowlers get, hot, come into first or second place, get all the money, BUT, the classic bowler gets the trophy. The classic bowler gives a fine performance, bowls some sweet games, and walks off only with a trophy? Here we are running into something which has been coming to a boiling point for several years. I recognize the fact that the lowaverage and classic bowlers both have something to complain about, but has anyone ever stopped to realize that the VFIA tourneys are not yet large enough to divide into fwq squads? Take the women’s 'division for instance . . . with only 21 teams participating, how will there ever be enough money raised to satisfy both squads. There are just a few teams eligible for the major classic squads, and if only their entry fees are used as prize money there wouldn’t be enough dollars to buy a first-class dinner! Likewise the men’s division of 64 teams . . . how many of these teams are eligible Sn the classic and booster squads? To divide the prize funds of these two divisions, the money available for either class would not be sufficiently interesting to draw bowlers of all averages. I can understand the classic bowler being dissatisfied with wining trophies year after year and getting in on the tail end of the money, or not at all, and yet look at the little guy, bowling a measly 150- 170 average, who gets hot and walks off with top money — but no trophy! Guess maybe I’d squak too, if my men or women ever got that close to the golden egg! Gripes have reached my little pink ears to the effect that we run a HANDICAP TOURNAMENT, yet when the all-events winners are decided, the actual pin-fall is the deciding factor. Likewise, the classic bowler squawks that actual pin-fall wins the trophies, but not the money. So who’s happy? Yes, no one! It has been suggested that the Verhovay Tournaments should be run on an over-average basis, thus giving all bowlers an equal opportunity. This seems to be the fairest proposition at present. I bowl eaeh year in the Detroit News Women’s Over- Average Tournament. The bowlers are divided into several divisions, the Blue, Green, White and Red, according to their individual averages. In this case, even a Jo Lucas has had a golden opportunity of winning a couple of bucks in one of the divisions. It seems worth a try, but let’s hear from these wonderful people who TALK but DO NOTHING! The Bowling Tournament Committee is more than anxious to hear your arguments. They ask us each year to write, suggest and discuss with them, beeause once the rules are drawn up, we should be good enouglt sports to abide by them. Now is the time for the major classic and lowbverage bowlers to do their fetterwriting. Address your suggestions to the Verhovay Fraternal Insurance Association, 436 Fourth Avenue, Pittsburgh 19, Penna., care of the National Bowling Tournament Committee. This Committee, in conjunction with a committee of you bowling captains, will not be meeting until some time in September after the fall meeting of the Board of Directors. If any one has suggestions, (deas or complaints, NOW IS THE HOUR to get them before the planning committee. Then once the rules for the 1951 Tournament are out of the way, let’s be good enough sports (as I stated above) to settle our consciences according to their decision, and bring up the new complaints and so on after it is all over. Let me tell you, it does work to spread ideas before the National Tournament Committee. For instance, after the -er- uncomfortable reactions resulting from the last banquetdance in Detroit, your Ferret was thoroughly disillusioned with petty' jealousies interfering with the smooth-running organization of a well-planned banquet. So, I suggested trying a buffet-style dinner, and believe me, fellow Verhovay members, let me tell you that never in my entire life of eating with several hundred people have I seen s^uch expert efficiency as I noticed in Youngstown. Counselor Stephen Matasy and his Committee are to be highly congratulated for the excellent planning of the buffet dinner. The entire group of bowlers and outof-town guests were fed with such clock-work meticulousness that not a minute was wasted in foolish arguments and lackadaisical co-operation, nor were there any unsatisfied or uncomfortable guests. The dining was out or the way while the sun still shone. Bowlers and guests had bushels of time to return to their hotels to dress for the dance, or make other plans for their last evening in the Tournament City. Friends had a wonderful opportunity to get together and reminisce. Then of course before .the dancing began, the formal presentation of prizes and other necessary speeches were shortly dispensed with, leaving a long, wonderful evening for those in the mood. There was more than enough to eat, plenty of jSime to dilly-dally over port and cigars; the program was smooth, short and to the point. However, in my personal opinion, after the experience in Detroit last, year, the best dance of the week-end is the Saturday night dance. Why, you ask? Because everyone, who is anyone, is in the tourney city — a free evening ahead of them — and the Saturday night dance is the meeting place for all! By the time banquet night rolls around a good many of the participants have already packed their bags and left for home and Mother, preparing for a quick 40 winks and the long workyear ahead! I’ve noticed that the last few years, the newcomers who are participating in their first tourney are the only ones left for the danc(Contnued on page 10)
