Article published May 25, 2006

Meyers leads bowling merger

By St. Clair Murraine DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

Bruce Meyers wasn't sure a year ago whether he'd recover from a form of bone cancer that caused him to curtail his bowling activities. Today he's hoping that the sport will help him in his fight against the disease, while he leads Tallahassee bowlers into a new era. Meyers, 55, was elected Saturday as the president of the Tallahassee chapter of the United States Bowling Congress. The election took place at a meeting that was held to complete a merger of the three associations that governed bowling in the city into one organization - Tallahassee USBC. The merger brings together the Tallahassee Bowling Association, the Tallahassee Women's Bowling Association and the Young Bowlers Alliance. Meyers will serve a three-year term as president of the new organization. Meyers, who had two stints as TBA's vice president, said he took on the responsibilities of his new position to help him cope. He was diagnosed last June with multiple melanomas, which caused bone deterioration. ''This gives me a little bit of incentive to go the three years,'' Myers said. ''It gives me some focus.'' Meyers was elected after votes were taken three times. Two attempts ended in a deadlock between him and David Simmons before Meyers won by one vote. Meyers will chair a 13-member board that includes Daniel Gatlin as vice president, eight directors and three representatives of youth bowling. Several of the officers from the dissolved association applaud the move to one organization, although they've lost their positions. Don Griffin relinquished his position as secretary/treasurer to Lisa Tadjari, who takes over with the new title of manager. Griffin, a longtime player in local leagues, said the change should make a stronger organization. ''It consolidates and the association will work better,'' he said. Darlene Hawkins, the only woman to serve as president of the TBA, said Meyers has demonstrated that despite his illness he can handle his new position. ''He does a whole lot (now),'' she said. ''He knows the ins and outs, and he knows to follow the rules. I hope it works out for him.'' The merger came almost a year after a mandate by the sport's national governing body, the United States Bowling Congress, called for all local associations to become one. The new Tallahassee association has until May 31 to submit its charter to the national headquarters. The USBC itself was launched out of a merger in January 2005 that brought together four associations. The change's biggest impact will be be on women's bowling financially. They will pay the same $17 fee to be members of the local USBC chapter, with an additional $1 for playing in state-level tournaments. The change also means that women won't have to carry multiple sanctioning cards - unlike their male counterparts, who needed only one. Meyers said recruiting and limited public bowling lanes are two of the major issues facing his administration. The merger comes at a time when several Tallahassee bowlers have taken their game to Bainbridge, Ga., because Seminole Bowl is the only local non-college venue. ''I think Tallahassee's bowling community is ready to move forward into a way to improve local bowling,'' Meyers said. ''That would include a new center if we can somehow affect that.''