Pictured: Community League Treasurer Wayne H. Hook (gray tee) surrounded by Oregon Bowl owners Cory Henriksen, Chad Henriksen, and Jack Henriksen.
Last night, I went to visit Oregon Bowl and the Community League that bowls there on Wednesdays. I had taken a call a couple of weeks prior from league secretary Mark Evert who told me their league treasurer had been bowling for 50 years. He inquired if we had any sort of association award for that – though, sadly, we do not (yet).
I later found out that the bowler, Wayne H. Hook, had not only been bowling 50 years – but in the same league for 50 years. Truly amazing. And a pretty good bowling name, too.
I pulled a 1968-69 Madison Bowling Association yearbook out and, sure enough, there were Wayne’s first season averages. Wayne joined bowling after serving in the military and never left it. I haven’t researched how long the Community League has been in existence, but it’s safe to say Wayne has seen most of it.
Wayne was presented with a Madison Bowling Association Challenge Coin and a certificate to commemorate his achievement. We teased him a little bit on how his average has come full circle over five decades – he averaged 146 his first year, and booked a 146 last year. 146 was not his high for last season – he was higher in the Community League (but that wasn’t as funny). Over his career, he has posted much higher averages.
We would like to thank Wayne H. Hook for dedicating himself to bowling all these years, for his outstanding leadership, and for his work as a trusted league officer. It’s the great people like Wayne who make bowling the greatest sport there is.
I’d also like to thank the Community League for the invitation and for recognizing the importance of this moment. It’s just an eight team league in an eight lane center in a small town in Wisconsin.
But somehow, it’s a whole lot more than that.