It was a night for laughs and real enjoyment. It was a night that saw brotherhood, solid friendship and sportsmanship permeate the noisy room -- a night that said, "We are the Floral Park Knights of Columbus bowlers and we and our loved ones are here to celebrate another in the many great nights that is the history of our bowling league."

Such was the atmosphere that filled the chamber, at our council headquarters, on Friday evening, June 11, as the bowlers made merry at their annual bowling dinner. The stories were the usual laugh-provoking, animated and, often enough, exaggerated versions but, when a smile is on one's face who cares what the facts are? The bright spot of the night, as in all the bowling dinner nights of recent years, was the "big league" MC job done by Chet Strzepek, who wears so many hats it is difficult to know which one fits him better than the others. His caustic humor, usually directed at an unsuspecting listener, certainly livened up the activities and he spared no one, when it came to giving out the jibes.

The trophy winners were Tom Moore, with the top average of 195.68 -- the all-time high for the over-a-half-century-old league. Chet Strzepek took the second slot, with a 189.49 count, followed by "Knobby" Gregory, at 186.59. The High Series "dust collector" went to Frank Dehler, whose sizzling 703 set also was a league all-time high mark followed by Tom Moore's 676 and "Knobby" Gregory's 668. Guess who won High Game honors? Right! Chet Strzepek, with a 267 beauty, followed by Rich Lahey's 258, for second and Paul Simonetti, who is Chet's bosom buddy and favorite foil, grabbed the third-place brick-a-brac, rolling a 257. Honorable mention was given to the following bowlers, who bowled either 70 pins over their current average or 85 pins over their current series average: John Bartow, Charle Bingold, Joe Corigliano, Mike Derby, "Knobby" Gregory, Mike Horan, Rich Lahey, Mark Mazzo, Dennis O'Connell, Joe Oswald, Bob Sheehan, Chet Strzepek, Mike Viccora, Rich Biggin, Jack Brickman, Frank Dehler, Mike Gallagher, Ed Hackimer, Jim Kearney, Bob Mashburn, Tom Moore, John O'Grady, Pat Pallisco, Paul Simonetti, Pat Sweeney, Cliff Weinberg.

Perfect attendance honors were won by Ed Hackimer, Mike Honan and Jim Kearney and the Joe Gibbons award. The Most Improved Bowler went to Jim Kearney, who added 12.90 points to his average, during this season of seasons.

This great event, the end-of-the-season bowling dinner, just "puts the frosting on the cake," as it were, a night that says, "It's great to be with you on a wonderful night like this, even though, during the season I wanted to knock your block off!!" and, this writer is very sure that the local pin spillers are looking forward to September when they can resume the "brotherly bombarding" and "Columbian cannonading."