I've been a member...
 

...of many online forums but none quite like this one. Most of the others have little cliques of people that share info and such but are sort of cold to newcomers.

That is not the case here.

I have lived in Texas for five years now and I have no friends here. By "friend", I mean someone to hang out with, meet at a sports bar for a game, dinner at someone's home, etc. Now why is that? Well...I don't bestow the moniker of "friend" on just anyone. Nope, friendship is something earned through time and trust.

From my very first mundane post here to my most recent, I have been made to feel like I have a "place" that is my own, even if it is only at the hands of my keyboard.

Scott is one of those people that made me feel welcome. All of you have made me feel welcome.

In a person's lifetime we come across the paths of many different people and we can only hope that we impact them in a positive way. It seems that Brother Scott has done this to many here and you need to understand the blessing that is in that.

I am going through a very rough spot in my marriage right now and if it were not for my faith in God, my Pastor and this forum, I would be absolutely lost. One day I will make one of these bashes or little get togethers the guys have here in Texas and the blessing that has been found in my welcome here will be lived out in person.

You are a wonderful group of people, from the Site Administrators right down to the folks who "got wood and lighter fluid."

Thanks to you all of you for sharing your feelings in such an open and honest fashion about our Fallen Brethren.

Ken

Ken, Iam a recent member after meeting a few of the guys at our first competition this summer. Your words are so true and I have been reading all of the posts about and by Scott and have to say this is something very special. I am a chef and grew up in Texas and thought I knew what BBQ was (maybe learn a few tricks and perfecto) but I now know and look forward to a lifetime of learning and friendship. I joined the site with my real brother (who is also my teammate and best friend) and have been on the site pretty much non-stop since. It is so much more than cooking, I know it sounds corny, but it is a way of life and an addiction that I really am glad I picked up. I hope to meet you as well as all of the brothers in person one day.
John

Ken... Thanks for sharing. Scott touched a lot of us in different ways, but the common theme is one of friendship.

I'm sorry to hear that you're going through a hard time right now. Hang in there and feel free to vent or seek support or anything else we can provide. You are right when you say that this group is different from most forums on the 'net. I am certain that it has a lot to do with the original members and those that arrived shortly after them, like Phil, Bill, Greg, and, of course, Scott and the atmosphere that they created. (Yeah, I know that I left off a lot of long time members. I don't mean to slight anyone). When I joined about 20 months ago I was welcomed immediately by Scott, and then by Bill and Greg and Phil and so many others, and that made me feel like a part of the group immediately. I'm glad that you feel the same way that I did, and it's great to see newer members fitting into the group and adding to the atmosphere, knowledge base and brotherhood.

Ken, John, and others newer comers.

Ken hits on it.

He joined up, and people like Scott made him feel welcome.

Guess what.

KC was new at one time too.

But he took up the job.

The job that he now leaves to you.

The site has grown exponentially. (no names, too many people) can not keep up with all the new folks. We use to PM a "welcome" to new members. Was easy when it was 400 people. But a few thousand?

So here is your jobs: Make people newer than you feel as welcome as you did when you joined. That's what Scott would have done.

You see a new person join? Hell, hit him before he/she posts with a PM of a welcome and jump right in sort.

e and I use to do that (others too) and we use to privately keeps tabs:

"I PM'd 5 new people this week" "Oh yeah, well I did 7", "Your momma did 7" "Well your momma...."

I digress....

The point is, Scott made you all newcomers feel welcome. But once you join, and post, even just one post, your in. Start bringing in the next guy.

There is no right way of barbecue, other than the right way is to make friends while doing so.

That, is the lesson Scott taught us

Guys that is it. My bother and I were emailing today both saying how lucky we feel to have found all of you and we want others to feel the same. Scott will definitley live on in both the memories in our minds as well as the ones printed on this site. That is pretty special.

Okay John, I'll bite

Who's your brother?

Is this a trick question, if so the answer is you Bill, if not it is posted on my bio, SmokeInDaEye, or Clint to the non-BBQ world.

Yep, that would be me. 2 years older, a little more hair, but much less cooking knowledge than John (wine and swine).

Anyway, you all have nailed the heart of it so no reason for me to chime in. We are all very fortunate to have found people with similar interests; people who don't mind the periodic ribbing; and people who will be there by your side in the darkest moment if you ask, regardless of whether you've met face-to-face or have only shared a couple crazy ideas online...