KCBS Mission Statement

Don't forget the KCBS Roadshow. Mike and Chris Peters do several cooking demos at each contest they travel to. Say what you want, but they get a lot of spectators. There definitely teaching going on there.

Im tired.. and lazy to get to lengthy, so iIn an overly simplifed cliif notes version of my perspective, i think the 'teach, promote, preserve' went down the tubes when they wrapped their arms around BBQt and said its mine mine mine, and you can't use it unless you pay for it. Small entities that would take the baselines KCBS has established and use ti to promote and grow the craft are now strong armed and hesitant to move forward.

They want to teach, promote, preserve, as long as they get paid.

BBQchef33 said:

Im tired.. and lazy to get to lengthy, so iIn an overly simplifed cliif notes version of my perspective, i think the 'teach, promote, preserve' went down the tubes when they wrapped their arms around BBQt and said its mine mine mine, and you can't use it unless you pay for it. Small entities that would take the baselines KCBS has established and use ti to promote and grow the craft are now strong armed and hesitant to move forward.

They want to teach, promote, preserve, as long as they get paid.

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But like the old saying goes, "Why buy the cow when you get the milk for free?"

ok, but i still think the vison has changed from what it was 6-7 years ago.

BBQchef33 said:

ok, but i still think the vison has changed from what it was 6-7 years ago.

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Yes, I think there is some middle ground that needs to be found in the issue you present. They've tried, but it either isn't the right solution or isn't understood.

Plowboy said:

Don't forget the KCBS Roadshow. Mike and Chris Peters do several cooking demos at each contest they travel to. Say what you want, but they get a lot of spectators. There definitely teaching going on there.

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This is by no means any disrespect to Mike or Chris, as they are employees or vendors of KCBS. But what they are teaching, is that BBQ or a means to an end for getting plugs in for all these new sponsors?

pooh , I agree with you 100%. as usual.
That is why you wear the blue hat :-D

up until recently, the smaller, outlying orgs were not necessarily embraced by KCBS, but were NEVER out and out threatened and cut off at the knees. Quite different from what is on the "about KCBS' page...

Networking with related trade associations and other contest-sanctioning organizations.
Teaming up with other food organizations and the media to promote barbeque.

But I digress, so... as not to get off topic, I will go back to Zilla's original ideas...

I DO believe that the Kansas City BBQ Society celebrates BBQ...
the members celebrate BBQ whole-heartedly!!!!

When we started, we were taught - by one of the best, and I FIRMLY believe that we were taught the RIGHT way... and this is it...
(thanks again Garry!)

first... have fun! (ALWAYS the number one rule...)
second... cook as well as you possibly can.
third... share what you have learned with others.

If we (the people :lol keep doing these things, then I believe we are preserving the original concept... regardless of pellets, garnish, bite-thru skin, or any other phase that runs through and is gone.

Unfortunately I'd have to agree with it all becoming a formula, as can be seen by my thread on parsley.

And that, my friend, is a true bummer. :sad:

Great subject Zilla!! I will refrain from my thoughts for now, but I think the KCBS is doing part of their mission very well and others not so well. But I will say I have seen improvements of late (1-2 years).

Man did you open a can of worms! lol

I voiced my opinions at the kcbs banquet as a cook, judge and an organizer. Hense i was not the most popular person there lol

I can write pages on where they need to improve, but I dont want this to be a KCBS slam session either.

Ill throw in a little insght on judges to start.
In order to become a master judge, you need to judge 30 contests within a 3 year period (10 a year) I"ll never make it, and most wont, I guess if you dont do your 10 a year, you dont have the skills to be a master judge?

Have a friend who was certified, but, since he didnt renew his membership one year, He was told He was no longer certified. I didnt know your membership fee kept your certification. Hmm snatched all he learned and His experience right from his head i guess.
At the banquet I brought up that as a cook I would rather have a former certified CBJ judging my contest entry than aunt Martha that the reps plucked from the crowd. Again, didnt fair well lol

Keep in mind that KCBS has grown in leaps and bounds over the last couple years, hopefully they will use some of the contest money they collect to get more people to help the overworked office.

Its when this:


Needed to change into this:
\

That the organization focus went South of the Mission Statement.

Its all about $$

No more 501c3 charitable organization.

For Profit!

Protect our IP at all costs.

Strong arm local contests.

Thats what I've been reading here, by some of you folks that are the ones doing the competing and organizing.

"As The World Turns" has nothing on this org.

I believe that things have gone down hill in the last few years there.
I hope things will inprove and I will renew my membership.

I have not been around thatg long so I have not seen the changes that you are talkijng about. I can say I always have had a good time even Dover a few years ago, met a lot of great people, learned a lot, and have yet to find someone someone who is not willing to help and teach.

DocStl said:

In order to become a master judge, you need to judge 30 contests within a 3 year period (10 a year) I"ll never make it, and most wont, I guess if you dont do your 10 a year, you dont have the skills to be a master judge?

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Just FYI this is no longer true, it's 30 period, no time frame or limit.

It was true at one point, but they changed the rule.

My19 yr old son recently became cbj this year, I think March, He was told at class its 30 in 3 years, an I believe its printed in the back of his book.
So if it has changed,it must be recent

Aside from the internal politics, KCBS appears to do a very good job from the management of contests/sanctioning etc. andthat should continue.

But what KCBS does not do well (or care to) is focus enough on the backyard cook - the guys/and girls like many here who have a ton of experience or want to develop and hang out in Q-Talk and don't care about the competition angle for whatever reason. I dare say that many of these cooks are better overall BBQ cooks that some of the most winning competition cooks who in some cases are probably very one-dimensional beyond the four contest meats. (That's a whole other topic that could be hotly debated and impossible to quantify !!!)..


The teams talk about a BOD that should contain more cooks.. but the only cooks they want on the BOD are competition cooks.. To be a BOD with comp cooks, organizers and judges is not a true representation of what the mission statement notes as written today.

If the goal is different, then I'd like the BOD to modify the mission statement to what it really is or wants to become... A competition sanctioning body that wants to promote BBQ contests and bring in new members to cook and judge.. fine statement.. but call it what it is.

Sure they can teach some spectators with the BBQ trailer at some select contests.. Maybe a few specatators really take on an interest but most probably view it as a novelty and KCBS might just be looking at it as a way to sign up more judges that bring in $40 or so a pop..

I realize most KCBS associates are unpaid... but The BOD has numerous committees that seem to do very little... The Bullsheet is not a good read.. The education committee rarely ever has an action item.. New ideas are mainly competition-centric.

In order to teach, I'd love to see KCBS start organizing or promoting others that teach BBQ classes. Not the type that focuses on how to wow a judge and place parsley in styrofoam but the type that really teach the art of BBQ at introductory, intermediate and advanced levels..

I'd love to see KCBS preserve BBQ with sections on their website and articles in the Bullsheet that contain videos and pictures of the history of BBQ in America, established regional BBQ joints, legendary pitmasters, interviews etc..

I know KCBS is affilitated with Cooker's Care which is local.. but what about working to spread that out and do more good things like charity cooks to support troops, children that are hungry, etc.

But, this is all likely not going to happen anytime soon as it takes people, money and time and most importantly a desire to make it part of the organization.It takes people to step up.. I'm guilty of not doing so myself so it's easy to gripe and point out areas to improve but all of us have lives which make it difficult.

Scottie said:

This is by no means any disrespect to Mike or Chris, as they are employees or vendors of KCBS. But what they are teaching, is that BBQ or a means to an end for getting plugs in for all these new sponsors?

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It SHOULD be both.

I guess I missed putting in my 'point' Todd. Do Mike and Chris teach bbq or grilling? What I have seen, it was grilling and not bbq. So maybe I missed the whole part of bbqing. So if I did, then my bad. But to me, it was more about getting these new sponsors names out there at the demo...