KCBS non member fees

Isn't there a thread on this already? What are you asking? Scott

aaaahhhhhhh....

Do organizations such as NEBS pay anything to KCBS at all? If so, would NEBS members be omitted from the extra fee?

I have already stated why I believe it is appropriate. But I want to ask a very serious question. Please accept that I do want to see the other side.

If I want to play tennis or golf and I am not a member of a club, I can usually purchase a visitors pass. If I want to attend a function at an Elks or Moose lodge and I am not a member I may attend as a guest, but pay a visitors fee. There are many places where non members are charged a temporary fee for use. This helps offset the cost of use and running the place or organization.

My questions is Why would a non KCBS member object to a use fee and second, why would a KCBS member want to pay the load for a non member to utilize the services of KCBS?

Please don't flame this. I really am trying to understand the issue.
Thank you
Merl

how about changing the wording to

Should KCBS members receive a discount at Sanctioned contests.

I'm with Phil. People like benefits, especially ones that are directly related to the purpose of the membership. As a member - I do. But will the organizers bump their fees up $25 and discount members? How much additional work is this going to cause them? Are they going to have access to the KCBS (and possibly) other databases to know what to charge competitors when they sign up?

My only issue, is why penalize members of the Iowa, California, New England, etc's organizations? If the KCBS is working with these organizations by sanctioning events that members of their organizations compete in, I don't think they should be penalized. Based on the KCBS mission statement - Our mission is to celebrate, teach, preserve, and promote barbecue as a culinary technique, sport and art form. We want barbecue to be recognized as America's Cuisine. - I think these organizations would be happy to work together.

I think a non-KCBS team should have to pay more for the benefits that I get by being a member of KCBS.

Merle - I don't agree with your analogy. KCBS doesn't own the club the event organizer does and just pays KCBS to mange it.

OK I'm with Phil as the fee for membership is for a different thing that the comp fees.

Wow - I have been out of the loop. However, here are my .02.

1st - I have been a member of the KCBS for 2 years now. Outside of the Bullsheet, I do nto see membership having its privilages. I know that they are a sanctioning body, and that the fees go towards running the business. Yet, I have never gotten something from the site becuase I was a member, or did I get a discount that anybody else could get. I understand at some contest they have fought for pay outs and such, but I never had that problem.

2nd - this year I pay $25, what happens next year they raise it to $50, then the following $100. When does the payment out weigh the beenfit? I guess what i am sayign is, if you have to be a member to compete, what is too stoping them from raising their rates all the time.

3rd - when you are trying to grow something, you do not do this by becoming exclusive. Maybe I am first time cook and told that I will pay more then others, I might decide who needs that and never cook.

4th - and last, what is stop organizers from making you join their clubs. Lets say, Shriners say I have to pay an extra $50 to become a temporary Shriner to cook at the Columbia event, or a Rotary membership to cook at Marshall (too bad they are done). So now my $150 entry fee would go up to $225 becuase I was not "in the right club."

I think there are bigger issues that they shoudl concentrate on then how to get an extra $25.

Merl, the difference in paying a fee to the tennis club or Elks Lodge is it goes to them. This fee we are asked to collect and I say at this time does not go to KCBS ! This has mandatory written all over it so cut to the chase and lets get the BS out of the way and just say if your not a member you will have to pay an additional fee to enter and STOP giving the teams that are members the idea that they will get a discount at all the contest they are going to cook. You and I both know that isnt going to happen unless fees go up. Want to make a bet???? This will not produce any more members than we already have as teams will just find a member in good standing so that they dont have to pay the additional fee.

KC_Bobby said:

If the KCBS is working with these organizations by sanctioning events that members of their organizations compete in, I don't think they should be penalized. Based on the KCBS mission statement - Our mission is to celebrate, teach, preserve, and promote barbecue as a culinary technique, sport and art form. We want barbecue to be recognized as America's Cuisine. - I think these organizations would be happy to work together.

Click to expand...

And therein lies and interesting area to investigate. Why are we competing with eachother with various BBQ organizations. Why not have charter "chapters" of the KCBS? Kind of a local chapter of the KCBS. Scott

Merl said:

I have already stated why I believe it is appropriate. But I want to ask a very serious question. Please accept that I do want to see the other side.

If I want to play tennis or golf and I am not a member of a club, I can usually purchase a visitors pass. If I want to attend a function at an Elks or Moose lodge and I am not a member I may attend as a guest, but pay a visitors fee. There are many places where non members are charged a temporary fee for use. This helps offset the cost of use and running the place or organization.

My questions is Why would a non KCBS member object to a use fee and second, why would a KCBS member want to pay the load for a non member to utilize the services of KCBS?

Please don't flame this. I really am trying to understand the issue.
Thank you
Merl

Click to expand...

Merl,

Following your analogy, the non-member is paying for the use of what?

The rules?

The Judges?

The privilege of seeing the logo on the score sheet?

What is the benefit to the non-member for paying this temporary fee?

Im not sure if I got this right. But I understood it as the 25$ fee was not going to KCBS, but to the organizer.

so, as an example. An organzier needs $175 per team. Thats his price.

His contest gets promoted as $200 for non KCBS, $175 for KCBS members.

Organizer gets $175 for some teams and $200 for others. He will come out on his mark if he has 100% KCBS teams, or over by some percentage.

KCBS is not changing the sanctioning fee, or the per team fee, so they do not see any increased revenue.

Teams that foresee multiple contests in a season will most likley join to reap the benefits anyway, thats where KCBS may see an increase in memberships or revenue.

Im not sure if I got this right. But I understood it as the 25$ fee was not going to KCBS, but to the organizer.

so, as an example. An organzier needs $175 per team. Thats his price.

His contest gets promoted as $200 for non KCBS, $175 for KCBS members.

Organizer gets $175 for some teams and $200 for others. He will come out on his mark if he has 100% KCBS teams, or over by some percentage.

KCBS is not changing the sanctioning fee, or the per team fee, so they do not see any increased revenue.

Teams that foresee multiple contests in a season will most likley join to reap the benefits anyway, thats where KCBS may see an increase in memberships or revenue.

If I went to every contest where the KCBS owned and ran the facilitys, then I would understand membership, for lack a better term, clause. But the people that are put on contest are not KCBS payroll people, they are indvidual, orginizations etc. You charge them a fee for KCBS sanctioning. While I think that people that compete should be members, and yes I am one, I think that it should not be a force issue. I would like to see so promises from KCBS. As Ive said before, CBJ for all sanctioned events. I dont want some farker thats there for a free meal and thats it. If you want to jugde you should be a member, if not pay a fee. Now not being nieve I know that its not that easy but it something that we deserve for dropping hundreds to thousand a weekend to compete. The membership is not the deal its the principal.

Another ramble, maybe Ill have a couple of drinks and reall let go.

Hey Merl, no flame here, but what exactly is the thought process behind this fee/discount ??

Was there an outcrying from the Organizers that just needed to be addressed in this manner ? I mean it looks to me that they (the organizers) are the ones that are getting extra work for no real payout...

Merl said:

I have already stated why I believe it is appropriate. But I want to ask a very serious question. Please accept that I do want to see the other side.

If I want to play tennis or golf and I am not a member of a club, I can usually purchase a visitors pass. If I want to attend a function at an Elks or Moose lodge and I am not a member I may attend as a guest, but pay a visitors fee. There are many places where non members are charged a temporary fee for use. This helps offset the cost of use and running the place or organization.

My questions is Why would a non KCBS member object to a use fee and second, why would a KCBS member want to pay the load for a non member to utilize the services of KCBS?

Please don't flame this. I really am trying to understand the issue.
Thank you
Merl

Click to expand...

Hey Bobby,

I am with you 100%, when we started the GLBBQA that was one of our main objectives, to build value into the membership. I think we have done a pretty good job of that and we are still working on other things as well.

As the President of the GLBBQA, I would love to work with the KCBS on anything they would like.

KC_Bobby said:

I'm with Phil. People like benefits, especially ones that are directly related to the purpose of the membership. As a member - I do. But will the organizers bump their fees up $25 and discount members? How much additional work is this going to cause them? Are they going to have access to the KCBS (and possibly) other databases to know what to charge competitors when they sign up?

My only issue, is why penalize members of the Iowa, California, New England, etc's organizations? If the KCBS is working with these organizations by sanctioning events that members of their organizations compete in, I don't think they should be penalized. Based on the KCBS mission statement - Our mission is to celebrate, teach, preserve, and promote barbecue as a culinary technique, sport and art form. We want barbecue to be recognized as America's Cuisine. - I think these organizations would be happy to work together.

Click to expand...

BBQchef33 said:

Im not sure if I got this right. But I understood it as the 25$ fee was not going to KCBS, but to the organizer.

so, as an example. An organzier needs $175 per team. Thats his price.

His contest gets promoted as $200 for non KCBS, $175 for KCBS members.

Organizer gets $175 for some teams and $200 for others. He will come out on his mark if he has 100% KCBS teams, or over by some percentage.

KCBS is not changing the sanctioning fee, or the per team fee, so they do not see any increased revenue.

Teams that foresee multiple contests in a season will most likley join to reap the benefits anyway, thats where KCBS may see an increase in memberships or revenue.

Click to expand...

So in a nutshell, the KCBS is asking the organizers to help them make money on the backend. They are saying, "Look, you make some extra one-time cash with the $25 for non-members and we will get some recurring cash from people who join us to avoid your $25 fee that we told you to charge."

Maybe this should be in News & Politics because it sounds like something the government would do.