KCBS Board of Directors nominations begins

Ray,

I am up for re-election as is Paul Kirk and Steve Omby. Mike Lake is not eligible since he already served 2 terms. I am not sure if Paul and Steve are seeking re-election but I am.

Linda Mullane

drbbq said:

Hey Merl,
Can you tell us which member's terms are expiring and if they are all eligible to run again?

TIA

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Jeff I renewed my membership at the Royal last Saturday because you announced your running for a BOD position.
Im hoping for some positive changes within the KCBS!
A few more benefits from our membership fees would be great.

Actually Mike Lake finished my term and is now ending his first term term after being voted in. Not sure if he is eligible but he's only served one full term.

He did serve a term a while back but that doesn't matter.

I really hope people will look at the voting record and the frequency of "No report" with those other two.

Jeff_in_KC said:

Ford, I want to be on the board or I wouldn't have already hit the ground running last month :wink:. I have three main reasons for wanting this:

1. Because there needs to be a spirit of cooperation and respect for one another returned to the board. I realize I cannot do this alone but I hope I can be an influence and reminder when things turn rocky.

2. Because regardless of who says who is a cook on the BOD, competition cooks are grossly under-represented on the BOD. How can a board of folks who don't regularly cook know what we as cooks who are out there most weekends want and need? Someone has to stand up for the cooks in all this. And someone has to speak up when ridiculous micro-management overshadows the important issues that need to be addressed.

3. Because I am tired of hearing people say things like "I'm not renewing my KCBS membership. I'm tired of all the crap" or "I'm not renewing because there's no real tangible benefit to being a member." I want folks to be proud to be a member... to see new and improved benefits (whatever those might be)... to renew because they want to be a part of a great organization.

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Well said bro! :eusa_clap:eusa_clap:eusa_clap

Jeff_in_KC said:

2. Because regardless of who says who is a cook on the BOD, competition cooks are grossly under-represented on the BOD. How can a board of folks who don't regularly cook know what we as cooks who are out there most weekends want and need? Someone has to stand up for the cooks in all this. And someone has to speak up when ridiculous micro-management overshadows the important issues that need to be addressed.

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Not trying to throw stones, but I hear this phrase a lot - what exactly does this mean to you? How aren't cooks represented? What specifically would you like to change if elected?

What specific important issues aren't being addressed?

Slamdunkpro said:

Not trying to throw stones, but I hear this phrase a lot - what exactly does this mean to you? How aren't cooks represented? What specifically would you like to change if elected?

What specific important issues aren't being addressed?

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This is just a general feeling I'm hearing as I talk to people who cook. Many people don't believe they have representation because the folks making the rules and interpreting them are mostly reps, organizers and judges. Yes, some of the board members cook occasionally but most of them not enough to really be called cooks. I look at it from this standpoint - yes, I organize a contest and help with another. I'm a CBJ but only judge maybe once per year. But I cook anywhere from 10 to 15 contests per year. So I'd classify myself as a cook who sometimes plays other roles in barbeque. Most of the current board, I'd classify as reps, organizers, etc. who sometimes cook. So the point is how can one make rules and decisions that effect the cooks if they themselves aren't out there cooking many weekends a year? It's about being in touch and knowing what cooks need. I don't believe that you can really know unless you're there in the trenches with them.

What would I like to change? What isn't being addressed? It's not so much about what isn't being addressed as it is about what IS being addressed and how it's being addressed. Here's one example - in February of this year, the board considered a motion to make all rules changes, programs, etc. effective January 1 of each year. This motion failed, meaning that the board can change the rules on us at any time it wants with little notice. How is that cooker friendly? Another vote limits the size of turn-in trays/boxes for ancillary contests beginning in 2010. That limits the cooks' creativity in what is simply a bunch of fun categories where cooks can be creative and express themselves. Why limit that? Then of course was the infamous pork and parsley debates. There seems to be way too much micro-managing of issues while issues raises by cooks every year go largely untouched. I guess that's what it means to me.

Jeff,

What plan do you have, if any, to market KCBS competition BBQ to under-represented groups (i.e. youth, city slickers, minorities, etc.)?

big brother smoke said:

Jeff,

What plan do you have, if any, to market KCBS competition BBQ to under-represented groups (i.e. youth, city slickers, minorities, etc.)?

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Good question you young, minority city slicker. :wink:

big brother smoke said:

Jeff,

What plan do you have, if any, to market KCBS competition BBQ to under-represented groups (i.e. youth, city slickers, minorities, etc.)?

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I am absolutely in favor of this, BBS. However, I have no knowledge of the particulars of the contract that KCBS has with MMA to cover such marketing. I believe the youth part is the responsibility of the Education Committee and, having a daughter who is involved in BBQ, I have given it some thought and would like to see definite improvement in that area, beyond Kids Q events.

Jeff and All,
First Jeff has some very good points in his posts.
But I want to make two points:
Jeff writes “in February of this year, the board considered a motion to make all rules changes, programs, etc. effective January 1 of each year.” This motion was made to realign the date from March 1 to January 1 it did not mean that the board can change the rules at any time it wants with little notice. The reason it failed was that some board members wanted to keep the rules meeting at the banquet and not have it in November. The way it works is, the rules meeting first, and then a board meeting to review and or vote on what comes out of the rules meeting. Then the changes if any need to be published to the members and cooks. So the rules run from 3/1 to 3/1 each year.
Jeff writes “Another vote limits the size of turn-in trays/boxes for ancillary contests beginning in 2010. …… Why limit that?” The limit was made because things were getting out of hand. When cooks are turning in 6 foot mirrors with their anything butt on them, the Reps and table captains have a very very hard time putting a few of these on a 6 or 8 foot judging table. It is a issue of not being able to handle the large sizes and not and issue of creativity and expression.

Don Harwell

Don, thanks for the clarification on that January 1 vote. I only had to go on the information we as members are given and that was all we were given in the notes from the board. The solution to the January 1 / March 1 issue would be to have your rules meeting in January at the banquet, subsequently discuss the rule issue in question and vote changes to be effective the FOLLOWING January 1. That gives you nine months to fully communicate to the teams and get them prepared for a rule change. Nothing wrong with taking time to do it right and then educate and communicate with membership.

As for the dessert, I can see the six foot entries being a problem (although I've never personally seen one). But the size limit being set at not much bigger than a legal sheet of paper seems like it's squelching creativity to me. And since these categories aren't KCBS categories, I'm not so sure that it shouldn't be up to the organizers to place restrictions on ancillary categories rather than the KCBS. Do you disagree with that?

I agree with you on the timing of rules - I would like to see the year run from January to January and have time to get members input on any changes.

As for the anything butts the BOD has limited it to no bigger than a sheet pan 17-3/4in. x 25-3/4in. not a sheet of paper. I have to say as long as KCBS Reps are doing the categories, we (the BOD) need to help them my requesting a size limit. If the organizers are doing the ancillary I say no limits. My wife and I have stopped doing ancillaries when we cook because to many times the rules have changed when we arrived on site at a contest. The other reason we have stopped is we cannot afford to do some of the things that others are doing now. If all were in a box I personally maybe could, but the cost for me to do the things I see at turn-ins now is just too much for us. So we (At Ease Moonlighters) have chosen not to enter ancillaries for now. But for those that can - keep the ancillaries coming I love them when I am a judge or Rep.

I also agree with the timing of the rule changes.

Since I rep more than anything else I would also like to give you some food for thought.
I do try to cook at least 1 or 2 times a year. I also have organized contests, work as a mentor for new and existing contest organizers and teach CBJ classes with my husband Jerry.

Reps have more interaction with the cooks than cooks do with each other. We are out there talking to the cooks at least 2 or 3 times at each contest, each and every cook.

Some of us actually do hear what you are saying and try to make the changes you request. Now remember each person on the board only has 1 vote so although we sometimes try to make the changes they are overruled by others on the board.

If you have any rule change discussions for this years meeting please email them to rules@kcbs.us. It will be added to the agenda. Better yet come to the banquet in Philadelphia and voice your opinion. I do want to hear you.

One last item about the youth. I have been very involved in the organization of the Junior World BBQ Championship in Lake Placid. This was for 16-21 year olds this year and next year will include a youth division 12-15 year olds. The vision of this is to have qualifiers around the world and culminate in Lake Placid each year for the finals. That is down the road. (This is a KCBS sanctioned event under the Competitor Series)

Linda Mullane
Pig Daddy's BBQ

Linda, the youth BBQ series idea is great! Props to everyone involved with that!!

The only thing I'd question you on is your comment that reps have more contact with cooks than cooks do... I don't really buy into that at all. Of course some reps are much better than others. Here's an example - this past weekend, the rep in Columbia did not show up at our site ever. In fact, the only time I saw him was at cook's meeting and the awards. He wasn't even there at the table accepting the turn-in's. He was off to the side and sometimes not even visible while a table full of entries stacked up with no supervision. I'm not sure this guy would know a cook if one twisted his nose. The thing we cooks really enjoy is that we're all family. From our Friday evening potlucks dinners with each other to helping out when someone has forgotten to bring something to a contest - cooks stick together. I'm not sure reps (regardless of how good they are) can penetrate that bond unless they themselves are cooks as well. It's great that you talk with teams and try to implement what they ask for though. From my visits with cooks, that's what I find is not happening often enough and I'm glad you do.

LindaM said:

I also agree with the timing of the rule changes.

Since I rep more than anything else I would also like to give you some food for thought.
I do try to cook at least 1 or 2 times a year. I also have organized contests, work as a mentor for new and existing contest organizers and teach CBJ classes with my husband Jerry.

Reps have more interaction with the cooks than cooks do with each other. We are out there talking to the cooks at least 2 or 3 times at each contest, each and every cook.

Some of us actually do hear what you are saying and try to make the changes you request. Now remember each person on the board only has 1 vote so although we sometimes try to make the changes they are overruled by others on the board.

If you have any rule change discussions for this years meeting please email them to rules@kcbs.us. It will be added to the agenda. Better yet come to the banquet in Philadelphia and voice your opinion. I do want to hear you.

One last item about the youth. I have been very involved in the organization of the Junior World BBQ Championship in Lake Placid. This was for 16-21 year olds this year and next year will include a youth division 12-15 year olds. The vision of this is to have qualifiers around the world and culminate in Lake Placid each year for the finals. That is down the road. (This is a KCBS sanctioned event under the Competitor Series)

Linda Mullane
Pig Daddy's BBQ

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Jeff,

The only comment I have is different reps different parts of the country. There is not a team out here that can say I don't visit them more than once at every contest and that does not count the cooks meeting. Hearing what they have to say is important to me.

Jeff_in_KC said:

Linda, the youth BBQ series idea is great! Props to everyone involved with that!!

The only thing I'd question you on is your comment that reps have more contact with cooks than cooks do... I don't really buy into that at all. Of course some reps are much better than others. Here's an example - this past weekend, the rep in Columbia did not show up at our site ever. In fact, the only time I saw him was at cook's meeting and the awards. He wasn't even there at the table accepting the turn-in's. He was off to the side and sometimes not even visible while a table full of entries stacked up with no supervision. I'm not sure this guy would know a cook if one twisted his nose. The thing we cooks really enjoy is that we're all family. From our Friday evening potlucks dinners with each other to helping out when someone has forgotten to bring something to a contest - cooks stick together. I'm not sure reps (regardless of how good they are) can penetrate that bond unless they themselves are cooks as well. It's great that you talk with teams and try to implement what they ask for though. From my visits with cooks, that's what I find is not happening often enough and I'm glad you do.

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LindaM said:

Some of us actually do hear what you are saying and try to make the changes you request. Now remember each person on the board only has 1 vote so although we sometimes try to make the changes they are overruled by others on the board.

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Could you tell us how many times this happened this year? How many times did you vote for a motion that didn't pass or vote against a motion that passed?

Your point is discouraging to me. I would hope that, if a motion is made which is in the best interest of barbecue and/or benefits KCBS members, it would pass. And if it didn't and you still feel it is in the best interest of barbecue, you wouldn't just let it die. I think of the BoD as more than just a vote.

I would also hope that members of the BoD wouldn't abstain from voting on important issues.