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KCBS Membership & BOD Candidate Disappointment

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Smokgineer

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I am mainly a lurker on the forum and spend most of my time reading posts and trying to learn something new from those with much more experience. But in this case I feel that sharing is something that someone may find a small amount of value in (read very small if you like). I am not trying to insight problems, and if you disagree please enlighten me.

I joined KCBS last summer when I took a CBJ class with intentions of judging/competing someday. That being said I am mainly a backyard cook who is a KCBS member. It is clear that KCBS is a sanctioning body, but what about the average joe. There are few benefits in being a member if you don't compete, judge or rep. Restaurant depot is great, but Costco, Sams or even the local butcher or internet can easily replace it for the backyard cook. I was disappointed to see minimal BOD candidates advocating for this segment of members. Those that did, only referred to the community as a whole. I did vote, but doubt I will re-up my membership and vote again as KCBS seems to only cater to those who are involved in competition in some way. The BOD candidates seemed to reiterate and support this notion.

It seems to me that if KCBS really wants to become a "community" for BBQ'ers of all types, it would make sense to pay as much attention to the greater BBQ community as they do to the competition community.

Just my 2 cents. I thought I would share my overall disappointment with joining KCBS as a non-competing member. I think my money would be better spent on a subscription here, which is exactly what I plan on doing rather than rejoining KCBS.

(mods can move this to "for the board" per http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-119131.html if they wish, but I am really not addressing them as much as the other members)
 
KCBS is an organization for sanctioning BBQ competitions. That's going to be the main focus. What were your expectations?
 
I remember some time ago, KCBS was out there saying they were promoting BBQ, and the BBQ lifestyle or some such thing. Claiming they were raising awareness of BBQ. Not mentioning that it was all about competitions.

Now, I happen to think there has been a lot of good out of the promotions that KCBS has done, so that while I think they have not exactly promoted BBQ in general, the fallout has been an overall plus for backyard cookers (which is what I am). There are loads of newer cookers, charcoals, rubs and sauces, a whole lot more awareness of BBQ in general, and all of that is, at least in part, from KCBS and comp BBQ.
 
Pappy Q said:
KCBS is an organization for sanctioning BBQ competitions. That's going to be the main focus. What were your expectations?
Click to expand...

I understand this and even mentioned it in my post. But, the KCBS mission says,"Recognizing barbeque as America's Cuisine, the mission of the Kansas City Barbeque Society is to celebrate, teach, preserve and promote barbeque as a culinary technique, sport and art form." I do not see the word competition mentioned once. It may be implied by sport but many many more people are interested in the celebrate, teach, preserve and promotion of the culinary technique than the sport or competition. If just one BOD candidate had said that they wanted to teach or promote with the lay member I may have felt differently.
 
KCBS membership is honestly a waste of money if you don't shop at RD, stay at their brand of hotels, or compete in Sam's Club. They require it to be a "Certified" judge, but don't require any CEUs like a real certification program. They don't require it to be a competitor, but they punish you more harshly if you aren't one. If you want to vote, you have to pay, but if you don't care about it, don't get suckered in.

A lot of people on this forum will tell you that you should pay because it's like a union or because you use the services or they are lifetime members so they think you should too. It's all BS. As a competitor, you pay when you compete. If they want you to be a member, make them earn that $35 a year, not guilt trip you into it. Or step up and act like a real company and require membership instead of hiding behind 501(c)(3) status.

Yeah, I'm a bit bitter, but I've got every right to be. Every time I've paid to be a member, I've gotten hosed by the KCBS, promised bennefits that weren't there. Then at the end I get hosed even worse for garbage. I saw look at the bennefits and pay for them or not, but don't let a few people here guilt trip you into it. A large percentage of the money they make gets given away anyway (fact).

dmp
 
I agree. If you don't plan to compete or participate as a CBJ, there is no reason to renew your membership. If you are thinking you would like to do either of these activities then it is worth it.

There is something to be said about supporting an organization that supports something you love to do, but I understand that times are tough.
 
Eggspert said:
There is something to be said about supporting an organization that supports something you love to do.
Click to expand...

To be clear and honest, KCBS doesn't "support" competition BBQ. They charge money to proliferate it. They market and merchendise it. Then they give that money away. There's a difference. They charge organizers a fee to sanction. They charge teams (through organizers) a fee to compete, and then they charge judges a fee to be "certified" on the promise that it will help them get picked to judge, with nothing in return. They sell merchendise for a profit, and they attract marketing deals with partners that bring in more money, some of which bring more money into the organization.

To me, the people who SUPPORT competition BBQ are the teams, the organizers, and the judges. KCBS is just money making machine, who gives the money, not back to the teams and judges, but to charities. They used to guratentee prize purses, but then they had one issue, and they decided it was best to pretend prize purses don't exist. They used to help teams get into The Royal, but they decided that it didn't help the Sam's Club series, and they stopped that just long enough to screw the pooch. I know there are charities who appreciate the money, but let's not pretend that they GIVE much of anything to Competition BBQ, k?

dmp
 
Like I said, I'm bitter, but nothing I've written above is untrue. If KCBS would like to rectify any of the issues I've mentioned, I'd love for them to do so. Give back to those who made you. Stop selling out to corporate sponsors, and stop playing favourites for members who add to your bottom line. I guess today isn't the best day for me to sugar coat things with this group. I'm sure it will hurt me with those who want nothing more than peace and money, but sometimes doing right feels better than getting into some one's good graces. I welcome arguments to the contrary rather than back room deals.

dmp
 
Eggspert said:
I agree. If you don't plan to compete or participate as a CBJ, there is no reason to renew your membership. If you are thinking you would like to do either of these activities then it is worth it. Tts

There is something to be said about supporting an organization that supports something you love to do, but I understand that times are tough.
Click to expand...

The problem is I would like to compete, albeit only 1-2 contests a year. I have at least 5 this year all within a few miles of my house. I may pursue a Minnesota BBQ society membership just so I don't feel like a total leach, but I think the KCBS is missing the boat when choosing not to promote to, educate, and include the average backyard guy. I have read the bull sheet and while I thought it would be pretty valuable it seems to be mostly ads and of little value to the backyard guy.
 
I can think of 30 other Barbeque organizations. Jump ship and join one. KCBS is just one of many, and like any group, each has its own personality. Mindsets are different in each of the sanctioning organizations I have cooked in.

Maybe one of them will be a better fit.
 
TooSaucedToPork said:
I can think of 30 other Barbeque organizations. Jump ship and join one. KCBS is just one of many, and like any group, each has its own personality. Mindsets are different in each of the sanctioning organizations I have cooked in.

Maybe one of them will be a better fit.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I agree. Read my edit above.
 
Smokgineer said:
The problem is I would like to compete, albeit only 1-2 contests a year.
Click to expand...

If you compete, you pay. Why pay more on top of it for nothing in return?

Smokgineer said:
I have read the bull sheet and while I thought it would be pretty valuable it seems to be mostly ads and of little value to the backyard guy.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Anyway, pay attention to who writes the articles. I haven't gotten it in a while, but it used to be a bunch of fluff written by the office staff, some of which caused current KCBS board members to send public letters of complaint to the org. They've had some turnover, but is it worth keeping that in your mailbox?

dmp
 
Unless the event you want to compete at is a Sam's Club event, you don't have to be a KCBS member.

I had mixed feelings reading this thread. I feel that the KCBS is, in general, a positive for BBQ.

When I read the OP, my immediate thoughts were that you can't fault the KCBS for not succeeding at something that they aren't attempting.

Then I read the quote that seems to declare their mission statement "Recognizing barbeque as America's Cuisine, the mission of the Kansas City Barbeque Society is to celebrate, teach, preserve and promote barbeque as a culinary technique, sport and art form." and I changed my mind.

Then I changed it back again when I realized that the quote was puffery, akin to Burger King stating that it has the juiciest burgers in the business.

If part of your goal is to support an organization that supports BBQ and promotes the preservation of our native cuisine, I highly suggest that you purchase a BBQ Brethren subscription. It's not a lot of money, expands your options here at the forum and helps pay for the overhead.

Eric
 
motoeric said:
Then I changed it back again when I realized that the quote was puffery, akin to Burger King stating that it has the juiciest burgers in the business.
Eric
Click to expand...

I would like to quote something I read a long time ago when I first joined this site. It is one of the reasons I joined here and is in similar fashion to the KCBS. It is found at this link: http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14668

"Welcome to the BBQ Brethren. We are an Online BBQ community dedicated to the teaching, promoting and growth of the Art of BBQ. We are here for both the backyard enthusiast and seasoned veteran. We have membership ranging from the Backyard to the American Royal. Our goal: To help anyone who comes in to make the best BBQ they ever produced, whether it be for your family, your friends or the KCBS judge,and at the same time, build lasting friendships and a commaraderie that makes us stand out from other internet forums."

You say the KCBS mission statement is fluff but when a proper mission statement is drafted, and pursued, I think we can all see and feel what the effects are. I find that I have learned more here because of the mentality of the members to encourage teaching, learning, and promoting BBQ than all the bull sheets I could get my hands on.

I think KCBS should be held accountable to what they publish as a mission. The only way I can have a voice is by with-holding membership because it does seem to be a priority to the BoD candidates. This was the point I was trying to make in my Initial post. IMHO this should be a priority of KCBS.
 
Smokgineer said:
"Welcome to the BBQ Brethren. We are an Online BBQ community dedicated to the teaching, promoting and growth of the Art of BBQ. We are here for both the backyard enthusiast and seasoned veteran. We have membership ranging from the Backyard to the American Royal. Our goal: To help anyone who comes in to make the best BBQ they ever produced, whether it be for your family, your friends or the KCBS judge,and at the same time, build lasting friendships and a commaraderie that makes us stand out from other internet forums."

You say the KCBS mission statement is fluff but when a proper mission statement is drafted, and pursued, I think we can all see and feel what the effects are.
Click to expand...

BBQ Brethren really exists for the purpose of their mission statement.

I really believe KCBS does, in a way too. They do promote BBQ, their primary method of doing that is by supporting and encouraging competition BBQ. A solid network of contests does promote the sport. One could also argue that national sponsors and media attention does as well.

Would BBQ Pitmasters exist without KCBS? Maybe...or maybe not. Could you promote BBQ in a different way? Sure, but these are the methods KCBS has chosen to use, and I think it's hard to argue with the results. BBQ is getting more attention, and KCBS is a contributor to that.

As the end of the day though, KCBS is a 501(c)3 corporation. The IRS narrowly defines what a 501(c)3 is, and the closest match for what KCBS is all about is an educational charity. The IRS even suggests in their own documentation that an educational charity mission is the right direction to go for a hobbyist organization that wishes to become a 501(c)3. You have to have a public mission to be a 501(c)3, and providing public services, giving away money (a foundation), or providing education are pretty much the only ways to do it.

The KCBS mission statement and bylaws are carefully written to comply with IRS guidelines for a 501(c)3 (as is any public charity), so you have to read them through that lens.
 
Or you could truly take up your chosen banner and *be* that voice of the backyard cook at KCBS by running for the Board yourself. Now is the time to start stumping the circuit for the 2014 election!

For myself, I find the small fee of KCBS membership delivers a great deal more benefit than many other organizations I've given to over the years. But then I'm a pro cook, CBJ and contest organizer, so the focus on competition suits me.
 
CivilWarBBQ said:
Or you could truly take up your chosen banner and *be* that voice of the backyard cook at KCBS by running for the Board yourself. Now is the time to start stumping the circuit for the 2014 election!

For myself, I find the small fee of KCBS membership delivers a great deal more benefit than many other organizations I've given to over the years. But then I'm a pro cook, CBJ and contest organizer, so the focus on competition suits me.
Click to expand...

+1 be a Change Champion and develop a program from the inside.
 
motoeric said:
Unless the event you want to compete at is a Sam's Club event, you don't have to be a KCBS member.

I had mixed feelings reading this thread. I feel that the KCBS is, in general, a positive for BBQ.

When I read the OP, my immediate thoughts were that you can't fault the KCBS for not succeeding at something that they aren't attempting.

Then I read the quote that seems to declare their mission statement "Recognizing barbeque as America's Cuisine, the mission of the Kansas City Barbeque Society is to celebrate, teach, preserve and promote barbeque as a culinary technique, sport and art form." and I changed my mind.

Then I changed it back again when I realized that the quote was puffery, akin to Burger King stating that it has the juiciest burgers in the business.

If part of your goal is to support an organization that supports BBQ and promotes the preservation of our native cuisine, I highly suggest that you purchase a BBQ Brethren subscription. It's not a lot of money, expands your options here at the forum and helps pay for the overhead.

Eric
Click to expand...

Eric, it had better not be puffery when they declare this to the IRS on their tax return in support of their not-for-profit status!

KCBS2008990-2.JPG
 
dmprantz said:
Like I said, I'm bitter, but nothing I've written above is untrue. If KCBS would like to rectify any of the issues I've mentioned, I'd love for them to do so. Give back to those who made you. Stop selling out to corporate sponsors, and stop playing favourites for members who add to your bottom line. I guess today isn't the best day for me to sugar coat things with this group. I'm sure it will hurt me with those who want nothing more than peace and money, but sometimes doing right feels better than getting into some one's good graces. I welcome arguments to the contrary rather than back room deals.

dmp
Click to expand...


you might be right, but you are no martyr.
 
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