Questions for the Nominees of the 2009 Election

[Rib-It]

This area has been set up for members to ask questions of the Nominees of the 2009 election. 

[meanlady1]

Can nominees post questions for the Membership?

Laura "Figuring out the Rules of Engagement" Jay
Lizzie Q

[Rib-It]

I don't think that would serve the purpose of this. 

[Steve in Denver]

To all of the nominees:
1.  What are your goals for 2010 for the RMBBQA?
2.  How can you help the RMBBQA be one of the best bbq associations in the country?
3.  What are your opinions on how to resolve "Cup" issues  with more than one competition on the same weekend?
4.  Do you think there should be a limit to the number of competitions that are "Cup" competitions in a calendar year?  Why or why not.
5.  Would you support a "Cup" event regulation that requires organizers to payout to the top ten teams Overall?  Why or why not.
6.  If there are 16 competitions in our region in 2010 (or more), how do you think that many comps will affect the existing number of teams that currently belong to RMBBQA?
7.  Will you support another Comp BBQ 101 class for new teams, hosted and taught by existing teams of the RMBBQA, rather than new teams having to pay $300 or more for a "big name team" to teach the class?

Those are the first questions. 
Steve


 

[kkeeling]

Steve these are very good and insightful questions; thank you for asking.

What are your goals for 2010 for the RMBBQA?
I want to move the Judges' Liaison Program into version 2: cleaning it up, streamlining some parts, and making it easier for judges' to manage their judging experience. I want to continue development on CookBBQ which is the cooking team version of the JLP. Even more importantly I want to continue to be a part of building the RMBBQA foundation to support the fast growing sport of competition BBQ. Specifically, I'm talking about keeping a history of the association; setting association goals for the current year, and three, five and ten year goals; looking at ways we can use the internet for recruiting members, marketing, and information dissemination; setting policy and procedures from which we can grow the association; and clearly documenting what we do and the things we do.

How can you help the RMBBQA be one of the best BBQ Associations in the country?
I reject your premise; we are already one of the best! How do we continue to be? We must learn from our mistakes, we must make sound choices and decisions, and not lose that sense of family. Some say we are known for the eleven o'clock shot, but I say we are known for giving our neighbor our extra bag of charcoal in the middle of the night because they misjudged their fuel needs at altitude. Every member team of the RMBBQA will readily tell you about another team who took them under their wing or in some way helped them during a competition. That's family. That's why we are one of the best.

What are your opinions on how to resolve "Cup" issues with more than one competition on the same weekend?
This is the toughest question of the bunch. This is one of those monumental, foundation building questions facing the Association. It's going to happen. Maybe not this coming year but it is only a matter of time. Part of this question is really asking how we view growth. Are we as big as we want to be? Should we fill in a few more weekends and then be done? Or do we embrace all events?

I believe as an Association we need to be a part of every event in our area that is KCBS sanctioned. Do we want there to be events nearby that we are not supporting? It only makes sense that we advise new events about the futility of placing their event on the same weekend as an existing event, but if that is what they want to do and get KCBS sanctioned, we should welcome them.

Do you think there should be a limit to the number of competitions that are "Cup" competitions in a calendar year?  Why or why not.
No. I can't think of any way to decide (that wouldn't be arbitrary) which events would be Cup events and which wouldn't. Why limit it? As long as teams aren't required to cook an unreasonable number of events to compete for the Cup, I don't see a reason to limit the number of Cup events.

Would you support a "Cup" event regulation that requires organizers to payout to the top ten teams Overall?  Why or why not.
I don't know, this question is a little outside my area of knowledge. I do however support the idea of there being regulations and requirements placed on events who want to be Cup events. This idea could help resolve the above two questions. However, I'm not sure we are at that point now. We can't get too big for our britches and start dictating stuff places where we don't have enough leverage to make it happen. While each group sees it differently the truth of the matter is that cooks, judges, and event organizers all make up (power and decision making wise) equal parts of this Association.
 
If there are 16 competitions in our region in 2010 (or more), how do you think that many comps will affect the existing number of teams that currently belong to RMBBQA?
I'm not sure if I'm catching the gist of this question; but I'm going to say I don't see there being any effect. I think each team will decide (or may have already) how many events they can cook in the season and then decide which events they want to cook based on when, where, and how much it will cost. If anything, more events may compel teams to cook an event or two more than normal. Plus the additional events may give non-member teams more of a reason to join RMBBQA.

Will you support another Comp BBQ 101 class for new teams, hosted and taught by existing teams of the RMBBQA, rather than new teams having to pay $300 or more for a "big name team" to teach the class?
Absolutely!! I'm here today because of the Comp BBQ 101 class two years ago in Commerce City. Our Mission Statement says we host cooking classes to provide information on competitive BBQ cooking. As BBQ grows in this area, as events are added, we as an Association must grow in membership (cooking teams) as well. These cooking classes are the best way of creating that growth.

Kevin Keeling

[Steve in Denver]

Thank you Kevin.  I'm sure glad you are on the BOD. 
Steve

[Rib-It]

Steve, thank you for asking the questions!

What are your goals for 2010 for the RMBBQA?
The continuation of the Organizer's Roundtable is at the top of my list.  The sharing of resources between contests and having the organizers establish a united voice can help decrease infrastructure expenses, something that is vital for the continuation of some of our smaller contests, is one of the priorities for me.  I would also like to see the Association continue on the path to being more serious about the business issues that we face.  I can't express how much progress has been made in the past two years; I want to continue on that path. 

How can you help the RMBBQA be one of the best BBQ Associations in the country?
I have to agree with Kevin; we are already known as one of the best BBQ Associations in the country.  I think that one of the things that really "put us on the map" is the introduction of the Judge's Liaison Program.  This has caused a (positive) stir among other regional associations and KCBS.

How can I help?  I am organized and stay on task...I think most everyone knows that!    I have attended EVERY single meeting in the past two years and follow through with the tasks that I take on.

What are your opinions on how to resolve "Cup" issues with more than one competition on the same weekend?
In the past, I have been a strong supporter of having only one Cup Contest per weekend.  This was due, in large part, to the question….”Do we, as an Association, have the membership to adequately support two contests in one weekend?  Do we have the judges and the cooking teams?”  In the past the answer was unequivocally no.  However, we have seen amazing growth in the Association in the past year and a half.  Do we have that membership now?  Possibly. 

My biggest concern is that if we, as an Association, pledge our support to an event, we need to be able to provide that support.  If we are able to do that, then I would support having multiple Cup events on the same weekend. 

Do you think there should be a limit to the number of competitions that are "Cup" competitions in a calendar year?  Why or why not.
Honestly, I don’t know.  It all comes back to whether or not we can provide the support to those events.  Yes, we could go gang-busters and sign up every event that comes along, but I would hate to see that affect the quality of support we can provide.

Would you support a "Cup" event regulation that requires organizers to payout to the top ten teams Overall?  Why or why not.
No.  Our Association is supportive in nature, not regulatory and I hope it remains so.  Earlier this year, RMBBQA members were asked to complete an online survey.  This was one of the questions; only 26.1% of members preferred this compared to 30.4% who liked payout to top ten in categories and to GC and RGC.  We presented this information to both organizers and members.  I think this is in keeping with the supportive role of the Association.
 
If there are 16 competitions in our region in 2010 (or more), how do you think that many comps will affect the existing number of teams that currently belong to RMBBQA?
You know, at the beginning of the year, we decide how many contests we can compete in.  If there are more comps, that doesn’t mean we can compete in more.  I agree with Kevin, though, it is an opportunity to grow competition barbecue and I support that. 

Will you support another Comp BBQ 101 class for new teams, hosted and taught by existing teams of the RMBBQA, rather than new teams having to pay $300 or more for a "big name team" to teach the class?
Of course!  I think the class we put together two years ago was a blast and I would support it 100%.  As a matter of fact, I just ran across the packets we put together for that class!  Would you be interested in helping with another class? 

[Steve in Denver]

Thanks Beth.  Keep up the good work.  As for your question for me...I've never done a class so I'm not sure.  LOL  Of course I would help.
Steve

[Rib-It]

...I've never done a class so I'm not sure. 

Dang....I almost fell on the floor reading that!    

[meanlady1]

b]1.  What are your goals for 2010 for the RMBBQA?[/b]
First – communication, communication, communication! We as an organization need to make sure our lines of communication are wide open, and the messages transmitted are received as expected – how much can we achieve, and how much confusion can we avoid, if all the concerned parties have the information they need to do their best?
Second – I’d love to see more opportunities available to RMBBQA members to help the organization grow and improve; not every project needs to be executed wholesale by board members, and the benefits associated with giving our members the chance to put their skills to work outside the BBQ events are without number.
Finally – Grow the sport.  Up the challenge factor, encourage new teams, keep the kids we know and love cookin’, retain the wonderful members we already have and attract the members we don’t even know about yet. “Without new people and new ideas, we’re the dinosaurs awaiting extinction … really tasty extinction, but extinction all the same.”

2.  How can you help the RMBBQA be one of the best bbq associations in the country?
I’ve recently completed a year-long class on Project Management, and have tested for and received formal certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI); what this means for the RMBBQA is having a board member trained in planning and executing projects that benefit the membership and the Association in general, and sworn to ensure those projects are done in accordance with the ethical code required by all PMI certified members!

3.  What are your opinions on how to resolve "Cup" issues with more than one competition on the same weekend?
I think we need to look for the root causes of why this is an issue before looking for solutions, and in my opinion the source of the pain is not entirely clear. 
For example, some folks have posted that Cup contests (i.e., contests that have paid or promised to pay for that designation) should expect full support from the RMBBQA membership – and multiple contests on the same weekend would by definition dilute the number of teams attending any of them. Potential solutions to that scenario could include either redefining what a contest “gets” by being named part of the RMBBQA Cup circuit, or considering how the organization vets and accepts applications to be one.

4.  Do you think there should be a limit to the number of competitions that are "Cup" competitions in a calendar year?  Why or why not.
I do not necessarily believe we ought to limit the number of competitions that are Cup contest – we’re here to promote BBQ and competitions in the region after all.
That said, I do believe we would then need to reexamine a number of policies and procedures, though, to ensure lining ‘em up like airplanes at Chicago O’Hare doesn’t accidentally cause unforeseen problems elsewhere.  An immediate thought would include reconsidering what teams would qualify for the Cup or the Shot Glass division – do we increase the number of events necessary for qualifications, do we return to the “51%” rule, what does that do to the workloads and costs for everyone involved, and can our community support that? 

5.  Would you support a "Cup" event regulation that requires organizers to payout to the top ten teams Overall?  Why or why not.
No, for a simple reason – in my opinion, RMBBQA is not in the business of telling organizers how to do their job, I’ve no doubt they’ve got more than enough input as it is!  Nor do I believe heading down that path is something the membership is overly interested in at this time, although if the topic becomes a priority over time the Board ought to relook and reconsider.

6.  If there are 16 competitions in our region in 2010 (or more), how do you think that many comps will affect the existing number of teams that currently belong to RMBBQA?
Based on the 2009 season, I think adding two or three new contests in 2010 is not unreasonable, nor would that negatively impact the number of teams, judges, organizers, and others currently belonging to RMBBQA; I would submit growth at that pace will allow us to also grow the membership and participation in a controlled and organized manner.
Y’know, I was actually a little concerned as to what the economy was going to do to the 2009 events, yet virtually ever show was standing room only – some booked to capacity weeks before the event! Bringing new skills to the Organization with that kind of publicity shouldn’t be that hard 

7.  Will you support another Comp BBQ 101 class for new teams, hosted and taught by existing teams of the RMBBQA, rather than new teams having to pay $300 or more for a "big name team" to teach the class?
I would (and have before!) support another RMBBQA Comp BBQ event for anyone interested in gaining or improving on their skills; that said, I don’t think it’s a “this or that” conversation.  Instead, we should take it to the  membership and see what they’re needing or wanting;   Perhaps “big name team” classes, even at a price, would be valuable to those members that have already completed the 101 course, and are wanting to see if one of those Big Names can give ‘em something extra 

Laura "Y'all Asked!" Jay
Lizzie Q

[Steve in Denver]

Thanks Laura.  My ? #7 specifically identified "new teams".  I think that with advertising a COMP BBQ 101 class in the sponsor/retail facilities and on our website, we would  increase the opportunity to grow our membership.   I would like to see a 60-75% RMBBQA member participation at our "CUP" events, rather than the 37% we had in 2009.

I am seriously thinking about spending $500 to go to school.  Maybe Burnin' Bobs!  lol
Steve

[meanlady1]

Thanks Laura.  My ? #7 specifically identified "new teams".  I think that with advertising a COMP BBQ 101 class in the sponsor/retail facilities and on our website, we would  increase the opportunity to grow our membership.   

Thanks for the clarification, Steve, I didn't realize the accent was on "new teams" and not on "big name teams."

I would agree hosting an event targeting new cooks would have value added, I just don't want it to become a "we can do this or that" conversation without considering it could be a "this and that" situation.

Laura "Who Said English Classes Weren't Applicable?" Jay
Lizzie Q

[Steve in Denver]

I figure it this way.  The really new team/s might not be aware of what all is available to them by joining RMBBQA.  The teams that have been around a while usually know what "advanced classes' are available and know who teaches them.  There is nothing keeping RMBBQA from hosting a "101 Class" as well as an advanced class like we did when Texas Rib Rangers came to town.  I have never been to a class of any kind that I didn't learn something...well there was that organic chemistry class in '74...just took 20 years for it to soak in.
Steve

[Steve in Denver]

Beth, since I have been on a number crunching roll today, I wanted to revisit the payout conversation from earlier.  You stated that in the earlier survey taken that it was a 30.4% vs 26.1% to payout only GC and RGC, and pay top ten in each category vs top ten overall and top ten in each category.  In that survey there was also another 26.1 percent that favored paying out top 5 overall and top ten in each category. The other 4 votes (17.4%) were for paying out top five in each category and top ten overall. So that makes 16 to 7 for paying more than just GC and RGC. (the votes were 7 for only GC and RGC and 6 each for top ten overall and top 5 overall, 4 for top ten overall and top 5 in each category out of a total of 23 votes cast.)  So the entire survey actually ended up being 69.6% in favor of paying out more for overall than just GC and RGC.  And no one voted in the "I don't care" box.
Maybe it's time for another survey with only two questions.  Payout only GC and RGC or Payout more than only GC and RGC.
Where's the new batteries for my calculator?
Steve

[Rib-It]

You will get no arguements from me!  When the survey was designed, we tried not to have any "leading" questions in order to get the results we wanted.  As far as the payouts question, this was the information that the organizers wanted, with the possible payout structures they requested be polled.  We worked with organizers, judges, and teams to design the survey. 

I agree that the survey needs to happen again; and yearly at that.  It took me no time at all to set up the survey and get it out to members, but the information it provided was great.  Not only for organizers, but also for judges, teams and the RMBBQA Board.  This was the first, of hopefully many, times that the board received information from a wide variety of members.  We need to always keep in mind that many of our members are not active posters on this forum and that their voice, while not loud, deserves to be heard just as much as someone who posts regularly.