KCBS Board Meeting Quick Notes May 13, 2024

Kansas City Barbeque Society
Board of Directors’ QUICK NOTES
Monday May 13, 2024. 6:00pm CT
 
Membership Requests to Address the Board:   
  • None
 
Call to Order – Joel Fleetwood
 
Meeting was called to order at 6:00
 
Roll Call: 
Joel Fleetwood, Chiles Cridlin, Cliff Davis, Randy Todd, Jeanne Titus, Thomas Gearheart, Paul Buob, David Qualls, Chalie Brinza
KCBS Office:  Rod Gray
 
Absent: 
 
Board Pledge:
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 accept my duties as a KCBS director to further the KCBS mission so that truth, justice, excellence in barbeque and the American way of life may be strengthened and preserved forever.
 
Consent Agenda:
            Notice concerning Committee Reports. Some committees do not meet monthly, If a report is presented, it will be included as an attachment to the Agenda.
 
  • Minutes of previous BOD meeting
  • Contest Report
  • Sanctioning Committee
  • Judging Committee
  • Contest Representative Committee
  • Rules Committee
  • Foundation Committee
  • Nominating Committee
  • Workgroups:
    • Organizers Work Group
    • Backyard Work Group
    • Bylaws Work Group
    • Technology Workgroup
 
David Quals- I Move to Approve the Consent Agenda
Second- Brinza- Motion Passed Unanimously
 
Chief Executive Officer’s Report:
 
  • CEO Report attached.
  • The Board may take Actions based on Topics and Discussions from this report as New Business
 
 
Old Business:
 
  • None.
 
New Business: 
 
  • Discussion and Consideration of a change Rule 2 in both the Master and Backyard series rules. This change is just looking for approval now and will be submitted formally for the 2025 rules to be published in November to take effect then, at the start of the new BBQ calendar. (Rules Committee)
Charlie Brinza- I Move to change Rule 2 effective in November 2024 in both the Master and Backyard series rules as follows:
 A chief cook and / or an officially registered, current KCBS member assistant chief cook must be present to be awarded Team of the Year points.  The team may also have as many assistants as the chief cook deems necessary. A team shall not compete in more than one KCBS sanctioned contest under the same team’s name, on the same date. Chief cooks and/or assistant cooks may only cook for their designated team at the contest they are attending.  The only exception to this rule is participation in one-meat competitions held in conjunction with a Master or Backyard competition.
Second- Buob- Motion Passed Unanimously
 
  • Discussion and Consideration of a request for a Rep Advisory to be issued immediately to change the Youth Que requirement for Junior participants to cook in a separate public area.  The formal change to the rule will be submitted with the 2025 Youth Ques rules.
Charlie Brinza - I Move to Issue a Rep Advisory as follows:
 
The 2024 Youth Que rules remain in effect with one exception.  Junior Que (ages 11-15) can either cook in the public area described in the 2024 Youth Ques rules or can cook at the parent / guardian’s cook site. If the Junior cook does cook at the home cook site, minimal assistance should be given, following the spirit of the rules written for cooking in a public site.
 
Second- Davis- Motion Passed Unanimously
 
  • Discussion and Consideration of 2025 Annual Awards Banquet
David Qualls- I Move to Authorize the CEO to enter into a hotel contract for the 2025 Banquet
 
Second- Davis- Motion Passed Unanimously
 
Closed Session Agenda: 
Discussion of Legal, Financial, Personnel and Real Estate
 
  • Discussion of Financial Report
  • Discussion of Marketing and Events
  • Discussion of Budget
 
Chiles Cridlin- I Move to enter Closed Session
Second- Titus- Motion
 
Entered Closed Session At 6:23 pm
 
Board Returned to Open Session at 7:31 pm
 
After Closed Session:
The Board may take any necessary actions including Motions on any or all matters discussed in closed session
 
No Action
 
Board Comments
 
Adjourn or Suspend
Chiles Cridlin- I Move to Adjourn.
Second- Brinza- Motion Passed Unanimously
 
Meeting Ended At: 7:32pm
 
 
 
 
Attachments and Reports
Contest Report 
 
In-house Approval    
Vuur en Vlees 9/21-22/2024 Netherlands
Kenai River BBQ Competition 5/31-6/1/2024 Soldotna, AK
Smoke N for the Kids 8/17-18/2024 Troy, IL
Swamptown Showdown 3/21-22/2025 Waycross, GA
Code 3 Spices - Smokin' on Main 7/27-28/2024 Collinsville, IL
Torry Island BBQ Showdown 3/21-22/2025 Belle Glade, FL
NSDDF presents the Inaugural Baylor Backyard BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) 7/12-13/2024 Tomball, TX
Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Memorial Classic Cookoff 9/13-14/2024 Waller, TX
Plant City Pig Jam 11/22-23/2024 Plant City, FL
Lake Views & BBQ 4/25-26/2025 Wagoner, OK
Lake Views & BBQ (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) 4/25/2025 Wagoner, OK
The Beltway BBQ Showdown 6/1-2/2024 Upper Marlboro, MD
Smoke in the Spring 4/11-12/2025 Osage City, KS
Made for KC (Competitor Series) 9/13-14/2024 Weston, MO
Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 1) 4/25-26/2025 Williamsburg, VA
Revolutionary BBQ Brawl (Day 2) 4/26-27/2025 Williamsburg, VA
Barbeque on the Bow Festival 8/31-9/2/2024 Canada
Prairie Dog on the Bow 8/31-9/1/2024 Canada
12 Bridge Rib Cook-Off (ONE MEAT RIBS) 9/20-21/2024 Lincoln, CA
Buds Blues and BBQ 9/13-14/2024 Columbia, MO
Buds Blues and BBQ (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) 9/13/2024 Columbia, MO
Up in Smoke on the Square (BACKYARD ONLY) 8/23-24/2024 Lincoln, IL
Last Frontier BBQ Throwdown 7/26-27/2024 Eagle River, Ak
Biloxi Bay RV Resort 11/8-9/2024 Biloxi, MS
Alps BBQ Days 7/20-21/2024 Austria
Alps BBQ Days (ONE MEAT RIBS) 7/20/2024 Austria
September Fest 9/13-14/2024 Coldwater, MI
 
 
 
Financial Report
 
To be reviewed in closed session before publication.
 
Sanctioning Committee
 
No Report
 
Judging Committee
 
 
Contest Representative Committee
 
Discussion of Beta testing of the auto-updates of KCBScore. The addition of a few more Contest Reps to begin Beta testing. KCBScore update to be released to all Contest Representatives in June 2024, pending testing.
An error was discovered on the current Contest Invoice pertaining to ancillaries, this is being corrected.
We discussed a Contest Representative Application, but it was requested that Jeanne get more information from the candidate for the May meeting.
 
Rules Committee
Meeting date:  April 29, 2024
Seven committee members attended the meeting.  Three agenda topics were discussed with action items coming out of the meeting:
Rules 2 update.
Request for clarification on who must be present for TOY point to be awarded.
An update to Rule 2 will be presented at the next BOD meeting for inclusion in the 2025 rules.
Review of proposed Ancillary addendum to the Organizer’s Guide
The proposed addendum was reviewed with a couple of changes made to the copy sent to committee members in advance.
This will be forwarded to the Organizer Workgroup for their consideration.
Review of Youth Que rules.
A change to the older group rules was agreed upon and will be presented at the next BOD meeting.
If approved, this change will be sent to the Rep Committee for immediate inclusion in the Rep Advisories and formalized for the 2025 rules.
Next month the committee will review Rules #16 in the Master and Backyard series to produce one identical rule to be put in the 2025 rules.  This will be done online via texts at first as the May meeting date is a holiday.
 
Foundation Committee
 
KCBS Foundation Committee Meeting Minutes
April 29th, 2024
Attendees:  Chiles Cridlin, Nancy Goldsmith, Beth Salzl, Matthew Greer, Bill Jones
Not in Attendance: Rod Gray, Joel Fleetwood
Monthly Meeting times / dates
  • Continue with 4th Monday of each month, 7PM Central Time.
  • Teams Meeting worked great!  Will continue with TEAMS going forward.
Scholarship awards review schedule
  • Scholarships have been reviewed and consolidated to present to the BOD at the next meeting in closed session.
  • $9,000 in scholarships will be awarded.
KCBS WI Pop-Up Shop
  • Location will be outside of the judging area.  The Foundation authorized $1,250 for the purchase of a KCBS Foundation Logo tent to use at this and future events. Rod Gray to provide sides for the tent.
  • Primary staffing is complete, donations are in route and the banner has been finalized.  Hours to be posted in the Team Packets. 
2024 Smoker Sweepstakes discussion.
  • Ole Hickory Pits was generous and THANK YOU Rod Gray for securing another CTO for this year’s sweepstakes.  Dates and details are still being finalized; we are hoping to announce the winner at the American Royal.
2024 Financial Planning
  • The Foundation Committee voted unanimously to move $50,000.00 into six-month 10K certificates of deposits.  This should yield approximately 4% more than we currently earn in our savings account.  
Codicil inclusion on KCBS Website under Foundation tab.
  • Goal to start this effort after the KCBS WI.
  • Explanation of what a Codicil is and how to create one with sample language, possibly for each state. Explain how it benefits the KCBS Foundation and its mission.
  • This is another effort to guide members in their end-of-life planning.
 
 
Nominating Committee
 
No Report.
 
Organizer Work Group
April 23rd 2024
Present Chair Randy Todd, Vice Chair Chiles Cridlin,  Members Noel Kay, Julie Poe, Jim Palmer, Myron Berry
Purpose: The Organizer work group is established to research then recommend assistance for KCBS contest organizers to the KCBS Board of Directors for their consideration.

(a)Organizers workgroup vision 2024

To provide continual improvement to new, struggling and successful KCBS Organizers

(b)Organizers workgroup mission 2024

How are we going to accomplish this?
Organizers Improvement thru Education utilizing Communication
 
A 4 prong approach.
  1. A Team, Organizers, To Organizers, For Organizers, By Organizers
  2. B Team, Bullsheet. Communications
  3. C Team, Charlie Brinza, Navigator
  4. D Team, Documents team
 
A Team Organizers Workgroup,
Randy  Todd, Charlie Brinza, KCBS Organizers Noel Kay, Cindy Wells, Jim Palmer, Myron Berry, Laurie Tweten.
            How best to assist:
  1. New Organizers
  2. Struggling Organizers, Ways to identify & assist struggling contests.
  3. All Organizers -
  1. Questionnaire
  2. Develop an Organizers Advisory Panel, discussion of a biannual “Organizers Town Hall” meeting
  3. Develop an Organizers Mentorship program
 
B Team Bullsheet articles, communication team. Rhiannon Dickerson, Randy, Charlie
  1. Organizers page in the Bullsheet.
  2. Communications via email with all Organizers
  3. Questionnaire to all Organizers
 
C Team, Charlie Brinza will provide oversight of all teams. The road to success can be narrow. Charlie's guidance will keep us all on the right path.
 
D Team, Documents team
Chiles Cridlin team leader, Nancy Goldsmith, Julie Poe, creating & updating Organizers guides, booklets, forms.
 
A Team report:
  1. Many great results from the Organizers Questionnaire are being returned. The answers are being studied and compiled. The workgroup discussed many Organizer answers and future actions.
 
B Team report
  1. Rhiannon:  Bullsheet articles, the Organizers Corner.  Reviewed “Ask an Organizer” and recent featured personalities.  Rhiannon welcomes new ideas. Reviewed subjects that can be featured in future articles such as how to's, tips and tricks.  Discussed ways to entice organizers to contribute.
  2. Rhiannon has emailed the Organizers Questionnaire to all current active Organizers. The deadline for responses to the Questionnaire is May 14th.
 
  1. Jim Palmer, Myron Berry, Noel Kay, Chiles Cridlin:  Jim and Myron have volunteered to write an Organizers article for the June and July Bullsheet publication.
Possible article ideas: How to:
  • Recruit volunteers.
  • Provide power and infrastructure.
  • Plan a contest.
  • Attract teams.
  • Acknowledge new Organizers, milestones,
  1. Noel Kay and Chiles Cridlin are co authoring an August Bullsheet article on Organizers selling VIP Pit Passes. A great way to engage with the public and raise money for the event.
 
Documents Team: Update the Organizer’s QuickStart Guide
Chiles Cridlin, Team leader
  1. Report on the status of the Organizers Guide update.
  2. Follow up on the incorporation of the KCBS office updates by Sherry Byler into the Organizers Guide.
  3. Report on the status of the People's Choice Guide. Work continues with the “PC, Recipe for success”.  Chiles has done excellent work.
Julie Poe
  1. Julie:  update on taking the lead to update the content of the organizers guide (from a REP perspective and then to incorporate the18 pages of identified information to be emphasized with an interactive index that explains why that section is important and then hyperlinks you to the section for more details.
Documents Team Future Project
  1. Work for a “One Meat” condensed version of the existing organizers guide will begin after the Organizer’s Guide updates have been completed.  The existing guide can be overwhelming for what a single category really needs.  This was reviewed and is still on for future development.
  2. Another result of the Organizers Questionnaire is a need for a comprehensive Ancillaries Guide for Organizers. Charlie Brinza and the Rules committee are working on the ancillary rules, after which Chiles group will write the Ancillary Guide.
  3. 2025 Organizer HOF nominee:  With the Organizers Workgroup committees permission Mrs. Carolyn Wells would like to nominate an Organizer for the 2025 Organizers HOF.
Organizers HOF criteria:
The following criteria were approved via consent agenda by  the KCBS BOD.
Minimum consideration is 4 out of the 7 as listed below.
  • 20 years or more as a KCBS organizer
  • Minimum of 10 years KCBS and 20 contests.
  • Number of other KCBS BBQ contest that were mentored.
  • Paid KCBS Membership during period of active involvement.   
  • Pioneers in BBQ criteria – Started in a new area, contributed greatly to growth.
  • Additional services to KCBS.
  • Held CBJ, CTC, Competition cooking, Kids Q or other ancillary.
  1. Future Item for Discussion
The subject of inflating judges scoring at a contest by Reps and/or Organizers. It was brought up in the last KCBS Board CBJ committee meeting that occasionally some Reps and/or Organizers during the judges meeting at a contest will talk about what great cook teams are here today and I know that the scores will be high etc… thereby unknowingly influencing the judges to score higher than actually deserved. The Rep committee sees this as a real problem.
Technology Work Group
We reviewed tech team scope briefly, reviewed SCORE update Push technology, reviewed process for updating reps desktops, reviewed beta testing process and release notes.
Discussed the use of MONDAY.com for managing inbound input (ticket or change requests) and possibly to organize all feedback. Paul to see if we (501 c4) are able to use free version. Park Road recommends, MZHH uses this - simple for office and rep feedback.
 
Discussed office technology and cybersecurity, with office technology paul to check with park road about moving active domain to cloud in the advent of an office move. Paul to bring back to committee. (move of office and Office tech linked, possible impact to the bullsheet production process more follow-up needed)
 
Reviewed recent Rep input - Debbie Gage lookup non head cook #'s (issue when assistant cook submits their indv kcbs number not HC number) Reverse look feature? Simple to do - verify with rep functionality. (rep cmtee input)
 
Discussed Recent east coast issue Alan and Bill had that required David to edit (strings issue). Discussion centered around what the merge process should be and the import / export process should be. We (technology) need to understand how the merge process should work from Rep Cmtee. (Charlie input) Chilles to work with Reps/rep committee to gain common process understanding
 
Paul to work with Rod to add developer(s) (process)
David to Add Julie Poe to beta team, Chilles to contact Julie Poe.
 
Action Item: Paul to review if Monday.com is available free to 501(c4)
Action Item: Paul reviewed with Sean Young, Park Road has a plan and agrees on complete move to the cloud, will invite Jordan from Park Road to discuss as needed. Some networking prerequisites are required. The Bullsheet is not dependent on the server.
Action Item: Chilles to work with rep committee and Charlie to define the process of merge (import/export)
Action Item: David to add Julie Poe to beta team
Action Item: Paul met with Rod for the process of onboarding development resources, discussion with park road was added due to Personally Identifiable Information concerns. The recommendation was to add the language below to the contract (similar to David McCallister)
“Contractor will not disclose or release any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to which the Contractor has access except as required to do so to authorized employees and officials within the scope of the Contractor's duties under this contract.”
 
 
Backyard Work Group
No Report for this period.
 
Bylaws Work Group
No Report for this period
 
CEO Report
Key Highlights:   
May is National Barbeque Month. The Lifetime Membership sales drive is off to a good start, with 21 conversions and new lifetime members.  We’ll continue to promote this sale.  On June 1, 2024, lifetime membership rates will increase to $450 for individuals and $600 for
 
We’re about two weeks from making our way to Lebanon, Tennessee, for the  6th Annual KCBS World Invitational. 
Registration closed on April 23rd, with a total of 148 teams registered to compete.  This year 48 teams registered in the final month.  Judging assignments for the three events are being finalized, with need for a 11 more judges for the Invitational events on Sunday (as of the day this was written). 
 
Membership:
The May 10th, 2024 membership count snapshot reflects 16,061, up 20 members from the 16,022 reported on April 4th, 2024.  This is the fourth straight month of rising membership numbers.
 
To date there has been an 11% response rate to the latest round of reminder postcards sent to lapsed members.
 
Contests:
80 Contests Completed in 2024
354 Contests Scheduled for 2024 (calendar year) 
 
 20 Contests Canceled for 2024
 
CBJ & Table Captain Classes:
41 CBJ Classes Scheduled for 2024
25 TC Classes Scheduled for 2024
 
Partnerships Discussions:
Sponsor Updates:
  • Q39: Quarterly CBJ classes sponsored by Q39 (including cook cost, cost of meat, Q39 employee KCBS membership and CBJ class fees), hosted at the American Royal. Registration for June class: 23
  • KCBS, Johnson County Community College, Q39, and the American Culinary Federation are planning a Master Class in BBQ October 11-13, 2024 for ACF chefs
  • Baseball BBQ: 2024 KCBS World Invitational title sponsorship contract executed; creating a unique activation experience for the sponsor; includes customized, engraved pigtail flippers for each team and custom, engraved boards for the Grand Champions
  • Westlake Ace Hardware: 2024 planning underway including co-sponsored, regional CBJ classes.
  • OHM: Made for KC Championship registration underway; 2024 contract executed
 
 
Marketing & Communications:
  • Kids Que : New page highlighting our younger competitors.
  • World Invitational:
    • KCBS World Invitational Table Captain Recognition: exploring low-cost incentives to recognize table captains at the World Invitational
    • Sponsors: Baseball BBQ, Pick Tennessee Products, Lebanon Chamber of Commerce and Office of Economic Development, Holladay Distillery Cocktail Contest, National Turkey Federation, and US Soybean
  • Bullsheet:  The email open rate for the May Bullsheet is 52.27%
    • Event Organizer Ad Sale during National BBQ Month
  • Board:
    • Updated Sanctioning Page: this is a draft
    • Increase Cost of Lifetime Membership
      • June 1st: increase lifetime prices from $400 (individual) and $500 (family) to $450 and $600, respectively. This increased cost aligns with a 10-year cost of membership for both member types.
  • KCBS Outfitters Merch Vendor: new merch vendor store soft launch. Adding more merchandise as we roll out.
  • Spring Field Trip: April–For the first time, KCBS attended the Interactive Exhibitor at the annual American Royal Spring Field Trip where 3000 students convened over three days to learn about food and BBQ. This was a unique opportunity to connect with thousands of students, promote Kids Que, and KCBS membership.
  • National BBQ Month:
    • May 1-May 31: BBQ Month Lifetime Membership ($100 discount–$300 individual and $400 family).
    • Event Organizer Ad Sale during National BBQ Month
  • Marketing Internship: Park Hill Professional Studies Marketing Internship finished 5/9/2024. Working with faculty to partner in future terms.
 
Social Media: 
We continue to leverage social media to drive member conversion, promote the KCBS brand, showcase our sponsors and events, and provide value to our members through fun and educational content.
 
Social Media Growth:
  • Total Audience, as of 5/7/2024: 124,941 total followers
    • KCBS gained 230 new followers across social media platforms within the month, with the biggest increase coming from Facebook.
Facebook 94 new followers 56.1K Reach and 1.6K Interactions
Instagram 75 new followers 5.3K Reach and 1K Interactions
Twitter 61 new followers -
 
  • Our most reached for April: On Facebook, the KCBS Staff picture at the American Royal was our highest-reached post for the month.
    • 7.8k reached, 11 comments, and 13 shares