Kansas City Barbeque Society
Board of Directors’ Meeting QUICK NOTES
Monday July 8, 2024. 6:00pm CT
Membership Requests to Address the Board:
Call to Order – Joel Fleetwood
Meeting was called to order at 6:01
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
Discussion of any items removed from Consent Agenda:
Chiles Cridlin - I Move to Remove the Foundation Committee Report from The Consent Agenda
Second- Brinza- Motion Passed Unanimously
Charlie Brinza - I Move to Accept the Consent Agenda
Second- Cridlin- Motion Passed Unanimously
Discussion was held on the need to keep a QuickBooks transaction as it can be administered in the Google Sheets service from KCBS
Chiles Cridlin - I Move to discontinue the QuickBooks Subscription for the Foundation Committee.
Second- Titus- 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:
New Business:
- Discussion and Consideration of approving the Gateway Drum Smokers “Hot & Fast Under the Arch” Contest on September 6-7, 2024, which is inside the 90 Day Rule.
David Qualls- I Move to approve the Gateway Drum Smokers “Hot & Fast Under the Arch” Contest on September 6-7, 2024, Which is inside the 90 Day Rule.
Second- BUOB- Motion Passed Unanimously
- Discussion and Consideration of approving the Rules Committee recommendation regarding the Master Series Rule 16 and Backyard Series Rule 15 to standardize the foreign object and marking rule.
Charlie Brinza- I Move to accept the new written rules that was published for the 2025 rules so they will be identical in both the Masters and Backyard Series
Second- BUOB- Motion Passed Unanimously
- Discussion and Consideration of Revised Contest Rep Script for the Judges Meeting at Contests.
Cliff Davis - I Move to Adopt the Revised Rep Script for The Judges Meeting As Presented Effective Immediately
Second- TODD- Motion Passed with three Abstentions -Titus, Buob, Cridlin
- Discussion and Consideration of the progress of the KCBS Hall of Fame as adopted by Resolution R-04-08-2024-B on April 8, 2024
Discussion Only
- Discussion and Consideration of creating a Marketing workgroup to develop strategies and opportunities for sponsorship and other Marketing opportunities
Joel Fleetwood- I Move to Ratify the creation of a Marketing working workgroup chaired by Randy Todd With the Focus of finding leads for sponsorships
Second- Titus- 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
- Discussion of existing Personnel and duties and effect of the new FLSA Changes.
Cliff Davis- I Move to enter Closed Session
Second- Brinza- Motion Passed Unanimously
Entered Closed Session At 7:06pm
Board Returned to Open Session at 9:10 pm
After Closed Session:
The Board may take any necessary actions including Motions on any or all matters discussed in closed session
Joel Fleetwood- I Move to authorize the CEO to negotiate contracts and present a lease to the Board for Final Approval for new office space.
Second- Todd- Motion Passed with one Abstention - Cridlin
Board Comments
Adjourn or Suspend
Chiles- I Move to Adjourn.
Second- Titus- Motion Passed Unanimously
Meeting Ended At: 9:12pm
Attachments and Reports
Contest Report
| In-house Approval |
|
|
| Permian Basin Barbeque Cook-off by Daniel Energy Partners (COMPETITOR SERIES) |
11/5-6/2024 |
Midland, TX |
| 901 Hot Wing Festival (COMPETITOR SERIES) |
11/28/2024 |
Memphis, TN |
| Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (Competitor's Series) |
10/11-12/2024 |
Lynchburg, TN |
| Wild West Fest on Fire (ONE MEAT RIBS) |
8/10/2024 |
Slovenia |
| Big Creek BBQ Bash (BACKYARD ONLY) |
10/4-5/2024 |
Pleasant Hill, MO |
| Cowchip BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 1 |
8/23-24/2024 |
Beaver, OK |
| Cowchip BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) Day 2 |
8/24-25/2024 |
Beaver, OK |
Financial Report
To be reviewed in closed session before publication.
Sanctioning Committee
The Committee has reviewed five Cancelled contest notices received in June
The Committee has one contest inside the 90 Day Rule in St. Louis, MO
Committee has reviewed a detailed Breakdown of Contests as reported by the CEO
| |
2024 |
|
To Date |
|
Pct Complete |
| Stand Alone Master Series |
164 |
|
75 |
|
46% |
| Master Series with Backyard |
79 |
|
36 |
|
46% |
| Total Master Series |
243 |
|
111 |
|
46% |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Stand Alone Backyard |
40 |
|
17 |
|
43% |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| One Meat with a Master Series |
52 |
|
20 |
|
38% |
| One Meat with Backyard |
1 |
|
0 |
|
0% |
| Stand Alone One Meat |
7 |
|
3 |
|
43% |
| Total One Meat Events |
60 |
|
23 |
|
38% |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Competitor Series |
11 |
|
6 |
|
55% |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Cumulative Events |
414 |
|
180 |
|
43% |
Committee has reviewed contest trending in the western half of the United States where there appears to be the most decline. The states represent 33% of the Lower 38 and each region of central western and far western represents 13% each of the total Master Series Events for 2024.
The following table represents the contests trend since the height of 2018 and the major impact of Covid in 2020. Ratios were computed as Current Active Members to date to contests for 2022.
We see that empirically that the ratio in contests and membership decline from year over year corelate and requires proactive attention.
| State |
2024 |
2023 |
2022 |
2021 |
2020 |
2019 |
2018 |
Totals |
Current Judges |
Member Ratio |
| WA |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
151 |
151 |
| OR |
3 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
13 |
135 |
45 |
| CA |
10 |
10 |
17 |
7 |
2 |
20 |
19 |
85 |
857 |
85.7 |
| ID |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
52 |
52 |
| NV |
1 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
8 |
94 |
94 |
| AZ |
2 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
19 |
200 |
100 |
| MT |
5 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
23 |
74 |
14.8 |
| UT |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
13 |
94 |
47 |
| CO |
7 |
5 |
8 |
5 |
1 |
10 |
10 |
46 |
303 |
43 |
| NM |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
6 |
61 |
Zero |
| |
32 |
26 |
40 |
19 |
9 |
49 |
49 |
224 |
2021 |
63 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ND |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
35 |
35 |
| SD |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
21 |
107 |
54 |
| NE |
1 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
0 |
5 |
6 |
22 |
212 |
212 |
| KS |
19 |
23 |
24 |
20 |
7 |
30 |
31 |
154 |
1043 |
55 |
| OK |
6 |
6 |
8 |
8 |
6 |
11 |
14 |
59 |
258 |
43 |
| TX |
3 |
3 |
5 |
6 |
0 |
10 |
6 |
33 |
401 |
134 |
| |
32 |
37 |
42 |
43 |
15 |
60 |
61 |
290 |
2056 |
64 |
| Total |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| USA |
214 |
228 |
225 |
220 |
136 |
328 |
422 |
|
|
|
This region represents 33% of the Continental United States
This Region Represents 30% of the 2024 Master Series Contests in the Continental United States
This Region Represents 26% of the Active KCBS Members in all of KCBS
The Sanctioning Committee is concerned that an action plan should be initiated by the staff and funded in the budget to secure the viability of events which in return sustain and grow membership in the western half of the U.S. as it continues to be a major factor of membership.
A program to revitalize and increase contests will in turn aid in the deficit of membership ratio per contest as well as aid in reversing the 51% decline in Master Series Contests in the United States since the decline after the 2018 season of 422 Master Series events.
Judging Committee
July 1, 2024
Attending were: Cliff Davis, Chair; Randy Todd, Vice Chair; and members Myron Berry, Forest Bruce, Ron Keefover, and Kelly Wilde. Technical difficulties with the video platform prevented Jeanne Titus and Audry Johns from attending.
The group discussed items brought forward, including 1) a review of the final revision of the edited version of the written judges’ meeting script that is read by the contest reps, 2) the progress of the ongoing review and edit of the PowerPoint script that is presented at the initial CBJ training classes.
The final version is expected to be presented to the BOD in the next thirty to sixty days. 3) comment card revision.
The edited judge’s meeting script will be presented to the BOD on July 8, 2024.
Contest Representative Committee
Discussion of possible Reps in Training
Discussion of Reps who have completed their Rep Training but with some questions from their Instructors - Jeanne will contact all Reps currently in training
Everyone in attendance discussed Comment Cards and the things we read on them. One particular item, "Not Bite Through Skin" when the CBJ Instructors Class states "easily bitten through". Jeanne will pass this to the CBJ Vice Chair who is working on the Instructors Slideshow.
Audio Recordings listed in the Rep Advisories will be moved to the Rep Manual.
It was brought to our attention; some Reps are improvising on the Judges Script when reading during the Judges Meeting. All Reps should be reading the same script for consistency among the Reps. The current script is being worked on in the CBJ Committee, once completed and approved by the Board of Directors, it will be forwarded with a statement to all Reps.
Rules Committee
Seven committee members plus the CEO met on June 24 to discuss 4 topics.
From this meeting the committee is proposing a change to Master series Rule 16 and Backyard series Rule 15 to standardize the foreign object and marking rule between the two series.
The committee asks the Board to approve this for the 2025 rules effective this November.
The other three topics discussed were:
1) Use of different turn-in boxes when styrofoam is banned at a contest location.
2) Redefining the requirements of a CBJ to judge competition meats to include any disabilities individuals may have.
3) The practice of "all-star" teams competing at a competition. This would cover head cooks from more than one team joining to cook as one combined team.
These topics are still being discussed with the plan of formal rule proposals before the October Board meeting.
Foreign object rule synch
Master series Rule 16:
The container shall not be marked in any way to make the container unique or identifiable. ONLY the acceptable meat for the category being judged and legal garnish may be in the turn-in box. Aluminum foil, toothpicks, skewers, foreign material, and/or stuffing are prohibited in the container. A hair or brush bristle is not considered a foreign item as it is impossible to determine where this was introduced. A bone may be part of the Pork entry if it has not been altered in any way and is from the approved cut of meat inspected for the category. Marked entries or containers with the above listed material will receive a one (1) in all criteria from all Judges and disqualified.
Exception to this rule are small items that are NOT seen at the time of appearance scoring and are inside, underneath, or attached to one judge’s sample. When a foreign object, that is not of the nature that it clearly reveals the team box (e.g., flag, team number or name on an object, etc.), is found AFTER the Appearance scores have been recorded, the following guidelines are to be used:
- If the object is attached to a sample that is removed, only the judge receiving that sample scores the penalty for foreign object. This can be applied to multiple judges scores if objects are found on multiple samples.
- If the object is noticed after sample(s) are removed and remains in the box after the sample is removed, only the judges removing samples while / after the object(s) is noticed shall levy the penalty. For example, if while removing a sample judge #3 sees an object and this object remains in the box, judges 3,4,5 and 6 will score a one in all categories while judges 1 and 2 score as though there is no infraction to the foreign object rule.
- If the object(s) are determined by the Reps to help designate a particular team name or number, all judges will give a one in all categories.
Once the sixth judge has taken his or her samples and the box is closed and is released for the leftover table.
nothing inside or on the box can be used to determine a marked box, illegal garnish, or foreign item in box.
2024
Backyard series Rule 15:
The container shall not be marked in any way to make the container unique or identifiable. ONLY the acceptable meat for the category being judged and legal garnish may be in the turn-in box. Aluminum foil, toothpicks, skewers, foreign material, and/or stuffing are prohibited in the container. A hair or brush bristle is not considered a foreign item as it is impossible to determine where this was introduced. Marked entries or containers with the above listed material will receive a one (1) in all criteria from all Judges and disqualified.
Exception to this rule are small items that are NOT seen at the time of appearance scoring and are inside, underneath, or attached to one judge’s sample; for example, a small piece of foil that may be the result of a thermal probe and be in a piece of meat. In this situation, the judge receiving the sample with the foreign object will score the entry with a one (1) in all categories. All other judges will score the entry as though there was no object in the box. Once the sixth judge has taken his or her samples and the box is closed and is released for the leftover table. nothing inside or on the box can be used to determine a marked box, illegal garnish, or foreign item in box.
Proposed rule for
both series in 2025:
The container shall not be marked in any way to make the container unique or identifiable. ONLY the acceptable meat for the category being judged and legal garnish may be in the turn-in box. Aluminum foil, toothpicks, skewers, foreign material, and/or stuffing are prohibited in the container. A hair or brush bristle is not considered a foreign item as it is impossible to determine where this was introduced. A bone may be part of the Pork entry if it has not been altered in any way and is from the approved cut of meat inspected for the category. Marked entries or containers with the above listed material will receive a one (1) in all criteria from all Judges and disqualified.
Exception to this rule are small items that are NOT seen at the time of appearance scoring and are inside, underneath, or attached to one judge’s sample. When a foreign object, that is not of the nature that it clearly reveals the team box (e.g., flag, team number or name on an object, etc.), is found AFTER the Appearance scores have been recorded, the following guidelines are to be used:
- If the object is attached to a sample that is removed, only the judge receiving that sample scores the penalty for foreign object. This can be applied to multiple judges scores if objects are found on multiple samples.
- If the object is noticed after sample(s) are removed and remains in the box after the sample is removed, only the judges removing samples while / after the object(s) is noticed shall levy the penalty. For example, if while removing a sample judge #3 sees an object and this object remains in the box, judges 3,4,5 and 6 will score a one in all categories while judges 1 and 2 score as though there is no infraction to the foreign object rule.
- If the object(s) are determined by the Reps to help designate a particular team name or number, all judges will give a one in all categories.
Once the sixth judge has taken his or her samples and the box is closed and is released for the leftover table.
nothing inside or on the box can be used to determine a marked box, illegal garnish, or foreign item in box.
Foundation Committee
June 24th, 2024
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
- Emails have been sent to all applicants. $9,000 in scholarships have been awarded, distributions will occur after KCBS receives recipient enrollment status in the early fall. The 2025 scholarships applications will open January 1st, 2025
KCBS WI Pop-Up Shop for 2025
- Another HUGE shout-out to CBJ Harold Downey, the winner of the foundation 50/50 raffle who donated the money back to the Foundation.
- Make sure we send the anonymous “THANK YOU” for the 50/50 donation.
- Need to send receipts and additional thank you notes to those that donated.
- Start planning and sending notices for 2025. Develop a schedule.
2024 Smoker Sweepstakes discussion.
- Ole Hickory Pits CTO sweepstakes will be live July 1st. Special thanks to Rod Gray for his efforts in getting the bonding requirements for NY completed.
- Need to review marketing and social medial plans with the office.
Codicil inclusion on KCBS Website under Foundation tab.
- Bill Jones has provided a WORD version of what another foundation is doing.
- Explanation of what a Codicil is and how to create one with sample language.
- Create PDF to put on website, perhaps another separate page.
- Plan for legal review, announcement and social media plans for September.
2024 Scholarship preparation.
- Nancy has already begun the pre-work requirements.
- Best practice is to review lessons learned from last year.
Nominating Committee
No Report.
Organizer Work Group
Backyard Work Group
No Report for this period.
Bylaws Work Group
No Report for this period
Technology Work Group
CEO Report
Key Highlights:
The 42nd annual Great Lenexa BBQ Battle is in the books. The team count was 172. All scoring was completed on KCBS computers. The new tabulation protocol was utilized successfully, and the main meat categories were audited 100%. The KCBS staff has turned our attention to the contest season in full swing. Preparations are being made to display the 2024 Backyard Overall Team of the Year on the website, cleaning up and cleaning out of the office to prepare for our pending move. We’re also working on documents needed for 2025 and beginning preparation for the KCBS Annual Awards Banquet. We’re also making plans for the 2024 American Royal.
Membership:
The July 3rd, 2024, membership count snapshot reflects 15,773 members, down 132 from the 15,905 reported on June 6th, 2024.
Contests:
164 Contests Completed in 2024
356 Contests Scheduled for 2024 (
calendar year)
31 Contests Canceled for 2024
CBJ & Table Captain Classes:
43 CBJ Classes Scheduled for 2024
25 TC Classes Scheduled for 2024
Partnerships Discussions: Rhiannon
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 August: 23.
- Master Class in BBQ: 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 including CBJ certification for 100 ACF members and KCBS memberships.
- Westlake: 2024 contract signed. Sponsoring CBJ class in OK and co-sponsoring August and September in KC.
- Hormel: 2024 contract renewal underway for Seal of Approval.
- United Soybean Board: 2025 Proposal submitted in May. USB meets this month to review recommendations and vote on 2025.
Marketing & Communications: Rhiannon
- Proposals for Board:
- Proposal for Smoke Ring and Sauce Exhibit
- Pitmaster Certification
- Cocktail Sponsorship
- Marketing Workgroup:
- Monthly meetings to develop comm strategies for sponsorships.
- Discussion of opening the WI to a public event. We will need additional support for this to be viable.
- Bullsheet: The email open rate for the July issue of The Bullsheet is 28% (lower because of holiday)
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 7/2/2024: 125,286 total followers
| Facebook |
101 new followers |
120.4K Reach (43% decrease from the previous month) |
| Instagram |
262 new followers |
23.5K Reach (.4% increase from the previous month) |
| Twitter |
70 new followers |
- |
- Our most reached for June: The post lists the June Contests on Facebook.
- 13k reached, 72 engagements