| By George (George) on Friday, July 11, 2003 - 07:02 pm: Edit |
This was passed on to me by a friend.
For an organization that was crying poverty and had to double dues, taking over $30 out of each member’s dues to fund the team seems outrageous.
Any ACF folks out there have any comments?
"When I reviewed the budget lines there were many areas of interest but one
was glaring and I had to email Candice and ask her if it was a typo.
Note I am for competition but this was a surprise-
ACF Team Competition- budget:
2001 $1405
2002 $5646
2003 $100,000
2004 $765,000 ( YES this is the figure in the budget).
If anyone else is concerned about this please share your thoughts ( ASAP)
Your guidance and expertise in helping me
understand this will be greatly appreciated.
Will you support a letter expressing concern over this dollar
amount but with an understanding that competition as accreditation , Access,
education, Chef and the child, apprenticeship, membership and all the great
things the ACF does should”
| By Cheftim (Cheftim) on Saturday, July 12, 2003 - 02:06 am: Edit |
Hey George,
I think you know my attitude about this particular issue, but after all I'm from the Western Region and you know those guys like to fight about anything.
In my opinion a letter of concern will do nothing. They never have before. The Board Controls the Flow of information, the trick is to get the facts our infront of the membership.
I do have a practical suggestion, Email Chef Lenord the ACF President and the Regional Vice-presidents, use the juice of your web site behind the inquiery and see what they have to say in writing. Maybe it's a justified expenditure.
Here are the listed Email address;
Chef Lenord
chefedcmc@aol.com
Vice President Central Region
John Zehnder, CEC, AAC
jzehnder@zehnders.com (w)
jzchef@webtv.net (h)
Vice President Northeast Region
James Taylor, CEC, AAC
jtaylor@cscc.edu
Vice President West Region
Walter Bronowitz, CCC, CCE, AAC
wbronowitz@cs.com
| By George (George) on Saturday, July 12, 2003 - 09:46 am: Edit |
Hey Tim,
I'm just the messenger here. I posted at the request of a friend.
I don't know whether it’s a good idea or not. It just sounds like an incredible amount of new money to throw at it.
G
| By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Saturday, July 12, 2003 - 12:17 pm: Edit |
This goes right along with everything else in this beurocratic society, look at all the $$$ that is wasted in public official elections!
On top of this now the CIA and ACF are coming out with a new way to bleeds us, I mean CERTIFY us....again at an outrageoust cost because that 765K will sure ly be 1 Mill. next competition!!!
And God knows they need to raise those funds!!!!!
If it wasn't that I was an educator I would NOT pay for certification!!!
Yes it provides some professionalism and prove of beign around the horn but you know what??? I KNOW THAT!!!!!
There are many certified "chefs" that got certified by working at a Holiday Inn 10-12 years! (No offense Holiday Inn but, Culinary forerunners you are not!)
I totally support anyone's effort to protest these outrageous expenditures by the ACF; lower my dues.....go have a bake sale like I have to do to send kids to competition every year!!!!!!
| By Cheftim (Cheftim) on Saturday, July 12, 2003 - 02:35 pm: Edit |
Really my message was not just to George but every ACF member that reads this thread. It's necessary for the ACF membership to communicate their dissatisfaction not just the few that always seems to be the opposition and are marginalized by being constituted as radical nay sayers or being degraded and embarrassed in front of the assembled Board of Governors or being accused of treachery and underhanded tactics by wanting to openly discuss the issues.
This and other issues, as Manny suggests should get a full airing out though out the year not just in few weeks before the national convention and, I'm quoting Chef Raymond Pitts, "the back hallways"of the convention hotel.
I can speak for my chapters Board, The Channel Islands Chefs Association, and say that we would fully "support a letter expressing concern over this dollar amount". Will it do any good? Even if such a letter manages to turn the tide and motivates ("let's hurry up and vote, we came here to cook") the Board of Governors to vote this budget item down there is still the fact the National Board has the final say.
Let me quote one of the ACF's best Parliamentarians:
"...In the current national bylaws that was passed in Las Vegas, 2001. It clearly states, that anything that the Chapter Presidents vote on and is past, can be thrown out by the national board, if they (the national board) feels that it is the best interest of the organization to do so."
So again every ACF member that objects to the $765,000 ACF Team Competition budget item click on the above Email links and ask the Board for their justification for putting forth such an expenditure. Tell them you heard about it on WebFoodPros.com and suggest they publicly post their response.
If anyone would like to carry this even further and take it to a wider audience I would be willing to help in the creation of a list of ACF members email addresses.
| By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Tuesday, July 15, 2003 - 01:13 am: Edit |
It was just a matter of time.
Now you know another reason why I'm not a member.
What ever happened to ...if you want to go and want it badly enough you payed your own way?
Most of that crap is nothing but a mirror and food, how does that add up to that much money.
where do these people stay the ritz?
hell, broads over there don't cost THAT much!
when my old school went to chicago, to the food salon to compete we loaded up a station wagon and still had room for 3 students and a case of beer.
and students took turns sleeping in the car to save money.
but those fancy jackets and tall hats must add up.
I've said it for years, you "DON'T NEED THESE ORG'S TO MAKE IT IN FOOD."
| By Jonesg (Jonesg) on Sunday, April 18, 2004 - 02:12 pm: Edit |
I was a member, I'm no longer.
What they do with other peoples money is someone elses problem now.
| By Dinerdogg (Dinerdogg) on Friday, April 23, 2004 - 05:19 pm: Edit |
Whoa, Manny. Does your slap on Holiday Inn mean that you are better than those chefs? I own a diner. So I've got no game either? That superior tone is whats wrong with this business. There is a seat for every ass. Not evertyone is concerned with Zagat stars, AAa diamonds, etc. Doesn't mean they don't have talent. I know how good our food is and so do our customers. Fancy menus and bizarre ingredients are not the barometer of quality or talent. We've all watched many many restaurants fail because of egos. I cook what my customer base likes, not for my own ego.
| By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Friday, April 23, 2004 - 06:08 pm: Edit |
No, what I'm saying is you should have a balanced background in Culinary Arts. You can do a number of things though right, if you had to!
How many Chefs do you know that are HI alumni???
I'm glad you have the sense to say that you cook for your customer base, many Chef's cook for their egos and go belly up just like you said!
| By Muskokachef (Muskokachef) on Thursday, May 13, 2004 - 08:09 pm: Edit |
Gentlemen; a card carrying member of the Canadian Chef's Federation myself I think that it is imperative that we put away the petty old school vs new way of thinking arguements and get both of our collective associations acts together. Did you know that a hairdresser needs to have a certificate to even pick up a pair of scissors but any one who has enough money can open a restaurant!!! sad state of affairs. We need to get out and lobby for certification the same way that a mechanic or stonemason or haircutter does before just about anyone's mother is running a kitchen.
| By Jonesg (Jonesg) on Saturday, May 15, 2004 - 04:03 am: Edit |
Anyone should be free to open their own restaurant, thats how restaurants get opened.
Most cooks couldn't run a popcorn stand when it comes to the business end .
There are proper safeguards in place already in the US.
Relax, Gods in charge.
| By Muskokachef (Muskokachef) on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 08:28 am: Edit |
Jonesg; I don't believe that any sort of deity is running the show. As for safeguards, what are you talking about-sanitation, financial responsibility? You are correct when you say that most can't run a popcorn cart but there are quite a few of us that can and do so very well. All I am saying is lets get as many with proper certification as possible.
| By Jonesg (Jonesg) on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 10:18 am: Edit |
I'll explain, I have worked over 30 yrs at every level, I sold my other biz and bought a cafe. I was required to take the safe serve and get the card before they issued a permit to operate.
The course was a fun day, a funny instructor.
Maybe the Canadien gvmnt is lagging on this but it seems to be covered in the US.
I don't believe its possible to certify skill or talent.
That would like trying to quantify love.
"whatever you put first in your life is your God"
| By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 11:11 am: Edit |
I hope heart surgeons and brain surgeons are not reading this!!!!!!!!!!
"I don't believe its possible to certify skill or talent.
That would like trying to quantify love."
Jonesq
| By Chefrev (Chefrev) on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 11:16 pm: Edit |
or pastors/priests!
Oops! too late! :-)
| By Jonesg (Jonesg) on Monday, May 17, 2004 - 03:24 am: Edit |
Oh I think brain surgeons would get a good laugh out of cooks who compare themselves such.
Skills, even the surgeons, and talent do not come from a book, either a person has that capacity or not.