We’ll be on the road early tomorrow headed toward Cheyenne, Wyoming for a cookoff. I’ll publish new editions of the CHN when I find available Internet.

NEWS

“Please keep Rusty Paske in your thoughts & prayers. He went to see a Gatrointerologist on Monday. He may have to go to the hospital today. I do not know his diagnosis or prognosis at this time. Keep Fae & Rusty in your prayers. His mailing address is 121 McGee Road, Kingsland, Texas 78639. I will keep you updated.” Ruby Ross

RESULTS and UPCOMINGS

“MO-Kan Pod Cookoff Results

Zimmerman Farms Cookoff
Desoto, KS, May 30, 2009
Charity -- Gift of Life

CHILI
1. Jeff Stehney
Desoto, KS
2. Jackie Hathaway
Louisburg, KS
3. Lee Kroencke
Lenexa, KS
4. Larry Velasquez
Mission, KS
5. Colleen Lintner
Shawnee, KS
6. Peggy Velasquez
Mission, KS
7. Jason Brinkman
Lenexa, KS
8. Peggy Kirk-Velasquez
Kansas City, KS
9. Irwin Clark
Kansas City, Mo
10. Stephanie Wilson
Kansas City, MO

SHOW
1. Steve Dowdy
Kansas City, MO
2. Jerri Dowdy
Kansas City, MO
3. Colleen Lintner
Kansas City, MO


KANSAS State Cookoff
Frontenac, KS, June 6, 2009
Charity – Frontenac Rotary Club

CHILI
1. Steve Shepherd
Pittsburg, KS
2. Junior Johnson
Lamar, MO
3. Joe Giles
Farmington, AR
4. Shelley Kroencke
Lenexa, KS
5. Larry Velasquez
Mission, KS
6. Tammy Frye
Pittsburg, KS
7. Colleen Lintner
Shawnee, KS
8. Eric Rosenblad
Pittsburg, KS
9. Rudy Lintner
Shawnee, KS
10. Betty McKee
Frontenac, KS

SHOW
1. L.C. Chatman
Pittsburg, KS
2. Margo Smith
Coffey, MO
3. Eric Rosenblad”
(Jerri Dowdy)

“A new date has been set for the Greenville CCO. It is Sept 12 at the Hunt Co Fair Grounds. The address is 9800 Jack Finney Blvd, Greenville Tx 75402.

This will be a good time to get your last minute points as some will need to do. Maybe even me.

RV hook ups, lots of space and other events at the same time and place. Come one come all and help the 4H kids.

More details in a few days.” Dave Hewlett

EDITORIAL

At a recent cookoff, a Great Pepper asked me if I agreed that the CASI Board of Directors was ignoring the pods and the cooks. I’m not sure the question was on target. It’s true that, as a GP, I’ve had very little communication with the BOD. I receive minutes from their meetings and notices about credential deadlines and special elections. Still, what more do I need?

The CASI BOD has specific responsibilities. They need to maintain corporate CASI. Their job is to keep the ship upright by controlling spending, populating administrative committees with effective workers, adjudicating conflicts, obtaining sponsors, organizing and nurturing TICC, communicating their actions to the membership, documenting cookoff data, and being 100% accountable for their actions. None of these tasks require constant interaction with the pods.

It’s impossible to avoid gossip and politics at the cookoffs. I’ve been trying and I’ve kept it to a minimum but it can’t be completely avoided. If a small percentage of what is being said is correct, CASI has some serious problems on the BOD that need to be corrected. However, what good does it do to talk about it? There will be a time to listen, evaluate, and deal with perceived corporate problems. Right now, the only result is heartburn, angst, and spoiling the mood at a perfectly good cookoff.

The beauty of CASI is, and always has been, the cooks. CASI is a local organization that is driven by the pods. Real, not “paper”, pods cultivate chili energy and give CASI identity in a particular geographic region. They do not need the CASI Board. Their job is to promote CASI in their communities. Their job is to hold cookoffs that are fun and rewarding for the cooks and for the public. Their job is to hold pod meetings that are attractive to new members and develop camaraderie amongst all.

A couple of years ago, I coined the slogan “Chili, Charity, and Fun.” I don’t see the words CASI Board anywhere in that statement. Let’s get back to local efforts of chili, charity, and fun. We’ll be more effective and CASI will be better off in the long run.

Please send responses to pepperdean@ctesc.net

POTPOURRI

Happy Birthday to Mike Benold.

“The key to being a good manager is keeping the people who hate me away from those who are still undecided.” - Casey Stengel

News items and pictures for the CHN can be emailed to pepperdean@ctesc.net