I would like to Invite everyone to the 3rd. Annual H-E-B Georgetown CASI Chili Cook Off on July 5th 2009. This is a one day cook off held in the parking lot of H-E-B off of I-35 in Georgetown TX. Take exit 262 North or South bound. Turn in time 1:00 PM CHILI GRIND ONLY / ENTRY $18.00. Plenty of room for canopy's. So on your way home from Becker Vineyards and Kim's party (and everyone else) stop by H-E-B for more fun. I will be presenting E.T.( Store Director) with a plague of appreciation for all he and his store does for the Chili World. For more infromation please call 254-855-4733 or email me @ Dangergail@aol.com . Hope to see everyone there.
From Kelli Brignon:
My name is Kelly Brignon and I would like to announce my candidacy for the CASI Board of Directors. I have been a CASI cook for six years and CASI has become a family affair. I cook with my husband Gary and our daughters Zoe and Paige. I am from Waxahachie, TX and I serve as the Great Pepper of the North of Waco (NOW) Pod. I am also a member of the Top of Texas and Cowtown Pods. My husband and I own T & B Demolition in Irving, TX. I have been in the construction accounting field for fifteen years and we have been in business for six years.
I have given a lot of thought to a position on the CASI Board of Directors. I feel that CASI is at a crossroads that is driven by both its history and its need for growth and change. One of the most challenging issues my husband and I face as business owners is the balance between doing what has worked in the past and evolving in a way that continues to guarantee success for the business. First and foremost, CASI is a business and should be run as such. I strongly believe that my business experience, coupled with my accounting background, will benefit CASI should I be elected to the Board. I have been responsible for our financial statements, daily operations and all aspects our business’s insurance since its inception. I am convinced that my experience in the above fields will be an asset to CASI, especially right now when everyone is experiencing financial hardships. I believe in cutting costs on items that are not profitable and spending money in the areas that can help CASI reach out to existing and new cooks, the charities, and our sponsors. The cooks, new and established, along with the charities and sponsors are what make CASI work. We need to explore different ideas in our effort to let people know who we are and what we do in order to revive our organization.
I believe that membership should be a focus of the incoming and current Directors. I think that giving incentives to cooks and Pods signing up new members is a great way to revive our membership numbers and again, reach out to new cooks. CASI is here to raise money for charity. The more people we have cooking chili, explaining our mission to the public and to the charities in need of an organization to help them raise money, the more exposure we are going to receive. This applies to our sponsors as well. In this economy, we must explore every avenue and idea available to us to continue to generate revenue for CASI and all that it is responsible for, including the Scholarship Fund and TICC.
CASI is an organization I strongly believe in. However, I feel that the way we’ve been doing things could benefit from some fresh perspectives. I am not a fan of reinventing the wheel, but I believe that change can bring positive results. I feel that our Board should be more accessible, transparent, and accountable for the decisions made on behalf of CASI’s cooks, charities, and sponsors. I believe an annual review of our year end financial statement should be conducted by an outside accountant. CASI is too large of an organization to not have reviewed financials at the very least. As a Director, I would strive to look at all of the operational budgets of CASI and see where we could benefit from cost cutting measures. I know that I’m young and maybe a little too idealistic and that not everyone will agree with me. I don’t believe any of us benefit from not asking questions, and not challenging the way things are done. The only way we are going to grow as an organization is to constantly look for ways to improve how we manage ourselves. Innovation is the key to survival for any business, and CASI is no exception.
I ask that you support my nomination with your vote and allow me to bring my strong work ethic, business experience, and positive attitude to CASI and the Board of Directors. I will serve CASI in any capacity that is asked of me. I am fully aware that you cannot make everyone happy and you are always going to ruffle some feathers. I do believe that focusing on finding a solution to CASI’s challenges is the only way we will survive as an organization. CASI is doing something right or it would have fallen apart years ago. By taking a look at what is working, tweaking what needs improvement, and giving everyone’s voice merit, we will solve more problems than if we just sit around and complain at our cook offs, and go home without a real solution being found. I do not feel that the Board of Directors should be a vehicle for personal politics or agendas. As a Director, my only concern will be CASI and the integral people that make it successful – the cooks, charities, and sponsors.
Please feel free to email any questions or concerns to me at kbrignon-tbdemo@sbcglobal.net, or call me at 469.628.8840. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Kelly Brignon
CASI Member #5627
It is Wednesday and time to post this week's CCO's:
Jul 4, 2009-001 - Marathon, TX CASI. 5th Annual Cowboy Chili Cookoff. Held at Marathon Community Center - Downtown Marathon TX 1 block north of Hwy 90 on D Street. Charity: Marathon VFD. Turn-in time: 2:00 PM. Entry Fee: $20.00. CHILI GRIND ONLY. Contact Daniel Eaton PO Box 365, Marathon TX 79842-0365. Cell Ph: 432-386- 4400. Email: TXVFF@yahoo.com As in the past, the #1 Chili trophy will be a bronze Cowboy Hat by Lloyd Goldwire. Judging indoors in the Marathon Community Center. Plenty of parking around Marathon Community Center. You may set up on Friday afternoon /evening at the Marathon Community Center - No hook-ups. Lots of space available. Also RV park in town and Marathon Motel and Gage Hotel are excellent places to stay. There are a number of Bed & Breakfast's also available. A public dance will be held at the Post Park in Marathon on Saturday night after the cookoff. For information about services and amenities available in Marathon check the website at www.marathontexas.net. There will also be a cookoff on Sunday-see listings for July 5, 2009.
Jul 4, 2009-002 - Statesville, NC CASI. Piedmont Pepper Pod Chili Cookoff Cancelled.
Jul 4, 2009-003 - Telephone, TX CASI. Red River Valley Pod Cookoff Held at Harvey West Pecan Farm. Come out for a fun 4th. Lots of room for camping, some Electric hook ups 1st come. See next day cook off also. Friday night pot luck with meat furnished by Pod. Firework welcome. Swimming & Fishing on the Noth Texas Beach. Entry fee $20 turn-in 2 PM. Make check payable to Red River Valley Pod. Contact Harvey West 903-664- 2854 casitally@hughes.net.
Jul 4, 2009-004 - Sierra Blanca, TX CASI. Annual White Mountain CCO. Held at Sierra Blanca's beautiful park across from the courthouse. Beans/Salsa/Guacamole - no rules. Each entry $5.00 turn-in 2 PM. Chili entry fee $18 turn-in 4 PM. Friday night they will have movie on the wall night. Come out and join us. Contact Eve Du Mond 915- 345-4397, blackgarterchili@aol. com. Make checks payable to Pod of the Pass. Benefits SBCC.
Jul 4, 2009-005 - Stonewall, TX CASI. All American Cookoff Held at Becker Vineyards, 3 miles West of Stonewall. Come celebrate Independence Day with your chili friends at scenic Becker Vineyards. Festive atmosphere with loads of public. Live music Free wine tastings from Texas best vintner. Special award for People's Choice Chili. Special gift for all cooks. Entry fee $20 turn-in 2 PM. Benefits Habitat For Humanity. Very limited RV parking. No hookups. Contact: Alan Dean, 512-567-2835 or email pepperdean@ctesc.net. Make checks payable to Pod on The Perdernales.
Jul 4, 2009-006 - Sierra Vista AZ CASI. 19th Annual Welcome Home Desert Storm Celebration and Chili CCO. Presented by High Desert Pod and the San Pedro Kiwanis Club. Held at Veteran's Memorial Park on Fry Blvd. Turn-in 12:30 p.m. There will be a POTLUCK Party evening of July 3 (will start at 6:00 pm), overnight camping, no hook- ups. Come join a great hometown Independence Day Celebration. Entry fee $ 15.00 to support Kiwanis Charities. Info Mike Strack, PO Box 3204, Sierra Vista, AZ 85636 or Call Mike, (520) 378-7179.
Jul 4, 2009-007 - Tulsa, OK CASI. American Legion All American Weekend, held at 8th and Peoria, Chili Turn In 4:00 pm, entry fee $20. Taster kits will be sold. Other events hosted by the Legion: Friday night Steak night 5:30 to 8:00. All you can eat Breakfast 8:00 to 10:00. Lunch 12:00 to 2:30 for the Gold Wing Dings Biker group (200+) Bands in the afternoon and evening. Stay and watch the Fire Works in Downtown Tulsa. Contact Rick Alfaro 918- 951-8116. Everett Crawford 918- 810-3274. http://tulsapost1.com Charity, Veterans & Youth Services
Jul 5, 2009-001 - Georgetown, TX CASI. 3rd Annual H-E-B Georgetown Cook off! Held in their parking lot! Off S-IH 35 and West University Ave, H-E-B is right on IH-35, it is easy to find.. This is a 1 day only cook off! NO RVS! SORRY! But PLENTY of room for canopy! Entry fee $18.00 Turn in time 1 PM. CHILI GRIND ONLY! Folks..THIS H-E-B ALONE has done A LOT for CASI so lets give them a little back and give them a good turn out! For more info or directions contact Donna Conrad @ Dangergail@aol.com or 254-486- 9206. Make checks payable to Donna Conrad/H-E-B. Charity TBD.
Jul 5, 2009-002 - Marathon, TX CASI. 5th Annual Mustang Chili Cookoff. Held at Marathon Community Center downtown Marathon one block North of Hwy 90 on D Street. Entry fee $20, turn-in 12:00 Noon. CHILI GRIND ONLY. Charity is "The Friends of the Marathon Public Library". As in the past, the #1 Chili trophy will be a bronze Running Mustang by Lloyd Goldwire. Judging indoors in the Marathon Community Center. Plenty of parking around Marathon Community Center. You may set up on Friday afternoon/evening at the Marathon Community Center - No hook-ups. Lots of space available. Also RV park in town and Marathon Motel and Gage Hotel are excellent places to stay. There are a number of Bed & Breakfast's also available. A public dance will be held at the Post Park in Marathon on Saturday night before this cookoff. For information about services and amenities available in Marathon check the website at www.marathontexas.net. Contact Daniel Eaton-Cell 432-386-4400 or by email TXVFF@yahoo.com. There will also be a cookoff on Saturday-see listings for July 4, 2009.
Jul 5, 2009-003 - Telephone, TX CASI. Day After Red River Valley Pod CCO. See July 4th for Red River Valley Pod for details. Come and enjoy a piece of heaven. Held at Harvey West Pecan Farm. Entry fee $20 turn-in Noon. Contact Harvey West 903-664-2654 casitally@hughes.net Make check payable to Red River Valley Pod.
