What do you like and dislike about the acf?
I did not respond negatively so as to be fair, but Pete is right. Even in my small chapter there was the "old boys club" and I was amused as the "Old Boys" weren't old enough to shave yet (ha ha)Little bit about me. I'm a ACF Certified Sous Chef (CSC) and just got my Certified Chef De Cuisine (CCC) and now working on my Certified Executive Chef (CEC). I'm also instructor/proctors level of ServSafe. I have been Executive chef of golf clubs and a hotel with over 15 year in this field. I was asking this question because I wanted to see why Chef's have a problem with the ACF.
Actually, this is exactly the issue. Meetings are typically held at a member's restaurant, taking tables away from revenue, hence the inclusion of the meal and resultant cost, simply to hold a meeting. While this may be a problem with just the chapter in my area, I doubt it is and it illustrates the need for better sharing of membership dues to enable the financing of a meeting place. A meeting should be about chapter concerns related to execution of the bylaws, chapter activities, etc. Meeting locations are the responsibility of chapter leadership but financing them should not be the focus of chapter fundraising efforts.The meetings need not include a meal right?
So that saves money.
Meeting at a restaurant that may or may not have meeting space is another issue. The meeting takes away tables that would generate revenue.
This is one area where the franchise model can be most effective. While there may be many questions as to how this system would be implemented for a group like the ACF, in the end the National organization sets up the structure for running a chapter, including financial accountability and oversight, with a predetermined set of best practices and organizational outlines, just like a commercial franchise, with regional and district support. Just like a franchisee, who ever wants to start a chapter would only be able to do so after agreeing to the guidelines and stipulations provided in order to receive National recognition and support. Guidance is also provided for such things as how to run a meeting, what the bylaws look like in actual practice, what the potential activities of the chapter should be, etc. Just as in a franchise, regional support sticks around long enough at first to insure everything is set up correctly and then keeps in touch, returning every so often to inspect the overall operation to insure things are running smoothly. Checks and balances can be thought out ahead of time.Supporting socializing the dues so they can be doled out to the chapters? Not wise IMO.
That could open the door to malfeasance and corruption.
This is exactly what the bylaws of the ACF are intended to support and the essential purpose of the certification process. And sorry Phaedrus but Foodpump is quite correct.What good is a Chef's certification if there is no benchmark or qualification for a cook?
That's the dilemma. There is no official standard and who's a cook and who's a chef is essentially a matter of opinion. Despite being heavily regulated in terms of health regs & business licenses, it's essentially an unregulated industry in terms of qualifications for employees. In Tennessee, the only real qualification is that someone must be in the building at all times who is ServSafe certified, but that could theoretically be a busboy if they took the class and years back when I worked at Wal-Mart all employees were given ServSafe certificates.Fair enough, but the question remains, what constitutes a cook in the U.S.?
In Canada it's the red seal qualification, in Europe the apprenticeship boards set the qualification, same for Australia and N.Z. .
This is exactly the problem I have with the ACF. You have already been an Executive Chef of Golf Clubs and a Hotels, you also have over 15 years in the field. So why are you recently just a CCC with the ACF instead of a CEC?Little bit about me. I'm a ACF Certified Sous Chef (CSC) and just got my Certified Chef De Cuisine (CCC) and now working on my Certified Executive Chef (CEC). I'm also instructor/proctors level of ServSafe. I have been Executive chef of golf clubs and a hotel with over 15 year in this field. I was asking this question because I wanted to see why Chef's have a problem with the ACF.