So, I'm trying to figure out how to Celebrate, but it's almost 4 years ago that the current incarnation of the forum started and we've grown to over 4500+ members and LOTS of posts. 5 if you go to the first forum.

For "official" purposes, I believe March 1st is the date we've used.

Guess we could have a contest, using search to find specific forums and relive on memories. NO Smoke Rings and Foil may not be included. LOL

Contest, prizes, sure, if someone can come up with a good idea to generate some posts and interests I KNOW I can get prizes.

Any ideas.

Here's my memory, here is the forum in it's original state (one note, you have to navigate all post from this link, so use your back button to view other posts):

Original CS Forum

Amd the first post from SmokinOkie:

Smokin' First Post

And you'll find Tom in there also.

Wow, 5 years all as a volunteer and I really DO like doing this for fun.

It's also kind of interesting to go to old posts and...what WHERE we talking about or ...what WHERE we thinking...

And it's good to see some of the old names, they came they stayed a while and we haven't heard from them, once they learned everything from us

Great group here at the forum. It's all because of everyone involved. Thanks for 5 good years.

Thanks guys.. you are really doing a wonderful job of helping us find the straight and narrow..

WOW! I sure am glad we've got this "current" forum. That old geezer sure is a pain in the ol' smoked butt to navigate My, my, what a change from five years ago. Good job Smokin!!! Thanks a million Cook Shack!

I sometimes get lost over in the archives and spend hours reading.

Lots of good stuff in there.

Yeah, I like to go all the way back as far as I can and read foward...You see guys go from asking a lot of questions (like me) to answering questions. As Tom said lot of good stuff in here.

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinOkie:
[qb]
Guess we could have a contest, using search to find specific forums and relive on memories. NO Smoke Rings and Foil may not be included. LOL

Contest, prizes, sure, if someone can come up with a good idea to generate some posts and interests I KNOW I can get prizes.

Any ideas?
[/qb]

Guess everyone missed this part of the post. Guess no one wants to win anything.

I like prizes !! How about how folk's got started in comp. cooking ie: talking to different cooks, what they would have done different,the same,do's and dont's and what they've learned, different rule's, the expense and dedication. And let's not forget to mention ALL the great people you meet. How's that ?? I have a friend who, I gave him my smokette, is interested in comp. so I thought this was a good way to find alittle info. I know that you can't use a smokette in comp., most place's, 'cuz it's elec.

Well, by "contest" I was thinking of something we can do via the forum. Best Photo, Best new Recipe, Something involving the Search function.

I'll be quiet..

no, no, no, don't be quiet. You just haven't been around the forum in the past when we had "contests" here to generate a little traffic.

Don't go away....

Why dont we have a new recipe contest Smokin'? You could have different catagories like I have read in the past when going through CS recipes. Every once in a while it will tell you that that particular recipe was "so & so's" and that they won a new Smokette for it?
What all catagories have you offered in the past?
Do you separate the pros from the ams?

Smokin... How about the person that writes the best "Search 101".

bob

I make the best Salsa ever! Nothing in the stores compares.

See, I knew you guys could come up with some ideas...

...keep them coming

I think you should do an internet iron chef competition. Post a date and time that you will reveal the secret ingredient and start the clock ticking. Then let your forum members come up with interesting recipes and cooking methods. I would give people a day or two to post their entries so that people like me who work weird hours can still participate. Have a panel of judges rate the entries and then give different awards for different categories i.e. best recipe, most interesting recipe, recipe voted most likely to send someone to the hospital, etc.

If you really wanted to take it to the extreme, you could pick a number of the best entries and set up a real "mystery cook-off" (I suppose Iron Chef is copyrighted)in conjunction with one of your classes. Offer 15 minutes of fame, a smoker and a party thrown in their honor and they will come.

Guess I watch too much TV.

Just a thought.