Let me begin by reminding you that this the half-way point of my presidency....most times tranquil, sometimes stormy, but always to serve you, the member! I have delivered most everything, except for the promise I made to pursue a chapter "headquarters." The headquarters matter was put aside by your board....for what ever their reasons, and now is moot! Looking toward the future of our chapter, I envision a new and modern administration. One that will operate under a firm budget and carefully watch where and how they spend our limited funds. (I'll address this issue in my July message!) I hope to see a 100% change in officers, their thoughts and ideas....fresh and alive, ideas that have no past or history (such as "I remember when" or " It used to be," you know what I mean.) New...that's the key to the future of our ACF chapter and those across the nation. ACF is losing ground because we seem to be stalled somewhere in the personal pasts of those who will not or can not let go. Maybe we're afraid to institut change. Change is vital to everything....life, career, habits and the ACF needs change, especially now. I would like all of you to be thinking and talking about what has to happen here in the ACF Rochester Professional Chefs: Status quo or calculated forward movement? Seek out (or volunteer) energetic, passionate people who have the time to devote and nominate them for office...........please look away from those whom we suspect have agendas, or seek an office for some perk or another.                There will always be politics, here, regionally and nationally, but it must not be allowed take over. We've had our share of that over the years. Coalitions must NOT be allowed to creep up or survive! We all belong to OUR chapter and with out exception, the treasury is OUR general fund., not to be attributed to any one event or activity....we each shared in the earning and growth-dollar balance of our treasury. Our future, your choice. The board, at my suggestion, has agreed to some new changes in our meeting agenda and progrms which proved successful. We finally have a better attendance at Chapter meetings. We have all but eliminated unnecessary "reports" and replaced them with culinary demonstrations and programs. This is just the beginning of a new and improved chapter...........the "old" guard will still be around to advise and mentor, (I hope) but, again, 21st century faces and ideas are the key to our future, top to bottom; president to trustees. The profile of our Chef of the Year needs to be seriously reviewed and the popularity contests must be put aside, replaced with talent and stability, excellence in our cook's world and beyond.....The Chef of the Year from The Rochester Professional Chefs must be exactly that, and less will not suffice any longer. If there is no one qualified, please don't nominate, the world will not end as a result of us not having a Chef of one year or another....in fact, it might strengthen the selective honor in the long run. We're on the right track having made it a difficult road before a COY nomination is assured....now we can finally see who qualifies. By eliminating the politics & popularity element of the election, a "true Chef" of the Year can be selected. These individuals are the catalyst which bind us firmly together by their example. Yesterday's COTY's are legit, we just proceeded with the old traditions...honorable men and women were elected and served. I point all of this out again (and understand it is and will remain completely my personal opinion on the future health of our chapter, the one I have served and loved for nearly 30 years!) so that maybe we will look beyond today & see a bright, new future, together, with positive changes. Also, that we might enjoy a new, re-vitalized beginning to ACF Rochester as we interface with other professional organizations in food service and, together, keep up a brisk pace as we forge alliances and re-model our chapter to fit the big food service picture. We can no longer linger in the shadows of our past. It WAS good then, we survived. THE JUE MESSAGE! Cloaked in mystique and shrouded in a grandiose quality, chefs are traditionally the talent behind a restaurant or club, the silent, if you will, operator/director backstage. With elaborate food creations being the only attempt at conveying their personality to the guest/customer, the chef remains a faceless enigma. But the role of the fine-dining chef is evolving. We are becoming public relations experts and taking visible and personal responsibility for our guests' satisfaction.     Twenty years ago, I walked the dining rooms at Monroe Golf Club, poured wine, engaged in conversation with the guests, educating them to what went into their menu and about the food they would be ordering for dinner. Success of that dining room was assured because, in a small way, I shook hands and welcomed guests. I was a visible component of the total operation & dining experience. When the chef trades the anonymity of the kitchen for the public realm of the dining room, the response is immediate & positive. Believe itor not, the switch helps maintain repeat business in a returning customer. There are, in my opinion, three components that make for a memorable dining experience: 1. Exceptional food, 2. Exceptional service & 3. Exceptional surroundings. The chef's role in the dining room adds significantly to this formula and in an integral part of success and luring customers back to your tables. A chef in the dining room also demonstrates a transparent customer-service philosophy. People love talking with the person cooking their food! With your strong, but not over bearing presence in the dining room you create a warm, inviting, cozy and naturally easy feeling. Noting can surpass a chef's warm reception. The final thought I want to share this month is that you must have good communication with the front of the house managers. They are the people who will keep us informed of special guests, special needs, celebrations, what ever, in the dining room. They are the "barometers," so to speak...not the enemy. A dining experiene can be positive or negative depending how the atmosphere in the restaurant comes across to the guest....and they know when there's tension. The tension is usually created by us and our unwillingness to communicate and respect the front of the house personnel. Admit it or not! Don't wait for them to respect us, earn it! "Do unto others, etc.," remember that little ditty? The Golden Rule, perhaps?