TCA membership fee

[Mercy Dulavitz CC CPC]

Need to see more members in our chapter. But we can't get anyone to join because of a high fee. Students can not afford to put out some kind of cash.

[Diane Butler]

On your anniversary date (anniv date being month you joined) after you have fulfilled graduation and 6 months full time experience in the kitchen you would move up to a Culinarian @ $153.50 per year.

[Robert Gillentine]

My $.02.
Im not a fan of lowering any dues. They are there set for specific reasons. Do I like paying them? No, but if you want to succeed in life you have to make sacrafices. Work, school, kids, economic downfall... all excuses. We all have bills, the problem is balancing the ones that will make you more money in the long run. One of the hardest things about being a chef is balancing your budget. If you cant manage a set of dues that are less than $200 a year, then your problems have just begun. The networking alone is worth every penny. I cannot tell you how many brilliant chefs I have met because of the TCA. I have had numerous opportunities to excell my career because of people like Earnst, Sokol, Salerno, Scott, Mesch (the list goes on and on). I would have never had a grown as a chef if it were not for individuals like these. Even though I only attend 3-4 meetings a year, I am excited to say that I am a proud paying member of both the ACF and the TCA.

[Sharon Van Meter]

I would gladly hire any student culinarian and paid their dues in exchange for a day's work in my kitchen.

Chef Sharon Van Meter
Milestone Culinary Arts Center
Dallas, TX
[e-mail]

[Mia Easton]

The most important thing is to attend. Come one and all! I talk to everyone I know about TCA and encourage them to attend. I don't think there is a limit to how many times you can sign in as a guest. Then keep your eyes and ears open for sponsorship and fund raising opportunities to pay for membership. For students, that is a good way to start. Most schools consider you a student until you are done with your intern/externship and have your graduation ceremony. And I think TCA honors that and keeps your membership at that rate. And then I agree with Chef Gillentine's comments. You have to give the membership the importance it deserves and budget for it. Trust me, it's worth it!