It’s unacceptably hot. Just unbearable, really.

But while most succumb to the elements by avoiding the sweltering out-of-doors altogether, you’ve got other plans.

Like earning your black belt in barbecue, for example...

And here to help you fight fire with fire is the Atlanta Bar-B-Q Club, a highly trained circle of barbecue aficionados with an unflinching dedication to all things whole-hog, now accepting new memberships.

If you’re having a hard time wrapping your mind around this illustrious concept, think Dead Poets Society for barbecue (just without all that melancholy teen angst and sneaking around). Once a month, you and your fellow poets of pork will converge upon a different house of Q to discuss the finer points of grilling, rubbing, smoking and slathering.

As a proud new member, you’ll be invited to BBQ competitions throughout the Southeast (we’re gunning for you, Memphis), gain entry to private functions hosted by club members and local chefs, and even take a few classes on how to become a part-time BBQ competition judge (black robe optional, but strongly suggested).

Then, finally, in October, thousands will gather as the whole thing comes to a head at the club’s own Atlanta Bar-B-Q Festival (the first of its kind inside the perimeter), where you’ll put your newfound skills to the test by competing against full-on Q joints like Fox Brothers, as well as amateur teams like the venerable Grillmaster Flash.

Thanks for trying out, Flash; see you next season.