A club of their own: 75 years after a call to the industry: CMAA continues cause of professionalism: a nationwide call to club managers, including a letter-writing campaign, resulted in the first-ever meeting of what later became CMAA, in January 1927, at the Hotel Sherman in Chicago.

The articles in this issue of Club Management promoting the 75th annual CMAA Conference and Exposition in San Antonio offer all private club management professionals plenty of reasons to attend this year's event. But the announcements cannot begin to match in fervor an editorial penned by Publisher Lynne S. Metcalfe on page seven of Volume X, No. 5 (January 1927) of Club Management. Metcalfe's message began:

"Complete plans are announced for the history-making gathering of club managers of the United States and Canada in the Hotel Sherman, Chicago, January 24th-27th inclusive.

"In these four days, the club manager not only becomes a unit of a noteworthy Association, but he takes the initial step toward helping Club Management realize its five year dream for him -- the award of more power and dignity to his profession.

"In helping to form -- by his attendance in Chicago -- the National Association of Club Managers, every manager paves the way toward:

"1. Recognition as an executive and general manager. 2. Forum for the interchange of ideas. 3. Freedom to operate his club under policies laid down by the committees. 4. A better contract and more scientific basis for covering compensation."

The editorial went on to say, "The manager who reads this is urged to appreciate the fact that this event is for THE MANAGER HIMSELF and is distinct from the interests of other phases of catering and hostelry."

It concluded: "None of the subjects treated in this convention will fail to add prestige to the profession and a greater recognition and power to the manager himself. The campaign to make every manager a "general manager" begun by Club Management is to be carried on by the Association, with the inevitable result that year by year, from now on, will find clubs more prosperous and of greater usefulness in every respect because the men who manage them do so in the fullest sense of the word, and are to be let alone by committees who will be educated by the association to realize their technical limitations.

"So you need the Association, and the Association needs you!"

Ignoring the brazen self-promotion by the publisher Metcalfe -- as publishers are wont to do -- his editorial nonetheless served as a proclamation of the coming of age of a movement borne of the earlier efforts of dedicated club managers. By the time the first Conference attendees had checked into their $3per-night rooms (with private bath), the association was already 100 members strong. That movement has continued to flourish from those very early efforts to take shape as a bastion of service and professionalism in the private club industry.

The Colonel Leads the Charge

Private clubs already had a long and storied history, dating back to 18th Century London before any dedicated effort was made to organize club management as a profession. The growth in the number of clubs, the move of many club boards to go beyond a "club secretary" to a true manager, and the societal trend in the early 20th Century to form fraternal and trade associations provided a backdrop for this effort.

There had been attempts among club managers to organize an association as early as 1914, resulting in the formation of the Club Managers Association of Boston in 1917. Club managers in New York City had made a similar move. By 1920, the two groups had loosely aligned into an organization that they called the Association of Club Managers.

But it was a Chicagoan -- Clinton G. Holden, who preferred to be known as "Col. Holden" -- who served as the catalyst for the launching of the new national association. Holden, the long-time professional manager of the Olympia Fields Country Club, argued for the need for a nationwide association of club managers. He instructed M.H. Stelzer, writing as "Acting Secretary," to begin a letter-writing campaign to encourage club managers around the country to form the National Association of Club Managers.

The first-ever meeting of the group was to be the event at the Sherman Hotel in Chicago mentioned in Metcalfe's editorial. The cost of the Chicago meeting would be underwritten by the Club Equipment and Supplies Exposition, which was already being held in Chicago on those dates.

One hundred club managers -- including nine women -- attended the first convention. Discussion topics included club cost accounting, food service, entertainment, club publicity, greenskeeping, and club budgets and cost control.

By the time the association's second annual convention was held in 1928, membership had increased to 125, and the organization authorized a slight name change to "Club Managers Association of America." At that second convention, Col. Holden left the managers assembled with the directive, "Club managers should learn to work very closely with (club) committees and develop techniques skillful enough to exemplify general managership. Professionalism is an important and major objective."

Facing a burgeoning economy with seemingly unlimited possibilities for growth, CMAA undertook the formation of a national Code of Ethics at its national convention in March 1929 -- a move that would secure its place position in national club management. A second convention was scheduled for November 1929. By that time, CMAA President Barker Smith had died, and the nation's economy was reeling.

It was not until February 1931 that the association met again, during the darkest days of the Depression. Membership was static at 488, which was rather amazing, but the ambitious goal of 5,000 members set two years earlier was a distant memory.

A Code for the Industry

Something that was very much alive was the CMAA Code of Ethics. Its adoption at the convention meant that managers had a touchstone to which they could refer on such issues as club members seeking preferential treatment, the ordering of supplies and services, recruitment of managers from other clubs, and the relationship between club managers, their boards, and the rest of the club's membership.

CMAA was coming into its own. As the New Deal mended the nation's economy, the association grew in membership and stature. By 1941, membership had passed the 600 mark. Then, on Dec. 7, 1941, everything changed.

Club members and staff left to join the military. Many clubs extended courtesy memberships to members serving in the military, which put a strain on club finances. Rationing of tires and gasoline made it difficult for members to even get to the club. Pesticides and fertilizers for course maintenance were scarce, as was gasoline to run mowers. Meanwhile, clubs rose to the challenge of helping in the war effort, assisting the Red Cross, war bond drives, civil defense, and collections of all kinds.

A New Era of Growth

The return of servicemen from World War II began a time of growth for private clubs and for CMAA. The movement of population to the suburbs and the beginning of the Baby Boom led to a breakneck effort to build new clubs and to remodel and expand existing facilities. By the time CMAA held its 20th annual convention in Minneapolis in March 1948, membership rolls had swollen to 775.

By the 1953 convention in Cleveland, membership in the association had passed the 1,000 mark. The increase in the number of clubs and the need for trained managers sparked an effort on the part of CMAA to provide formal, continuing education for private club professionals. In 1955, an experimental five-day educational program was offered to the 1,657 members of CMAA. The program was conducted at the University of Houston.

In 1957, CMAA took another step forward in prominence. Over the years the association had been headquartered in Chicago, at the Cincinnati Country Club following World War II, and in St. Louis. CMAA made yet one more move in 1957 to the nation's seat of power in Washington, D.C. It has remained in the D.C. area ever since.

Edward Lyon, CMAA's second executive secretary wasted no time making the association a repository of knowledge on legal matters, job postings, reciprocal courtesies, and club taxation. The latter item was a particularly significant area. Club dues and other payments were subject to tax rates of as much as 20 percent. CMAA's move to Washington would mark the beginning of a lobbying effort in the area of taxation that would continue for decades.

Standards for the Profession

Horace Duncan organized the 1961 CMAA Convention in Denver that was attended by more than 1,000 people. Duncan would gain a permanent place in the pantheon of contributors to club management, serving as CMAA president in 1967-68 and executive director in 1971.

At the 1961 convention, two major professional development efforts began to take shape. President Kenneth Meisnest presciently told those assembled: "Someday you could have after your name ... CCM, for Certified Club Manager, or some similar designation." Meisnest also suggested the development of training and education for subordinate staff.

Another highlight of the '61 convention took place in the area of club financial management. CMAA, assisted by Philip Stone and the accounting firm of Harris, Kerr, and Forster, offered all members a standardized financial accounting system.

At about the same time, CMAA leadership began a relationship with the military. The Strategic Air Command Award Program was established. The program was eventually expanded to include other military branch officers clubs. CMAA devoted a significant amount of time over the next 20 years to reviewing top military clubs across the country, with the intent of recognizing quality and improving morale. The program also served to integrate military club managers into the association.

In 1961, as CMAA membership passed 2,000 for the first time, the association bylaws were changed to incorporate the certification program. Although the members enthusiastically approved the program, there were still concerns among a significant portion of the membership. Club management was a profession that did not have a formal education requirement and many managers had moved from the "back of the house" without formal degrees. To accommodate those members while at the same time creating a formal academic structure, CMAA introduced a "point" system, which recognized both work experience and classroom training.

"They were attempting to create a balance in the areas of experience, education, and (CMAA) involvement in order to give recognition where recognition was due, but to also measure competence," Horace Duncan said.

The Times They Were a Changin' The '60s saw both growth and change in the club industry and in CMAA. In 1964 the association moved to a larger complex at 1030 15th St. in Northwest Washington. In '65 the IRS finally eliminated the onerous 20 percent excise tax on club dues and fees. By 1966, the number of CCMs had reached 150 and they were formally recognized at Conference. Quieting earlier concerns, 100 of those 150 had not finished college. By the 1967 Conference, the number of CCMs had reached 241, with 61 additional petitioners still in process.

With membership at 2,500 in 1968, as the Vietnam War and other societal change buffeted private clubs, CMAA commissioned a long range task force called Vision '77 to take a look at the services and facilities that the association would require 10 years into the future. The task force's recommendations included such areas as providing increased leisure-time activities to a more affluent and growing population, and the computerization of the industry.

Entering the '70s, the CMAA recognized the need to beef up its educational arm - the Club Management Institute (CMI). To provide academic structure, Dr. Robert Moore of the University of Houston was appointed CMI director on a part-time basis. A full-time director, Paul Gomez of the CMAA headquarters staff, who was named director of educational services, would succeed Moore in 1974.

In 1976, after 49 years of CMAA operating out of leased or loaned headquarters space in various cities, CMAA Executive Director Horace Duncan convinced the CMAA board that owning a property made better sense. CMAA purchased a mansion in Bethesda, MD -- the former Austrian Embassy. The mansion and its sprawling grounds would be the home of CMAA for the next 14 years.

CMAA returned to Chicago for its 50th anniversary. While much of the event focused on the history of the association, there was also forward-looking action taken. It was at this convention that CMAA introduced student membership and began the concept of featuring student chapters at college and university hospitality management programs that included club management curricula.

Growth and successful programs continued at CMAA through the `80s, a decade that began with 3,198 members in the association. But by the end of that decade there was a movement afoot for changes in the organization's structure and its approach to promoting professionalism in club management.

A Sea Change

In 1986 Horace Duncan, CCM decided to step down as executive director. James A. Schuping, a manager with an extensive association background was introduced at the 60th Annual Conference. CMAA's board began to put in place a direction that would carry it forward through the rest of the century.

One of the first decisions made was that the Bethesda, MD location was too distant from the hub of Washington, D.C.-area activity, not to mention being a very expensive cab ride for members coming into town on association business. Schuping convinced the board that a more convenient, productive location would better serve the membership. James Singerling, CCM, CEC, a club manager and an official with the Robert Trent Jones organization, served on the committee that located a site in Alexandria, VA. Singerling was later to become CMAA's executive vice president after Schuping.

CMAA Past President James Goslin was charged with the unenviable task of disposing of the Bethesda property. Fortunately, he found that it was highly desirable. "I was appointed to sell that damn building," he said. "We sold the building for a great profit and were able to build the Taj Mahal we have now." That "Taj Mahal" was a vast improvement over the old headquarters, where offices were located in former bathrooms, storage was put in coat closets, and the remaining space was inefficient and in some instances just plain dangerous.

The money from the Bethesda property was not sufficient to completely fund the new headquarters. A building fund committee raised the remaining funds from individuals, clubs, and corporations.

Another landmark for CMAA came in 1988 with the launching of the Business Management Institute (BMI). Joe Perdue, CCM, CHE was in on the ground floor of the effort to establish BMI. A club manager turned academic, Perdue was at Georgia State University in Atlanta, where he was charged with developing a club management curriculum and beginning what would become BMI.

Chris Borders, CCM, who was then the clubhouse manager at the Atlanta Athletic Club (and today is general manager of that facility), had the original idea for BMI and so the effort to develop the program came to Atlanta. Perdue, who soon made the shift from CMAA member to CMAA staff, developed the curriculum. Today, BMI is a five-level professional program with eight elective programs. It is based at seven renowned hospitality schools.

A Decade of Improvement

In 1990, an era of dynamic new programs, growth, and improved staff service and stability for CMAA began with the appointment of James B. (Jim) Singerling, CCM, CEC as executive vice president (Singerling would later be named CEO/executive vice president).

Kathi Driggs, today senior vice president of CMAA, and a staff member since 1987, had weathered tough times at the association prior to Singerling's appointment. She recalled that the most immediate change with his arrival was his supportive attitude toward the staff. Because Singerling gives staff the tools they need to succeed, the staff has evolved into a team bent on delivering world-class member services. ,

Jay DiPietro, general manager of Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton, FL, nominated Singerling for the position. "Jim's work for CMAA was the best thing that ever happened to this association," DiPietro said. "He has taken the association and given it professionalism, organized the controls, financial matters, the educational programs, the standards, and the relationships with allied organizations. He's put us on the map."

Besides improving traditional avenues of member service, Singerling, working with the Board and staff, launched CMAA into cutting-edge initiatives, such as ClubNet, the association's presence on the Internet, as well as a strategic alliance that allows member club to participate in e-commerce for their club purchasing needs.

Singerling worked to bring the Club Foundation, founded in 1988 to promote research, training, and scholarships within the club industry to the next level. He coordinated staff efforts with those of the board and respected leaders within CMAA to bring The Campaign for Excellence -- the name designated for that effort -- to its goal of $3 million.

"There were many doubting Thomases," Singerling recalled. "To surprise our vendors we first went to our general membership for pledges. By the time we turned to vendors, we already had $1.6 million in cash and pledges from individuals."

With a total membership of 5,706 in 1992, the association recognized its 1000th "CCM." Also during that year, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the U.S. Department of Education recognized CMAA as the benchmark for educational excellence and professionalism in the entire hospitality industry.

Other programs launched during the '90s to provide members with professional development opportunities and with management tools for their club included the expansion of the certification program to offer a "Master Club Manager" designation and the implementation of "Premier Club Services," which during its first offered the groundbreaking Club Operations Manual, and today provides a broad array of services and publications.

Something Worth Celebrating

CMAA entered the 21st Century riding high in membership, programs, and spirit. While Sandra Frappier, CCM, the CMAA president for the 75th anniversary celebration, is the association's first woman president, she has always worked extra hard at whatever she's done so that the focus is on her professionalism and performance rather than gender. That's fitting in an organization in which women have been members and held leadership positions from the very beginning.

As CMAA prepares for its 75th Conference, CEO/Executive Vice President Jim Singerling issued a call to the association's members. "Our biggest challenge is and will be to ensure we meet the industry's needs of our professionals," he stated.

That message is not so different from the first call that was issued to club managers to attend the conference in Chicago in 1927. That CMAA should have grown so exponentially in programs, members, and achievements without straying from the original message espoused by the club professionals who founded it is indeed something worth celebrating.

1927   First convention held in Chicago.

1931   Cooperation with PGA and GCSAA begins.

1935   National Office rents office space in Columbus, OH for $25

1943   No convention due to U.S. involvement in World War II: A special
       issue of Club Management was called the "1943 Convention in
       Print."

1950   Executive Secretary's office operates manager placement bureau.
       Fifty-eight positions were filled in 1949.

1952   Twenty-fifth Anniversary Convention; 800 in attendance out of 971
       members.

1955   CMAA publishes "A Uniform System of Accounts for Clubs."

1957   Headquarters moves from St. Louis to Washington, D.C. Membership
       reaches 1,647.

1962   A bylaw establishing CMAA's certification program was approved at
       Conference.

1966   The Certification Committee announced that there were 150
       Certified Club Managers.

1968   CMAA membership was more than 2,500.

1972   The first issue of the Outlook was published.

1975   Headquarters moved to Bethesda, MD. CMAA installed its first
       computer system.

1978   First CMAA Exposition is successfully held.

1983   A record 1,749 persons attended the Conference.

1986   Laurice T. "Bud" Hall was honored as Club Management's  first
       Club Manager of the Year.

1988   The first BMI program was offered.

1989   James B. Singerling, CCM, CEC was appointed CEO/EVP.

1993   Premier Club Services was launched at Conference.

1994   ClubNet was unveiled at the Conference Opening Business Session.

1998   The International Club Network was announced.

2001   Sandra Frappier, CCM, became CMAA's first woman president.

Much of the material for this article was drawn from "Club Managers Association of America: Celebrating Seventy-Five Years of Service, 1927-2002," by Robert R. Morris, published by CMAA.