Something worth celebrating. (Perspective).

I've been publisher of this magazine since November of 1989. Going into our office library and reading through bound back issues of Club Management dating back to 1922, I am honored, awed, and sometimes amused by the company of the previous Club Management publishers in which I find myself.

The first issue of Club Management was published in March of 1922 and the publisher was Lyne Metcalfe. In the 1930s he turned over the reins to C.A. Patterson, who ceded control to Donald Clark of Commerce Publishing in 1940. Wes Clark, Johnson Poor, and Eldon Miller followed Donald. I was and am personally familiar with two of these gentlemen; the late Wes Clark -- who could be quite statesmanlike with whom I made a business deal that turned very well for both of us -- and Eldon Miller, who remains a dear friend and colleague to this day.

I get a tremendous kick out of Donald Clark. Club Management did an excellent job of covering the club waterfront during his tenure, but the magazine also did something that is at least unusual in retrospect. I cannot imagine myself running photos of tropical beaches, passenger trains, and beautiful women on the cover, apropos of nothing -- which happened frequently on Donald's watch. On one Club Management cover in the early `50s, Donald's editor ran a beach shot showing comely women in two-piece swimsuits. The "On the Cover" description inside the magazine explained that the photograph had come from a Texas magazine that specialized in beautiful photos of nature, and that these women were absolutely beautiful, and were most assuredly part of nature. Today it's somewhat amusing, but it was certainly not one of our editorial high spots.

The other publisher with whose editorial gumption I'm both impressed and amused is Lyne Metcalfe. He was the founding publisher of this magazine. Metcalfe had a vision of professionalism and education for private club managers that he espoused from the beginnings of Club Management. With that vision apparently came a fairly well developed ego as well. In a call to action in written prior to the first club managers' convention in Chicago in 1927 (see "A Club of Their Own", page 00 of this issue), Metcalfe took a lot of credit for the groundswell of activity toward that led to that first convention.

Obviously the leadership among club managers themselves had not been sitting around twiddling their thumbs. There had, and would be, a lot of politicking, a nationwide letter-writing campaign and many other efforts that would assure the success of that first convention and the Hotel Sherman in Chicago. Metcalfe was not the first (and certainly not the last) publisher to realize that when you buy ink by the barrel, it sometimes doesn't hurt to save a little bit for yourself.

But this magazine was indeed involved in supporting the effort that led to the launching of CMAA 75 years ago, and that is the tradition which I am proud to inherit: The opportunity to serve as a partner with an incredible organization of industry professionals who are dedicated to helping one another, upholding ethical standards, and promoting education within their industry.

In the last dozen years I have witnessed and have had the privilege of helping to expand club manager awareness through the magazine of such new initiatives as Preferred Club Services, the Club Foundation Campaign for Excellence, the Master of Club Management program, and ClubNet, just to name a few.

It was very shortly after our company began its relationship with CMAA that CEO/Executive Vice President Jim Singerling came on board. While I've been very impressed with Jim from the beginning, I'm constantly amazed (although I shouldn't be) at the innovative ideas that he brings forward and the steadily rising stature of CMAA in the eyes of the association and governmental community, and in the eyes of the general public. He did this by building a strong staff team and by inspiring participation by CMAA members and cooperation among allied organizations.

It has also been a rewarding lesson in people management for me to watch Jim take the solid, but dispirited core crew that he inherited and mold it into an enthusiastic, service-delivering team. That change was accomplished by providing the encouragement and resources that CMAA staffers needed, when they needed it.

Through it all, my close contact and personal friend on the CMAA staff has been Senior Vice President Kathi Driggs. Kathi and her crew have provided us with accurate, timely information in a cooperative spirit that has made them a joy to work with. Kathi and I have also kept up with one another on our respective families and have traded battle stories over the years. The two of us have a running joke: We always promise that we're going to meet for a drink at Conference. Between Kathi dashing throughout the Conference sometimes with two two-way radios and a cell phone going at the same time -- and my own schedule at Conference, we have managed that feat exactly twice.

Last, and most important, I am thankful for the many leaders and members of CMAA, both living and those no longer with us, who have shared their insight, enthusiasm, humor, and friendship with me and the rest of our staff over the last 12 years. It is you CMAA members, through your dedicated involvement, who are ultimately responsible for bringing CMAA to the pinnacle of achievement it enjoys today.

Congratulations to all CMAA members and staff from your partners at Club Management magazine on 75 years of achievement and professionalism. It's certainly something worth celebrating.