The Club Foundation enjoyed the privilege of hosting its 2005 Faculty Internship recipients during the annual CMAA Legislative/Leadership Conference, held September 10 - 12, 2005.  Ms Lianne Briggs, Ferris State University, Ms. Kathleen M. O'Brien, EdM, CHE, Buffalo State College, Mr. William D. Frye, Ph.D., CHE, Niagara University, and Mr. Paul Wiener, Northern Arizona University attended this special three-day event.  Each intern had the unique opportunity to join scheduled sessions and to interact with chapter leaders.  Mr. Frye observed, “The Club Foundation faculty internship experience is an invaluable opportunity to learn more about CMAA and the profession of club management. I encourage each hospitality school to have at least one faculty member apply for the internship so they can serve as the point person in their respective schools on club management issues and education.”

As interns, faculty members are provided with a comprehensive view of the private club industry by means of a three-day orientation, followed by extensive hands-on experience in private clubs.  This experience is extremely valuable because it provides an in-depth understanding of the club environment .  Thus, each intern is able to greatly enhance the club management aspect of the existing hospitality curriculum.  Mr. Wiener remarked, “To me, the whole experience was another demonstration of the way CMAA operates: thorough, complete and a devotion to excellence.   CMAA provided a complete view of the organization’s operations and committed substantial time and resources to making the presentation thorough.  Most organizations would do a ‘once over lightly’, but that is not the way CMAA does things.  That is in line with the rigor and quality of the CCM process and the BMI program.”

Friday morning the interns gathered at CMAA National Headquarters for a welcome breakfast and time to mingle with each other.  The rest of the day was devoted to detailed presentations given by all CMAA sections; the interns were inundated with comprehensive information pertaining to each department’s role within CMAA.  As an added bonus, interns received a notebook with brochures and handouts from the various departments and were supplied with more than 20 books for use in conjunction with the existing hospitality curricula at their respective institutions.  “I found the Faculty Internship to be extremely useful.  Now I have a better understanding of what each department at CMAA headquarters does and can better direct my requests for assistance,” noted Ms. Briggs.

The day ended with a tour and dinner hosted by Ms. Sandy Howland and Mr. Thomas Rodebaugh at the Metropolitan Club – Washington.  The tour was absolutely fabulous and the staff was extremely generous with their time and knowledge.  Ms. Howland and Mr. Rodebaugh graciously served as “docents” and escorted the interns throughout the club offices, the wine cellar, the kitchen, dining rooms, library, and recreation rooms.  The evening concluded with a wonderful four-star dinner.  The Metropolitan Club staff was extremely professional, amenable, and accommodating of the faculty.   The evening provided the interns with a wealth of information and they were very excited at the prospect of sharing this information with their students.

The group of faculty interns then spent Saturday morning at the Chevy Chase Club with Mr. Luke O’Boyle, CCM, General Manager.  Mr. O’Boyle was extremely generous with his time and escorted the interns through the business offices, kitchens, dining rooms, and recreational building.  Needless to say, the tour provided the interns with an excellent “behind the scenes” view of a country club.  Ms. O’Brien stated, “The tours of the Metropolitan Club in D.C. and the Chevy Chase Club in Maryland were outstanding.  Club Managers Thomas E. Rodebaugh, CCM and Luke A. O’Boyle, CCM shared their unique professional experiences with the faculty interns.  They ranged from the challenges of construction projects to sustaining quality service that members want.  These experiences can be translated into valuable lessons for effective teaching in the classroom.”  

The remainder of the interns’ time was consumed with attending various education sessions and socializing with other CMAA members and national staff.   Needless to say, the interns were greatly impressed with the knowledge they gained and excited about the prospect of implementing this valuable information into their class lectures.  Mr. Frye said, “As evidenced by my faculty internship experience, the professionals of CMAA and The Club Foundation stand ready to assist hospitality educators to grow the emerging field of private club management as a recognized and accepted alternative for students to more traditional hotel and commercial restaurant management opportunities.”