Curling & the Canadian Society of Club Managers

The Canadian Society of Club Managers (CSCM) is an organization dedicated to supporting club managers across Canada. That professional support includes some of the following (excerpted from their benefits package):
  • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT – highly successful seminars, workshops, and conferences both nationally and regionally.
  • INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATION – recognized internationally, The Certified Club Manager (CCM) designation evaluates the ten (10) core competencies of club management.
  • AWARDS – a variety of annual award programs which recognizes member achievements.
  • COMMITTEES, ADVISORY GROUPS and TASK FORCES – sharing your expertise through active participation on committees, advisory groups and task forces is the fastest way to sharpen your management skills and build your leadership profile in the club industry.
  • PURCHASING PROGRAM – from food and beverage to insurance, discount pricing and preferred service arrangements on the products and services members use most are available.
  • PUBLICATIONS – a subscription to Club Manager Quarterly (CMQ) magazine and to CMAA’s Club Management Magazine
  • ANNUAL GM COMPENSATION REPORT – annual survey and report on GM’s salary, bonuses and benefits broken down by club type, revenue, region, and population.
CSCM has asked the Canadian Curling Association to assist with the sharing of their information with club managers in our curling facilities. We attached their membership brochure here. There are a few curling club managers that are members and it is certainly a worthwhile organization to belong to. The sharing of information and the power of the greater organization are useful, and their workshops and seminars are certainly well worth the investment. CSCM also asked to share a letter from Greg Richardson, the general manager of the Carleton Golf & Yacht Club and formerly the general manager of the Rideau Curling Club. Here it is in its entirety: Dear Curling Club Manager or President, As a former Club Manager of the Rideau Curling Club in Ottawa, and a curler myself for the past 30 years, I am very familiar with not only the sport of curling, but the business of curling. I am now a General Manager of a private golf club, a position which I owe largely to the experiences learned in managing a curling club. However I still understand the challenges of a curling club manager, who are tasked with the operation of a curling club as a small business, with only a handful of paid staff, helped along by the volunteer efforts of spirited club members. Though I did my best in that role, making decisions as I felt were necessary with input and approval from the Board of Directors, I always felt that more resources would be helpful to ensure the Members’ received great value, that the club was keeping pace with trends and the club was not put at risk of non-compliance with legislation or other requirements. Within a few months of changing employment positions I was introduced to the Canadian Society of Club Managers, and realized that these resources ARE available to help out clubs, both big and small. Through the strong network of fellow Managers who are Members, valuable educational programming, a quarterly high quality magazine focused on club issues and pertinent reference materials to draw upon, it is the perfect resource for clubs that aren’t able to have their own professionals consult across all disciplines. Plus it provides an opportunity to enhance career path for Club Managers, through the Certification Program offered by CSCM, and a position posting service that can help fill positions at the club, or make you aware of new opportunities. Certainly some curling clubs are already Members, not the least of which is the Calgary Curling Club who won the CSCM Club of the Year Award in 2011 for the Small Club Category. But in case you were like me, and didn’t learn about the CSCM while at a club, please accept this as my reference to strongly consider joining. I would be happy to discuss with anyone who would like to contact me at [email protected], but our best resource is the CSCM National Office, where you can speak with the Manager, Members Services Beverley Benjamin at 1-877-376-2726 ext.239 or by email at [email protected]. Best regards, Greg Richardson, CCM General Manager – Carleton Golf & Yacht Club Vice President – Canadian Society of Club Managers