Chapter Digest
News for CMAA Leaders: November 2025
In this issue:
Featured Strategy
Featured Strategy: Encourage Your Chapter Members to Participate in the Finance and Operations Survey
CMAA would like to thank Chapter leadership for supporting the most recent request from CMAA and Club Benchmarking (CB) for information for the upcoming Finance and Operations report. Having detailed club financial and operational data will help CMAA at both the Chapter and the National level.
The 2025 Finance and Operations report is currently being prepared by CB. We hope you will continue to encourage your Chapter members to participate as increased sample sizes will ensure data in future reports will be more valuable and reliable. Participation is very easy. Your members just submit a 2024 fiscal-year-end trial balance file online.
All information gathered for this research will remain confidential, and participating clubs will receive a complimentary copy of the newly released report. CB will also offer any club that participates in the survey a free starter-level subscription for their VISTA platform and an online data review session to go over their own club’s benchmarks with a CB analyst.
Robust participation will increase validity and reliability measures and make the data more meaningful to you and your Board. Current Chapter participation rates are listed below. Thank you again for all who have participated as you are making a huge difference by providing meaningful data to formulate strategies and decisions.
|
Chapter |
Count |
Possible |
% |
|
Utah Chapter |
8 |
14 |
57% |
|
Philadelphia & Vicinity Chapter |
43 |
80 |
54% |
|
Aloha State Chapter |
6 |
12 |
50% |
|
Florida Chapter |
178 |
358 |
50% |
|
New England Chapter |
67 |
138 |
49% |
|
Oklahoma-Kansas Chapter |
13 |
27 |
48% |
|
Middle Atlantic Chapter |
31 |
66 |
47% |
|
Tennessee Volunteer Chapter |
14 |
30 |
47% |
|
Texas Lone Star Chapter |
52 |
112 |
46% |
|
Pittsburgh Chapter |
15 |
33 |
45% |
|
Greater Michigan Chapter |
32 |
73 |
44% |
|
Oregon Chapter |
13 |
30 |
43% |
|
Carolinas Chapter |
77 |
181 |
43% |
|
Virginias Chapter |
16 |
38 |
42% |
|
Golden State Chapter |
104 |
248 |
42% |
|
Connecticut Chapter |
28 |
68 |
41% |
|
New York State Chapter |
15 |
37 |
41% |
|
St. Louis District Chapter |
11 |
28 |
39% |
|
Pelican Chapter |
10 |
26 |
38% |
|
Evergreen Chapter |
25 |
66 |
38% |
|
Iowa Tall Corn Chapter |
6 |
16 |
38% |
|
Wisconsin Badger Chapter |
15 |
41 |
37% |
|
Greater Southwest Chapter |
25 |
71 |
35% |
|
Mid-America Chapter |
7 |
20 |
35% |
|
Georgia Chapter |
24 |
69 |
35% |
|
Greater Illinois Chapter |
35 |
101 |
35% |
|
Alabama Chapter |
9 |
27 |
33% |
|
Greater Cleveland Chapter |
15 |
46 |
33% |
|
Mile High Chapter |
17 |
56 |
30% |
|
Upper Midwest Chapter |
13 |
44 |
30% |
|
Metropolitan Chapter |
37 |
143 |
26% |
|
Central Pennsylvania Chapter |
8 |
31 |
26% |
|
Nebraska Chapter |
4 |
16 |
25% |
|
Ohio Valley Chapter |
21 |
85 |
25% |
|
New Jersey Chapter |
17 |
73 |
23% |
|
City of New York Chapter |
6 |
29 |
21% |
|
Arkansas Razorback Chapter |
2 |
11 |
18% |
Chapter Idea Fair Winner
Congratulations to the Alabama Chapter, which won first place in the 2025 Chapter Idea Fair for their idea in the “New Member Recruitment & Onboarding” category. See how they developed an email campaign to attract new members!
The chapter members are enthusiastic about growing the membership and the email has been well received.
Chapter Spotlight
The Johnson & Wales - Providence Student Chapter attended the New England Club Management Association’s Annual Meeting and Scholarship Dinner where two students received scholarships. Congratulations to those winners, pictured here with the CMAA Rally Towel!
We want to hear what your Chapter is doing! Recently hold a fundraiser? Exciting event? Share your Chapter good news via email to goodnews@cmaa.org and you could be featured in an upcoming edition!
- Randy Ruder, CCM, CCE, CMAA Fellow, Named 2025 Club Executive of the Year
- Two Club Management Professionals Awarded Inaugural John & Andrea Dorman Scholarship
- Eight Club Management Professionals Awarded Sally Burns Rambo Scholarship
- Listen to Let’s Talk Club Management, Episode 146: The Evolution of Golf and Golf Cars and Episode 147: Meet Udokamma Ebulu
- November 15-December 2: Chapter Challenge for Giving Tuesday Benefitting The Club Foundation
- December 1: 2026 CMAA Fellows Nominations Due
- December 11: Early Bird Registration Deadline for the 2026 World Conference & Club Business Expo
- December 15: 2026 National Committee Service Applications Due
- Ongoing: Submit Your #CMAARally Chapter Photos and Announcements to goodnews@cmaa.org
New Member Totals
The New Member Recruitment Contest is set up to provide encouragement for CMAA Chapters to increase, maintain, and preserve their membership. This annual contest awards grants to Chapters (in size categories small, medium and large) that surpass, achieve, or are closest to reaching their set membership recruitment goals.
Chapter Management Resources
All Officers: National Committee Calls Are Open—Answer Yours!
CMAA’s National and At-Conference Committees are where ideas take shape and progress happens, and they’re a key part of our leadership and success.
If you’ve renewed your CMAA membership for 2026 and are a Professional or Alumnus member, why not take the next step and volunteer for a National Committee? (And if you haven’t renewed yet, now is the perfect time!)
CMAA is led by members, for members. Committee appointments are thoughtfully made to bring together a mix of voices that represent different Chapters, regions, club types, experiences, and backgrounds.
Your insight and energy can make a real difference.
Chairs
Advocacy/Legislative Chair: IRS Announces 2025 Relief for Employers Regarding Tip & Overtime Income Reporting
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued notice providing relief for employers from penalties related to the recently enacted tip and overtime exemptions from federal taxation. These exemptions were enacted as part of the HR 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The exemptions for qualifying tip and overtime income are retroactive to the start of the 2025 tax year. The IRS previously announced that FY2025 Forms W-2 and 1099 will not be updated to account for the OBBBA-related changes. In this latest notice, the IRS announced that employers will not be penalized for failing to file correct informational returns or for failing to furnish correct payee statements for 2025 only.
The Club Foundation Liaison: Welcome to Giving Tuesday 2025 and the Annual Chapter Challenge!
Each year, the generosity of CMAA Chapters and members fuels scholarships and grants for CMAA professionals through The Club Foundation (CF). Thanks to you, we’ve raised thousands of dollars through past Giving Tuesday campaigns, over $30,000 in 2024.
Mark your calendars, Giving Tuesday 2025 is December 2. Check out last year’s results, Chapter winners, and 2024 donors on the 2025 Giving Tuesday page.
The Chapter Challenge Is On
Every donation made through the Giving Tuesday Chapter Challenge page that lists your Chapter counts toward your total. Chapters that exceed their goal by the largest percentage will earn social media shoutouts and full bragging rights.
Donor Prizes
All donors who give $25 or more will be entered into random drawings for:
- A World Conference & Club Business Expo registration (Education Only) or a Leadership/Legislative Conference (LLC) registration
- Prize hour giveaways throughout the day!
Thank You to Our Generous Prize Hour Sponsors
Communications/Public Relations Chair: Put Your Chapter in the Spotlight
We know your Chapter is doing remarkable things. Share your events, philanthropic activities, awards, and more with the greater CMAA community by submitting your good news to the CMAA Communications Team.
Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis and are used on a space available basis.
Submissions may appear in the Chapter news section of Club Management magazine, as the Chapter Spotlight in Chapter Digest newsletter, or on social media (LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Instagram).
Add these dates to your calendar and make plans to brag on your Chapter in the Chapter News section of the Club Management magazine!
- January/February 2026 Edition—Content Due by November 19 (Space is limited!)
- March/April 2026 Edition—Content Due by February 13
- May/June 2026 Edition—Content Due by March 20
- July/August 2026 Edition—Content Due by June 1
- September/October 2026 Edition—Content Due by July 10
- November/December 2026 Edition—Content Due by September 11
All items should be submitted electronically to goodnews@cmaa.org. Please send high-resolution photographs (300 dpi) as separate graphic files (jpg, png).
For questions, please contact CMAA’s Vice President, Communications & Advocacy Melissa Low, CAE, at 703-739-9500 ext. 286.
Membership Chair: The 2025 New Member Recruitment Contest Ends on December 31
We are in the home stretch for the recruitment contest, and the races are close. See if you can help push your Chapter past the finish line (and beyond!). This has already been an incredible recruitment year… let’s keep on recruiting!
Professional Development Chair: Cybersecurity Staff Training Courses Now Available on CMAA’s Club Resource Center
CMAA’s Club Resource Center (CRC) course line-up offers five new cybersecurity training courses for you and your staff. They include:
- Cybersecurity Overview
- Workplace Security Basics 2.0
- Cybersecurity - Staying Safe Online 3.0
- Social Engineering 2.0
- Introduction to Ransomware 2.0
A subscription to CMAA’s CRC brings a broad scope of online interactive training courses to all your club’s staff. Contact Bob Gould for a full CRC course list or more information.
Student Chapter Liaison: Tell Your Student Members to Join Us at the 2026 World Conference & Club Business Expo!
Registration is now open for the 2026 CMAA World Conference & Club Business Expo, taking place February 17-21 in Anaheim, CA! This event is CMAA’s premier gathering for club management professionals and students alike, offering unmatched opportunities to learn, network, and grow.
Students are encouraged to participate in exciting opportunities such as the Student Chapter and Faculty Idea Fair, Shark Tank, and the new Student Chapter Showcase! These programs are designed to highlight creativity, collaboration, and innovation within CMAA Student Chapters across the country.
Each of these experiences allows students to share their best ideas, showcase their Student Chapter’s achievements, and pitch innovative projects to industry leaders. Whether entering the Student Chapter & Faculty Idea Fair, competing in Shark Tank, or representing their Student Chapter at the new showcase, these opportunities are the perfect way for students to gain recognition, build confidence, and make lasting professional connections.
Wine Society Chapter Representative: Participate in Wine Society Events at World Conference
The CMAA Wine Society is thrilled to announce exclusive events taking place during the 2026 World Conference & Club Business Expo like the Annual Business Meeting featuring Hundred Acre Wines and the 38th Annual Wine Dinner, which will be held at Newport Beach Country Club. Be sure to RSVP and purchase your tickets for these events!