So Far So Good in

Kampala, Uganda

...An Employee Association Success 

Story 

A week after Cathy Cliff took over the 

position of general manager of the 

American Recreation Association (ARA) 

in Kampala, Uganda, the American Club 

went into liquidation. The average lifespan of a general manager prior to her 

arrival was between six months and a year. 

As a result, inventories were lost and most 

of the club’s assets were 

missing. The restaurant 

possessed six spoons and 

eight forks. The kitchen 

was functioning with a 

domestic stove with only 

two of the four burners in 

working condition. That 

was 1994. 

 Subsequently, the 

ARA requested a loan 

from the Central 

Commissary and 

Recreation Fund as a last 

ditch effort to resuscitate the lifeless 

association. The loan was approved. With 

the funds in hand, the ARA staff went to 

work to rebuild the association. Having 

the continuity of management and staff 

added much needed stability. Inventory 

controls were put into place. Expenses 

were cut where appropriate. New ideas 

were implemented. Things were changing 

for the better. 

Monthly theme nights such as Mexican, 

Italian, and Thai were introduced. With 

the success of these, the word spread. The 

ARA was called upon to cater a Latin ball 

with over 200 guests, as well as, various 

dinner parties. 

When the Rwanda crisis hit, the ARA 

was approached by a missionary aviation 

company in the neighborhood to 

accommodate their employees. They were 

willing to sleep on the floor as all the 

hotels in Kampala were 

occupied. Although the 

ARA did not operate 

TDY quarters, Cathy 

and her staff quickly 

rounded up bedding and 

utilized some vacant 

space. The Embassy 

also assisted in 

equipping the rooms 

which allowed the ARA 

to charge higher rent. In 

the space of a few 

months, there was 

enough profit to fully furnish all four 

rooms. 

In 1996, the ARA leased the house next 

door, brought down the fence between the 

properties and doubled the club’s grounds. 

The house consisted of four bedrooms and 

after the renovation of the building those 

rooms became even more popular than the 

original four. They transformed the garage 

“Inventory controls were 

put into place. Expenses 

were cut where 

appropriate. New ideas 

were implemented. 

Things were changing 

for the better.” 
into a gym/sauna and purchased gym 

equipment. (Which later became so 

popular, it was doubled in size.) 

Shortly thereafter, two squash courts were 

constructed and a volleyball court was 

added making the facilities very attractive 

in comparison to other clubs in the city. 

In 1998, the ARA was given the option 

of leasing a second adjoining property 

yielding an additional acre. Again, fences 

were brought down to increase the 

grounds. The new area became a space for 

functions such as a monthly flea market 

and the annual July 4th picnic. 

Inside, one of the larger bedrooms in 

the newly acquired space was made into a 

suite with a private bath. A private lounge 

and kitchen facilities were also made 

available. The largest room was converted 

into a conference room for which the ARA 

regularly receives bookings for up to 40 

people for lunch and teas. Cathy believes 

the increase in the club’s restaurant and bar 

sales are the direct result of the popularity 

of the rooms. 

The ARA has built a reputation for 

catering and cocktail parties. Management 

routinely reviews menus to remain 

competitive. They handle everything from 

the meal right down to the tent hire. They 

provide full service equipment rental from 

chairs and tables to silverware and glasses. 

Throughout the transformation of the 

club facility, the ARA also kept its 

commissary and video club afloat. 

Unfortunately, commissary sales are much 

reduced in recent months due to the 

opening of warehouse style supermarkets. 

To that end, the ARA provides a special 

order service through the commissary for 

items not available locally or not in high 

enough demand to stock on the shelves. 

They also share container space with the 

Danish Embassy to cut down on shipping 

and clearance costs. 

Last year, the ARA staff inventoried the 

videotape library and cleared out and sold 

all duplicated and old tapes at the flea 

market. The funds generated were used to 

purchase previously viewed (but recently 

released) tapes from Blockbuster Video at 

an average cost of $8.00 per videotape. 

ARA members were thrilled at the addition 

of over 100 new tapes. 

Cathy and her staff aim to make the best 

of the facilities available to the association. 

Both of the ARA’s tennis courts were 

resurfaced this past year. The swimming 

pool, although old, is kept in good order 

with crystal clear water at all times. The 

grounds are very attractive and the staff 

exudes a warm and welcoming 

atmosphere. 

Sub-committees to the Board of 

Directors work on such issues as capital 

improvements, sport and social events, 

membership, and the commissary. 

Members are encouraged to join 

committees and often participate in 

organizing tournaments, leagues, and 

theme nights. The ARA routinely 

publishes a newsletter and encourages 

members to share their ideas and 

suggestions. 

Today, the ARA consists of a 

commissary, restaurant, snack bar, bar, 

videotape library, guest rooms, tennis 

courts, swimming pool, squash court, gym, 

basketball court, volleyball court, 

horseshoe pits, sauna, conference room, 

and playground. The association also 

provides catering, cable television and a 

massage service. There are thirty-four 

full-time employees. Gross sales for 

calendar year 2000 were nearly one quarter 

of a million dollars in service and sales 

income. So far, so good. 

Special thanks to contributing writer and 

ARA General Manager Cathy Cliff. 

If you have a story to tell, we’d like to 

print it. Please submit details to CRonicle

Editor Annie Cocchiaro by fax (202)663-
1329, email (cocchiaroar@state.gov) or the 

internet (CRLOGON@EROLS.COM). 

They Don’t Sell Many 

Buggy Whips Anymore 

Inventory is Latin 

for the stuff I think 

you’re supposed to 

have in the 

commissary. 

Dahlgren Bros. Store in Onamia, 

Minnesota is where I used to go to get 

groceries when my mom would send me, 

with a list, downtown (two blocks). I 

believe the word commissary is Latin for 

general store, which is what Dahlgren’s 

was in my youth. To me, the word 

inventory had very little meaning until I 

went back to school for accounting. Then 

it simply became a word for an account, 

which in dollar terms defined what a 

business held for sale. 

Dahlgren’s, on the other hand, 

embodied what inventory was. As the 

saying went, “If they don’t have it, you 

don’t need it.”. From ice cream to 

refrigerators and from shoelaces to boots, 

they sold it. If your television was on the 

fritz, Howard had the tube to make it work. 

For nearly one hundred years Dahlgren’s 

provided what was needed in a town of 

600. 

In its day, Onamia was a bustling little 

logging town that boasted at one time 13 

gas stations. Then the white pine ran out. 

Today, there are 1.5 gas stations. Onamia 

is 45 miles from cities of 15,000 and 

50,000 and an hour and a half from the 

Twin Cities. As the highways improved, 

people discovered that they could obtain 

goods not available in Onamia. 

You might not know that Onamia is the 

gateway to Minnesota’s fishing and 

recreation areas. Mille Lacs Lake, the 

Walleye Pike capital of the world, is just 

three miles north of town. U.S. 169 ran 

right through town and past Dahlgrens. 

Business was good until the highway 

department decided to bypass town, if only 

by a few hundred yards. That was the 

beginning of the end and that was over 40 

years ago. Howard and Wesley Dahlgren 

owned land right at the junction of the 

town road and the highway. But, did they 

move out to the traffic? 

Too late now. SuperValu was happy to 

fill a prominent spot along that strip of 

land. 

Howard is gone now and Wesley, at 90 

years old, shuffles around the near empty 

store in which he was born. Wesley’s son 

gave up the business some 20 years ago 

when the elders refused to move out to the 

highway. The store may be empty of 

customers but not of inventory. They 

don’t sell many buggy whips anymore. 

Or, appliances for that matter. But, if it 

has a use-by date, you 

can still find it there. 

Freezer burn doesn’t 

do much harm, but I’d 

watch out for the 

swollen canned goods. 

What’s the moral of 

the story? Pay 

attention to what is going on around you. 

Businesses cannot operate in a vacuum. 

Economic changes are usually gradual and 

the activity of one day, quarter, or year 

may not seem much different than the one 

before. Just because you’ve been the only 

market at the end of a dirt airstrip doesn’t 

mean your customers are always going to 

wait for the bush pilot to return. Markets 

change everyday providing more choices 

to your customers. Embassy personnel, 

even if they are supporting the association 

through deposits and dues, will still be 

looking for the better deal. How will you 

compete? 

The above article was drafted by CPA 

Chuck McShane, CR’s newest Accountant. 
First Impressions Seeing Your Operations Through the 

Eyes of Your Members

A common problem of many hospitality 

and retail managers is the tendency over 

time to develop “tunnel vision”. Either 

you focus on something to the extent all 

other objects around it disappear (me 

watching the news when I come home 

from work, as my wife alleges), or you do 

the complete opposite and look at 

something for so long that you no longer 

notice it (my wife, for instance). 

All joking aside, it takes a concerted, 

but necessary, effort to step back and look 

at your world through another’s eyes, 

specifically those of your members. Each 

day is so full of minor catastrophes, you 

miss the opportunity to see the little things. 

Step back, take a deep breath, and go for a 

walk, with the blinders off this time. As 

baseball hall of famer Yogi Berra once 

said, “You can observe a lot by 

watching.”. 

 To make the most of this exercise, take 

along the following checklist and see how 

you measure up. Consider it a head start 

before we stop by for a visit. (Keep in 

mind, some of the following may not 

apply.) 

EXTERIOR 

 Security wall/fence in good repair – 

painted, no breeches, outside grounds 

well maintained. 

 Security guards neatly uniformed. All 

members greeted and identification 

checked. 

 Landscaping adequately maintained. 

 Parking lot and curbing in good repair 

– no holes, ruts or chipped paint. 

 All lighting (security and ornamental) 

in good repair and functioning - no 

broken fixtures or burned out bulbs. 

 No evidence of clutter – excess 

equipment properly stored. 

 No visible trash – no debris on 

grounds, trash receptacles clean, and if 

possible, out of sight. 

 Outbuildings in good repair – paint in 

good condition and roof in good repair. 

Recreational Facilities 

 Swimming pool – lifeguard or 

“responsible person” on duty, safety 

fencing in place, pool floor and 

decking in good repair, acceptable 

water quality, pool furniture clean and 

in good repair. 

 Tennis courts – surface and equipment 

in good repair - no cracks, holes, 

peeling paint, torn nets. Court free of 

debris. 

Main Building(s) 

 Paint and wood finishes in good 

condition, roof in good repair. 

 Landscaping well maintained - no 

overgrown, dead/sickly plants or 

weeds. 

 Entrances and exits free of clutter and 

easily accessible. 

 Door/window frames and glass clean. 

Tape from postings removed, frames 

free of dirt build-up. 

INTERIOR 

 Walls and flooring clean and in good 

repair - no peeling paint, missing tiles 

or rotting areas. Floor mats used 

during wet conditions to prevent slips 

and falls. 

 Interior lighting functioning. 

 Rest rooms clean, stocked and 

functional. 

Staff 

 Clean and neatly dressed. Uniforms 

should be provided, if possible. 

 Good personal hygiene practices 

evident - skin, fingernails, and hair 

clean, hands kept away from face. 
 Staff demonstrates attentiveness. All 

members met with a smile and 

greeting, any problems resolved 

efficiently and to the members’ 

satisfaction. 

Dining Area(s) 

 Adequate ventilation and air movement 

- no odors or smoke from kitchen. 

 Table linens, if used, are unsoiled and 

in good condition. 

 Tables and chairs clean and in good 

repair. 

 Dishes and utensils clean and in good 

condition - no dirt, chips, or cracks. 

 Menus clean and presentable. Soiled 

or torn menus should be discarded. 

 Background music is suitable and kept 

at an appropriate volume for the 

function. 

 Cleaning programs in place and carried 

out. 

Commissary/Store/Gift Shop 

 Stock merchandised by commodity. 

Non-food items stocked separate from 

food items. 

 No expired merchandise. 

 Product on shelves fronted, leveled, 

and rotated. 

 Shelves clean and free of debris. 

 Aisles free of clutter, all product stored 

at least six inches above the floor for 

proper cleaning and sanitation 

practices. 

This exercise is by no means all inclusive. 

After all, we haven’t peeked into a 

stockroom or opened a single refrigerator. 

I’ll get back to you on that. The idea is to 

take time and attempt to see the members’ 

perspective. Remember, you may have but 

one opportunity to make a good 

impression. Make it a good one. 

 

The above article was drafted by CR 

Operations Officer Rob Whetsel. 

Human Resources 

...Managing the Association’s Most 

Valuable Asset 

In the last issue of 

the CRonicle, we 

featured an article 

on human resources 

that focused on the 

hiring process and 

included procedures 

for executing employee agreements and 

position descriptions. The fact is, you 

spend a great deal of time and often, 

money, recruiting employees. So, how do 

you get the most bang for your buck? Oh 

yes, the other “r” word. How do you 

retain employees? A leading factor in 

retention is job satisfaction. We know 

employees want good pay and benefits. 

We also know employee associations are 

often strapped financially and are unable to 

provide the most competitive wages and 

benefits. So, let’s focus on another way to 

promote job satisfaction. Specifically, 

motivating employees with opportunity. 

The opportunity for training, development, 

and growth. 

A performance based rating system has 

been proven to assist in training and 

developing employees. In order to 

implement a performance based system, 

employees should be provided standards 

for performance. For example, 

commissary staff should be held 

accountable for ensuring that 

damaged/expired goods are routinely 

removed from the sales area. Accounting 

staff should be responsible for meeting 

specified deadlines in preparing financial 

statements and other financial reports. 

Cashiers should be held accountable for 

cash drawers to a predetermined level of 

accuracy. F&B managers should be 

responsible for maintaining acceptable 

food spoilage levels. Every position will 

have minimum acceptable standards. 
Develop and document standards for 

each job. Standards for performance 

should be provided in writing and will 

serve as the basis for conducting annual 

reviews. 

Establishing an annual review process 

can be a fairly simple task once you have 

provided performance standards to 

employees. A timeframe for the rating 

cycle should be determined. Often, a 

calendar year basis works well. You 

should select a timeframe that will allow 

for both preparing the ratings and 

discussing the ratings with each employee. 

In other words, I wouldn’t plan on 

conducting performance discussions with 

employees during the annual audit! 

Next you’ll need to develop a format for 

documenting the review. One simple 

method is to list and rate a series of 

qualities (i.e., dependability, productivity, 

initiative, organizational skills, efficiency, 

etc.). Within each rating, a narrative may 

be included to provide any feedback and/or 

suggestions for improvement. You should 

also allow space for employee comments. 

Once you’ve developed your format, 

provided standards to employees, and 

established the rating period, you’ll need to 

introduce the staff to the rating process so 

they will know what to expect. (Rating 

guidelines should also be incorporated into 

employee handbooks.) Employees should 

be encouraged to use the rating for 

developmental purposes (i.e., identifying 

training and cross-training needs). 

As managers, you have the opportunity 

to use the rating process to reward 

employees. Remember, rewards need not 

always be monetary. Some examples of 

non-monetary rewards might include free 

videotape rentals, a meal ticket in the 

association’s cafeteria, or a free gym pass. 

The fewer the resources, the more creative 

you’ll need to be. But remember, if you 

want to retain employees, recognize them 

for good performance. 

Back Talk 

We heard that... 

While in Accra, Ghana...you 

should take a weekend and 

visit the rain forest. The canopy walk 

above the trees is sure to get your heart 

racing. Accounting Team Leader 

Francisco Lloret walked the canopy (a 

series of rope bridges high atop the trees). 

I wouldn’t look down if you’re afraid of 

heights. Francisco says it’s a once in a 

lifetime experience that he would never do 

again! 

If visiting Warsaw, Poland...you should 

spend a weekend in Krakow. Krakow is a 

college town south of Warsaw. A short, 

and inexpensive, train ride from Warsaw, 

Krakow offers excellent restaurants and 

great shopping. Leather and amber are in 

high quantity and quality. And, the prices 

can’t be beat. 

In Sanaa, Yemen...make time to enjoy the 

fresh fish. Many restaurants let you pick 

the fish you eat. The fish is then cooked 

and served whole with various sides and 

condiments. It’s a treat you won’t soon 

forget. 

In the next issue 

of the CRonicle, 

we will serve up 

a feature article 

on the 2001 

Employee Association Training 

Conference and Trade Show (to 

be held at the Ritz-Carlton at Pentagon 

City Mall in Arlington, Virginia from 

August 27-31). Until then, that’s all folks!