Entry Clerks – CFA’s Unsung Heroes
Candilee Jackson
Introduction and Definition
Each organization is comprised of its various leaders, project heads and their respective teams who organize and promote the goals and objectives of the enterprise. Within the company are those who carry out the day-to-day processes that significantly ensure all projects run smoothly. The Cat Fanciers’ Association is no different.
“An ‘unsung hero’ is a hero who does valuable, often challenging work without receiving recognition or praise for their contributions. ‘Unsung heroes’ make a significant impact but go largely unnoticed, with their efforts sometimes taken for granted.”1
What Does an Entry Clerk Do?2
Perhaps a better question might be, “What DOESN’T the entry clerk do?” This person is, single-handedly, the cat show’s “go-to” person, the one with most, if not all the answers, and the solutions to many steps of a cat show, from its initial planning stages to its smooth running and finally, the closing out of the show.
Behind the scenes of every CFA show is the entry clerk. This position is vital to show production, and without this knowledgeable person guiding the sponsoring club, virtually nothing would happen. The many responsibilities of the entry clerk may include but are not limited to:
- Creating and disseminating show fliers
- Registering/tracking all show entries
- Collection of entry fees before the show and at check-in
- Finalizing payment for show absentees
- Creating and maintaining the show’s breed summary
- Benching the show, taking note of special requests for medical and mentoring needs
- Ordering show supplies
- Provides first point of contact for anyone interested in the show on any level
- Printing the judges’ books and show catalogues
- Assigning mentors to new exhibitors
- Determining show cage requirements
- Creating judging schedules3
Up Close and Purrsonal: A Spotlight on CFA Entry Clerks
Hailing from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, Nancy Grandison is the retired owner of Balinan Cattery, raising Balinese/Javanese and Orientals. She registered her cattery in 1985 and bred until around 2013. Nancy has been serving CFA as an entry clerk for nearly twenty-five years. Trained by Brenda Wood (one of her local club members), Nancy shared, “Brenda was one of the few in Ontario doing the job, and the need was there, plus I’m always up for a challenge and gaining new knowledge and experience.” Nancy provides services to anywhere from ten to fifteen shows a year and feels that the most essential part of her job is, “Doing my very best to accurately enter the cats, help exhibitors (especially new ones), interface with show management, and essentially make everyone happy. I try to have a quick response to each entry and answer exhibitor emails in a timely manner. Although it can be difficult at times, I try to bench everyone as requested. Happy people make it a successful show!”
Conversely, Nancy reported that the most challenging part of her job is the most essential part: the exhibitors themselves. Exhibitors often assume that an entry clerk is available on the computer 24/7 and expect an immediate response to an entry or benching question. Unfortunately, when an entry or question arrives at midnight or fifteen minutes before closing, an answer will not be provided until typically the next morning.
“The accuracy of entry blanks (forms) is a big problem. The online eCats program has helped, but on new cats, the details that auto-populate based on CFA’s database rarely match what the exhibitor puts on their entry blank,” stated Nancy. She also stated that missing information on entry forms is a problem, especially when the required information is outlined in the show rules, which are available for free.
In 2004, Nancy took an early retirement package from Bell Canada after thirty years in customer service and is currently enjoying knitting. “It’s a great hobby and I sell my work at local craft shows,” stated Nancy.
Andrea Cobb calls Woodstock, Georgia, home, where she is an inventory control lead, a position that requires strong attention to detail. This real-world position is telling because the job of an entry clerk is also a position where attention to detail is vital. Andrea has been an entry clerk for over twelve years. She received her training through Steve Thiefler’s program, following a request from Jacqui Bennett to serve as the entry clerk for Ocicats International. Andrea entry clerks approximately twelve shows per show season. She admitted that the multi-faceted job takes a lot of coordination, but finds “dealing with TRNs (temporary registration numbers) two hours before closing is a standout.” If able to change anything about the entry clerk job description, Andrea stated, “I wish entry clerks were not responsible for TRNs.” Agreeing with Nancy, Andrea noted that “making sure the data is correct” is her main responsibility.
Glendale, California, is home to Boska Cornish Rex, and proud owner Lisa Kuta has been breeding since 2005. Trained by Nancy Thomas-Abbott, Lisa has been serving CFA as an entry clerk for fifteen years. Lisa is a product of her strong educational background, holding a BA in Radio/TV/ Film from California State University, Northridge, and an MA in Communication Management from the University of Southern California. Both degrees are detail-oriented, but Lisa stated that she gained her organizational skills through her high school jobs at a bakery and a library.
Lisa shared that she “was in a small club, and we wanted to be able to cover most of the show tasks between us. Entry clerking looked like it would align with my skill set, so I thought I’d learn and try it out.” She finds that the two most essential parts of her job include “making sure every exhibitor feels heard and welcomed, and ensuring that all the cats are entered.” Continuing, “Almost all other mistakes are somewhat fixable, either during setup or at the show. If I leave a cat out, it makes everything more difficult,” said Lisa.
Lisa finds herself clerking six to eight times per show season and finds the most intense part of her job is “managing all of the questions in a clear and timely manner; questions from exhibitors, and then my questions for the club.”
Lisa is currently employed at Netflix as the global partnership’s commercial operations lead. Before joining Netflix, she worked at Yahoo for over twenty years, primarily in partnerships, as well as in various business analytics and product-oriented roles.
Ideas for Change
Looking at the three entry clerks interviewed for this writing project, each had ideas that could make their job a bit easier.
To better deal with the TRN issue, Lisa stated, “I would love for CFA to have an employee whose job it is to walk new exhibitors through entering. Most new exhibitors who contact me have cats that are eligible for registration but are not yet registered. While we have a robust group of volunteers to help new exhibitors, walking someone through the process of obtaining a registration number, or getting a TRN, and then entering a show often requires either a phone conversation or extensive written correspondence. There isn’t one, simple step-by-step online guide to point them to.”
When asked about having the entire entry clerk process done online, each had differing answers. Both Nancy and Andrea felt that making the process entirely online would eliminate the personal and customer service aspects that could be vital, especially to a new exhibitor.
On the other hand, Lisa stated, “I would welcome this! While there would be a learning curve on using an online system, it would save time and resources as well as speed up scoring the show and catching errors in real-time.”
And a Little Advice
Hundreds of CFA shows are presented around the globe in a single show season, and behind each one is a dedicated hero or heroine, poised over their keyboard, attuned to accuracy, details, and the smooth running of each show. Without them, there is no show. Each of these ladies interviewed leaves you with their “last word”:
- Make sure your cat is entered exactly as it appears on its registration slip
- Read the show flyer before calling the entry clerk with questions about the show
- Don’t ask for substitution, grooming space or benching change on Thursday night before the show – or worse yet, when the clerk is driving to the show hall!
- PLEASE don’t wait until 11:45 pm on closing day to enter!
References
- n.d. “Unsung Heroes” definition.” Web Dictionary. Accessed July 01, 2025. https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/unsung#:~:text=adjective,not%20bringing%20honor%20and%20glory.
- n.d. “CFA New Exhibitors Program.” What Does An Entry Clerk Do? Accessed July 01, 2025. https://newexhibitor.cfa.org/entry-clerk/.
- n.d. “Show Committee – Entry Clerks.” Facebook – CFA Cats. Accessed July 01, 2025. https://www.facebook.com/CFAcats/posts/show-committee-entry-clerkwhile-the-entry-clerk-isnt-always-a-member-of-the-show/959645326196979/.