CONSTITUTION
“SERVICE THROUGH FRIENDSHIP”
CONSTITUTION
(As at 14 July 2007)
1. NAME
1.1 The Society shall be called “Society of the Golden Keys of Australia” (Les Clefs d’Or Australia), and is hereinafter referred to as the Society.
2. PLACE OF BUSINESS
2.1 The Society’s place of business shall be
PO Box Q1199 QVB Post Office
Sydney NSW 1230 Australia
Or any other address deemed agreeable by all members of the Society.
2.2 It shall be an address for postal purposes only and shall not be used as a place to conduct business.
3. AFFILIATION
3.1 The Society shall be affiliated with the U.I.C.H. Union Internationale des Concierges d'Hotels "Les Clefs d'Or", whose headquarters are at 12 rue Cambon, 75001 Paris, France.
4. OBJECTIVES
4.1 To promote goodwill and friendship between the Concierges of Australia, New Zealand and the Oceania area, and also between Concierges and members of Les Clefs d’Or throughout the world.
4.2 To select and enrol new members for the society.
4.3 To encourage prospective new members to work under the guidance of existing members of Les Clefs d’Or Australia to provide them with first-hand exposure to the workings of Les Clefs d’Or.
4.4 To seek potential courses to educate younger members of the Concierge profession, so as to encourage their professionalism and maturity for when they become members.
4.5 To seek recognition as a cohesive body within the Hospitality and Tourism Industry, fully aware of the needs of the visitors to our hotels, our cities and our country.
4.6 To maintain the best possible service for our hotel guests.
4.7 For each state branch to meet at least three (3) times annually to exchange views and to discuss matters in the development of the Concierge profession and the hotel and tourist industry.
4.8 To promote high professional standards for all concierges in accordance with the Society’s Code of Ethics.
5. PROPENSITIES
5.1 The Society shall have no racial, political, trade union or religious tendencies.
6. MEMBERSHIP
6.1 There will be four (4) categories of membership:
6.1.1 Active Members
6.1.2 Non-Active (Unattached) Members
6.1.3 Retired Members
6.1.4 Honorary Members
6.1.1 Active Members
a. An Active Member is a person who is currently employed in a Hotel of 3, 4 or 5 stars as defined by New Membership Statutes, or a member who has been unemployed for a period of less than one (1) year, but who is actively seeking concierge related employment.
b. An Active Member is eligible to attend, and should attend, any meeting called by the Executive Committee (Section 8) of the Society, that is, regular meetings and / or the Annual General Meeting.
c. An Active Member is an ambassador of the Society and should conduct him / herself accordingly. Invitations to attractions and functions should be attended by as many members as possible and reviewed at the next Les Clefs d’Or meeting.
6.1.2 Non-Active (Unattached) Members
a. A Non-Active (Unattached) Member is deemed to be someone who resigns from, or is made redundant from his/her position, and has not held the position of Chief Concierge, or Assistant to the Chief Concierge for a period of one (1) year.
b. Members who fail to notify the Executive Committee of employment change and address changes will be deemed Non-Active (Unattached) Members after eight (8) weeks.
6.1.3 Retired Members
a. When an Active Member retires from active duties in the hotel industry, he / she will automatically become a Retired Member.
b. A Retired Member will assume the rights of Honorary Members (Section 6.1.4).
c. A Retired Member will not have to pay annual subscriptions.
d. A Retired Member is not permitted to be elected to, or hold a position on, the Executive Committee.
e. Retired Members may be elected to other non-executive positions within the Society.
6.1.4 Honorary Members
a. Honorary Membership to Les Clefs d’Or International will only be recommended for services to Les Clefs d’Or over and above the call of duty. The recommendation for such honorary membership must be initiated by an Active Member.
b. Honorary Membership to Les Clefs d’Or Australia must be recommended by an Active Member of the Society for services to Les Clefs d’Or in particular, and to the tourism Industry in general. The nominator is required to present a detailed background of a nominee, addressing the following areas, at the Annual General Meeting. The nominee’s history of personal involvement in Les Clefs d’Or, the nominee’s history of support for Les Clefs d’Or and the nominee’s potential to provide future support to Les Clefs d’Or.
6.2 New Active Members
6.2.1 At the time of application, the prerequisite time frame to have been served in the Hotel Industry is to be five (5) consecutive years and the applicant is to be currently employed in the hotel industry.
6.2.2 The prerequisite time frame to be served in the position of Chief Concierge is to be three (3) years or in the position of Assistant Concierge five (5) years.
6.2.3 In considering the prerequisite time of service for membership to the Society, the length of service in the hotel industry and the applicant’s position can be concurrent.
6.2.4 Applicants must be currently employed in a 3, 4 or 5 star rated hotel.
6.2.5 A letter of recommendation from two (2) active members (one being the applicant’s Chief Concierge where applicable), whose signatures appear on the application form, is required. The Executive Committee are able to waive the requirement that prospective new members in geographically isolated areas be sponsored by two (2) active members. Such affected prospective new members must have at least one (1) sponsor.
A letter of support from the applicant’s current General Manager must be provided AFTER a successful interview and should NOT accompany the application form. Applicants should be instructed by the members recommending them, and the State Delegate, as to the levels of professional development expected by the Society. The recommending members should also prepare prospective members for their interview.
6.2.6 A statement of purpose by the new applicant on how he / she proposes to serve the Society should accompany the application.
6.2.7 An applicant must present himself / herself to the Interviewing Committee (Section 6.3) on the date set down for evaluation, at his / her own expense.
6.2.8 The results of the interview will be notified to the applicant by the President, in writing, within two (2) weeks of the interview date. A copy of the letter will also be sent to State Delegates (Section 7) so arrangements can be made for the presentation of keys if the application has been successful.
6.2.9 After acceptance of an application for membership an account will be sent to the new member requesting payment to the Society of an entrance fee and an annual subscription. Upon receipt of the fees the applicant becomes an Active Member of the Society and is entitled to all the benefits and privileges of membership, and is immediately bound by the Constitution of the Society. The new Active Member shall be given a copy of the Constitution of the Society and he / she shall be deemed to have full knowledge of the provisions thereof. Uniform keys, a social badge, a uniform tie and a Certificate of Membership will be issued to each new member.
6.2.10 If such entrance and subscription fees are not paid within one (1) month from the date of such request, the acceptance of the application for new membership becomes void.
6.2.11 Successful applicants will be reviewed by all members at the next Annual General Meeting.
6.2.12 Unsuccessful applicants will only be eligible to re-apply for membership of the Society one (1) year from the date of the unsuccessful interview.
6.2.13 The uniform of the Society is a plain black suit (or skirt), plain white shirt, monogrammed tie (or scarf), as approved by the Executive Committee, and black shoes.
6.3 Interviewing Committee
6.3.1 An Interviewing Committee will be elected bi-annually at the Annual General Meeting to screen new applicants for membership.
6.3.2 The Interviewing Committee should consist of four (4) Active Members who will elect a Chairperson from within their ranks. A quorum of three (3) Interview Committee members is required to conduct interviews. The Interview Committee is permitted to second an additional Active Member to assist with interviews in order to meet quorum levels.
6.3.3 No current member of the Executive Committee (Section 8) will be eligible to sit on the Interviewing Committee.
6.3.4 For practical reasons, the Interviewing Committee will be based in Sydney.
6.3.5 State Delegates (Section 7), in conjunction with local Active Members, should screen all new applicants and recommend them to the Interviewing Committee by way of a referral letter.
6.3.6 Interviews are to be conducted throughout the year as new applications are received. No new members are to be accepted at the Annual General Meeting unless sufficient time has elapsed between their successful interview and the AGM for all the requirements of membership to have been fulfilled. New members who have not fulfilled all the requirements of membership will be presented at the subsequent Annual General Meeting.
6.3.7 The Interviewing Committee will undertake the following when considering applications for membership:
a. Research applicant’s work history over the past five (5) years.
b. Check character references with at least six (6) people who are in close contact with the applicant during the applicant’s normal course of duties, for example, employees from the applicant’s hotel, tour operators and representatives from companies delivering services to the hotel.
c. Maintain the confidentiality of applications for membership at all times.
6.3.8 The Interviewing Committee will report to the Executive Committee the outcome of any membership interviews conducted with applicants, after which time a joint decision will be made about the applications.
6.3.9 The Interviewing Committee and the Executive Committee are empowered by all members of the Society to grant or refuse the right of entry to the Society. The decision of these Committees shall be final. The Committees are not obliged to assign any reason whatsoever for the rejection of any application.
6.4 Rights and Privileges of Active and Retired Members
6.4.1 Only Active and Retired Members shall have the right to vote. Active Members may hold any office within the Society. Retired Members may hold any non-executive office within the Society.
6.4.2 All members shall have the right to wear the Golden Keys insignia on his / her uniform.
6.4.3 Any use of the insignia or symbols of the Society must have the approval of the Executive Committee.
7. STATE DELEGATES
7.1 The Society at its Annual General Meeting (Section 9) will elect State Delegates to represent and promote the Society for two (2) years.
7.2 Delegates will be elected for the following states:
Queensland
Victoria
South Australia
Western Australia
7.3 It will be the responsibility of State Delegates to conduct regular meetings of Society members in their respective States, with at least three (3) meetings to be held annually. Minutes of these meetings shall be sent to the Secretary of the Society for recording purposes.
7.4 State Delegates shall be required to submit a bi-monthly report to the Executive Committee. This report should be received by the Secretary within one (1) week of their respective meeting date.
7.5 If a member of the Executive Committee resides and works in a State outside New South Wales that person would automatically assume the role of State Delegate for that State
8. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
8.1 The management of the Society shall be vested in the Executive Committee, the members of which shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting for a period of two (2) years.
8.2 The Executive Committee shall comprise the following:
A President
A Secretary
A Treasurer
8.3.1 Names for the aforementioned offices shall be proposed and seconded by voting members at each alternate Annual General Meeting and election will follow by secret ballot.
8.3.2 No members shall hold two offices at the same time, with the exception of the positions of Secretary and Treasurer which may be combined into the one office, with the consent of the Annual General Meeting.
8.3.3 All officers may be re-elected to the same or related posts for consecutive terms.
8.4.1 Voting on all matters pertaining to the Constitution of Les Clefs d’Or Australia shall be by a majority vote of at least two thirds (2/3) of members present at the Annual General Meeting.
8.4.2 Unless otherwise specified in these rules, all matters put to a vote at any meeting shall be decided by a simple majority vote of members.
8.4.3 In the event of an equality of votes, the President shall have a casting vote in addition to his / her own vote.
8.4.4 Scrutineer(s) shall be appointed to oversee the balloting.
8.4.5 Members eligible to vote must have their subscription fees paid and current at the time of voting or they shall not be allowed to vote.
8.5.1 The duties of the Executive Committee are as follows:
a. To organise and supervise the daily activities of the Society.
b. To make decisions on matters affecting the running of the Society when the General Meeting is not sitting.
8.5.2 The Executive Committee may not act contrary to the wishes of members expressed at General Meetings when the General Meeting is not sitting.
8.6 The Executive Committee shall have the power to co-opt any Active Member to fill any vacancy in the Executive Committee, and that member so appointed shall hold the position until the next Annual General Meeting.
8.7.1 The Executive Committee may appoint a sub-committee to be constituted as the Executive Committee deems fit and may delegate to that sub-committee such part of its duties or powers as the Executive Committee deems fit.
8.7.2 Those members appointed to sit on a sub-committee shall attend sub-committee meetings and assist in carrying out the decisions made at such meetings.
8.8.1 The President shall act as Chairman at all general and committee meetings.
8.8.2 The President shall represent the Society in its dealings with all outside persons, or delegate any other current, elected, office bearer where these dealings would be better dealt with by that person.
8.9.1 The Secretary shall keep all records, including financial, of the society and shall be responsible for their correctness.
8.9.2 The Secretary shall keep all minutes of general and committee meetings.
8.9.3 The Secretary shall maintain an up-to-date register of members at all times.
8.9.4 The Secretary has the authority to appoint 2 or 3 members to assist him / her as required.
8.10.1 The Treasurer shall keep all funds and collect and disburse all monies on behalf of the Society.
8.10.2 The Treasurer shall keep an account of all monetary transactions and shall be responsible for their correctness.
8.10.3 The Treasurer is authorised to spend up to one thousand dollars ($1,000) for petty expenses on behalf of the Society.
8.10.4 The Treasurer shall deposit all excess monies into a bank account to be named by the Executive Committee.
8.11.1 Cheques drawn in the name of Les Clefs d’Or must be signed by two (2) members of the Executive Committee.
8.12.1 All members of the Executive Committee absenting himself / herself from three (3) consecutive meetings without satisfactory explanation shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the Executive Committee, and a successor may be co-opted by the Executive Committee to serve until the next Annual General Meeting. Any change in office bearers of the Executive Committee shall be notified to the Secretary General of Les Clefs d’Or International in Paris within one (1) month of the change.
9. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)
9.1 The Annual General Meeting shall be held as soon as possible at the beginning of each new financial year.
9.2 At least ten (10) days notice shall be given in writing to all members eligible to vote for the Annual General Meeting.
9.3 The functions of the Annual General Meeting are:
a. To consider and confirm the minutes of the last Annual General Meeting and of any other intervening Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) (Section 10);
b. To consider the Auditor’s Report, the Report of the Committees and any other report(s);
c. To consider financial statements of the previous financial year;
d. To consider and adopt any amendments to the constitution;
e. To elect members of the Executive Committee, and any current Sub-Committee;
f. To appoint an Auditor for the next financial year;
g. To transact any other business of which due notice has been given by the Secretary.
9.4 An Annual General Meeting of the Society may only transact business if two-thirds (2/3) of the Active Members are in attendance. If there is not such a quorum the Annual General Meeting shall be deemed invalid and another General Meeting shall be called by the Executive Committee within three (3) months.
9.5 The Supreme Authority of the Society shall rest with the membership of the Society convened at the Annual General Meeting before the President.
9.6 Members are expected to wear their uniform at any official Les Clefs d’Or meeting or function.
10. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING (EGM)
10.1 An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called at any time by the Executive Committee, or on written request of at least fifty percent (50%) of members eligible to vote, ten (10) days before such meeting shall be convened, and stating the objects of the meeting.
10.2 An Extraordinary General Meeting of the Society may only transact business if two-thirds (2/3) of the Active Members are in attendance. If there is not such a quorum the Extraordinary General Meeting shall be deemed invalid and another Extraordinary General Meeting shall be called by the Executive Committee.
11. BI-MONTHLY OR QUARTERLY MEETINGS AND AGENDA
11.1 If a member does not attend fifty percent (50%) of the meetings of the Society he / she shall be deemed “Non-Active” and shall forfeit all rights of membership as decided by the Executive Committee.
11.2 Any member who wishes to place an item on the agenda of a meeting may do so provided he / she gives notice to the Secretary two (2) weeks prior to the meeting being held.
12. RESIGNATION AND REMOVAL OF MEMBERS
12.1 Any member of the Society wishing to resign his / her membership must so advise the Secretary of the Society in writing. This member shall continue to be liable for any subscription or other debt due and unpaid at the date of his / her resignation. Upon confirmation of such resignation from the Society the member shall surrender any property of the Society in his / her charge and remove the Golden Keys insignia or the Society’s dress pin from his / her uniform immediately. The insignia of the Society shall be removed from all stationery and words “Les Clefs d’Or” shall be removed from any printed material, such as business cards etc
12.2 Any member of the Society who, in the opinion of the Executive Committee and in conjunction with the relevant State Delegate, is deemed to have been guilty of conduct prejudicial to the interests of the Society or in breech of the Society’s Code of Ethics (Section 14), may have his / her membership of the Society revoked. A resolution seeking the removal of such membership must be presented to a meeting of members and shall be carried if the support of not less than two-thirds of those members present and voting is achieved.
12.3 Any member who is more than three (3) months in arrears with the payment of his / her annual subscription or any other fee which may have been levied by the Society and who has been served three (3) notices of demand shall be deemed to have had his / her membership revoked immediately.
12.4 Any member of the Society whose membership is terminated due to disciplinary removal, resignation or any other cause shall immediately relinquish his / her rights to wear the Golden Keys insignia or the Society’s dress pin, and his / her rights to display the terms “Les Clefs d’Or” or “Golden Keys”, which are the property of the Society and which shall not be used without its consent in any form.
12.5 Any member of the Society who leaves the profession of Concierge shall cease to be a member of the Society after twelve (12) months from the date of his / her last day of service, except for disciplinary removal where membership shall cease immediately.
12.6 Members who resign or who are expelled from the Society shall not have any claim to the subscriptions already paid, or part thereof.
13. REINSTATEMENT OF MEMBERSHIP
13.1 Members who have been expelled from the Society may apply for reinstatement of membership after a period of not less than twelve (12) months from the date of expulsion. The application shall be considered by the Executive Committee and the decision will be decided on a simple majority vote.
13.2 Ex-members who wish to re-apply for membership to the Society must write to the Australian Executive Committee stating his / her reasons for re-applying and what future contribution he / she intends to make to the Society. This application should be accompanied by a letter of support from the applicant’s current General Manager. Before an application is accepted, the Executive Committee must notify all active members of the Society via the State Delegates and monthly meetings calling for objections. Once the Executive Committee is satisfied the application is in order and all members have been given ample time to provide feedback, the Executive Committee, in absolute discretion, will make their decision and notify all members via the State Delegates and monthly meetings.
14. CODE OF ETHICS
14.1 Preamble
The objective of a hotel concierge is to deliver the highest level of professional service to his or her customers, including guests, colleagues, employers, subordinates and suppliers, regardless of circumstances. It is paramount that a concierge conducts him or herself with unquestioned integrity at all times.
The commitment of a member of Les Clefs d’Or Australia is to value and adhere to the ideas and principles set forth in our code of ethics. (It is recognized that this code is subject to interpretation and is not necessarily all-inclusive.)
14.2 Code of Ethics
• A concierge must at all times act within the law and not condone, engage in, or defend illegal conduct or practices.
• A concierge should only recommend a product or service after carrying out an objective, independent assessment to evaluate the quality of the product or service and its appropriateness for his or her customers. Products and services should never be recommended on the sole basis of benefit to the concierge. Any benefits a concierge receives for recommendations made should be transparent and shared with the concierge’s team. A concierge should not demand benefit for recommending, or promising to recommend, any product or service.
• A concierge should fully explain to guests all products and services recommended, divulging the full cost of any such product or service.
• A concierge should only ever communicate in a polite, courteous, respectful and helpful manner.
• A concierge should empower the members of his or her team by ensuring they are sufficiently trained, informed and motivated to be able to offer consistent, high levels of service at all times.
• A concierge should follow up all requests, inquiries and invitations in a timely manner.
• A concierge should honour all commitments he or she makes.
• A concierge should only wear the crossed golden keys insignia of Les Clefs d’Or if he or she is entitled to do so.
• A concierge should not disparage a colleague publicly.
The aim of members of Les Clefs d’Or Australia is not only to serve their customers but to exceed their customers’ expectations. This can be achieved by sharing ideas and experiences, thus enhancing our knowledge base, enabling members to deliver ever-higher levels of service - that is in
“SERVICE THROUGH FRIENDSHIP”
15. FEES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
15.1 The entrance and annual subscription fees may be determined by the Executive Committee from time to time but the rate of subscription must be ratified at a General Meeting before it can come into effect.
15.2 Any member elected into the Society after July 1 in any year shall only be liable for one-half the annual subscription which prevails at the date of his / her admission.
15.3 Annual subscriptions shall fall due on January 1 of each calendar year and must be paid by March 31 of the same year.
15.4 The fees are set down by the membership of the Society in attendance at the Annual General Meeting. Any increase in fees shall be by a unanimous decision of the membership.
The fees as at July 2007 are:
Entrance Fee $250.00
Entrance Fee includes: set of uniform keys, social badge, uniform tie, membership book and certificate of membership.
Annual Subscription $150.00
15.5 Should a levy need to be raised in addition to the annual subscription, members shall be advised in writing by the Secretary one (1) month prior to the due date. Any such levies deemed necessary by the Executive Committee will need to be ratified by the members in General Meeting.
16. AUDIT
16.1 Two (2) voting members who are not members of the Executive Committee will be elected at each alternate Annual General Meeting as the Society’s Honorary Auditors and they shall hold office for two (2) years only and shall not be re-elected for consecutive terms. Alternatively a qualified public accountant may be appointed. The auditor(s) shall be required to audit each year’s accounts and to present a report on them to the Annual General Meeting. They may also be required by the President to audit the Society’s accounts at any date for any period within their tenure of office and to present a report on them to the Executive Committee.
17. FINANCIAL YEAR
17.1 The Financial Year of the Society shall be from July 1 to June 30.
18. BOOKS OF ACCOUNT
18.1 The financial records, books and statements of the Society shall be available to any member, upon that member’s written request to the Executive Committee, at least forty eight (48) hours prior to inspection.
19. MEMBERSHIP REGISTER
19.1 The Secretary shall maintain an up-to-date Register of Members which shall be made available to any member of the Society upon request.
20. CORRESPONDENCE
20.1 All communications issued by the Society shall be signed in the name of the President, by the Secretary, or by two members of the Executive Committee. In the case of correspondence relating to the financial affairs of the Society, such correspondence shall be signed by the Treasurer. All communications by the members to the Society shall be addressed to the Secretary at the place of business of the Society.
21. PROHIBITIONS
21.1 The Society shall not indulge in any political activity or allow its funds and / or premises to be used for political purposes.
21.2 The Society shall not engage in any trade union activity as defined in any written law relating to trade unions.
21.3 The Society shall not attempt to restrict or interfere with trade, or make, directly or indirectly, any recommendation to, or any arrangements with, its members which has the purpose, or is likely to have the effect, of fixing or controlling the price, discount, allowance or rebate relating to any goods or services to be supplied.
21.4 The Society shall not raise funds from the public for whatever purposes without the prior approval of a majority of members in General Meeting.
22. AMENDMENTS TO RULES
22.1 No alterations, additions or deletions to these rules shall be made except by the membership in attendance at a General Meeting.
23. INTERPRETATION
23.1 In the event of any question or matter arising out of any point which is not expressly provided for in the rules, the Executive Committee shall have discretionary powers to resolve the matter. The decision of the Executive Committee shall be final unless it is reversed by a majority of members at a General Meeting.
24. DISSOLUTION
24.1 The Society shall not be dissolved except with the consent of not less than two-thirds of the eligible members of the Society, voting either in person or by proxy at an Extraordinary General Meeting expressly convened for the purpose.
24.2 In the event of the Society being dissolved as provided, all debts and liabilities legally incurred on behalf of the Society shall be fully discharged, and the remaining funds shall be distributed to members on a pro-rata basis determined by the number of months of membership served with the Society, or the monies may be donated to an approved charity.
24.3 The Notice of Dissolution of the Society shall be furnished to the Registrar of Societies within seven (7) days of the dissolution having been ratified by members at the Extraordinary General Meeting.
