SKÅL INTERNATIONAL MALTA
Doing Business among friends
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What is SKÅL
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THE HISTORY OF SKÅL
Skål is the only international organisation, which brings together the traditional branches of the travel and tourism industry. Representing the industry's managers and executives, Skålleagues meet at local, national and international level in an environment of friendship to discuss subjects of common interest.
The first Club was founded in Paris in 1932 by travel trade managers who had been on an educational tour of Scandinavia and the idea of international friendship gained such popularity that in 1934, Skål achieved international status with the formation of the Association Internationale des Skål Clubs (A.I.S.C.), on the initiative of the first President of the Paris Skål Club and the man considered the "Father of Skål", Florimond Volckaert.
From that modest beginning, Skål now has more than 25,000 members in over 500 Clubs spread throughout 85 countries. As in other associations of professionals (such as Rotary, Oddfellows and Lions), most Skål activity takes place within the Clubs, but the Movement also features National and Area Committees coming under the umbrella of Skål International,which has its own General Secretariat in Torremolinos, Spain.
Skål is managed by an Executive Committee of seven members, elected by Club delegates to the General Assembly, which is held in conjunction with the World Congress. This five-day congress is hosted by a different country each year, thus offering members and their companions the opportunity of observing, at first hand, the travel and tourism industry potential of other countries.
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DOING BUSINESS BASED ON FRIENDSHIP
Skål is not a business association. While Skål does not involve itself directly in business,
it
does encourage Skålleagues to do business with each other, and with Skål supporters. However, Skål cannot be used as a forum for business.
The business advantage of joining Skål is that, by attending Club National and International Congresses and other events, members are able to meet industry colleagues from throughout the world. These meetings, held in an amicable atmosphere of , give members the chance to make contacts, on both a business and personal level, and to forge new friendships. The 25,000 members appear on the Skål International website.
Skål is totally non-political and does not discriminate on the grounds of sex, age, race, religion, politics or social standing. It does, though, support charitable causes. The Florimond Volckaert Fund aims, through voluntary contributions, to help fellow Skålleagues and their immediate families who are in need or suffering personal hardship (serious sickness or the loss of personal property, for example). Operation Hope is an individual Club scheme to help orphans and retarded, disabled or under-privileged children, by organising social events, outings and holidays, while a youth exchange program has been developed.
Other Clubs, and National Committees, undertake their own charity work, and some even involve themselves in environmental projects.
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BECOMING A MEMBER
Membership of Skål is open to all qualified professional persons in the travel and tourism industry but is first effective after Skål International has approved the member and informed the Club concerned of its decision.
Every Club secretary has a Skål Directory, which lists all the Clubs, when and where they have their meetings and the names of their main officers, and members are encouraged to visit other Clubs when on business or pleasure trips. This information is also on the website.
Members are expected to live up to the objectives and principles of Skål, which remains the same today as when the first Club was formed in 1932: to promote friendship, peace and harmony without discrimination.
Members also are expected to promote Skål, the formation of new Clubs and the recruitment of qualified new members, especially among the younger professionals in the industry.
Skål aims to consolidate its status as a professional association, based on quality, exclusivity and acceptance within the travel trade industry, by evaluating opportunities to promote the Movement more fully within this industry. Greater involvement and participation in seminars and conferences is considered as a means of strengthening Skål's role as a link between representatives of the different branches within the industry. Skål International also promotes its image by re-enforcing the prestige of the Movement's magazine, Skål News, among both members and travel trade personnel.
The international friendship and close personal contact of Skål has to be experienced to be appreciated.
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Mission and Principles of the Skål Movement
The Mission of the Skål Movement is to make all professional travel and tourism Managers world-wide, as defined in the by-laws, members of the Skål Movement by integrating them into this International Association whose objectives and activities are aimed at achieving friendship, mutual understanding, peace and the solidarity among its members, promoting, in this way the development of common interest, of the communities where they are present and of the travel and tourism industry.
The Skål Principles are its Statements, Values and Beliefs, which identify all the activities of the organisation.
I. Tourism Professionalism Skålleagues are professionals in managerial positions within the travel and tourism industry. Skål respects the friendship and contribution of those who, while being members of Skål retire or decide to leave the travel and tourism industry, by adapting their contribution and participation to the necessary modification in their membership status. As professionals, members endeavour to maintain the same high professional standards when contributing to Skal.
II. Friendship Skålleagues are persons of recognised honesty and integrity, who identify with the Skål values. This permits them to find and give within Skål, the spirit of friendship and unity, which makes this Association so special. Once a member is accepted he/she forms part of the worldwide Skål family of tourism professionals, where every member is warmly welcomed when contacting other Skålleagues anywhere in the world.
III. Contribution and Participation Voluntary contribution and participation by all members is appreciated in addition to the minimum required for continuing the Skål membership. Skål gives the members the opportunity to realise their potential by being part of a social body that is attractive and rewarding. Skål also supports the personal goals of the individual member in his/her involvement with the Association, whether this is for professional, social, or service reasons.
IV. International The basis of tourism is international relations. This way, Skål finds itself in the position to be the live expression of this element of union between different countries by transcending the limited national concept to supranational fellowship. Thus, it is in the international character of Skål that the strength and meaning of the Association lies.
V. Non-discriminatory The Association may not allow any social, political, labour union, religious, ace, sex or age discrimination. To be a part of Skål Club life, questions that may endanger the spirit of friendship or unity - political, union or religious questions- should be carefully avoided.
VI. Non-profit making Skål International is a non-profit making Association. Members have no personal rights on its wealth and/or revenue, which is dedicated to the fulfilment of the Skål mission. Direct business and commercial relationships among members and supporters of Skål are encouraged although not during Skål meetings or functions.
VII. Administration The Statutes of the A.I.S.C., approved by its General Assembly, are the source of all the regulations for the different levels of Skål. The strategic and operational plans guide the programs and activities of Skål International. The primary responsibility of the Executive Committee and General Secretariat to identify the resources for the programs and activities of the Association and to provide the leadership that will support the development and implementation of the aims and objectives of the Association.
VIII. Democratic and Autonomous Skål International assures the democratic procedures at all the representative levels of the organisation. Clubs, National and Area Committees are autonomous in the development of their Skål life but are always subject to the regulations and guidelines laid down by Skål International.
IX. Not-inward looking Skål International co-operates with and supports the non-profit making activities of educational and cultural institutions, tourism apprentices, companies, associations or other organisations aiming for sustained development of the tourism industry or working for peace. Skål is also involved with societies and local communities where it is represented.
X. Universal Skålleagues and all levels of Skål are permanently and fully involved in the extension of the Skål Movement, as its positive effects to the benefit of tourism professionals, the tourism industry and represented societies, deserve to be shared among all the eligible tourism professionals worldwide.
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