Sponsors
RULE I - NAME
The name of the Association shall be the "British Association of Hospitality Accountants".
RULE II - OBJECTS
The objects of this Association shall be:
a) The interchange of information and ideas among accounting associations and financial managers in the hospitality industry generally.
b) The advancement of the status and prestige of financial managers in the hospitality industry.
c) The aiding and encouragement of the education and development of financial personnel within the hospitality industry.
d) The support of educational projects in the hospitality field.
e) The maintenance of high professional ethics.
f) The establishment of uniformity in British hospitality accounting.
g) The carrying on of such other functions as may properly come within the scope of an association of this nature.
RULE III - ACTIVITIES
The activities of the Association shall include but not necessarily be limited to the following:
a) Aiding and encouraging the education and development of financial personnel and the support of education in the hospitality field, including taking part in committees or accepting assignments from regularly constituted and authorised groups in connection therewith. The Association recognises the importance of appropriate professional education and offers a Training Programme and a Course of Professional Education.
b) The study of hospitality accounting and control.
c) The encouragement of uniformity in British hospitality accounting.
d) The distribution of a regular bulletin to all members for the interchange of information and ideas among members on subjects such as hospitality accounting, taxes, government and trade publications, and general information of interest to financial managers in the hospitality industry.
e) The encouragement of regional meetings in addition to those held in London and international events for those members based overseas and in the UK.
f) Establishment and maintenance of liaison with suppliers of equipment or services in the hospitality industry.
g) Co-operating with national, international and local associations in the best interests of the hospitality industry.
h) Any and all other activities which may be authorised by duly constituted vote of membership of the Association or by the Management Council ('the Council')
RULE IV - MEMBERSHIP
a) The Association shall consist of Ordinary Members, Associate Members, Associate Members (Cert.), Members and Fellows.
b) All persons with an interest in the financial aspects of the hospitality industry shall be eligible to apply for Ordinary Membership of the Association; admission shall be at the sole discretion of the Council. Admission to the following grades of membership shall be as follows:
(i) Ordinary Member
All persons with an interest in the financial aspects of the hospitality industry shall be eligible to apply for Ordinary Membership of the Association; the admission shall be at the sole discretion of the Council
(ii) Associate Member
The applicant will be someone to have completed successfully such a programme to be of an equivalent professional standing or 2 years experience in the following areas: Assistant Financial Controller of a self accounting unit or on site Financial Controller of a centralised accounting unit, or Assistant to the group Financial Controller, or Leading Consultant for a firm of Consultants, or Audit Manager of a firm of Accountants responsible for Hospitality Audits.
(iii) Associate Member (Cert)
The Applicant will be required to have completed successfully the BAHA Training Programme. To be eligible to join the Training Progamme the applicant, who will be required to be an Ordinary Member, must be working in a financial capacity under the supervision of an Associate Member, Fellow of the Association or someone of similar standing in the view of the Council.
(iv) Fellow
Awarded to Ordinary Members and both categories of Associate Members of five years' standing with appropriate experience or through an accelerated route based on the engagement in a range of CPD activities from BAHA approved providers over 3 consecutive years. Applications for Fellowship by those occupying senior positions within the hospitality industry, for whom a time qualification would be inappropriate, will be considered by the Council on the recommendation of the Membership Officer or Membership Committee.
c) Associate Members and Fellows will be granted a certificate (which remains the property of the Association at all times) which will entitle them to use the following initials after their name :
Associate Members ABHA
Associate Members (Cert.) ABHA (Cert)
Fellows FBHA
Any member who for any reason ceases to be a member of the Association shall cease to be entitled to use the designatory letters after their name and return the certificate of membership to the Administrator.
c) Honorary Fellowship may be extended to any person by the Council. Any proposal for the election of an Honorary Fellow shall be made by a member, in writing, to the Council.
d) Members must provide details of their employer, employer's address, educational qualifications and other such information as may de decided from time to time by the Council. Amendments to these details must be notified to the Administrator in writing within 30 days.
e) Any member of the Association wishing to resign from the Association must deliver such resignation in writing and return the certificate of membership to the Administrator, paying all outstanding subscriptions up to the date of resignation.
RULE V - PRIVILEGES
Membership of the Association shall confer the right to participate in all activities and amenities provided by the Association, subject to any regulations from time to time made by the Council.
RULE VI - SUBSCRIPTIONS
Subscriptions for each grade of membership and joining fees shall be as decided from time to time by the Council. Subscriptions are payable on 1 September of each financial year of the Association. The council shall have the right to order suspension or forfeiture of membership and the return of the certificate of membership to the Administrator in the event of non-payment of subscriptions.
RULE VII - MANAGEMENT COUNCIL
a) The general management of the Association shall be vested in a Management Council ("the Council") consisting of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Membership Officer ("the Officers"), and up to thirteen other members, of which the workplace of no more that ten shall be within a radius of 30 miles of London. Signatories on the financial transactions, including bank accounts, of the Association shall be any two Officers. Only Associate Members, Members or Fellows of the Association may be elected to the Council. The immediate past Chairman, if any, shall also be a member of the Council. The Administrator of the Association shall attend meetings of the Council but shall not vote.
b) Members of the Association, via a postal vote in advance of the annual general meeting, shall elect the Council. The Council shall be elected for a term of two years. The Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer and Membership Officer shall be elected by a separate vote. Approximately one half of the Council shall retire by rotation each year together with 2 Officers. A returning officer, being a member and not standing for election, who shall conduct the election, shall be appointed by the Council at least 2 months before the date of the annual general meeting. Ballot papers shall be sent to all members eligible to vote at least 28 days before the annual general meeting. A member of the Council may stand for re-election.
c) Vacancies on the Council occurring between annual general meetings shall be filled by co-option. The term of any member so co-opted shall expire at the end of the term of the preceding member. Should the office of Chairman become vacant, the Vice-Chairman shall succeed the Chairman until the next general meeting of the Association.
d) The Council shall have the power:
(i) to co-opt other members of the Association to serve on it in a non-voting capacity for any special purposes;
(ii) to appoint sub-committees of its body;
(iii) to appoint the Administrator of the Association;
(iv) to appoint the Directors of the Training Programme and the Course of Professional Education.
e) Meetings of the Council shall be called by the Administrator. Any three members of the Council may together call a meeting if the Administrator should refuse to do so. At least 14 days' written notice shall be given. The Council shall meet at least three times each year.
f) The quorum for meetings of the Council shall be five members of the Council or such greater number than five as the Council shall from time to time decide.
g) Members of the Council who fail to attend three successive meetings of the Council without the approval of the Chairman will be deemed to have resigned from the Council. Such members will be able to stand for re-election at the next annual general meeting in accordance with rule V11 – b
RULE VIII - STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES
a) Standing Committees shall be appointed annually by the Council after the annual general meeting. The Council may at its own discretion vary such appointments from time to time.
b) Each Standing Committee shall have a Chairman and Secretary. The Chairman shall be a person who is already a member of the Council.
c) Each Standing Committee shall have the power:
(i) to co-opt other members of the Association to serve on it in a non-voting capacity for any special purposes;
(ii) to appoint sub-committees of its body.
d) Each Standing Committee shall render a report of its proceedings to the Council whenever so required, and shall in any case present such a report before the annual general meeting of the Association.
e) Meetings of the Standing Committees shall be called by the Chairman or Secretary of that Committee or by resolution of the Council. At least 14 days' written notice shall be given.
f) All decisions of Standing Committees are subject to ratification by the Council.
g) The Standing Committees shall include:
(i) Management Committee, comprising the Officers and the Administrator, to consider all aspects of the administration and progress of the Association.
(ii) Membership Committee - to consider and deal with all questions of admittance to all classes of membership of the Association.
(iii) Education Committee - to consider and deal with all issues relating to the educational activities of the Association.
(iv) Technical Committee - to consider and prepare reports for the Council on all matters of a technical nature coming within the scope of the Association.
(v) Regional Committee - to promote and encourage the regional development of the Association.
(vi) Marketing Committee - to promote the benefits of membership of the Association through publications, brochures and other literature, and the organisation of social and other appropriate activities.
(vii) International Committee - to recognise the Association's international membership and to promote and encourage the international development and activities of the Association.
(viii) Meetings Committee - to arrange the programme of general meetings of the Association in London.
(ix) IT Committee - to enhance the awareness of IT issues
(x) Conference Committee - to organise topical conferences
h) The Council or the Management Committee may at any time appoint other Committees for special purposes.
RULE IX - HONORARY PRESIDENT
There shall be an Honorary President of the Association who shall be elected by the Council for a term of two years. The Honorary President may if he or she wishes attend meetings of the Council of the Association, but shall not vote. Duties of the Honorary President shall include taking the Chair at the annual general meeting.
RULE X - GOVERNMENT
a) The Management Council may from time to time and at any time make, repeal, and vary bye-laws for the regulation of the Association, its Officers and servants of any section thereof.
b) The Rules may be added to, repealed or amended by resolution at any meeting of members, provided that no such resolution shall be deemed to have been passed unless it is carried by a majority of at least two-thirds of the members present in person and voting. Ten per cent of the members in writing to the Administrator may within 14 days demand a poll at which a simple majority of members voting shall decide the issue. Any alteration of the Rules shall be binding upon all members of the Association. At least 28 days' notice in writing of a proposed change in Rules shall be given to all members. Such notice should embody the actual wording of any resolution which is to be moved. Ordinary Members may participate fully in all activities of the Association but shall not vote.
c) An Income and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet of the Association shall be submitted to the annual general meeting. The accounts shall be audited and the correctness of the figures certified by an auditor appointed annually by the members at the annual general meeting; the auditor shall not sit on any of the Association's Committees. No more the 15 months may elapse between annual general meetings, the first of which shall be held within 15 months of the formation of the Association. The Administrator of the Association, on the instructions of the Council, shall be responsible for calling all general meetings, including the annual general meeting of members of the Association, and shall give at least 28 days notice in writing of such meeting to all members.
d) The Council shall appoint a sub-committee of three of its members to deal with all matters of discipline as they arise. This sub-committee shall have power to suspend or expel any member whose conduct has in its opinion merited such action, subject to an appeal to a full meeting of the Council. Expulsion will require the immediate return of the certificate of membership to the Administrator.
e) No member shall on any pretence or in any manner receive any profit or salary from the funds or transactions of the Association provided that:
(i) a member may be reimbursed for any expenses as approved by the Management Committee which have been incurred in activities carried out solely on behalf of the Association;
(ii) a member who is consulted by the Association in his/her professional capacity, a formal declaration of his/her interest having been made to the Management Committee, may be paid a fee for his/her services.
f) Any person who shall for any reason or in any manner whatsoever cease to be a member of the Association shall thereupon cease to have any right or interest in the Association's property or any right to participate in any division of the Association's property or other assets upon liquidation.
g) The Management Council is the sole authority for the interpretation of these Rules and the bye-laws and regulations made thereunder, and the decision of the Council upon any question of interpretation or upon any matter affecting the Association not provided for by these Rules or by the bye-laws and regulations made thereunder shall be final and binding on the members.