GUILD KEYS POLICY

GUILD KEYS POLICY

Date: March 2020
Review Date: As soon as possible after March 2022

Purpose

The purpose of the Guild key policy is to protect Guild assets and minimize the likelihood of unauthorized access to the Guild building and associated Guild resources.

Preamble

The Guild aims to minimize the number of keys in circulation while facilitating leadership roles and coordinating the wide variety of activities pursued to achieve its purpose and goals. The Guild Committee is aware that:

  • Members undertaking leadership roles often participate in various Guild activities.
  • Activities any one member may become involved in can change, often over short periods of time.

Therefore, if one member is a key holder for one function, this may enable another member to achieve another activity more easily. The key policy promotes structure and control of Guild resources while recognizing the benefits of some flexibility.

Types of Keys

The Guild has two levels of keys for access to the building:

  • General Key: Allows access to general meeting areas (the Guild Hall, Back Room, dining area/kitchen/toilets, library/Guild office, and dye room).
  • Master Key: Allows access to areas requiring greater security (including the safe and the Little Glory Gallery).

Keys are only issued to authorized Guild members for a limited period. Appropriate keys are issued to enable members to carry out duties related to their positions of responsibility and for specific purposes. Keys are recalled once the member is no longer involved in a specific position of responsibility. There are also specialist keys for storage areas (including the yarn cupboards and Equipment Room) held by the managers of those areas.

Issuing of Keys

Subject to Committee agreement, keys will be issued as follows:

  1. General Key:
    • Two designated leaders of Guild groups meeting regularly, unless another group meets at the same time or another group member already has a key.
      • A group leader for a group meeting on a Little Glory Gallery opening day may be provided with a master key instead.
    • The library manager.
  2. Master Key:
    • Guild officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer).
    • Managers of areas of Guild responsibility:
      • Little Glory Gallery manager, including keys for volunteers staffing the Gallery on opening days.
      • Equipment manager.
      • Yarn Table manager.
      • Building and Grounds manager.
    • Members handling large sums of cash and/or specific Gallery duties, including the membership secretary, workshop coordinator, and Little Glory Gallery treasurer.
    • The cleaner.
  3. From time to time, the Guild Committee may authorize members to undertake specific tasks (e.g., organizing the Guild’s presence at the Royal Show, a stall at a fair, or a Guild exhibition). That person may be responsible for handling large amounts of money and will be authorized to access the Guild safe to assist with money management. The member concerned will be provided with the appropriate key for a specific period.
  4. Any other Guild member requiring a key must apply in writing to the Committee, stating:
    • Type of key required (general/master).
    • Reasons for needing the key.
    • Times likely to use the key.
    • Length of time the key is required.

    In an emergency, any member may apply to an Office Bearer for a speedy response.

Key Management

  1. A register of keys will be maintained and reviewed annually.
  2. The Committee will appoint a member to maintain the key register and contact all key holders annually.
  3. All key holders will be required to show their key, sign the key register, and provide contact details.
  4. The decisions of the Committee are final until the next annual review of keys.

Responsibilities of All Key Holders

  1. All keys are issued to one person only.
  2. Key holders must look after their keys responsibly, including not passing their key to another person without prior Committee approval.
  3. Permanent changes to key holders, other than those entitled by their position of responsibility, must be discussed and agreed upon by the Committee.
  4. Temporary changes to key holders (e.g., when a key holder goes on a short holiday) must be reported to the Guild’s email promptly, providing the name, contact details of the temporary holder, and the duration of the temporary change.
  5. Key holders must:
    • Unlock only those areas they require access to.
    • Provide continuing supervision of all secure areas unlocked.
    • Return their key to the Committee promptly when asked.
  6. The Little Glory Gallery should not be opened to display or sell items outside of official hours, except by Gallery sub-committee master key holders.
  7. Any key holder not following these guidelines must surrender their key immediately.

Consequences

Where serious inappropriate use of the keys occurs, the member concerned may be called before the Committee to explain their actions.