History
Guest of Honour – an institution
Since 1987, the former Kurverein Grindelwald – today's Grindelwald Tourism – has honoured guests who regularly spend their holidays in the "Glacier Village" by awarding recognition after ten years. After twenty years, guests are appointed and receive a diploma and a golden pin. The 3000th guest of honour was appointed on 10 March 1994 and in 2001, the number of guests of honour passed the 4000 mark.
Longstanding guests of hotels, guesthouses, holiday rental properties and campsites are proposed for membership by their hosts. Holiday home owners are encouraged to put themselves forward for membership. This means that the guest of honour status has nothing to do with rank, name or origin. Sole membership criterion is a longstanding loyalty to the holiday resort. As a consequence, guests of honour are a mirror image of the guests of Grindelwald excluding group and day tourists. This observation applies equally to the Guests of Honour Club.
Founding the Guests of Honour Club
The decision was made in 1991 to pursue an idea by the then president of the Kurverein Grindelwald to found an association for honoured guests. The statutes were drafted by Walter Dürig, legally reviewed and translated into French and English. A team of three – Walter Dürig, Christian Brawand and Joe Luggen – got together to form the Committee as the club's governing body. The Committee adopted the statues on 29 February 1992, which were subsequently approved the board of the Kurverein Grindelwald on 23 March. The concurrent election of the Committee marked the launch of the Guests of Honour Club.
The statutes
The statutes of the Guests of Honour Club comprise 9 articles. As a large membership with global origins was anticipated from the beginning, it was decided that the board of Grindelwald Tourism should assume responsibility for holding the annual general meeting and acting as the control body. It approves the statutes, appoints the club president and the members of the club's leadership team. The club is thus for all intents and purposes a sub-organisation of Grindelwald Tourism.
The most important definition in the statutes governs the purpose of the club, in the exact wording: - Promoting the individuality and hospitality of Grindelwald by supporting projects and impulse programmes. - Ensuring communication between Grindelwald and its guests of honour. - Guaranteeing the preferential treatment of guests of honour in Grindelwald.
The order of mention reflects the Committee's priorities. The basic idea behind the club's aims is the focus on cooperation and communication. A confrontational approach is not an option, but there is a place for constructive criticism, as there can be no progress without critical support. The statutes have proven their worth during the more than 20 years since the club was launched, and with the exception of the conversion of the Kurverein into Grindelwald Tourism, there has been no need for amendments.
Membership in the Guests of Honour Club
One year after its foundation, the club counted some 500 members and by 1994, this number had already risen to 800. The Guests of Honour Club presently has some 900 members and is thus one of Grindelwald's largest associations. Its members come from 11 countries with a focus on Switzerland (81%) and Germany (9%). There are two membership categories – single and couple. Each member receives a credit card-sized membership card that is valid for two years.
The Club Committee
The Club Committee was appointed as follows by the board of the Kurverein Grindelwald at the club's foundation on 29 February 1992:
Name, function
Walter Dürig, Gockhausen ZH, President
Peter F. Oswald, Bremgarten AG, Vice-President
Magdalena Blattert, Thun, Member
Horst Groh, Lörrach (D) Member
Joe Luggen, Grindelwald ex officio as Director of Tourism
Presidents of the Guests of Honour Club
1992 - 2001 Walter Dürig, Gockhausen ZH
2002 - 2003 Beatrice Thut, Uetikon ZH
2003 - 2010 Jacques Gremaud, Frenkendorf BL
2011 Thomas Urech, Lyss BE
2012 - 2014 Therese Fahrni-Baumberger, Emmenbrücke LU
2015 - Werner Mangold, Grindelwald
Committee membership is on an honorary basis. The presence of the director of tourism has proven to be very beneficial, as it ensures good communications with Grindelwald Tourism and the smooth and efficient running of the club's administration, also undertaken by Grindelwald Tourism.
Financial aspects
Membership costs CHF 12.50 annually for each member of a couple and CHF 15.00 per single member and has remained unchanged since the club was launched 22 years ago. In return, club members receive the twice-yearly club newsletter, seasonal brochures from Grindelwald Tourism, invitations to participate in one or two annual club events and shopping discounts at several Grindelwald shops and restaurants. Around half of the revenue from membership fees is used to support projects. The other half funds member information, administration costs and contributions to club events.
Club events
The Committee plans a spring and an autumn event to which all members are invited. The purpose of these events is bring club members up to date on topical issues in Grindelwald, facilitate and promote inter-member contact and foster conviviality. Around 70 to 120 members take part in these events.
Guests of Honour Event
On 15 June 1996, a Guests of Honour event with 1200 participants took place in conjunction with the festivities celebrating the 850th anniversary of Grindelwald, held under the patronage of the council and the Kurverein Grindelwald and with the support of numerous local associations. The Guests of Honour Club contributed towards the event's funding and operated a bar as a part of the festival catering. In addition, the club presented Grindelwald council with a donation of CHF 5500 for the artistic decoration of the planned new retirement home. The Guests of Honour event was a festive and altogether memorable occasion.
Project support
In accordance with the aims as defined in the statutes, the club supports projects and impulse programmes which "promote the individuality and hospitality of Grindelwald".
One noteworthy example: on 3 December 1993, the Grindelwald council assembly approved the newly designed municipal coat of arms. Horst Groh and Joe Luggen presented to the assembled citizens a large flag depicting the new coat of arms. On 22 March 1994, the flag was ceremoniously raised on the new flagpole at the council offices. The municipal authorities expressed their warmest thanks and appreciation for the gesture. The Guests of Honour Club has supported numerous projects (see separate list) over the years.
Another area of activity is "project support through personal involvement". The president has lent support to various projects in consultation with the Committee. This includes among other activities launching an internet platform for Grindelwald, promoting the local television news channel and maintaining and updating a web presence dedicated to innovation in Grindelwald.
Exchange for suggestions and improvements and survey
Shortly after the club was launched, the Committee opened an exchange for suggestions and improvements, which was actively and continuously updated until 1996. Four surveys were conducted to gather and evaluate club members' opinions on topical issues relating to Grindelwald. The Committee drafted and submitted a number of well-received proposals to the municipal authorities based on the results. In many cases, suggestions have been incorporated into projects or realised in the manner in which they were intended.
The club president was invited to take part in several trips with the municipal authorities and tourism representatives. In return, he covered these activities for the local newspaper Echo von Grindelwald and in internal reports. The publisher Emil Sutter subsequently issued brochures of travel reports of trips to Japan in 1992 and 1997.
Conclusion
Many holiday resorts honour their longstanding guests (who thus serve to promote the resort) in a similar way. The Guests of Honour Club and the Guests of Honour events however are an innovation and unique to Grindelwald. At present, we are aware of no other resort with a comparable institution.
Running the club is time-consuming but well worth the effort according to those involved. Broadly speaking, building a close relationship with a holiday "home away from home" often results in the forging of similar ties between the resort and family members, friends and acquaintances. The voluntary work undertaken by the Committee to run the Guests of Honour Club with Grindelwald Tourism's support has proven to be, all things considered, a very efficient solution.
The intangible value of continuous communication between guests and their holiday resort cannot be rated highly enough.