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Wayward Committee - advice sought


val douest
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Can anyone tell me if there is a standard procedure for challenging the way an association is being run if it is not adhering to the rules which govern such associations?  And is there any particular body which polices these things?  The problem is the Committee des Fêtes in our commune which is an independently constituted body quite distinct from the Council; the only 'control' the Council has is over the budget handed over for the annual fête weekend.  There has been a great deal of acrimony and division in the commune (fewer than 200 souls!) and a new liste was recently elected and a new mayor chosen.  The Committee des Fêtes was mainly run by supporters of the old regime who seem in effect to have declared UDI; they recently had what they described as an Assemblée Generale but only their immediate associates were invited, no elections were held, and no minutes were taken. Pressure has been put upon those at the meeting who wanted to cooperate with the new Council, to stop them doing so.

 

We had all hoped that after the election old wounds would heal and there would be a move towards peace and harmony - but while this situation persists it is impossible.  There are people on both sides who want to move forwards and it seems very sad that a handful of hardliners can prevent this happening.  Advice appreciated!
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Val, I'd find out where the Association is based for administrative purposes - it may not actually be in your commune but may come under the protection of another commune (as I know from experience) - and get a copy of the rules which must be available by law.

After that, it's use the rules against them and if necessary take it to Cantonal or even Departmental level to ask for an investigation, I think it's the Consiel Generale that has overall responsibility for this sort of thing.  But make sure you have plenty of local support (which it seems as tho you do) and even better, get the newly elected councillors to run with it, that way you don't get dumped on!

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  • 2 weeks later...
Val, I had a definite feeling of Deja Vu when I read this.  This is exactly what is happening in our village and as I amon the newley elected conseil it has been one of our first things to tackle. Our CdF was part of the large family who had run everything in the past, the Conseil, and anything else they could make money out of legally or not. We asked the president of the CdF to attend a special meeting and to attend with all the relevant accounts and invoices.  He arrived but didnot bring anything with him, said he had paid everything cash...........I questionned the insurance cover and invoice.  Anyway, although they have family connections in the village, the president and the rest of the 'bureau' and the members live in another village and it is this village that provides the bands, the disco and the wine etc........so every chance for cooking the books.  The villagers do not want the fete to be run by them anymore and have mentioned boycotting the main event in June.  Incidentally this is the same personwho mounted the opposition to our Liste for the recent elections and was responsible for harassing me..........another long story.............So our course of action is this.......

It is difficult to 'sack' an Association., if not impossible.  I did a lot of research on google under Dissolution Association, and dissolution Comite de Fetes.  Associations can be disolvedif there issufficient aggravation among the members.  We ased to seethelist of members and most of them were not villagers.  He had myself and my husband and some of our other friends on this list which was news to all of us!!!  We asked the president to call an Assemblé Generale as soon as possible.  It was our intention then to canvas people in the village to turn up and vote off the Bureau and as such dissolve the CdF.  We heard nothing from the President.

Their Siege Sociale is the mairie, so we have cancelled that.  We have told them that if they do not produce the accounts for last year we will not pay them a subvention for this year.  This week we received a letter saying that they did not want a subvention but that they 'might' still have an event in the village.  We are writing back that we do not want them to have an event in the village.  It is after all the Maire who ultimately decides if a venue should be hired out.  There is still an ongoing court case involving the CdF and some damage to property at last year's Fete.  We have a new energetic conseil now and we have already been in contact with the Club de Troisieme Age and some young people in the village who we want to co-opt onto a general Fete committee and we areplanning something for the 14 July, starting with a lunchtime meal and games for the kids, a bit like a british Fete, then a late afternoon Thé dansant for the oldies, then a later disco, band if we can still book one for the people who want to revent until hte early hours.  A mega task but it is still under discussion.

If you want to PM me about this and I will pass on my telephone number as we mght be able to pass on more informaton to you.

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