Our Statutes – The Firefighters Museum of La Réunion

Association of Friends of the Firefighters Museum of La Réunion and the Indian Ocean (AAMSPLR)

Preamble

The heritage of the firefighters of La Réunion and the Indian Ocean is an integral part of the cultural heritage of all Reunionese. The involvement of firefighters in preserving natural heritage makes them a prime tool for raising awareness about the importance of preserving this heritage. The Association of Friends of the Firefighters Museum of La Réunion and the Indian Ocean, established in 2021, aims to conserve and promote these cultural and natural heritages. The association contributes to the creation and proper functioning of a museum dedicated to the firefighters of La Réunion and the Indian Ocean.

STATUTES

Article 1 – Establishment and Name

The association, created on April 12, 2021, is named “Association of Friends of the Firefighters Museum of La Réunion and the Indian Ocean”. It is governed by the law of July 1, 1901, and the decree of August 16, 1901. It commits to a general interest dimension, opening to all audiences, ensuring that its activities remain non-profit, secular, and apolitical. In all circumstances, the association guarantees democratic and transparent operation and maintains the disinterested nature of its management.

Article 2 – Purpose and Means of Action

The association aims to preserve and promote the cultural and natural heritage of the Indian Ocean region from the perspective of rescue and firefighting. It intends to achieve this goal by creating and promoting a museum of firefighters of La Réunion and the Indian Ocean. It acts with the concern to contribute to the general interest and commits to supporting the museum’s action with different audiences and developing in this perspective education in safety, cultural education, and environmental and nature education.

The association also has the mission to act in favor of the conservation and restoration of the museum’s collections.

The association brings together individuals and legal entities interested in the museum’s activities and collections and may propose to its members to participate in the valorization of the museum through patronage actions. The association may use all legal means to contribute to its objectives, including:

Organizing conferences, meetings, exhibitions, debates, symposiums, and any other public or private event or meeting, as well as creating prizes and scholarships.
Any action aimed at developing research, education, teaching, and the museum’s scientific activities, publishing all types of documents, brochures, books, posters, etc.
Any action aimed at increasing museum attendance and awareness of its activities.
Cooperation or membership in associations, organizations, federations, or groups that share its statutory interests.
Participation in the life of the museum by supporting and participating in its programming.
Any approach to encourage public or private patronage operations, with individuals or legal entities.
Assisting in enriching the museum’s collections by participating in acquisitions, restorations, valorizations of works, archive elements, or objects deemed worthy of inclusion.
Representing the interests of its members and the association wherever necessary.
The ability to acquire, sell, rent, inherit, and manage real estate and movable property necessary for the exercise of statutory missions.

Article 3 – Registered Office and Duration

The registered office is located at 3 rue du Fangourin – 97421 La Rivière Saint-Louis. It can be transferred by a simple decision of the board of directors.

The duration of the association is unlimited.

Article 4 – Resources

The resources of the association include:

Membership fees, the amount of which is set each year by the board of directors.
Subsidies from the State, public communities, and their establishments, private legal entities.
Manual donations.
Interests and income from assets and values belonging to the association.
Donations and legacies from individuals or legal entities.
Income from goods, products, and services sold by the association.
Patronage products.
Income from the sale of publications and other productions of the association.
Any other resource authorized by legislation and regulations.

Article 5 – Members – Categories and Contributions

The association consists of different categories of members: Adherent members, benefactor members, honorary members, guest members.

Adherent Members Adherent members are individuals or legal entities, private or public, who pay an annual membership fee. They have one vote in the deliberations of the general assemblies. The board of directors may define different categories of adherent members. It sets the amount of the contribution for each category each year.

Benefactor Members Benefactor members are individuals or legal entities, private or public, who pay a minimum annual contribution set by the board of directors. They have one vote in the deliberations of the general assemblies.

Honorary Members Honorary members are individuals who have rendered or have rendered significant services to the association; they are exempt from contributions. The title of honorary member is awarded by decision of the board of directors. They have one vote in the deliberations of the general assemblies.

Guest Members Guest members are individuals appointed by the board of directors: experts, scientists, specialists, or cultural personalities who have provided significant collaboration or support to the association in the context of its activities. They retain this status for one year, which can be renewed. They are exempt from contributions and do not participate in the votes at the general assemblies convened by the association. They have the same access rights to the activities offered by the association as other members.

Any individual or legal entity that has paid the annual membership fee and has previously received the approval of the board of directors can become a member of the association.

The board of directors may, if it deems necessary, create other categories of members in addition to those mentioned above.

Article 6 – Loss of Membership

Membership is lost by:

Resignation notified by simple letter or email addressed to the president of the association.
The death of individuals.
The dissolution, for whatever reason, of legal entities, or their declaration in a state of recovery or judicial liquidation.
Expulsion pronounced by the board of directors, for non-payment of contributions, non-respect of the object of the association, or for any other serious reason. If a member seriously harms the functioning of the association or undermines its object, the board of directors may vote for their exclusion by a simple majority. The interested party will have been previously warned by email or letter of the facts alleged, at least 15 days before the vote of the board of directors. This period will be used by the interested party to present explanations and, more generally, to assert their means of defense. The possible exclusion will be notified in writing.

Article 7 – Accounting

The association will keep a cash accounting recording chronologically the receipts collected (contributions, subsidies, for example) and the expenses paid.

Article 8 – Fiscal Year

The fiscal year begins on January 1 and ends on December 31.

Article 9 – Reserve Fund

The association constitutes, if necessary, a reserve fund whose specific purpose is, on the one hand, to cover the financial commitments it bears within the framework of its operation and to meet all or part of the obligations it has subscribed to and, on the other hand, to take over from the voluntary contributions and free provision of premises, materials, and personnel, which would come to fail it.

The operating and funding mechanisms of this reserve fund are set, on the proposal of the board of directors, by the general assembly.

Article 10 – Contributions

In the event of contributions to the association of movable or immovable property, the right of recovery of the contributor is exercised in accordance with the provisions provided for by the conventions concluded with the association validly represented by its President.

Article 11 – Board of Directors – Composition

The association is administered by a board of directors composed of six to sixteen members, elected by a simple majority of votes by the ordinary general assembly, for a term of three years. They are re-eligible and chosen from among the different categories of members of the association who have applied for candidacy, with the exception of guest members who must acquire the status of contributing member in this case.

Legal entities are represented by their current legal representative or by any other person whose authorization for this purpose has been notified to the board of directors.

In the event of a vacancy of one or more directors, the board of directors may, if it wishes, temporarily replace its members by co-option. Their definitive replacement takes place at the next general assembly. The mandates of the directors thus elected end at the time when the mandate of the replaced directors should normally expire.

If ratification by the general assembly was not obtained, the deliberations taken and the acts carried out would nonetheless be valid.

The functions of director cease by resignation, loss of the quality of member of the association, unjustified absence at three consecutive meetings of the board of directors, revocation by the ordinary general assembly, or the dissolution of the association.

Article 12 – Operation of the Board of Directors

The board of directors meets at least once a year, at the initiative and on the convocation of the president or at the request of half of its members plus one.

The convocations are made by simple letter or by email and sent to the directors at least two weeks before the date set for the meeting.

The convocations contain the agenda of the meeting, established by the president or, failing that, by one of the members of the office.

When the board of directors meets at the initiative of half plus one of its members, they can demand the inclusion on the agenda of the questions of their choice.

The board of directors can validly deliberate, provided that three directors are present.

Decisions are made by a majority of the members present or represented. In the event of a tie, the president’s vote is preponderant.

In case of emergency or for reasons of convenience, the board of directors may meet by telephone or computer conference. In this case, decisions will be made under the same majority conditions, proof of individual agreements being made by email.

Minutes of the meetings are kept.

Internal regulations may specify and complete the operating procedures of the board of directors.

Article 13 – Powers of the Board of Directors

The board of directors is vested with the broadest powers to act on behalf of the association and carry out all acts and operations that are not reserved for the general assembly, and in particular:

It defines the policy and general orientations of the association.
It may establish specialized working commissions according to the procedures provided for in the internal regulations.
It takes out leases and acquires any property necessary for the realization of the object of the association, confers all leases and mortgages on the association’s properties, proceeds to the sale or exchange of said properties, carries out all loans and grants all guarantees and securities.
It sets the main lines of communication and public relations actions.
It sets the budgets and controls their execution. It closes the accounts for the closed financial year, establishes the convocations for the general assemblies, and sets their agenda.
It appoints the members of the office and terminates their functions. It appoints, if necessary, one or two statutory auditors, holder or substitute.
It develops the internal regulations of the association, if necessary. It authorizes acts and commitments exceeding the scope of the president’s own power and may grant a director any delegation of powers for a specific mission.
It rules on the projects of conventions referred to in article L.612-5 of the Commercial Code submitted to it by the president. The mandates of director are free of charge.
The expenses incurred in the exercise of their mission are advanced on estimate or reimbursed on supporting document.

Article 14 – Office: Composition

The Board of Directors elects from among its members an Office composed of:

a President
one or more Vice-Presidents
a General Secretary and, if necessary, an Assistant General Secretary
a Treasurer and, if necessary, an Assistant Treasurer
a communication officer Legal entities are represented by their current legal representative, or by any other person whose authorization for this purpose has been notified to the association.

The members of the Office are elected for three years. Outgoing members are re-eligible.

The functions of a member of the Office end by resignation from the quality of administrator, unjustified absence at three consecutive meetings of the Office, or revocation by the Board of Directors.

Article 15 – Powers and Operation of the Office

The office ensures the day-to-day management of the association. It meets whenever necessary at the convocation of the president.

The office meets at least twice a year at the initiative and on the convocation of the president who sets its agenda. The convocation can be made by any means at least eight days in advance. Decisions are made by a majority of the members present. In the event of a tie, the president’s vote is preponderant.

In case of emergency or for reasons of convenience, the office may meet by telephone or electronic conference. In this case, decisions will be made under the same majority conditions, proof of individual agreements being made by email.

Article 16 – President

The President is the guardian of the Associative Purpose, as defined in these statutes in Article 2.

The President combines the roles of President of the Office, the Board of Directors, and the association. He manages the day-to-day operations of the association, acting on behalf of the Office, the Board of Directors, and the association, specifically:

He represents the association in all acts of civil life and is vested with all powers for this purpose.
He is qualified to represent the association in court, both in initiating and defending actions, to negotiate all agreements, and consent to any transaction.
He convenes the office and the board of directors, sets their agenda, and presides over their meetings.
He informs the board of directors of his actions taken in the interval between two board meetings. He executes the decisions made by the office and the board of directors.
He orders expenditures, presents annual budgets, and oversees their execution, in consultation with the treasurer.
He performs the functions of an employer.
He is authorized to open and operate accounts and savings books in any credit or financial institution.
He signs the acquisition and disposal of any movable property and object, carries out any repairs, works, and arrangements, buys and sells any title and value.
He signs any purchase or sale contract and, more generally, any act and contract necessary for the implementation of the decisions of the office, the board of directors, and the general assemblies.
He presides by right over all ordinary and extraordinary general assemblies. He presents the annual activity report to the general assembly. He informs the members of the board of directors of the content of said report at the latest during the council preceding the general assembly.
He is responsible for ensuring compliance with these statutes.
He may delegate, in writing and after having informed the board of directors, part of his powers and his signature to one or more members of the office. The delegations of signature must be limited in time and in amounts of authorization.

Article 17 – Vice-President

The Vice-President assists the President in the exercise of his functions. He replaces him in case of prolonged or permanent impediment.

Article 18 – General Secretary

The General Secretary ensures the proper material, administrative, and legal functioning of the association. He establishes, or has established under his control, the minutes of the meetings and deliberations of the Office, the Board of Directors, and the General Assemblies.

Article 19 – Treasurer

The treasurer is responsible for:

Establishing, or having established under his control, the annual accounts of the association.
Proceeding, or having proceeded, with the annual call for contributions.
Establishing, or having established, a financial report that he presents with the annual accounts to the ordinary general assembly.
Proceeding, or having proceeded under his control, with the payment of expenses and the collection of receipts.
Managing, or having managed under his control, the reserve fund if necessary and the treasury of the association.
He is authorized to open and operate accounts and savings books in all credit or financial institutions, after agreement of the president.

Article 20 – Communication Officer

The communication officer proposes the communication policy of the association. He is authorized to speak on behalf of the association.

Article 21 – General Assemblies – Common Provisions

The general assemblies include all members of the association who are up to date with their contributions. Legal entities are represented by their current legal representative or by any other person whose authorization has been notified to the board of directors.

The general assemblies are convened by the president by delegation of the board of directors, or at the request of at least one-third of the members of the association, by simple letter or email at least fifteen days in advance. The convocation contains the agenda, set by the board of directors.

Internal regulations may specify and complete the operating procedures of the general assemblies.

Any member may be represented by another member with a proxy, within the limit of 15 (fifteen) per person if it concerns powers without voting instructions.

The general assemblies can only deliberate on the questions included in the agenda.

Article 22 – Ordinary General Assemblies

The ordinary general assembly meets at least once a year, within six months of the closing of the fiscal year.

The ordinary general assembly hears the activity report and the financial report.

It approves the accounts of the closed fiscal year and gives discharge of their management to the administrators.

The ordinary general assembly proceeds to the election and, if necessary, the revocation of the administrators.

It can validly deliberate, regardless of the number of members present or represented.

Decisions are made by a majority of the members present or represented. In the event of a tie, the president’s vote is preponderant.

Article 23 – Extraordinary General Assemblies

The extraordinary general assembly has the competence to proceed with the modification of the statutes, the dissolution of the association and the devolution of its assets, its merger or transformation, or any other subject that does not fall under the ordinary general assembly.

The extraordinary general assembly can validly deliberate only if half of the members of the association are present or represented. In the absence of a quorum on the first call, the extraordinary general assembly is reconvened, but fifteen days apart and with the same agenda; it can then deliberate regardless of the number of members present or represented.

Decisions are made by a qualified majority of two-thirds of the voters. In the event of a tie, the president’s vote is preponderant.

Article 24 – Dissolution

In the event of dissolution not consecutive to a merger, the extraordinary general assembly appoints one or more liquidators responsible for the liquidation operations.

It allocates the net assets to any declared association, or to any non-profit organization of its choice pursuing an identical, similar, or related object.

Article 25 – Internal Regulations

Internal regulations developed by the board of directors may specify and complete, as needed, the statutory provisions relating to the functioning of the association.

Done at Saint-Louis, on July 18, 2022