A Transparent, Volunteer-Led Administration
Democratic governance is the cornerstone of Association Histoire et Patrimoine de Saint-Éman. As a non-profit association dedicated to the public utility of Saint-Éman and the broader Eure-et-Loir community, our organizational structure ensures that decisions regarding historic monument restorations, archival acquisitions, and expenditure allocations are deliberated collaboratively and recorded transparently.
Our governance framework operates on three interconnected tiers: the Sovereign General Assembly of Members, the Board of Directors, and the Executive Bureau. Every active member who has subscribed to our association possesses an equal voting right, embodying the foundational civic principle of one person, one vote. We do not maintain any privileged or commercial shares; influence within our association is earned through dedication to community preservation.
In strict compliance with statutory regulations governing French associations, all directors and bureau officers serve on an entirely voluntary, non-remunerated basis (bénévolat total). They receive no attendance fees, performance bonuses, or dividends. Every euro entrusted to the association directly supports active field conservation materials, educational brochures, and archival preservation tools.
Executive Bureau & Board of Directors
Christian Guyon
President & Legal Representative
Christian Guyon coordinates the strategic direction of the association, represents the entity before administrative jurisdictions, prefectural authorities, and municipal councils, and oversees the overall execution of field restoration campaigns across Saint-Éman. He ensures full fidelity to our founding statutory principles and maintains our official registered seat.
Term Mandate: 3 Years (Renewable by General Assembly) • Status: Unsalaried Civic Volunteer
Marie-Hélène Rousseau
General Secretary & Chief Archivist
Marie-Hélène Rousseau directs municipal record keeping, manages statutory filings with the Prefecture of Eure-et-Loir, maintains the official membership roll, and drafts all formal minutes of board meetings and general assemblies. She also coordinates the digitization and cataloging of fragile historical documents donated by local families.
Term Mandate: 3 Years (Renewable by General Assembly) • Status: Unsalaried Civic Volunteer
Jean-Pierre Mercier
Treasurer & Chief Financial Steward
Jean-Pierre Mercier is responsible for financial accounting, budget tracking, bank reconciliations, and grant disbursement compliance. He prepares the comprehensive annual financial ledger, reconciles material invoices for lime and quarry stone, and coordinates the annual review with independent external examiners.
Term Mandate: 3 Years (Renewable by General Assembly) • Status: Unsalaried Civic Volunteer
Laurent Vasseur
Director of Technical Conservation & Safety
Laurent Vasseur supervises on-site technical operations during volunteer restoration sessions, ensures compliance with occupational safety regulations, designs traditional lime mortar formulations, and manages relationships with regional heritage craft mentors and masonry apprentices.
Term Mandate: 3 Years (Renewable by General Assembly) • Status: Unsalaried Civic Volunteer
Transparent Budget Allocation & Independent Audits
Because our association relies on public trust, voluntary donations, and institutional grants, we maintain an open-book policy. Every financial transaction is tracked in double-entry bookkeeping, categorized by operational initiative, and backed by itemized receipts and supplier delivery slips.
Annual Budget Allocation Breakdown
The table below demonstrates how every euro received during our most recent fiscal year was allocated toward concrete public interest activities:
| Operational Category | Percentage | Concrete Field Application | Auditing Verification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field Materials & Masonry Restoration | 54% | Procurement of natural hydraulic lime (NHL 3.5), river sand, salvaged flint nodules, scaffolding rentals, and protective volunteer gear. | Itemized supplier receipts verified against completed masonry logs. |
| Archival Preservation & Digitization | 18% | Archival scanning equipment, acid-free storage boxes, glass-plate photographic preservation sleeves, and digital backup repositories. | Digital inventory reconciliation by Supervisory Committee. |
| Public Education & Trail Signage | 16% | Production of weather-resistant oak interpretive plaques along the river Loir trail and free educational discovery booklets for school classes. | Public access verification on municipal pedestrian trails. |
| Statutory Insurance & Administration | 12% | Comprehensive civil liability insurance covering all volunteer participants, banking fees, postal notices, and secure server hosting. | Contractual insurance policies and annual bank statements. |
| Total Operational Allocation | 100% | Strictly reinvested in public interest conservation missions. Zero commercial dividends. | Unanimously certified by General Assembly. |
Conflict of Interest Policy & Ethics Charter
To safeguard against any perceived or actual impropriety, Association Histoire et Patrimoine de Saint-Éman enforces a comprehensive Ethics Charter:
- Zero Personal Commercial Gain: Board members and their immediate family members are barred from executing commercial contracts or providing paid services to the association.
- Competitive Quotes for Supplies: Any material acquisition exceeding 500 euros requires the review of three competitive bids from local suppliers to guarantee the best value for community funds.
- Independent Audit Verification: Prior to the annual General Assembly, an independent Audit Committee comprised of two non-director association members examines all invoices, bank reconciliations, and inventory ledgers, presenting an autonomous audit report directly to the membership.
- Open Access to Financial Ledgers: Any registered member in good standing may request an appointment to inspect physical accounts and receipts at our registered seat in Saint-Éman.
Procedures of the Annual General Assembly
The Annual General Assembly serves as the supreme decision-making organ of our association. Held during the first quarter of each calendar year, this gathering unites all active members to review the moral and financial records of the preceding twelve months and set the operational priorities for the upcoming season.
Formal convocation letters, accompanied by a detailed agenda, draft resolutions, and financial summaries, are dispatched via postal mail or electronic delivery at least fifteen calendar days prior to the assembly date. Every member holds the right to propose additional agenda items by submitting written notice to the General Secretary at least seven days before the meeting.
Decisions within the Ordinary General Assembly are adopted by a simple majority of voting members present or represented by proxy. To preserve democratic balance, no individual member may hold more than three voting proxies on behalf of absent colleagues. For Extraordinary General Assemblies called to modify association statutes or consider fundamental organizational restructuring, a two-thirds majority of votes cast and a minimum quorum of one-third of registered members is strictly mandated by our constitution.
The Scientific & Heritage Advisory Council
To ensure that all masonry repairs, architectural interventions, and archival publications conform to rigorous scientific and historical standards, the Board of Directors is assisted by an independent Scientific & Heritage Advisory Council. This voluntary consultative body brings together regional specialists who offer technical insight and methodological counsel:
- Regional Archeologists & Historians: Experts specializing in the medieval and early modern history of the Chartrain and Perche regions who assist in interpreting structural phases and dating vernacular materials.
- Architectural Heritage Consultants: Retired or practicing preservation architects who review our restoration drawings, ensure compatibility with historic monument regulations, and liaise with the Departmental Unit of Architecture and Heritage (UDAP 28).
- Environmental Botanists & Hydrologists: Scientists who assess riverbank stability along the river Loir, evaluate dampness patterns in subterranean stone vaults, and ensure that our field interventions do not disrupt rare wetland flora or nesting birds.
Volunteer Safety, Civil Liability & Risk Management
The safety and physical well-being of our volunteers is our primary operational responsibility during hands-on field sessions. Prior to opening any restoration work site, our Technical Conservation Director conducts a systematic risk assessment of the location, checking for loose masonry, overhead hazards, unstable ground along riverbanks, and proximity to vehicular traffic.
Association Histoire et Patrimoine de Saint-Éman holds comprehensive civil liability insurance specifically tailored to non-profit heritage worksites. This policy covers all registered volunteers against third-party claims, accidental injuries, and property damage incurred during authorized association activities. On every field site, an inspected first-aid station is maintained, and at least two certified first responders are present among the volunteer team.
All participants receive mandatory personal protective equipment, including heavy-duty gloves, eye protection for lime mixing and stone dressing, hard hats for masonry work near elevated structures, and high-visibility vests for roadside trail clearing. By coupling rigorous safety standards with supportive mentoring, we guarantee that volunteering remains an enjoyable, fulfilling, and completely safe community endeavor.
Review Our Full Statutory Filings
Official copies of our association constitution, prefectural receipt of declaration, and annual financial statements are publicly available for download on our Resources portal.