Feature: Management of associations    

This feature on association management aims to provide an overview of this complex activity. An activity that covers administration, active management and the financial management of associations. Operations that need to be scheduled in order to guarantee sustainability. Let's have a general overview.      

Our featured articles:   

• How to create a tontine association?    
• What are the governing bodies of an association?    
• The Executive Board in an association    
• The statutes and internal regulation of an association    

The role of the Executive Board in an association   

Although not having a legal personality, the executive board is essential to an association, and especially to a tontine. Elected by the General Assembly through a procedure well defined by the status and internal regulation of the association, the executive board is the visible apparatus of the association. What is an executive board? How is it appointed? Who are its members?  What are its responsibilities? This article aims to provide answers to these questions. 

What is an association's executive board?   

The executive board of an association is responsible for its management. As the executive staff, it is responsible for the day-to-day and operational management of the association.

If you follow the functioning of associative organisations closely, you will quickly realise that they rely on governing bodies such as the General Assembly, the Council of Elders (in the African context), and sometimes the steering committees for projects defined in the action plan. As such, it is more than essential to have a constant hand on the affairs of the association. For this reason, an executive committee is appointed to carry out these functions on a daily basis. By this logic, a board stands out best when the association has a large number of members; the difficult and complex management of rationalities in a large grouping is likely to be a headache. Imagine immediate decision-making in this context: almost impossible! The bureau is undoubtedly a simplified and dynamic equation for the operational management of your association.  

How is an executiveboard appointed?   

Answering this question would be like addressing the way decisions are made in an association. Since it is a voluntary grouping of people, the model is one of participation, involvement and majority democracy. This being the case, it is obvious that for a decision of this nature, the General Assembly, the only deliberative body, is the prevailing governing body. The election of the bureau is always done in the General Assembly, at the time of the start-up and when the mandate of the latter is completed. Thus, for this election to take place in accordance      with the rules of the art, a set of formalities  must be observed to avoid any procedural defects. First of all, all members must be invited to the General Assembly by means of e-mails, sms, notifications, etc., taking care to clearly state the agenda. Minutes should also be taken at the end of the meeting as proof that the meeting was held.   

Very often the choice of the board is made through a voting process. This vote can be by show of hands, by secret ballot with or without a proxy, as well as the quorum for a vote. It can also be single or multiple, with one or more rounds, with the majority always winning. The different members of the board are called upon to propose their candidacies for the posts requested. These nominations consist of two phases, a written phase and an oral phase. The written application phase provides information on the professional and personal skills of the candidates, resulting in an action plan and/or a project, if applicable. They are presented to a select committee, the Council of Wise Men in this case. The oral application phase consists of presenting yourself to the Assembly, taking care to explain why you and not someone else. Anything goes, as long as it is within a legal framework. Then the Assembly's decision is expressed in a free choice and if you have been convincing, you will certainly pass.            

Who are its members and what are its responsibilities?     

If the word " bureau " refers to a piece of real estate and " its members " to movable components in your mind, you are not far from the mark. Well, not very close either. If your association's office is its executive body, its members are probably its linchpin. Human skills brought together to serve the interests of your association. Does this put you on the right track? Great! Typically, the members of the board are : 

The President is the representative of the association: he/she represents it in all acts of civil life. While he has the capacity to take functional decisions within the framework of the daily management of the association, for large-scale decisions, he must have the approval of the general assembly or the council of elders. He/she is not the boss, but serves the association and provides a visible cover. As it is the status of the president that clearly defines the role of the president, this must be done carefully to avoid any conflict of interest. There could also be a vice-president who will be responsible for assisting the president or replacing him or her if he or she is unable to attend, but this is not automatic.      

The Secretary, usually the second in command of the association, is responsible for administrative and legal formalities. By administrative and legal formalities, we mean the drafting of minutes and reports, the establishment of correspondence, the management of members, the issuing of invitations and notices. He/she is also responsible for managing the association's archives, ensuring compliance with the statutes, the proper organisation of meetings and, above all, monitoring information to ensure the smooth running of the association. If the president is the cover of the association, the secretary is its binder.    

The Treasurer deals with the financial aspects of the association.  He/she is responsible for keeping the association's accounts and ensuring the implementation of the defined financial policy. It is up to the treasurer to define a provisional budget for the association, which must be validated by the assembly. He/she also ensures optimal management of financial resources and advises on the allocation of resources according to the objectives and financial capacity of the association. He is also held responsible in case of financial misappropriation or mismanagement. Depending on what is stated in the statutes, he or she may or may not sign the agreement to withdraw funds from the association's account in the event of a hazard inherent in the association.  

It is not excluded that an office may have several Vice-Presidents, a Permanent or Executive Secretary, Deputy treasurers, Auditors, Censors, depending on its nature.    

Whether you are a very small or a very large association, it will be important for you to set up a dynamic and operational team that will ensure that your association is maintained, that its missions are respected and that its rules are applied. Moreover, an executive board only really draws its strength from its Assembly. An executive board that is torpedoed and fought over will not be able to validly serve the interests of the group and it is more than necessary to carefully choose the visible apparatus of your association. Ready to create your association? Tontine.Plus will you through different phases.