Integrity, Democracy & Public Purpose in Civic Environmental Stewardship
Founded under the historic French Law of July 1, 1901, LA COMPAGNIE LA MAIN A LA PATE operates as a 100% non-profit, non-commercial association dedicated entirely to the public interest. Discover our statutory foundations, democratic leadership structure, and unyielding commitment to civic transparency.
The Founding Charter & Public Interest Mandate
LA COMPAGNIE LA MAIN A LA PATE was formally constituted as a non-profit association governed by the French Law of July 1, 1901, registered with the Prefecture of Ariège under official National Association Registry ID (RNA) W093005110 and national business register (SIREN) 933204240. The headquarters of the association are anchored at Peydanes, 18 Rue du Rouan, 09240 Alzen, situated within the verdant heart of the Pyrenean foothills.
Our association was born out of an urgent recognition: while rural landscapes face mounting pressures from industrial monoculture, soil compaction, deforestation, and climate extremes, the conventional institutional and commercial responses remain fragmented. Too frequently, environmental conservation is treated either as a punitive regulatory regime or as a commodified greenwashing market. Simultaneously, cultural life in rural municipalities has suffered from centralized funding cuts, isolating communities from vital artistic expression and shared civic rituals.
The founders of LA COMPAGNIE LA MAIN A LA PATE—comprising field botanists, agroecologists, rural educators, puppeteers, and regional civic organizers—envisioned an institutional structure where ecological restoration and multidisciplinary arts cross-pollinate. By operating strictly under non-profit statutes, the organization eliminated all commercial motives. The association produces no private dividends, sells no commercial products or services, and receives no venture capital. Every grant from regional public institutions, every state scientific subsidy, and every membership contribution is directly channeled into community planting campaigns, hydrological research transects, and free open-air theater performances.
Official Registration Metadata
| Official Designation: | LA COMPAGNIE LA MAIN A LA PATE |
| Legal Structure: | Association de Loi 1901 (Non-Profit NGO) |
| Prefecture Registry (RNA): | W093005110 |
| National SIREN ID: | 933204240 |
| Registered Address: | PEYDANES, 18 RUE DU ROUAN, 09240 ALZEN, France |
| Statutory Purpose: | General Public Interest (Intérêt Général) |
Governance Hierarchy & The General Assembly
Unlike hierarchical corporate entities, the sovereign decision-making body of LA COMPAGNIE LA MAIN A LA PATE is its Annual General Assembly (Assemblée Générale). Every member of the association who has been registered for at least three months possesses equal voting power under the classic democratic axiom: one person, one vote. During this annual summit, members review and vote on:
- The Moral and Activity Report (Rapport Moral): A rigorous audit of ecological campaigns, hectares restored, scientific studies authored, and artistic workshops delivered.
- The Financial Report and Balance Sheet (Rapport Financier): An itemized, certified accounting of all public subsidies, foundation grants, and operational expenditures.
- The Strategic Orientation Plan: The democratic selection of upcoming field initiatives, wetland preservation zones, and community theater touring routes.
- Election of the Board of Directors (Conseil d'Administration): Democratic election of representatives tasked with executing the association's statutory will.
The Board of Directors meets quarterly to oversee administrative adherence, monitor legal obligations, and support the operational workgroups. Directors serve on a strictly voluntary, uncompensated basis (bénévolat total), in full compliance with French fiscal statutes governing public interest non-profits.
Directory of the Board of Directors & Bureau
Antoine Delmas
Agronomist and organic agroforestry practitioner with over twenty years of experience in Pyrenean mountain soil rehabilitation. Coordinates inter-municipal partnerships and public interest legal covenants.
Sarah Benali
Educator and community organizer specializing in popular education and intergenerational dialogue. Manages institutional relations with the Prefecture, regulatory compliance, and volunteer assembly logs.
Jean-Baptiste Moreau
Certified public accountant dedicated to non-profit financial transparency. Ensures that 100% of public grants and member dues are accounted for in public ledger disclosures with zero commercial overhead.
The Independent Scientific Advisory Council
To guarantee that our ecological activities maintain the highest standards of scientific rigor, LA COMPAGNIE LA MAIN A LA PATE established an autonomous Scientific Ethics Council (Conseil Scientifique et Éthique). This body is composed of independent biologists, climatologists, hydrologists, and anthropologists from academic institutions across Occitanie who serve without compensation.
The Council is empowered with an absolute right of veto over any ecological intervention, research study, or corporate collaboration that fails to meet three inviolable criteria:
1. Absolute Methodological Independence
All studies, environmental impact assessments, and botanical inventories are conducted with standardized, peer-replicable protocols and published open-source without embargo.
2. Strict Non-Commercial Screening
The association refuses all commercial marketing sponsorships, corporate offset schemes, and greenwashed public relations contracts that seek to exploit non-profit legitimacy.
3. Ethical Indigenous Stewardship
Every botanical reintroduction must prioritize indigenous Pyrenean ecotypes and respect the historical traditional ecological knowledge of local pastoral communities.
The Multidisciplinary Arts Wing: Theater, Puppetry & Dance
A defining characteristic that sets LA COMPAGNIE LA MAIN A LA PATE apart from conventional conservation organizations is our integrated cultural wing. We believe that cognitive scientific knowledge alone cannot transform human relationships with the natural world without emotional, sensory, and communal engagement.
Our traveling artistic troupe delivers accessible, multidisciplinary creations directly into public squares, village greens, rural elementary schools, and community centers. By employing traditional puppetry, physical theater, live acoustic storytelling, and contemporary dance, we break down cultural barriers and create shared spaces where citizens of all ages can reflect on our interdependence with living ecosystems.
In these collaborative performances, local residents become active co-creators rather than passive spectators. Children craft animal marionettes from fallen branches and natural clay, elders share oral histories of river floods and forgotten agrarian practices, and neighbors discuss environmental challenges within a safe, celebratory communal atmosphere. This cultural work nurtures empathy, builds intergenerational dialogue, and reinforces the civic social fabric of rural communities.
Commitment to Total Public Transparency
As an organization recognized for its public interest devotion (intérêt général), we maintain complete operational openness. Any citizen, donor of volunteer time, or administrative auditor may request to inspect our official registers, meeting minutes, and financial statements at our registered headquarters in Alzen. We hold ourselves accountable to the highest ethical benchmarks because we recognize that public trust is the foundation of durable civic conservation.