CHM de Montalivet - Centre of Sun & Sea
Returning to Founding Principles: Reclaiming CHM-Montalivet’s Original Values Through Legal Reform
In early 1950s, Centre Hélio-Marin de Montalivet (CHM) was established as a place grounded in the values of freedom, equality and inclusion. Initially formed as an association under France’s 1901 Law, CHM represents more than a physical location—it embodies a social response shaped by desire for cooperative living, body freedom and mutual responsibility. Its mission is inherently philanthropic: to provide a healthy and natural environment for families, guided by naturist values and respect for universal dignity.
Around 1954–55, as CHM expanded and operations grew more complex, its legal form changed. Facing the structural limitations of association law, the community established a Société Anonyme (S.A.) called "Société de Financement des Centres de Nature" (SOC-NAT) to manage assets, enter contracts and support professional administration. This decision reflected constraints of legal landscape at the time, which lacked hybrid forms capable of combining public-interest missions with operational scalability. Notably, legal structures such as today's "Fondation Reconnue d’Utilité Publique" (FRUP) did not yet exist.
While the shift to an S.A. enabled growth and formalisation, it also introduced vulnerabilities. The S.A. form lacked mechanisms to guarantee that governance would remain aligned with CHM’s founding values. Around the year 2000, these vulnerabilities were exposed: SOC-NAT’s governance shifted dramatically, with decision-making becoming centralised and increasingly profit-oriented. Democratic participation weakened. Long-term residents and homeowners began experiencing rent-seeking practices, opaque management and rising fees. This period marks not just a transformation, but also a departure.
Yet throughout CHM’s history, a powerful cultural memory has persisted—a memory of collective living, openness and solidarity. These are not simply ideals but lived practices, transmitted across generations. They offer a foundation for renewal.
Today, French legal system offers a pathway back to these principles. The FRUP model, developed and reinforced in recent decades, provides a structure oriented toward the public good, with a permanent dedication of assets and mission-led governance. Unlike a Société Anonyme, a FRUP is insulated from market pressures and private appropriation. It exists solely to serve its declared purpose, under transparent and accountable oversight.
One can now imagine a CHM administered by a FRUP, with protections in place to uphold its founding values, to preserve access, and to re-establish democratic and transparent governance. A legal transformation of this kind could ensure that CHM’s land, community and ethos are safeguarded for future generations.
This is not an exercise in nostalgia, but a call to collective responsibility.
A turning point may be near. With it comes the opportunity to realign CHM with its original purpose—not as a possession, but as a shared commitment.