C. NORA, France Section

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IEEE France SectionPr. Christine Nora,
Treasurer, Chair 1996-1998

• Organization registered in 1967
• - More than 3000 members with Associates
• - 25 Chapters and joint chapters
• - 2 Afinity Groups
• - Many links with Industry and Universities

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France SectionMain problems

• - Lack of volunteers
• open call to find new ones
• -   Associates 
• Complexity of French Educational System
•  Grandes Ecoles and Universities
• problem of non recognised diplomas!
• - Samiee data base
• Mixing between first and last names

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IEEE France Section Conferences

• France Section, Non Profit Organization
• Finances Management of Conference
• Different Kinds of Partnership

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• France Section Non profit Organization
• - Organization according to the French 1901 law
• - The French 3 C rules
• C Caractère inintéresséno salary or dividend
  to the board
• C Concurrencethe most importantno company
  may do the same thing
• C Conditions similairesonly if the answer is
  yes to the last oneno competitive
  advantages,not the same conditions
• Impossibility to subsist without help
  from governmental institutions
• - No VAT, no Company Tax, no Professionnal Tax

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• France Section Non profit Organization
• Every year France Section receives a form to fill
  from the French Ministry of Finances
• They ask if France Section receives any revenue
  from
• agricultural ressource
• properties rental
• stocks holder
• It is true (and very easy) to answer none as
  they explained it

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• Finance Management of conferences
• There was always lot of conferences in France
• For each one the members involved found a
  solution. But this became more and more
  difficult French and European laws changed
• At every board the members spoke of finding a
  more global solution, but nobody has time to find
  it
• Retired from my job end of 2002, I had more time
  to find a better solution
• We discussed with the French Ministry of
  Finances

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• Finance Management of Conferences
• When we explained
• what we do,
• how we do it,
• the French Ministry of Finances agreed that we
  are really a non-profit organization
• The first conference took place in 2004 according
  to our discussion
• I discussed also with the bank to find the best
  way to operate

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• Finances Management of Conference
• Bank accounts, one dedicated to only one
  conferenceSaving account linked only for the
  main conferenceThe Conference begins with a bank
  account empty and finish empty After it
  will be used for another conference
• Internet paymentTPE Virtual Payment
  Devicesecurely managed by the Bank with online
  confirmation of the payment
• France Section held no information about the
  credit card and the card holder (which may be
  another one than the attendee)
• PayMaster set up the registration payment
  procedure, automatic acknowledgment to attendees,
  management of the data base
• Treasurer follows the overall operation and the
  non credit card payments. Treasurer makes sure
  there is no problem for the Chair
• Organizing Committee follows every other things

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• Finances Management of Conference

Organizing Committee
Automatic Invoices and Data Base
France Section Web Site
Conference Web Site
Bank
Bank account Conference n1
Bank account Conference n2
...
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• Different Kinds of Partnership
• According to the French Law the Section Chair is
  responsible on his or her Personal belongings for
  any debt of the Section.
• The Treasurer is also implied in these
  liabilities
• France Section is very sensitive about it and
  takes care not to have any such loss. It is why
  it took time to France Section to get imply with
  the finances of conferences.
• It is why France Section is a Partner to organize
  a Conference and chooses its partner.
• France Section has no employees and pays
  companies to fulfill the tasks needed.
• According to every conference, France Section
  agrees by an MoU with IEEE or by agreement with
  the organizing committee to have a partnership
  based on- part of surplus and loss- every risk
  and every surplus- only reimbursement of
  expenses including volunteer time spent (at least
  small part of it)

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• The main advantages?
• France Section is known by Convention Centers and
  by caterers
• Members of the Section know where it is possible
  to held a conference according to the number of
  attendees, to held the banquet
• France Section with its connection and compliers
  get better bargain and prices
• (for example for the Palais des Festivals of
  Cannes without even discussing there is already,
  to begin with, 10 discount)

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• The main problems?
• When organizing a conference, there are quite
  always some people to pay or reimburse
• Best paper awards, Tutorial speakers
• The worst for the treasurer is to have to send
  money by wire transfer all over the world
• No problem for European Union including other
  countries like Switzerland or Israel they have
  an IBAN and BIC (SWIFT Code)
• Lot of banks even in the US do not know what is
  an IBAN or even a code SWIFT.
• This does not allow any electronic wire
  transfer!!!
• A check is not a solution because of the bank
  fees.

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• And VAT?
• As France is in European Union, either solution
  chosen for conferences deals with VAT
• It was not important to speak about it, because
  everybody in European Union is used to it, the
  accounting systems are made to deal with it
• The only problem for conferences is to make sure
  than with VAT or without VAT the receipts cover
  the expenses
• And it is also very important to remember that
  VAT is not like sales taxes in US. If you do not
  collect VAT, you will still pay VAT on your
  expenses and you cannot recover it

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• Other actions for Conferences
• This year, another Section of Region8 asks the
  help of France Section for the organization of a
  R8 conference
• They could not receive payments by Internet
• As we are a French non-profit organization, part
  of the IEEE network, we agreed, received the
  money and send it after to the Section

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• Extension to other countries in European Union?
• Is this possible to settle the same thing in
  other countries of European Union?
• There are directives than every country should
  follow. There are directives than every country
  may follow if they agreed (and signed) to do it.
• Status of Non-profit organization like France
  Section belongs to the last one

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• Thank You for Your Attention
• Pr.Christine Nora, Treasurer IEEE France Section