Cercle de Gascogne

The Cercles de Gascogne are associative cafés (cafés associatifs) found in the French departments of Gironde and Landes. They operate under the French law of 1901 governing non-profit associations, are owned by their members, and are run by salaried managers. Their origins trace back to the aftermath of the French Revolution, emerging from the social world of sawyers, resin tappers, mule drivers, and woodcutters as the Republic took root in village life. Many have disappeared over time; around twenty-five remain today, including the Cercle de l'Avenir and Cercle de l'Union des Travailleurs in Bazas, the Cercle des Agriculteurs in Birac, the Cercle des Travailleurs in Brocas and Captieux, Arts de Cercle in Canéjan, the Cercle de l'Union in Gajac, Luxey and Pissos, the Cercle des Associations in Garein, the Cercle des Démocrates in Labrit, the Cercle de la Paix in Le Nizan, Louchats, Préchac and Sore, the Cercle de la Concorde in Lucmau, the Cercle des Citoyens in Mont-de-Marsan, and the Cercle Ouvrier in Saint-Symphorien. In these rural communes, the cercle remains an essential place of local life, preserving the spirit and image of the cercles of the past. The Fédération des Cercles de Gascogne was created on 20 March 1998 on the initiative of three Landes cercles (Luxey, Pissos and Sore), with the support of the Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne. Its purpose is to safeguard the cercles and maintain their traditions. It supports animation and renovation programs, records and preserves the memory of these places, and facilitates exchanges and advice among member cafés. In September 2014, a convention of objectives was signed between the Conseil général des Landes and the Fédération des cercles de Gascogne to assist them in coordinating their actions. The cercles maintain strict internal rules: members late in paying their dues have their names displayed for eight days in the cercle's rooms. Gambling is forbidden, though some cercles have a billiard table, as in Captieux, Lucmau, Luxey or Sore. Despite their particular mode of operation, the cercles are open to all: one can drink at reduced prices, play cards, read the newspaper, and, as in the past, discuss political questions. Over time and with modernity, the living conditions of the cercles have sometimes become difficult and attendance less regular. Some have become traditional bistros, while others have become new places of sociability: meeting places for retirees, sports and leisure associations, cultural exchanges, and local events such as belote tournaments, musical or theatrical evenings. The Cercle Ouvrier de Saint-Symphorien, whose statutes were the subject of a prefectoral decree dated 14 September 1898, is one of the oldest workers' associations in France, self-managed and operating with volunteer members. Today it is an associative bar bringing together more than 230 members and open to all, housed in a vast 19th-century bourgeois house built of Frontenac stone.

The history of the Cercles de Gascogne is marked by two privileged themes: the creation of a social space specific to men (for a long time women were excluded) and the development of a political consciousness. These high places of village politics were born in the aftermath of the French Revolution and reached their apogee under the Third Republic. Emanating from landowners, liberal professions and merchants, they initially addressed the affluent classes of society. Later, in the context of the antagonism opposing the clergy and the local bourgeoisie on the question of the school, a 'republican' movement was born. The notables, mostly literate, sought the support of more popular classes among the Landes shepherds and resin tappers, often illiterate. The 'republican' movement gained further ground and, from 1860, opened massively to new social categories, notably shopkeepers and artisans. Among them, the Compagnons conveyed their knowledge of the city, and peasants, sharecroppers and workers soon joined. The cercle thus became a communal beacon in the middle of the village, a meeting place to discuss and talk about any subject, but essentially politics. Over time, many cercles did not withstand the passage of time. The Fédération des Cercles de Gascogne was created on 20 March 1998 on the initiative of three Landes cercles (Luxey, Pissos and Sore), with the support of the Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne. Its purpose is the safeguarding of the cercles and the maintenance of their traditions. Several projects were born there: support for animation and renovation programs, recording and conservation of the memory of these places, exchanges and advice between member cafés. A convention of objectives was signed in September 2014 between the Conseil général des Landes and the Fédération des cercles de Gascogne to help the latter in their mission of coordinating their actions. The Cercle Ouvrier de Saint-Symphorien provides a notable example: its statutes were the subject of a prefectoral decree dated 14 September 1898, and the list of founders was established on 8 September of the same year. Created by the forest owners of the commune, the Cercle Ouvrier had the initial purpose of 'tightening the bonds of fraternity that already unite its members and facilitating their purchasing power.' These local notables, anti-clerical republicans, wanted to maintain popular support among the Landes shepherds and resin tappers, very poor at that time, who resided in numerous sharecropping farms. Today it is an associative bar bringing together more than 230 members but open to all. The house that shelters it is a vast 19th-century bourgeois dwelling in Frontenac stone. This 'common house' is one of the oldest workers' associations in France, self-managed, and operates with volunteer members.

• 2014

  Convention of objectives signed in September between the Conseil général des Landes and the Fédération des cercles de Gascogne.

• 1998

  Fédération des Cercles de Gascogne created on 20 March on the initiative of three Landes cercles (Luxey, Pissos and Sore), with support from the Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne.

• 1898

  Statutes of the Cercle Ouvrier de Saint-Symphorien established by prefectoral decree on 14 September; list of founders drawn up on 8 September.

Rural, member-owned associative cafés preserving a tradition of village sociability and republican political culture in Gascony.

• Associative café services

• Beverages at reduced prices

• Card games

• Newspaper reading

• Billiards (in some cercles)

• Local cultural events (belote tournaments, musical or theatrical evenings)

1. 1Cercle de Gascogne - Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org
2. 2Cercle de Gascogne - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Slot Gacor Hari Ini – Daftar di Situs Resmi dan Dapatkan Bonus Menarik! -cercles-gascogne.org