Association
Association of the Rustico holiday resort Al Forno Vacanze
The non-profit association “Al Forno Vacanze” owns and manages the various properties of the small, car-free Rustico holiday resort in Pila/Ticino.
he history of the association up to this day reflects the unbroken will to continue to preserve the idyllic concept of Al Forno, as it was intended in 1944 by René and Hanna Bartholet, who first bought the properties, and by the first president and manager Mascha Oettli. (Also see History).
At the beginning of the 1980s Al Forno was able to get through a financially difficult time caused by many important renovations and reconstructions. This was mainly possible thanks to the organizational support from the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland (SPS), which had Mascha Oettli as its long-time women secretary. Rudolf H. Strahm, who was SPS central secretary at the time, was particularly committed for Al Forno.
After several evaluations for transforming the association into another legal form (foundation, cooperative, additional support association), in 1983 it was decided to keep the association, implying a complete revision of the statutes and a renewal of the personnel. The latter change was also needed because several long-time members could not actively collaborate any longer due to reasons of age. Furthermore, in respect to the founding history, the philosophical and political academy (PPA Bonn) also became part of the patronage.
Several changes in the operating and rental concept, as well as changes in the Al Forno patronage, came to an end in 1989 creating the current real estate and operating concept. Meanwhile, Peter Vollmer took over the chairmanship of the association previously led by Masha Oettli. Peter Vollmer is only the second President in the association’s long history.
As the SPS later wanted to limit its financial risks, the party disengaged statutorily from all the related rights and obligations to Al Forno. Although today the association is fully legally independent, it remains an important moral obligation for all subjects involved to respect the heritage of the founding group, to maintain it, and to promote a sustainable development of Al Forno on the basis of public benefit.
In 2015 the name of the association “Feriengemeinschaft Al Forno” was adapted to “Al Forno Vacanze”, so that both the association and operating concept could once again be under the same name.
Today, the association has thirteen members, six of whom serve on the board with various responsibilities (building issues, guest representation, representastion of the philosophical-political society PPA).
Executive Board
Co-Presidency: Stephie Pfenninger, Lucerne
Co-Presidency: Regula Schweizer, Zurich
Construction issues: Luca Pizzetti, Locarno
Representation of the PPA: Helmut Müller, Bonn Germany
Guest representation: Koni Weber, Zurich
Accounting / Audit
Acoounting: Karin Mader, Berne
Auditor: Rebekka Wyler, Berne
Address of the Association
Regula Schweizer, Dolderstrasse 2, 8032 Zürich
E-Mail: vorstand[at]al-forno.ch