Cohousing-L Mailing List: Organizational structure

[brian (brian]

Dear folks,

I am interested in the various operating structures.  Our community began 
as a consensus based community where the power, authority and initiative 
was vested in the whole.  Due to state law that required us to have a Board 
of Directors, we set up an intitial board as window dressing and to deal 
with a few very specific matters (legal and financial oversite).  But as a 
community, we simultaneously cut back our full membership meetings and it 
now feels like the board tends to drive much of the activity and community 
direction.

We met weekly for a over 2 years and I really felt like I knew everyone and 
could really sense the group feeling and direction.
Now we meet as a whole for less then 3 hours per month, our meetings feel 
rushed (to me) and their is very little time for discussion of feelings, 
philosophy or goal setting as a whole.

Does your community have a board?
If so, how are people elected? Rotated through? etc?
If not, what structure do you use?
How much do you meet as a community?

Any other information you can provide would be helpful,

Brian Setzler
Trillium Hollow Cohousing Community
Portland, Oregon