Re: community guidelines- process | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: Lynn Nadeau (welcomeolympus.net) | |
Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2003 12:38:17 -0700 (MST) |
> This "Living Here Guide" will contain policies on >pets, children, renters, etc. ... Specifically, how much input and >decision-making was there on the part of the community as a whole? And how >much was delegated to the committee in charge? >From Lynn at RoseWind, a built community of 24 households. Involving the whole group in it is very important, in my estimation, and consistent with principles of consensus. It is most useful to have committees and task forces "do the homework", to save whole group time. But (and we've learned this the hard way over 15 years) it is really important BEFORE a team starts their work to have a community decision about the goals, the mandate, the "job", of the team. What do you want them to do for you? And at what point(s) do you want them to check back in before going further? What you don't want (believe me) is for a team to bust their ass preparing something in detail, proudly bring it to the group, have it shredded because it misses the mark in a fundamental way, and then have the team frustrated, angry, and swearing they will never again give such volunteer energy to a project. The community needs to know what to expect of the team, and the team what to expect of the community. If you are in a situation (relative geographic proximity of most members) where you can productively use discussion circles, it might look like this. Or you could work out some variation, using emails and such. Someone(s) draft a proposal, or a suggestion, or a set of questions. At a circle, input is gathered. The proponents of the project, or the committee in charge of it, then takes that input and does their best to weave it into a next step. They then check again with a larger group. This goes around as many times as is necessary, until you have something ready for a decision, with a high likelihood of approval by the whole group. Do it in parts. Don't make approving your pet policy contingent on also approving your rental policy. Start with what seems easiest. Also start with an understanding of when your rules will be re-evaluated, and what the process is to evolve and change them. People are much more likely to approve something if it isn't perceived as forever. Prioritize what is most relevant prior to move in. We lived here for years before we had policies on various things. Even given the maverick nature of Port Townsend residents, it is a good idea in general not to micromanage situations that may never be issues. What do the current members feel are the priorities to get in writing? We've never felt any need to regulate renters, for example, nor do we have any policies about children, just some guidelines the parents came up with for the kids, and for nonparents with kid issues (for example, kids aren't to go into the kitchen uninvited, and they know that: if you see a kid wander into the kitchen, remind them of the rule). Good luck, and do keep in mind that your policies will evolve and change, so spell out how that can happen. Lynn Nadeau, RoseWind Cohousing Port Townsend Washington (Victorian seaport, music, art, nature) http://www.rosewind.org http://www.ptguide.com http://www.ptforpeace.info (very active peace movement here- see our photo) _______________________________________________ Cohousing-L mailing list Cohousing-L [at] cohousing.org Unsubscribe and other info: http://www.cohousing.org/cohousing-L
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