Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re:

[Tom Pendleton (tomtours]

I don't really have comments on your basic question, other than to note that
I've seen it go either way in other groups I've been involved with.  However,
I would bring up a point of consideration:  if you go for individual
memberships, why are you restricting it to adults?  A perusal of this list
shows many messages about how kids feel left out - and often are - in
cohousing decisions and even consideration (eg: "We have childless couples who
no longer support expenditures for playground equipment.")  Some organizations
hide their anti-youth bias behind the facade of legalism ("The state does not
allow us to have minors exercise any legal authority.").  We got around that
at one youth organization by taking the attitude: "Who cares? This is a youth
organization and the membership should be reflected on the board", so we just
went ahead and created a "youth seat".  Given that cohousing communities
usually operate by consensus, this works even smoother than in traditional
voting groups.  Of course the kids, like anyone else, have to understand
consensus and how the meetings work, but Quaker kids don't seem to have
problems with it.  Just a thought.                 - Tom Pendleton,
Washington, DC


Jeff Hobson <jhobson [at] igc.org> wrote:
How do other groups define "members": as individuals or as "households"?

We're getting a group moving and are establishing our "membership". Some
feel that each household defines a member, as it will be households that
will make most major financial commitments (unit purchase). Concerns about
"household" membership include: what happens to a "membership" if a
household splits or if two single-person households join together; how to
treat households of unrelated adults.

Others feel that each adult individual is a member, as decision-making,
operational dues, and responsibilities are more naturally distributed to
individuals. Concerns are that individual membership will make it more
complicated to calculate how many units the community needs and to figure
out financial commitments.

Anyone have advice & experience? (full disclosure: so far, I think the
"individual" membership route makes more sense, but we're looking for
advice from the collected wisdom of the list)

Thanks,
Jeff Hobson 
    who will be a "member" (or part of one) when we define what that means
East Bay Cohousing
    in early stages, meeting monthly with several committees


Jeff Hobson
Bay Area Transportation Choices Forum
1915 Essex Street
Berkeley, CA 94703
phone:  510-540-7280
fax:    510-540-7229
email:  jhobson [at] igc.org
WWW:    www.priven.sf.ca.us/forum
        www.priven.sf.ca.us/coalition


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