Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Elections

[Jim Snyder-Grant (jimsg]

Mac was asking about board elections in the context of a consensus-oriented
coho group.

What we do at New View (Acton MA) is that everyone who is interested in any
body that needs the approval of the group for participation lets some small
sort of 'nominating committee' know. So far, the job of this sort of
committee has been about encouraging people to serve. We've never had a
surplus. Then, this slate is presented to the group and elected by unanimous
acclaim. Do you realy have too many people to do planning & organization? If
you do, I think that's probably a delightfully solvable problem. Get these
wonderful people together to work out a solution. Perhaps change the
organization to allow more people to effectively help out? Perhaps take
turns?

-Jim

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mac & Sandy Thomson" <ganesh [at] rmi.net>
To: "Multiple recipients of list" <cohousing-l [at] freedom2.mtn.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 28, 2000 3:21 PM
Subject: Elections


> I've got a question that I thought someone out there might possibly have
> some experience with.  Here at Heartwood, we're in the process of
> reorganizing our team structure now that we're actually living in
> community (YES!!).  We will have teams responsible for all of the
> various community functions (common house, finance, process &
> communication, land stewardship, party, etc.) and also a 3 person
> Planning & Oversight team with overall responsibility.  The P & O team
> will also be the HOA Board of Directors as required by our covenants.
>
> We envision having all of the teams be voluntary, except for the P & O
> team, which will be elected (again, consistent with our covenants).  So,
> my question is how do we elect team members using the consensus
> process?  Have you ever seen it done?  How do we avoid the 'defeated
> minority' problem that consensus precludes?
>
> Any help you can give on this will be much appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Mac
> --
>    Mac & Sandy Thomson           Heartwood Cohousing
>    ganesh [at] rmi.net                Durango, Colorado
>         Web Site:   http://www.heartwoodcohousing.com
>
>
> "Security is mostly superstition.  It does not exist in Nature.  Nor do
> the children of men as a whole experience it.  Avoiding danger is no
> safer in the long run than outright exposure.  Life is either a daring
> adventure or nothing."
>
>                - Helen Keller
>