Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Public Use of the Common House

[Lynn Nadeau (welcome]

RoseWind Cohousing, Port Townsend WA.
21 families on site, town of 8000.
We typically use the common house for
1) Personal Socials
Birthday party, family reunion, cast party, memorial gathering, etc.
Fee is flat $10. 

2) Sponsored Events (the vast majority of non-RW uses)
Member who is part of an organization or project "sponsors" it, involving 
responsibility to be there, start to finish, set up, clean up, house rules. 
Among us, we must belong to nearly every liberal organization in town, so we 
have meetings, workshops, slide shows, socials for Bird Watchers, Green 
Party, Nonmotorized Transportation Board, Depleted Uranium Study Team, 
Quakers, Katrina Relief Sister City Project, etc. Fee is $1 per person, $10 
minimum. 

There is periodic interest in larger events, especially "house concerts" 
with performers  and general public. This has been a great source of 
confusion with our insurers (CAU). We've had responses ranging from "if you 
do any public events, we'll cancel everything on you" to "sure, that's ok".
At one point someone here was researching setting up a sub group that was a 
501c3 that could have arts events, for example, without an insurance issue. 

We'd be really interested in other groups experience with insurance 
companies, regarding
house concerts
renting to outside groups, without a present member-sponsor
serving food to the public (prepared at the CH)
making food that's served or sold elsewhere at a public event
alcohol issues for events that involve the public. 

Thanks,
Lynn Nadeau