Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Guest Etiquette Question

[Cher Stuewe-Portnoff (cherworks01]

Nina - What a lovely thing to do. And you have virtually assured your warm
welcome at every cohousing community in America :-).

Cher

-----Original Message-----
From: seniorcohousing [at] cox.net [mailto:seniorcohousing [at] cox.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2006 5:33 PM
To: Cohousing-L
Subject: Re: [C-L]_ Guest Etiquette Question


---- Cher Stuewe-Portnoff <cherworks01 [at] yahoo.com> wrote: 

> There's probably not one right answer, but we could sure use a sense of
what
> is generally considered good manners before we travel any farther :-).
> Thanks!
> 
> Cher & Greg 

My personal opinion, as a fellow guest: make a donation to the general
cohousing community fund equal to about what it would cost to stay at a nice
B&B in the neighborhood.

I've only stayed at two communities, both times in guest quarters.  No one
has ever complained about my donation, and both times, I got a thanks from
the financial committee.

I also feel it's appropriate to make a donation if you've had a tour.  After
all, someone has spent at least an hour, sometimes much more, to take you
around.  My time is worth a lot.  I assume my tour director's time is worth
a lot, too.

And, ahem, there is a side benefit.  Folks get to know your name if it's on
a check.  It's just human nature.  I've never run across a cohousing
community that couldn't use a little cash.  If you have it, share it.

If you don't, though, you might want to offer some other thing of
value--work time, for example.  If you're an expert in something, offer a
specific number of hours of consultation in return for your visit.  It may
be that no one will take you up on it right away.  In fact, it may be years.
But surely part of the cohousing movement is giving what you can when you
can?

Nina, Ocean State Cohousing, RI
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