Cohousing-L Mailing List: executive closed sessions

[Lynn Nadeau / Maraiah (welcome]

Sharon V wrote, regarding closed sessions:
> I believe this point of view is antithetical to a community that has shared 
> responsibility for finances, and each other. It is standard practice in 
> condominiums but also leads to condo commandos. Boards that dictate because 
> they know what is really going on.
> 
> In a community, why should some members have more information about the 
> community finances or the people in it than others? What are the assumptions 
> behind the idea that knowledge should be only available to certain people? 

Suppose you had a dissident member who was wreaking havoc on the community's 
time, energy, money and emotions? Lawsuits, restraining orders, bad-mouthing, 
etc. At some point you might want to be discussing the community's strategy for 
self defense. Without any provision for closed sessions, the adversarial member 
could listen in on it. How would that work? 

Maraiah Lynn Nadeau