Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: specifying the location of business meetings

[Chuck Harrison (cfharr]

I suspect that a specific rule on allowed meeting times and places would be
counterproductive in my community.

Presented with the cited "community need", I would try to turn the
discussion towards an exhortation that committee chairs make a good-faith
effort to accommodate any resident who expresses a desire to attend an
upcoming meeting or to be involved in a particular topic. Lots of
communication can happen outside of meetings, if necessary.

We have many residents with busy irregular schedules, young children, etc.
For this and other reasons our committee system is NOT a well-oiled
machine, and just finding a time when most of the committee members
themselves will attend can be an ongoing struggle. Committee meetings are
almost always in the Common House, and very often in the evening or on the
weekend, but there is no rule about this.

The aspirations expressed in the "community need" are totally valid, but
the proposed actions to support them are rigid and their logic is weak.
What if someone works swing shift, or runs a catering business (we have
both)? The "standard workingman's schedule" doesn't help these residents to
participate. And I have to go into deep speculation mode to guess why
living-room meetings might be poison.

If this person (and perhaps others) feel shut out of a community
decisionmaking process which seems unclear, closed, and untrustworthy,
there is a problem. I'll bet that if a number of people make a bigger
effort at "keeping X in the loop" by communicating more and being affirming
whenever possible, things will improve. Making that effort can be hard if
there are personality conflicts involved, but you have to try. It's part of
being in community.

Just my 2c

Chuck
Duwamish Cohousing, Seattle

On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 8:50 PM, Muriel Kranowski <murielk [at] vt.edu> wrote:

> The proposer strongly feels that community business should not be done in
> people's homes, and also preferably not during the day. The "community
> need" (part of our standard request form for plenary agenda time) that
> would justify making this change is described as: 1. All community members
> need to feel like they have an opportunity to attend, contribute, and be
> heard. 2. To establish and maintain clarity, openness, and trust with all
> members of the community.
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Feb 5, 2018 at 11:36 PM, Ann Zabaldo <zabaldo [at] earthlink.net>
> wrote:
>
> > Muriel – I’m curious to know what is driving this request. Are you able
> to
> > enlighten us as to what Is behind this?
> >
> > Ann Zabaldo
> > Takomavillage Cohousing
> > Washington DC
> >
> > Sent from my iPhone
> > All typos ... curtesy of Siri  :-)
> >
> > > On Feb 5, 2018, at 11:27 PM, Muriel Kranowski <murielk [at] vt.edu> wrote:
> > >
> > > I'm curious whether any communities require your committee or team
> > meetings
> > > to be held in the Common House. Our committees and subcommittees
> > sometimes
> > > meet at someone's house, with due notice to the community of the
> meeting
> > > and I think it's clear that anyone who wants to can attend any such
> > meeting
> > > the same as if it were held in the Common House.
> > >
> > > Now a community member wants to prohibit meetings anywhere but in the
> > > Common House. Do any of you have a similar requirement?
> > >
> > > The second part of this proposal is a requirement to not meet during
> > > business hours. It's been fairly common for committees to meet in the
> > > morning or afternoon if all committee members are available then. They
> do
> > > change to evening meetings if someone joins a committee who isn't
> > available
> > > during the day. (Many of our members work from home, and some are
> > retired.)
> > > Do any of you have a rule like this for your community?
> > >
> > > Thanks!
> > >  Muriel at Shadowlake Village
> > > _________________________________________________________________
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> > >
> > >
> >
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> >
> >
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