Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: Membership Requirements

[Rob Sandelin (Exchange) (Robsan]

Ginger W. Long Asked:
 What specific steps does your group have folks take in order=20
to "join" the group?   How do you make sure that people know=20
about and understand cohousing?  Do you have any kind of "selection"=20
process?  (I couldn't find much in the archives on this subject.)
=20
At Sharingwood we have a membership process which requires that new =
members attend 3 functions, read and sign the principals and =
commitments, read the cohousing book. =20

We have created a couple of other documents as well.  We have a guide to =
our community which gives details about the various processes and =
history of the community, and also have listed out all the policy sorts =
of decisions we have made and give that to prospective members as well.

Informally prospective members get essentially a personal interview with =
one or more members of the community.  We don't plan this, it just =
happens.  Several of us will invite a prospective member to a private =
dinner or tea party in the garden, or a walk in the woods, whatever and =
both answer questions and give OUR view of the community.  In this way =
potential members get some insite from at least a couple of current =
members. Most folks who are seriously looking at joining seem to make a =
point about meeting with others and getting a broad viewpoint so it =
seems to work out pretty well.

Taken all together, all these things give a prospective member as good =
an understanding of the community as they can get without actually =
living in the community. Once you have lived in the community awhile, =
you have a much better understanding of the social-interpersonal =
relationships, although if you were especially sharp you might pick this =
up in a couple of meetings.


Rob Sandelin
Sharingwood