Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: guns and cigarettes, rules and anarchy

[Ann Zabaldo (zabaldo]

Andy -- I certainly did NOT mean to imply that we have no policies here at
TVC.  Believe me we have them.  And they take a long time to construct and
consense on.  I think the difference is that actually living in community
while generating them gives us the luxury of experiencing of how various
parts of our social and physical plant operate.  And that's not something
you can know before you move in.

Like many cohousing communities, we strive to make most of our decisions in
the various teams.  We have a complex set of directives and criteria for
bringing a proposal to the whole group.  We are learning that consensus
takes a long time.  It's supposed to take a long time.  Sleuthing out the
"sense of the group" is not formulaic.

And in the interest of full disclosure...many of our members feel much more
comfortable w/ rules and policies in place.

I apologize.  I should have stated very clearly in my last post that the
views and interpretation were totally mine.  I do feel that when relatedness
is present in our consensus process it goes much more smoothly.  And when
it's absent, the path to consensus is rocky.  (Again my view and
interpretation. Others, I'm sure, will disagree w/ me.)

Ann Zabaldo

Takoma Village Cohousing
Washington, DC. -- America's
Hometown!
zabaldo [at] earthlink.net

----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Burgess" <aab [at] cichlid.com>
To: <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Sent: Friday, October 25, 2002 9:56 PM
Subject: Re: [C-L]_guns and cigarettes, rules and anarchy


> Ann Zabaldo wrote:
>
> > How has cohousing changed you?
>
> > My feeling and experience is that a community based on *relatedness* has
a
> > far better chance of success than one based on policies.  That's why its
> > important to have the conversation(s) -- over and over esp. as new
people
> > join the group (even after you've moved in.)  But I would leave the
actual
> > consensus on the policy until after you've had an opportunity to test
drive
> > your community -- then see if you even need it.  If you do -- take it up
> > then.
>
> How exactly does your group reach decisions?
>
> Andy
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