Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Consensus Models for larger groups

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On 4/15/2003 10:06 AM, "Becky Schaller" <bschaller [at] theriver.com> wrote:

> 
> We have 36 households in our community and lately I've realized that we are
> governing ourselves with basically the same method that much smaller
> communities are. 

It might be helpful in this discussion to discuss governance in terms of
adult members (meaning whatever adult means in your community) or
participating members -- in round numbers. As an ealier discussion revealed,
number of units does not always reflect the size of the group.

I think it also helps to differentiate between an "old" community and a new
one. Old we can discuss but I suspect anything over 5 years after move-in is
very different from one or two years after move-in but not too different
from 10 years after move in. Right? Wrong?

Since my community is only two years after move-in, I'm only faintly
beginning to feel that we have resolved one or two very minor issues like
cleaning the commonhouse very other Saturday morning from 10-12. We still
haven't agreed on which doors can be used for what in the commonhouse or
what all the rooms will be used for. The really hot issues like pets,
parents, and pesticides -- Rob's 3Ps have only been tentatively discussed
and gone the way of the dodo bird.

>Basically, large group concensus.  We do have committees
> that also make varying degrees of decisions.  Many of us believe we need to
> clarify the mandates of the committees including their decision making
> powers.   However, simply getting this item on the agenda has been a real
> challenge.  Because of the above reasons and others, I am beginning to think
> it woul be in our best interest to begin investigating other forms of
> governance that are compatible with cohousing.  I would like to learn more
> about  sociocracy.  Also, Rob mentioned having a group like a Board of
> Directors who makes certain kinds of decisions.

All Condo laws I've heard of require a board of directors so there is
someone who is legally responsible for fiduciary decisions.

We are still working with teams and figuring out what decisions they can
make. We have a decision-making policy posted at:

http://www.takomavillage.org/OfficialDocs/Business/ConsensusLog/decisionmaki
ng.html

But there are still issues about how and when people have input and feelings
about wanting to be a large group, not a series of teams. Some of us want to
hear from each other more and know more about what is going on and others
don't.

In Sociocracy, which I have not attempted to introduce to my group since I
am still learning it, the decision-making is done in circles with each
circle tied to the general circle with at least two members of the smaller
circles. Anyone can attend and participate in the general circle but the big
difference is that they don't have to. Consensus (consent, no objections) is
the norm at all levels. And silence means consent.

This way, only those who care about the issues being discussed need to
discuss them. Everyone is bound by the decisions.

We still have a quorum requirement so that negates part of the beauty of the
sociocratic structure.

Sharon
-- 
Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org

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