Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: New Member Rituals

[Catya Belfer (catya]

We are a new cohousing group and would like to hear ideas on what "rituals"
groups
have developed when members make the move from associate member to full
membership.
_________________________________________________________________

I lead a session every year at the conference about this sort of thing, and
I'm happy to be a resource for folks on it.

We do:

Light a candle for each of the existing households, leaving unlit candles
for the new people
Read out loud the couple paragraph agreement people sign (this is the
symbolic one, not the passing of papers)
They sign the agreement, get applauded
Light the new candles from the existing candles (or sometimes from a
firestick)
[If they haven't already done this at a previous thing] they go around the
circle and get hugs or handshakes and words of welcome from each person
there.

     - cat

Catya Belfer   -  www.catya.org
Technical Director   -   www.cohousing.org
Cohousing in MA - www.mosaic-commons.org