Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: New Members

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

One of the problems with organizing a new member process is that it will limit 
diversity. After initial move-in this is already a problem because the 
community has a certain look. People will self select based on that. But if 
their contact with the community is with a small in-take group or a set of 
criteria, it will further limit diversity. Not by plan but automatically. Like 
attracts like. Like also attracts opposites but not always with good judgement 
— the grass is greener effect. It’s all in the stars.

I think the best one can do is state very minimal criteria and allow as much 
organic growth as  possible. That’s how most communities begin. 

When I think of the people who have moved in here, I would not have predicted 
or chosen many of them who are central to the community as far as I’m 
concerned. And I learned that you can’t predict who will be the most active 
after move-in. In some cases when a couple moved in, the one who was most 
gung-ho became passive while the highly reluctant one became much more active.

In circular organizing (ie Sociocracy and Dynamic Governance) the aim is to 
continual evolution and not to “getting it right” on the first go. Trying to 
“get it right” will delay doing anything and will stifle creative self 
organization and experimentation. Control can be deadly. Chaos has much more 
energy and eventually self-organizes into new forms. Control can’t be creative 
because it is based on past experience.

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