7/18/09 Retreat Notes
Attending: Diana Christen, Lara, Randy, Dave A, Bobby, Zoe, Jimmy, Lois, Dale,
Adonia, Yuki, Kathy, Julio Jr., Joe, Ann, Jimmy, Julio Sr., Heather, Josh
Start ~ 10:30 AM.
Agenda:
1) Preventing Structural Conflict
2) Membership
- Criteria
- Steps
- Orientation
- Safe to say no
- rights & responsabilities
- abide by agreements
- governance drift
3) Triangle
LUNCH
4) Criteria
5) Proposal: Vision Blocks
6) Proposal: Management Plan
7) If Time: - dealing w/ challenging meetings
- 3 ways to improve consensus meetings
- Initial Conversation
Do we have quorum? Who are we? What decisions are we making?
POG members:
Ann*, Dave*, Sommer, Aurisha, Joe*, Lara*, Randy*, Yuki*, Angel, Federico, Julio
Jr.*, Lois*, Michelle
- in attendance
Discussion Topic: What kinds of decisions do we want to make? Binding?
Non-binding? Some binding, some recommendations?
Informal Result: POG decisions do have binding authority, if 50% + 1 = 8 people
are present. All welcome and free and equal to contribute, but only POG members
block. (That is, status quo)
DLC starts presentation, about presenting structural conflict.
- Important Structures
- Clear Mission and Purpose
- Membership Process
- Checkin about emotions - talking stick circle, heart share, etc
- Clear Agreements in writing
- Helping ppl stay accountable to agreements
- Criteria for principled block, procedures to implement?
- Governance Drift
When people stop following agreements, and the intent of the decision is
diffused and lost.
Example from DLC about agreements and getting people to follow through
Earthhaven has labor sheets, publicizes
<LUNCH>
Discussion of Proposal from Lara about including Vision Building Blocks into
bylaws.
Reading of Proposal:
1.20. Vision: the Cooperative will serve as the base for manifesting an urban
ecovillage in the two-block neighborhood of Bimini Place and White House Place.
This will include, but not be limited to, realizing the following vision
building blocks consensed on in January, 2006.
We are an urban intentional community creating and facilitating innovative and
responsible enterprises with the aim of building a vibrant, healthy and
sustainable city.
We demonstrate and apply alternative energy, water and other systems to lower
our impact on the Earth.
We are a social laboratory collaborating to explore and develop organic
effective communication skills that embody the collective vision of our
community.
We design build and integrate art, sustainability & community into our space.
Together, we create functionally cohesive projects that prioritize the use of
green building materials & increase the visibility of sustainable strategies.
We create a culture of participation, stewardship and skill sharing,
interdependence and cooperation. We all regularly participate in activities that
contribute to the ongoing functioning of LAEV. Ways to participate are diverse,
numerous, clear and welcoming. We welcome and support ways to continuously
provide new opportunities to participate. Individual participation is
fulfilling, rewarding and is an opportunity for growth.
We contribute to the local economy by initiating and supporting green and
community-based businesses.
We join the energy of the young people living in the greater Los Angeles
Ecovillage neighborhood with the direction and ideals of the LA Ecovillage. This
partnership benefits young people by giving them valuable leadership skills, as
well as by empowering them with a sustainable world view and an awareness of
their own potential for making change.
Question: Why does this need to be in the bylaws?
Suggestions: Include this in a covenant?
We could repeat this elsewhere.
Dave and Lois are POG members who did not participate in creating these. Read
them outloud.
Discuss various changes.
Yuki would like to connect this vision statement to social justice.
Lara, Randy, Yuki, will work on building a social justice statement to add to
the vision building blocks.
More discusion about wording.
Do the POG members want to include these vision elements in the bylaws?
Will this include other, social justice, piece?
Proposal: Accept bullet points to bylaws, with socially just point and with
lawyer approval? Try for consensus, but can we make a decison? Lost quorum, can
we decide this? Unknown? Angel shows up, we have quorum again…
How do we spell LA EcoVillage?, anyways?
Comment: Isn’t the reference to “Young People” a bit colonialist? Should we
change this?
Next question: should the vision statements refer to the coop, not LAEV?
Also, why does the vision not refer to affordable housing?
What the heck is LAEV, anyways? How is the coop related to LAEV?
Lois claims there is: LAEV, LAEV-IC, BVCLT, USTU, CRSP. Others don’t agree with
this.
New Proposal: There seems to be general agreement about these vision elements.
However, because of concern about LAEV definition, change LAEV references to
“Urban Ecovillage”.
/
Proposal up for consensus.
“The Cooperative will serve as a base for manifesting an urban ecovillage in our
two-block neighborhood of Bimini Place and White House Place.”
Consensus! WOo Woo.
\\\\
Next:
“This will include, but not be limited to, realizing the following vision
elements:”
Consensus: !!!!
/
- We are an urban intentional community creating and facilitating innovative and
responsible enterprises with the aim of building a vibrant, healthy and
sustainable city. - We demonstrate and apply alternative energy, water and other systems to lower
our impact on the Earth. - We are a social laboratory collaborating to explore and develop organic
effective communication skills that embody the collective vision of our
community. - We design build and integrate art, sustainability & community into our space.
Together, we create functionally cohesive projects that prioritize the use of
green building materials & increase the visibility of sustainable strategies. - We create a culture of participation, stewardship and skill sharing,
interdependence and cooperation. We all regularly participate in activities that
contribute to the ongoing functioning of an urban ecovillage. Ways to
participate are diverse, numerous, clear and welcoming. We welcome and support
ways to continuously provide new opportunities to participate. Individual
participation is fulfilling, rewarding and is an opportunity for growth. - We contribute to the local economy by initiating and supporting green and
community-based businesses. - We join the energy of the young people living in the greater two block
neighborhood with the direction and ideals of an urban ecovillage. This
partnership benefits young people by giving them valuable leadership skills, as
well as by empowering them with a sustainable world view and an awareness of
their own potential for making change.
<also agreed>We will add wording about social justice, re-word youth statement,
and tie in some sort of historical wording to LAEV</agreed>
<Note> Please discuss IC definition</note>
Consensus!!!
Lara, Dave, Angel will discus history note.
Discuss