Cohousing Regional Gathering May 16, 2008

We at Coho/US (The Cohousing Association) believe that every community can benefit from learning from other groups how they operate, how they solve problems that seem to be common to all, what they do for fun and how they further the feeling of community. Yet we know that in the past there's been very little interaction between folks living in different cohousing communities in the same region, even in areas where there are 8 or more communities in reasonable proximity to one another. Last fall we sponsored two very successful regional gatherings (one in New England and one in Northern California) to help build connections among those in living
> in completed communities. And now it's your region's turn.

> After community introductions I am proposing that we have
> (probably) two panels for about a half hour each. I'm suggesting the
> following two topics: Getting the Work Done and Consensus Decision
> Making. For each panel I'll invite volunteers from three or four
> communities to address what works and what doesn't work about the
> way their community manages those sometimes challenging aspects of
> living in cohousing.
>
> Then, I propose that we spend much of the rest of our time together
> in small groups focusing on topics of your choice.I'd like to
> suggest that we spend the last hour of our time listening to each
> others' stories or anecdotes about our lives in cohousing,
> especially those stories that illustrate how being part of a
> cohousing community has lived up to or exceeded your expectations.
>
> To get you thinking about what you'd like to have addressed on May
> 17, here are some of the small group topics from previous regional
> gatherings.Our first step in deciding what small group topics to
> consider will be to add your ideas of the moment to this list.
>
> (More) Getting the work done
> Identifying and resolving conflicts
> Marketing--finding great new neighbors to buy units still unsold or
> being resold
> Budgeting and finances
> How can we live more sustainably, further reduce our negative impact
> on the environment
> Improving our common meal systems.
> Brainstorming future regional or inter-community activities. Skill-
> sharing
> Integrating new residents (owners and renters)
> Celebrations, special events, new traditions
> Reviewing and renewing our original vision/mission statements
> What does community mean to me (now that I live in one)?
>
> To keep costs down, participants will be asked to bring their own
> bag or box lunch. We will serve coffee and tea in the morning as you
> arrive, and drinks and fruit at lunch time. Participants will be
> asked to pay $20 for the day.
>

Official Website: http://www.cohousing.org/