Senior Cohousing potluck and discussion October 15, 2006

Please join us for our first meeting, at a Santa Rosa cohousing community, bringing together many people and groups that have been trying to create cohousing neighborhoods in the North Bay, to learn about how we can make it happen in our lifetimes!

This meeting is being called together by Certified Senior Cohousing Study Group 1 Facilitator Raines Cohen and his urban-planner group-development specialist fiancee Dr. Betsy Morris, of Berkeley Cohousing, at the urging of several local folks who have been working together (and on their own) to try to create communities and are eager to "get on with it" -- beyond talk, into practical action, gaining the skills and connections and resources they need to work with professionals and make it happen.

We'll start with a potluck shared with members of Yulupa cohousing, our gracious hosts. Then we'll learn about the cohousing development process and do some small-group exercises to share our visions and inspiration, to find common ground.

We'll learn about Senior Cohousing (aka "Elder Cohousing") in Denmark and how it has evolved as it came to the U.S., and what it can and can't accomplish in terms of the type of homes it creates and how it can support Aging In Community -- beyond 'Aging In Place'. We'll meet a local Architect. We'll discover options for pursuing the process. Details in the "Notes" below. We hope you can join us.

If you can't make this meeting, there will be East Bay and SF/Peninsula ones in the coming months.

DRAFT PROPOSED AGENDA (subject to change: we'll look to your member introductions and your comments here on the discussion board on MeetUp to make sure your time isn't wasted)

Senior Cohousing in the North Bay
Introductory Workshop
Goals: Give a taste of cohousing meeting process and help attendees connect and share visions and learn about available options.

POTLUCK 6-7 PM
Please be on time so your meal won't be rushed and so you can meet members of the community so generously hosting us. If you list the dish you're bringing in your RSVP comment, it will help others avoid duplication.

MEETING 7-10 PM

10 Welcome; Agenda Review & Guidelines
10 Introductions - what brought you here tonight?
15 Exercise ? cherished memory of ?community?
(possibly sharing in small groups and reporting back so we can see the big picture)
30 Presentation - Stages of Senior Cohousing Development - slides
20 Discussion
10 Break
25 Resources for Next Steps for do-it-yourselfers vs. expeditors.
Topics in Group Development and Project Development
20 Break-out exercise/light & lively on consensus decision-making
30 Plenary/Wrap-up ? Next Steps for Groups and Individuals
10 Evaluation/Survey

We hope you can join us!

Please pass the word to others who may be interested. We're looking forward to seeing you there.

Official Website: http://seniors.meetup.com/64/calendar/5158648/