by Lisa Hogan, Weavers Way Board

Weavers Way Co-op belongs to its members and so we are guided by the will of the members, right? Sounds pretty easy, other than the fact that we have nearly 5,300 active member households to accommodate. But not so fast, it’s not just the members who have to be pleased. There are numerous other guidelines that must be met by our once-tiny community store.

Weavers Way is part of the International Cooperative Alliance. This organization is guided by the seven Rochdale Principles by which cooperatives put their values into practice. (You can find them on the website at www.weaversway.coop/rochdale.)

We adhere to these principles enthusiastically as they draw together 268 international and national cooperatives from 93 countries, representing a billion people worldwide.

In our own co-op we have a Mission Statement. Have you read it? It is five paragraphs that lead us as an association. (Find it at www.weaversway.coop/mission.) We are owned by members, cooperative, committed to each other, committed to the community and committed to the environment. Never mind that competing proposals can all comply with the Mission.

Next we have the Ends. Adopted by the Weavers Way Board, the Ends are seven goals that lead us throughout the year. They are themes that we have identified as important to our Co-op’s success. Our management provides a detailed report on our success in meeting our values through our work. This year’s Ends Report was over 20 pages, a colorful document full of photos, graphs and charts, detailing Co-op progress. (You can review the Ends, and the 2013 Ends Report, in the Online Member Center, members.weaversway.coop, under Key Co-op Documents).

In addition, we have a Board Policy Manual that directs the Board governance process. At Board meetings each month we measure ourselves against 19 directives. We monitor governing methods, evaluate our General Manager, our financial condition, as well as relations with staff and members. (The Board Policy Manual is also available in the Online Member Center.)

Along with Board Policy are the Bylaws of the Co-op (also available in the Online Member Center). The Bylaws are specific to seven areas: Membership, Member Meetings, Election of the Board, Committees, Finance, Dissolution and Amendments. This spring I made what I thought was a simple suggestion that we address several amendments to the Bylaws that have been on hold. No surprise, as we have a hard-working Board, we have turned this small project into a review of all the Bylaws.

Through a series of summer meetings and with the use of the Fresh Start Bylaws Template, we have taken our 10-page document down to five pages. (The template is provided by the Cooperative Development Services Consulting Co-op to help co-ops arrive at a document that is easily understood by all members and therefore more useful.) When this draft is final we will bring it to the Spring 2015 General Membership Meeting for a vote.

When you see all the ways we are held accountable, you may understand why the opportunity to simplify one set of standards within our control is so appealing.

You will be hearing more about the proposed Bylaws in the fall when we will ask for members’ input and suggestions. Please stay tuned.

lisah43@comcast.net