Membership Life Cycle
Integration Process:
People can apply1 to work as Volunteers2 / Interns at the community. Volunteers have no formal responsibilities, and need only pay the (actual, so cheap) cost of their room & board to stay. Volunteers must be Hosted by an Active, Full member of the Community, who helps them find their way to the tools and resources available within the community for the skills they came (or become) inspired to learn. If they sense that the volunteer may be interested in joining the Community & be a good fit for the community, then they also provide guidance or mentoring for the necessary skills to do so, particularly: How Self-managing organizations work, deep listening, the Community Ground Rules, Values, and Governance process, and anything else they may need or want to know.
Volunteers are encouraged to explore in depth what ways the organization’s purpose resonates (or doesn’t) with their own true calling & longings.3 It is also a safe space for exploration of wholeness. The volunteer period allows them to sense whether their heart is at work & whether they are in the right place. Members of the Community are encouraged to get to know volunteers, and really feel each other out during the volunteer period.
After 3 months4 of Residence, volunteers may5 apply for Provisional Membership.
Provisional Membership is applied for by Petition. The primary point of the Provisional & Full Membership Applications / Petition Process is for the existing membership to determine whether they believe the potential member is a good fit in terms of their alignment with the Community’s Values and Purpose + whether they want to continue living / working with them.
Petitions are posted online or via the Community Bulletin Board as an open letter that allows the prospective member to reflect on their personal calling and how/whether it resonates with the Community’s purpose. Petitions are Granted when 1/3 of the Active, Full Members of the Community Sign the prospective member’s Petition. "Welcome!" events / parties for new members are strongly encouraged.
A Provisional Member can participate in the Community Governance Process & has all the rights and responsibilities of a full member except for Voting Rights/ Principled Objection Rights. After 6 months of Provisional Membership, a Provisional Member can Petition for Full Membership, which is Granted when 2/3 of the Active, Full Members of the Community sign their petition.
Full members are welcome6 to buy in to their community (see below). Provisional & Full members have financial responsibilities to their community (ref: Community Finances), & decision making rights (ref: Governance) |
[1] The primary goal of the application is to determine “Do we sense that we are meant to journey together?” [2] When people are self-motivated, they can pick up new skills and experience in surprisingly little time. [3] Because where organizational purpose and individual calling start to resonate with and reinforce each other, truly extraordinary things happen… [4] This provides ample time for both parties to really feel each other out, and decide whether they’re a good fit & want to live / work together on a daily basis [5] Or may not: their choice; there’s no rush & no commitment required… [6] If Shares are available |
Rights & Responsibilities of Members:
Membership entails the following rights and responsibilities:
- The right to live on the land (in conformance with their Community’s agreements regarding doing so).
- Participation in the decision-making processes.
- Full members have full decision making rights.
- Provisional members have all such rights except for the right to Vote & the right of Principled Objection. For more information, see “Governance”
- Financial profit & expense - sharing with the Community. For more information, see “Community Finances".
Active vs Inactive Membership:
Members who fall more than 10 days behind on their financial responsibilities to the Community becomes Inactive until they catch up. Inactive Members are basically limited to the same powers as Provisional members because only Active, Full members can sign Membership Petitions, Vote, and raise Principled Objections. Catching up on one's financial responsibilities automatically restores their Active Status.
Any member who falls more than 6 months behind on their financial responsibilities automatically loses (terminates) their membership. Any outstanding financial obligations will be deducted from their exit buy-out (see below).
Any member who falls more than 6 months behind on their financial responsibilities automatically loses (terminates) their membership. Any outstanding financial obligations will be deducted from their exit buy-out (see below).
Departures:
Anyone can resign from the community at any time simply by publicly posting their decision to do so (with or without an explanation). It is strongly encouraged that Departing Members be thrown a "gratitude" good-bye event (designed according to what others imagine they would enjoy).1
Miscellaneous:
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