How do we divide responsibility and balance powers without introducing undue authority? How do we get the good things about structure, like efficiency and clarity, without the bad?
What is the primary function of the Parent Church? Spokescouncil, Board, Circle of Elders?
Chapters/Affinity Groups: What are they, how do they form, responsibilities and empowerments?
Structural Models
Please post models you’ve found which you’d like us to consider!
- Draft Bylaws Template: Article III – Member Circles and Umbrella Section
- Intentional Community Foundation Resources (great intros to IC, consensus, etc.)
- Windward Collective Tiered Membership ModelThis is a fascinating system, in which everybody winds up strictly ranked on the basis of participation (labor or money). People become stewards and assistant stewards through community participation and paying dues. A “credit” is awarded for each month a person does these things. For meetings, credit holders can proxy their credits to another member, who then has those credits counted with their own for purposes of determining the board. The board consists of five stewards who make decisions by vote in proportion to the number of credits they have (or maybe pure majority); they are automatically the five people who speak for the most credits, with the person holding the most credits presiding. The effect of this system would probably be to create a strict hierarchy and a whole question of who would proxy for whom; over time, it would probably heavily privilege the most senior people in the community. There is no evidence that this is a consensus-based system. [/oliver]
- Spokescouncil: Do we want one? What is it? Who is part of it? (Wikipedia article for definition)
- Sociocracy: A model of governance based on interlinked circles (Wikipedia article for definition, and ask Stella)
Existing Business
- Establish container for ongoing restructuring work
- Create a public elist for outgoing surveys, requests, inquiries and announcements
- Publicize that list for all members and friends interested in keeping the momentum alive
Edited by oliverjesse on May 21, 2012 8:41 pm