Our Participation Agreement

Wolf Creek Lodge
Work Participation Agreement

Consensus reached August 18, 2018

Background

The original Participation Agreement, on which consensus was reached in January 2009, included a provision to evaluate the effectiveness of the elements in that Agreement six months after move-in date which occurred in October 2012. A very belated evaluation has been conducted to understand what has been learned and what will work best going forward for our adult cohousing community. The Work Participation Agreement that follows is the result of an effort to (1) clarify intent and provisions of the Participation Agreement where needed, and (2) incorporate what we have learned from our experience to better reflect how we want the work participation program to operate. This Work Participation Agreement supersedes the original Participation Agreement in its entirety.

Intent

We are an active adult cohousing community committed to our own and each other’s continuing growth and full enjoyment. One of the cornerstones of cohousing is that the residents themselves manage the operations of the community, make the decisions, and perform most of the work. We believe that this builds community spirit, keeps us engaged in community activities and connected to our neighbors, and promotes our individual and collective sense of wellbeing and belonging. It also saves us the cost of hiring a property management company.

The goal of this Work Participation Agreement is to clearly set forth (1) the expectation that residents participate in the work of the community, (2) the ways in which residents can participate, and (3) our continuing desire to cultivate a supportive and understanding attitude toward work participation.

In this spirit, Wolf Creek Lodge members make the following agreements:

1.  We must all participate in accomplishing the work of the community. To this end, every member will sign our “Full Member Commitment Document” wherein he/she has acknowledged the provisions outlined in this Work Participation Agreement.
2.  We want our work participation program to be founded on respect and integrity and become an integral part of the Wolf Creek Lodge culture. To this end, members will aspire to:
   •   Take pride in the community and their contribution to it.
   •   Have fun and work cheerfully together in good fellowship, while taking care of themselves and supporting each other.
   •   Acknowledge the differences among us in ability, interests, standards and approaches to performing various tasks.
   •   Refrain from judging the value, quality, and varying levels of work participation that will naturally exist among us, including work participation affected by a desire to “age in place.”
   •   Accept personal responsibility for one’s role in participating in the work of the community.
3.  Work is defined as any physical or non-physical task that contributes to the maintenance and wellbeing of the community. These tasks include tasks performed as active members of a standing, sub-, or ad-hoc team, tasks performed as part of a community “work day” or “work party,” and individual tasks included on the Master List of Tasks (MLOT), as updated.
4.  Each member will decide what his/her contributions will be, based on one’s own assessment of his/her own abilities, interests, values, and life situation.
5.  Participating in the work of the community can be done in one or more of the following ways:
   •   Member performs the work task himself/herself.
   •   Member shares the work task with another member or members.
   •   Member pays outside person(s) to perform his/her work task(s).
   •   Member makes a monthly or single-event financial contribution to the community for the purpose of accomplishing work tasks. The member making a financial contribution will determine the amount and duration.
6. Members may choose among the following activities, all of which are considered participating in the work of the community:
   •   Being actively involved in performing the tasks of a team or teams. Participating on a team is strongly encouraged.
   •   Attending General Meetings. Attending at least one of every three meetings is strongly recommended.
   •   Participating on cook teams.
   •   Performing cleaning task(s) listed on the MLOT.
   •   Participating in announced “work days” or “work parties.”
   •   Performing any other Individual Task shown on the MLOT.
   •   Paying someone to perform specific tasks or making a financial contribution to the community.
7. While no minimum number of hours is recommended, each member is expected to determine his/her level of participation in the context of the number and range of tasks necessary for the maintenance and wellbeing of the community.
8.  To make and keep the work participation expectation visible and clear, members will be asked to annually renew their intention to participate in accomplishing the work of the community. Appreciation for work accomplishments will be celebrated on a regular basis.
9.  A member’s responsibility for a task will continue until he/she notifies his/her team or indicates his/her intentions to make a change on the MLOT. A member who is planning to be away is responsible for finding a replacement to accomplish his/her tasks. Members are encouraged to rotate tasks as needed to maintain a continuing sense of enjoyment and accomplishment.

Team Roles Related to Work Participation

Membership & Marketing Team (M&M)

• Make the work participation expectation clear to visitors and prospects.
• Administer the “Full Member Commitment Document.”

Participation Team

• Maintain and periodically update the Master List of Tasks (MLOT).
• Administer the annual renewal of members’ intentions to participate in the work of the community.
• Help new and current members find ways to participate in the work of the community.
• Help facilitate the rotation of tasks as members’ interests, abilities, and life situations change.
• Notify the community of participation needs for teams and specific tasks.
• Periodically revisit the ongoing effectiveness of all elements included in this Work Participation Agreement. Such periodic revisits will be every three years, or an earlier date as requested by at least three members.

Consensus reached August 18, 2018