General Meeting: October 18th 2003
From ANU Food Co-op Wiki
General members' meeting held in the ROCKS meeting space and attended by 26 members. Decisions reached regarding: Process for changing Co-op membership condidtions or Co-op practices; Annual membership fees; Annual work hours; Members' annual work hours - timing of discount entitlement/reward; Work obligations - exemptions/deferments; Recognition of other food co-ops; Provision of containers, bags, bottles etc. by the Co-op; Incorporation of the Co-op as a registered business; and Name change.
Minutes
October 18th 2003, 4:30PM
Present: Soula, Adrian Gibbs, Ross Heck, Suzana Podreka, Tarquin, Lmayo, Clover, Keri, Daniel, Deb Cleland, Phil Skeat, Tom Lavelle, Peter Storen, Natalie Keene, Bronwyn White, Lucy Snedden, Celeste McGrath, Anne, Murray M., Bill, Christopher, Kathryn S., Sam Wilson (minutes), Claire, Gregory, David Hook and Julian Hay.
Apologies: Silke and Sara.
Agenda
1. Process for changing Co-op membership condidtions or Co-op practices. 2. Annual membership fees. 3. Annual work hours. 4. Members' annual work hours - timing of discount entitlement/reward. 5. Work obligations - exemptions/deferments. 6. Recognition of other food co-ops. 7. Provision of containers, bags, bottles etc. by the Co-op. 8. Incorporation of the Co-op as a registered business. 9. Name change.
This meeting of general members, co-ordinators and paid workers of the ANU Food Co-op came to the following decisions:
1. Process for changing Co-op membership condidtions or Co-op practices.
That decisions affecting the Co-op and its members, such as adjustments to membership fees, work obligations or trading hours (for example) are to be made only at general members' meetings, and only after proposals (by a current member) are put forward for members' consideration at least three weeks prior to the meeting. Passed unanimously.
2. Annual membership fees.
A) That this meeting will vote on whether fees will increase, and not employ a ballot in the Co-op to decide this matter. For: clear majority; Against: 1; Abstaining: 1. Passed.
B) That the three levels of membership fee be based not on student/unemployed, part-time and full-time employment but on income levels as follows: Over $40 000 per annum, High Income; between $15 000 and $40 000 p.a., Low Income; and below $15 000 p.a., Unwaged. Passed unanimously.
C) That the three levels of membership fee will be changed to $40 for the high income bracket, $30 for the low income bracket and $20 for the unwaged or concesion bracket. For: 21; Against: 5. Passed.
D) That these changes will be implemented in one month of this day if, and only if, the planned co-ordinator training has taken place. For: 18; Against: 7. Passed.
3. Annual work hours.
That the annual work hours be increased to 6 hours per year (1 hour per 2 months), with attendance at meetings worth one hour per meeting, and this increase to become effective from the first day of trading in 2004. For: 21; Against: 7. Passed.
4. Members' annual work hours - timing of discount entitlement/reward.
That members' work contribution (as agend 3 above) be completed before recieving the 10% discount, except for the day of joining when new members will recieve the discount. To be implemented next year with the new work hours. For: clear majority; Against: 2. Passed.
5. Work obligations - exemptions/deferments.
A) That members who are pregnant or have a temporary disability can defer their work obligations (if desired) until a more suitable time. Passed unanimously.
B) That members with a permanent disability are exempt from the work requirements (if desired). Passed unanimously.
6. Recognition of other food co-ops.
That the Co-op will honour valid memberships of other food co-ops (of travellers etc.) regardless of whether there is a reciprocal arrangement. If a member of another food co-op wants to keep shopping at this Co-op for an extended period they will be required to take out a membership. Against: 1; For: the remainder. Passed.
7. Provision of containers, bags, bottles etc. by the Co-op.
A) That the Co-op will continue to have containers, bags, bottles etc. available for members free of charge. For: 13; Against: 5. Passed.
B) That the Co-op will not sell new bags or containers. For: 11; Against: 8. Passed.
8. Incorporation of the Co-op as a registered business.
That a working group will be established to investigate the implications of registration. Passed unanimously.
9. Name change.
That we await the outcome of the investigation into registering the Co-op as a co-operative, and then either accept the name that was agreed upon last year (Green Bean Wholefoods) or change it to include the term 'co-op'. For: 19. Passed.
Next Meeting
A date was not set for the next meeting.
