Thank you, Miriam,
I also feel it would be good to have meetings to focus the ethos of our future neighbourhood and details of day-to-day life. Even though some of those details will change once it becomes ‘real’, it’s important to talk beforehand. I believe most misunderstandings between people happen because they are unaware that they have different assumptions. It can be very difficult to identify and articulate assumptions, but the process of setting some principles/rules is one way to do it.
I still feel ‘new’ and unable to participate as my real self. Maybe we can find time for some community/group-building facilitation? I like the idea of continuing to work on the Body Corp rules in a less time-pressured way. I have found all of our meetings to be distorted by the conflicting demands of running a company doing a million-dollar project versus the time-consuming consensus-communal approach and need for people to ‘feel heard’. The two have not mixed well, in my experience. I would like us to have some training in using the coloured card system effectively; several times we have defaulted to majority-rules voting because of time pressure.
I got really scared off at the thought of far-reaching rules like having to have my future pet neutered and vaccinated, yet my suggestion of cats not being kept inside, given our proximity to the Town Belt and birds, was talked down by only two other opinions and that was that. (I noted that at Tacoma Village, all pets have to be on leads; I saw a cat on a lead being taken for a walk in a park in Vancouver. Since we are not in a huge city, I doubt we would choose that rule!)
The discussions I’ve attended so far about Body Corp rules have felt very pressured, and it has taken away some of my joy of anticipating sharing some aspects of day-to-day living.
FWIW, I should probably put on the record that my future dog, which will be allowed to move in with me – I ‘think’ this got written into the rules – seems to be morphing into a parrot. Watch this space...
Cheers Claire
From: Miriam Frances Sent: Wednesday, 1 May 2019 1:26 PM To: 'UCOL shareholders' Subject: [Ucol-shareholders] Body Corp. Rules
Tena koutou,
Thank you to Min and Frances for their preliminary work. I was new to the group when the rules were discussed and did not feel confident enough to participate.
Ka pai Rainer...I agree with you. We need to do more work together on Body Corp. rules. Sharing thoughts and ideas on this will deepen our understanding of each other which can only be helpful for the future.
Ka pai Anne... I agree with you about a more on-the-ground, organic approach to shared meals as we begin to live together. I also agree with you about clear expectations being needed about participation in preparation of meals and working bees. Mahi on the Body Corp Rules is the best way to achieve this.
Some of us are totally and immediately confident in big groups, others need to establish relationships of trust and warmth before we can feel confident.
I suggest we continue with our fortnightly meetings and have an alternate week, less formal meeting for those wanting to work on the Body Corporate Rules.
Nga mihi, Miriam