How Do We Know If We Have the Bylaws We Need? To meet our needs, bylaws must allow for smooth functioning of the coop's internal governance processes while being consistent with both our owners' values and with the relevant laws. Bylaws are the means by which the owners delegate authority to the board. Under that authority, the board ensures that the co-op meets owners' [...]
By Art Sherwood 157 November - December - 2011 There has been much discussion, debate and downright argument about the role of the board in the strategic process of our co-ops. "Isn't that getting into operations? Aren't our hands tied by our governance system? Isn't "strategy" a taboo word to raise in the board room since that is supposed to be the general manager's [...]
Presented at the 55th annual Consumer Cooperative Management Association (CCMA) June 18, 2011 in San Diego, CA Keepin’ It Real: Co-ops in Turbulent Times Imagination and AlignmentBy Brett Fairbairn Fellow in Cooperative Thought and Ideas, Centre for the Study of Co-operatives Provost and Vice-President Academic, University of Saskatchewan Re-imagining cooperation. Imagination matters to cooperatives. What might be the best for the current generation of cooperatives [...]
The annual meeting and annual report provide our co-ops with a built-in mechanism for telling the important story of how we make a difference in our member-owners’ lives. Think of them as a structured opportunity for the co-op to be accountable to its member-owners in both governance and operational realms. By creating a compelling annual report and organizing an effective annual meeting (they work [...]
When a board receives an Ends monitoring report from their manager, a thoughtful process can transform the report from just another document to file away into a valuable resource that helps the board, the manager and the co-op’s member-owners better understand the “story” of their co-op. The board wants to know: Does the report demonstrate reasonable accomplishment? Are we on track for multi-year goals/targets [...]
By Marshall Kovitz 144 September - October - 2009 When we look at the future for the co-op, what do we see and how do we express it? These are vital questions for board members to ask because it’s the board’s job to articulate outcomes that guide and inspire the co-op. And the results must be a thriving business that meets owners’ needs and [...]
A director should be equally as concerned with the future of the governance of their co-op as they are with the issues of the present day. Recruitment and orientation of new directors is the role of all board members, all year long. This Online Recorded Workshop gives thorough walk-through of the processes, and high-level thinking required for healthy board recruitment. [...]
