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| News at a Glance |
| by Nancy Ellegate |
TheThe
HWFC Board of Directors met on Tuesday, October 7.
|
| Fair Trade Organization |
Two Co-op members requested
that HWFC join the Domestic Fair Trade Organization. There are
currently forty members, including co-ops in Vermont and Massachusetts.
The Co-op is the only local organization eligible for membership. The
Board agreed and an application for membership is being completed.
|
| Impact of Economic Crisis |
| The Board plans to discuss
the potential impact of the current economic crisis on the new store.
This is too large and complex an issue to discuss during a regular
Board meeting, so a separate meeting devoted to this matter will be
scheduled. |
| Children’s Space |
| There was a discussion of
the pros and cons of having a children’s play area in the new store. If
we do have one, parents will be responsible for supervising children
using the space and there will need to be clear signage to this effect.
There are liability concerns in the event a child is removed from the
space by another person or if a child leaves the store on his/her own.
The Board will get input from the Co-op’s attorney and insurance agent
and before making a decision. |
| Staff Travel and Education |
| The operations and
administrative coordinator recently returned from an educational visit
to a Co-op in Mondragon, Spain. She will be reporting in detail to the
Board on what she learned. The Board agreed to reimburse her $2,000 to
cover a portion of her expenses. |
| Brochure |
| It was noted that the
current brochure describing the Co-op is outdated and work on a new one
will commence. |
| Follow-up on October
Membership Meeting |
The October membership
meeting was reviewed. There were not enough members present for a
quorum, so no voting took place and there were no candidates for the
Governance Review committee openings. During the meeting, it was noted
that this committee can appoint members to fill vacancies if candidates
can be identified. These members can serve until the next election
(which would be in September 2009) at which time they can stand for
election. Since there have been several resignations from the committee
and one person planning to leave shortly, appointing members will allow
the group to continue its work.
|
Committee on Committees
|
| This ad hoc committee has
been working on clarifying the roles of the various Co-op committees as
well as the expectations regarding committee accountability and
responsibility for reporting on activities. The Board was impressed
with the document that the members have produced and asked that they
add a section on ad hoc committees. |
Nutrition Education
|
| Jim Monsonis will become
the temporary Board liaison to this committee. The School Food
Conference originally planned for October has been rescheduled for
January. |
| Finances |
| The Finance committee
reported that cash flow continues to be strong. |
| Personnel |
| The Personnel committee is
seeking some new members. |
| Minutes |
| Minutes of all meetings are
available at the Co-op. Minutes of the most recent meeting are posted
on the bulletin board. They are also available on the Co-op's website,
as password protected files. See instructions on the Board Meetings page. |
| Upcoming Meetings |
| Meetings begin at 5:45 pm
at the Community Room at the Co-op. Meetings are scheduled for December
2 and January 6. Date, time and location can change,
however, so it is recommended that anyone planning to attend confirm
these. |
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