The Co-op Sho-up

Hey all you co-opers!

The Boston Collective House Assembly is throwing a potluck extravaganza! We want you to come join the fun and kick off the International Year Of the Co-op! This will be Saturday, December 3rd, at 6pm, on Brainerd Road in Allston, so mark it on your calendars! 2012 will be a big year for Boston co-ops and we’re getting started early by taking some time to get the community together and have some fun! We hope to see lots of friends and lots of new faces!

PLAN for next year!
EAT veggie-friendly barbecue!
SCHMOOZE with fellow, former & future co-opers!
WARM UP by the fire or inside two honest-to-goodness collective houses!
COME to the Boston Collective Houses potluck party extravaganza!
Bring a dish or a beverage or both (sign up at http://is.gd/coopparty)! Please label what you bring along with any ingredients that may be allergens. Alcohol is welcome, but please drink in moderation. Childcare and a bag-check room will be available. This is a family-friendly event as well as a safer space.

The party is being graciously hosted by the good people of the Brainerd Autonomous Zone, two co-ops in Allston. Remember: Saturday, December 3rd, 6pm, on Brainerd Road in Allston.

Oh, and don’t forget that in January, the Boston Co-ops Workshop series begins! For more information, check out http://is.gd/coopmeetup. If you’d like to help out with the workshop materials fund, there will be a jar at the party for donations.

‘Tis the season for potlucking!

November Assembly notes

And they’re online: the meeting minutes from the November Assembly!

This was a fast and efficient gathering where we banged out a lot of logistics, laying the groundwork for some big projects next year including a new co-op start-up fund and the weekly workshop series.

Next Assembly : 10 December
10 Dec, noon-4pm, at Encuentro 5, 33 Harrison St.
(space to be confirmed, check the blog or wait for an announcement here!)

Theme: 2012 Year of the Co-op!
The United Nations declared next year the International Year of the Co-op. We want to take the organizing we’ve been doing this summer and fall in Boston and kick off a year of collective housing projects, workshops, and expansion. December’s assembly will be a workparty to ready ourselves for January launch. Bring your own projects and ideas!

November Assembly this Saturday!

Saturday, 12 November, 12pm – 4pm
Encuentro 5, 33 Harrison Ave (floor 5)
Potluck lunch and snacks!
Read the agenda and respond to the FB event
We invite every collective house in Boston to try to send 1-2 representatives (more are always welcome).

This month’s theme: Housing Rights
From co-ops dealing with landlords to getting rid of landlords through home ownership, and supporting tenants/housing rights in our communities, bring your project ideas and let’s get to work!

Like us on Facebook

The Collective House Assembly has a new Facebook page!

Co-op Calendar!

Boston co-opers got a new online calendar this month:
Meetup.BostonCoops.org

Check the calendar out to find upcoming Assemblies, meetings, and events!

The Calendar will also be used to coordinate the new weekly workshop & skillshare series (see the notes from October’s Assembly for details):

• The workshops will be open to the general public (not just co-opers)
• At each workshop, the hosting house should give a 5-10 minute spiel or tour or something to introduce the workshop series, the Collective House Assembly, and show off their co-op house.
• Anyone can request a workshop or even propose a workshop without a space. Someone else can see that and offer their house as a location for example. Meetup.com allows us to crowdsource the creation of events.

October’s Assembly Notes

The October Collective House Assembly was fun and productive!  We had 14 co-opers participating from 12 different houses across the Boston area! 

The theme was resource sharing.  Our main project was to design the framework for a Boston Co-op Workshop Series.  We think we can make this a weekly event next year, perfect for the International Year of the Co-op! 

Other projects we discussed included improving our collective website situation so interested folks can figure out how to get involved in Boston housing co-ops, and planning some fun outreach events including a Harvest Fest in early November. 

Check out the notes for all these details and more!

Next Step: The first Collective House Assembly

Dear Co-opers, way to go!

The bash was a great success, about 80 people came from over 23 houses. Wow! We ended up deciding there’s a lot of work to be done [1], and one theme to start with is resource sharing.

…Now, the real work of the assembly begins! Come one, come all to the Collective House Assembly – Oct 2011! [2]

Time: Saturday, October 15th from 12:00 noon to 4pm
Place: Encuentro 5; 33 Harrison Ave, Boston 02111
Who: At least one representative from your house
Theme: Resource Sharing

Some suggested projects:

• a website with a calendar of events,
• sharing resources between houses,
• plan a Halloween Open House Tour!

We propose that this meeting be the first of many monthly assemblies to plan and enact the ideas we came up with at the Bash.

-The Assembly

P.S. The event is also on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=193049424100263

[1] http://bostoncoopassembly.wordpress.com/the-bash

[2] http://bostoncoopassembly.wordpress.com/assembly/october-2011/

Final Bash details: This Saturday!!

Hi co-opers!

The Co-op Bash is almost here!! Here’s one last reminder with logistics & other important details.

This Saturday, September 10, 2011 from 11am to 5pm
at Encuentro 5, 33 Harrison Ave, floor 5, Boston, MA 02111
(Map)

Details
Agenda & info (some changes to the timing!)
Facebook event
Volunteers needed for set-up & clean-up
Childcare provided (please RSVP).
Everyone please RSVP

Potluck meal
Please bring a dish, your own plate & fork, and be ready to label your ingredients.

House tables
We will provide art supplies and open table space– you provide flyers, banners, & other ways to show off your house and its projects, events, and whatever makes it rad.

Getting there & parking
Encuentro 5 is at 33 Harrison Ave in Chinatown.
(Map)

By bike: There are ample things to lock your bike to on Boylston/Essex St., between Harrison and the Commons. If it’s all full, try by the Commons and Emerson College.

By T:
Take the Orange Line to Chinatown. Head South on Washington, go left on Essex St. (away from the Commons), and right on Harrison (1 block).
OR take the Green Line to Boylston. Walk away from the Commons on Boylston (becomes Essex), and turn right on Harrison (~4 blocks).

By car: Parking downtown may be tight, so come early!
====

Can’t wait to see you there!
In cooperation,
The Co-op Bash organizers

Boston Co-op Resource: Boston Collectives Listserve

No need to re-invent wheels– Boston already has an active co-op mailing list:

The Boston Co-op Network runs a list serve that has mostly seekers and vacancy announcements, but also has events posted and related interesting notes from the broader co-op community, occasionally.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit
http://lists.bostoncoop.net/mailman/listinfo/bcn
or, via email, send a message with subject or body ‘help’ to
bcn-request@lists.bostoncoop.net

Boston Co-op Resource: The Cooperative Fund of New England

Check out this local co-op financing institution: The Cooperative Fund of New England

The Cooperative Fund of New England (CFNE) advances community based, cooperative and democratically owned or managed enterprises with preference to those that serve low income communities. CFNE accomplishes this through the provision of prompt financial assistance at reasonable rates, the provision of an investment opportunity that promotes socially conscious enterprise, and the development of a regional reservoir of business skills with which to assist and advise these groups.