Windsong is a cohesive community of self-responsible contributors who value each other’s uniqueness. Our values are connecting, sustaining the environment, learning and growth, and balancing support and individual responsibility.
The Windsong Cohousing Community of 34 homes functions legally as a Strata Corporation as required by the province of BC. We elect a team of officers annually at an Annual General Meeting and approve each years budget, the maintenance fees to be charged to owners and any bylaw changes to be made.
However, we actually use a set of self-management tools and principles called Sociocracy as our day-to-day governance structure. It works through an intentional and interconnected series of five core or divisional Circles that distributes leadership across the community.
There is a coordinating or General Circle with an Operational Leader and Representative from each core Circle, and a monthly Full Community Circle or gathering of the whole community. The flow of resources and decision-making power moves both up and down in a coordinated way.
People living at Windsong (owners and renters) expect to contribute to community upkeep by developing joint bylaws, agreements and policies. We also pay monthly strata fees and provide voluntary “sweat equity” to care for our community. A sociocratic organization is both adaptable and resilient.
Meetings & Decisions
Strata General Meetings are required by the Strata Properties Act. At an Annual General Meeting we approve each years budget, the maintenance fees to be charged to owners, and make bylaw changes. We also elect a figurehead team of officers for strata business purposes. Should changes need to be made during the fiscal year, a Special General Meeting may be called.
Full Community Circle, where all members of the community are welcome, meets monthly both to approve policies and elect the operational leaders for the five Core Circles – Indoor, Outdoor, Building and Maintenance, Governance Systems, and Social Fabric. At these meetings there are also educational presentations and early discussions of community policies under consideration.
General Circle, with representatives from each Core Circle, also meets monthly. It carries out the community’s mission and aims, including effective implementation of the governance system. It assigns operational work and policy-making of the community to the Core Circles.
Five Core Circles (Building & Maintenance, Governance Systems, Indoor, Outdoor, Social Fabric) are the working teams at Windsong – the heart of the community. Once each Circle’s budget is approved by the Full Community Circle at the Annual General Meeting of the Strata, each of the five working groups has the authority to spend and make decisions within those resources. Each Circle often assigns tasks to Sub-circles or to ad hoc groups with specific timelines and goals. In order to integrate the full functioning of Windsong, each Circle links with other Circles as needed; meanwhile each responsible Circle or Sub-circle is empowered to efficiently make decisions about how they will do their work.
If you want to attend a community meeting please contact Susan via e-mail at susanmcfee2020@gmail.com.
