2023 Annual Meeting Registration

Welcome all members, staff, and Council members. We ask everyone to remember that we are all one community, invested in long term sustainability and the success of Hunger Mountain Co-op as a critical part of our community. We all must treat one another with respect and dignity. Even difficult, contentious discussions can be had with civility and respect for one another.

We are calling for civility and respect for one another because there have been personal attacks directed at Council members and Council members are concerned for their personal safety. We will not be tolerating personal attacks so that members, staff and Council members all feel safe participating in the Co-op community.

The Annual Meeting is a meeting for business, a gathering of community, a chance to celebrate our successes and reflect on areas that need attention. Today we will balance the importance of hearing from members and having dialogue with ensuring that we complete the essential business components of the meeting.

Some important elements, like healing within our community, could not be resolved in one day even if we committed this whole meeting to the process. Recognizing this, we have held space for a conversation on healing within the agenda, but we see this as one of many such necessary conversations. Please join us as we all look forward and continue to improve the Co-op.

Conduct and our Group Agreements:

Today, honoring the individuals who give so much to the Co-op’s operations, attending to the balance of a community conversation and a business meeting, and seeking a gathering where all feel safe to participate means abiding by our Group Agreements to participate in the meeting.

Our facilitator will work to maintain civil discourse and hold space for members’ voices within these parameters. The facilitator may ask attendees who are not respectful and civil to leave the meeting. We trust that this won’t be necessary. Please help us uphold this agreement.

Eva Schectman, Council President, Hunger Mountain Co-op

Members, The Council, and Hunger Mountain Co-op staff will strive to:

• Listen to understand, remain curious, and assume good intent
• Only one person speaks at a time – listen to each other with respect and patience
• Speak from our own experience & use “I” statements
• Step Up/Step Back (“share the air”)
• Practice kindness & no personal attacks
• Speak in headlines (be succinct), do our best, and don’t worry about the perfect words

By registering for this event, you are agreeing to the following:

I agree to adhere to the Hunger Mountain Co-op Group Agreements above both in this meeting and future dialogue and correspondence involving the Co-op, its members, staff, volunteers, and Council members past and present. I understand that if I cannot maintain civil and respectful interactions, I can’t participate in this meeting and may be asked to leave the meeting. Also, I may not receive any responses or future engagement from Co-op members, staff, volunteers, or Council members.