minutes of first discussion group meeting, 31/10/14

Here is the minutes of the meeting attachment

Hi all,
I am interested in the housing co-op idea and hope to meet you all soon. Perhaps we could arrange future meetings with a 'doodle poll' to ensure as many people as possible are able to attend?

I am in support of all of the principles you have outlined apart from one. I am very uncomfortable with the infringement on individual freedom of choice that is required to have a vegan household. Can anyone explain to me the reasons behind this? That would be much appreciated.

All the best,
Nicola

NB

Hi again,

Since sending my last email it has been explained to me that the list of values are not so much rules for any specific copperative (as I initially interpreted them to be) but different values that different people at the meeting expressed as being important to them.

It would still be interesting to hear people's arguments for a vegan based household however.

Thanks,
Nicola

Hey,
I agree with Michelle that Veganism is the most ethical food-policy in our rather twisted system of mass production, but there are good sources of local eggs (for e.g.) and maybe meat (wouldn't know) that could be acceptable. Maybe we could come up with a more loose criterion for ethical food in the house rather than veganism per se
Although people may see that as equally restrictive.
(I'm a veggie, if that's important)

p.s. think that the conflicting "house in city centre" and "house in countryside" are going to be hard to resolve! Maybe we should buy two ;-)

I've just realised that whenever people comment within Loomio that also sends an email to people's email, unless that's just e receiving these emails (with loomio in bracket next to the name).

I think that's pretty cool so you can be sure that people get the message even if they don't connect to loomio.

I like your suggestion Joe of maybe putting together a list of foods or farms or suppliers that we would have looked into and decided as a group that they were ethical enough.

In terms of countryside/city centre, yeah these two can't go together. There'll be a number of differences in expectations so I am hoping that as many people get involved as possible so as many housing co-operative projects can spring out of the discussion group potentially.

To me, you also definitely need to have for each housing coop a founding group of people who, not only looking at principles and all, feel close enough to each other that they'd be wanting to live together. That's even probably more critical than the rest and could have little to do with agreeing on certain principles.

Just to respond to Nicola re the next meeting and the doodle suggestion.
That would be a good idea. I'd like to meet up with Phil sooner rather than later so I'm hoping that he responds to me with a couple of dates and times he could do and we could base the doodle poll on those.
It'd be nice though if loomio could do the same as doodle with the proposal system. I've not tried it but I think that you could only make one proposed date using it, which would not be as useful but that could be a suggestion for the next version of loomio cause the advantage it's got over doodle is that the graph tells you directly what people have voted so you don't need to count it yourself.

Hi all, we've got a new person interested in joining in the process: Alisdair.
His email address is alasdair.reid@yahoo.co.uk and please don't forget to include him in future conversation> I'm just trying to use Loomio doing this to see if everyone gets that message.

I'll also send en email to everyone including Alisdair to make sure eveyone's got it.

Hi all,
I am adding Danny and Molly to the mailing list, who is also interested to join in the discussion group.
Phil, thanks for all these pointers and reflections. Michelle's email response to Nicola's comment was also sent to you if that's what Michelle was talking about but here it is just in case:
Hiya Nicola,
As far as I know, from the meeting we had, it was just me who would require a vegan household, as I want to live with compassion as the main focus of life. Not just a dietary choice but a way of living. It is the most environmentally friendly and the most compassionate way to live. Even my own self, I do not manage to be vegan every day, as there are always small prints on labels which I have missed. The idea is not to be fanatical or to dive into a depression if one gets it wrong. It is simply to strive as far as possible in this impossible World, to be vegan. It appears to be better for the health too. I was told that due to my blood group I should eat meat, but not eating meat has done me no harm and I feel healthier for it too. Mostly I have more peace of mind - knowing that I am trying my best to not inflict suffering on my fellow sentient beings, as factory farming becomes more and more barbaric.
I think I was the only one - so I may have to start my own Co-operative, I don't know!
Back to me (Clement) writing:
Interesting ideas from people's emails, which could be starting points for discussions at the next meeting.
I'm wondering how to best take note of these as they come; I think the best way to do this may be for each individual coming up with a new idea to add it up on a shared document we can all access online.
Like this no-one will have to go through all the emails again to sum things up but we could just refer to that document. I think this is fairly important and suggest we agree on something at the next meeting at the latest.
My understanding is that loomio allows this so it would be an option; has anyone got a beetter idea? I guess we could also decide not to take notes but in my view, we risk loosing some of the benefit of the discussions we're having because it seems likely there will me many more emails to come and things will get forgotten along the way.

I'm happy to use emails if not eveyone is up for loomio as it's true you need to log in/out every time, though I've not tried not logging out and closing the page to see whether it keeps you logged in. Maybe we can have a chat about this at the next meeting.

BTW, Julia I am not sure if I have received you're email with the doodle but i cannot find it so could you please send it to me again (not forgetting to also send it to Molly and Danny, which are the last two email addresses on my email)

C

Sorry, I am busy fri & sat and working sun and next weekend I'm in London doing a dramtherapy course :-(( I hope you all have a good meeting/meal - A x

Hello all , just to say that I've worked out how to use this Loomio thing now as well as the doodle. Re a potential agenda for the next meeting if people want to suggest things then I'd be happy to knock up a agenda but equally if we just want to play it as it lays and produce minutes then thats fine too. Phil