The Syracuse Real Food Cooperative Board of Directors has recently recommended changes to the bylaws which are intended to help the co-op expand; expand its capital, expand its resources, expand its membership, and expand its ability to serve the community.
Our co-op is doing great things, but our current operation limits our potential. We have no backspace, no loading dock, limited floor space, no meeting area, and very limited parking. These limitations hinder our ability to provide the community with the services and resources we as a cooperative market are responsible for providing. What we’ve created at SRFC is good for our community and we want to share it, make it better, and bring more services to the community!
There is currently a lot of momentum in cooperative markets. The national economic situation is leading a lot of people to look to their community for services, and more people are thinking in terms of ‘we’ instead of ‘me’. There is also energy being injected into cooperative markets with positive national attention and discussion about cooperative healthcare plans.
We need to capitalize on this momentum, and use this energy to plan our growth. To reach our potential, we need capital! The proposed bylaw changes allow more capital to come into the co-op. The proposed changes do not change the governance structure or decision making process, but are rather tools to allow the co-op to grow into its potential and responsibility to serve the community.
The Board of Directors is working to take hold of the national momentum around co-ops, and bring some of it to our community by asking the co-op community for ideas from you! What are your concerns about the proposed changes? What excites you about them? What are some community services that you’d like to see the co-op more involved in? What are your dreams for the co-op? Help us make our co-op a great, effective, and useful social tool!
Please share your comments and suggestions!
