@modo_carcoop: Vote now to elect 3 directors; but there's no online campaign forum

Vancouver's Modo The Car Co-op members are voting in the annual election of directors from January 4 through January 22. We will choose 3 of these 5 candidates:

• Aaron Burns
• Arpal Dosanjh
• Joel DeYoung
• Simon Abou-Attoun
• William Azaroff

I thank all five for offering to serve as directors of our co-op!

This year, Modo has launched online voting for the first time, an important step forward now that we have grown beyond 9,000 members. Each candidate has written a few paragraphs about themselves, and made a 2-minute video -- see www.modo.coop/modo-board-of-directors-2014-nominees-and-voting

It's great that busy members need not attend the AGM to vote, and we now have time for informed comparison of candidates. Unfortunately, there's not enough online support for informed comparison of candidates. We should have a campaign forum, linked from the election page, where members can ask candidates questions and discuss their answers. For example, see the director election campaign forum at Canadian Internet Registration Authority.

How about setting that up for next year?

The Modo AGM on January 22 should be fun. Free registration; all are welcome; only members can vote:

• Co-op Fair 6-7pm: Meet other local co-ops (500 Granville St)
• AGM 7-9pm: Complete the director election process (500 Granville St)
• After-Party 8:30pm-midnight: Enjoy! (200 - 470 Granville St)

Related links FYI:

• my previous posts about Modo
• ideas for improving member democracy: We Want Our Co-ops Back

@modo_carcoop Special General Meeting had a close call 15-14 vote #coop #democracy

This is my report on the Special General Meeting of Modo the Car Co-op, held recently on September 23, 2013. We voted on eight resolutions proposed by the Modo Board, for changing the co-op's rules:

• Resolution 1: Correction of oversights or typographical errors; clarification; and removal of obsolete or redundant items
• Resolution 2: Create a Nominations Committee and define its accountabilities
• Resolution 3: Create alternatives to in-person voting at annual meetings for elections
• Resolution 4: Create an option to use alternative voting systems in elections
• Resolution 5: Permit the co-op to pay interest on members’ shares
• Resolution 6: Permit an organization to become a Business Member of the co-op, and to appoint a Delegate to represent it
• Resolution 7: Authorize the Board to invest funds with reference to an Investment Policy
• Resolution 8: Change the name of the co-op to Modo Co-operative

Brief Summary of Meeting:

• We passed each of the 8 resolutions by more than the required 2/3 super-majority vote.
• On Resolution 7, I proposed an amendment to require a member approval vote on future changes to the Investment Policy. Amendments are decided by simple majority vote. With 14 in favour and 15 opposed, we did not adopt my amendment. We then unanimously approved the Board's original Resolution 7.
• There was significant opposition to Resolution 6 (letting businesses that use Modo become voting members of Modo), but it passed by a vote of 25 in favour, 7 opposed.

Discussion of Resolutions 3 and 7:

@modo_carcoop Investment Policy should be approved by Members #coop #democracy

Two weeks ago I blogged about the upcoming (Sept 23) Special General Meeting of Modo the Car Co-op, to vote on the Modo Board's proposed rule changes. I supported Resolution 2 (to create a nominations committee) and Resolution 3 (to enable voting via internet) as changes that would strengthen member democracy.

Recently I studied Resolution 7, which would authorize the Board to invest Modo funds with reference to an investment policy. It would change the existing Rule 10.02:

"Without the approval of the Members by special resolution, the Directors shall not invest a total of more than $25,000 of the funds of the Association in securities or classes of securities other than those in which trustees are permitted to invest trust funds under the Trustee Act."

To become:

"The funds of the Association shall be invested in accordance with an Investment Policy approved by the Directors that defines permitted investments and sets investment limits for permitted investments." [emphasis added]

To maintain democratic accountability to us Modo members on how our accumulated funds are invested, I recommend changing the word "Directors" to "Members" in the above proposed new rule. [Update 2013-09-20: amended wording in second comment below] So the Board could propose future changes to the investment policy, but those changes would need to be approved by a vote of the members.

@modo_carcoop meeting Sept 23 to vote on rule changes #coop #democracy

Vancouver-based Modo the Car Co-op is having a Special General Meeting of members on Monday September 23, to vote on eight resolutions proposed by the Modo board, for changing the co-op's rules:

A. “HOUSEKEEPING” CHANGES

• Resolution 1: Correction of oversights or typographical errors; clarification; and removal of obsolete or redundant items

B. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS PROCESS

• Resolution 2: Create a Nominations Committee and define its accountabilities
• Resolution 3: Create alternatives to in-person voting at annual meetings for elections
• Resolution 4: Create an option to use alternative voting systems in elections

C. OTHER SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES

• Resolution 5: Permit the co-op to pay interest on members’ shares
• Resolution 6: Permit an organization to become a Business Member of the co-op, and to appoint a Delegate to represent it
• Resolution 7: Authorize the Board to invest funds with reference to an Investment Policy
• Resolution 8: Change the name of the co-op to Modo Co-operative

Full details (text of new rules, reasons etc) are accessible only to Modo members (like me) logged in at bookit.modo.coop.

As you can see from my posts on this blog for the past year and a half, I've been very critical of the boards of some large co-ops, which have persuaded their members to approve rule changes that shift power from members to the board. The boards have not described it to members as a power transfer, but in substance that's what it is. The changes undermine Co-operative Principle #2 -- democratic member control -- and open the door to corrupt abuse of power by boards. Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) is a prime example.

So I'm happy to report that, as far as I can tell, the rule changes proposed by Modo's board would strengthen, not weaken, member democracy.