INTRODUCTION TO THE “THEN AND NOW” SERIES
Visitors touring CoHo sometimes ask how our expectations for community prior to move-in differ from our current day-to-day reality
Comparing “then and now” is the framework for this series of blog postings. The source of historical perspective is the CoHo newsletters published in 2006 and 2007 (they are still available on our website). This was an intensive time, with the primary focus on actively building the community (both in terms of actual construction of buildings and the collection of folks who would be our neighbors).
What were our dreams in 2006? What is our daily life like now in 2014?
First, read the original newsletter (link below), then return to this posting for current perspectives.
THEN…
AND NOW…
Crystal Lake
Crystal Lake rises and falls with the rainy/dry annual and cyclical changes. A steep path winds down to the lake and leads to a small area to perch and observe wildlife.
CoHo’s primary connection to Crystal Lake is the annual flotilla on New Years Day. As long as there’s water, there will likely be a flotilla.
Membership Team
The Membership Team (like the Marketing Team) has downsized since move-in. It is now a sub team of CLC (Community Life Circle or Community Life Cluster–no one know for sure what the “correct” title is!). Other CLC sub teams include NVC Planning Group, Sharing Circle Facilitation Team, Mediation Team and more.
In 2012 and again in 2013, the Membership Team updated all of our membership paperwork. Links to key documents are posted on the Membership Options page of the website. In addition to the steps that prospective owners, renters, Friends of CoHo and Associate Members complete as part of the membership process, follow-up steps are listed for CoHo teams so the new folks can be quickly up to speed on community life.
Membership Team coordinates the Welcome Ceremonies for new residents and Associate Members. Folks receive flowers and a serenade.
Cats at CoHo
CoHo’s cat census fluctuates each year with the arrival/departure of Humane Society foster cats and kittens.
As predicted in foster orientation, some foster cats ended up as “members of the family” (in this case, the CoHo extended family). To date, eight felines who started as fosters were adopted by CoHoots.
A CoHoTopia Feral Cat Club was formed to arrange spay/neuter (and sometimes adoption) for cats who live near our garden and compost area. While there are varied views of how to handle ferals, the overall census seems to be dropping.