Co-op Members
Co-operatives are owned and controlled only by the members. All members are responsible to participate in, promote, and support the co-operative.
VOLUNTARY MEMBERSHIP
Membership in a co-operative is voluntary and is open without discrimination to any person who can use its services, subject to approval by the membership. For example, co-ops designed to market seafood may restrict their membership to fishermen, or a housing co-operative may restrict its members to residents of the property it owns. Members are also free to leave the co-operative at any time and have their share capital refunded to them.
Members are people or groups of people who use the services and products a co-operative provides. If the
co-op is created to provide employment, the workers are the member-owners. If the co-op is created to sell goods and services, then the consumers (the buyers) are the members. People from all kinds of communities, backgrounds and ages are members of co-ops and credit unions.
MEMBERS' RESPONSIBILITIES
Members assume some responsibilities in the running of the co-op and have a minimum investment in it. Co-ops with share capital may require that members buy a minimum number of shares - a financial investment in the co-op. The cost of a member share is set by the co-op's membership and can range anywhere from $1 to thousands of dollars depending on the type of co-op.
Ownership of a member share entitles a member to one vote. Each member has one vote, regardless of the number of shares held. Some co-ops are not-for-profit
co-ops (co-ops without share capital). Responsibilities of members range from electing the board of directors to serving on committees.Members help out with various activities such as distribution in a food co-op, volunteering a day at the day care, or organizing an activity at a housing co-op.
DEMOCRATIC CONTROL
The organizational structures of co-operatives incorporate the democratic ideals that are implicit in all co-operatives. Theoretically, all power and responsibility belongs to the members. In order to facilitate the democratic process,
co-operatives often delegate responsibility to a board of directors or committees of the general membership. In large co-operatives, staff are often hired to carry out tasks of the co-operative. In other co-operatives, usually smaller ones, work is carried out by the members who volunteer their time to the co-operative.
As co-operatives begin to delegate tasks, it is important that the roles of staff, committees, and the board are clearly defined and that all parties understand that authority rests ultimately in the general membership.
A DELEGATE STRUCTURE
To ensure democratic control in very large co-operatives, to which thousands of members from many geographic areas belong, a delegate structure is often implemented. For example, total membership may be divided into districts and sub-districts. Members attend and discuss issues at the local level. They elect representatives to act on their behalf at the organization's annual or special general meetings. The delegates in turn elect from their ranks, a board of directors to oversee the operations of the co-operative.
The manner and form in which the democratic process is facilitated is a decision of the general membership. Some co-operatives elect to have frequent meetings of the general membership.
All co-operatives are required by law to have at least one annual general meeting. As well, special general membership meetings may be called.
