Sunday, September 28, 2025, All-Community Meeting

Topics: video Community Conundrums: Low Meeting Attendance

Present:  Kerry, Lynda, AKay (notes), K.J. Scott, Larraine, Lila, Joe, Kellie, Ben, Gheyben, Coleman

Update on Plans for Kellie's & Tyson's wedding

Bring finger foods.  Expecting about 100 guests.  Chairs & tables delivered at 10:00 a.m.  Parking at Shad's/WCG frontage. Community members can move their cars from uncovered spots on the west to the field by the east garden. Cafe at 9:00 a.m. then work party doing beautification and set-up

Some stuff on giveaway table came from Kerry's daughter's work; they are moving their headquarters & cleaning out.

Cohousing webinar, Community Conundrums: Low Meeting Attendance

Presentation by Karen Gymnig, September 17, 2025

How do we get our members to come to our meetings?

• Why do we want them to come?
• Why don't they come?

Small meetings are not necessarily a bad thing.

What do we think will be different if more people come than if they don't?

• Bylaws require a minimum attendance (quorum) to make a decision.
• Get buy-in on decisions.
• Key people have information relevant to the subject & if they aren't present either the decision can't be made or will be made less well.
• People don't attend meeting that provide information then don't know enough to participate in the decision later, or need it all to be repeated.
• People don't attend early meetings then block at the decision meeting. They don't know relevant facts, haven't bothered to get their concerns expressed, etc.
• Talking face-to-face creates stronger social connections.

More people is not always better.  There is an efficiency in working in smaller groups. Being on too many committees burns people out. 

If half your community doesn't have an opinion because it doesn't affect them, that's okay. Leave them alone and don't ask them to take a side.

Is a meeting the best or only way to get input?  Sometimes a one-on-one meeting can work out issues & emotions without derailing a large meeting.

A person can provide input beforehand for a meeting they can't attend.

We want input from people who know about the subject and from people who care about the issue. but not necessarily everyone.

If the goal is engagement and work participation. Be aware that time attending a meeting is time that can't be spent on other community needs. Does meeting attendance actually result in more work getting done? Sometimes it results in a volunteer. 

If people are coming to meetings because they feel they ought to instead of because they want to, that can be detrimental.

Do meetings make people feel more engaged? 

Concentrating on business in a meeting gets the business done but doesn't necessarily build connection.

Are meetings designed to build social connections, e.g., including connection exercises? Other gatherings might do that more effectively.

Last-minute blocks indicate deeper relationship problems than poor meeting attendance. If it is happening, is it only one person or more than one? If one, the question is to how to build bridges to that person. If more than one, there may be a cultural issue in the community. What's going on that people don't bring up their concerns early?

Why don't people come?

• They had a bad experience in a previous meeting.
• They don't feel they will be listened to.
• They think all the process is a waste of time. Why do we fuss about consensus? Why are we spending time listening to a minority view instead of just voting? Particularly common in new residents.
• It's difficult to find a time that doesn't conflict with many people's schedules.
• If the agenda doesn't show anything they care about, they don't come.  
• Difficulty hearing or seeing.  Introversion or neurodivergence: Too noisy, too busy.
• Meetings are boring.
• Meetings are contentious or don't feel safe.

Logistics

Logistics can be addressed, but sometimes it's a cover for other reasons.  They can't come to Wednesday meetings and if you change the date they won't be able to come that day either.  

Alternating days of week mean the same people aren't shut out every meeting.

How comfortable is the meeting space?  Is someone unable to sit comfortably in the chairs available?

Online meetings can solve certain logistics problems. They can read the presentation on the screen, enlarge things on their own screen, turn up the volume, use their own chair, attend from out of town.

Meeting Quality

Focus on each person being & feeling heard. 'Being' & 'feeling' aren't the same thing.  Not everyone is willing or able to hear. 

Pre-meeting planning

• Train facilitators.
• Do we all share the same understanding of the truth? Do we agree on the facts?
• Group training in communication. 
• Vary activities.  Reset people's attention spans.
  

Karen recommends her book Cooperative Culture Handbook: Facilitator's Handbook

Let people do the thing they judge is best for them, even if that is not attending meetings. 

Low meeting attendance may be OK if ...

• Everyone feels invited, welcome, and safe to attend and/or give input.
• The full range of viewpoints is represented.
• Major or permanent decisions are thoroughly socialized outside of meetings. Make sure people aren't surprised.

Discussion

Goal is for meetings to be safe, productive, & enjoyable.

In the model of consensus we've adopted recently, if there are clearly unresolved concerns, don't even call for consensus.

There are ways people who don't come to meetings can contribute. OTOH a lot of organizational work requires meetings, without which the work can't be done efficiently. 

Sometimes people not coming is an expression of trust in the community to make good decisions in their absence.