C o – o p M o n t h h a s b e e n celebrated annually in October across the United States for more than half a century. It is a time for cooperative businesses to reflect on their shared principles and to educate others about the value of belonging to a cooperative.
In honor of Co-op Month, here is the first of three co-op related articles to be published in the News Review. October is Co-op Month – a time to recognize and celebrate cooperatives. This year’s Co-op Month theme is Co-ops: By the Community, For the Community, which highlights the many ways co-ops are making an impact in their communities and around the world to ensure a better future for everyone.
Cooperatives have been working on behalf of their members and communities since 1844 when the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society opened a consumer co-op store in England. The success of the pioneers came from the practices and procedures under which they operated. These practices have been updated through the years by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and they form the basis for today’s cooperative principles.
Greenbelt’s many cooperatives are part of this tradition. The Greenbelt Cooperative Alliance (GCA) is an informal grouping of all the cooperative businesses and entities operating in Greenbelt. By working together in GCA, Greenbelt cooperatives carry out one of the most important principles, Cooperation among Cooperatives. Each year, alliance members organize activities for October Co-op Month, which began on September 23 with a proclamation from Greenbelt City Council and continues throughout October. Voluntary and open membership is the first principle listed by ICA. In many respects this is because cooperatives are membership organizations and without member support they will fail.
Co-ops are open to all people able to use their services and who are willing to accept responsibilities of membership.
When a family enrolls in Greenbelt Nursery School, they become members of that co-op. Its responsibilities include participating in every aspect of the school’s operation from governance to fundraising to maintenance.
After finding a GHI home, potential members apply for membership and their responsibilities include paying their monthly co-op fee. Volunteers who work regularly become members of the Greenbelt News Review. With as little as $10, people become members of the Co-op Supermarket and Pharmacy. When their capital account is $100 or higher, they become voting members. A critical responsibility is to shop at the store.
Members of the Greenbelt Federal Credit Union also have a responsibility to use the credit union’s services and maintain a minimum balance in their share savings account, which makes them members of the financial co-op. When MakerSpace converted to a community co-op in 2017, founding members became co-owners for a membership fee of $20 per year.