Kanjini Co-Op Newsletter - Volume 1, Issue 2 - December 2009

Editorial

Welcome to Kanjini Co-Op's Second Newsletter. Thank you all for your continued interest and support!
Together we can commit to both personal and global transformation and turn this timely vision into a reality :-)
The most frequently asked questions we receive are about the land, "Where is the land?" and "When will the land be purchased?".
We have also been asked many questions relating to Children, Inheritance and Joint Shares. You will find some answers to those questions below.

With the results of the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit being less than encouraging, it is becoming very clear that we cannot rely on our politicians to implement the required solutions.
It is up to each one of us to stop being part of the problem and start becoming part of the solution.

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing" (Albert Einstein)

Kanjini Co-Op offers a sustainable future for you, your children, the generations beyond, and for our magnificent environment.

We are very pleased and excited to have met those potential members who attended our second 'Hearts and Minds Meeting'.
As you are probably aware we have spent and enjoyed quite some time outlining the Kanjini Co-Op Vision and writing the required Co-Op documents.
It is NOW time to expand and develop our Vision in more detail.
We cordially invite you, ~~Name~~, to share an afternoon of laughter and inspirations, conversation and lively debate, planning and Q&A's at our next Hearts and Minds Meeting from 11am to 5pm on 30th December 2010 at Koah, near Kuranda (please RSVP to 07-40937755 or 0417193898). Please come along and become part of this process.

Our Newsletter and Registration documents are now all online. Foundation Share Members profiles will be on-line in the new year!
Please keep checking our website and email www.kanjini.org to your friends.

Please spread the Kanjini Co-Op Vision and do tell your friends and neighbours, the service station attendant, the librarian and the drummer........
On our homepage are links to our hand-out and notice board flyers, please feel free to print and hand them out or put them up on your local notice board, or in the local food co-op.....thanks.
We need all the help we can get to make Kanjini Co-Op as big and beautiful as possible :-)

In the meantime, if you have not done so already, please tell us a bit more about yourself by filling in this short questionnaire. The information you provide will really help us in the planning process so

Thank you

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) !

We are often asked questions and will be sharing some of those questions and answers in this Newsletter and also on-line.

Why does Kanjini Co-Op have no joint shares?
We have chosen to have no joint shares for various reasons.
First and foremost Kanjini Co-Op likes to treat each member as an equal individual who has one vote.
Secondly joint shares would have to first agree on how to vote and what is to happen if they cannot agree? We like the one vote - one person concept.
Thirdly the times of marriage until death are pretty much over (whether for better or worse) and in today's world of serial monogamy relationships change much more frequently. Joint shares would then have to be separated into half shares and maybe later into quarter shares or even smaller units. Joint shares would also mean joint vote, joint liabilities and joint rights and clearly some boundary would have to be set to this fragmentation. So we decided to not even start with share fragmentation and ensured that one share is always one share, it makes it simple too.
Last not least we did not want to become part of any relationship split-up dramas.
The structure of Kanjini Co-Op means that all members are equal and therefore a share cannot be divided. The Rules state that there are no joint shares.

Does my life partner need to buy a share also?
All full members have a vote so if your partner wants to have a vote then Yes they will need to become a full member. They do not immediately pay in full and they also could apply for Introductory membership. Besides having a vote, the main difference is in the rent Kanjini will charge. So the short answer is NO, your life partner does not have to buy a full share to live with you on Kanjini land, but it will be cheaper in the long run to do so.

A few people have commented that for a family of 5 (2 adults, 3 children) they could buy a house and land for the same price as for the cost of shares. Depending on what type of house and lifestyle they wanted, this may be possible.
However you need to bear in mind that while the 2 adults would require full shares to be eligible for the minimal rent charged ($20/week each), the 3 children would not require any shares until they turn 18. We do doubt that for $200,000 (two full shares) you will get much of a property, never mind a family home. And they would not have the benefit of living in a caring community on a great property.

Are Children allowed at Kanjini Co-Op?
Kanjini Co-Op welcomes children of all ages. We believe that sharing the responsibility of child rearing is best as a 'village' approach.
Children benefit greatly from differing points of view, sharing experiences with people of all ages and a broader variety of communication. The richness that arises from sharing the experiences, affection and skills of people other than the parents is profound and an important part of a healthy childhood (sadly missing in many a child's life today). Children are encouraged to participate in daily activities as valuable learning and at Kanjini Co-Op we plan to have areas dedicated as children and youth spaces where the children and youth will be invited to participate in the decision making process affecting their communal spaces.

If I join now, what happens to my share money until Kanjini Co-Op purchases land?
All membership capital is invested in a high interest earning account (currently 5.5% for three month term deposit). All interest earned on share capital until settlement day for a property will be returned to early shareholders as dividends at the time when we buy a property. This is so that people committing early will not be penalised for that, but will hopefully earn a higher interest then they can earn by themselves because together we can invest much more and thus attract a better interest rate.

Can my children inherit my share?
Yes your children not only can but will inherit your share (unless you write them out of your will). However if you have more than 1 child the share cannot be split into half shares (see above). You may want to specify in your will which child shall get the share, or that the share shall be sold and the proceeds divided, or that the share capital shall be allocated as deposit for two or three shares.
According to Kanjini Co-Op Rules - 24 (2) Subject to section 167(1) of the Act the board must transfer the deceased member’s share or interest in the cooperative to:

1. the personal representative of the deceased, that is, an executor or administrator of the estate of a deceased member; or
2. to such person the deceased personal representative may specify, in an application made to the cooperative within 3 months after the death of the member.

The person to whom the share is transferred will not have any voting rights until (s)he is accepted by the Co-Op as a member and has fulfilled her/his trial period.(Rules 24 (3))
If the Cooperative chooses for some reason to not accept the beneficiary of the estate as members, it will have to buy back the deceased members shares (Rules 24 (1)).

Membership

Kanjini Co-Op continues to receive emails from Potential Members. However it seems most people want to sit on the fence and wait until we have purchased the land or even until we are an established and successful community. Well we sort of saw this coming so we have created some big incentives for people to become members before we get the land. Kanjini Co-Op has a finite number of foundation shares (eleven) which have two advantages over normal full shares. We have created these to honour and reward those people who made the whole project possible by contributing the bulk of the money needed to buy the land.
Foundation share holders will each receive bonus investment shares (to the value of 15% of their paid up share capital) once the Co-Op is in a position to issue them out of surplus.
72% of all foundation members will also need to sign off on any document pertaining to changes to the rules, winding up, takeover or merger. This means that foundation member have a greater say on those basic issues.

Land Acquisition

When will Kanjini Co-Op purchase land?
We want to acquire land that is well suited to our Vision and future needs. We do not wish to purchase a small and cheap property, so we will first need more members to put their money in the kitty before we can sign a contract to buy the land. We encourage people to become members early as this will allow us to consider slightly more expensive, but much better properties.
Once we have a million dollars in the bank, we feel comfortable to commit to a contract. This is why Kanjini Co-Op will issue eleven Foundation Shares.
Please check out the advantages of becoming a formation member (only five left). The more members we get, the nicer the land we can buy. So please come along to our meetings, get to know the crew, join Kanjini Co-Op and help to make it happen sooner. Climate change does not wait and the sooner we live sustainable solutions the sooner others will follow!

Where is the Land?
Kanjini Co-Op is currently investigating several blocks of land on the Atherton Tablelands around the Mareeba area. We have made property inspections in the region.We have also been researching realistic valuations so we can make an offer on our preferred block of land. One particular parcel of land is our dream land and fulfils all our criteria and much more. We would love to have enough people so we can make an offer on it. So please do let us know if you might be able to get on board soon and want to be part owner of over a thousand acres.

Meetings

Directors Meetings
These are our formal Co-Op meetings. All interested persons are invited to attend our monthly directors meetings (however only directors may vote).
They are held every 2nd Wednesday of the month. 6pm for 6.30 dinner, meeting starts at 7pm (next one to be held in Kuranda). Please bring a plate to share.
Please RSVP to 07-40937755 or 0417193898 or by replying to this email.

Hearts & Minds Meetings
An informal gathering held on the last Saturday of each month, designed to get to know each other better, introduce new interested people and advance the vision.
These meetings alternate between Cairns and Koah and include Meet and greet / introductions/ Q & A discussion, planning and lots of laughter and whatever else we decide to do together.
The next Hearts & Minds Meetings will be at 303 Koah Rd, Kuranda on Saturday 30th January 2010 11am-5pm. Please bring a plate to share for lunch.
Please RSVP to 07-40937755 or 0417193898 or by replying to this email.

At our last Hearts and Minds Meeting we discussed children and planning requirements for service vehicle access, and effective materials for internal pathway construction allowing for easy access for all abilities. We also enjoyed discussing the many methods of use for human waste and methods that will be acceptable to the local council.

We enjoyed a 'potting meditation' where we all filled plant pots with the wonderful soil that Shiralee had created from her previous worm farm and garden.
These pots are now being planted as part of the Kanjini Co-Op Plant Nursery ready for our own gardens and orchards.

We also viewed a local property, not necessarily in view of purchasing, but also to inform us of land valuations in comparison to the prices being asked for. The property was not organic and after hearing the enormous quantity of poisons and artificial fertilisers used on the property, we are convinced that we need a property that does not have a toxic history as it would take a lot of work, cost and time to be converted to organic status, which is Kanjini Co-Op's aim. We are still very interested in a property that has no (or at least minimal) poison history, has good quality soil to start with and will be easy to convert to 'organic' status. We hope to begin negotiations with the owner as soon as we have a few more committed members. So please consider to join us now and lets manifest the Kanjini Co-Op Vision!

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"The secret of change is to focus all your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new." (Socrates)

Last not least, a friendly reminder to please tell us a bit more about you by filling in this short questionnaire. Thank you
Knowing your level of interest and possible involvement will help us a lot in the next few weeks.

This is it from us until the next newsletter .....
The Kanjini Co-Op team

We wish you Love and Light and Many Blessing and a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
We see 2010 as the year for us all living together harmoniously and sustainably on Kanjini Co-Op land.