PUTNEY — My experience as a member of the Putney Food Co-op is that it does reflect its cooperative principles in its week-in, week-out operations. It is also a highly community-minded and generous little co-op!
The commentary is alarmist, dogmatic, and rife with inaccuracies.
The author's frequent use of an unspecified “us,” assumptions about progressive beliefs in Vermont, lack of a definition of democracy and of offending new by-law language, and collection of dreadful stories about other co-ops distracts from the single issue.
That issue: Some co-op members have requested that the board take a closer look, along with interested members, after a controversy arose at the annual meeting in November when the revised bylaws were presented.
The consulting company did not demand that the co-op revise its bylaws, and in no way is the co-op “in the process of being co-opted by a large corporate entity.” CDS Consulting, the consulting firm, is actually a co-op!
At this point, I am optimistic that the co-op bylaws will benefit from a review by board and interested co-op members.