We get these kinds of challenges when groups haven't decided how they are going to make decisions before they have to get into actually making them - the "no process" model. Bill's "one person-one vote, majority rules" model is one way to go. It does mean that you can make a decision in challenging circumstances, but it also means that you get winners and losers and the likelihood that the same issue will keep coming around. I tend to prefer some kind of consensus model. It drives some people crazy because it can be very time consuming, but it can allow an apparently fractious group to move forward positively without kicking some folks to the curb. For example, the "lock/no lock" discussion, if there are strong proponents on each side, appears difficult to resolve. Alternate solutions might look like "try a lock for a month and revisit at our next meeting," or "lock at night and leave open during the day," or "try some other security methods for a month and revisit at our next meeting," or something else. It involves people spending the time and exercising the creativity to arrive at a mutually acceptable course of action. It is not unanimity. People still hang onto their core beliefs, but they can arrive at a course of action while agreeing to disagree. Neither process is necessarily perfect in all situations. Both can require some skill and practice to use well, so that voting doesn't become a blunt instrument and consensus doesn't turn into a confusing mess. I believe it's worth the effort either way. Sometimes a good battle is also a good impetus for a group to talk about its values and ways to realize them in their decision making. Good luck to us all. JH
Jack N. Hale Executive Director Knox Parks Foundation 75 Laurel Street Hartford, CT 06106 860/951-7694 -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Diana Liu Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2008 4:51 PM To: William Hohauser; community_garden@list.communitygarden.org Subject: Re: [Community_garden] Locking garden gates? So, who is in "the group" and "the other side"? So is true "democracy" in effect when "the group" as whole agree single-mindedly without taking into any consideration of "the other side"? William Hohauser <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Democracy is democracy. If the decision has been made by the group as a whole then individuals or factions have little to say except to try and state their case at a later date or leave the garden and find another place that fits their needs better. It's that simple. There are gardens that have a board of directors or other methods of self- government but only a straight single vote democracy can keep the garden stable for the long term. If the garden has voted for locks then the other side must abide by it. If the locks turn out to be a bad decision then the other side can show why locks are no good and the garden can vote again. Who knows, the vote might go their way. > "Any thoughts on how to handle it when one "faction" gets its way and > really doesn't feel like listening to the "other side", such as an > individual or "counterfaction", who persistently keeps raising > questions, alternatives and objections even after a decision has been > made?" > _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: community_garden@list.communitygarden.org To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.c ommunitygarden.org ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love. - Lao Tzu ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communit ygarden.org/attachments/20080724/889d4cdb/attachment.html _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: community_garden@list.communitygarden.org To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.c ommunitygarden.org _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: community_garden@list.communitygarden.org To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org
